The Kingdom of Solace was a speck.
Not even a footnote on the heavenly rankings.
To the true powers of the continent, its seventy-five thousand square kilometers of green valleys and silver rivers would barely qualify as a duke's backyard. The weakest kingdom on the world stele commanded ten million kilometers.
Ten million.
The very thought made the palace scholars wince.
Yet the streets below the floating capital, Dawns, still thrummed with life.
Dawns was built on three stacked sky-islands tethered by golden chains thick as houses. Waterfalls spilled from the upper tiers, turning into mist before they ever reached the clouds below. Bridges of living ivory-wood arched between districts; sky-whales the size of warships drifted lazily past market balconies while merchants hawked phoenix feathers and bottled starlight.
Lanterns of soft dawn-flame floated untethered at night, painting the city in perpetual sunrise. From a distance it looked like a dream someone had forgotten to wake from. Up close, it smelled of cinnamon bread, forge-smoke, and the faint ozone of mana crystals powering everything from streetlamps to children's toys.
Ash walked those streets now, hood low, plain gray cloak making him just another face. The noise of the crowd folded around him like water.
"Seeing it in person is something else," he muttered, lips barely moving.
Ahead, the lesser stele hovered three meters above the plaza flagstones, obsidian-black and mirror-smooth. Words of white fire scrolled across its surface. The square around it was mercifully empty this early.
Ash stepped forward and read.
THE KINGDOM OF NIGHT BREAKS INTO THE TOP 100 – 3 months ago
ETHEREAL KINGDOM CLAIMS ITS 30TH SUBJUGATION IN TEN YEARS – 47 days ago
BLOOD MOON KINGDOM DECLARED HERETICAL; ALL TERRITORIES UNDER FIRE – 19 days ago
THE FIRST SSS-RANK TALENT IN HISTORY EMERGES – 1 year ago
KALE VOSS, SSS-RANK PRODIGY, BEGINS HIS JOURNEY – 3 days ago
Ash's smile was thin and sharp. Seeing all of this was good news indeed, but it all brought back the faint memories of the first 75 chapters. Kale's journey was one unlike any other protagonist, he was far more loved than hated.
"Like he's beloved by the damn world itself."
He turned away as he muttered this.
Six months.
According to the novel it would be six months before Kale Voss arrived to "offer alliance" which, in this world, was just a prettier word for surrender. Before coming here, he would begin the start of his harem picking up a few princesses and queens as well.
"This is not bad at all though," he said to himself.
Six months was plenty.
He melted back into the crowd, hands in pockets, already mapping the routes to every secret training ground he remembered from the novel.
-----
Meanwhile, inside the palace's throne room of white marble and living sunlight, seven people decided the fate of a kingdom. King Caelum sat forward on the dawn-crystal throne, black hair brushing shoulders that carried five centuries of inherited ambition. His voice was low, final.
"We have waited long enough. Five hundred years ago my parents bled out on a battlefield so we could one day stand taller. That day comes now."
Queen Lyssandra's golden eyes glittered like polished coins as her long white hair cascaded down her shoulders. "Kale Voss is coming in six months. His mother already sent the proposal: alliance, marriage, or conquest. We choose the terms, or he will."
Draven cracked his knuckles loud enough to echo. "Then we crush him before he steps foot here."
Aster didn't look up from the illusory map hovering above the table. "With what army, brother? We are unranked. He is an SSS ranked talent, surely, he will have people falling at his coattails. Be quiet and let the adults calculate."
Shia leaned back, crimson nails tapping the armrest, smile lazy and lethal. "Marriage is faster than war. One night with me and the entire continent will be whispering my name for centuries. I'm willing to make the sacrifice."
Nia, seated at the far end, had been silent until now. When she spoke, her voice was soft as spring wind and twice as cold.
"And Ash?"
The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.
"I haven't seen him in days."
Draven laughed, but it came out strained. "Probably curled up in his room crying again."
Nia's smile never reached her eyes. "If I find one more bruise on him, Draven, I'll carve my name into your ribcage, so you never forget who he belongs to."
The threat floated there, sweet, loving, and utterly sincere. Even Draven's battle-manic grin faltered.
Caelum's mana flared, a silent reminder that he was A-rank and they were not. "Enough. Ash is irrelevant. You five have one mission: claim territory. As much as possible, as fast as possible. When Kale Voss arrives, either Solace will greet him as an equal… or we will greet him with steel."
Nia sat back down, fingers laced under her chin, daydreams flickering behind rose-gold eyes.
She had to see Ash as soon as possible. She knew soon she would be so busy that seeing him would be next to impossible.
Deep inside, she truly wanted to run away with Ash. To a place where he could never face harm again....
She traced her lower lip with one thumb, remembering the clumsy, perfect press of his mouth days ago.
'One day, my prince,' she thought.
'Until the day comes though...I'll kill anyone who tries to take you from me.'
And she smiled like an angel sharpening a blade.