The Declaration of the Founding of the Millenia Federation.
…In truth, Teo’s vassals had already sensed this coming.
They were the key figures practically leading the nation.
It was only natural that they felt the necessity of declaring its founding.
So, it wasn’t all that surprising that Teo brought it up.
“I had a feeling when he even called Mel, but today?”
“Without even discussing it with us? That’s not like him.”
“Isn’t this too sudden, my lord?”
What caught them off guard was the fact that the declaration would happen today.
They all blinked in astonishment.
Handling such a monumental matter on the very same day?
It was hard to understand.
Even more so because Teo hadn’t even consulted the five vassals he had personally raised and guided from the beginning.
Perhaps sensing their confusion, Teo spoke again.
“Looks like you’re all shocked. Sorry for springing this on you so suddenly. But I figured telling you in advance would just cause unnecessary commotion.”
“Ah, no! If anything, we should be the ones apologizing!! As your vassals, we should have sensed your intentions and acted first.”
“Forget it. This was my decision alone.”
First, he offered an apology.
He knew full well how reckless a same-day declaration was,
so he bowed his head deeply in apology.
Though, being transparent, it wasn’t exactly visible.
“I’ll explain everything, so just listen for now. First…”
After that, he laid out his thoughts to his vassals.
Without hiding anything, just speaking honestly.
“You’ve probably all felt it too—our nation has developed as much as it can.”
“In other words, there’s little room left for growth. The Great Forest’s resources are limited.”
“Until now, we’ve barely managed to supplement our needs with the smuggling Mel has been doing, but… it’s no longer enough to sustain Millenia as it is now.”
“If we want to grow further, we need to trade.”
He started by explaining why the declaration was necessary.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
As high-ranking officials, they were the ones who felt the shortage of resources most acutely.
“Fortunately, we have an abundance of what they lack.”
“Food and iron—essential materials for war-torn nations, and resources that Millenia has in excess.”
“Conversely, what we need are things they currently see no use for.”
“If they recognize us as an equal nation, we could establish an ideal trade relationship.”
Once again, everyone nodded.
Teo’s reasoning was sound. They were quick to agree.
But then…
“The problem is, there’s no way they’ll see us that way. To them, we’re just monsters.”
“……”
No one nodded at that.
There wasn’t a single one among them who didn’t understand the weight of his words.
A heavy silence filled the air.
Only Teo, quietly, muttered to himself.
“At this rate, humans won’t come to trade with us. They’ll come to plunder, just like they did with the dragons.”
“Sure, Millenia as it is now could defeat one or two nations. Those war-weary humans are no match for us.”
“But then what? Does peace come after the war?”
“Of course not. The madness of war doesn’t end so easily.”
“Just like with Napoleon.”
The one Teo recalled was one of history’s greatest generals—Napoleon Bonaparte.
Just saying his name made Teo chuckle.
It was because, in some way, he felt his situation resembled Napoleon’s.
“He was called the god of war. His military talent was on a different level from his contemporaries.”
“He won every war he waged. Everyone praised him as a hero.”
“To the point where neighboring countries feared him.”
“As a result, war broke out.”
The War of the Fourth Coalition.
The Kingdom of Prussia, feeling threatened by Napoleon’s French army, eventually declared war.
“Napoleon won that war as well… but what awaited him was yet another war. The Fifth, then the Sixth it never ended.”
“War led to more war, an endless cycle. And even the so-called god of war couldn’t withstand it in the end—he fell.”
One war after another, until his ultimate downfall.
That was precisely why Teo had brought up Napoleon.
Few figures in history illustrated the fate of a war fanatic so clearly.
‘Though honestly, his downfall had a lot to do with the mistakes he made in his later years.’
There were parts Teo deliberately left unsaid, but that didn’t really matter.
Finishing his story, Teo glanced around the banquet hall to gauge everyone’s reactions.
—Tilt.
‘This Napoleon person… is he like Lord Teo?’
‘So our master can fail as well… No, that must have been because he couldn’t reveal his true form during his games.’
‘If he had been serious, there’s no way our lord would have lost.’
“…….”
‘I thought they’d find this story random, but they’re actually listening pretty seriously.’
Except… they all seemed to assume it was another grand tale of their master’s past exploits.
As if they were thinking, ‘Ah, so our lord has enjoyed yet another spectacular game!’
Of course, even Teo couldn’t read minds.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
Seeing his vassals holding their breath and listening intently was quite satisfying.
“So, we will avoid war whenever possible. I don’t want to end up like Napoleon. If anyone has objections, speak now.”
“There are none!”
“If that is Lord Teo’s will.”
“As your vassals, we will follow.”
“Good. Thank you.”
With that, the reasoning behind avoiding war was settled.
Now, all that remained was to explain the method.
Orc Lord Shar swallowed hard.
‘Just what kind of strategy has Lord Teo devised…?’
“Instead, we will wage a different kind of war.”
Whoosh—!
A gust of wind filled the hall.
It was the result of Teo’s wings unfurling wide as he took to the air.
“Lord Teonar, didn’t you say we wouldn’t go to war…?”
“Not in the traditional sense. This is a battle where no one dies—a fight that will actually advance this continent.”
Teo looked down at the banquet hall.
What he saw was glassware of impossibly high quality for a medieval world, clothing styles unseen anywhere else on the continent, and a gathering of various races, each unique in their own way.
This was the weapon of Millenia that he had spent twenty years preparing.
“The culture of our Millenia has reached a level beyond comparison to the other nations of this continent.”
“The knowledge I taught you. The countless techniques recreated based on it. None of them existed on this continent before.”
“The glass crafted by our artisans is as clear as gemstones. Our fabrics can rival even the silk of nobles.”
“The medicine we create cures their diseases. Our farming methods solve famines.”
“Humans will be shocked when they see it. No— they’ll wonder how these ‘barbaric’ monsters managed to create such things.”
With that, he landed lightly in the center of the banquet hall.
All eyes were on him.
“We slip into that gap.”
“We embed our culture into human nations. Like a sweet poison.”
“We make them need us. So much that they can’t even imagine life without Millenia.”
“Even the dullest of humans will have no choice but to realize— siding with us is a hundred times more beneficial than opposing us.”
Teo’s voice burned with passion.
This was his plan to shatter the continent’s deep-seated prejudice against non-humans.
A difficult but glorious path to victory through cultural dominance.
“—Cultural invasion. A battle not won through force, but through culture. This is our Millenia’s thousand-year war.”
Cultural invasion.
Unconsciously, everyone muttered those four words.
Even the servants watching from the sidelines—without exception.
“Cultural invasion? I’ve never heard of such a thing!! There’s no way something so simple could prevent war!!”
“Lord Teonar, do you not understand how greedy humans are?!”
Even an imp and a werewolf—mere servants—instinctively knew.
That this was no easy feat.
That it was, in fact, hundreds of times more difficult than war.
Naturally, they assumed that everyone else would oppose it as well.
“If you have any objections, speak now. I’ll listen.”
“Well… in the long run, this is the only way. We need to reshape their narrow-minded views.”
“There will be short-term risks, but our Foreign Affairs Department will handle them.”
“……?”
“No one is objecting?”
Surprisingly, every minister agreed.
Not a single person raised a dissenting voice.
Because they genuinely believed Teo was right.
“It’ll be a tough road, but… Lord Teo is a merciful ruler.”
“Our lord exists on a different timescale than us. He sees a thousand years ahead—who are we to question him?”
“Besides, if this is what he wishes, then we must do it. That is our purpose.”
“Looks like we’ll be busy from now on. I’ll be holed up in the workshop for a while.”
Their unwavering loyalty meant that even the most unreasonable demands would be followed without complaint.
A smile spread across Teo’s lips.
“I really trained them well. Or maybe… they just learned well.”
“Thank you, my loyal vassals… my precious students.”
Swish, swish.
Teo wagged his tail as he moved around, patting their heads one by one.
“H-huuuh?!!”
“What the—he’s so noble…!!!”
As he waddled around on his short legs, Lucia momentarily suffered from shortness of breath.
But that was a privilege granted only to those who had received his blessing artifact.
In other words, it wasn’t something Teo needed to worry about.
He had more important matters to attend to.
“Then… Aurelia. You know your role is the most crucial, right?”
“Yes, my lord. Food production falls under my jurisdiction.”
As he patted each head one by one, he finally stopped in front of the last.
A woman quickly rose and prostrated herself.
One of his first five vassals, once a lowly spirit—
Now the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Millenia.
The Dryad Queen, Aurelia.
“When we declare the founding of our nation, an inspection team will likely be dispatched within a month. There’s a high chance the knights will come.”
“Then we must show them what we’re proud of.”
“Exactly. Show them our overwhelming production capacity—and that we’re willing to export it. And while you’re at it, show them that as well.”
“That, you say…? Ah, you mean that thing Wiz made?”
“Yes. Without directly threatening them, subtly hint at what would happen if they dared to oppose us. Make sure they won’t even think of setting foot in Millenia for at least a hundred years.”
—Smirk.
“Everything will go according to your will, my lord.”
She smiled.
Teo, too, grinned in satisfaction.
“Good. Then… today, I officially declare the founding of the Millenia Federation!!!”
“””””WOOOOAAAAAHHH!!!!!”””””
Cheers erupted, filling the banquet hall.
Thunderous applause followed.
Everyone celebrated the birth of the Millenia Federation.
And at that very moment…….
“Barrier, release.”
—Crackle. BOOOOOM!!!!
—The hundred-layer barrier that had shrouded the Great Millias Forest finally shattered.
* * *
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!! Something incredible has happened in the Great Forest!!!”
“A nation has appeared in an empty forest? No matter how much I trust you, that’s an absurd…….What!?”
Only then did the humans finally realise their existence. Â