Chapter 109: Sometimes Lyra needs attention.

The first four laws were received with relative calm.

Some goblins scratched their heads, a few orcs grunted in confusion, but for the most part, the crowd seemed to understand.

No killing each other, share resources, contribute to the city, and do not start fights with humans.

Simple enough.

But the fifth law sent a ripple through the crowd.

“Treason against Valdris is punishable by death,” Sanovere read, his red eyes gleaming. “There will be no trial. There will be no appeal. The Lord’s judgment is final.”

The murmuring started immediately.

It was not loud enough to be called protest, but it was there, a low undercurrent of unease that spread through the gathered monsters like a cold wind.

And then, from the middle of the crowd, a voice rose above the rest.

“And who decides what counts as treason?”

Every head turned.

The speaker was a monster Kai recognized. A Lizardman, one of the mid-level bosses from a dungeon on the eastern edge of the Jaun Land. He was tall, covered in dark green scales, and carried a spear across his back.

His name, if Kai recalled correctly, was Drask.

He had been one of the last bosses to swear loyalty, and even then, his submission had felt more like a strategic retreat than genuine allegiance.

Drask stepped forward, his yellow eyes locked on Kai.

“I followed you because Fhera gave me no choice. My dungeon was destroyed by the humans, and your forces were the only ones strong enough to offer shelter. But I did not agree to hand over my autonomy. I am a dungeon boss. I have ruled my own territory for longer than most of the creatures here have been alive.”

Fhera’s tail stopped swaying. Her hand slowly drifted toward the hilt of her blade.

But Kai raised a single finger, and she froze.

’There it is. I was wondering which one would speak up first. In any group this large, there is always at least one who thinks rules apply to everyone except them.’

Kai looked down at Drask from the platform, his expression unchanged.

“You ask who decides what counts as treason. The answer is simple. I do.”

The words were not shouted, not emphasized with any dramatic flair. They were stated as fact, the same way someone might say the sky is blue.

Drask’s jaw tightened. “And if I disagree with your judgment?”

“Then you are free to leave Valdris. Right now. Walk out through the main gate, return to the ruins of your dungeon, and rebuild on your own. No one will stop you, you have my word.”

Kai paused, letting the silence do its work.

“But if you stay, you follow the law. Every single one. There is no middle ground here, not when my word is all there is. There is no special treatment for dungeon bosses.”

Drask did not move. His spear hand twitched, but his feet stayed planted.

The crowd watched in absolute silence.

Kai continued, his voice dropping half an octave.

“I will say this once, and I will not repeat it. The humans that destroyed your dungeon did not care about your title. They did not care that you were a boss. They slaughtered your people and erased your home because you were alone. Because you had no walls and you had no allies. And even more, they did so because they knew you were weak.”

He gestured to the half-built city around them.

“This is your structure now. Valdris is not my gift to you. It is your second chance. Waste it if you wish. But do not waste it here.”

Drask stared at him for what felt like a full minute. The tension in the plaza was thick enough to chew on.

Then, slowly, the Lizardman lowered his head.

“I understand.”

He stepped back into the crowd without another word.

The murmuring died completely.

Fhera exhaled through her nose and removed her hand from her blade. Sanovere’s smile returned, wider than before. Even the Goblin King, who had been nervously fidgeting with his crown, seemed to relax.

Kai looked across the plaza one final time.

“Valdris stands. And so do its laws. You are dismissed.”

The crowd dispersed slowly, monsters breaking off into groups and heading back toward their assigned sections of the city.

The tension that had been building throughout the announcement seemed to dissolve with every step they took, replaced by a quiet acceptance that settled over the plaza like dust after a storm.

…

Later that evening, Kai sat alone in the throne room.

The blue torches flickered along the walls, casting their usual long shadows across the obsidian floor. The day had been long, and his mind was still running through the implications of everything that had happened.

’The laws are in place. Drask backed down publicly, which means the other bosses who were thinking about protesting will keep their mouths shut. For now, at least. But I need to keep an eye on him. Obedience born from intimidation has an expiration date.’

He closed his eyes and leaned back into the throne.

’Still, today was a good day. The foundation is set. Sanovere will handle the enforcement logistics tomorrow, and Lyra will make sure the patrol routes are updated to reflect the new rules. Once the construction on the outer wall is complete, I can start thinking about trade routes and formal diplomatic channels with Traona. One step at a time.’

The sound of footsteps pulled him from his thoughts.

They were soft, measured, and familiar. The kind of steps that belonged to someone who had spent their entire existence walking three paces behind a ruler.

Kai opened one eye.

Lyra stood at the base of the throne, her hands clasped in front of her, her expression unreadable.

That, in itself, was unusual. Lyra’s face was normally an open book, at least when it came to matters involving Kai.

If she was angry, it showed. If she was proud, it showed.

If she was jealous, it absolutely showed.

But right now, she looked like she was trying very hard to keep her expression neutral, and failing just enough for Kai to notice.

“My Lord. May I have a moment of your time?”

“You may.”

She stepped closer, stopping at the second step of the elevated platform. Her eyes flickered to the side for just a moment before returning to Kai.

“I wanted to discuss something with you. It is not related to the city, the laws, or the Nexus Empire.”

’Oh no.’

Kai’s internal alarm went off instantly.

’Whenever a woman says it is not about work, it is always about something ten times more dangerous than work.’

“Go on,” he said, keeping his voice perfectly calm.

Lyra took a breath. Then another. Her fingers tightened around each other, the knuckles turning white.

“My Lord, it has come to my attention that Carlotta was recently taken on an outing. A private one. Just the two of you.”

’And there it is.’

“That is correct. It was a reward for her successful mission to Throneguard.”

“I understand that, my Lord. And I do not question your decision. Carlotta earned her reward, and I would never suggest otherwise.”

She paused.

“However.”

’Here we go.’

“I have served you since the very beginning. Before Carlotta. Before Sanovere. Before any of them. I was the first to stand beside you, and I have not once asked for anything in return.”

Her voice remained steady, but the slight tremble in her hands told a different story.

“I am not asking for preferential treatment. I am simply asking whether… whether it would be possible for me to receive a similar reward. At some point. When you are not busy.”

She added the last part quickly, as though trying to make it sound less personal.

Kai stared at her.

’She rehearsed this. She absolutely rehearsed this. I can tell because she is not breathing between sentences, which means she memorized the entire speech and is afraid that if she stops, she will forget the rest of it.’

He let the silence stretch for a moment longer than necessary, mostly because the look on Lyra’s face was genuinely entertaining.

“Lyra.”

“Yes, my Lord?”

“Are you asking me on a date?”

The word hit her like a physical blow. Her face turned red so fast it looked like someone had cast a fire spell directly at her cheeks.

“I, that is not, I would never presume to, my Lord, I simply meant that, in terms of fairness and equity among the Pillars, it would be, it would be appropriate to, to ensure that all subordinates receive equal, equal…”

She trailed off, her composure shattering completely.

Kai watched her struggle with the kind of calm amusement that only someone who had seen this exact scenario play out multiple times could manage.

’She cannot even say the word. This is the same woman who could flatten a mountain with her bare hands, and she cannot say the word date without short-circuiting.’

“I will consider it,” Kai said.

Lyra’s head snapped up.

“You will?”

“I said I will consider it. That is not a yes.”

“Of course, my Lord. I understand completely. Take all the time you need. There is no rush. None whatsoever.”

She bowed deeply, turned on her heel, and walked toward the exit with the rigid posture of a soldier leaving a debriefing.

But just before she reached the door, Kai spoke again.

“Lyra.”

She stopped, her back still turned.

“Wear something nice.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

Lyra did not turn around.

She simply stood there for three full seconds, her horns crackling faintly with static mana, before walking through the door and closing it behind her with more force than necessary.

Kai leaned back into his throne and closed his eyes.

’I just made a promise I am going to regret. I can already feel it. But the look on her face was worth at least three diplomatic treaties.’

A faint smile crossed his lips before it disappeared behind the shadows.

The throne room fell silent once more.

Outside, the city of Valdris hummed with the sound of construction, patrols, and the quiet murmur of a thousand monsters learning, for the first time in their lives, what it meant to live under law.

And somewhere in the hallway outside the throne room, Lyra was pressing both hands against her burning face, her heart pounding so loud she was certain every skeleton guard in the corridor could hear it.

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