Chapter 108: Laws of Valdris.

There are many things a ruler must do before his kingdom can stand on its own.

Building walls, raising armies, gathering resources, and forging alliances were all part of that process.

But there was one thing that no kingdom, no matter how powerful, could survive without.

Law.

Kai had been thinking about it for a while now.

Ever since the sovereignty agreement with Traona was formalized and the city of Valdris was officially named, the reality of governance had started to weigh on him more than any battlefield ever could.

’I have over a thousand monsters living inside my territory. Different races, different dungeons, different instincts. The only thing keeping them in line right now is fear and loyalty, and while both of those are useful, neither of them scales well. Fear breaks when it is tested. Loyalty fades when stomachs are empty. If I want this city to last, I need structure.’

He sat at the head of the council table on the First Floor, the obsidian surface gleaming under the blue torchlight.

Sanovere stood to his left, a fresh stack of parchment already laid out before him, a quill in his pale hand. The vampire had been summoned an hour before anyone else.

“You understand what I am asking of you?” Kai said, his voice low.

Sanovere dipped his head.

“You wish for me to draft a foundational legal code for the city of Valdris. A set of rules that every monster within its borders must follow, regardless of species, rank, or former allegiance.”

“Correct. And I want it simple. No hundred-page document that no one will read. Short, clear, and enforceable. If a goblin cannot understand it, it is too complicated.”

Sanovere’s lips curled into a thin smile.

“Then I shall write it as though goblins were my primary audience. A daunting challenge, but I accept.”

’This guy never misses a chance to be condescending. At least he is efficient about it.’

Kai leaned back in his chair, tapping his finger on the armrest as he spoke.

“There are five rules I want established immediately. First, no monster is permitted to kill another monster within the borders of Valdris without authorization. Sparring is allowed on the Seventh Floor, but anywhere else, lethal force is forbidden unless in defense of the city.”

Sanovere’s quill moved swiftly across the parchment.

“Second, all resources gathered within Valdris belong to Valdris. If a dungeon boss wants to keep something for personal use, they submit a request through the council.”

“Third, every able-bodied monster contributes to the city. Construction, patrol, farming, forging, it does not matter what they do, but they will do something. There are no freeloaders in my kingdom.”

He paused for a moment, his golden eyes narrowing slightly.

“Fourth, no monster is to engage with humans outside the city walls without direct orders from me or one of the Pillars. The last thing I need is a goblin picking a fight with a merchant caravan and starting a diplomatic incident.”

Sanovere glanced up from the parchment. “And the fifth?”

Kai’s voice dropped.

“Any monster that betrays Valdris, whether through sabotage, espionage, or desertion, forfeits their life. There will be no trial. There will be no second chance. Treason is death.”

The quill stopped moving.

Sanovere looked at Kai for a long, quiet moment. Then he smiled, the kind of smile that suggested he had been waiting for that exact rule.

“Elegant in its simplicity, my Lord. I will have the full draft prepared by morning.”

“Good. I want it presented to the entire city by noon tomorrow. Every boss, every mob, every last skeleton will hear it.”

…

The announcement was made the following day, just as Kai had ordered.

The central plaza of Valdris, a wide, open area of packed earth that sat between the dungeon entrance and the half-constructed main gate, was filled to capacity. Monsters of every shape and size had gathered, their murmurs creating a low, constant hum that reminded Kai of static on a dead television channel.

The Goblin King stood near the front, his small crown sitting crookedly on his head.

Beside him was the Fighting Orc, arms folded, his scarred face unreadable. The Flaming Knight flickered quietly at the edge of the crowd, and the Ghost Specter hovered just above the ground, its translucent body rippling in the breeze.

The dungeon bosses that had sworn fealty to Kai months ago were all present. Behind them stood their subordinates, hundreds of goblins, orcs, imps, skeletons, and various other creatures that had made Valdris their home.

Kai stood on the elevated platform that Lyra had commissioned for public addresses.

It was a simple stone structure, raised about three meters above the plaza, with no railings or decoration. Just a flat surface and a clear view of his people.

His Pillars flanked him. Lyra to his immediate left, Carlotta to his right, Sanovere a step behind.

Fhera was crouched at the edge of the platform like a cat ready to pounce, and Fanny sat quietly at the back, hugging her teddy bear.

Kai looked out at the crowd.

’A sea of monsters staring up at me, waiting for me to tell them how to live. If someone told me a year ago that I would be writing laws for goblins and orcs, I would have checked them into a hospital.’

He did not raise his voice. He did not need to. The moment he opened his mouth, the plaza fell silent, as though the air itself had been commanded to carry his words.

“Citizens of Valdris. You stand here today not as dungeon monsters hiding in caves, waiting for adventurers to come and slaughter you. You stand here as members of a nation. My nation.”

He let that settle.

“But a nation without rules is nothing more than a mob. And I did not build this city to house a mob.”

His gaze swept across the crowd, lingering on the dungeon bosses at the front.

“From this day forward, five laws will govern every creature within these walls. They are not suggestions. They are not guidelines. They are absolute. Break them, and you will answer to me personally.”

Sanovere stepped forward and began reading the laws aloud, his voice carrying across the plaza with a theatrical clarity that only a vampire aristocrat could manage.

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