Chapter 237

Thus, the land of the Knight King. Romania adopted an unprecedented ruling method to govern the nation.

Territories were divided into village and city units, turned into fiefs, and distributed among the servants for governance.

And so, the lords who received these fiefs began ruling them like kings of their own little kingdoms.

During this process, some lords excessively taxed the commoners, causing minor issues. However, the Knight King, who had foreseen such possibilities, swiftly punished those lords by confiscating their lands as a penalty.

Like it was prepared beforehand, the quick handling made some servants suspect it might have been a trap set by the Knight King. Yet, no one dared voice such suspicions aloud.

The fiefs granted by the king served not only as rewards for the servants but also as collars of sin, something they realized could be tightened at any moment.

It was clear that governing smoothly would bring great benefits, but one misstep could lead to losing everything under the king’s watchful eye.

After punishing the overambitious servants, the Knight King established clear tax amounts to collect from the people and began training his subordinates.

Just as the many stories shared with the sage predicted, he ruled the nation based on his formidable royal authority.

—

Let’s take a brief look around here.

First, Romania. The Kingdom of Romania.

The villages and cities conquered by the Knight King expanded beyond the former territories of the fallen Arcadia. To the north, it reached the frozen snowfields; to the south, it touched the entrance of the scorching desert of Procyon.

To the east, it boasted the massive mountain range spanning the continent, and to the west, its territory stretched all the way to the sea.

Of course, there were other human nations, but none compared in size to Romania.

How vast must it have been for them to even seek my wisdom on how to manage such an expansive territory?

Anyway, the now-enormous Romania focused on restoring and healing the scars left by long wars.

Such Romania, located to the west near the sea…

Centered around Minoa, once ruled by the ascended god Asterios, nearby countries united to form a beastman-focused nation: the Vistia Confederation.

Although centered around beastmen, it accepted members of all races without discrimination, remaining firmly united despite the flames of conquest threatening to engulf it.

This unity stemmed from two main faiths: the Dragon Goddess, seen as identical to the Goddess of Life, drawing significant attention from the Church of Life, and the warrior god Asterios, who ascended as one of twelve gods with the head of a bull.

The belief in the Dragon Goddess, treated as a primitive form of the Goddess of Life, became a key factor in attracting interest from the Church of Life.

Meanwhile, the faith in Asterios spread rapidly around Minoa, becoming a driving force behind the strong cohesion of the Vistia Confederation.

Thus, the religiously unified Vistia Confederation emerged as a powerful nation, showing resilience even against mighty Romania.

Further west, past Vistia, lies the land of the rat-beastmen: Rattkinia.

A small yet formidable country where strong rat-beastmen thrive.

Despite their small stature, these beastmen boasted high birth rates, efficient rice farming, and advanced mining and smelting technologies.

Underestimating them due to their size would prove foolish.

Their deep sense of loyalty to kin and unwavering faith in their ascended ancestors fostered a unity so strong that individual soldiers didn’t hesitate to sacrifice their lives for their race.

Thanks to this, invaders seeking the fertile lands and abundant food supplies of Rattkinia faced fierce resistance and ultimately failed.

As for the Elven Great Forest, Sagarmatha of the dwarves, and the city of mages, Procyon… mentioning them is unnecessary.

They are places not easily meddled with, and doing so without caution could result in irreversible consequences.

Lizardmen? They’re an exception. The physical disparity between them and other races is embarrassing to compare.

A single lizardman can effortlessly defeat dozens of humans without injury, showcasing an undeniable power gap. No sane human would provoke them.

There are also large eastern nations beyond the great mountains, but crossing them is no easy feat, so we’ll skip those.

While various nations cooperated and competed, developing along the way, subtle problems began to arise.

—

After the establishment of the Knight King’s Romania, large-scale wars causing much bloodshed ceased.

Fights, if any, were small skirmishes—mere border guard clashes at most.

Compared to the frequent wars of the past, this was a peaceful situation.

However, signs of trouble began appearing here and there.

The cause? None other than monsters.

“Unusual monsters?”

“Yes. Thanks to that, there are many stories circulating among the children.”

During a tea time meeting with Yggdrasil while exploring the world and checking on the kids, an unusual story came up.

“What kind of monster has the elves talking?”

“Well… it’s hard to describe… because it’s a monster that doesn’t feel like a monster.”

“A monster that doesn’t feel like a monster?”

Hmm… most monsters resemble animals, but this one seems different?

What kind of monster could it be?

“Yes. It’s so alien that it almost feels like Mother… or rather, the Goddess herself intervened.”

“You can still call me ‘mom’ if you want.”

I whispered, and Yggdrasil gave an awkward smile.

“I’m a mother to many now. It feels a bit embarrassing to keep being called ‘mom.'”

“Hmm… if that’s what you prefer.”

Personally, I find “mom” more familiar, but “Goddess” creates an odd distance.

“Anyway, you’re saying these aren’t your doing?”

“Monsters are outside my jurisdiction.”

After all, they’re practically self-generating at this point.

At this stage, it’s debatable whether they should even be considered living beings.

“So, what makes these monsters so special?”

“They seem to possess a faint intelligence, unlike regular monsters.”

“Intelligence? In monsters?”

What does that mean?

“Similar to early humans evolving from beasts, these monsters walk on two legs and have started using primitive tools.”

“That’s… intriguing.”

Monster evolution? That’s unheard of. While theoretically possible since all monsters originate from slimes, this is the first case.

Rather than gaining strength through mana stones and dark energies, they’ve gained intelligence. What exactly are they?

Could that annoying guy lurking deep underground, thinking current monsters can do nothing, be mimicking me and forcing evolution?

“What kind of monster is it?”

“It looked like a small monkey. Covered in fur, though its skin was inexplicably green.”

Green-skinned, small monkey-like monsters… isn’t that…

“Goblins?”

“Huh? Goblins?”

“No, it’s nothing much.”

Green skin, small size, and primitive tool use… sounds like goblins.

Apparently, their strength is quite weak, but their ferocity and hostility toward other creatures remain intact. Also, strangely, they reproduce by giving birth, unlike typical monsters.

Hm… monsters reproducing naturally?

Previously, monsters were created when other creatures absorbed too much magic power and mutated. Now they’re reproducing biologically?

Whether intentionally crafted or a natural evolution of monsters, this seems troubling.

“Do you have any alive specimens I could examine?”

“Not among our children. They’ve been killing them all on sight. The kids say they give off a strange vibe.”

Ah… unsettling vibes… goblins… elves… ugh… my head…

Well, capturing suspicious monsters wasn’t really on their radar, so exterminating them all makes sense.

“In that case, I’ll need to investigate further by touring the world.”

Are these monsters unique to this area, or are they appearing elsewhere?

We need to confirm their level of intelligence and any other potential dangers.

Each detail needs thorough investigation.

And if they pose a problem… extinction might be tough.

Honestly, eradicating monsters completely is impossible.

Since monsters arise from excessive magical energy transforming living beings, eliminating them would require either removing magic or wiping out life itself. Neither is feasible!

If these goblins (tentatively identified) are spawning worldwide, not just near the Great Forest, then extinction will indeed be difficult.

For now, capturing a goblin (tentatively identified) for examination is the priority. Let’s proceed carefully.