Doran then explain why the reaction of people.
Maximus lost consciousness and then returned to the Arcane Continent.
The will that was meant to convey information about the Era of Imperial Domination didn't reach Maximus.
"So that's it," a sense of enlightenment passed through Maximus.
"So I just initiated the signal for the beginning of this era of imperial domination," Maximus smiled wryly.
It was unfortunate that this occurred while he was still weak in strength.
If this had happened later, he could horizontally push the entire Cursed Continent.
"But this can't be deemed a bad time."
"It's a turbulent period full of opportunities," Maximus concluded.
"As the saying goes, war is the greatest opportunity to amass wealth."
"This is indeed a wise saying, Your Majesty," Doran chimed in upon hearing Maximus.
"Now we only need to fortify our defenses and bide our time," Maximus instructed Doran.
Maximus didn't want to engage in this war for now; he was weak and financially poor.
Fortunately, there are still two Tier 6 protectors, so he didn't worry too much.
As long as he didn't provoke anyone, there shouldn't be a significant threat to his empire.
"I will, Your Majesty," Doran said.
"Hmm, go, I still have something to attend to."
It's getting late, and his children are about to come home.
Amidst all the chaos of war and potential gains, nothing is as important as his family.
...
Two weeks later, the Moonlight Empire had returned to a state of calm.
Despite Maximus' declaration causing waves, it was still too early for any major developments.
Various empires were in the process of preparing their troops and gathering scouting information.
In the midst of this, a large ship landed in Berrun City, the port city situated in the Sunburnt Plateau.
"Is this the new empire that has ushered in this era?" Cedric murmured.
He was the leader of the Strasea Traders, a wandering merchant group that traversed the cursed continent.
Just as he was about to head straight to the Moonlight Empire to scout the place, two auras comparable to his suddenly emerged.
"Excuse me, sir. May I inquire about the purpose of your presence here?" Sith asked.
They just signed the crook contract with Maximus.
As a result, they were compelled to adhere to its terms, lest they face repercussions.
Upon receiving news that the Starsea Traders had arrived in Berrun City, they swiftly made their way to confront them.
"I am merely scouting the area for potential business opportunities."
"Considering this is now an empire, am I not allowed to conduct business here?" Cedric explained.
"That... does appear to be the case," Kelton conceded.
"But your strength exceeds what this land can easily bear. It might be wiser to send your crew instead," Kelton suggested.
"Wouldn't it be more efficient for me to conduct the investigation personally?" Cedric muttered, displaying his dissatisfaction.
If his crew were to handle the scouting, it would likely take significantly more time.
"Due to the sensitive nature of the current situation, such precautions are necessary," Sith explained.
"Ah, I just remembered," Cedric he faked.
While he was aware that the era of imperial domination had begun, he hadn't given it much thought.
After all, his role was that of a merchant, not a ruler.
"In that case, I'll send my crew to explore the land," Cedric compromised.
"How about we indulge in some tea as we await their findings?"
Seeing that Sith and Kelton showed no signs of departing, Cedric extended an invitation for them to stay.
"Gladly," Sith and Kelton agreed.
...
In the Moonlight Empire, at the entrance of the array formation:
Eric, the leader of this expedition from the Starsea Traders, arrived at the edge of the Moonlight Empire.
"Halt!" A guard within the array called out, poised to activate the array formation.
"Easy there! We're just merchants," Eric smiled, raising his hands.
Eric felt that the array could obliterate them if they made any sudden moves.
This array formation in the Empire was a Tier 3 formation with both offensive and defensive capabilities.
Such a huge formation could even deter Tier 4 entities from advancing.
"Throw in your passes," the guard also knows the procedure when outsiders came.
They had been informed that merchants were permitted to enter with a valid pass.
"Here," Eric handed over their passes.
These passes were business credentials authenticated by the Etherium Embassy and the Etherium Gold Chamber of Commerce.
Possessing one signified their commitment to conducting business without causing harm within the land, or else the pass would be revoked.
After taking the passes, the guard employed a token given by the Etherium Embassy to verify their authenticity.
"It's alright. You may proceed to enter after registering," the guard informed them.
"Register?" Eric was perplexed but complied nonetheless.
"Here, you should be familiar with this process. Input your mana and spirit signatures."
"This process is quite advanced," Eric noted.
Such a method of identification was typically only found in the Arcane Continent.
Most empires identified individuals solely by their mana signatures.
The rationale was that if someone were to act dishonestly, they could be tracked anywhere using their soul signature as opposed to a simple mana signature.
Nevertheless, they completed the registration.
After all, they had little to worry about even if someone were to track them.
"Done. Additionally, input your information here."
"So many procedures," one of Eric's men grumbled dissatisfied.
"If you find it troublesome, you're free to leave!" The guard retorted sharply.
This stringent approach was a directive from Maximus.
He would rather discourage their entry than allow any chaos to unfold in his domain, hence the strict measures.
"Don't be concerned. My companion here is feeling a bit lightheaded," Eric explained, shooting a cold glance at the man who had spoken.
"Hmph!" The guard simply snorted.
Although these guards were at most Tier 1, their confidence stemmed from the array's protective influence.
"This token serves as your identity marker. It will facilitate your navigation within the empire," the guard handed over the tokens.
"Well, thank you!"
After receiving their identity tokens, they proceeded to enter.
"We'll reconvene here in three days. Remember, do not stir up any trouble, or I might have to intervene," Erica warned with a cold voice.
Though he had been polite with the guards earlier, he also projected an air of toughness.
"Yes, boss!" the crew replied in unison.
Shortly after, they dispersed.
Eric ascended into the sky to get a greater sight.
"So much construction?" Eric muttered to himself.
Despite being on the empire's outskirts, numerous ongoing construction projects were evident.
Furthermore, he also saw various tier 0 and 1 mages look like full fledge construction workers without the air of a noble mage.
"Remarkable. It appears that the initiator of the era of imperial domination is indeed unique."
Before long, he arrived at the first city.
"What magnificent architecture!" Eric couldn't help but exclaim.
"Truly ingenious," he added.
He observed how the architecture seamlessly intertwined with the array, imbuing the formation with blessings and enhancing its strength.
The resulting visual spectacle resembled a marvel of the world.
"Your token," the guard reminded Eric, noticing his attempt to enter without it.
"Oh, right here," Eric just sighed at the strictness of the place.
"Welcome inside," the guard invited, satisfied with Eric's compliance.
Upon entering the city, Eric let out a sigh of relief.
"Hopefully, all these troubles will be worth it," he thought.
Soon, he was greeted by a bustling scene reminiscent of the cities in the arcane continent.
Although weaker in power and with lower mana density, the city's prosperity rivaled that of cities in the arcane continent.
"Big money!" Merely by observing people's attire, posture, and radiant demeanor, Eric could discern their wealth.
As a seasoned merchant, he could estimate the number of gold coins in your pocket with a mere look.
Seeking to ease his mind, he approached a stall selling juice made from Tier 1 fruit.
"Hello, how is the juice sold?" he inquired of the auntie tending the stall.
"Oh, young man, your eyes are quite discerning. This is a recipe I just learned from the Moonlight Library. It's only 10 silver credits."
"So cheap?" Although he wasn't familiar with silver credits, Eric assumed they were equivalent to silver coins.
"Young man, this is already quite expensive."
"If I wasn't the first to learn this recipe, it would cost a maximum of 3 silver at best," the auntie explained.
"By the way, what are silver credits?"
"You don't know?" The auntie regarded him as if he were living under a rock.
After a few months of using the token, digital credits had gained unanimous praise from the citizens of the Moonlight Empire.
The unmatched convenience, especially since they had become wealthy with tens to hundreds of gold coins—an amount they could only dream of previously.
"Are you new here?" The auntie recalled the notice on the Moonlight Forum about the possibility of foreigners coming.
"Yes," Eric humbly confirmed.
"I see. You should open the Moonlight Forum to learn the basics of the Moonlight Empire."
"Moonlight Forum?"
"Oh, you're not even familiar with using your token?"
She taught that Eric was a poor man who didn't see much of the world and came here to brothen his horizon.
"Uh... Token?"
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