Laws And Order

3 days after the creation of the Legendary gemstone

Lucas POV: 

Even with my newfound skill, achieving a guaranteed [Legendary] gemstone remained elusive. There was still some missing element, but identifying what it was remained an enigma. A perplexing occurrence indeed.

The expansion of our border continued, during these days, the blacksmiths created me my first iron shell for a golem. I asked them to create a wolf-like golem. What I didn't know was that they opted for a giant wolf golem, that didn't displease me at all, it's just that I needed two crystals instead of one to aliment this monster of a golem.

[Perfect Wolf Golem]

[Epic]

[Earth,Light]

[A golem made of Iron, using one crystal of Light and one of Earth]

[Spells: Celestial Armor, Stone Skin]

I tested the speed of this new golem and was pleasantly surprised; it moved exceptionally fast despite its size and weight. I assigned these formidable creatures to the guards, choosing to incorporate them into patrols and scouting. While I currently didn't require guards patrolling the city, it seemed a necessity for the near future.

The initial alphabet draft was crafted by the Sisters. However, upon inspection, I was dismayed to find that I couldn't comprehend it. The symbols appeared as a perplexing amalgamation, devoid of any meaning to me.

'I can speak their language but not write or read it?' I pondered as I examined the stone slab adorned with inscrutable symbols. Approving the draft, I requested the Sisters to teach me how to write and read in their language. Strangely, Elrath's or Urgash's blessings appeared to enhance my memory, as in less than three days, I mastered reading and writing in their language effortlessly.

'Their language resembles English in its writing,' I contemplated as I continued to inscribe the stone slab with my writing. It proved to be an easy-to-comprehend language, making it quite accessible to read.

In no time, they presented me with the teachings of Elrath. His doctrines primarily revolved around purity and justice. The former, though somewhat ambiguous, emphasized doing the right things and refraining from committing sins. On the other hand, justice entailed being fair and just to everyone. However, during times of war, the concept of justice often took on a more vengeful theme.

Realizing the need for a system to define what is right or wrong, I acknowledged the necessity to create laws in the near future. Deciding to temporarily halt my golem production, I focused on crafting the laws that would govern my kingdom.

As the production of paper commenced, aided by the accelerated growth of crops through Earth magic, having laws would serve as a guide for the next generations, outlining what must be done and what must be avoided.

I began drafting the first book of laws, incorporating prohibitions against murder, rape, theft, incest, and various actions deemed immoral even in the modern day. As of now, I refrained from enacting specific laws regarding royalty, believing that privileges were unnecessary at the present time. However, I acknowledged the potential necessity for such laws to protect future generations and the throne.

Ensuring equality, I made it explicit in the laws that both men and women would be treated equitably, with no advantages granted to one sex over the other.

I also established a provision stating that any future laws must receive approval from the king and his council before being enacted. This measure was implemented to prevent local governors from unilaterally creating laws for their cities without direct oversight and control from me.

The council will comprise various dukes of the kingdom and individuals with expertise in their respective fields. I explicitly prohibited racism, although I anticipate that human racism may not be a significant issue given the diverse races in the world. However, I made it clear that discrimination against other races aligned with us is strictly forbidden. While the current situation doesn't necessarily warrant concern, I emphasized the importance of vigilance regarding interactions with other races as I don't want my people to be killed or enslaved by other races.

Ah, and regarding slavery, with the presence of golems, I declared the prohibition of slavery. The act of owning a slave or treating people as commodities for sale is punishable by death. I underscored the severity of the punishment; each crime will be met with harsh consequences against the perpetrator.

Implementing severe punishments is intended to deter potential offenders. However, to truly curb crimes, I recognize the need for an educated populace. Therefore, the construction of schools and universities will be a top priority.

While I understand that I have over 20 years to prepare for the universities, my immediate focus is on building a hospital or clinic. This establishment will play a crucial role in reducing maternal mortality and ensuring the well-being of both mothers and children during childbirth.

Speaking of which, I learned that a girl named Veronica is already pregnant. It was surprising news, considering that the people involved have only known each other for barely two weeks. A Sister sensed the life growing inside her belly as she passed by.

In response, I expedited the construction of a hospital. While it required various resources, the Sisters assured me that with their magic, they could facilitate a safe delivery and ensure the well-being of both the mother and the child. After all, aiding in maternity was one of the primary missions of their order.

The father is one of the blacksmith named Alkath, he is such a gentle soul the sisters told me, he is one of the most pious believers of Elrath in the town at the moment and is one of the most helpful people to the one around him. He is a knowledgeable man and was a bastard son of a minor noble house under the Unicorn Duchy back in Ashan. His knowledge came from the fact that despite being a bastard son, he was still sent to the prestigious school reserved for noble children.

So this week ended with me creating laws and rewriting Elrath's teaching to better fit with my vision of it. Well presenting it to the Sister was a challenge, as some of them were quite dissatisfied with me changing the teachings that they followed since childhood.

The controversy erupted when I revised the account of the Elder Wars. While I recognized that Malassa was the instigator of the conflict, I asserted that Elrath's swift attempt to exterminate the demons played a role in tipping the balance between Order and Chaos. This imbalance, I argued, had the potential to trigger the perpetual destruction of the world, leaving only Order behind. Thus, Malassa chose to initiate the war by assassinating Angels and igniting the Elder Wars, letting the demons alive to be confined to their prison world of Sheogh.

Several sisters vehemently disagreed, accusing me of deceit and insinuating that I had been seduced by the dark elves I encountered. Their accusations stirred anger within me, marking the first time in this new life that I truly felt the flames of anger.

"Even though you are our king, we will not remain silent if you dare to spread lies in our Book of Faith," one sister declared with venom, as if I had committed a grave offense.

"I don't understand how someone like you can have the grace of our Lord," another added.

Frustrated, I tapped my staff on the ground, causing a minor tremor that reverberated through the Priory. The building trembled as I raised my voice.

"That's enough!" I exclaimed, losing my temper for the first time in this world. "Your book is a tissue of lies, you ignorant fools," I continued, addressing the sisters who were attacking me. Some of the sisters disagreed with their counterparts but did not intervene.

"I've had enough of your accusations. What I wrote is not a lie; it's the absolute truth. I will not distort our origins for the sake of future generations. If you want to challenge what I wrote, provide evidence that it is false, and then I will consider changing it. But I doubt Elrath will grant you that concession," I concluded, ending the debate with a resounding strike of my staff on the ground.

"This is heresy!" cried one of them, quickly joined by several other sisters.

"Heresy?!" I exclaimed. "I am someone blessed by Elrath, the chosen one tasked with reestablishing his teachings in this new world. Me, a heretic? Don't make me laugh."

"Sister Jannette, please calm yourself," came a voice from behind me. It was Jeanne, the young sister, now Vestal, who had used the staff to grow the fields two weeks prior.

"But Vestal Jeanne, this is a lie! How can we teach our children lies?!" she exclaimed, slamming her hand on the stone slab.

"If His Majesty wrote that this is the truth, then we must interpret it as the truth. His voice is that of Elrath; he is the chosen one, bearing his blessing," Jeanne added as she advanced to stand with me.

"B-But, this goes against what we learned inside the Cathedral of Falcon's Reach in Ashan. This is a lie in our history!" the sister added, but she seemed perturbed, as every other sisters who had given their voice with her ten minutes prior were suddenly very silent.

"You will learn that this is your true history," I added before taking the slab once more and looking at it. "Vestal Jeanne, you are now the leader of the Church of Elrath for the time being."

My nomination was met with a lot of gasps and applause from the sisters, but Jannette seemed to be furious; her face displayed an ugly scowl.

"Why her???" she cried out, surprising even me with her violence and venomous tone. "She is just a farm girl, a mere mud-blooded girl, while I am the daughter of Count RavenStorm. I should be the one leading our order!" she continued, her voice cracking due to the intensity of her cries.

"Sister Jannette, I—" started Jeanne, but I raised my hand to stop her before replying to the venomous sister.

"Sister," I started, my voice frigid due to the rage burning in my chest, "I can accept your different opinions from your faith. I can accept insults thrown at me like 'heretic' because I don't care what you call me. But..." Suddenly, my mana began to pour down on her shoulder, making her kneel on the ground. "But the fact that you insult your own order, your own sisters, in the name of your so-called noble superiority disgusts me to the highest point. And don't think that there will be no repercussions for calling me a heretic. Even if I don't care about your opinion of me, you still insulted your king."

"ARRRGH!" she cried out, my pure mana crushing her body on the ground of the Priory

"Your judgment is to be demoted from your order. You will restart by being an apprentice under one of your sisters, where you will learn etiquette, gentleness, and care," I declared as I lifted my mana from her shoulders. She tried to stand up, but her knees buckled under the weight.

"I cannot be demoted! I am a noble; I am not to be an apprentice! I am n-" She couldn't even finish her rant as a hand came and slapped her. I looked surprised at Jeanne, who was furious.

'Scary,' I thought as I looked at the young woman with fury in her eyes.

"His Majesty already punished you, but you continue to be stubborn!" she admonished her with a glare that could kill. I saw Jannette shrink down, seeing her stare.

"Take her and send her back to her house. It seems that Miss Janette is in bad condition to continue our conversation," I told the two Praetorians who were guarding the door. It seemed that they sensed my mana being used and stormed the priory, thinking that I was in danger.

"Don't touch me, you peasants!" Jannette cried out, but the Praetorians were not as lenient as I was. One of them backhanded her, making her cough up blood, and she passed out in a second.

'Scary too,' I thought as I looked at the Praetorian who nodded his head to me before carrying her back to her house like a sack of potatoes.

As he closed the door of the Priory, I looked back at the Order with a concealed smile under my helmet. "Shall we continue to discuss the plan of reform for the Faith of Elrath?" I demanded as the sisters all agreed rather quickly, still shaken by what had just transpired.

I left the Priory at night as the talk took up all of my time today. We agreed to retain much for the Church, but we still changed a lot of things, such as tweaking some history for the church. I also decided on how to create titles assigned in the Church. The leader of the Church is the King, and his right arm is the leader of the Archbishop capital, in this instance, Jeanne. But as we expand, I mentioned that a Bishop will be assigned in each Cathedral. They will all answer to the Archbishop, and then the Archbishop will respond to the King.

I proposed that in school, the virtues of the religion will be taught to the younger generations, but I don't want to create zealots. I will use religion to teach only the benefits of it, not the negatives. The thing I want to emphasize the most is free will, not being bound to the belief in a certain religion or god.

"Aurelia," I called upon the Light, and as soon as I spoke, she teleported right near me.

"Yes, your Majesty?" she asked me, puzzled as to why I called her. It had been some time since I didn't speak to her, and to many people too.

"Keep an eye on the sister named Janette. I don't want her to do anything harsh or something that I would regret," I started as I motioned to the Praetorians to follow me.

"And if you think that she is a dangerous variable, dispose of her," I finished. As the Light narrowed her eyes at me, she nodded and disappeared, not before speaking.

"As you wish."

The Sisters' current order revolves primarily around being scribes, dedicating their time to writing 'books' covering general knowledge and religion. I've initiated the construction of a library, strategically positioned adjacent to the school, to house these extensive volumes of knowledge. Even I have embarked on writing a book detailing my discoveries in magic, aimed at future mages of the kingdom.

The recent confrontation with Janette served as a revelation. Some individuals may resist change, but I paid little heed to their opinions. My actions are for the greater good of our people, and dissenting voices will eventually recognize the benefits I bring to our kingdom.

Now, the immediate task is to establish more cities, form dukedoms, and construct a castle for myself. I have a week to complete the palace before my crowning ceremony, where I am set to receive the rewards from the system before its disappearance.

The design for the crown had been finalized; all that remained was the casting process and the creation of gemstones to embed in the crown. Time pressed on, urging me to expedite my preparations for the impending coronation. 'Well, now that's a challenge,' I pondered silently, eyeing the crystals destined to become the gemstones for my crown.

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Another little timeskip, from now it is going to go far faster than before, the foundations are cast, all that is needed is to let the ball roll.

Don't forget to comment about what you liked and what you disliked.

And again, I hope that everyone will have a wonderful year 2024

See you soon :)