The outside world gradually began to stir, but it didn't affect Aiven's established pace in the slightest; the construction work within the Duchy was being carried out methodically.

In the [Witchcraft Garden: Chichen Itza Pyramid], Melro, dressed in a golden fishtail long dress, stood meekly behind Aiven and Olivia, diligently handling her performance evaluations during this period.

"Master, the population exchange work was completed yesterday. There are no more Anuma people within the national territory."

More than a year had passed since the annexation of this 10 million square kilometers of land by the Duchy.

Although the Hilus people lost the entire north, life still had to go on.

To support the domestic war of independence, which had been going on for a year and intensifying, the gold and silver mines of the three major Vice-Kingdoms in the southern New Continent were operating at full capacity to raise military funds, and the slave trade became increasingly prosperous.

Aiven seized this opportunity to exchange 400,000 Anuma slaves with the colonies of southern countries for an equal number of Atrean slaves and Nimansite contract slaves with a maximum service term of seven years.

From the perspective of labor force, this deal indeed seemed like a loss for Aiven. However, from the beginning, it was a significant step for the Duchy in optimizing the population structure.

According to national policy he had long established, the main ethnic group of the Duchy consisted of the Nimansite people and the Mestizo people of mixed Nimansite and Atrean descent, ensuring the country's long-term stability as much as possible.

"Very good, Ms. Melro, your [Fertility Authority] can be fully activated from now on. Whether Atrean or Nimansite, treat them all equally, with a slight preference for the mixed blood."

In the early dangerous stages of Continental expansion, the Hilus people who had crossed the ocean to settle in the New Continent were mostly at the bottom of their original society, oppressed in their homeland, and rarely enjoyed the benefits of being a sea hegemon.

Other than flaunting power over the slaves, they didn't have a strong sense of national identity either.

Therefore, Hilus pioneers living in the former New Hilus Vice-Kingdom were not much opposed to integrating into the Duchy. Moreover, Aiven opened up channels for upward mobility, giving them real opportunities to leave the bottom of society, making their attitude towards naturalization relatively positive.

In just a year, many could fluently recite the divine hymns of the Goddess in the Tulip common language; within a generation, through environmental shaping, they might be indistinguishable from other citizens.

The assimilation policy continued relentlessly, and about two-thirds of the remaining Atreans had nearly completed their conversion work, and the belief in the "Father of Creation" had firmly taken root among nearly 10 million aborigines.

The True God, viewing from the perspective of an era's transition, didn't want to interfere with the faith of the Atreans, but Aiven didn't have the luxury to worry about such "rich man's problems" yet.

Now, the Duchy simultaneously controlled both the bodies and spirits of its citizens, establishing an undeniable ruling power. Solid foundations had been laid, just waiting for them to naturally bear fruit.

However, Aiven's fundamental design for this nation clearly wasn't limited to this.

Screech——!

A giant mountain eagle with a wingspan of over ten meters was circling the blue-green sky of the [Witchcraft Garden].

Toot...toot..toot...

A rustic white ceramic flute played leisurely at its neck, echoing "Mountain Eagle Song," a long-standing tune used to memorialize ancestors and loved ones in the Anuma tribal world where all things have a spirit.

However, this melody was also once a [Secret Covenant] between the "Death God" Wuhao and Mit (the Netherworld), capable of truly communing with the netherworld!

Clearly, this "giant mountain eagle" was actually the genuine embodiment of that ancient ceramic flute, another significant masterpiece in Olivia's hand following "Baihe."

Its extraordinary level reached Tier 3, awakening the [Ability: Death God Messenger].

Thus, under the Duchy's rule, its citizens now had both origins and destinations; from birth to death, none could escape Aiven's jurisdiction.

No matter what stage of life, they remained within his reach.

And that ceramic flute, functioning for over 3000 years, older than the Kuma Empire itself, naturally became Melro's treasure. Upon learning Olivia was collecting antiquities, she presented it at her earliest chance.

Back then, "Mother of Water" Melro and "Lady Crow" Ye He'er jointly partitioned the remains of "Death God" Wuhao, and this ceramic flute fell into Melro's hand (Chapter 566).

A giant mountain eagle devoid of emotion only functioning by rules.

Not only maintaining the balance of the life-and-death order as the [Death God Messenger] but also diving deep into the Duchy's political, economic, transportation, maritime, judicial,... and various systems through the [Mind Network] as the [Spirit of Homeland Guardian: Inspector].

Therefore.

National governance demands expertise in both hardware and software, ensuring both sides are robust. "Technology" handles external affairs, while politics deals with internal matters.

No matter whether executed correctly or incorrectly, there will be dissatisfied parties with vested interests.

Aiven was already planning to refer to the Phaletis Cabinet system, taking on the parliamentary role himself, setting up the "Duchy Government" to be accountable to him, and also drawing the public's negative emotions towards it.

Then, let the [Spirit of Homeland Guardian: Inspector: Mountain Eagle] supervise the government.

This way, as the monarch, he would always be the wise and splendid, the embodiment of greatness, glory, and rectitude, His Majesty Saint Aiven!

Additionally, the [Inspector] could assist in executing corruption investigations, criminal prosecutions, pursuits, surveillance... among other tasks, transforming the Duchy into a true utopia with straightforward folkways where no one picks up lost items on the road.

Freedom, of course, could exist, but it must be a freedom constrained by prerequisites!

Aiven and Olivia had a clear view; for the Duchy to thrive unafflicted by external chaos, it's not about being wealthier, more advanced, or having superior systems, but the overwhelming deterrent force provided by these Peak Transcendents.

The supreme power to rule the secular world, though tempting, was never their ultimate pursuit. The original intention of managing a state was merely to allow them to tread more smoothly on the Extraordinary Path.

Aiven straightforwardly proposed a "monarch-subject" relationship suited for the new era, which is the "Art of the Emperor" that the monarch must firmly grasp.

First, the ability to utilize talent: The talents of the subordinates lie in their capacity to undertake work, whereas the ruler's talent is in utilizing others effectively.

Second, the ability to listen: The subordinates' talents include eloquence, strategizing, and problem-solving, while the ruler's talent is in hearing the opinions of subjects.

Third, the ability to reward and punish aptly: Subordinates take action themselves, while the ruler is adept at distinguishing rewards and punishments.

The initial states of the Tulip Alliance were all founded under a feudal system where the monarch and nobility co-ruled the world.

Therefore, the "Royal Authority" in the hands of the "Queen and Goddess of Navigation" never was that of an "absolute authority" from the beginning.

As long as these three talents, and correspondingly three powers, are masterfully handled, they need not be as personally involved in everything as in the past, focusing solely on their Extraordinary Path.

The goal of their efforts is to achieve the [Truth Embodiment] comparable to Demigods.

In their [Witchcraft Garden], hidden are the foundations they silently accumulate—[Magnetic Ore], [Flying Device], [Chemical Industry], [Spirit of Homeland Guardian: Inspector: Mountain Eagle]—which will one day allow the duchy to soar and enable them to capitalize greatly on global trends!

.....

Time swiftly moved to April, and the entire world gradually filled with an atmosphere of impending strife.

Magnus III of the Tyrone Kingdom personally arrived at St. James's Palace in the Phaletis Kingdom.

In a tightly guarded conference room, he sat with Liweina, and the avatar "Aiven," looking at intelligence gathered at great risk by various agents on the table.

These are the current three giants of the Tulip Alliance, holding over seventy percent of the military and economic power in the alliance; their attitude fully represents that of the alliance, overshadowing even the Pope.

No large-scale battlefield arises by accident; incidents like assassination, provocation, misfires, or missing people are merely the fuses of prolonged war readiness. In fact, in many aspects, the war had long shown signs.

At least the initiating side had been planning and preparing for some time.

Particularly in the defense zone managed by Aiven on the Southern New Continent, according to "Faceless Man" intelligence, grain prices are rising unusually fast with massive stockpiling of grain, steel, and other war supplies underway.

Medications from Sekhmet Biomedical Company released to the market have been swept clean in a short time, with non-war-time small batches of "Penicillin" escalating to exorbitant prices.

Meanwhile, as absolute hard currency, Gold has suddenly diminished significantly in the market, and the credibility of small private banks' gold notes has notably declined.

Secret buyers are scooping up the duchy's foreign trade weapons on a large scale.

The economic advantage of the Galliot Duchy's upstream position makes it like a giant spider perched on a web, noticing every minor movement in the market.

As "Faceless Man" intelligence keeps flowing in, a complete picture is gradually pieced together.

"Therefore, the forces of the Ancient Gods are planning subversive activities against 'Chaotic Territory Kabral,' intending to severely damage or even occupy La Plata and the Vice-Kingdom of Secret Dragon, turning the Vice-Kingdom of New Granada into a buffer zone with us."

After hearing Aiven's report, the other two kings, with grave expressions, shared intelligence about their overseas defense zones.

"Here in the Southern Continent, the Sak Empire has set its sights on Hilus' largest colony, Lobito, the region richest in Southern Continent's mineral and forest resources, with frequent small moves indicating they could strike when the time is right."

"Over at the Peacock Islands, the raiding operations since last July have already driven Hilus mad with diplomatic notes becoming increasingly severe.

Heimar, after contacting us last time, is also re-strategizing the Peacock Islands.

Moreover, intelligence reports say that a month ago, Hilus' First Fleet has left the homeland, and the supposedly strongest in the world [Legendary Battleship: Sea Sovereignty] is also missing..."

In reality, since that "Battle of Dierben Castle" when Hilus lost a legendary and a titular fleet, the Empire's position of supremacy has become quite precarious.

As a philosophy goes, "virtue not matching position will lead to disaster; talent not matching duty will lead to burdens," the same applies to a nation.

The world has allowed Hilus to ascend to its current position because of its gradually strengthening power. However, with the sudden loss of a quarter of its peak strength, it no longer matches its overseas interests.

At the same time, most countries haven't realized the dangers of the "Lowland Republic," considering them just as merchants and bankers who have existed for not just a year or two, with Hilus still having the most lucrative meat on them.

A desire to throw stones when someone is down and to push on a crumbling wall is not only spreading in the New Continent but worldwide.

Especially since the war for independence has dragged since last March to now, for over a year, and Hilus and the Lowland Republic have both reached their limits, with a conclusive battle altering the global landscape being poised on the brink.

Many can already sense the gathering storm, and the three monarchs present need no further elaboration.

"Your Majesties, whether the Tulip can replace Hilus depends on this encounter!"

With a solemn expression, Liweina extended her hand to gently tap on the location of the Peacock Islands.

Property owners cannot be completely eradicated; their urgent priority is to dethrone Hilus, the former overlord, off the pedestal, and to genuinely validate the goddess as the—'Sea Monarchy'!