NOVEL WEB Chapter 308: 305 -
Julius returned to his private suite just as the final rays of the sun dipped below the distant hills, painting the marble of the Eternal City in hues of crimson and gold.
The air inside his quarters was cool, the fireplace left banked low by the attendants — a quiet, welcome stillness after the storm of courtly politics.
Without ceremony, Julius moved to the wide oak desk at the far end of the room, settling heavily into his high-backed chair.
He flexed his fingers once, then called forth the System Interface with a simple mental command.
A soft golden shimmer filled his vision.
[System Update: Provinces Integrated!]
▶ Greecian Province Established
▶ Territories: Argos, Macedonia, Arcadia
▶ Status: Direct Control (Romanus Crown Authority)
▶ Loyalty: +15 (75/100 ~Stable)
A low, pleased hum escaped his throat as he leaned back slightly.
The map of the Empire floated before him — a glorious spread of golden lands stitched across the continent.
Now, the southern peninsula was no longer a patchwork of occupation zones, instead Romanus possessed the central portion as its own territory cutting off Sparta from Athenia without first traversing the oceans, or Romanus territory first..
It gleamed as one solid mass, seamlessly dyed the deep red-gold of Romanus sovereignty.
More than territory.
More than taxes.
This was legitimacy.
And with legitimacy came the right to reshape the land in his image.
With a practiced flick of his hand across the System, Julius pulled up his available resources.
[Build Points Available: 174]
A grin — sharp and predatory — touched his lips.
Plenty.
More than enough.
And he knew exactly where to begin.
~
His first commands were swift, his mind already working faster than his hand could move.
📜 [Infrastructure Upgrade - Greecian Province]
▶ Major Roads: Paved and expanded. +40 BP
▶ Aqueduct Repairs and Expansion: +30 BP
▶ Public Bathhouses and Forums in all Major Cities: +25 BP
🏛 [Civic Reforms]
▶ Establish Provincial Academies (Early education hubs for engineering, philosophy, and medicine): +20 BP
▶ Construction of Provincial Archive in Corinth (centralized record-keeping): +15 BP
⚔️ [Military Fortifications]
▶ Rebuild and Reinforce Border Fortresses (especially near Spartan and Athenian regions): +30 BP
▶ Increase Legionnaire Recruitment Centers across the Province: +14 BP
[Build Point Total Spent: 174 BP]
[Remaining Points: 0]
System Confirmations flared briefly before fading into shimmering gold stamps across the map.
His order was submitted, and once the purchase was made the Greecian landscape would be change as new building rose up from the earth itself.
While the lands themselves would be greater connected with the introduction of comprehensive romanus road systems.
It would be as if the cities themselves awakened overnight, growing new arms and lungs — breathing the air of Romanus civilization deeper than ever before.
~
Still, Julius wasn't finished.
A darker section of the map caught his eye.
Marked not in gold — but in faint, angry red.
[Hostile Activity Detected]
▶ Region: Greecian Province
▶ Status: High Risk (Subversive Elements Identified)
▶ Recommendations: Preemptive Action Suggested
Another tap.
[Sparta] — slightly less red, but still troubling.
▶ Region: Greecian Province
▶ Status: Moderate Risk (Militant Factions Identified)
Julius's smirk faded into a cold, thoughtful line.
So.
It had already begun.
Even without open rebellion, the seeds were being sown.
Fortunately, he had already prepared.
Opening a secondary interface, Julius quickly drafted a series of direct alerts.
He sent through orders to the local garrisons to locate and deal with the agents of Athenia.
Identify and neutralize agitators discreetly.
Increase civilian patrols, but maintain appearances of normalcy.
Begin information campaigns promoting Romanus rule, highlighting restored prosperity, while stripping away Athenian attempts to invade the region once more through the shadows.
As for Sparta...
His forces would retain their alliance but closely monitor the Spartan occupation forces, and should any act beyond their station they would be judged and if it came to it, reported to the Spartan crowns, and if it was still not taken seriously then the announcement of the integration of the fallen territories into the greater Romanus, would allow for the eviction of all Spartan occupation forces back to their own lands.
And lastly a general order being dictated down to all the garrison forces as a whole
Use minimum necessary force when dealing with any situation, acting more like peacekeepers and police rather than occupiers and aggressors.
No mass arrests without corroborating evidence.
Maintaining the image of Romanus justice: swift but merciful.
Julius reviewed the directives once, twice, before confirming with a final mental command.
[Orders Dispatched]
All across the Greecian province, the subtle machinery of control would begin to turn.
Not with swords drawn.
But with quiet, inexorable pressure.
The way true empires were built — not merely through the conquest of cities, but the conquest of hearts, minds, and fears.
~
Julius leaned back again, staring up at the ceiling of his private suite.
Tomorrow, no doubt, reports would start flowing in — arrests, dissolutions of secret gatherings, suspicious deaths disguised as accidents.
Perhaps even some premature 'patriots' making fools of themselves by trying to provoke open conflict — only to find themselves crushed before the rebellion could even catch breath.
But for tonight...
Tonight, he could rest, if only slightly.
The Greecian south was no longer a problem waiting to explode.
It was a province — a living part of Romanus.
And as for Athens and Sparta?
They would either fall into line…
Or they would fall altogether.
Julius closed his eyes briefly, allowing the fire of ambition to burn low but steady within his chest.
More was coming.
The campaign in Germania loomed.
The war against the Franks would demand every ounce of cunning and strength he possessed.
But this victory?
This peaceful, bloodless conquest of three nations?
It was a reminder.
That before the world could be ruled by sword...
It must first be ruled by will.
And Julius's will was absolute.
Meanwhile the rest of the time before he retired to bed, he checked on the world map to gauge the progression rates of the other wars happening in the world, with Visigoth advancing steadily into the East, while the Slavic's were only a week or two away from securing the north, and lastly the Brittanian's having at least taken the entirety of the Celtic landmass, while probably still dealing with a great deal of civil unrest in the region.