Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Noldrei hadn't even reached North Africa when Welt's call came through.

He received news that Kevin was still on a rampage in that region.

Among those he had wiped out were sixteen organizations with "Freedom" in their name, thirteen with "Republic," and a staggering twenty-eight with "Democracy."

Welt emphatically stressed that they simply couldn't handle this many people now, unless they were prepared to either kill them all or delegate control to Stigma-wielding Valkyries who shared the local ideology to establish a Stigma-based rule.

Noldrei listened to Welt's explanation for a long while.

The thing about Stigma was peculiar—it was a manifestation of will that also possessed the characteristics of Honkai. It was a unique product born from individuals who were highly adaptable and possessed Honkai factors.

"Welt, something about what you're saying doesn't sound right," Noldrei said. "If it's really as Hachiman and the others investigated—that people with the same ideology, lifestyle, and faith are better suited for the same Stigma—then doesn't that mean... it was you ancients who abandoned the original people of this land? You don't want to bring them into the modern era, yet you want to extract industrial value from them. Isn't this a problem you created? Why are you blaming me, the one who created Stigma Battlesuits for you?"

"I opened the door to a new era for you. Now that the people following you can't keep up, you're blaming me—the one who opened the door—for not trying hard enough, saying I should wait for you. Why don't you figure out a way to let these people live the same way you do in the Far East?"

Noldrei found the situation laughable, like a feudal lord asking a capitalist why they don't take care of people living under slavery.

Noldrei sighed. "Welt, my friend... you can't be such a capitalist. That's all there is to it. You either drag them kicking and screaming into modern society, or you let them be eliminated by the world. How you do it is your problem. Use harsh punishments in chaotic times, conduct a great purge, whatever. Manage your own planet. I'm just the ruler, not your dad. Their lives and deaths are not my concern."

He had nearly enough of his new human race. Whether the rest were brought along was up to these new humans themselves. Was he, Noldrei, supposed to force them to drag everyone into the new era?

Based on his understanding of the people of this age, they would most likely block the door to the new era, preventing outsiders from entering. To counter this, Noldrei had already made plans to open the gates of Academy City.

'I've already designed a profit model for your expansion, and you still managed to screw it up like this? Academy City has made so much money, and all it's done is produce some houses and medicine for the people of Nagazora. Taking just a fraction of that would be enough to build several new Academy Cities, and you're here asking me to 'think of something'?'

Noldrei decisively cut the call, making it clear he had no intention of dealing with these people.

He was truly fed up. He had no idea if the people from Schicksal and Anti-Entropy were genuinely blind to the fact that the research institutes and major pharmaceutical corporations were raking it in.

If they had developed that biotech themselves, fine. But he was the one who had found a way to disseminate the technology in the first place, all of it originating from him, the man from the future. And these people still had the gall to take the biggest cut.

Now, instead of trying to reclaim the share that should have been theirs to use, these guys were thinking of asking Noldrei for more solutions?

He had no desire to keep Academy City closed off, nor did he intend to let this first batch of new humans play at being a closed-off, self-important central empire.

It was even more out of the question to allow Academy City to contribute nothing on the road to a new era.

However, Kevin was, after all, someone he had brought back from the Sea of Quanta. So, Noldrei asked Elysia to tell Kevin to slow down his slaughter, saying that the guys behind him couldn't keep up with taking over the territory.

Elysia had also overheard Noldrei's call with Welt, and she found Welt's attitude a bit strange.

Welt was genuinely concerned about Noldrei's power. But in reality, Noldrei couldn't care less about his own authority; he even thought Welt and the others were making a fuss over nothing. The entire mess was simply a result of this era's industrial divisions, which had sorted nations into a hierarchy based on their production capabilities.

As a result, countries that merely supplied raw energy were left in the awkward position of being unable to fully modernize, which in turn led to the emergence of people who couldn't even synchronize with a Stigma.

It was like the Stigma stored the will of a modern person, but you were trying to make an ancient farmer understand its contents. The farmer would only see it as a divine visitation, a case of spirit possession, or something of the sort.

Naturally, Kevin had no idea how to handle this. He was simply trying to carry out his work against the Honkai based on Noldrei's approach to the current world.

The best method was to forge humanity into a single entity, which was simply a process of breaking old organizations and creating new ones. Since Elysia said Noldrei had new plans, he ceased his expansion.

But...

What was he supposed to do with the vast swathes of land he had already conquered?

Kevin was at a loss for what to do. He looked to his most 'outstanding' assistant: Gray Serpent!

"Gray Serpent, think of a way to stabilize the territories I've taken."

Gray Serpent didn't even need to think. He himself was the Gray Serpent network, with tens of thousands of agents working behind the scenes. He alone could do the work of an entire nation, even form his own political party to get the job done.

But that wasn't what Gray Serpent wanted. Since his lord had asked, he would speak plainly.

"Lord Serpent, find a way to establish a Caliph."

"Huh?!"

Several question marks popped up over Kevin's head.

"You have already gained considerable prestige from your conquests, enough to establish your own power base. Your reputation, your military might, and even your image are firmly ingrained in the hearts of everyone in this land."

"Establishing your own power and founding a dynasty under your will is the best course of action. I personally suggest finding someone to act as the Caliph, and then use a Stigma-based rule to integrate this land. You can earn sufficient funds through Academy City to support this. With World Serpent's accumulated resources, it will be enough to make the people of this land worship you as their 'Lord'."

"It's best to occupy Jerusalem and build the new Academy City there. You and the new Caliph can make a pact and create a new administrative organization."

"The higher-ups in Academy City want to carve up his power and benefits. Since they're going to get a share, why shouldn't we take a piece of the pie as well?"

"At the very least, Lord Serpent, you truly wish to usurp the authority of the Cocoon of Finality, don't you?"

Kevin pondered for a moment before asking, "Then who should be the Caliph?"

Gray Serpent thought Kevin's deadpan humor was something else. At present, the only one with the qualifications for centralized power was the being who held the authority over the future development of Stigma.

For once, Gray Serpent offered a joke of his own. "Is there even a need to ask? His Majesty, the Emperor of Nagazora, of course!"