"Ahh…"
Luminas gave Damien a slightly resentful look. "You're being far too generous, Lord Damien. It's making things very difficult for me."
She truly hadn't expected this.
She was a complete newcomer who hadn't done anything yet, and she had already received such enormous benefits.
Damien had seemed so domineering earlier.
Yet the moment she agreed to serve him, he had become an entirely different person.
As his vassal, Luminas could clearly sense his emotions. He didn't view her as a tool or a slave.
On the contrary, Damien's sincere feelings were impossible to fake.
He genuinely saw her as a true companion.
"From now on, the vampire race will follow your every arrangement!"
"And the Holy Empire of Lubelius…"
Luminas even wanted to offer herself completely.
When a lord treats you with sincerity, you repay him with your life.
She refused to bring shame to the vampire race.
"Ah, there's no need to rush."
Damien gently interrupted her. "Actually, I have no interest in the Holy Empire itself."
"No interest?"
"None at all."
Damien continued, "In the future, you will continue to rule your own territory, just like Frey and Karion."
"I plan to create a new title—Archduke."
Archdukes would hold status equal to the current regional kings and marquesses.
But unlike them, Archdukes would be responsible for governing a large region while pledging their loyalty to the Monster Kingdom and protecting its core.
This arrangement would allow vassals like Karion and Frey—who already possessed their own lands—to better manage and relocate their people.
"Archduke…"
Luminas nodded, very pleased with the status Damien was granting her.
The Holy Empire obviously couldn't remain fully independent.
But at most, it would simply change its name.
For example, from Holy Empire to Holy Church—nothing more than a label.
Luminas was genuinely shocked that she could join the Monster Kingdom and still keep her own territory.
In her original expectations, once she submitted, the vampire race would come under Damien's direct control.
But now it seemed…
Her new lord didn't particularly enjoy dealing with tedious administration.
Luminas could roughly guess some of Damien's thoughts: he preferred a free life over micromanaging power.
Ambitious vassals would love a ruler like that.
However, Luminas was not that kind of woman.
If possible, she would rather stay by Damien's side, properly supervise his work, and keep the entire Monster Kingdom firmly in hand.
Unfortunately…
She knew Damien disliked that kind of life.
All she could do was silently resolve to help him maintain his authority and never allow anyone to disrespect him.
In this Monster Kingdom, Luminas would only acknowledge Damien.
If anyone else tried to climb above their station…
She would never accept it!
"As for the duchies…" Frey frowned slightly. "I assume they'll still have to follow the Monster Kingdom's laws and arrangements?"
"Obviously," Karion scratched his head. "Different laws in every region would be total chaos."
"The detailed legal framework is still under discussion," Damien said. "For now, we'll maintain the status quo."
Of course, complete autonomy forever was out of the question.
Beastmen, winged folk, and vampires.
Sooner or later, the three races would follow the Monster Kingdom's macro-level policies instead of operating independently.
In the long run, this was actually a good thing—it would allow the three races to integrate more smoothly into the Monster Kingdom.
"As for all of you…"
Damien addressed them, "You may remain with your people or live here in the Monster Kingdom. As long as you attend meetings when called, you're free the rest of the time."
The Monster Kingdom was still a relatively loose organization.
Damien's requirements for the eight marquesses/kings and seven archdukes were actually quite low.
So aside from the times he summoned the Demon Lords for meetings, they could manage their own schedules freely.
He also granted Frey and Karion the council seats they wanted.
"Only us?"
"Bring whoever you like."
Damien smiled at Karion. "I don't think your Three Beast Warriors need to return to the Beast Kingdom anymore."
"Especially Alvis—she's been a huge help to Rimuru lately, hasn't she?"
"Sister Alvis is incredibly capable!"
Mentioning Alvis made Rimuru gush with praise, describing her as if she were a lifesaver.
And honestly, it was true.
Thanks to Alvis, Rimuru had finally tasted the joy Damien enjoyed every day.
Slacking off at work and dumping everything on subordinates.
That kind of happiness was addictive!
"It would be their honor," Karion replied.
After seeing the Monster Kingdom, he had no intention of letting his most promising subordinates waste away in some remote corner like the Beast Kingdom.
Not just the Three Beast Warriors—many more beastmen would be brought over.
In the future, the center of the beastmen race would gradually shift from the Beast Kingdom toward the Demon Capital until it was firmly rooted inside the Demon King Castle!
"And Frey, Luminas."
"If either of you have talented people to recommend, feel free to send them to work here in the Demon King Castle."
"The Monster Kingdom is just getting started, so many positions are still open."
"Your nations have existed for a long time—you must have plenty of skilled administrators, right?"
According to Damien's plans, members of the three races could immigrate to the Monster Kingdom capital whenever they wished.
The Holy Empire, Sky Kingdom, and Beast Kingdom.
They were more like ancestral homelands than strictly governed territories.
Anyone with ambition would never stay away from the political center. They would strive to move closer.
Damien had already prepared for this.
He would continue expanding the Demon King Castle and turn it into the most prosperous city in the entire Monster Kingdom!
"Please rest assured. We will carefully select trustworthy subordinates to participate in the Monster Kingdom's development," the three promised.
Each of them ruled their own nation. While Luminas preferred to be a hands-off ruler, Karion and Frey were quite diligent leaders.
The capable officials under them would easily meet the Monster Kingdom's needs.
And that also meant a large number of important positions would fall into Frey and Karion's hands, greatly increasing their influence and voice within the Monster Kingdom.
Hm?
Luminas noticed and immediately shot Hinata a meaningful look.
Unfortunately, Hinata had no intention of speaking up.
Luminas could only sigh helplessly.
She wanted to secure benefits for the vampire race too.
The problem was that her management style in the Holy Empire was completely hands-off.
The whole "Luminas the Goddess" thing was purely spiritual comfort—there were no actual administrative positions for her.
Besides, Hinata wasn't well-versed in internal affairs.
She was a military woman through and through and had no head for the complicated games civilian officials played.
Luminas: Hinata, your turn.
Hinata: Reynald! …Wait, where did Reynald go?!
That was probably the current state of the Holy Empire of Lubelius…
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