VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 13

VOLUME 15: CHAPTER 13

Lark immediately resumed his duties as the monarch the moment he returned to the Kingdom of Lukas.

Secretary Irene was due to deliver soon, and he didn’t want to strain her body during such a crucial time with administrative work.

Thankfully, Mokuva Boris came to the capital in time as promised. As her substitute, he took on most of Secretary Irene’s tasks, greatly reducing her burden.

“Your Majesty, here’s the summarized report regarding the proposed budget for the Security and Safety Department,” said Mokuva. “I’ve marked the areas that might need revision, so please check that.”

As though Secretary Irene had become a man, Mokuva performed his tasks skillfully and efficiently.

There were hardly any errors, and most of the reports he’d been submitting to the king had been thoroughly reviewed and summarized before reaching Lark’s office.

While Lark skimmed through the proposed budget, the frail-looking man continued with his reports.

“The Empire sent its tribute to us in the guise of military support last month. A total of twenty thousand gold, ninety tons of iron, fifty thousand bushels of grain, and several other supplies crucial for military warfare.”

“That’s a lot,” said Lark.

He remembered that Emperor Sylvius did indeed promise to send tributes to the Kingdom of Lukas each year, but Lark never expected it to be to such an extent.

Although the Great Empire was considered the strongest nation on the continent—if they excluded the Dwarven Kingdom—it had suffered a lot of damage from the recent war with the demons.

Not only did it lose two major cities, but it had also lost several notable individuals like Harris Mavis and the Sword Saint.

Moreover, even the imperial capital suffered greatly during that war, nearly collapsing overnight.

Other officials would probably say that a behemoth like the Empire could have sent more, but Lark knew that the aid sent to the Kingdom of Lukas this time was already substantial, considering the nation’s current situation.

“Order the mages to cast preservation magic on the provisions,” said Lark. “We’ll load them up on the floating castle once it’s completed.”

As one of Lark’s trusted vassals, Mokuva Boris was aware of the massive project the king was undertaking in the background.

A floating castle capable of housing thousands of soldiers.

A revolutionary means of transportation during times of war.

When Mokuva Boris first heard of it, he also couldn’t believe that such a thing was possible to create. But over time, he realized that if it were His Majesty, then something like this would be within the realm of possibility.

“Absolutely. I shall relay your commands to the mages. Regarding the monster corpses from the Dwarven Kingdom… another batch is scheduled to arrive later in the afternoon.”

“Another one, huh? And the suits of armor?”

“Everything has been prepared in the basement of the castle’s third tower.”

Lark nodded in recognition of Mokuva’s efforts. This man, despite his frail appearance, was truly efficient in his tasks. Entrusting these matters to him had indeed been the right choice.

Ever since his return to the Kingdom of Lukas, Lark had been performing the Essence Animation Spell whenever there were available monster corpses.

Unlike before, he no longer tried combining the essences of powerful monsters to create a Lord Knight. He’d already learned from his previous gamble.

Honestly, he’d been itching to try his luck again, but he knew that he couldn’t afford to risk losing the monster corpses when war might break out at any moment.

“Maybe I’ll try it once I’ve completed the legion,” muttered Lark.

“Your Majesty?”

“Nothing. I was talking to myself.”

“…I see.”

Lark was still far from his dream of creating a thirty-thousand-strong Blackstone Legion. Well, twenty thousand Blackstone Knights would probably suffice, but he preferred creating more just for contingency purposes.

Thankfully, the trade with the United Grakas Alliance had been giving them a constant supply of metal ores needed to create the living suits of armor. Moreover, the Empire had even sent them several tons of iron.

They no longer lacked the necessary metals to create the shell for the Essence Animation Spell. What they needed now were monster corpses.

Due to the death of the boss monster in the Bottomless Gorge, the attacks on the dwarven miners had significantly lessened. At the same time, the supply of monster corpses sent to the Kingdom of Lukas had dwindled.

At this rate, it would take a couple more years before Lark could finish creating his desired legion.

Yes, there was the option of using weaker monsters for the Essence Animation Spell, but Lark felt that would be a waste at this point.

The monster corpses should meet the minimum standard before Lark would consider using them for the ritual.

After that, Lark looked through numerous documents in his office. Although all of them had already been screened and summarized, their sheer volume forced Lark to sit at his desk for several hours.

Furthermore, Mokuva would bring in more documents from time to time, making his administrative work seem like a never-ending task.

“If you’re tired, please rest, Your Majesty.”

Mokuva reminded Lark to take a break every now and then.

Without lifting his eyes off the documents, Lark replied, “No, I need to do at least this much. You’re probably familiar with Secretary Irene by now. If I don’t do this…”

“Indeed,” nodded Mokuva. “If it’s her…”

They both knew that that stubborn woman would come to work just to finish the tasks Lark had failed to complete. This was the reason why Lark was insistent on finishing all urgent matters first. This way, Irene wouldn’t have any excuse to come to work.

By evening, Lark was finally done with most of his tasks. His butt hurt a bit after sitting for so long, but he felt satisfied. He leaned back in his chair, rubbed his eyes, and stretched his arms.

“Ah, that feels better,” said Lark.

Mokuva looked outside the window. It was already dark.

“Your Majesty, I didn’t inform you because you seemed engrossed with your task, but,” said Mokuva, “the envoys from the Republic of Everfrost arrived this morning.”

“Envoys from the Republic?”

“Yes, my King. It wouldn’t do us good if you met with them right away. We have an image to maintain, after all. Especially now that you’re the leader of the Coalition. So, I told them it might take several days before they are granted an audience.”

Normally, proper etiquette would require them to send a letter before visiting the kingdom.

“Did they state their purpose?”

“According to them, it’s an official visit, but they didn’t expound further. They told us that if His Majesty inquires, we can tell you that their visit is related to underground.”

Underground.

They were definitely talking about the city sleeping beneath the Republic.

“Hmm… I see. I think I have an idea of the reason for their visit.”

It was obvious what they came here for. Since the explorers had fled to the Empire, retrieving them—especially the Aster kid—was out of the question.

Although the Empire and the Republic were both part of the Coalition, that alone wouldn’t be enough to mend the longstanding hatred between the two countries.

If he were them, Lark would also do the same—he would visit the Kingdom of Lukas instead.

“You’ve heard about the underground city before, haven’t you, Mokuva?”

“Yes, you’ve told me about it, Your Majesty.”

“They probably came here for that.”

The envoys possibly came to the Kingdom of Lukas to ask for help in dealing with the arachnias on the second floor of the dungeon. Without Aster’s concoction, passing through the second floor to reach Ist’ Tamat was nearly impossible.

Of course, they might be able to pull it off if they mobilized their entire army, but that would be a foolish move from a leader’s standpoint.

Obtaining the artifacts in the underground city would be pointless if nearly all their soldiers ended up dead in the process.

When Lark left the Republic, he actually somewhat expected this to happen.

The Republic of Everfrost, afraid that Lark would go back on his word and loot the ancient palace, probably tried dealing with the arachnias themselves but repeatedly failed.

Eventually, after exhausting all available options, they decided to seek his help in the end.

Lark fell into deep thought.

Should he help clear the arachnia nest on the second floor of the dungeon?

If he did that, the Republic of Everfrost would have access to the artifacts of Ist’ Tamat.

Although Ist’ Tamat wasn’t known for its military might back then, it was still a nation that prospered during the Era of Magic.

Surely, even ordinary artifacts installed throughout the city and the palace would be enough to tilt the tide of war in this day and age.

If the Republic’s army grew stronger from that, it would greatly aid them during the upcoming war with the demons.

‘I don’t really mind letting them have the artifacts, but…’

The real problem lay in the Elementals slumbering in the city.
If those creatures awakened and were released from their seals, the Republic of Everfrost would fall in just a few days.

No, considering that a Frost Elemental Lord was also there, a single day would probably be enough to destroy the entire Republic.

Simply put, there was too much risk in letting the Republic have unrestricted access to Ist’ Tamat.

An Elemental Lord was a moving, living disaster, after all.

“Your Majesty?” said Mokuva. He noticed that Lark seemed hesitant to meet the envoys. “If you’re uncomfortable meeting them, turning down the envoys is another option.”

Lark smiled. “No, I’ll meet them.”

“Then…”

“Three days. I’ll meet them in three days.”

“Understood. I shall tell them that.”

That should be enough time for Lark to think things through. Maybe, if lucky, he would be able to devise a way for the Republic to obtain the artifacts without awakening the Elementals.

***

The next day.

Just like he did during his time at the Republic, Lark cast a simple spell to change his hair color and altered his face with an illusion spell.

Wearing commoner clothes, Lark left the castle and walked through the capital’s districts.

His first destination was the slums—or rather, the former slums.

The poorest sector of the city would be the best indicator of the capital’s growth and development.

Before Lark ascended the throne, the slum people were ostracized and shunned wherever they went. By treatment alone, they were even worse off than slaves.

People called them rats, and those in power used them as disposable pawns that followed their beck and call.

“Hmm… a lot has changed since then,” muttered Lark.

The slums, once a festering wound on the edge of the city, had been reformed the same year Lark Marcus became king.

What was once a labyrinth of filth and despair now stood as a symbol of resilience and redemption.

The crooked alleys had been widened and paved with cobblestones, their paths lit by well-tended lanterns mounted on black iron posts.

Where mold-choked hovels once leaned drunkenly against each other, neat rows of sturdy stone and timber homes now stood—modest, but clean, well-built, and dignified.

Gutters carried rainwater into newly dug drainage canals, keeping streets dry and clean. Communal wells had been established in every square, guarded by two soldiers, providing fresh water where none had flowed before.

“Extra! Extra! News from Lukas Daily! Cheap! Twenty coppers only!”

“Ah, the smell of freshly baked bread in the morning~”

“Hey, stop running! It’s almost time for school, you damn brat!”

The small market built inside the slum buzzed with honest trade. Bakers, blacksmiths, and cobblers had settled and set up shops in proper stalls with bright awnings.

Every now and then, a patrol of city guards walked their rounds—not to intimidate but to protect.

Just one look at the rehabilitated slums was enough to tell that the gamble of Luvik, the leader of the slums, had paid off.

During the battle between Lark Marcus and Duke Kelvin, the slum people had sided with the former despite the threats and assassinations they’d received at the time.

Believing that Lark would keep his promise once he ascended the throne, the slum people united to quell the negative rumors spreading about Lark Marcus back then.

Dozens of slum people had died after siding with Lark, but their deaths paved the way for a bright future for those left behind.

Lark smiled softly as he gazed at the children laughing and playing outside.

“I’m glad,” he muttered. “I should thank Big Mona for this next time I meet him.”

Most of the reformations in the slum had been personally undertaken by Big Mona. Although the funds used were from the government, the fat merchant was the one who led the developments.

During the war with the Kelvins, Big Mona was also the one who contacted the leader of the slums to assist Lark in quelling the rumors.

Lark was about to leave when a voice spoke.

“Mister! It’s my first time seeing you here!”

It was the newspaper boy.

“I don’t know why you’re visiting the Reformed District but—!”

Ah, that’s right.

This place was no longer the slums but the Reformed District. Lark inwardly reprimanded himself for forgetting that.

“—You should grab a newspaper before you rush off! It’s from Lukas Daily, the largest and most trustworthy newspaper group in the Kingdom!”

It was indeed the largest newspaper group in the kingdom, but trustworthy? Lark doubted that.

As far as he knew, Lukas Daily was indirectly under Big Mona right now.

Using Lukas Daily, Big Mona had been manipulating information to his advantage, planting seeds of ideas among the citizens.

Well, Lark didn’t bother meddling with the fat merchant’s matters.

He didn’t have to.

After all, Big Mona had been using Lukas Daily to instill the idea that Lark was a wise and benevolent ruler. The information manipulation was so extreme that some fanatics had even formed a religious group worshiping the current king.

Due to Big Mona moving in the shadows, Lark’s popularity among the people was at its highest.

Seeing that his customer wasn’t moved by his initial sales pitch, the boy added, “Today’s news is about the King’s Eye!”

“The King’s Eye?”

Finally, Lark’s curiosity was piqued.

The King’s Eye was an organization that had been formed recently. To be precise, it had been created after the death of the Lord of Lion City.

After the death of Lord Valcres, his misdeeds and crimes came to light, and the vassals under King Lark proposed the creation of an organization that tackled such sensitive incidents.

After a long deliberation, Lark agreed to the idea and gave the go signal for the group’s formation.

To put it in simpler terms, the King’s Eye was an organization that had been given authority by the royal family to arrest nobles, lords, merchants, and even military officials.

All sensitive matters concerning these powerful individuals were handed to the King’s Eye, granting them authority to uproot the sources of evil in the kingdom.

In a sense, the murder of Lord Valcres had become the stepping stone to creating the organization.

“Here. You can keep the change.”

Lark handed the boy a silver coin and grabbed a newspaper.

“Thank you, mister! Please come again tomorrow!”

Whistling in glee, the boy walked away and started selling newspapers to the other passersby.

Lark left the Reformed District and entered a nearby café. After ordering drinks, he started reading the newspaper from Lukas Daily.

As always, most of the articles written were exaggerated claims about how great he was as a king.

“The King’s Eye…”

Soon, Lark read the part regarding the recently formed organization. He learned that another noble had been found keeping slaves in his cellar, and that said noble had been dragged away and executed promptly by the King’s Eye.

Normally, such an act would warrant the hatred of High Society, but due to Lark’s current unshakable power, the only thing the corrupt nobles could do was bite their fingernails and tremble in fear.

Even if the corrupt nobles wanted to complain, what could they do?

Due to Big Mona’s machinations, Lark’s popularity was at its peak. Moreover, Lark held control over all of the military.

His position was definitely indomitable.

After that, Lark strolled through the city until afternoon, checking various places he hadn’t visited before.

Days passed.

Finally, it was time to meet with the envoys from the Republic of Everfrost.