Chapter 45 The Modest Beginnings Of The Mighty Milf Empire (2/2)

I nodded in understanding.

To form your own nation wasn't a very complex matter, but it was a difficult one. First, you needed your own territory. You can either find one not yet claimed by other forces, buy the territory, or conquer it.

The Dry Lands fell under the unclaimed category in truth. While the Aeil did claim some areas they only controlled the areas surrounding their camps. They had neither the desire, the resources or manpower to look the majority of the land surrounding them. It belonged to the creatures, not them. Plus aside from the Great Clans that had a permanent position the rest moved periodically. Due to the beasts and other reasons.

So the rule of thumb is if you could manage the problems of settling down, that area was yours. Most Aeil could only find large oases to help with that, but I could make them.

The second thing you needed was a consistent population. You needed people who followed you and obeyed your orders. Farmers, knights, Nobles.

Third, you had to have a way to provide food and water for your people. Something for the farmers to, well, farm. Soldiers to protect them, knights to act as elite officers and guards, and Nobles to command in your name your various territories.

Fourth, you had to establish friendly relations with the other nations. That wasn't a problem though. The Aeil would come under my rule after I ”wed” their ”Little Goddess.”

After that, I would have to focus on strengthening my militia and send some men to the borders so people don't be getting any ideas. The last thing you needed for a Kingdom was to have the force necessary to dissuade any would-be invaders.

Having all these things were essential to laying a foundation for a nation.It's easy to talk about but hard to execute. Especially food and water bit.

In fact that's also why no one except the Great Clans has ever set any permanent footholds in the Dry Lands. They had no consistent water supplies and consequently could not grow crops. Unlike Aeil, foreign powers could not keep up with constant traveling and attacks from beasts they didn't know the hunting grounds of.

They also didn't have the right bodies the withstand the intense heat, not to mention any large force would in the past be met with the Aeil coming to repel them.

Since they didn't have sustainable water supplies, couldn't settle down to grow crops, and were under attack from the native warriors, bandits and monsters….it became a pipe dream to carve out a land in such a harsh place no matter how strong the allure of gold and silver hidden in it's mountains.

But as I said, I didn't have that problem. I could blow up once and Life Bomb the fuck outta a full three-mile radius. Give or take. So I could pick any place and make the area fully farmable, the only problems being the beasts who would flock to the new life-rich fields of green.

Not only that, but I was deified by the natives and converted all the bandits in my area with sheer force. I also squashed the Society's influence. I had gained a massive following of people who took my words as that of God's. I had, apparently, a budding militia. And I remember now that I'd had farmers brought in a while ago to help with the plantations.

All we needed to do is set up some concrete laws, get the clans to submit to ”our” rule and make contact with the nations surrounding the Dry Lands to make friendly relations. Then we're all set to go.

I'd have to deal with the beasts still but under a unified Dry Lands managing them shouldn't be impossible. I even had a few fun ideas on what to do with them.

Had the Clans united and done this before they wouldn't have to tangle with the beasts so much. But they were never as desperate as before and blood feuds between clans happened often. I guess they wouldn't be as strong as they were had they not been under such constant pressure either.

I made dealing with the Aeil look easy, but Damien's basically the second coming Okeanos with both Dragon AND Angel in his blood, so he's too OP to have real trouble with them. Most other people, however, would never be able to take care of them the way I can.

For example, the Humane Society was easier to deal with since they were humans. But when I started going after the Aeil cultists I switched to Aeil warriors to deal with them, led by me, Lucy, Cass, and Jacob. Except for Cass and a few of his own men the rest of my followers couldn't take on an Aeil by themselves and I didn't want to throw away lives by subduing the cultist Aeil through sheer number.

The Society and Evil God cultists were both organizations but they were broken into groups scattered here and there so I dealt with them easy enough.

But I never waged an all-out war with the Aeil, I've only been taking care of small camps of extremists. I wouldn't WANT to go into a war with the Aeil.

Luckily mine was not an invading force. It was a mass conversion. While the natives were attracted to Water God Solaire, the hostile forces like the bandits were forcefully absorbed by Bandit King Solaire.

And the beastkin who lived here to escape the persecution of the outside world? They came for the kind Saint-Hero Solaire.

Let's also not forget I had many fans here who accepted the glory of the Furry-Eared ones!

So yeah. I was welcomed with (mostly) open arms. The above factors and the way I was able to create fertile land were the only reasons I was able to quickly and easily grow my forces into it's current level.

Lucy walked over and clapped my shoulder. ”With that said, let me be the first foreign Sovereign to recognize your nation.” He reached out a hand, which I shook heartily.

”Just don't forget those fancy titles I was promised,” said Cass.

”I don't know what to say anymore.” Alex sighed. ”Creating Kingdoms like it's nothing...just what the hell is going on?”

”Well.” I stood up. ”Seems like I don't gotta do anything more than supervise a bit and leave things to my clone.” Really at this point, he's just here to keep killing cultists and be my placeholder so MY cultists don't know I'm missing. Cass and that bandit leader's daughter whom I only vaguely remember can take care of the other finer details for now. ” It's nice being a Deity. I feel like I'm playing an idle clicker game. Alright, since I've got that taken care of, I'm off. Bubbles, you can take care of the ceremony details?”

”Come back in a week.”

”Nice.” I gave her a thumbs up.”Okay, gentlemen. Nice meeting. Lucy, you coming back?”

”Yeah.” He said. ”I told you, I can't think of who exactly ratted on Charlotte so I'm just going to lop off the heads of everyone who knowsher real identity.”

”Aren't some of them family friends?”

”Yeah. So?” He tilted his head questioningly as if he didn't get why I asked.

”Nevermind. And Alex?”

”He still has a month before he can come back. We'll send for him later. I'm pleased with his growth but he's got to harden himself more.” He glanced at his son with a strange look in his eye. I could tell he was not quite as satisfied as he said. He nearly lost his shit when he heard what the boy had said back then.

He went into an hour-long lecture about how ”Those who wanna hurt my Lottie are all sinners!”

The King was really upset the kid felt any mercy or hesitation in killing the cultists. Which personally, I didn't hold against the boy given his age. But Lucy obviously had his own common sense warped since young and I'm not much better so the kid's shit out of luck. Either he accepts them for the rat bastards they are and or he and Wrym-chan get reacquainted!

And since then I haven't heard a peep of complaint. You could see in his eyes the faint chill his Love orgy counterpart had. I liked it. There was strength in those eyes. He'll be a man fit for taking care of Dolly soon enough.

Baz!” I called.

And in popped a green-haired shota munching on a cookie. I feel he hasn't had much screen time lately. That'll change considering he'll be coming to school with me.

”Yup?” He asked.

”Go get Minnie and Evie, we're leaving.”

No way am I letting them stay here alone. Or letting them witness the marriage ceremony, even if it is fake.

I'm taking them to school, too.

I was a bit excited about going now that I let the idea sink in.

I mean come on, it wouldn't be an Otome Game without a school setting, now would it?