We call this efficient

[You imprisoned the 19th Supreme Guardian Bronya Rand in the Guardian's residence, making her accompany Cocolia Rand.]

[Tonight is destined to be an extraordinary night. Standing at the crossroads of an era, you fall into contemplation—]

[The history of Belobog is about to turn a new page. You are stirring the tides of the times, but where will these waves lead?]

[Please choose—]

[1. Establish the First Yalilo Empire.]

[Ron's suggestion constantly echoes in your ears. It is time to put it into practice.]

[Choosing this option, you will become the Emperor of the Empire with the support of Ron's controlled Underground Fire troops and the Silvermane Guards.]

[2. Ascend to the position of Supreme Guardian of Belobog.]

[Belobog has survived in ice and snow for seven hundred years, and it will continue to do so. Radical changes may not bring success and might lead to destruction.]

[Choosing this option, you will become the Supreme Guardian of Belobog with the support of Ron's controlled Underground Fire troops and the Silvermane Guards.]

Looking at the options on the screen, Seele did not hesitate. Since she had already made up her mind, she should not conceal her sharpness. After all, it was just a simulation... even if it was extreme, she had to give it a try.

She clicked on the first option on the screen. The choice disappeared, and new scenes began to appear:

[Belobog has long been ossified; you decide to shatter these decaying old rules and crown yourself with absolute power.]

[Following your will, Ron leads an elite squad into the night.]

[That night, the citizens of Belobog did not sleep soundly.]

[The next day, you temporarily announce to everyone that you will hold a swearing-in ceremony in three days to establish the First Yalilo Empire under the witness of the Eternal Winter Monument.]

[The entire Belobog boils with your announcement.]

The text faded, and a new scene appeared:

In the scene, the long-unseen haze over Belobog's sky dissipated, and under the warm sunlight, people gathered in front of Qlipoth Fort, nearly every citizen of Belobog had rushed out of their homes to witness this historic moment.

On a simply constructed platform in front of the Eternal Winter Monument, a young figure slowly emerged—

It was Seele, wearing a crown made of geolattice and holding the Preservation Lance as a scepter.

Compared to the previous Seele, she had undergone significant changes—she had replaced her usual dress. Although she personally liked that cool attire, it was not suitable for the ruler of the First Yalilo Empire. The Emperor of the Empire should have enough majesty... but the preparation time was insufficient, so Seele only had time to simply modify the Supreme Guardian's outfit, taken from Bronya and Cocolia.

She cut off many of the cumbersome decorations, removed most of the cumbersome medals, leaving only one builder's medal, making it look more simple and elegant. She also tied a red ribbon around her arm, adding a touch of color to the heavy outfit. 

Wearing someone else's old clothes as the Emperor was indeed somewhat shabby. But this shabbiness could not cover Seele's aura. She looked indifferently at the sea of people below the platform and calmly declared a fact—

"On February 17, 701 of the Age of Building, the First Yalilo Empire is established."

"I will become the Emperor of the Empire, guarding this city until the dawn of this world."

But a voice of discontent rose from the crowd:

"Guard? Look at what you've been guarding!"

Someone hidden in the crowd shouted angrily:

"By relying on the military's force to kill all dissatisfied officials, issuing harsh decrees to oppress us citizens, do you really know what you are doing?"

"Using such bloody means to satisfy your private desires, without respecting human rights, your crimes are unpardonable!"

The crowd became chaotic due to the incitement. But Seele looked at the chaotic crowd below the platform, her eyes calm:

"Harsh? Human rights? Unpardonable?"

"According to Ron's teachings, I can only say..."

Seele thought for a moment and said seriously:

"Erasing all dissent in the city and bringing everyone under our control may seem like an inhumane political crime to you..."

She said, with a mocking smile:

"But we call it efficiency."

The crowd below the platform quieted down. Their faces showed expressions different from before. Whether it was fear, shock, or something else... it no longer mattered. They had become obedient and quiet under Seele's words, and that was enough.

Dressed in the old clothes left by the Supreme Guardian of Belobog, standing on the makeshift platform, she declared the establishment of the First Yalilo Empire and mocked the naivety of the dissenters from above—yet no one could challenge her majesty.

In the shadows at the edge of the square, Ron was witnessing all this with the bound Cocolia and Bronya. They were dissatisfied with the birth of the Empire... but they were helpless.

The text on the screen faded, and new words appeared:

[Those unaccustomed to change in the upper district hoped someone would stop this.]

[But on the day the Empire was established, everyone was shocked to find that those who were supposed to stand up and stop all this had lost their voices.]

[The Council of Elders? The monopolistic family merchants? Belobog's officials?]

[All dissenting dignitaries were swallowed by the darkness overnight, falling into Belobog's shadows, swept into the dustbin of history.]

[No one could stop the wheels of history from moving forward.]

[The Empire was officially established by you, and you are now the Emperor of the First Yalilo Empire.]

The screen displayed many quantified attributes, representing the status of the First Yalilo Empire. Compared to the previous Belobog lower district, all metrics had significantly improved, with only the stability being lower, mainly because the Empire was newly established.

New text appeared on the screen:

[You have successfully created the [First Yalilo Empire] faction, turning a new page in history.]

[As the first ruler of the Empire, please choose the development direction of the Empire—]

[1. Military Focus.]

[You know the threat of the apocalypse is imminent, and only enough strength can prevent its arrival.]

[Choosing this option, the Empire will focus on developing its military, increasing the combat power index growth rate by 50%.]

[2. Civil Focus.]

[The people of the lower district have suffered for too long, and now, the wish for everyone to be well-fed is within reach.]

[Choosing this option, the Empire will focus on improving civil affairs, increasing the development index growth rate by 50%.]

[3. Balanced Focus.]

[Extremes lead to weaknesses on the other side. The Empire needs balanced development to more stably move towards the future.]

[Choosing this option, the Empire will develop evenly, increasing all index growth rates by 10%.]

Development direction, huh...

Seele hesitated, looking at the options on the screen. For her, the second option was the most appealing. After all, her wish was to save the lower district and ensure its people could eat their fill...

But this was a simulation... What would she choose if she were her simulated self? 

Ron once said that saving the world was not easy, and every bit of power should be held tightly. For salvation, everything could be used as a bargaining chip. Facing the Stellaron and the Antimatter Legion, just filling their stomachs would be useless...

After pondering for a while, she finally chose the first option.

The text on the screen faded, and new storylines appeared:

[After careful consideration, you choose to prioritize military development.]

[You implemented several laws to increase taxes for training new troops.]

[Following Ron's suggestion, you decided to build stronger walls for Belobog.]

[You raised taxes again and even added corvée labor to start building walls around Belobog.]

[The people of Belobog grew angrier at you, and the stability of the Empire decreased, triggering several rebellions.]

[But their rebellions were quickly suppressed by the guards without causing any waves.]

[Daily government affairs were busy, and the people's emotional response was intense, significantly increasing your stress.]

[But due to your trait "Cold-Blooded Ruler," your stress value remained stable.]

[Time passed, and just as you felt the Empire's strength was enough to start researching the Stellaron, forming a research team...]

[The eerie sounds from the Stellaron echoed in your ears.]

[This is the fate of Belobog's ruler.]