Empire of the Ring

The wheat in the field turned yellow as the harvest season was slowly approaching.

Wheat’s growth rates ranged from 95 to 110 days, but under climate conditions in Kazakhstan, usually, four to five months were needed until wheat was fully grown for harvest.

The autonomous state’s farming was mostly done by machines, so manpower was not hugely needed even in the harvest season. However, the residents of the state were extremely busy. Nicky and Kim Chun were busily going around and ordering people what to do because the coronation ceremony would be held right after the harvest.

The event was supposed to be simplified, but the state needed to look clean and plausible due to the media companies visiting from all over the world for the ceremony. Youngho thought they were making a fuss about it, so he asked them to keep everything low profile.

“Prince consort, it’s a coronation that happens once every few hundred years. How can you be negligent? Residents are also very proud of the fact that this event is being held in the state.”

“That’s right, Boss. The government has also informed that some will attend the ceremony as special envoys. Especially, when broadcasters and newspaper reporters will come, they will choose only the worst to report rather than the best, so we need to be prepared thoroughly. If you want to help, just stay still. We’ll take care of this.”

Youngho said a word and received ten words in return. There was a bigger problem, but they did not care about it. A coronation ceremony would require subsequent conferment of a title which apparently no one was interested in.

The Hotel near the Arirang Airfield was also opened now, and the medical school buildings and general hospital were now being rushed for their grand opening. The medical school’s dormitory was already filled with talented students from all over the country. The medical school had recruited 30 students out of the 50 entrance quota from all over Kazakhstan as the first year’s enrollment, so the competition was quite fierce. 20 were recruited from the autonomous state’s applicants.

In the beginning, there were no applicants because Kazakhstan was a place where being a doctor was not preferred as one’s job. Who would endure to study for a long time when the society did not appreciate their hard work enough? To become a doctor, students would have to go through a six-year course of preparatory schooling, an internship period of one year, and a four-year period of a major studying period. A total of eleven years was needed in order to become a doctor who was treated the same as an ordinary civil servant, so the job of a doctor in Kazakhstan was often avoided. However, when Arirang Autonomous State took the lead in providing high-end medical services with its general hospital that was about to be opened, Kazakh students who wanted to go into the medical field were highly encouraged to apply for medical school.

The state was a place where construction took place all year round, but the city area where the administrative office was located, the residential area, and the palace of the Archduke family was finished and fully functioning as a city.

The newly built farming villages were also getting finished. It was a bit bleak to see only houses in the empty fields. There was much to talk about the dreary scenery of grass-free farming villages. Some suggested delaying the harvest or advancing the coronation, saying the state looked too bleak. However, it was ridiculous to slow down the harvest. It was nonsense to ruin this year’s farming because of a coronation ceremony.

The leadership was gathered in the conference room to talk about this issue.

“It’s already a desolate place, and the wheat fields are saving the face of the state. Deferring the harvest for a few days doesn’t mean all the grains will fall off, right?”

“What’s the point of being seen by others? We’ll get heaven’s wrath if we spoil the state’s hard-earned grain.”

This remark was made by Kim Sung-chan, the elder of the Koryoins.

“Then why don’t we put off the harvest a little near the city center.”

“People will think that we’ve already finished the harvest, not a desolate place. We need to do the harvest and the coronation as scheduled.”

“That kind of peripheral issue doesn’t really matter. When the coronation is over, the Archduchess will really be on her throne. Do you want her to live alone with no vassals? It’s more important to discuss that.”

It was Old Niksic who scratched on Youngho’s itchy spot with his point. Even in a perfunctory way, a ceremony to award a nobleman’s title was necessary to save the state’s face.

The city center—where the administrative office was located—was surrounded by grasslands and trees, so it did not look so dreary even after the harvest. Nevertheless, people were obsessive about grass and trees. They carried important meaning here. It was the people in West Kazakhstan who prioritized such greens more than anything since they did not want to hear that the region was a desolate place.

The leadership group finally reached a compromise to hold a coronation ceremony while carrying out the harvest. The coronation was scheduled a week ahead of its original date, but everyone seemed satisfied.

***

The issue of giving the nobility titles, which was mentioned as a comment by Niksic, was resolved without much disagreement. Though it was symbolic, the senior members of the autonomous state agreed in one voice to give Chief Niksic and Elder Kim Sung-chan the title of viscount since they served as the centerpiece of Serbian and Koryoin groups.

The heads of the remaining groups would be given the title of baron, while those who were given special duties would be receiving the title of Knight of the Carpet.

Vaso, who played the role of a steward of the Archduchess, was also confirmed to be given the title of baronet.

“Oh, Baron Park, you are here!”

“You’re seriously creeping me out.”

“I’m only calling a baron, baron.”

When Cha In-soo called him Baron, Park Jong-il freaked out. He complained that his body would shrivel up in awkwardness when his title would be awarded by Fatima after the coronation. Since he was pretty close to Fatima as he knew her from when she was young, he did not ever want to call her the Archduchess and receive a title from her.

“How should I manage my facial expressions in front of her? She’s been calling me oppa for so long. I regret following Youngho to Istanbul’s flea market. If you call me a baron one more time, I will give up the position of the head of the Intelligence Department.”

“Hong Sung-ki is jealous of your spot. He’d be happy to hear that you’re quitting.”

As In-soo continued to tease him, he got more frustrated.

“Youngho, we don’t need such titles to work here. It’s so cheesy that I can’t live with it.”

“Look, it’s decided at the leadership conference because we need to get the right balance in the state. Why are you acting all weird over this? No one is saying anything about it.”

“European people don’t mind such things, but when did we ever have this happen in Korea?”

“Study a little. During the Korean Empire era, our country also had titles like that. You might not like it, but your wife must be very proud of you.”

Karajan was an Azerbaijani. She must know what these titles meant. Since she would be called Baroness because of Jong-il’s title, she would kick him out of the house if he refused to receive the title.

Many Europeans would be proud of receiving noble titles. In the case of the British royal family, they often held ceremonies to proudly award titles to figures that made their country shine.

Once the titles were decided, the state hurried to send invitations to media companies of different countries. Any media company that received a nice invitation that had the panoramic view of the Arirang Autonomous State bearing the emblem of the Archduke family would be curious to see what this was all about. It would be quite an issue that a forgotten Serbian Archduke family was having a coronation ceremony in the 21st century, especially when it was not being held in the Balkan Peninsula but in a place called the Arirang Autonomous State in Kazakhstan. The state would have been known to the world recently when a wedding with the Danish royal family was announced, but a coronation would be something else.

***

Suh Min-seok was hovering around Youngho as if he had something to say but he was hesitating. Youngho had to ask what was up with him.

“What’s the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing. It’s all right.”

“Why are you acting so nervous like that?”

“Now that you’re officially the prince consort of the state, what will happen to us?”

“You’d still be my secretary. Did anyone say that he’s going to kick you out?”

“I’ve been looking at different cases of royal families. I don’t think anyone should be in charge of the secretary of a royal family, especially when he doesn’t hold the right title.”

He had a point, but it seemed that he also had some self-interest in receiving a title.

“Why? Do you want a knighthood or something?”

“What kind of title would I be able to get? I’m a mere secretary. I just don’t want to cause a problem for you.”

“I didn’t think that far. We shouldn’t have problems with our foreign activities. I’ll talk to the Archduchess and get this knighthood down.”

When Youngho replied to him easily without showing any signs of concern, Suh Min-seok was at a loss. It was such an honor and something to boast about to the future generations. Usually, it was given to someone who had achieved great things for their country, but in Min-seok’s case, he had to have a plausible title because he played the role of Youngho’s official secretary. Of course, Kim Il-kwon, the chief of staff, should be given such a title, but he did not have any reason to present himself in official events because he claimed to be the shadow of Youngho. So, Min-seok would the one to bear the title.

Kim Chun was more than happy to receive the title of baron than the title of the commissioner. Honor was more precious than having small power. He almost fainted when he was told that he would be a baron.

There was no one in his family who held such a high title before. He was only a mere teacher of a middle school in Atyrau and became a travel guide before he met Youngho. Now, he was recognized for his sincerity and diligence that he was now receiving a noble title for that. It meant a lot for him.

“Boss, do you think I can be like a nobleman?”

“What are you saying? You are already a nobleman although you didn’t have the ceremony yet. It’s something you earned and not like other noblemen who just inherited it. It’s symbolic, so be proud of it.”

“I’m afraid that Koryoins might laugh at me.”

“Since you moved to the state, you’re the citizen of the Arirang State. You’re fully qualified, so don’t be self-conscious about it.”

“What an honor! I should thank my ancestors who came out of Korea to fight for Korea’s independence. They brought me to the right place where I’m receiving a noble title!”