The Sea

"My lord, what do you think of this number of named knights? Ten thousand Sword Kings, forty thousand Sword Saints... The numbers are terrifying, but there's nothing better than your personal army." Alastor, who had now achieved his dream of being a Sword God, looked with pride as these thousands of people trained in an orderly fashion.

Gilgamesh looked at this army and nodded with some satisfaction. "It's a good job. I'm surprised that there are so many Sword Kings, as for the Sword Saints, they are mere errors who couldn't go further due to their limited desires."

"That's not surprising; they were wanderers when we took them into our forces. Most of them were sick when the slavers sold them, so what we've achieved in such a short time is admirable, if I may say so," Alastor was proud of this army.

"What about the others?"

Gilgamesh, who wanted to know about the state of his people, asked about the other legions of soldiers, and especially wanted to know about the mages. Not only the Purplehorse family was training their warriors; the other families that had sworn loyalty to him should be training their troops as well.

Alastor thought for a moment and said, "What we have in front of us is a quarter of our army. As you ordered, we divided the soldiers into four special points where the four families that have sworn loyalty to you will be the swords executing the traitors of the Asura Kingdom. If we do the calculations, we have a hundred and forty thousand Sword Saints, forty thousand Sword Kings, all divided into very special zones."

"If we count the Sword Emperors, we have only five thousand of them, and Sword Gods, there are no more than a thousand... According to your instructions, we have made it clear that the main objective is to obtain this army, so each of us is ready to unify the central continent."

After saying that, Alastor adjusted his glasses and pointed out, "As for the mages, we have a hundred and twenty thousand apprentices who are in their initial practices within mage towers distributed in different parts of the kingdom. In addition to that, mages capable of casting Holy-rank magic number forty thousand, for King-rank magic we only have twenty thousand, and for Emperor-rank, there are only eight thousand mages... As for God-rank magic, we only have a thousand mages and a little more."

"In reserve, we have around a million slaves who were taken from noble families, bought, and saved from sects that worship non-existent gods."

"An army of half a million powerful elite soldiers, can anyone stop them?" Gilgamesh took a sip of his favorite wine and said, "We must stop at 700,000 elite soldiers; we won't spend more resources to strengthen others. You have to consider that they are 700,000 sharp swords."

Alastor understood what Gilgamesh meant and said, "It's a pity that hundreds have died due to treason; your method for maintaining order in the army is highly effective, and they all remain calm. They all await your orders to act."

"Do you think they label me as the Bloody Monarch? I will kill kings, princes, entire royal families, and conquer the central kingdoms." Gilgamesh could take all the continents if he wanted, but for now, he focused on gaining control of the central continent and fortifying it as much as possible.

"Your war, my lord, I can see it very well. If you were a ruler and I were to ask for help to save my young grandson, I am sure that you would extend a hand to save his life." Alastor's voice broke a bit at the end of these words, but his face exuded coldness, and he said, "If you become a monarch, the changes will be more than enough to teach us to live differently."

"You remind me a bit of my best friend. He lived and died encouraging my decisions no matter how absurd they seemed at the time. I can only say that many have considered me better since I started living in a different way, so I'm sure it will be worth it."

When Gilgamesh said these words, he felt a bit relieved and went to ponder many things that he still needed to consider seriously.

Alastor remained silent, watching as the troops trained and the towering buildings rose higher and higher, turning this desolate place into an incredibly beautiful city.

...

From the center of the immense sea, a dreamlike landscape unfolds for anyone flying from a considerable height, where magic and wonder converge in a symphony of colors and sounds. Crystal-clear waters stretch as far as the eye can see, reflecting the intense blue of the sky merging with the horizon. The radiant and generous sun paints golden glimmers on the water's surface, creating a path of lights that seems to lead to infinity.

In this magical place, the most astonishing sea creatures emerge from the depths, displaying their majestic bodies and dazzling colors. Gigantic whales gracefully dance on the surface, defying gravity with impressive leaps. Their resonant songs fill the air, creating a symphony that seems to emanate from the waves themselves.

High above, a golden spot traveled at great speed over the immense sea while three figures sat in a long lounge chair with enough space for all of them.

As they explored this aquatic paradise, they found themselves surrounded by magical beings and wondrous creatures that defy the imagination. Sea serpents with iridescent scales glide alongside luminous dolphins that leave a trail of colorful wakes in their path.

High above, exotic and extraordinary birds soar through the sky in sinuous flights. Their dazzling plumage appears to be made of gems and precious metals, and their melodious songs fill the air with celestial music. These unique, otherworldly birds create a spectacle of color and sound that rivals any dream.

"I never thought that one day we would leave the Hidden Paradise. Surely the rumors about the collapse have spread across all continents, and many will lose interest," Eris gazed at the vast sea as she expressed her thoughts.

"It has been a long time, and I never thought that the sea, which was so dangerous, would be so beautiful from the heights. There is much more life out here than we thought," Roxy, as an adventurer, had heard rumors about the sea, and it was common for ships to be sunk by magical creatures. But now, seeing it from above, there was nothing more incredible than this.

Gilgamesh smiled and said, "If the magical ship systems work, all continents will hire the services of my company, and the money would be enormous."

"No one would travel by sea if they could go flying."

"Well, let's head to the Fittoa border, as Roxy wants to check on her student. Taking that course, Gilgamesh accelerated at an impressive speed to ensure they wouldn't be delayed much in that place.