Xerxez, king of Thallerion, stood on the palace's protruding floor, gazing at the distant districts, comfortably contemplating the gradual progress of the kingdom; even after the wars of the past, Thallerion still managed to rise. Xerxez's eyes lovingly traced the cemented paths of the palace; the straight path was very long, and many people calmly walked through the Bellatrix plaza towards the Betelgeuse District.
People could see the tall Thallerion palace piercing the sky not far away. The metallic-studded gate, whenever the sun rose, shone like silver. The thick wooden gate had carved symbols of warriors; its thickness was such that even Hedromus's weapon, which could split trees, could not penetrate Thallerion's gate. Because of its extreme durability, many called it—the shield of Orion.
Day and night, guards stood on both sides of the gate, watching, clad in the dignity of Thallerion. Two colossal statues, holding swords and facing east, stood firm, witnessing Thallerion's progress.
Whenever people visited Xerxez, they would journey through Thallerion's history from its genesis, to how other nations came to know the warriors who shouted the name Thallerion. Pictures introduced how brave Xerxez's ancestors were to people from other countries. The former leaders who raised walls for a strong foundation, the former kings and queens whose triumphs were etched in their smiles, never to be erased.
In other parts, the wall boasted the weapons of deceased kings and famous Thallerion warriors. The polished marble hall of the palace and the king's vast throne room were filled with gentle music sung by strings, while guests listened to Xerxez's teachings.
The palace roof had a prestigious chandelier made of granular crystals resembling diamonds. King Xerxez's seat had a warrior statue holding a weapon with jewels attached to the sword's hilt. And at its base, soft, lion's-mane-like brown fur showed decades of use, yet the bare feet of former kings who had trod there seemed fresh.
Xerxez wore a magnificent blue royal garment, made of smooth silk and adorned with lines of Orion, his towering cloak a symbol of his heroism, and Xerxez's sash, displaying his victories in wars, adorned with precious jewels. Only worthy heroic kings who successfully subdued enemies could inherit it. But Xerxez's eyes drooped, for his father had not worn it when he reigned in Thallerion.
The moniker Orion became a terrifying front for persecuting nations, but Xerxez preferred to avoid such a thought; especially as people believed the nation of Thallerion caused inevitable war.
Whenever he had the chance, Xerxez personally toured the Four Districts of the city to check on the people and their condition to resolve problems in the kingdom and among the citizens of Thallerion.
As the palace door opened, Xerxez was met by soldiers in splendid attire, garments adorned with gold. A smile was etched on Xerxez's face as he saw his white horse standing and waiting for his tour of the entire district. Nevertheless, in the Betelgeuse District, the palace stood as the central government, symbolizing the heart and leadership of the kings. Important council members stood watching Xerxez exit the palace, as did some royal ministers whom Xerxez often consulted for important matters, whether economic or systemic, with peaceful expressions in their eyes.
Xerxez observed the hanging rectangular flags, shining, made of blue and red silk. Xerxez then thought that they should be replaced with a new symbol for Thallerion to stop people from continually thinking of the phrase—inevitable war. The flags were attached to the walls of the buildings and even the palace, bearing the emblem of Orion—the warrior skilled in combat!
During their journey, the people they met smiled at Xerxez. It took a few minutes before they reached the second District—Rigil, and Xerxez's heart was already overflowing with joy. From afar, Xerxez and his companions could already hear the thunder of horses and the shouts of soldiers in the wide parade ground, each moving in unison, their stance proud, and their footsteps like deep applause on the face of the earth. On the stage, a chief commander named Matheros stood, his gaze wide, and he also noticed Xerxez's presence.
"Welcome to the District of Rigil, Your Majesty." Matheros greeted as Xerxez dismounted his white horse, accompanied by guards and assistants for the tour. "Here are the Thallerion soldiers, we can send them to war at any time." Matheros said, adjusting his sword in its sheath. The soldiers stopped and bowed to Xerxez upon his arrival.
"Let's avoid such thoughts." Xerxez said, because Xerxez thought such an idea would only encourage the conscience of war, so Matheros nodded in agreement. A small steel pistol gleamed at the chief commander's waist, which Xerxez noticed in a mere blink. Matheros was taller than Xerxez, with a large and muscular chest; his voice was deep but brave when leading soldiers—and gentle when facing Xerxez.
"Come, let's go to the weapon-making facility." Matheros invited, his armor ornaments clinking as he walked, an armor signifying his high rank as a military leader above all leaders in Thallerion.
Ahead, Xerxez saw the Blumentritt-like colored roof of the facility with continuous hammering of hard steel from within. The workers stopped what they were doing and slightly bowed as Xerxez and his companions entered.
The room was cool when they entered Thallerion's weapon-making facility; but, when Xerxez signaled for the workers to begin, the hum of machines burst forth, the continuous pounding and clanging of screws whenever the machine spun, and the jarring saws used to cut logs. Xerxez also saw large logs being fed into the furnace and its coals crackling with heat that melted the iron tools for molding.
The workers felt the hot furnace, which stung when exposed to the heat for too long. The molten iron poured into the molds looked like lava spewed from a volcano. The grinding stone rotated, smoothing the blade with a sharp noise. Noticeable sweat dripped from the workers' bodies as they hammered glowing iron, creating sparks with every strike of the hammer. Each mold, a potential brilliance in a warrior's life, like the weapons of former kings boasted by Thallerion to new generations. Every hammer blow echoed outside the facility like a drumbeat in the ears of the training soldiers.
Xerxez also smelled the gunpowder being made by the workers in the corner, placed in careful circular steel casings.
Xerxez then went to the weapon storage, where swords hung on the wall, spears stood like posts on the side. Helmets, like skulls, faced Xerxez, lined up on shelves. The polished iron ornaments on the shields made Xerxez envious, so he flicked one with his finger, which clanged, indicating its durability.
"How are the newly purchased weapons?" Xerxez asked, examining the daggers attached to the wall, and searching for the faces of the guns in that room.
"The quality provided by the Thartherus nation is excellent." Matheros said, slightly peering out the window and watching soldiers hauling heavy boxes to the other headquarters. "Some of the guns have been tested by General Phalleon... according to their report, there were no defects." Matheros's face showed his positive outlook on the weapons Xerxez had purchased. Matheros was considered like Xerxez's older brother, even though they weren't blood relatives; Matheros promised himself he would do everything to ensure Xerxez's safety. Even when Xerxez decided to challenge King Hedromus, Matheros never left Xerxez alone.
"What about the weapons from Vhorlandrus? They were delivered last week, weren't they?" Xerxez approached the gunpowder, as white as beach sand, but his nose seemed to want to sneeze from its strong aroma; fortunately, he had a handkerchief in his pocket.
"Those explosives have been carefully moved to a safe place, they haven't been tested yet... But I think they are powerful compared to what we have manufactured here in Thallerion." Matheros saw Xerxez examining the quality of the gunpowder and the finished round explosives nearby.
"In that case, we need to send personnel to study explosive manufacturing in Vhorlandrus." Xerxez stood up, his eyes surveying the entire room towards where Matheros stood. "To further improve the quality of our workers' products." Xerxez even clapped his hands, which had powder from the gunpowder on his fingers.
Xerxez purchased additional weapons such as cannons also from Vhorlandrus and guns from the Thartherus nation with beautiful designs, the proud creation of their architecture featuring a long-nosed gun capable of firing five consecutive shots.
Outside, large-bodied cannons, capable of launching bombs far away, stood like sea lions gazing eastward. The artillery purchased from Peronica was meticulously crafted, each part resembling a phoenix bird.
However, Xerxez still emphasized that the new generation should not forget the use of old weapons and training in the use of other war equipment. Nevertheless, Xerxez understood that times were advancing, so Thallerion also needed to accept modern methods of warfare. At this point, inventors and workers were busy creating special weapons. The manufacture of guns and explosives was Thallerion's objective to ensure all soldiers were ready for any impending threat to Thallerion's future—even though Xerxez's idea was to avoid war.