Today was a special day for Arthur.
How special?
It marked the 30th day since he arrived in this world.
He still remembered vividly what had happened a month ago:
It was midsummer. He was sitting at home, enjoying the air conditioner. On his desk: a fizzy drink on the left, half a chilled watermelon on the right.
A sip of soda, a bite of watermelon, humming a tune—it was blissful.
He was playing a game called "Fate/Grand Order Hegemony", a real-time strategy PC game released by Type-Moon three months earlier.
Based on the popular gacha mobile game FGO and the Nasuverse, it let players control a civilization to conquer others in an alternate-history setting.
At that moment, only two players remained in the game—Arthur included.
He had chosen the Roman civilization and had gathered materials to summon Divine Ancestor: Romulus Quirinus.
Once summoned, Romulus's Noble Phantasm could wipe out the opponent's base.
The opponent had chosen the Sumerian civilization and summoned Enkidu with the Noble Phantasm Chains of Heaven. Gilgamesh's ultimate Noble Phantasm, Ea, was fully charged—also capable of annihilating the enemy base.
It resembled a classic standoff from Command & Conquer: Red Alert—both sides had deployed their superweapons.
Arthur watched as his summoning completed. Romulus appeared above Rome, majestic in golden armor. Arthur targeted the enemy city of Uruk.
Just then, the golden-skinned Gilgamesh across the field lowered his sword—his charge was also complete.
As Arthur held his breath, waiting for the clash…
Everything went black.
He lost consciousness.
Then… he woke up in a new world.
Arthur found himself in a ruined land, with crumbling walls and wild grass growing all around.
A collapsed city wall stood nearby, and beyond it, a vast meadow and a seemingly endless forest.
Turning around, he saw a wide stretch of ruins extending far into the horizon.
He was stunned, so much so that he didn't even notice the mysterious whisper in his mind.
Until a bone-chilling cold struck him.
Then he heard a low growl.
A beast the size of a bear, black-furred and wolf-like with orange lines adorning its body, emerged from behind a broken wall.
Its amber eyes stared into his.
It leapt at him.
He could see its maw—larger than a washbasin—and fangs thicker than his wrists.
Frozen in fear, only one thought echoed in his mind: "I'm doomed!"
At that moment, a group of burly soldiers wearing Roman-style armor appeared out of nowhere.
They stood between Arthur and the beast.
Two in front held massive shields, blocking the charge. Despite the impact, they only took a half-step back.
The beast stumbled, losing momentum.
Behind them, spearmen lunged forward and drove their weapons into the creature's eyes, throat, and belly.
By the time Arthur regained his senses, the soldiers had surrounded the beast and swiftly ended its life.
The apparent leader, distinguished by finer armor and wielding a longsword, decapitated the monster.
Their faces remained stoic, hidden beneath helmets—only unwavering determination could be seen.
The soldiers looked very Roman.
As they turned to face Arthur, he gulped.
Before he could speak, the soldiers knelt on one knee.
"My lord..." said the leading swordsman, removing his helmet to reveal a stern European face in his thirties.
One arm held his helmet as he bowed respectfully.
Arthur was stunned.
The voice in his head returned, this time delivering clear instructions.
No explanation was given for how he arrived here—only what he needed to do next.
A system interface appeared in his mind.
Arthur realized—this was the support system from "FGO Hegemony"!
The final words from the voice echoed in his ears:
"Reforge humanity in this world. Spread its brilliance across this land."
Time is strange—it turns resistance into familiarity.
Arthur had accepted his new reality.
Being forcibly brought here was unfortunate—but he had a " system," just like any isekai protagonist.
In fact, on his second day, the system had even given him a gift.
He summoned the interface:
Name: Arthur (Lord, Master)
Innate Skills: [Robust], [Iron Will], [Universal Tongue], [Gift of Wisdom]
[Robust] (E Rank):
"Your body is vastly stronger than normal. Immune to common illnesses. Resistant to physical harm."
[Iron Will] (E Rank):
"Your mind is exceptionally resilient. Immune to emotional instability and mental debuffs."
[Universal Tongue] (E Rank):
"You can understand and speak any language under the human order."
[Gift of Wisdom] (E Rank):
"You learn far faster than average. Gain enhanced knowledge acquisition."
These "innate skills" were usually reserved for Servants in the game, representing special talents or traits.
Arthur could feel their effects—especially [Robust].
He hadn't gotten sick despite being on an alien world . Even a month of rough living hadn't worn him down.
The panel also listed General Skills, learnable by anyone.
General Skills: [Swordsmanship], [Spear Mastery]
[Swordsmanship] (Beginner)(human):
"Learned from Porucus. Can execute basic Roman formation techniques, though lacking battle experience."
[Spear Mastery] (Beginner)(human):
"learned from Porucus. Familiar with routines, but inexperienced in combat."
He had only trained for 2 hours daily, but thanks to [Gift of Wisdom], his form was already flawless.
And it also shows the best part of the gift given to him
Noble phantasms:
[Caliburn] [Armor of the dragon]
[Caliburn] (current F+)( true b+)
" Sword of the chosen king. it does not recognize you yet it seems"
[Armor of the dragon] (F+)(???)
" A set of armor made of strange material. maybe it can grow with you on your journey ?"
His physical stats were also shown:
Strength: 1.5Endurance: 1.8 |Agility: 1.5
These values were compared to average Roman soldiers from the "Eternal Madness Empire: City of Seven Hills" FGO campaign.
He dismissed the panel and walked outside.
Two Roman-style armored guards greeted him with bows.
They had appeared similarly to FGO's Chaldea's Rayshift technology—but they were living, breathing individuals, not just data.
Sample Soldier Panel:
Name: Lucus (United Rome Soldier)
Skills: Swordsmanship (Expert) (human), Spear Mastery (Expert) (human)
"Skills ingrained through years of battle."
Strength: 1.5 | Endurance: 1.5 | Agility: 1.5
Evaluation: A fully reliable veteran.
Name: Gaius (United Rome Soldier)
Strength: 1.4 | Endurance: 1.3 | Agility: 1.7
Also: A fully reliable veteran.
All soldiers had similarly high loyalty
had tested this. These men would follow him into hell without hesitation.
"It's just like a game," Arthur whispered.
"But it's definitely not a game…" he reminded himself, staring out into the bustling military camp.
This nameless ruined city had already been tidied up. Among the ruins, young and able-bodied men in rough linen clothes moved about busily, transporting stones and timber. A number of houses had already been erected.
The house where Arthur resided was situated at the very center of the camp and was noticeably more refined.
Standing in the courtyard and gazing over the camp, Arthur silently recited a command in his heart to summon the system interface.
City Management Interface:
Current Status: Small Settlement (Unnamed)
Public Sentiment: Loyal, Diligent
Population: 600
Tax Revenue: None
Income: None
Inventory: None
Current Buildings: Houses, Lumberyard, Wooden Palisade, Farmland
Building Details:
Houses: Provide shelter from wind and rain. They are the foundation of civilization and the bedrock for population growth.
Lumberyard: A place for basic processing of harvested wood.
Wooden Palisade: Effectively repels attacks from ordinary wild beasts.
Farmland: Land cleared for planting crops, directly tied to agriculture. Agriculture is closely linked with the expansion of civilization.
The busy people in the camp had appeared collectively after the arrival of the pair of soldiers who were guarding Arthur.
Arthur still remembered what happened that day. The ruins were suddenly engulfed in a thick white mist, and when it dissipated, these people had appeared out of nowhere in front of him.
Clearly, this was also the work of the Human Order System. If the goal was to spread the brilliance of humanity, then a large population would naturally be required.
The manifested individuals were all healthy young men. Their roles were tiered: among them were 80 professional soldiers, the majority were farmers, and a few were hunters, stonemasons, carpenters, and blacksmiths.
Along with them came various resources, primarily food. At two meals a day, there was enough to sustain 600 people for three months. Additionally, there were some tools and seeds.
Population and resources — these were Arthur's initial capital for establishing a foothold in this otherworld.
"Shall we begin today's inspection, Lord?"
A soldier standing behind Arthur asked respectfully.
Arthur nodded slightly.
He held absolute authority in the small settlement — the sole decision-maker. In other words, whatever decisions he made next, these hundreds of people would be eagerly waiting for his orders.
Before the transmigration, Arthur majored in management at university and was also skilled at strategic simulation games. But theoretical knowledge and in-game strategies often didn't translate well into real-life scenarios.
Initially, Arthur was extremely unaccustomed to the role, but now he was gradually getting the hang of it.
Constructing the camp, dispatching soldiers to eliminate nearby beasts — the initial chaos had now given way to a semblance of order.
Accompanied by two soldiers, Arthur stepped out of his courtyard. Along the way, hardworking civilians stopped their tasks to bow respectfully as he passed. Arthur responded with a slight nod.
Most of the houses had already been built and showed signs of being lived in.
Arthur walked through the camp's roadways until he reached the old city wall.
Long ago, this ruin must have belonged to a thriving and powerful civilization — the towering walls made that evident.
But under the wear of time, this once-flourishing civilization had collapsed into scattered ruins.
Parts of the collapsed walls had already been cleared. The high-quality stones only needed minimal processing to be reused.
Arthur exited through the city walls and arrived at the outskirts of the ruins, where a vast grassland stretched out, with lush forests in the distance.
A river connected the ruins, the grasslands, and the forest together.
A large portion of the grassland had already been tilled, revealing dark, fertile soil. Numerous figures bustled about, working the land.
Following the tilled ground, Arthur spotted a man giving orders and approached him, but waited until the man had finished before stepping forward.
"Quintus," Arthur called his name.
The man, upon seeing Arthur, quickly bowed.
"No need for formalities…"
Arthur looked over Quintus. He was over forty, his dark skin full of wrinkles like tree bark.
Most of the people sent by the Human Order were between seventeen and thirty. Those over forty were rare. But with age came experience and skill.
Quintus was an agricultural expert.
Although Arthur was in charge of directing and developing the camp, he had little knowledge of specific fields.
Having professionals like Quintus meant he didn't have to make decisions blindly.
In an ancient civilization setting, agriculture was absolutely vital.
Hundreds of people working every day consumed food constantly. Arthur had tried to conserve resources — the military not only fought beasts but also hunted — yet even so, the food stores would run out in five months.
Ultimately, the expansion of a civilization depends on a solid agricultural foundation.
"How's it going now?" Arthur asked.
Every day during inspection, he would first visit this area to check in with Quintus.
"Thanks to your leadership…" A smile creased Quintus's weathered face.
"The land is nearly all tilled. We should be able to start planting in the next few days."
One of the biggest challenges in developing human order in this world was nature itself.
For example, climate — crucial for agriculture.
Having only arrived a month ago, Arthur hadn't been able to observe full seasonal patterns.
However, the natural environment seemed similar to Earth — breathable air, water sources, and vegetation and animals a bit different from those on Earth.
Planting and harvest times relied entirely on luck and the agricultural expert's intuition.
Arthur had expressed his concerns to Quintus, but the man remained optimistic.
"Rest assured, my Lord. The gods guided us here. We are meant to take root deeply in this land."
"The climate is mild. I can already picture the crops growing strong — that's the experience and instinct of an old farmer."
"I hope so…" Arthur nodded.
The planned crops were barley, wheat, and peas.
If all went smoothly, they'd be ready for harvest in three months.
Due to the Human Order's background — being based on the Type-Moon universe — the United Roman Empire in this world was far superior to ancient Rome in various ways.
For instance, in agriculture.
In metalworking.
And in something more fundamental — human strength.
In the Type-Moon's worldview, human history includes the concept of the Age of Gods.
In pre-Christian times, the planet was filled with mystery. Only after the Common Era began did the Age of Gods begin to fade, with only a few locations retaining fragments of that mystery — and even those were in decline.
In the original FGO game, the United Roman Empire faction is composed of various Roman emperors.
The scenario is based on the "Eternal Madness Empire" singularity from the FGO mobile game, which is set at the beginning of the Common Era.
At that time, magical creatures — what we now call "phantasmal species" — still roamed the land.
To build a civilization in such a time, the citizens of the United Roman Empire had to be of extraordinary quality.
Even an untrained, ordinary male civilian could run 10 kilometers without panting, carry 300 kilograms of timber with ease, and move swiftly.
Thanks to the general skill [Sturdy], Arthur himself had received a significant physical boost. Otherwise, as a lord among such people, he'd seem far too feeble.
"Don't apply real-world experience and assumptions to the Type-Moon historical worldview…" Arthur reminded himself.
Back to agriculture:
In the real world, ancient agricultural output was low due to technical limitations.
But under the Type-Moon setting, ancient Roman agriculture — from sowing to harvest — took just 3 to 4 months. Yields were even comparable to modern improved crops.
After leaving the farmland, Arthur returned to the camp under construction. After a full inspection, he returned to the lord's manor.
Though called a manor, it was really just a larger and more refined house compared to the others.
Agriculture is of utmost importance, as it concerns future development.
But equally important is a stable and secure development environment.
Arthur's concern for stability did not stem from internal issues.
Within the settlement, his subjects were utterly loyal — their loyalty maxed out. Calling them hardworking and uncomplaining would be no exaggeration. There was absolutely no need for worry on that front.
His concerns came from the outside.
In this world, both Arthur and his people were outsiders.
The ruins beneath their feet proved that this world had its own intelligent civilizations and races. Regardless of species differences, conflicts could easily arise due to differing cultures and civilizations.
For that reason, considering external threats was necessary.
That was the bigger picture... At least, in the month they had been exploring the surrounding areas, Arthur had yet to find any trace of intelligent life.
On a smaller scale, however, dangerous wild beasts still roamed near the settlement.
These beasts were abnormally fierce. Ordinary civilians stood no chance alone. Only professional soldiers in formation could hunt them .
That was one of Arthur's current priorities.
And so far, progress had been quite promising.
Wooden palisades had already been erected, so there was no fear of beasts attacking the camp.
At the same time, Arthur had dispatched a portion of the army to patrol and purge the surroundings, with great success. The hunting teams returned daily with various animals, also replenishing the food stores.
As Arthur sat at his desk, lost in thought, a knock sounded at the door.
Upon receiving permission, a soldier entered and reported:
"Lord Porucus has returned to camp."
Porucus was the leader of the unit of United Roman soldiers who had rescued Kazama when he first arrived in this world and was attacked by wild beasts.
He was a low-ranking noble of the United Roman Empire and a centurion in the legion.
In both swordsmanship, spear techniques, and physical strength, he surpassed the average Roman soldier.
Arthur's 80 professional soldiers were all under Porucus's command.
Thirty of them were stationed at the camp to maintain order and guard against potential dangers.
The remaining fifty followed Porucus. into the wilderness, clearing out dangerous beasts.
"Back so early today?"
Arthur glanced at the sky outside and muttered to himself.
Normally, Porucus's team set out at dawn and returned just before sunset. But now, the sun had only just started dipping westward — it was far earlier than their scheduled return.
Did something happen in the wild?
Arthur pondered, then instructed the soldier beside him:
"In a little while, go and bring Porucus here."
But within minutes, Arthur heard the clanking of armor. A soldier entered to announce Porucus 's arrival.
Porucus walked into the room and bowed. His armor was still on, and his helmet tucked under his arm. Clearly, he had come straight here without resting or changing.
Aside from the two soldiers who always guarded him, Porucus was the person Arthur was most familiar with in this world.
Arthur trained daily with him, learning both sword and spear techniques.
He fixed his eyes on Porucus and silently pulled up his character panel.
Name: Porucus (Centurion of the United Roman Empire's First Legion)
General Skills: [Swordsmanship], [Spear Technique], [Horsemanship]
Skill [Swordsmanship]: Mastery Level (human)
"As a centurion of the United Roman Legion, this skill has reached its peak."
Skill [Spear Technique]: Mastery Level (human)
"As a centurion of the United Roman Legion, this skill has reached its peak."
Skill [Horsemanship]: Proficient
"Excellent riding skills. Can easily control horses."
Strength: 1.9 | Stamina: 1.9 | Agility: 1.9
"A highly skilled warrior with reliable command ability — a trustworthy mid-level officer."
The character panel could also display status effects — such as injuries, poison, or illness — all visible through the interface.
That was why Arthur immediately checked Porucus's data panel.
From the looks of it, Porucus was physically fine — no major danger encountered personally.
But seeing the grim expression on this resolute man's face, Arthur knew something serious must've happened.
Without changing expression, Arthur gestured for him to sit. One of Arthur's guards took Porucus's helmet and waist gear and left the room.
Porucus was a serious and practical man, not fond of idle talk, so Arthur got straight to the point:
"Porucus, you returned earlier than usual today. Did something happen?"
"Yes." Porucus nodded.
"My lord, today I led a hunting expedition as usual."
"Over the past month, we've basically cleared the dangerous beasts around the camp. At least, there's no longer any concern about them attacking the camp."
"This morning, we hunted for a while but found nothing. So, we decided to venture deeper into the ruins to explore."
These city ruins were large that even running for a full day wouldn't bring you to the edge. Before its destruction, it must have been home to over a hundred thousand people.
Now that the camp was built atop the ruins, Arthur naturally had great interest in them. In addition to patrol and hunting, Porucus's team was also tasked with exploring the ruins.
But until now, they had yet to find any valuable clues about the civilization that had built the city.
Arthur nodded, indicating he was listening.
"I then led a small squad deeper into the ruins."
"Although we ventured further in, the scenery didn't differ much from this area."
"We kept exploring from morning until afternoon. Along the way, we encountered a few beasts and took care of them. Then…"
Porucus paused.
"We discovered a monster."