Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Orzan, the King's Land
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Feudalism meant the king appointing vassals and granting them land.
Land too vast for the king to manage alone.
Thus, he granted a select few the right to collect taxes from that land, while imposing the duty to defend it.
Vassals appointed by the king or inheriting through blood ties were bound by contract to obey the king's commands when necessary.
"Feudalism was the system used in medieval Europe, early China, and Japan."
"A bit of a broad generalization, but yes, that's the gist of it."
"But Eldar, isn't it weird that an elf knows names of countries from Earth?"
"I am an elf who traverses dimensions."
"...Right, that was the lore."
The advantage of feudalism was that it lightened the king's burden.
Though vassals had the duty to defend the land granted by the king, to them it was their own territory, not the king's.
Thus, they spared no effort in protecting it.
This made each manor fortified by walls built by the vassals, spurring advancements in fortification techniques.
'On the flip side, the glaring drawback...'
It worked fine when first implemented, but over time, relations between the king and the meritorious vassals or blood kin soured.
Even if ties to the king were bound by contract, relations among vassals were not.
Without intervention from another vassal or the king, they treated each other like foreign nations. In fact, despite being the same country, many waged wars against one another, which from the king's perspective drained national strength.
'Of course, it also advanced siege warfare. It maintained combat readiness too. Frequent wars drive technological progress.'
There were pros and cons, but Seong-un disliked feudalism in Lost World.
'It's too chaotic.'
Powerful vassals could even receive support from multiple kings.
They might pledge fealty to different kings for lands if needed.
Such swollen vassals wielded more power than kings and held sway in international relations and diplomacy.
Balancing powers, checking rival vassals and kings required effort, but it benefited the vassals.
"...But not from a player's perspective."
"Indeed."
Eldar narrowed his eyes, perhaps recalling past games.
"In the medieval era, I once ran a massive city-state. It started under a nation where my priest was king, but that city-state received fiefs from kings of surrounding countries and eventually lost faith in me."
Seong-un nodded.
In Lost World, theocracies were easiest to control.
Once faith and politics drifted apart, even if the nation retained faith overall, achieving intended outcomes grew difficult. It slipped from the player's control.
'There are ways to manage even then, but no need to bother.'
Feudalism wasn't inherently bad.
City-states formed naturally, saving costs and time in nation-building.
Plus, if neighbors used feudalism, mirroring it was advantageous.
Expand influence, sway vassals to your side.
'But other religions can infiltrate if mishandled, especially with friction between king and vassals creating openings.'
Still, Seong-un favored monarchy.
Feudalism had a king, but the monarchy Lost World players meant was absolute monarchy—or centralized bureaucratic rule.
Seong-un said,
"Explain monarchy."
"The king resides in the capital and appoints bureaucrats in various ways to govern the provinces."
In feudalism, vassals held total power over their lands, but bureaucrats were different.
Tasks divided by administrative function, with mutual checks.
Terms fixed, rotations to other posts.
It cost much to establish and maintain this framework, yet many pre-modern states adopted absolute monarchy.
'Consistent national policy reduces chaos, specialization via division of labor, strong center eases military mobilization.'
Seong-un liked the last part.
'Theocracy plus absolute monarchy lets the king's word move the nation.'
Of course, monarchies had forces limiting the ruler's power, but not like feudalism.
Monarchy wasn't implementable on a whim.
Required infrastructure like roads and ports, methods for selecting bureaucrats, securing royal legitimacy, fostering shared identity among diverse races.
"Eldar, what to do in such cases?"
Eldar shrugged.
Not ignorance, but why ask when you already know the answer.
The day after fully conquering the peninsula, Rakrak awoke and decided to lead his tribe north.
Yur said,
"Are we heading to the wasteland again?"
"No."
At the meeting with key tribe members, Rakrak drew a massive map on the ground.
Many didn't recognize it at first, but it was a map.
As he drew, Rakrak said,
"I had a dream last night."
The lizardmen didn't stir.
Rakrak often claimed divine visions in serious meetings, only to spin ordinary dreams as revelations or prophecies. They made good laughs, though.
Rakrak continued,
"I left my body and floated in the air. Then, against my will, I flew swiftly. Lands raced below like arrows—familiar territories amid them. Villages taken from dwarves, orcs, goblins, elves appeared. In those we cleared together, lizardmen with black scales like ours lived. Across the wasteland to the northern coast."
Jaol knew it wasn't a joke.
"The lands we've claimed."
"Yes."
Rakrak stopped drawing.
He moved to the edge and marked a dot.
"We're here."
"I see."
"What do we call this place?"
Looking around, a warrior spoke.
"Dwarves called this land Magenen."
Meaning 'land's end.'
Rakrak nodded and wrote 'Magenen' beside the dot.
Jaol sent a runner to copy it on silk with charcoal.
Rakrak stepped forward, marked another dot.
"Here, where we drove out the red-skinned orcs. Anyone recall its name?"
"Tribal Chief, orcs called it Samon."
Meaning 'deep forest.'
Rakrak said,
"Many Samons exist. How to distinguish?"
Another warrior replied,
"Call it Southern Samon, then."
Rakrak nodded and wrote it.
Thus, Rakrak named conquered lands as he paced northward.
The peninsula teemed with races; black-scale tribe conquered many villages, so reaching the wasteland's end took time.
He passed Kamairu, Froglin lands meaning 'vast lake.'
Lizardmen thought he'd enter the wasteland, but no.
Rakrak marked above the wasteland, where sea met land.
"What's this place called?"
Silence fell.
Rakrak asked,
"No one knows?"
"Forgive us, Chief, no one here knows its name."
Rakrak scanned the room.
"Anyone remember?"
"To my knowledge, we drove no race from there."
Rakrak tapped the ground with his drawing stick.
"No one knows?"
"It's mountains; no roads there. Cockatrices dwell, deterring others."
Rakrak nodded.
Most pondered his intent; some braced for a grand joke.
Rakrak said,
"I know this place. Mountains with vines and shrubs—easy to clear paths. Maintain existing trails, and all can reach it. Dense woods risk getting lost, but the god will guide. Deep in the ranges, a river flows from a valley; follow it down, terrain flattens. River widens downstream, beside flat, broad land. It meets the sea; sun rises over eastern peaks, sets in western waves."
Jaol asked,
"Seen in your dream?"
"Yes."
Rakrak added,
"That land is Orzan."
Murmurs rose.
Meaning 'land where god stands.'
"I will be king in Orzan."
Cheers erupted.
Rakrak ruled vast lands beyond 'great chieftain'; he outshone other chiefs.
The renowned deserved fitting titles.
"To Orzan. Pack up."
Excitement buzzed among lizardmen.
Rakrak wove through to his hut.
Jaol followed.
"The god's decree?"
"Likely."
"No need chasing fools claiming lands along the way. But leave them be?"
"No."
"Spare tribes, and some race will grow strong. Outsiders are better; among lizardmen, some forget your power, unseen ones may doubt."
"I know."
Rakrak said the dream didn't end at Orzan.
"Found a way."
Rakrak first sent path-clearers and land-preparers to Orzan.
Then toured villages on the map, reaffirming his power.
Thankfully, no lizardmen dared resist. All saw him as their chief.
He spread word of Orzan; willing ones followed. Many preferred their ways, but others joined.
Rakrak swelled his host and marched to Orzan.
Confirming new villages thrived, he headed to wasteland and north coast, sharing Orzan's tale.
Within a year, all lizardmen east of Jidong Fortress knew Rakrak was king, capital Orzan. By three years, most tribes east knew.
Orzan became a key hub instantly; wide roads built.
Rakrak dispatched 'Warrior Captains' to all lizardmen villages.
Warrior Captains replaced typical chiefs: handled village affairs, judged criminals, mustered warriors against threats.
Elite warriors under Rakrak, bearing stone tablets he inscribed with laws. Gold-ornamented stone symbolized authority, preventing copies.
One hand steel sword, other law tablet—their mark.
Captains led mixed warrior bands from diverse origins, barred from home villages.
Meanwhile, lands Rakrak claimed but without captains existed.
Jidong Fortress and north coast's green-eyed elf village.
Here, castle lord and chief remained as vassals.
Rakrak indifferently granted Jidong's Lord Hwikyung 'Margrave' for border defense, and green-eyed elf chief Lionar 'Elf Margrave.'
Hwikyung gladly accepted, knowing he could call Rakrak's power in crisis.
Lionar accepted with mixed feelings, no alternative.
From Orzan, 'Foreign Affairs Officers'—lizardmen—were sent to margraves.
To smooth communication between vassals and king Rakrak, while monitoring them.
Warrior Captains and Officers were primitive bureaucrats overburdened, but issues few.
Slow and crude, yet Rakrak's words reached margraves and Magenen's captain flawlessly, and vice versa.
A compromise between feudalism and monarchy, but leaning more toward monarchy, so the alert read 'Early Monarchy.'
Seong-un dismissed the window.
Eldar said to him,
"...In the end, 'both'?"
"Yeah. Balance pros and cons, adapt to circumstances—no choice."
Eldar said,
"But why me...?"
"Huh? That was my land originally too."
Eldar decided not to press.
Years later, peninsula's end, Magenen.
Where Rakrak once envisioned his realm, new beings stood.
Four legs on the ground, hunched chests bore four arms.
Two were large claws, two clumsily hand-like.
A face-like area had protruding eyes; above, antennae waved.
Most striking: hard shells covering all.
Turquoise shells gleamed.
Some wore metal ornaments, stone clubs at waists. Clearly intelligent.
Seong-un, scouting nearby, spotted them before lizardmen contact.
Seong-un muttered,
"...Lobsters?"