Chapter 96: A meeting to be met.

Sanovere stood at the center of the Throne Room, his posture rigid and his hands clasped behind his back.

He had already confirmed that Kai was seated and attentive before he began.

“My Lord, as I mentioned, the Kingdom of Traona has officially extended a formal request for dialogue. A messenger arrived at the outer perimeter of our territory two hours ago, bearing a sealed letter stamped with the Royal Insignia of King Desmond Altair the Third.”

Sanovere reached into his coat and produced a small, rolled parchment sealed with golden wax.

“The letter, in its entirety, requests a meeting between you and the King. They wish to discuss the future of the Jaun Land, and more specifically, the coexistence between their kingdom and whatever nation you are building here.”

Kai stared at the parchment for a moment but did not reach for it.

’So it finally happened. The King wants to talk. I expected this the moment I killed the Duke, but I assumed it would take them longer to swallow their pride. Three days? That is faster than I predicted.’

He leaned back into the throne, resting his jaw against his fist while his glowing purple eyes scanned the room.

’They are scared. That much is obvious. Four Dragons, four hundred soldiers, and a Duke, all wiped out in a single night. If I were in their position, I would be scrambling to negotiate too. But the question is, what do they actually want? Peace? An alliance? Or are they stalling for time while they prepare a bigger strike?’

Kai closed his eyes briefly.

’It does not matter. Whatever their angle is, I will not be walking into their territory like some obedient dog answering a summons. That would set the wrong precedent entirely.’

He opened his eyes and looked down at Sanovere.

“I will not be attending.”

Sanovere did not flinch. If anything, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, as though he had already anticipated the response.

“A wise decision, my Lord. Sending you directly would imply desperation on our part, or worse, equality between you and a mere human king.”

“Precisely.”

Kai’s gaze shifted toward the hallway leading out of the Throne Room.

“Summon Carlotta.”

Sanovere bowed his head. “At once, my Lord.”

He turned and walked toward the exit, his footsteps echoing against the obsidian floor. Within minutes, the sound of heavier, faster footsteps could be heard approaching from the corridor.

The doors swung open.

Carlotta walked in with a pace that could only be described as eager. She had clearly been waiting nearby, perhaps hoping for exactly this kind of summons.

Her long black hair swayed behind her as she crossed the room, and the moment she reached the base of the throne, she dropped to one knee, her head bowed low.

“You called for me, my Lord. I came as fast as I could.”

’She was definitely standing outside the door again.’ Kai sighed internally.

“Rise, Carlotta.”

She stood, her red eyes gleaming with barely contained excitement.

Kai wasted no time.

“The Kingdom of Traona has requested a meeting with me. I have no intention of going myself. You will go in my stead.”

The excitement on Carlotta’s face shifted immediately. It did not disappear, far from it, but it transformed into something sharper. The playful gleam was replaced by a focused intensity that only surfaced when Kai gave her a task she deemed worthy of her abilities.

“You wish for me to represent the Nameless Dungeon before the Human King?” she asked, her voice carrying a weight it rarely held.

“That is correct. You will travel to their capital, and speak to the King on my behalf. Listen to what they have to say. Do not agree to anything. Do not make promises. And above all, do not reveal anything about our military strength, the dungeon’s layout, or the number of subordinates under my command.”

Kai paused, making sure she understood the gravity of what he was asking.

“Your role is to observe and report. Nothing more.”

Carlotta placed her hand over her chest and bowed her head deeply.

“I will not fail you, my Lord. Even if every fiber of my being wishes to burn their precious capital to the ground, I will restrain myself. Your trust in me is something I refuse to betray.”

’That is exactly what I am worried about. She has a habit of letting her emotions get the better of her, especially when humans are involved. But among my subordinates, she is the one with the most experience navigating human society. She played the role of my assistant in Rambosa for weeks without breaking character. If anyone can pull this off, it is her.’

Kai nodded once.

“Good. Sanovere will brief you on the details. You leave at dawn.”

“Understood, my Lord.”

Carlotta lingered for a moment, and Kai could see it. The look in her eyes that silently begged for a head pat or some form of physical affection as a reward for her obedience.

He ignored it.

“You are dismissed.”

“…Yes, my Lord.”

She turned and walked out of the room, her steps slightly slower than when she had entered. The faintest pout could be seen on her lips before the doors closed behind her.

Sanovere, who had been watching the exchange from the side, let out a quiet chuckle.

“She was hoping for more than just orders, my Lord.”

“I am aware.”

“Shall I prepare a contingency in case she loses her composure during the meeting?”

Kai thought about it for a second.

“Have two of your vampires shadow her from a distance. If things go south, they are to extract her immediately. Do not engage the humans unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“It shall be done.”

With that matter settled, Sanovere bowed and exited the room as well, leaving Kai alone on his throne.

He sat there for a while, the silence of the dungeon pressing in around him.

’The Human Nation wants peace. The Nexus Empire wants war. My city is still under construction, my food supply is running low, and I have four dragon corpses sitting on the second floor collecting dust.’

He tapped his finger against the armrest. There was simply too much for him to handle, so much so that he didn’t realize he had begun speaking like the shadow of victims even in his mind.

’Time to deal with the dragons.’

…

The Second Floor of the Nameless Dungeon was a vast, hollow expanse that had once served as an empty prison for captured enemies and monsters.

Most of the cells were barren now, their iron bars bent or rusted from disuse. The floor was cold stone, and the air carried the faint metallic scent of old blood and stale mana.

But toward the far end of the floor, past the rows of abandoned cells and the crumbling archways, there was a large, open chamber that had been repurposed for storage.

And inside that chamber lay the bodies of four dragons.

They were massive, even in death. Their scales had lost their luster, turning a dull, ashen grey. Their wings were folded awkwardly against their bodies, and their jaws hung open, frozen in expressions of agony from their final moments.

The Red Dragon. The Green Dragon. The Wind Dragon. And the Blue Dragon.

All four of them had been transported back to the dungeon after the destruction of Rambosa, hauled through the dungeon entrance by a small army of Skeleton Knights and Imps working through the night.

Kai stood at the entrance of the chamber, his glowing eyes sweeping across the scene.

He was not alone.

Standing at the center of the room, waiting for him with her hands clasped in front of her and a bright smile on her face, was Fanny.

The True Dragon looked different from the last time he had seen her in a casual setting.

She had traded her usual reserved demeanor for something warmer, her pale blue eyes practically sparkling the moment Kai stepped through the archway.

“Master!”

Her voice was louder than usual, carrying an enthusiasm that caught Kai slightly off guard.

’She is speaking without the teddy bear? That is new.’

Indeed, the plush bear was tucked under her arm rather than held in front of her mouth like a shield.

Though Fanny’s cheeks were flushed and she was only glancing at him rather than making full eye contact, she was making an effort to speak directly.

It was progress.

“Fanny,” Kai greeted, walking toward her. “I trust the floor has been to your liking.”

“Y-yes! I have been… I have been keeping watch over the dragons as you asked. None of them have moved, obviously, since they are dead. But I checked every day just to be sure.”

She shuffled her feet, her tail swishing behind her slightly.

’She checked on dead bodies every day to make sure they stayed dead. I suppose that is diligent in its own way.’

Kai stopped a few feet in front of her and looked down at the True Dragon with a calm expression.

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