Time was running out for Mikhail Armanov. The exact date of the uprising was still uncertain, but every whisper, every distant rumor hinted at the approaching storm. Though he had just turned fourteen, the experience system sharpened his mind like that of a seasoned ruler. Fate demanded more from him than the title of a noble; it demanded the foundation of a future kingdom.
He sat alone in the grand Armanov Manor library. Old maps lay spread before him, marking influential families, trade routes, mineral deposits, and strategic vulnerabilities. Each dot on the map represented a potential ally—or a future threat.Then the system window flickered softly:
[Proficiency Gained: Strategic Insight +1][General Loyalty Analysis Unlocked]
Now, with a glance and a few measured questions, he could read a person's loyalty as a percentage. In a century of turmoil, such an ability was as valuable as an army.
Three gentle knocks sounded at the door. Dimitri, his servant with 88% loyalty, stepped inside."Young master… rumors are spreading among the villagers. Some say the throne weakens, and the nobles will soon seize power."
Mikhail smirked."They may seize it… but I will take it back when the time comes."
Dimitri didn't understand, but he bowed and kept silent.
The time had come for the first step of his five-year plan:Forming a secret core group.
This group would consist of soldiers, clever administrators, craftsmen with engineering skills, and a handful of bright young minds with economic talent. Not loyal to the empire, not to the old order—only to the future kingdom Mikhail would forge.
The next morning twelve selected individuals stood ready in the courtyard. The system analyzed them one by one:
Aleksey – Loyalty 92% → Near-fanatical loyalty
Irina – Loyalty 74% → Trustworthy but must be observed
Boris – Loyalty 49% → High betrayal risk
Leonid – Loyalty 95% → Loyal to the death
Boris's eyes revealed a shadow. A possible traitor—but sometimes traitors made the best informants.
Training began over the following weeks. Mikhail taught them principles unknown in this era: strategic planning, pre-industrial management, and early mechanization concepts.No one could explain how a fourteen-year-old possessed such knowledge, yet the Armanov name and his controlled confidence were enough to silence doubts.
One night the system notified him again:
[New Quest Unlocked: Found the First Industrial Settlement]Requirements:
6 members with loyalty above 80%
200 workers
3 months of grain reserves
Maps for iron and coal deposits
Mikhail exhaled slowly.This was it—the foundation of his future nation.
In an empire swallowed by unrest, a noble improving his territory wouldn't draw suspicion. But Mikhail's intention went far beyond improvement.He would lay the first stone of his own kingdom.
The chapter ends with Mikhail returning to the library, staring at the maps one last time as he prepares to take the first decisive step to prevent the tragic uprising that history had once written.