Chapter 26: The Dawn of a New Order

Chapter 26: The Dawn of a New Order

POV: Prince Aung (Jason)The golden throne of Khachin Province was no longer the seat of Duke Myint Myat Kyaw Saw.

It belonged to Jason now.

The scent of blood still lingered in the air, the remnants of his violent ascension staining the marble floors of the grand chamber. The nobles, officials, and military officers who had survived the massacre knelt before him, their foreheads pressed against the cold stone, trembling at the presence of the man who had just erased their ruler from existence.

Jason leaned forward, resting his blood-stained hands on the armrests of the throne, his golden eyes sweeping across the kneeling nobles.

Fear.

Submission.

But most importantly, opportunity.

This province had been built on greed and exploitation, its wealth hoarded by the Duke and his corrupt aristocracy. The people suffered while mana stone mines fueled an economy that never benefited them.

This would end today.

Jason exhaled slowly, his divine aura filling the chamber, forcing every single person in the hall to feel the weight of his will.

"Rise."

His voice was calm, yet undeniable.

The nobles hesitated, but one by one, they stood, their heads bowed, afraid to meet his gaze.

Jason tapped the side of the throne, considering his next move.

"I will not ask for loyalty," Jason began, his voice steady. "**Loyalty must be earned. But make no mistake—this province is now mine."

A murmur spread through the hall, but no one dared to challenge him.

Jason's golden gaze locked onto the remaining nobles, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

"Let me be clear. Those who wish to defy me… will share the fate of the Duke."

The chamber fell silent once more.

Jason allowed the weight of his words to sink in before continuing.

"However," he said, his tone shifting, "I am not the Duke. I have no interest in ruling through greed and corruption.From this day forward, Khachin will no longer be a province built on slavery and oppression."

The statement shocked the gathered aristocracy. Some flinched, others gasped.

"Your Highness…" one noble hesitated, his voice shaking. "Surely, you don't mean—"

Jason stood from the throne.

The room grew deathly silent.

Jason stepped down from the platform, the blood of the fallen generals still fresh on his boots as he walked through the chamber.

"Slavery ends today," Jason announced. "All non-human slaves in this province will be freed immediately." Jason stood from the throne, stepping forward. The nobles flinched as he approached, some even trembling.

"Bring me the heads of the slave traders," Jason ordered. "Those who have profited from the suffering of others will not live to see another sunrise."

His voice was calm, but undeniable.

The declaration sent shockwaves through the hall.

Some nobles paled, their entire economy built on the exploitation of demi-humans and beastkin. Others remained silent, not daring to challenge the new ruler.

"Your Highness," one of the wealthiest merchants of the city stepped forward cautiously. "If we end slavery, the economy will—"

Before he could finish, Jason moved.

A single step.

A blur of motion.

And in the next instant, the noble's head hit the floor, rolling across the bloodstained marble.

Silence.

Jason's golden eyes gleamed as he turned back to the remaining nobles.

"You misunderstand," Jason interrupted. "I do not care about your economy. The Empire will not be built on the suffering of others."

The nobles froze, their bodies stiffening under Jason's pressure.

"If anyone has an issue with my decision," Jason continued, voice unwavering, "you are welcome to challenge me. Right now."

Silence.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

Jason smirked slightly.

"I thought so."

He turned back toward the throne, seating himself once more.

"From this day forward," Jason continued, "this province will undergo reform. The mines will operate under fair wages, and trade will be restructured to benefit the entire population, not just the nobles."

The aristocrats visibly struggled with the idea, but they dared not voice their objections.

Jason could feel their resistance. He knew change would not come overnight. But he also knew that the strongest fist would decide history, and right now, that fist belonged to him.

"Those who adapt will prosper," Jason declared. "Those who resist will be removed. That is my decree."

The nobles nodded slowly, their fate now sealed.

Jason had broken the chains of the past, and Khachin Province would never be the same again.

POV: General Thmain ZeyaThmain Zeya stood at the foot of the throne, watching as Prince Aung single-handedly reshaped Khachin Province with nothing but his overwhelming presence and unshakable will.

The nobles—many of whom had served under Duke Myint Myat Kyaw Saw for decades—were broken.

Jason had not bargained, debated, or pleaded like a traditional ruler would.

He had simply declared his will and enforced it.

And it worked.

Even now, as the last remnants of the Duke's forces swore fealty, Thmain Zeya felt something stir deep within him.

Loyalty.

Pride.

And most of all, awe.

"I thought I knew war," he thought to himself. "I thought I had seen the limits of human power… but this… this is something beyond human."

Jason had eliminated the strongest generals and mages of the Duke without breaking a sweat.

He had forced an entire province to its knees within a day.

And he had done it without fear.

Thmain Zeya had pledged his loyalty to the prince long ago—but now, he realized something else.

He had pledged his life to the future emperor.

And he would not regret it.

POV: Vice General Hla Mao HtetHla Mao Htet stood with her arms crossed, watching as the last nobles groveled before the prince.

Her sharp eyes scanned the chamber, searching for any lingering resistance.

There was none.

No one would dare challenge Prince Aung now.

She had fought in countless battles. She had seen kings rise and fall, witnessed the ambitions of nobles, the desperation of rebels, and the arrogance of emperors.

But never—never—had she seen a ruler seize power like this.

"Not a single drop of hesitation," she mused, her respect for Jason deepening.

She had been skeptical of him at first.

A second prince with no claim to the throne, no noble backing, no resources.

She had assumed he was just another spoiled royal brat sent to die on a meaningless mission.

But now?

Now, she understood.

Jason wasn't just fighting for the throne—he was claiming it, one province at a time.

Her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened.

"I will fight for this man until the end," she promised herself.

Because this was the ruler she had always dreamed of serving.

POV: Vice General Ba OoBa Oo had been silent for most of the Prince's takeover of Khachin.

Not because he was afraid.

Not because he was uncertain.

But because he was thinking.

Analyzing.

Processing the monumental shift in power that had just occurred.

For years, he had believed that power was dictated by strategy—by careful, measured moves made through political maneuvering and calculated risks.

But Jason Aung defied all logic.

He had taken a province not through political games, but through absolute, overwhelming force.

"He's rewriting the rules of war," Ba Oo thought.

Where others waited for the perfect moment, Jason created his own opportunities.

Where others negotiated, Jason conquered.

Where others feared repercussions, Jason crushed opposition before it even had a chance to rise.

Ba Oo smirked to himself.

"I've spent my life playing chess…" he murmured. "But he… he's already decided to burn the board."

And that was why he would follow him to the bitter end.

POV: General Zaw Thura (Commander of the Personal Guard)Zaw Thura had always believed in strength.

The strength of an army.

The strength of a ruler.

The strength of one's own blade.

But never in his life had he seen a single man display such absolute domination over an entire province.

His former Duke, Myint Myat Kyaw Saw, had been a ruthless and pragmatic ruler, a man who built his kingdom on fear and control.

And yet, he had been utterly powerless before Jason Aung.

The Second Prince had cut him down like he was nothing.

"Strength," Zaw Thura thought. "I have followed strength my entire life… but this… this is something greater."

As he knelt before his new ruler, he spoke words he never imagined himself saying.

"My Prince, I pledge my sword to you."

Because for the first time, he had found a king worth dying for.

For the Nobles of Khachin,Fear.

It was all they could feel.

In mere hours, their entire world had shifted.

The Duke they once followed? Gone.

Their powerful generals and magi? Dead.

Their system of slavery and exploitation? Shattered.

Prince Aung was not a prince anymore.

He was a force of nature.

A man beyond mortal comprehension.

And they could only kneel before him, praying they did not share the fate of the fallen.

Jason surveyed the subjugated nobles, their expressions filled with uncertainty and fear.

The silence stretched.

Then, Jason spoke one final command.

"Summon the heads of the remaining military factions in this province."

The nobles flinched.

Jason's golden gaze flickered with something dangerous.

"I want every commanding officer here by sunrise. If they refuse to appear…"

He let the words linger, allowing fear to take root.

"Kill them where they stand."

The room froze.

Jason leaned back on the throne, completely composed.

"This province belongs to me now," he repeated, voice absolute.

"And I will build it into something far greater than what it was."

He closed his eyes briefly, exhaling.

His path to the throne had truly begun.

(Continue….)