After throwing Fauriel into the dungeon, Jiho turned back and opened the heavy wooden gates.
As the doors creaked open, a massive caravan came into view. Around fifty wagons stood in neat formation.
Each was filled with wooden crates, metal barrels, and large sacks. Yet, not a single person was around. Only the horses were present—quietly waiting, tied to the wagons with thick leather straps.
When the gates were fully open, Cean moved swiftly. Without hesitation, he darted out, eyes scanning for a horse. He approached one of the front wagons, untied the straps and released the horse. Grabbing the reins tightly, he dashed away.
A cloud of dust rose behind him as he vanished into the distance. Ravien watched him go, but didn't care. He turned to the caravan and began inspecting the wagons.
(POV: Ravien)
As I stepped out of the castle, dusk had already begun. The last light of day left pale orange streaks along the horizon, but the sky had already deepened into dark indigo.
A cool breeze swept across the stone floor, making my hair flutter softly. The scent in the air had shifted; still dominated by blood and iron, but now blended with soil and the chill of night.
I lifted my gaze to the sky. The third moon had risen—interesting: one was white, one blue, and the last a pale green. Accompanied by the low murmur of the wind, I watched the sky for a while. Nights always brought me peace—at least, to me they did.
Taking a deep breath, I turned toward the caravan. Asogi was silently following behind. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were scanning everything with sharp focus.
I approached the first wagon and lifted the tarp. Inside, it was filled with sacks of flour. I grabbed one and gave it a light squeeze; the flour was fine and of good quality. Nodding slightly, I moved to the next.
The next wagon held fruits and vegetables. I picked up an apple and pressed its skin—it was still fresh.
I opened each wagon in turn, checking their contents: sacks of salt, barrels of dried meat, bundles of fabric… After carefully inspecting everything, I pulled a small notebook from my pocket and noted down rough quantities.
Once I was done, I headed back toward the castle. The breeze still lingered, but the night's chill had now settled in completely. My footsteps echoed against the stone floor.
Jiho stood by the castle gate. He was silent, but the alertness in his face made it clear he was watching everything.
As I passed by, I couldn't help but speak.
"Jiho, keep an eye on these goods until tomorrow."
After a brief silence, he turned to me. "Sir, wouldn't it be better to move them inside? The villagers might try to steal them."
Hmm. I thought Jiho was smarter than that.
Raising an eyebrow slightly, I replied, "Jiho, do you think I had all this brought for myself? Am I going to eat all this alone? Of course it's for the villagers."
Jiho hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod of acknowledgment.
Just then, Asogi—who had been standing silently behind me—asked a curious question.
"Father, why would you want to help such lowly beings?"
They still had much to learn.
Without smiling, in a natural tone, I answered, "Because they will be my people in the future. This place will be my kingdom. A kingdom is nothing without its people, right?"
Asogi paused for a moment. He seemed to have more questions but eventually held back. Perhaps he didn't want to bother me.
Jiho gave the faintest hint of a smile, then returned to his blank expression. I didn't care what he found amusing. It didn't matter. All I wanted was some rest.
Rebuilding Cean's body completely had drained me to the limit. It was the first time I'd tried this ability on a human. It had been more successful than I expected—but the cost was steep.
I entered the castle, moving silently through the stone corridors. Before long, I reached my room and opened the door.
The room was overly decorated. I never liked extravagance. But the bed was soft. Nothing could be better for my exhausted body.
So it was fine. I sat on the bed slowly and took a deep breath.
But just as I was about to lay my head on the pillow, I noticed something.
Wait a second.
I lifted my eyes and looked toward the door.
"Why did you come into my room?"
Asogi had followed me in. He was standing by the door, but the look on his face made it clear he intended to stay.
Scratching his head awkwardly, he said, "Um… father, I just wanted to stay with you. That's why I came."
I stared at him for a moment. Then let out a soft sigh.
"Fine. Just don't bother me. Stay wherever you want. I'm too tired right now."
Asogi's body began trembling slightly. Strange, low sounds came from him—like muttering, but more broken, more anxious. It was a reaction born of happiness.
"I'll stay… I'll stay with father…" he whispered to himself.
I ignored him and laid my head on the pillow. I hadn't expected to feel this drained after maxing out my capacity. My eyes grew heavy. Within seconds, I lost consciousness.
Ravien's breathing slowed. His body sank into the mattress and finally, he slipped into deep sleep.
Asogi stood motionless for a while. Then he slowly walked toward the bed, leaned over carefully, and pulled the blanket over Ravien. His movements held an odd care—shaky, yet gentle.
Then he stepped back and sat in a chair in the corner of the room. He sat down with strange precision; his back straight, hands resting firmly on his knees.
He stayed still for a long time. As if even his breathing was trying to remain silent.
The surface of his skin shimmered faintly. Small shifts appeared across his body—tiny ripples, as if something extra was stirring underneath.
Then his eyes… or the additional ones. Tiny, barely noticeable openings slowly appeared on his face. Quietly, without touching anything.
All of them turned toward Ravien.
As if they wanted to reach into his dreams.
While Ravien slept, he stayed awake.