As soon as Muria said this, the ten seriously injured Cardinals' faces changed drastically. What kind of bizarre logic was it to think of killing all the Northern humans? If they were truly responsible for this, they would be the greatest sinners in the North.
"Your Highness, please don't act recklessly!" One of the least injured Cardinals stood up and spoke in a panic, because Muria now had the power to devastate the North.
"The North must be unified. Do you agree with this point?" Muria asked once again.
The ten Cardinals remained silent.
"After my subordinate unifies the North, she will suppress all evil faiths, allowing only the worship of good deities. This is the minimum baseline," Muria continued, regardless of the Cardinals' expressions, outlining his vision for the future Northern Kingdom.
"Your Highness, does this mean that the faith of the Chromatic Dragon Queen will never spread in the North?" a Cardinal cautiously asked.
"What are you worried about such trivial matters for?" Muria frowned. "Do you think I get along with the Chromatic Dragon Queen? Claudia is indeed a White Dragon, but she has no connection to the Dragon Queen."
"What about the faith of other Dragon Gods?" another Cardinal asked with concern. They weren't worried about the Titans, who had no gods, but the dragons were a different story.
The dragon race had nine Dragon Gods, although they didn't have many followers. They all needed faith, and if any Dragon God gained enough belief, their divine power would increase significantly, making them a terrifying force.
"I only know the Platinum Dragon God."
"Just one Dragon God? That's a relief." Hearing Muria's words, several Cardinals sighed in relief. The Platinum Dragon God, the King of the North Wind, was known among the gods as a benevolent deity who couldn't tolerate any evil.
"So, are you going to withdraw or not?" Muria asked.
"Your Highness, this matter is too significant. We need to report to our respective majesties. We can't make the decision on our own."
"I'll give you seven days. If you don't agree by then, don't blame me for using force," Muria said strongly, flames flickering as he spoke. In his current state, he could overpower anything as long as he didn't encounter a high-level legend.
High-level legends were incredibly rare, representing the greatest threshold before becoming a deity. After crossing this threshold, legends could integrate divine nature and, over time, attempt to ignite divine fire and become gods.
...
Soon, these clergy members responded and sat down to negotiate with Muria.
"Your Highness, how much do you predict the Northern population will increase to? Do you have specific estimates?" a Cardinal directly asked a core question at the negotiation table.
For deities, faith was everything. How to quickly amass faith? Besides cultivating the piety of believers, it relied on a large population. Thus, the deities were very concerned about the population size in the North.
"In the past, the nineteen Northern countries had a combined population of less than one hundred million. The Northern Kingdom's territory is as large as two standard kingdoms, yet its population is less than half of other kingdoms. This is highly unreasonable, and it's entirely due to the consequences of the North's division."
"Your Highness, this has nothing to do with division. The North's sparse population is purely due to its harsh environment, not division."
"The conflicts among the nineteen Northern countries cause more than one hundred thousand deaths each year. And you say this has nothing to do with division?" Muria stared at the Cardinal.
"Your Highness, war is necessary. The North's resources are limited. When demand exceeds supply, surplus population must be reduced. War is unavoidable," the benevolent-looking Cardinal stated a brutal fact. When resources are limited, only the fittest can enjoy them, while the weak must perish.
"So this is the root of the problem. After unifying the North, how much can the population increase? The local resources are limited. According to our estimates, the Northern grain production can only support about one hundred million people, which isn't much different from now."
"Your perspective is too narrow," Muria said dismissively. "Just consider one point: the combined territory of the nineteen Northern countries occupies less than half of the North's area. There are vast lands yet to be developed. Once a unified Northern Kingdom is established, these previously uninhabited lands can be cultivated for grain."
"Your Highness, you are being too optimistic. The North's climate is inherently harsh. Many places are unsuitable for human habitation. The areas you mention are largely uninhabitable."
"If they're unsuitable, we'll make them suitable. Do you think our power is only for fighting?" Muria extended his hand, and brilliant flames danced in his palm. "In my view, the greatest use of legendary power is to change the environment and improve our living conditions."
Hearing Muria's words, the Cardinals looked at each other and slowly nodded in agreement.
"In that case, the population of the North could double. With proper governance, it could support two hundred million people," a Cardinal said with some emotion.
"Are you satisfied with just that?" Muria tapped the table. "In my estimation, the North could support a population of one billion."
"One billion? That's impossible," a Cardinal immediately objected. "The North can't provide that many resources. Only the most fertile main continent can support a population of one billion."
"Nothing is impossible. I've already explored. The so-called barrenness of the North is due to its harsh climate, which prevents most resources from being exploited."
Muria spoke confidently. The rich resources of the North he mentioned were mostly buried deep underground, over a kilometer down. The near-surface resources had long been exploited or occupied. Those humans weren't foolish; how could they leave accessible resources unused?
"Your Highness means relying on resource exports to obtain grain and support more people?"
"That's just a temporary solution. Relying solely on resource exports for grain will eventually lead to problems. Once resources are depleted, everything will return to the starting point. This method is not advisable."
"So what other method does Your Highness have?"
"Use legendary power to create crop seeds that can absorb cold and grow in temperate continental climates, even in severe cold," Muria suggested, inspired by a sudden flash of insight.
In his previous life, a prominent figure had developed super rice, and later even cultivated rice that could grow in seawater. In a world without extraordinary power, such crops could be bred. In Erathia, a world with gods and demons, there was no reason why similar seeds couldn't be cultivated.
"In that case, we'll need to invite some legendary archdruids for help. We aren't skilled in modifying crop seeds."
"You just provide the connections; I'll handle the rewards," Muria said.
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