Seeing the image on the light screen, Bronya's expression froze.
There will be no more Supreme Guardians... What does that mean?
Could it be...
A disturbing thought surfaced in her mind.
A subtle sense of familiarity emerged, and as she watched the screen, her thoughts couldn't help but drift back to Seele in the last simulation—
In the last simulation, there were no more Supreme Guardians either.
With Ron's help, Seele had established the Jarilo-VI First Empire, seizing all power for herself and becoming the master of the new empire.
But why would Ron do this?! He had already obtained the position of Supreme Guardian without any opposition. Mother had already abdicated to him, and everyone would have supported his decisions. Why would he think of seizing all power for himself and establishing a dictatorial empire?!
Bronya's heart was a tangled mess of conflicting emotions.
First, she had absolute faith in Ron's abilities and supported him as the Supreme Guardian who would lead Belobog to a bright future.
But second, she did not want to see Belobog's system overturned to become a new, autocratic empire. She knew exactly what that meant.
An empire is only necessary when one needs the power to make extreme choices... That was the case for Seele in the last simulation, and if Ron wanted to establish an empire, it was clearly for the same reason.
Bronya was willing to support Ron with all her might. She had almost no objections to how he ruled Belobog, but the methods of bloody rule and suppression of dissent were something she found difficult to accept... She did not want to see Belobog fall into the same cold and miserable state as the last simulation.
However...
Looking at the image on the screen, Bronya ultimately sighed.
It's just a simulation, after all... I should just let him be.
From beginning to end, Ron was still in her faction. Since she had chosen to trust Ron, she should trust him all the way to the end.
With this thought, Bronya tapped the screen before her, allowing the simulation to continue.
The image on the light screen faded, and new text appeared upon it.
---o---
[The wheels of history roll forward. Today, Belobog will head in a new direction.]
[You have made all the necessary preparations. You hold multiple options in your hands, and each one is now guaranteed to succeed.]
[It is time to make a choice—]
[1. "The times have changed, old man!" You know just how corrupt and rigid Belobog's seven-hundred-year-old system has become. It is time to shatter it all and march into a new era. Conquer the snowstorms, pacify the Fragmentum—the dawn of a new age awaits you. Upon selecting this option, you will lead the beginning of a new era, overthrowing Belobog's system and creating a brand-new empire. Faction: "Belobog" Stability -30. At the same time, you will trigger the events: "???" and "Whispers of the Stellaron."]
[2. "The times haven't changed, kid." Only at the last moment do you realize your thinking has gone astray. Everything in this simulation has been so peaceful; why stir up trouble and create new waves? Your methods are sufficient to suppress all dissenting voices, and the biggest troubles have already been secretly eliminated by Natasha. Belobog still follows your will; at most, you will waste some time... But stability is what matters most, isn't it? Upon selecting this option, you will be sworn in as Belobog's nineteenth Supreme Guardian and take up residence in Qlipoth Fort. Faction: "Belobog" Stability +30. Your daily Stress value will increase slightly.]
[3. "Why not take it slow?" Perhaps there is no need to be so hasty... A newly appointed Supreme Guardian suddenly announcing the founding of an empire is far harder to accept than a long-reigning one announcing reforms. For the sake of Belobog's stability, and to ensure your complete control, perhaps you should proceed gradually. Upon selecting this option, you will be sworn in as Belobog's nineteenth Supreme Guardian. After a fixed period, the events "Belobog's Reformation" and "Founding of the Empire" will be triggered. Faction: "Belobog" Stability +10. Your daily Stress value will increase slightly until the event "Founding of the Empire" is triggered.]
Looking at the text on the light screen, Ron let out a sigh of relief.
Everything had finally come to this point. No surprises, no scares.
His choice had met with no obstacles; the path ahead was smooth.
He had constantly worried that the Masked Fool, Sampo, lurking in the shadows, would try to obstruct his every move, or at the very least, his establishment of an empire. But unexpectedly, after stealing the Blessed Berries, the man had vanished as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth.
Other than his certain communication with Cocolia, he had remained hidden, never once jumping out to hinder Ron's actions, which left Ron somewhat baffled.
That was why Ron had made all sorts of preparations to ensure the empire's successful founding, constantly on edge, terrified that Sampo would leap out and backstab him, ruining this incredibly favorable simulation.
But now, it seemed impossible for Sampo to stop him... The greatest obstacle had disappeared. There was nothing left to fear.
Ron unhesitatingly chose the first option, letting the simulation proceed.
He couldn't even be bothered to look at the other two choices. One was for someone who, even now, would choose to hold their nose and become the Supreme Guardian out of fear of instability. The other was for someone who would choose a gradual approach for the same reason. Although it wasn't explicitly stated, one could easily read the word "useless" between the lines of those options.
Did he really need to worry about stability? Every single military force in Belobog was in the palm of his hand. Most of the hidden threats had been thoroughly dealt with. The entire city was like a blank sheet of paper, waiting for him to paint on it as he pleased.
Belobog was far from being so difficult to control... First, the people of the Underworld had been under his rule for over a year and were already familiar with him.
Because Ron had personally led the Pioneer Group in the Underworld, and because almost everyone considered the Pioneers to be heroes, Ron had naturally become a hero in their eyes as well.
The people of the Underworld held only trust and adoration for Ron. Even if he chose to establish an empire, they would absolutely not revolt.
As for the people of the Overworld, while they didn't trust him fully and didn't know enough about him, Ron had gained over a year of hands-on experience as a ruler in this simulation. His Governance and Charisma stats had been raised to high levels. At most, the troubles in the Overworld would just take a little time to resolve.
And establishing an empire to gain complete control was a necessity... If Ron wanted to maintain and expand the Pioneer Group, to have them march into the Fragmentum and reclaim the old world, he would need a sufficient supply of resources and support.
These resources would snowball, growing larger and larger. If Ron couldn't guarantee absolute control over the entire empire, proposals to cut the Pioneer Group's funding would fly to his desk like snowflakes. Without enough power to resolve the issue, he would eventually be blocked by the remaining Architects, who would force the proposal through and kill the Pioneer plan in its cradle.
People are always short-sighted... Ron had to ensure he had absolute power to control the future development and direction of Belobog.
Otherwise, given the corruption of Belobog's bureaucracy, political infighting alone would exhaust him.
But by establishing an empire and gaining sufficient power, all these troubles could be easily resolved.
Ron would have enough authority to eliminate these problems, trim the bloated bureaucracy, and directly appoint his trusted old cadres from Wildfire to the corresponding positions to maintain the city's basic functions.
And that would be enough... All remaining energy could be poured into developing agricultural and biological technologies, and continuously training new Pioneer Groups to reclaim the Fragmentum. If he squeezed out all productivity for these purposes, Ron felt it might not even take five years for human footprints to cover all of Jarilo-VI.
As he thought this, Ron saw the text on the screen gradually fade, replaced by a new image—
On the screen, the sky above Belobog was clear of its gloom for the first time in ages. Under the warm sun, a sea of people had gathered before Qlipoth Fort. Almost every citizen of Belobog had rushed out of their homes, standing here, craning their necks in anticipation of this historic moment.
On the simple high platform built before the Everwinter Monument, a dignified figure slowly walked out—
Ron was dressed in a newly tailored Supreme Guardian's attire. Because every previous Guardian had been female, the uniform had a set style but no male version.
This outfit was something Ron had taken time out of his busy schedule to have custom-made. It resembled a formal suit, but with almost all decorations removed, leaving only an Architect's insignia pinned to his chest.
He raised the Lance of Preservation high, the weapon of the Supreme Guardians for over seven hundred years, once the lance of the first Guardian, Alisa Rand. The geomarrow coronet on his head shimmered with a brilliant light.
The image on the screen paused, and a text box popped up.
[You are about to announce the establishment of an empire. Please enter the name of the empire:]
A name? You're going to interrupt me for this now?
Ron scratched his head, feeling an acute sense of frustration, like being cut off at the climax.
He just wanted to watch himself personally declare the founding of the empire. What did it matter what the empire was called?
Ron clicked the screen in annoyance, and after a moment's thought, he casually typed a line of text:
[Jarilo-VI Second Empire]
Since Seele had established the Jarilo-VI First Empire in the last simulation, he might as well create a Second Empire this time. The main selling point was that it was simple and easy to remember...
With this thought, Ron watched as the text box on the screen faded and the scene resumed playing:
"Although this is the inauguration ceremony for the Supreme Guardian, I do not wish to become one."
"He doesn't want to become the Supreme Guardian?"
"What's going on..."
A rustle of whispers spread through the crowd below, but Ron raised the Lance of Preservation high, his dignified gaze sweeping over the sea of people. All the noisy murmurs ceased at once.
He calmly stated, "Belobog is stuck in its old ways. The new era is no longer the era of the Supreme Guardian."
"If this city is to walk towards the dawn, there is only one path to survival: complete and total reform."
"I will create a new empire and open a new chapter in history."
Ron's voice rose as he declared:
"On May 8th, in the 702nd year of the Architects' Era, the Jarilo-VI Second Empire is founded."
"I shall be its Emperor, and I will protect this city until the dawn of this world arrives."
The crowd below the stage immediately erupted. Although most people were supportive of Ron, that didn't mean they were willing to support such a drastic change for Belobog.
Even under Ron's incredibly imposing gaze, some people managed to overcome their fear and stammered out a question:
"Can... can you really lead Belobog to a better future?"
"There have been too many eloquent officials like you, but... but they never did anything for the people's well-being..."
With the first voice speaking out, more voices immediately followed from the crowd. Everyone was filled with doubt towards Ron.
But Ron merely watched it all calmly, slowly extending his hands from the speech platform:
"Everything you fear is a manifestation of a corrupt and collapsing bureaucracy. In the new era, such things will be impossible, because..."
"The empire is but an extension of my hands. Everything is within my grasp."
Squad after squad of uniformed Silvermane Guards and Pioneer soldiers emerged from the shadows of the street corners. In their hands, they held arrested officials, one after another, each with a placard on their back detailing their crimes.
The crowd fell silent. Everyone stared at the familiar faces, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Ron smiled faintly and said:
"So, as citizens of the Jarilo-VI Second Empire, can you now place a little bit of trust in me—your Emperor?"
"My promise will be fulfilled... The Empire shall, in my hands, walk towards the dawn!"