Lucius's return to Veleria was nothing short of majestic. As he gazed from his grand palace, the city's gothic architecture, the magical lamps, and the banners proudly displaying the red Phoenix against a pitch-black background showcased the prosperity and might of the Eternal Empire.
On the streets, the citizens maintained an orderly demeanor, going about their daily routines. The imperial soldiers, adorned in their dark ore armor with a proud Phoenix insignia and a red arcane crystal, kept a watchful eye, ensuring discipline.
Deep in thought, Lucius contemplated his next move. Despite his overwhelming power, he had a greater need, a catalyst, to bridge himself back to the Primordial Chaos. This was where he belonged, the place that held the cure to the scars on his soul. Minister Veleron, the head of the Ministry of Defense and Strategic Planning, was summoned. With specific sites marked on the map of Lysandria, Lucius commanded the construction of massive arcane crystals, inscribed with runes of his design. A grand underground chamber beneath the palace was also to be carved out, housing dozens of large interconnected arcane crystals.
The significance of these arcane constructions was known only to Lucius. Veleron, not daring to question the Emperor's command, set forth to ensure the task's completion.
With his plan set into motion, Lucius shifted his focus to the world beyond. The message was clear: The empire would wage an all-out war. Envoys were dispatched to frontlines with orders that spelled destruction. The Imperial Navy, with its vast armada, began its assault, obliterating coastal cities and making landfall. The Generals, dressed in their distinguished attire, unleashed magic of mass destruction, turning cities to ash and harbors to graveyards. Enemy fleets, both military and civilian, met a grim fate.
On territories now under the Empire's dominion, the Control Divisions of the Ministry of Arcane Affairs, in collaboration with the local army regiments, ensured stringent order. Their methods were ruthless. In a town square, a group of dissenting townsfolk were rounded up. Accused of rebellion, they were publicly executed, their deaths serving as a chilling reminder of the Empire's might.
The Empire was at its zenith. Many Generals, advancing to the strength of Grand Mages, were elevated to the rank of Army Marshals. Empire ranks swelled to almost 4 million, and the naval fleet expanded exponentially.
In contrast, the Confederacy, a hodgepodge of various kingdoms and empires, struggled with their sheer size. Their 25 million soldiers, despite their vast number, were inefficient. The battlefields bore witness to this disparity. For every thousand of the Empire's men lost, tens of thousands of Confederacy soldiers met their end.
The Empire's Ministry of Innovation and Progress wasn't idle either. New weapons, including the devastating Arcane Crystal Cannons, were introduced, making the confrontations bloodier. Villages on the outskirts of the Old Continent became graveyards, families torn apart, homes razed to the ground.
Back in Veleria, citizens were not spared from the Empire's control. The Control Division went beyond ensuring external conquests. They embarked on an insidious campaign, indoctrinating the populace, shaping minds to serve the Empire unconditionally.