Nolan inclined his head in thanks, watching as the guardian retreated back down the corridor. Lyra and Damien moved to settle in their own spaces, their excitement barely contained. Nolan, however, paused at the window, looking out over the city he had just helped save. The moonlight cast a soft glow over the streets, the palace walls, and the distant horizon.

Even in this quiet moment, he could feel it—the lingering shadows of the cult, the threads of danger still weaving through the night. And while the palace offered comfort, he knew the fight was far from over.

Yet for now, the city slept safely, the royal family remained unharmed, and Nolan had earned a brief moment of peace—a fleeting reprieve before the next storm came.

The morning sunlight slipped through the silk curtains, painting soft golden stripes across the room. Nolan stirred slowly, his mind still weighed down with exhaustion. Every muscle in his body ached — a quiet reminder of everything that had happened the day before.

He blinked, rubbing his eyes. "Oh dear… what are you three doing here?" he murmured.

Lying across his massive bed were Celia, Linda, and Lyra — all still asleep. Celia's face was peaceful, Linda had a soft smile on her lips, and Lyra had somehow rolled across half the bed and wrapped herself around Nolan's blanket.

Nolan exhaled a quiet sigh. "There's no need to say anything," he muttered to himself, dragging a hand through his hair. "I'm already used to this."

He carefully slid out of bed, bare feet touching the cool marble floor. His gaze drifted toward a large leather bag resting against the wall — the reward from the King. He crouched down, opened it slightly, and the warm morning light bounced off the mountain of gold coins inside.

"Wow…" Nolan whispered, almost breathless. "That's a lot of money." He picked up a coin, flipping it between his fingers as it glimmered. "Finally… I can start something real. A business. A trade network. Pharmacy. Alchemy. Anything I want."

He smiled faintly. "This is enough to start my own nation."

His eyes hardened slightly as his thoughts deepened. "The King gave me a whole kingdom — one that's been left unused for years. I'll rebuild it. A place where humans and monsters can live together. A kingdom of monsters."

Nolan stood up straight, crossing his arms as he stared out through the grand window. "I already have my goblin general. My wyvern. My minotaur. And there'll be more. I'll gather all kinds of monsters… strong, loyal ones." His eyes glowed faintly. "Because one day, when the world turns against me — and it will — I'll need them to protect the ones I care about."

His reflection in the window looked back at him: calm, proud, but burdened. "I'm not doing this for fame or glory," he said quietly. "Not like those heroes. I'm doing this because I have to."

He glanced back at Lyra and Damien in his mind — their power, their potential. "Even they could destroy this world if they wanted. But power means nothing without purpose. I want to know what it feels like to build something of my own… to be a king."

For a moment, his thoughts slipped back to the life he'd left behind — a dull apartment, a dirty mop, fluorescent lights flickering above him. "In my previous world, I was just a janitor," he said bitterly. "Mocked, ignored… no one saw me. I worked, ate little, slept even less. My life meant nothing."

He clenched his fist tightly. "But not anymore."

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he straightened up. "In this world, I make my own path."

The sunlight seemed to grow brighter as he stepped toward the bath chamber. The sound of running water greeted him — warm, clean, inviting. He paused for a moment, glancing back at the girls sleeping on his bed. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Guess I'll take a bath before they wake up," he said softly.

Steam filled the air as he entered the bath, the water rippling gently around him. The warmth eased the ache from his body, washing away the fatigue of battle and memory alike.

For once, Nolan allowed himself a moment of quiet. No fighting. No planning. No masks. Just the faint hum of water and the thought of what was to come.

"Soon," he whispered to himself. "I'll build my own world… my own kingdom."

The peaceful silence of the morning was suddenly broken—

BOOOOM!

A section of the wall burst open from the outer courtyard, dust and light scattering everywhere. Nolan blinked once, calm despite the explosion. "…Again?" he muttered, brushing his hair back.

On his bed, Celia, Linda, and Lyra stirred awake, all three rubbing their eyes and stretching lazily.

"Good morning, Master…" they said together in sleepy voices, still half-asleep but smiling.

Nolan sighed lightly, his tone teasing. "Good morning, you three. But seriously—why did you sleep in my room again?"

Lyra sat up first, hugging a pillow. "Well…" she said softly, looking away, "we got scared last night. The aura outside felt strange."

Celia nodded quickly. "Yeah! We just wanted to stay close to you, Master. That's all."

Linda gave a tiny yawn. "It wasn't our fault… your bed's really warm," she murmured, hiding her face behind her hands.

Nolan looked at them with a small smile tugging at his lips. "Well, whatever," he said, pretending to be annoyed. "Since you're all awake—get ready. We'll be leaving soon."

The girls blinked, sitting up straight. "Leaving?" Lyra asked.

"Yes," Nolan replied. "Once we're done here, I'll be starting business as a merchant and rebuilding my kingdom." His tone was calm but determined. "It's time to begin."

"Okay, Master!" all three said at once, their voices bright and full of energy.

Celia, Linda, and Lyra jumped off the bed and hurried to their rooms to get dressed. Nolan chuckled lightly and turned to close the door behind them. But before he could, there was a knock.

Knock, knock.

He opened the door to see Damien standing there, already dressed in black and silver attire.

"Master, good morning," Damien said with a small bow.

"Damien," Nolan said, his tone relaxed. "How was your night?"

"It was good, Master," Damien replied. His expression turned serious. "But… did you notice anything strange last night?"

Nolan folded his arms. "Not particularly," he said. "But I did feel something—a negative, deadly aura. It was faint but present. I didn't bother checking."

Damien nodded. "I felt it too. A killing intent… but not directed at humans. It felt aimed at someone powerful—someone like you or me."

"Hmm…" Nolan's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're right. The intent wasn't for me. It was for you."

Damien's eyes widened. "For me?"

"Yes," Nolan said calmly. "Last night, someone wanted to kill you. I almost tracked him down inside the castle—but it seems he changed his mind at the last second."

Damien exhaled slowly, his aura flaring slightly. "He'll regret that. Next time, he won't escape."

Nolan smirked faintly. "Good. Now let's head downstairs. The others should be done dressing by now."

Just then, Celia, Linda, and Lyra appeared from their rooms, fully dressed and radiant in fresh outfits.

"We're ready, Master," Celia said, her smile bright.

"Perfect," Nolan said, lifting a large sack of gold coins and a long wrapped sword. He handed the sword to Damien. "Carry this for me."

"Yes, Master." Damien took it respectfully.

Together, the group descended the long staircase leading to the royal hall. The marble floor gleamed under the morning light, and the sound of their footsteps echoed softly in the grand corridor.

At the end of the hall stood the King and Queen, waiting — along with their three daughters, the princesses of the Empire.

As Nolan approached, he placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly. "Ah, sorry," he said with a smile. "It looks like we kept you waiting."

The King chuckled. "No, no, we just arrived. How was your night? I hope it was restful."

Nolan nodded. "It was good. Thank you, Your Majesty."

The King gestured toward the young women beside him. "These are my daughters," he said proudly.

Nolan's eyes softened. "Wow… they're truly beautiful," he said sincerely.

Behind him, Celia, Linda, and Lyra all glanced at each other, then at Nolan. Celia frowned. "You never say something like that to us," she muttered under her breath.

Nolan turned, tilting his head slightly. "Hm? What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."

Celia's face flushed instantly. "N-nothing! Forget it," she said quickly, crossing her arms and looking away.

The Queen laughed softly, covering her mouth with elegance. "My, my… they really are attached to you, Sir Nolan."

Nolan scratched the back of his neck, pretending not to hear the teasing tone. "Anyway… we'll be heading out soon. I have plans to begin reconstruction."

The King nodded, his voice firm. "You've done more than enough for this Empire, Nolan. But if you ever need resources or support, the royal family will assist you."

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