Chapter 107: Unknown information,

The word came out of him like it had always been there, waiting to be spoken.

“From this day forward, the capital of the monster nation will be known as Valdris. A name that belongs to no race, no ancient tongue, and no borrowed legacy. It is ours and ours alone.”

The weight of the declaration settled across the room like a blanket.

Sanovere’s smile widened with genuine respect. Lyra’s eyes softened, a rare crack in her composure. Carlotta was already mouthing the word to herself, tasting it.

Fhera grinned from ear to ear.

“Valdris. Sounds badass, Boss!”

“It is strong,” Azeal murmured, a fire burning behind his eyes.

Fanny whispered the name to her teddy bear. “Valdris.” then she smiled warmly, hugging the bear close to her chest,

Even Hamr, the giant Skeleton General who communicated primarily through violent enthusiasm, slammed his fist against his chestplate in approval, the sound echoing through the chamber like a war drum.

Kai looked at all of them and then spoke with a voice that carried the authority of a god and the calm of someone ordering dinner.

“Let it be known. Valdris stands.”

And the dungeon heard him.

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire chamber trembled.

A pulse of mana surged from deep below the floors, rising through the stone and the walls and the air itself. The blue torches along the walls flared, their flames twisting and dancing wildly before settling into a deeper, richer hue.

Then the notification appeared.

[System Alert: The Dungeon Lord has officially named his domain.]

[The city of Valdris has been registered.]

[New Blessing Unlocked: Sovereign’s Mandate.]

[Description: As the ruler of a named sovereign territory, all monsters within the borders of Valdris receive a passive 15% increase to all stats. Additionally, the Dungeon Lord’s authority now extends to the full perimeter of the city walls, granting the same defensive bonuses outside the dungeon as within.]

Kai stared at the notification.

’A fifteen percent passive buff to every monster in the city? And my authority extends beyond the dungeon itself now? Well that changes things quite a bit. Before this, my power was limited to the dungeon’s walls.’

He dismissed the notification before anyone could see the shock on his face, though internally he was already running through the implications.

’This means there is no reason for me to form a defensive stand around this dungeon since the entire city can be considered my dungeon as of now. I need to give the pillars new roles in this new nation of mine.’

Sanovere, who seemed to sense the shift in mana better than anyone, tilted his head with a knowing smile.

“It appears the dungeon itself approves of the name, my Lord. How fitting.”

“Indeed,” Kai responded, his voice steady despite the excitement storming through his mind.

Lyra was the first to rise from her seat. She placed her right hand over her heart and bowed.

“Valdris. I will see to it that the name is engraved above the main gate by tomorrow morning.”

Carlotta followed suit, standing with a hand on her hip and a confident smile.

“I will have the blueprints for the city banner drawn up tonight. Every building in Valdris will fly it.”

“I want to carve the name into the biggest rock I can find!” Fhera declared, already halfway out of her chair.

Kai raised his hand, and the room fell silent once more.

“There will be time for all of that. But for now, this council is–”

He was about to dismiss them when the doors to the Council Room swung open.

Lucifer stepped aside as a figure entered, moving with controlled haste. It was one of Sanovere’s undead vampire scouts, its pale face expressionless but its movements carrying an urgency that was impossible to miss.

The scout dropped to one knee before the table, its hollow voice cutting through the room.

“Lord Sanovere. Urgent report from the northern border.”

Sanovere’s expression shifted instantly. The playful aristocrat vanished, replaced by something far colder.

“Speak.”

“Nexus Empire scouts have been detected near the Jaun Land border. At least three units, each consisting of ten to fifteen high-level soldiers. They have not crossed into our territory, but they are mapping the terrain and observing the city’s construction from a distance.”

The mood in the room changed completely.

Fhera’s grin disappeared.

Sanovere turned to face Kai, his voice low and measured.

“My Lord. It appears the Empire is no longer content with merely watching from afar. They are testing our borders.”

Kai did not move. His posture remained the same, his chin still resting on his fist, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.

But inside, his mind was already racing.

’The Nexus Empire. They have been probing Traona’s northern border for weeks, but this is different. They are looking at Valdris directly. That means they have heard about what we are building here, and they are trying to gauge our strength before making a move.’

He let the silence linger for a moment longer before he spoke.

“How long have they been there?”

The scout answered without hesitation.

“Approximately two days, my Lord. They arrived shortly after the sovereignty agreement with Traona was formalized.”

’Two days. Right after the agreement. That means the Nexus Empire has spies inside Traona’s court. They learned about the sovereignty deal almost immediately and sent scouts to investigate. Smart. Dangerously smart.’

Kai uncrossed his legs and sat forward, the air around him growing heavier.

“Sanovere.”

“My Lord.”

“Double the patrols along the northern perimeter. I want eyes on every scout unit they have deployed. Do not engage them. Let them watch, and once they see anything worth reporting, let it be known to me as soon as possible.”

Sanovere raised a brow, intrigued.

“You wish to allow them to gather intelligence on us?”

“I wish for them to see exactly what I want them to see. Nothing more, nothing less.”

A slow, chilling smile crept across Sanovere’s face.

“Understood, my Lord. I will see to it personally.”

Kai leaned back in his chair once more, his gaze drifting toward the far wall as though he could see through the stone, through the dungeon, all the way to the northern border where foreign soldiers were watching his kingdom from the shadows.

’The city has a name now. Valdris. And already, the wolves are circling.’

He closed his eyes.

’Good. Let them come.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep