It took a long time for Kai to explain everything to Amara.

He did not rush it, and she did not interrupt him even once. She listened as he spoke about how he had skipped through time, how his soul had arrived in this era, and how he had taken over the body of Arzan Kellius. He explained why dead mana terrified him, why Maleficia was not merely an enemy but an inevitability he had already seen once before, and why he refused to let the world reach that ending again.

When he finished telling his story, Amara did not give her judgment right away.

Instead, all the questions she had been holding back finally came pouring out, one after another. Kai answered every single one of them. She asked about his childhood on the streets, about how he had survived before ever stepping into the Sorcerer’s Tower. She asked about his years as a Mage, about his master, and about how he had managed to survive alone in the old library for so long when the world was already dying.

Some of her questions went beyond him. She asked about the future he remembered, about the kingdoms, and about the people she knew. When Kai told her what he knew of Eldric’s descent into madness, Amara looked genuinely stunned. Unfortunately, when she asked what had become of her in that history, Kai had no answer to give. Amara’s name had never appeared in the records the way her brother’s had. She understood what that likely meant, and she did not need him to say it out loud.

Throughout the entire conversation, she never once looked as though she doubted him.

She also did not lash out when she realized that, in a way, there had never truly been an Arzan in the first place. Instead, she calmly told him that it did not change anything he had done for her or for the kingdom. That reaction surprised Kai, but it also made everything far easier than he had expected.

They continued talking inside the carriage for more than two days, stopping only when exhaustion forced them to rest. By the end of it, Kai asked her the same question once more.

He asked her if she was truly serious about going forward with the engagement.

Kai had expected hesitation. He had expected her to ask for time.

But Amara’s answer did not change.

She told him plainly that being engaged would give her time. Time to understand his past, time to learn the truth of who he was, and time to see the parts of him that no one else had ever been shown. She said she did not expect certainty overnight, only honesty and effort.

With that, Kai accepted the proposal.

If Amara could accept his true self, his past, and the fact that he had lived while wearing another man’s name, then he had no reason to refuse. An engagement was not a cage. It was time, and time was something he could give.

Duke Blackwood was visibly relieved when he heard the decision, perhaps even happier than Kai himself. Killian only smiled, as though he had already expected this outcome long before either of them had admitted it aloud.

The remainder of the journey to Veralt passed without incident. Kai chose to travel in the same carriage as Amara, using the days on the road to truly get to know her. They had spoken many times before, but always with a careful distance. He had never asked questions that might make her uncomfortable, never crossed lines that did not yet exist. Now, that distance slowly faded.

For the most part, their conversations revolved around practical matters. The coronation would be brief and restrained. Kai had no desire for extravagance so soon after a war that had cost the kingdom so much. He wanted the ceremony finished quickly so he could begin issuing concrete orders for rebuilding. After that, he intended to return to Valkyrie’s Tower to examine its knowledge and artifacts, to push his cultivation forward. The research his master had left behind in his astral realm would have to wait until later.

After four days on the road, the walls of Veralt finally came into view.

They looked exactly as they had when Kai had left for the campaign—solid, unbroken, and standing tall against the horizon. As the carriages approached the gates, they opened wide.

Soldiers lined the walls and streets, banners flying above them.

Even from inside the carriage, Kai could hear it.

Shouts. Cheers. His name, carried again and again through the city.

Veralt had been waiting for him.

But once the carriages entered the streets, their pace slowed to a crawl. The road ahead was completely packed with people. Guards were already deployed along the route, doing their best to keep order, but the crowd was far too large and far too excited to fully restrain. News of his return had spread faster than any announcement.

Kai could feel the weight of their anticipation even from inside the carriage, and knew it wouldn’t be right to pass through the city without showing himself.

Hence, he turned to Princess Amara and said, “I will meet you at the estate.”

She nodded in understanding.

He opened the carriage door, pushed wind through his legs, and leapt out in a single smooth motion. Mana carried him upward, and he rose into the air above the street.

The moment the people caught a clear sight of him, the cheers exploded.

Shouts of his name echoed through the city. The noise rolled like a wave, growing louder with every second.

Kai smiled and raised a hand, waving to the crowd as he flew forward. He saw people lining the streets, standing on rooftops, leaning out of windows. Flowers were thrown into the air, petals scattering across the road and landing on the moving line of carriages below.

Kai waved to all of them, smiling as he made his way toward the estate—an estate he suspected was officially the royal castle now.

By the time he reached it, the crowd had thinned. Guards had sealed off the area, preventing anyone from getting too close. Even so, a large group had already gathered in front of the gates.

The servants and guards were lined up neatly. Standing at the front were Francis, Claire, Amyra, the other administrative assistants, and several apprentices from the Sorcerer’s Tower including Rhea who had not been deployed during the war.

Kai descended and landed lightly on the ground before them.

At once, every one of them bowed.

“Welcome home, Your Majesty,” they said in unison.

Kai smiled, shaking his head slightly. “I am not the king yet.”

They straightened, some of them smiling despite themselves.

Kai looked over their faces, and asked, “So, how have all of you been?”

Francis was the first to speak.

“We have all been well,” he said warmly. “The entire Sylvan Enclave has been running just as you left it, Lord Arzan. Because of you, the war never reached us. The whole city is grateful.”

Kai nodded. “I could see that.”

Then his gaze shifted to Claire. He could feel it immediately—the faint but unmistakable presence of the Storm Sovereign bound to her. He studied her for a moment before asking, “And how are you, Claire? I am sorry I did not bring you with me to the war. I needed someone strong here in case Veralt was attacked. I know that must have angered the Storm Sovereign.”

Claire gave a polite smile.

“It did,” she admitted. “But Aeralion understands. I made sure of it.”

Kai raised an eyebrow. “Aeralion?”

She nodded. “I named him. It felt strange to keep calling him ‘the Storm Sovereign.’”

Kai smiled faintly. “It suits him.”

Though privately, Kai had the distinct feeling that the spirit absolutely hated the name, and simply could not do anything about it.

He turned back to Francis. “How are the preparations for the coronation?”

Francis straightened immediately. “They are going very well, Lord Arzan. The stage will be completed by morning, and we already have a full plan for crowd control. Watchers will be positioned throughout the city. The event will proceed smoothly. Mandel has also begun sending out his carriages now that the war is over, spreading the word across the region.”

As Francis finished speaking, another voice joined in at once.

“Yes, he is right, Lord Arzan.”

Mandel stepped forward from the crowd. Kai had almost missed him, but now that he was closer, the merchant was practically glowing. His expression made it clear he was seconds away from launching into a long, dramatic speech about his victory.

Kai stopped him by raising a hand. “You can say whatever you want tomorrow. It is good that you are here.”

Mandel blinked, then raised an eyebrow. “At the coronation?”

Kai nodded, looking at him, then at Francis and Claire. “I have many announcements to make, and you can see it for yourself.” He paused for just a moment before adding, evenly, “And also, I am getting engaged to Princess Amara.”

***

The day of the coronation arrived quietly, without any grand fanfare to announce it. Once Kai returned to the estate, he quickly realized that rest was not something he would be afforded. The familiarity of the place was the only comfort he received, because the moment he arrived, the entire estate burst into motion. Everyone had a role to play, and Kai himself was the busiest among them.

Duke Blackwood personally walked him through every detail of what would take place during the coronation, explaining the order of events, the symbolism behind each step, and what would be expected of Kai in front of the people. Not long after, Bishop Maurice arrived to speak with him about the church’s role in the ceremony.

The bishop looked at Kai with open reverence, almost as if he were standing before a living saint rather than a man.

During their discussion, Kai learned that Maurice had been promoted to the rank of archbishop, just one step below the pope himself. Apparently, the combination of Kai halting the plague and the bishop’s unwavering support of him had earned Maurice both recognition and influence.

The current pope was said to be elderly and frail, merely waiting for his time to pass, which meant Maurice would be overseeing the coronation on the church’s behalf.

Kai found that he did not mind this arrangement at all. If the church had to be involved, he preferred it to be through someone he was familiar with.

Beyond the coronation itself, there was also the matter of his engagement. While it would be announced simply, without ceremony overshadowing the coronation, tradition still demanded certain rituals be upheld. Chief among them was the exchange of pendants between him and Princess Amara, a long-standing custom in noble engagements. The pendants were chosen in front of both of them, their designs simple yet meaningful, meant to symbolize commitment rather than extravagance.

Many of Kai’s subordinates were still coming to terms with the fact that he would soon be engaged. Despite their surprise, most of them seemed genuinely happy for him.

Amyra and Claire in particular showed open excitement, repeatedly finding reasons to sit with Amara and ask her questions about how everything had come to be. Their curiosity was relentless, but good-natured.

Kai himself wanted to speak with Amyra about her experiences with Elias and what she had witnessed in the plague lands, but he decided to set those thoughts aside for now. There would be time for that later.

For the moment, everything was focused on what was coming next.

Once Kai finished practicing his speech—deciding what to say, whom to acknowledge, and which new noble positions to announce—the night had already given way to morning. With that, he and everyone else departed for the stage the Earth Mages had raised at the very center of the city.

The sun was already high enough to bathe Veralt in warm light, with only a few clouds drifting lazily across the sky.

It felt as though the city had not slept at all. People lined the streets in endless numbers, pressing in from every side, yet the moment the carriage bearing Kai’s banners appeared, the crowd parted instinctively, opening a clear path forward.

By the time he arrived at the square, most of the nobles were already present. They had been given space on the elevated stage, arranged carefully according to rank, while the common folk filled the square below. Some had climbed onto rooftops, balconies, and walls, anything that would grant them a better view of the event that would reshape the kingdom.

Kai stepped onto the stage with steady composure, Princess Amara and Killian following just behind him. He let his gaze travel across the assembled crowd. There were so many faces—some he recognised, some he didn’t but he knew everyone supported him.

Today was the culmination of everything he had gone through.

Traditionally, a coronation marked the passing of the crown from one king to the next. But Eldric was dead, Sullivan was absent, and Kai’s ascent did not follow the old paths of inheritance.

This was not a continuation of the past—it was the beginning of something entirely new. Because of that, they had chosen to begin differently.

As Kai took his place at the center of the stage, the noise of the square faded into silence. Thousands stood before him, yet not a single voice rose. Every eye was fixed on him, waiting.

Kai smiled, letting his gaze sweep across the crowd one last time, before turning toward Duke Blackwood—the man who would begin the ceremony.

He gave a single nod and stepped forward, boots striking the stone stage as he moved to its very center. Duke Blackwood paused there, letting the moment stretch.

His eyes swept across the square, over the nobles standing rigid on the stage, over the sea of commoners packed shoulder to shoulder below, over faces marked by exhaustion, hope, and anticipation.

Then he spoke.

He did not raise his voice with magic, nor did he amplify it with mana. He did not need to. When Duke William Blackwood spoke, people listened.

“People,” his voice rang out, carrying across the square. “You have all gathered here today not merely for a coronation, but for an ending, and a beginning. An event that will be carved into the memory of this kingdom, and perhaps into fate itself.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd, but he continued without pause.

“You all know how you have lived for years. You know the weight that pressed down on this kingdom. The Lancephil royal family ruled for generations, yet in the end, they failed you. They allowed corruption to rot the court. They allowed famine to spread while nobles feasted. They allowed conflict to fester until brothers raised blades against their own people.”

His gaze hardened.

“Even if not every member of that family was guilty, the truth remains this: when the kingdom needed unity, the princes chose ambition. When the people needed protection, they chose war. And so, the kingdom bled.”

Silence fell heavy over the square.

“But that chapter has ended,” Duke Blackwood said. “The civil war is over. The castle that symbolized that rot lies in ruins. And every single one of you knows why.”

A roar erupted—cheers, shouts, cries of approval rolling through the city like thunder. Duke Blackwood waited, allowing it to crest and fall, before turning slightly, his gaze settling on Kai.

“From this day forward,” he declared, each word deliberate, “the Lancephil royal family is no more.”

“From this day forward, the crown passes to House Kellius.”

Another wave of cheers exploded outward, louder than before.

“This is not merely a change of rulers,” Duke Blackwood continued. “It is the beginning of a new era. An era where a king does not hide behind walls while his people starve. An era where education will be a right, not a privilege. Where famine will not be ignored. Where strength will be used to protect, not to oppress.”

His voice rose, filled with conviction.

“An era where this kingdom will grow, not for the sake of a few houses, but for every farmer, every craftsman, every soldier, and every child born under its banners.”

He lifted his arm and gestured openly toward Kai.

“And all of this begins today, under the reign of a man who bled for this kingdom, who stood against princes, monsters, and fate itself.”

Duke Blackwood’s voice thundered across the square.

“People—kneel not to fear, but to hope. Kneel not to the past, but to the future.”

He took a step back and proclaimed with absolute certainty:

“Long live King Arzan Kellius!”

***

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