CHAPTER 1288: CHAPTER 316 NEW YASSERLAN EMPIRE

Without any doubt.

The scene where Kafney transformed into an Angel Envoy during the wedding ritual will be remembered and sung by those who witnessed it.

This piece of history is inherently powerful—a new, profound influence was bestowed upon the witnesses simply by observing the ritual. This signifies that it can itself become the arcane knowledge needed for future rituals.

To preserve this arcane knowledge, Kafney will undoubtedly become the protagonist of some original scripture or apocrypha in the future... and this might also become the arcane knowledge required for summoning Kafney in ceremonies to come.

And after the brief wedding ritual concluded, Annan, as promised, announced a momentous message:

"I shall proclaim three matters here.

"The first matter is... from today onwards, the Winter Duchy and Noah Kingdom will complete their unification, renamed as the ’New Yasserlan Empire.’ I shall serve as the empire’s inaugural emperor, while my empress and first prime minister will be Kafney Noah. The Underground City has agreed to become an autonomous region under the empire’s governance, granting all rights of metro operation, usage, and expansion to the empire.

"Furthermore, I hereby demand the United Kingdom of Former Dennisoya and Feld Archipelago, and The Holy Nation, to join under the empire’s rule. The positions of the former parliament chief and the pope will be equal to the empire’s prime minister, coexisting as the Three Sages.

"I pledge to maintain the structure of the Advisory Council and Hall of Purity along with all existing personnel, and for the next ten years, I will not establish new advisor or cardinal positions for the Advisory Council and Hall of Purity in the name of the emperor."

—This was, undoubtedly, a statement that shocked everyone present in an instant.

Some had indeed speculated that Noah might merge with Winter... After all, this was a union between two rulers.

These witnesses were unsure how much of this stemmed from love versus interest... but they were certain of one thing: neither Annan nor Kafney were fools—both were among the world’s wisest minds.

Their decision was undoubtedly not made in the impulsion of emotion—but after calculating various factors, arriving at the best choice.

—But what they didn’t expect was Annan’s ambitions to stretch so far!

Beyond the possession of Noah already in his grasp, Annan intended to claim the kingdoms of Former Dennisoya, the Underground City, and The Holy Nation too!

What would this lead to?

A war of conquest against the remaining two nations... or rather, three nations after their merger?

The crowd immediately grew tense.

But what they didn’t expect was...

The representative from the United Kingdom—a youth named Arthur Burnfang—rose gracefully at this moment.

As the guests anticipated he might calmly accept Grand Duke Annan’s... or rather, His Imperial Majesty’s declaration of war...

He instead spoke with clarity, "In the name of the King of Dennisoya, from this day forth, the United Kingdom of Dennisoya and Feld Archipelago shall merge into the New Yasserlan Empire. The Feld Archipelago shall combine into the Feld Duchy, with its inaugural Grand Duke being His Majesty Ofelia of Dennisoya."

—Clearly, this could not have been an independent decision by Arthur Burnfang.

In other words, though Dennisoya’s new king was absent from the ceremony...

He was already aware of this matter and had given his approval.

The guests realized something and turned their gazes towards The Holy Nation’s representatives.

The "Silent Unspeakable" remained completely silent, not even nodding. Yet, seated beside him, the Pope of the Light Forger, Gregory VII, stood up.

He was a towering figure over two meters tall, with skin dark as coal and etched with conspicuous burn marks. The fissures on his body radiated a molten, flowing glow akin to lava.

Merely standing, he dimmed the surrounding light, and the overwhelmingly oppressive presence instantly quieted the previously noisy hall.

With a deep, resonant voice, the Light Forger declared:

"In the name of the Seven Gods, from this day forth, the Qishen Church shall dissolve The Holy Nation and spread into the entirety of the New Yasserlan Empire. The highest authority of the Hall of Purity shall rename the Pope as the First Pontiff, and the former Holy Nation shall be renamed the ’Holy Mountain Duchy,’ governed under a constitutional monarchy. The Silent Unspeakable, Saint Peter, shall be crowned the Holy Mountain Duke."

—Clearly, this had been planned long ago.

This signified that the five nations had already reached a consensus before today.

The guests realized something significant was about to unfold here, and they would bear witness to it:

After centuries... with the dissolution of the great unified barrier of old, the fractured five nations of Yasserlan had finally achieved reintegration!

History would engrave this moment—so thoroughly that, if the New Yasserlan Empire truly endured, then future generations’ textbooks would most certainly include at least two mandatory questions about it, one multiple-choice and one short-answer.

And they quickly grasped the implications of the five nations’ unification:

Annan proceeded with a series of intricate commitments:

"With the unification of the five nations, I, as the world’s foremost Ritualist—holder of the ritual [Crown of the Supreme]—shall focus on researching the reconstruction of the great unified barrier. Legislative, executive, and judicial powers of the empire will be delegated to the Three Sages.

"I already possess a reliable method for reconstructing the unified barrier. I promise to complete its reconstruction within ten years—clearing the Mist regions that divide the original five nations.

"Once the unified barrier is rebuilt, I shall utilize Former Noah Kingdom’s technology to establish a comprehensive rail network across the empire’s territory over the subsequent decade. Ensuring each township and above has access to at least one freight rail and one passenger rail. I will use Former Dennisoya’s technology to construct Energy Transference Towers, unifying north-south thermal resource distribution; provide internal combustion engines and auxiliary technologies from The Holy Nation at the lowest cost; and disseminate The Holy Nation’s latest technologies explained by the Principal Bishop of the Light Forger. The original Holy Nation will commence mass production of ships, eliminate dangerous marine life, and construct over ten ports surrounding the imperial inner sea within ten years to ensure unhindered, tax-free, and safe inner-sea freight transport.

"The Hand of Winter and Three-Eyed Crow shall merge under the governance of Duke Geraint; all Wizard’s Towers will be integrated into the empire’s administration, with Tower Wizards automatically becoming Imperial Wizards, enjoying top-tier benefits. Before graduation, the empire shall preemptively employ them, whether or not they directly serve the empire. Post-graduation, they will receive up to eight kinds of insurance coverage; ensuring Silver Baron Church and Grandmother Church presence in every township and higher region. All non-Evil God clergy will receive basic salaries and bonuses, and shall be entitled to compensation in the event of any misfortune.

"Agricultural taxes across the empire’s territories will be reduced to 3%, with a pledged maximum of 5%. The empire shall prioritize purchasing all surplus grain; every household will receive a monthly ration of grain as a basic living guarantee; all Transcendents, Ritualists, and Fallen will be registered with unified certification codes ensuring verification of identity and traceability of criminality; fugitives fleeing one region into another will provide local law enforcement with the right and obligation to arrest and punish them..."

Annan’s proclamations continued for a full hour and a half.

For a moment, the guests experienced the semblance of an illusion.

It seemed less like his imperial declaration upon ascending the throne—and more akin to... some kind of final testament?

Annan appeared to lay bare all his plans at once, detailing the empire’s trajectory for the next thirty years with unwavering clarity.

At least twenty recording crystals, stationed at various angles, captured Annan’s entire proclamation in its entirety.

And on the second day following Annan’s wedding—the very day after his ascension—Annan departed from Former Winter Duchy... now the imperial capital of the New Yasserlan Empire, toward The Holy Nation region, now renamed the "Holy Mountain Duchy."

The Twelve True Gods had already been waiting for him there for a long time.