Leveling Up by Seducing Milfs-Chapter 219. Rise of a New Era

It took three full days of work around the clock to rebuild. Nerissa and her three hundred kids worked together to build the magic buildings.

They used ocean power to lift buildings from the seafloor, shape coral into streets and buildings, and set up the complicated ward network that Rick had planned.

Rick mostly just watched in awe as a whole city came together in front of him, but people kept asking him about the details.

Does this plaza need a fountain or a statue?

Should the market district go straight to the port, or should there be a transition area?

Should the throne room in the royal palace be old-fashioned or modern?

"Both," Rick finally said when asked about the throne room. "Keep the formal ceremonial space for special events, but also make a more relaxed council chamber where real work gets done."

"No one wants to sit on an uncomfortable throne for eight-hour planning sessions..."

"Sounds like someone who’s sick of pageantry," Thalor said with a laugh.

The fourth day saw the completion of Meridia Citadel. And it was great.

The new capital came up from the bottom of the ocean in organic curves and flowing shapes that looked like they grew naturally from the water. Bioluminescent coral in carefully chosen colors made a soft, welcoming glow that lit up the whole city for miles.

The districts blended together perfectly, making it feel like they were all one big group instead of separate ones.

The royal palace was on a raised platform made of crystal and pearl. They could see it from all over the city, but it didn’t take over.

There were a lot of public plazas in the districts where people could meet. Schools, markets, apartment buildings, and artisan workshops were all connected in a way that made the city feel alive.

And in the central plaza, which was the biggest public space, there was a statue that made Rick stop and stare in shock.

It was him. A statue of Rick Rolland standing tall at fifteen meters, with one fist raised toward the surface and the other holding the Trident of New Tides.

His face was caught in the middle of a battle cry, looking both determined and a little crazy, which was probably more true than Rick wanted to admit.

Rick said, "What... the fuck...?"

"Why is there a huge statue of me?"

Myrissa swam up next to him with a grin that was hard to hold back. "The people insisted."

"You’re the hero who beat Cthulhu and even saved all of Zorathia, not just the Ocean Empire..."

"They wanted to honor that."

"By making a statue that will make me feel bad every time I see it?"

"Think of it as motivation to live up to the heroic image," Thalor said, not even trying to hide how funny he thought it was.

Rick said, "I hate all of you," but he was smiling anyway.

Sebastian helpfully added, "There are actually five more statues around the city."

"One in each major district. The people really, really wanted to make sure you were properly remembered."

"Before any corrupt group can kill me, I’m going to die of shame..."

Nerissa floated down from the palace, and her Ocean Empress form glowed with happiness as she looked over the rebuilt capital. "Oh my ocean... I can’t believe my eyes right now..."

"It’s... beautiful, and... it’s better than what we had before."

"You should be proud, dear." Nerissa smiled, causing Rick’s heart to skip a beat.

Rick said, "O-Of course... I am."

"But did the pride have to have big statues, though? I didn’t beat the Cthulhu and save Zorathia alone."

"Of course," Nerissa said with a smile. "And stop being humble about it!"

Nerissa pulls his hand. "Come on, now... You have to get ready for the coronation ceremony in an hour."

"What?! But I didn’t have my break yet!"

"After this, you can get as many breaks as you want, dear." Nerissa giggled.

Rick sighed and seemed happy enough just by seeing her face. "Alright, alright..."

...

The biggest of the new public plazas, which has an embarrassingly big statue, was where Rick Rolland was officially crowned Ocean Emperor. Thousands of ocean dwellers came together, filling the area with excited chatter and glowing displays.

Rick stood next to Nerissa on a raised platform, wearing formal robes that had been made just for this event. Even though they looked very fancy, they were surprisingly comfortable about it.

They flowed with the water currents in a way that made it look like they were always moving.

"Nervous?" Nerissa said in a low voice while holding his hands.

Rick said, "Not just nervous... I’m actually scared!"

"I never liked speaking in front of people... I once had a panic attack while giving a presentation at work."

"Now, now... just remember that these people already love you."

"You saved their lives and their world. They’re not here to judge you... but to celebrate your new reign."

Nerissa stepped forward, and her ocean magic made her voice louder so that everyone in the plaza could hear it. "People of the Empire and ocean dwellers of Meridia!"

"Today we come together... to celebrate the start of a new era!"

The crowd quieted right away, and thousands of eyes turned to their empress.

"For six hundred years... I ruled this empire alone after Emperor Consort Typhon betrayed me," Nerissa said, her voice strong despite the pain of that memory. "For fifty of those years, I ruled as a hollow shell... punishing myself for crimes I committed out of grief and anger."

"I became a ruler... who kept things stable but didn’t do anything else."

She stopped for a moment to let her words sink in. "But three days ago... with the help of the man next to me, we beat a threat that should have destroyed our world!"

"In doing so, I remembered something I had forgotten during my fifty years of numbness!"

With a warm look on her face, Nerissa turned to Rick. "Being a leader means being imperfect, making mistakes, and feeling pain..."

"Real leaders choose to grow and protect, even at any cost!"

"Rick Rolland is a young human man by our standards... he has lived only twenty-four years compared to my eight centuries!"

"But in his short time... he has shown more bravery, kindness, and willingness to give up his life for others than I have in six hundred years of rule."

Rick’s face was getting hot with embarrassment, but Nerissa wasn’t done. "Aww, man... why do I have to get more of those compliments...? S-Stop it... my ego... n-no...!!!" Rick said in his mind.

"He threw himself in front of a god-level being’s attack to protect me when I was broken and defeated..."

"He formed a Spirit Bond with me not because of my power or position, but because he truly believed I deserved to be saved!"

"When he was empowered to rebuild our capital, his first thoughts were about education and community, not even showing off any of his power!"

Nerissa pointed to the city that had been rebuilt around them. "Look at what he helped rebuild... a Meridia that is more beautiful, more useful, and more focused on the well-being of its people than what we had before."

"This is the kind of leadership our empire needs."

She took the Trident of New Tides off of its ceremonial stand. The weapon glowed with golden light, showing how important the moment was.

"Rick Rolland, Hero of Mature Hearts, Demon King, Dragon Consort, and now... Ocean Emperor..."

"Will you take on the duties of co-ruling this empire?"

"Will you stand by me as an equal partner in protecting our people and making the future better?"

Rick stepped up, and even though he was nervous, his voice was steady. "I will!"

"But I can’t promise that I won’t mess things up from time to time... I’m really bad at formal events."

The crowd broke the formal tension with laughter.

Nerissa smiled and said, "I think we can forgive being awkward sometimes."

She offered the Trident of New Tides. "Then take this sign of your power!"

"Let our bond... make the empire’s protectors!"