Haa…”
Nero let out a deep breath before striding toward the throne.
The moment he sat down, everyone in the hall bowed and shouted,
“Your Majesty!”
Nero still felt somewhat uncomfortable with the title.
At that moment, however, the system, which had remained silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.
“Ding!
Congratulations to the host on ascending the throne.
The system has specially prepared a congratulatory gift.”
Nero froze.
He had never expected that becoming king would trigger a reward from the system.
The surprise immediately snapped him back to reality.
Looking at the ministers below, he smiled and said,
“Everyone, there’s no need to be so formal.
Just as before, this kingdom does not belong to me alone.
It is the result of everyone’s hard work.
I am merely the leader.
You are the ones who truly keep the kingdom running.
The future of this country will continue to depend on your efforts.”
After speaking, Nero stood up and respectfully bowed to everyone.
The ministers were startled.
As Nero bowed, they immediately bowed in return.
Things were different now.
He was no longer the crown prince.
He was the king.
The fact that he showed them such respect only made them more grateful.
“Everyone, the road ahead will be difficult.
It may not be as smooth as we hope.
I only ask that we work together.
I hope that one day the Tru Kingdom will become the nation we all wish to see.”
Nero straightened up and spoke once more.
“Your Majesty, the Tru Kingdom will absolutely become that nation.
Otherwise, I’ll be the first to object!”
Junhe declared loudly without the slightest restraint.
Nero couldn’t help smiling.
“You still dare to speak so boldly?
From now on, the security of the entire Tru Kingdom rests on your shoulders.
The responsibility you bear is immense.
I hope you’ll live up to both your position and the trust of our people.”
Junhe immediately became serious.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty.
As long as I’m alive, no pirate will ever be allowed to set foot on the soil of the Tru Kingdom.”
Nero nodded with satisfaction.
There were many challenges ahead, so he decided to address matters directly.
“I believe everyone still remembers the plan I mentioned before.
From now on, the coastal regions of the Tru Kingdom will be dedicated to cultivating flowers and herbs.
Our nation needs its own identity.
More importantly, we must ensure that over half our population has stable employment and income.
The plan is already underway.
You should all know that construction of the perfume factory ten kilometers from the palace began half a month ago.
This is only the first step.
In the future, we may expand into textiles and other industries.
The workload ahead will not be light.
For the sake of our kingdom and our people, I hope all of you will approach your duties with even greater dedication.”
Nero’s voice echoed through the hall.
The perfume factory was no secret.
Most people already knew about it, and many looked forward to finding work there.
Of course, Nero’s ambitions extended far beyond perfume.
As long as he had money, the system could provide him with countless things from other worlds.
For now, however, the kingdom’s development remained his highest priority.
“Your Majesty, if your plan proceeds as intended, food will become a major concern.
The neighboring countries already struggle with food production themselves.
How will we solve this problem?”
An elderly minister asked.
Nero smiled.
“Lord Dongwa, I’ve already considered that issue.
Once people begin focusing on flowers and herbs, food naturally becomes the primary concern.
There’s no need to worry.”
Dongwa pressed.
Before Nero could answer, Junhe stepped forward.
“Lord Dongwa, under His Majesty’s orders, we’ve already begun purchasing large quantities of food from neighboring countries.
You may rest assured.”
At that moment, a middle-aged man in his forties stood up.
With his neatly trimmed mustache and sharp appearance, he looked particularly shrewd.
“I believe it would be better for our kingdom to join the World Government.
At the very least, that would protect us from pirate attacks.”
Nero smiled.
“You’re not wrong.
Joining the World Government would indeed deter many pirates.
But have you considered what the World Government would demand from us in return?”
The man was stunned.
He had only considered the protection offered by the World Government.
He had never thought about the cost.
The others immediately understood.
Dongwa spoke first.
“The World Government never does business at a loss.
Leaving aside whether they’d even provide us meaningful protection in South Blue, the annual Heavenly Tribute alone would lower our people’s standard of living by an entire level.”
“Exactly.”
Nero nodded.
“Our kingdom is already struggling.
If we add the burden of the Heavenly Tribute, then there’ll be no need for pirates to destroy us.
We’ll destroy ourselves first.”
The middle-aged man fell silent.
He had spoken with good intentions, but he had overlooked the most critical issue.
The kingdom simply could not afford such a burden.
“Very well.”
Nero stood up.
“Continue following the previous plan.
The population census has already been completed.
The first phase must create enough jobs to employ at least twenty percent of the kingdom’s population.
As for the rest, we’ll continue improving the domestic economy in the future.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Everyone responded in unison.
At this point, no one objected.
They all wanted to see what kind of future Nero would create.
Soon afterward, news of the new king’s decisions spread throughout the entire Tru Kingdom.
To Nero’s surprise, almost no one opposed the plan.
Most commoners were actually delighted.
At least they no longer had to worry about finding a livelihood.
A single person could cultivate several acres of flowers and herbs, and the resulting compensation was enough to support an entire family.
The exchange rates had been clearly established from the beginning.
Furthermore, the kingdom’s climate was ideal for growing such crops.
There were no restrictions on specific varieties either.
For a time, the entire kingdom was swept up in a new wave of planting.
The people’s enthusiasm was remarkable.
Even visitors from neighboring countries were puzzled by the sudden transformation.
For Nero, however, the greatest benefit was simple.
As long as he had money, food would never be a problem.
With the system, he could purchase as much food as necessary.
After explaining all the details and production methods to everyone, Nero left the hall.
At the moment, he was far more interested in the reward the system had promised.
Back in his room, he immediately shut the door and sat down on the edge of his bed.
Then he entered the system space.
The moment he opened it, he looked around in confusion.
“System, where’s the reward?”
he asked.
“Answer: The reward granted by the Myriad Worlds Mall System will be determined through a lottery.
The host may now enter the lottery interface.
The prize pool contains all items available within the Myriad Worlds Mall.
The final result depends entirely upon the host’s luck.”
Nero was speechless.
If the system wanted to give him something, why make him rely on luck?
Still, something was better than nothing.
“Open the lottery.”
The moment he gave the command, the appearance of the system space changed.
The original sky-blue environment turned pink. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
A large red button appeared in front of him.
It seemed as though pressing it would determine everything.
Without hesitation, Nero slammed the button.
A giant display above him began spinning rapidly.
When it finally stopped, even he couldn’t help staring in amazement.
Displayed before him was a katana.
Or rather, a famous demon sword.
Its name was clearly written beside it.
Muramasa.
Anyone familiar with anime would immediately recognize it.
Nero naturally knew of its reputation.
It was an exceptionally powerful blade.
What surprised him most wasn’t the sword itself but the fact that the Myriad Worlds Mall truly could bring items from entirely different worlds.
When he returned to reality, the Demon Sword Muramasa was already standing upright beside his bed.
Its dark crimson scabbard and uniquely crafted hilt emitted a faint red glow.
Even from a distance, it was obvious that this was no ordinary weapon.
More importantly, it radiated a sinister aura that sent chills through anyone who approached it.
Nero stood up and grabbed the sword.
The moment his hand touched it, a strange sensation spread through his body.
It felt as though the sword was establishing a connection with him.
He was pleasantly surprised.
He had never expected the system to provide such a treasure.
Even better, it had automatically recognized him as its master.
“Since you’ve come to this world, we’ll be together from now on.
I won’t disgrace your reputation.”
Nero carefully examined the blade as he spoke softly.
Unfortunately, there was one major problem.
He didn’t know any swordsmanship.
Even with a legendary sword, he wouldn’t be able to unleash its true power.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered the 300 million Beli sitting in his system account.
Without wasting time, he returned to the system space.
“System, is there any powerful swordsmanship available?”
The moment he spoke, a name appeared on the screen before him.
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū.
Nero’s eyes lit up.
Then he saw the price.
His expression immediately stiffened.
Five hundred million Beli.
The amount was so absurd that he almost couldn’t believe it.
He had thought his 300 million Beli was enough to spend freely for a while.
Yet a single swordsmanship style was enough to make him feel poor.
Worse still, he couldn’t even afford it.
With a helpless sigh, Nero exited the system space once more.
Looking at Muramasa resting quietly on the bed, he smiled.
“Don’t worry.
It won’t be long before I let you see the world again.”
As though sensing his thoughts, the faint red glow surrounding Muramasa gradually faded until it appeared no different from an ordinary sword.
The blade measured roughly one meter in total length, with about seventy centimeters devoted to the edge itself.
If Nero could obtain Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, his strength would undoubtedly increase dramatically.
Unfortunately, he was still short on money.
Then a thought suddenly struck him.
The treasure map.
Before his death, the old king had left him a map pointing toward a hidden treasure somewhere within the kingdom.
Although Nero had no idea what the treasure contained, he doubted his father would have entrusted him with something meaningless.
After considering it for a moment, he decided action was better than speculation.
He lifted his pillow and retrieved the parchment.
The map was surprisingly detailed.
Not only did it indicate the location, but it even marked the specific mountain peak where the treasure was hidden.
The treasure wasn’t beneath the sea.
It was hidden atop a mountain within the Tru Kingdom itself.
After studying the map, Nero couldn’t help feeling curious.
Why had his father never retrieved it?
And what exactly was hidden there?
Based on his understanding of the One Piece world, there were many places where wealth could be obtained.
The problem was that he still lacked the strength to pursue such opportunities.
For now, everything within the kingdom was proceeding smoothly.
He didn’t need to worry too much.
The only thing left was waiting for the first batch of perfume to be produced and sold overseas.
That process alone would likely take at least a year.