With our military secure, our industries booming, and our enemies lulled into a false sense of security, the time had come to complete the final pillar of our nation: to transform our collection of allied peoples and settlements into a single, unified political entity. The final sub-quest, Establish a formal capital, was not just about naming a city; it was about creating a constitution.
I spent weeks working with Elian the Magistrate, my mother, Anya, and a surprisingly insightful Grak, drafting the Confederacy Charter. It was the most important document our nation would ever produce. It was a delicate balance, respecting the sovereignty and traditions of our members while binding us together with a common purpose and a common law.
The Charter established the Grand Council, with representatives from each major faction, as our primary legislative body. It enshrined free trade and mutual defense as the cornerstones of our alliance. Crucially, it established a Bill of Rights for all citizens of the Confederacy, regardless of their origin: the right to a fair trial, the right to own property, and the right to freedom of movement within our territories.
Finally, it formally designated Oakhaven City as the capital of the Wastes Confederacy and confirmed my role not as a king, but as Lord Protector, a title that implied my duty was to defend the people and the constitution, not to rule by divine right.
To ratify this charter, we held the first Great Confederate Moot. Delegations from every allied tribe and settlement—the miners of Ironpeak, the nomads of the Ashen tribe, the salt-harvesters of the Crystal Flats, and a half-dozen smaller clans—gathered in Oakhaven. Our city, with its new stone buildings and its miraculous aqueduct, was a stunning display of the prosperity our union had created.
The ceremony was held in the completed Market Hall. The stone tablets bearing the articles of the Charter were displayed for all to see. I read the document aloud, my voice echoing under the great stone arches. Then, one by one, the leaders of the factions came forward to place their mark upon a master clay tablet. Anya pressed the emblem of her tribe, a stylized goat's head. Grak, with a thunderous grin, slammed a miniature hammer into the clay, leaving the mark of his forge.
When the last leader had made their mark, a unified cheer went up from the assembled peoples. They were no longer a scattered collection of tribes; they were one nation, under one law.
The system acknowledged this profound civic achievement.
[PRIMARY QUEST SUB-QUEST 4: 'ESTABLISH A FORMAL CAPITAL' - COMPLETE.][ANALYSIS: Oakhaven City formally established as the capital of the Wastes Confederacy. A written constitution has been ratified, ensuring long-term political stability and a framework for future growth.][ALL SUB-QUESTS FOR 'A NATION OF THE WASTES' ARE NOW COMPLETE.][CALCULATING FINAL REWARD...]
The system paused, and for a moment, the interface seemed to glow with an intensity I had never seen before. Then, the reward was issued. It was not System Points. It was not a technology. It was something far greater.
[REWARD: THE HEART OF THE NATION. The System is now fully integrated with the civic and industrial infrastructure of your capital city. You may now manage public works, enact policies, and view real-time statistics on a city-wide level directly through the System Interface. New Tab Unlocked: [GOVERNANCE].]
My mind reeled. A new tab appeared in my vision. I opened it. Before me was a living map of my city. I could see our grain reserves in real-time. I could monitor the output of the forges, the health of the population, the progress of construction projects. I could enact policies—like changing tax rates or rationing resources—with a simple mental command. The system had evolved. It was no longer just a personal tool for my survival and growth; it had become the central nervous system of my entire nation. I had not just built a city; I had integrated it into the very fabric of the impossible power that had brought me to this world.