The western skies stretched endlessly beneath pale afternoon sunlight.
Cold winds drifted across the rolling hills of Asheville Territory while distant forests swayed softly beneath silver clouds moving slowly above Citadel's outskirts. Villages scattered across the territory carried peaceful life within them now—smoke rising from chimneys, children running through dirt roads, merchants transporting grain carts between settlements, and farmers working calmly beneath the open sky.
For the first time in many years—
The Asheville lands no longer resembled a dying territory.
No starvation.
No collapsing roads.
No terrified villagers whispering about noble corruption.
Life had returned here.
And today—
The lord of those lands personally walked among them.
Reina moved quietly along the stone road cutting through the western village routes while cold winds gently moved her silver hair beneath the sunlight. She wore simpler noble attire today compared to her usual formal clothing—an elegant black traveling coat lined with silver embroidery alongside practical boots suitable for long-distance movement.
Yet despite the simpler appearance—
Authority still naturally surrounded her.
Meanwhile beside her—
Kel calmly walked with one hand resting near the sword hanging from his waist.
Reina's sword.
The silver-black blade reflected sunlight faintly beneath the drifting winds while his dark traveling clothes moved softly against the afternoon breeze.
Behind them—
Several household knights followed at respectful distance.
Far enough not to disturb.
Close enough for security.
Yet strangely—
Most villagers barely looked toward the knights.
Their attention instead naturally moved toward Reina.
Toward the Matriarch who restored their territory from collapse.
And every single time villagers greeted her—
Kel quietly stepped half a pace behind.
Like an attendant.
Like a personal sword following his lord.
Exactly as he intended.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly laughed.
"You really enjoy hiding behind other people's authority."
Kel calmly replied internally.
"Visibility attracts unnecessary complications."
"You literally became Dragon Emperor."
"That was also troublesome."
Meanwhile—
The small village they currently passed through appeared peaceful but worn.
Old wooden homes lined narrow dirt roads while aging stone wells rested near the central square beneath fading protective runes. The villagers respectfully lowered their heads when Reina passed while some children curiously stared toward Kel standing beside her.
Then suddenly—
Kel's gaze shifted toward the eastern side of the village.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Reina noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Kel calmly looked toward the distant hills beyond the village afterward.
"…Water access."
Reina blinked once.
Then followed his gaze.
Far away—
Nearly beyond the visible outskirts—
Several villagers slowly carried large wooden containers uphill beneath exhausting afternoon heat.
The distance was absurd.
Even from here it looked difficult.
Kel quietly observed them for several moments afterward.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly muttered:
"The underground water flow is too far from the settlement."
Kel already noticed.
The village originally likely formed around an older water source long dried over decades.
Now—
The villagers walked nearly two hours daily simply to gather water safely.
Troublesome.
Meanwhile—
Reina quietly frowned slightly.
"I didn't receive reports about this."
Kel calmly replied:
"Because they adapted."
Another pause.
"People stop complaining once suffering becomes routine."
The words landed quietly.
Heavy.
Reina's silver eyes slightly lowered afterward.
Because unfortunately—
He was correct.
Most villagers never reported hardships unless conditions became catastrophic.
Not because things were fine.
But because they assumed nobles wouldn't care.
Then suddenly—
Kel stepped forward calmly.
The nearby household knights immediately straightened slightly.
Meanwhile the villagers watched curiously.
Kel quietly walked toward the edge of the village where the terrain sloped downward toward lower rocky hills.
Then slowly—
He drew his sword.
SHHHK—
The silver-black blade reflected sunlight brilliantly.
The atmosphere changed instantly afterward.
Even the winds briefly stilled.
Kel calmly raised one hand afterward while faint crimson-black mana slowly gathered around his fingertips.
Then—
The earth trembled.
BOOOOOM—
The ground cracked violently beneath the hillside beyond the village.
Villagers screamed in shock.
The knights immediately froze.
Reina however simply watched calmly.
Because she already understood.
Kel's sword moved afterward.
One single horizontal slash.
SHHHHHK—
The hill split apart.
Not destroyed.
Precisely carved.
Stone separated cleanly beneath terrifyingly controlled force while deep underground water veins suddenly burst upward through newly created channels.
CRAAAAASH—
A stream erupted from the earth itself.
Clear water surged violently before flowing naturally downward through the freshly carved stone path directly toward the village outskirts.
The villagers stared blankly.
Speechless.
Kel calmly continued afterward.
His fingers lightly moved while earth magic reinforced the surrounding channel structures automatically.
Stone barriers stabilized.
Flow directions corrected.
Pressure balanced.
Within minutes—
A safe flowing water route now connected directly beside the village.
Close enough for daily use.
Far enough to avoid flooding.
Perfectly calculated.
Silence consumed the entire area afterward.
Even the knights looked stunned.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly sighed.
"You solve problems like a natural disaster pretending to be helpful."
Kel ignored her.
Meanwhile—
The village elder slowly approached trembling afterward.
An old man with worn clothing and weathered hands deeply bowed before Reina immediately.
"Lady Matriarch…"
His voice shook slightly.
"…thank you…"
Behind him—
The villagers also began bowing repeatedly.
Grateful.
Overwhelmed.
Reina quietly looked toward them afterward.
Then slowly—
Her silver eyes shifted briefly toward Kel standing calmly beside the flowing water stream.
He however remained silent.
Uninterested in recognition.
As always.
Reina understood immediately.
Then softly—
She stepped forward.
"I only fulfilled my responsibility."
The villagers' gratitude intensified instantly afterward.
Because in their eyes—
Their ruler personally solved their suffering.
Not distant officials.
Not tax collectors.
Their lord.
Meanwhile—
Kel quietly stepped further behind her afterward like nothing happened.
Inside his mind—
Sairen immediately laughed again.
"You really handed her all the credit."
Kel calmly replied internally.
"She governs them."
"And you carved a mountain apart."
"Technical detail."
Meanwhile—
The territorial inspection continued afterward.
Village after village.
Road after road.
And wherever problems appeared—
Kel quietly resolved them.
Sometimes subtly.
Sometimes violently.
One western settlement suffered repeated beast attacks from nearby forests.
Kel disappeared into the woods briefly.
Minutes later—
The enormous corpse of a corrupted horned beast crashed near the village gates.
Its skull split cleanly in half.
No explanation necessary.
Another village struggled with collapsed road access after heavy rains.
Kel casually reinforced the entire stone pathway using earth magic while the villagers watched in stunned silence.
A merchant route plagued by minor monsters suddenly became safe after Kel silently erased an entire nest hidden within canyon ruins nearby.
Yet every single time—
Reina received the gratitude.
The praise.
The recognition.
And Kel always remained merely:
The attendant beside her.
The silent sword following the Matriarch.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly asked eventually:
"Why do you always do that?"
Kel calmly walked beside Reina beneath the afternoon winds.
"She needs legitimacy."
Another pause.
"Rulers become stable when people believe in them personally."
Meanwhile—
Reina quietly observed the villagers thanking her again and again throughout the day.
And slowly—
Something painful yet warm formed within her chest.
Because she understood exactly what Kel was doing.
He wasn't helping villagers for recognition.
He was strengthening her position.
Making the people love her.
Trust her.
Believe in her.
Even now—
He quietly built her future while standing in the background himself.
The silver-haired matriarch slowly tightened her fingers slightly afterward.
Then quietly—
She looked toward him.
Kel calmly walked beside her beneath drifting western sunlight while distant winds moved through his black hair softly.
And somehow—
At that moment—
Reina felt something very dangerous inside her heart grow even deeper