Way of Overlord-Chapter 454: Palace II

It is not that there is no permanent structure in the Steppe.

There is the Giant Steele in the border that separates the four regions of the Great Steppe but there is no permanent structure like castles and palaces.

They used to be but it used to be in the North and in the Central.

And even then, it is not that many.

Only large settlements have it and even that has been swallowed by the times.

Aeryon incorporate settled culture and some of their architectural styles.

But it did not mean he wanted his army to become settled.

He needs a base.

This would not be his only base.

But it would be his base for the first half of his life...this is something he has decided

As he look around the palace with the servants, slaves and captive working to build the Palace he sighed inwardly.

"It is hard to do this. If it’s someone else, they would have already stopped. After all, it is draining my granary and treasury"

But Aeryon is stubborn.

He knew from the very beginning that it would be hard.

The steppe is a harsh environment with extreme temperatures, strong winds, and limited resources like wood and stone.

He could only rely on locally available materials such as timber, felt, clay and stone.

With his trade with Beixuan, he also could get cheap items from there. Nurshira is a city in Beixuan.

It has many stones and many iron. Even though Aeryon did not conquer Beixuan, after his expedition, the tribes of the "barbarians" living in Beixuan all rises in rebellion.

And these rebel leaders, these ragtag groups without substances trade with the warbands of the Steppe.

And these warbands traded with the closest tribe to the Wall.

And whose territory is that?

None other than his.

If it was before, there is many tribes that these warbands could trade with. Because at that time, the lower south has many other tribes to trade with.

But when Aeryon begins his conquest, he conquered all the tribes around him and now, almost all the central region of the lower south are all under his banner.

They were either absorbed to his tribe or become vassal of his tribe. Aeryon could not help but think that maybe the ancestor of Aeryon really have big plans when they chose to settle here.

Either that or it is just luck that the Brolgadhr tribe is situated on the tip of the south, near the Wall, far from the large tribe in the north.

If its weak, it could run away whether to the north or to the south depending on the threat.

If its strong, it could swallow the other tribe around it and create a monopoly on the road leading south or north from either Yan or the northern tribes.

Aeryon fulfilled the condition of controlling the door. Any merchants that wanted to go to the south of the Steppe and into Yan, had to pay a toll

And this toll fee is also a toll fee that merchants from Yan wanting to go outside the wall and into the Great Steppe.

Aeryon of course did not kill the golden goose. He did not charge exorbitant toll fees but instead encouraged them to trade.

And as the closest tribe to the Wall and having the power to either facilitate access to trade or block it, Aeryon has managed to make his city a hub of trade.

This city function is exactly how Nurshira city functioned in the past before the imperial government neglected the north

Hence, the prosperity that his tribe is experiencing now is also because of trade and not only war.

Aeryon shakes his head.

"I need to refine this matter more" Aeryon still have to think about such things even when he is walking along the roads of the palace

Every once in a while he would look at the palace walls and the palace structure and smile. Sometimes he would frown.

Other times, he looks at it with a scrutinizing gaze.

This palace of his reflect both the Marynku architecture and the architecture of the Old Empire.

There is also some design that inspired by the Yan dynasty.

There is the central pavilion. A large, dome like structure inspired by the yurt but on a grand titanic scale

At times it would serve as the throne room and audience hall.

Aeryon did think of creating other kind of fortress but that would require more resources.

Aeryon look at the central pavilion that is still half completed. And he look around the central pavilion.

There is smaller pavilions all around it.

These are living quarters.

Some are storages.

Some serve as administrative function, arranged in a circular or rectangular layout

The most important thing for this palace is none other than the walls.

Aeryon did not think of creating such an isolated palace. But it is also should not be too open and accessible.

There is a fortified wall around the palace complex. All of them is made by brick. Some of these bricks are repurposed from the bricks his army transported from Nurshira. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Some are baked by the Yan slaves.

As for the architectural style, there is that Marynku influence.

There is use of felt and wood for roofing on some places.

There is intricate carvings and patterns, and painting inspired by Marynku art form

There is also some foreign influences.

Yan style tiled roof, The Eastern Empire domes and even a bit of Roma architecture style and arches

And there is a portable element to his palace. Some parts of the palace could be semi-portable inspired by the portable tent of the Great Chiefs of the Steppe

Aeryon was quite anxious to meet his wife when he was at the feast.

But now that he is already late, he seems to calm down even more than he expected.

It is not that he doesn’t want to know what his wife would want to talk him about. It is just that he realizes he is too anxious.

And anxiety is not good when making a decision.

It is one thing to know your weakness, it is another to correct it.

Aeryon knows he is too anxious and he is too involved.

Now that he arrived at the palace the more urgent he felt in his heart, the more he needs to calm himself down and think about it in a rational manner

Aeryon enter one of the pavilion.

There is not too many lavish décor.

Aeryon smile at this

"It is not me being humble" Aeryon mutters to himself.

He also wanted to use silk, gold and precious stones to display his wealth and power. The Steppe does not admire people who pretend to be humble.

Humility has its times.

But position of power determine whether one should be humble or domineering.

One who has power and did not act domineering could not show his ambition and potential to the world.

The Steppe follow the strong. This is not wrong. Instead, it is the right decision. Should you follow the weak then?

Of course, you should follow the strong

In the cold winter, in the raid of enemy tribe, strong people are required to tide the difficulties.

He also wanted to show his wealth.

The more he show off his wealth, the more the warriors would want to join him. The more he shows his strength, the more respectful his military general would be.

But all of his silk, gold, and other precious stones are used to pay for the people and to develop this city

If not for the system and his constant plundering of tribes and the south, his treasury would be empty by now.

It helps that he also has a lot of Tayak, cattle, and goats and have the largest grazing area. Not to mention the horses that he also have and rent to the warriors and warbands that goes to the south

All of this wealth is enough for him to be rich for three generations. If he did not know the future, he would not mind being a bit lazy and slowly takes his step, not rushing to conquer the tribes and unify the Southern Great Steppe.

It is because he knows that even if he accumulate the wealth of three generation it did not fills his heart at ease

Because what good is the wealth if the tribe is destroyed, the people are scattered and the land is conquered?

The Yan princes, warlords would one day set their sights to the north to gain reputation and to beautify their records of battle.

But the wings of the butterfly has created a storm. Aeryon....had made Beixuan and the city that would one day be a stronghold of Beixuan to fall ahead of time

Now, there is chaos in the north.

Aeryon did not know whether that action of his has averted the future he knows or just delay it.

But Aeryon does not want to bet with his own life.

It is better for him to conquer the tribes, unify the Steppe and after that, there is no need to worry about invasion from the South.

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