The morning sky stretched wide and clear above the royal mansion, painted in soft gold and pale blue. The air was calm, peaceful—too peaceful, Kael thought—as if the world itself was holding its breath before something important began.
He stood at the front gates with a small travel bag over his shoulder, his cloak resting lightly on his back. The mansion behind him looked grand as ever, but today, it felt distant—like a chapter already closing.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"So this is how it begins…"
Behind him, hurried footsteps echoed.
"Kael!"
He turned—and his heart nearly stopped.
Princess Seraphina and Princess Elowen were running toward him, their dresses flowing, their hair shining in the morning light. Hat was floating lazily behind them, hands behind his head, watching like it was the best entertainment of the century.
Kael froze.
"S-Seraphina… Elowen…!"
They stopped in front of him, slightly out of breath.
"You were going to leave without saying goodbye?" Seraphina said, crossing her arms, pretending to be angry.
Elowen pouted. "That's cruel, Lord Kael."
Kael panicked. "N-No! I was going to meet you both before leaving, I swear! I just— I thought— I didn't want to wake you—!"
Seraphina stared at him for a second… then smiled.
"You're bad at lying, you know that?"
Elowen giggled. "Very bad."
Kael turned red.
Hat floated between them. "Master, your escape success rate is currently zero percent."
Kael groaned. "Hat, not now."
Seraphina stepped closer and gently held Kael's hand.
"Be careful," she said softly. "You always think about everyone else before yourself."
Elowen hugged his arm from the other side. "And don't get injured. If you do, we'll come drag you back ourselves."
Kael's chest tightened.
"…I promise."
He slowly took off the two rings from his item box and placed them back on their fingers, adjusting them carefully.
"These are not just magic tools," he said quietly. "They're my promise. No matter where I am… I'll always come back."
Seraphina's eyes softened.
Elowen sniffed. "Why are you saying that like it's a drama scene…"
Hat wiped imaginary tears. "Beautiful. Truly beautiful. I rate this scene 10/10."
Kael smiled, then bowed slightly.
"I'll return stronger. I'll build a place worthy of you both."
Seraphina leaned forward and whispered,
"Then hurry back, future husband."
Kael's brain crashed.
"W-W-WHAT—?!"
Elowen laughed. "Sister said it! Not me!"
Kael turned completely red and panicked, tripped on his own cloak, and nearly fell.
Hat clapped. "Master down! Master down!"
Seraphina and Elowen grabbed him before he fell.
"Careful!"
Kael stood straight, embarrassed beyond words.
"…I'm leaving now."
He activated teleportation magic before his heart exploded.
Light flashed.
And he was gone.
The world reformed around him in a quiet open plain.
Wide green fields stretched endlessly, mountains resting on the horizon, and a dirt road cut through the land like a scar of destiny.
Kael stood alone.
The royal air was gone.
The warmth of the palace was gone.
Now—only silence.
He took a deep breath.
"This land…"
This was the territory once ruled by the fallen baron.
A broken land.
A forgotten land.
A land without a name.
Kael clenched his fist.
"I'll give you a future."
He started walking.
Hours passed.
The road grew rough.
The trees grew thicker.
The wind colder.
As Kael moved forward, he began seeing signs of decay—
Broken fences.
Abandoned houses.
Collapsed wells.
Empty farms.
This was not just a village.
This was a wounded land.
Kael stopped near an old stone well. The rope was torn. The bucket was broken.
He closed his eyes.
"Status interface."
A blue screen appeared.
Territory Development Mode: Activated
Population: Unknown
Infrastructure: Critical
Safety Level: Low
Resources: Minimal
Kael exhaled.
"So it's worse than I thought."
Suddenly—
A sound.
Footsteps.
Kael turned.
A group of villagers stood at a distance—men, women, children—thin, tired, afraid.
They held farming tools, not weapons.
Fear was written on their faces.
A man stepped forward.
"…Are you another noble?"
Kael shook his head.
"My name is Kael."
Silence.
"I'm not here to take," Kael continued. "I'm here to build."
They didn't believe him.
Not yet.
A child peeked from behind a woman's dress.
"Are you a bad man?"
Kael knelt down.
"No," he said gently. "I'm a stupid man who chose a hard path."
The child blinked.
"…That's weird."
Kael smiled.
"Yeah."
The elder stepped forward slowly.
"This land has only known abandonment," he said. "If you lie to us, we have nothing left to lose."
Kael met his eyes.
"Then let me prove it."
He raised his hand.
Magic formed.
The broken well repaired itself.
The rope restored.
The bucket reforged.
Water flowed.
Gasps filled the air.
Children ran forward.
"It works!"
"It's clean water!"
The villagers fell silent.
The elder bowed.
"…Welcome, Lord of the Nameless Land."
Kael froze.
"…That name is terrible."
A child shouted, "Then give it a cool name!"
Kael laughed.
"I will."
Night fell.
A small fire burned in the center of the village.
People gathered.
Food was shared.
Stories were told.
Hope—after a long time—was born again.
Kael sat alone for a moment, looking at the stars.
He touched the rings on his finger.
Seraphina.
Elowen.
The palace.
The promise.
"I'll make this place worthy of you."
The wind passed gently.
And for the first time—
The land felt alive.
End of Chapter 19
The journey has begun. Not just across land—but across destiny.