The armies of the Iron Legion cheered in euphoria.
Cries of celebration echoed throughout the camp as bonfires were lit and barrels of drink rolled among the soldiers.
It was a complete victory.
Regarding Verdia's disappearance, the news was spread that it had actually been a maneuver to lure out Pope Lucios and eliminate him, which wasn't entirely a lie.
Although the higher ranks knew there was more behind that official truth, no one asked further questions. After all, the Beast God had said it was fine—and that was enough.
The figure of Rygar, cloaked in an aura of near-divine power, had become a symbol.
Even without realizing it, Rygar had already instilled in his subordinates an unconscious belief in his invincibility and infinite wisdom.
It was as if his mere presence assured everyone that everything was under control.
Very few remembered that the leader of the Iron Legion was only seventeen years old.
All sorts of legends spread among the battalions. Some claimed Rygar was the reincarnation of Beast Gods from the past.
Others said he was a Miko sent from the heavens, destined to free the oppressed peoples.
He was seen as someone imposing, an invincible warrior, a just leader who fought for the weak.
His virtue was proclaimed across all lands, in the improvised songs of the Legion's bards and in the words of every soldier returning from the frontlines.
But the truth was that Rygar didn't see himself that way.
Deep down, Rygar was someone who only cared about those close to his heart.
His loved ones, his friends, his disciples, his closest allies—these were the ones who truly mattered.
He wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice the rest of the world if it meant saving those he loved. That was his nature.
The only thing that set him apart was that, if he could do something about it, Rygar wouldn't sit idly by while his race was enslaved and exterminated.
He also couldn't accept the tyranny of a government rotten to the core like Milis's.
To him, that was the bare minimum.
The heart of the matter was that he had become very strong. Too powerful.
And as his strength increased, so did the number of things he could interfere with. Before he knew it, Rygar could impose his will upon the entire continent.
And even with his strength attracting all kinds of warriors and mercenaries to his cause, the Iron Legion did not become a band of monsters.
Yes, there were bloodthirsty demons among their ranks, but throughout the war, heinous crimes were severely punished by the Legion's generals and commanders.
Indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, rape, or cannibalism—all of that was absolutely unthinkable.
Rygar didn't even force the survivors of Milis to become war slaves. A decision that surprised and even frustrated some among his ranks.
But this nearly unprecedented gesture—even in the long and bloody history of wars in this world—sealed Rygar's image as a relentless, yet just and merciful leader.
But again, for Rygar, that was the bare minimum.
In his previous world, these things were rather obvious. Not raping, not enslaving... did it really need to be said out loud? Well, here, it did.
His morality had adapted to the new world, yes, but the core remained unchanged.
Even so, Rygar was surprised by the extremely low number of barbaric crimes within his own Legion.
He suspected this was not only due to the severity of punishments but also to the very culture of this world, the Law of the Strongest.
The leaders of each division were extraordinary warriors, and above all of them loomed the figure of the Beast God—the man who had erased Milishion from the map.
His mere existence imposed discipline.
Furthermore, many of the commanders and officers had grown up alongside Rygar, training with him, bleeding with him, learning with him.
And even those who came later, who hadn't known him since childhood, didn't dare question his authority. It was hard to oppose someone who could destroy armies alone.
The news of the Iron Legion's victory spread across the continent like wildfire. The whole world was watching.
After all, it wasn't just a war—it was a change of era. A new order was about to be established, and no one knew for sure what tomorrow would bring.
But honestly, all Rygar wanted now was to sit and rest.
Leave everything in the hands of his generals, his commanders, and trusted allies.
But he knew that his presence was one of the main reasons why everything was going so well.
Still, behind all his efforts at that moment, Rygar had a plan.
A long-term strategy that boiled down to forming a stable Kingdom now, with a firm foundation and efficient administration, so that in the future he could step away completely from politics.
He already had in mind who he would name as King in his place, and even before officially founding the Kingdom, he already felt anxious for the moment he would finally hand over the crown and vanish from political life.
It would still take some time, but with each passing second, his anticipation grew.
Besides the Kingdom's foundation, there were personal matters that demanded his attention.
He needed to formalize his relationship with Verdia. They both knew how the other felt, and after the kiss outside Milishion, they had begun treating each other somewhat like a couple.
He also needed to investigate Verdia's powers and obtain detailed information about her encounter with Orsted.
He had also recently learned that Zenith and Norn were safe in the city of Tinaver. He wanted to meet them and perhaps apologize for killing Paul.
He also had to go to the Great Forest and quickly meet his younger sister, Ruby, and finally visit his mother again.
It was a matter that had weighed on him in silence since the beginning of the war.
There was also the Dragon King Kingdom. He needed to thank them for the valuable help during the war with Milis.
The fifteen Red Dragon eggs he had taken while at the Sword Sanctuary had hatched a few months ago.
That was the reason Ezkalor wasn't present in the final stage of the attack.
The Red Dragon was in Tinaver, caring for the hatchlings.
Rygar felt overwhelmed. There was so much to do that, at times, he fantasized about simply kidnapping his wives and fleeing to some far-off mountain.
Living in isolation, just with them. Spending his days with Ghislaine, Eris, Verdia... free from obligations.
But that wasn't possible yet. The world demanded too much from him.
Ghislaine and Eris, for their part, didn't seem worried. They were training peacefully at the residence in Tinaver.
Aisha seemed to be in a bad mood after spending some time with her biological sister, but she continued helping with administrative tasks.
Verdia, Taes, Kilian, and other veterans were being very helpful with the organization.
Saint McEarntown had been freed, as well as the former General Flash Sword, Leonor.
With them leading the remaining civilians of Milis, integration and transition became much smoother. People listened to their words.
To Rygar's surprise, Galgard was truly dead.
For a moment, he suspected some absurd twist, like in stories from his previous world, would cause the general to reappear or flee mysteriously.
But no. He was dead. Incinerated.
The King of Milis had also been caught in the explosion that occurred when Rygar clashed with the White Knight, being destroyed along with the impact.
Cardinal Leblanc McFarlane perished in the Dragon's Breath that obliterated the White Palace.
And the Pope, killed by Verdia.
Among the great names, only McEarntown and Leonor remained. It was an absolute victory.
The civilians hidden underground in Milishion were in shock upon hearing of the defeat.
Many nobles tried to incite McEarntown to lead a resistance, but it was in vain.
The General hadn't even wanted this war to begin with and knew the strength of the Iron Legion. He knew Rygar was invincible. He wouldn't sacrifice lives needlessly.
Under his guidance, the civilians were calmly guided and transferred to other cities, since Milishion no longer existed.
Not even the Seven Magic Towers remained. Rygar took them whole. Everything was undone. Nothing remained of the once most beautiful city in the world.
The noble houses were mostly dissolved.
Commerce was taken over by Legion divisions. Some territories kept their former rulers, those who had surrendered or collaborated.
Other territories were assumed by new leaders appointed by Rygar.
Maps of Milishion were being studied intently.
The regions would be reorganized to house people of diverse origins: former slaves, demonic tribes, nomads from the Great Forest, and even humans from abandoned territories.
The location of each group had to be strategically chosen. Living conditions, safety, and ethnic and cultural balance were all considered.
Everything had to be organized in the smallest details.
---
All these activities took so much of Rygar's time that he couldn't get away for fifteen whole days.
They were intense days, during which he was involved in meetings, decisions, planning, inspections, and hearings.
But that time was also enough for all the key figures to gather in Tinaver.
The city, now considered the temporary capital of the new emerging Kingdom, was in a constant state of celebration.
Bonfires lit the nights, stalls and decorations filled the streets, and the inhabitants sang, danced, and celebrated the new era.
Today had been a particularly auspicious day.
The Beast God had announced that he had taken Verdia Solarion as his third wife, a union that moved his followers and caused a wave of joy among the members of the Iron Legion.
Shortly after the announcement, accompanied by his generals and most trusted figures, Rygar officially declared the creation of the Kingdom of Gaia, with himself crowned as its first King.
This Kingdom would encompass the entire territory of the Continent, from the wild vastness of the Great Forest to the green fields of the former Holy Kingdom of Milis.
The name of the Continent was also changed to Gaia Continent.
Spreading that name would take some time, but it was only a matter of gradual acceptance. Everything was changing before the eyes of the world.
As he walked through the corridors of the new government headquarters toward his home, where he knew the women of his life awaited him.
Meanwhile, he mentally established some priorities to better organize his future from now on.
Milis, even defeated, had prepared for such an eventuality. Its magical and military knowledge, accumulated over hundreds of years, was stored in more than one secret location.
Fortunately, McEarntown knew of one of those places.
After some negotiations and security guarantees, Rygar gained access.
What he found there was of incalculable value. King-level, Emperor-level, and even God-level magic from the healing and offensive schools.
There wasn't God-level magic from every school, but still, it was extremely valuable.
Lost spells were also there: fragments of Summoning magic, Elven Spiritual Magic, and Divination magic.
Milis's gathered knowledge surpassed any other known kingdom, at least in terms of magical tradition.
This was the heritage of a kingdom that had survived since before the Laplace War.
With this in hand, Rygar decided he would build a special library for the Iron Legion, with access to all this arsenal—except, of course, for the most secret techniques.
There was also another evident priority: communication. Organizing an entire continent required constant and precise information, something he didn't have at the moment.
It was vital to develop an instant or near-instant communication system. Without it, the Kingdom of Gaia would have no real foundation.
To that end, he, along with the Iron Legion, was studying how the communication system of the Seven Great Powers' stones worked.
Those stones would be the key to developing long-distance communication in this world.
And finally, there was his own strength. Rygar couldn't stop.
According to Verdia, Orsted, the Dragon God, had spared his life only on a whim. No one knew when he would come again.
Rygar needed to be strong enough that not even an existence like his would dare challenge him. Founding this kingdom was just the beginning.
Immersed in those thoughts, he finally arrived home.
The space was spacious and cozy.
In the inner courtyard, Verdia was training her rusty swordsmanship under Eris's guidance, while Aisha, grumpy, scolded Norn during her training, correcting her movements.
Ghislaine and Zenith were chatting while seated at a table.
Rygar realized, too late, that he was surrounded by women.
He looked at Skoll, his loyal companion, who was lazily napping under the sun. The wolf raised one eyelid and gave him a knowing glance.
Rygar sighed with a slight smile and said, loud enough to be heard:
"I'm home!"
The Kingdom of Gaia was now in full ascent.
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