Despite the constant pressure of helping guide an entire kingdom, Jax never really thought of himself as a ruler.
He held no official title.
He was not a mayor.
Not a governor.
Not a king.
Technically, he had no authority at all.
And yet somehow… everything seemed to revolve around him.
Even he found it strange sometimes.
In the eyes of the United Kingdoms, Jax Darquebane was many things.
A husband.
A fiancé.
A merchant.
An adventurer.
A problem solver.
But above all else, he was someone who genuinely cared about the world he was helping create.
He influenced people not through titles or decrees, but through actions.
In the past year alone, he had helped improve the lives of not hundreds…
Not thousands…
But tens of thousands of people across the United Kingdoms.
Cities had grown.
Trade routes expanded.
Infrastructure improved.
Art, culture, and invention flourished in places that had once struggled just to survive.
Even the most skeptical leaders on the council had eventually come to the same conclusion.
Jax wasn't a ruler.
But he was absolutely a leader.
Which was why nearly every major decision the council made was discussed with him first.
No one demanded it.
No one required it.
They simply wanted his input.
Even the Weasel Mayor—who had once tried to manipulate Jax when Solmere was still struggling—now followed his suggestions almost without question.
To the mayor's credit, he had also grown wiser.
Solmere was thriving, and he knew exactly why.
Occasionally he took credit publicly for certain improvements.
And Jax never corrected him.
As long as the town prospered, Jax didn't care who received applause.
The end result was what mattered.
And the end result was undeniable.
The United Kingdoms were flourishing.
Even elections had begun to change.
Occasionally the Empire or remnants of the Slave Guild attempted to support opposing candidates in certain cities.
But those campaigns rarely lasted long.
A single endorsement from Jax in The United Kingdoms' Chronicle newspaper would spread across the region within days.
Citizens would read his reasoning.
Then they would vote.
The Empire's influence campaigns simply could not compete anymore.
The world was changing.
And Solmere stood at the center of it.
Yet despite all of that…
Jax still felt the itch.
The same itch that had brought him into this world in the first place.
Adventure.
The unknown.
The thrill of discovering something new.
And lately…
That itch had been getting stronger.
Rumors had begun circulating through the Adventurers Guild.
A new raid quest had appeared.
Not a normal dungeon.
Something far rarer.
Something legendary.
A World Tree.
According to the reports, the massive tree had appeared almost overnight in the southeastern region of the continent.
It was enormous.
Large enough to dwarf entire cities.
World Trees were rare magical phenomena that appeared only occasionally across the world.
When one appeared inside the Empire's borders, their forces would immediately move to destroy it.
The wood.
The sap.
The roots.
Every part of a World Tree contained powerful magical properties.
The Empire harvested those resources for their mage corps.
But this one…
This one had appeared far beyond their reach.
To reach it, the Empire would first have to pass through the territories of the United Kingdoms.
Territories that were now openly hostile to them.
And even then, the journey would require hundreds more miles of dangerous travel.
By the time the Empire could realistically reach it…
The tree would continue to harvest weapons and magic for those who could conquer it.
Which meant there was now a race.
Adventurers from across the continent were already heading southeast.
Everyone wanted to see what treasures a World Tree raid might contain.
Jax brought the rumor to the Vixens one evening.
He tried to sound casual about it.
But the excitement was hard to hide.
He explained the situation.
The raid.
The location.
The potential dangers.
Then he waited to see their reactions.
He didn't want to pressure them.
Their lives were comfortable now.
Solmere was thriving.
The businesses were running smoothly.
Even Bunny's twin brother had recently been promoted to running one of Jax's operations in Hairbro.
Unlike Bunny, who preferred smashing monsters with a giant hammer, her brother had a natural talent for numbers.
Balance sheets.
Trade logistics.
Profit margins.
He had quickly become Jax's personal accountant.
And Jax paid his assistants well.
Not because they were family.
But because he understood the value of good help.
Good people made success possible.
And he rewarded them accordingly.
So when Jax mentioned the raid…
He expected at least a little hesitation.
Maybe even pushback.
Instead the responses were immediate.
Nyxian grinned.
"Sounds fun."
Bunny bounced excitedly.
"When do we leave?"
Llandra simply shrugged with a smile.
"You lead."
"We follow."
Jax blinked.
Well…
That had been easier than expected.
But then he noticed something.
Zee was quiet.
Just for a moment.
A small hesitation.
It was subtle.
But Jax knew her well enough to see it.
He almost spoke immediately.
Almost told her they didn't have to go.
That the idea was silly.
That Solmere was doing perfectly fine without another adventure.
But he stopped himself.
Instead, he waited.
He had learned something important about Zee.
When she spoke freely, she was bold.
Sometimes hilariously so.
The private conversations between the five of them could become so shamelessly inappropriate that even Nyxian occasionally laughed in disbelief.
But when the topic involved something serious…
Something emotional…
Zee sometimes hesitated.
So Jax simply listened.
And waited.
Finally she spoke.
"I want to do the raid."
Everyone nodded.
Then she added something unexpected.
"But… after that…"
She looked down briefly.
"I'd like to find my clan."
The room fell quiet.
"They're from the southeastern region."
"I want to visit them."
"And…"
She hesitated.
"I want to get married there."
The others stared at her in surprise.
Zee rarely spoke about her past.
They knew only fragments.
A cult.
A dangerous upbringing.
An escape that had nearly cost her life.
Which made this request unexpected.
Llandra was the first to step forward.
"If you want to marry Jax," she said gently, "you don't need your clan's permission."
"With your history… you owe them nothing."
Bunny nodded enthusiastically.
"We could do it tomorrow!"
"Or next week!"
"We'll throw the biggest celebration Solmere has ever seen!"
Nyxian grinned.
"I volunteer to organize the party."
But Jax watched Zee carefully.
Her expression told a different story.
This wasn't about permission.
This wasn't about tradition.
She needed something.
Closure.
One way or another.
Jax spoke calmly.
"We can visit your clan first."
"Then do the raid."
"Or the other way around."
"Whatever you want."
Zee stayed quiet for several seconds.
Jax could practically see the thoughts spinning inside her mind.
The news about the World Tree had stirred something deep within her.
Now she was torn between fear…
And determination.
Finally she looked up at him.
For guidance.
Jax gave the only answer he could.
"We support whatever decision you choose."
For a moment she looked frustrated.
Then something changed.
Her shoulders straightened.
Her eyes hardened with resolve.
"I want to conquer the raid first."
Then she smiled slightly.
"And after that…"
"I want to find my clan."
She took a breath.
"And when we return to Solmere…"
"I want to be married."
The Vixens smiled.
Jax nodded.
Just like that—
They had their next mission.