In A Fantasy World I Can Absorbs Abilities

On another plate lay a delicately baked trout, brushed with herb butter and garnished with thin slices of lemon.

The four took their seats in silence.

Princess Astrid turned to the knights standing guard and the nobles nearby.

"The day's business is done. After dinner, you may return to your chambers and rest."

Grateful for the reprieve, the delegation quietly saluted and moved to their own table.

Michael and his companions began their meal.

Duke Capone lifted a glass of wine, inhaling its fragrance with satisfaction.

"A day like this calls for wine. To the empire yet to come!"

He raised his glass, and the others followed suit.

Astrid took a spoonful of the stew and tasted it thoughtfully.

"Quite excellent. The chef deserves praise."

"The lamb is also superb," Alfred added with his usual bluntness as he cut into his meat.

Duke Capone, momentarily taken aback, coughed and quickly sipped his wine.

'Did that old man just give a compliment? Wonders never cease…'

And so, the conversation around the table began to bloom.

Each of them gradually released the fatigue built up throughout the day, letting food and drink ease their weariness.

The firelight danced across the walls, casting long shadows.

Duke Capone smiled as he looked from Astrid to Michael.

If the Kingdom of Xerxes and the Kingdom of Lania were to merge, it wouldn't be a mere alliance—it would be full unification.

And with that, they would meet the minimum conditions to proclaim an empire.

Since ancient times, powerful states had taken two primary paths to expansion:

The first was dynastic unification, wherein two royal families merged by blood, consolidating rule under a single monarch.

The Celeste Empire had taken this route in its formation.

The second path was conquest, where one nation absorbed another through military might.

The Pamir Empire had used this method—and it was through conquest that the Kingdom of Xerxes had been subjugated.

While conquest often brought resistance and unrest, it also enabled the emergence of powerful, centralized states under a single ruler.

At least, that was the theory—though the current state of the Pamir Empire suggested failure.

In contrast, the union between Lania and Xerxes would follow Celeste's example.

With legitimate bloodlines at the core, such a union would be easier for both nobles and citizens to accept, and would bring little administrative disruption.

It would be more than a treaty.

It would be the merging of two kingdoms under one banner.

A massive political shift—one that would undoubtedly open a new chapter in continental history.

The Crasus Territory of today was no longer what it once had been.

Its fertile lands and well-developed waterways promised abundant harvests.

Trade and commerce flourished, drawing merchants from across the realm.

And with mages and knights flocking in from all corners, its academic institutions were evolving rapidly as well.

Now, Crasus had become the most tax-rich territory in the kingdom.

The sprawling markets and artisan workshops spread across its lands were living proof of its economic power.

Such development signaled one thing: Michael was no longer just a duke—he was on the verge of becoming a sovereign in all but name.

In fact, the Pamir Empire had already, in secret, ceded all of its territories beyond the Argo Mountains to him.

The Argo Mountains were more than a strategic military stronghold. They were rich in mineral resources.

In the past, development had been slow due to threats from the empire and the monsters dwelling within the range. But now, the circumstances had changed.

With a dragon and sphinx under Michael's command, no magical beast dared approach.

The Pamir Empire, crippled by civil war, had struck private agreements with both sides of the conflict, favoring Michael.

With the Argo Mountains secured, he now possessed not only a military fortress—but also an economic treasure trove.

Economic independence, more than a matter of wealth, was a vital pillar of sovereign legitimacy.

A ruler's fortune did not automatically guarantee their authority.

To be a monarch, one needed: legitimate lineage, military power, and above all, the support of the people.

Yet one truth remained undeniable—wealth signified a thriving realm.

A financially independent state did not rely on foreign aid or trade surplus to sustain itself.

It meant:

A steady stream of tax revenue,

A bustling network of commerce and trade,

Fertile farmlands and productive workshops,

And a robust financial system.

A nation where its people are well-fed, merchants trade in safety, and soldiers receive their due wages—such a nation could not help but flourish.

Conversely, if a ruler struggled with poverty, even with the noblest bloodline, the kingdom would falter.

In times of royal bankruptcy, nobles would turn away.

Merchants would shift their business elsewhere.

And unpaid soldiers would desert the battlefield.

A ruler's fortune was the foundation of the nation's revival.

But beyond land and wealth, there was something even more important:

The identity of the people, and their loyalty to the dynasty.

Without its people, there could be no nation.

In that regard, Michael had already proven himself a hero worthy of devotion.

Likewise, the Kingdom of Lania, through the desperate efforts of past monarchs, had won the hearts of its people.

More importantly, the noble class of the Northwest Sector—the rot within the kingdom—had been entirely purged.

In the South, a string of uprisings had stripped most nobles of their titles.

Thankfully, the people of Crasus already strongly identified as citizens of Lania.

They were familiar with Lania's legal and cultural systems, and had long been integrated administratively.

Even immigrants from other lands worked harder than anyone to learn Lania's customs, fearing they might otherwise be left behind.

This increased the likelihood of political and social integration, and suggested that a new order could be established without significant resistance.

The only step left was for the nobles and lords to formally swear allegiance to the new order.

Once they recognized Michael as their sovereign and declared their support, the two kingdoms would be unified—not just in title, but in truth.

That moment would mark more than unification.

It would be the decisive turning point toward empirehood.

And Michael was more than qualified.