The atmosphere in the throne room shifted from "regal" to "terrifyingly awkward" in a
matter of seconds. As Jee-shahn lounged on the ancient seat of power, the sheer flow
of his presence began to warp the very air around the kneeling nobles.
The Heavy Silence
Jee-shahn didn't give a speech. He didn't demand loyalty. He just sat there, swirling
his beer, while the Azure Lizard on his head looked down at the Duke of Virellia and
stuck its tongue out. The "noise" of the room—the plotting, the greed, the
shouting—was silenced by a pressure so thick it felt like being underwater.
The Inner Circle's Reaction
* Sora: Stood to the left of the throne, looking less like a royal advisor and more like a
suspicious debt collector. He was already eyeing the gold filigree on the armrests,
wondering if Jee-shahn would notice if a few ounces went missing.
* Leo: Stood at the foot of the stairs, his chest pufed out but his eyes wide. He had
gone from a prince in exile to the son of a "Monster" in the span of a ten-minute
conversation. He looked at the nobles who had mocked him and gave them a "told
you so" smirk.
* Masaru & Nogi: They stood behind the throne like twin pillars of muscle, their hands
on their weapons, making sure anyone who thought about standing up stayed exactly
where they were.
The "Beloved" Problem
Jee-shahn took another sip of beer and leaned toward Sora.
"Hey, Sora... what exactly did I agree to in that room? I remember something about
beer, but the word 'wife' keeps bouncing around my head."
Sora leaned in, whispering through his teeth, "Master, you basically traded your
freedom for a crown and a very scary lady. On the bright side, the beer is free!"
Jee-shahn groaned, burying his face in one hand while the other held his drink. "Free
beer at the cost of my soul. Typical. If Emiko finds out I've been 'married of' by a
woman who scolds as well as she does, I'm a dead man."
The Command
Suddenly, Jee-shahn straightened up. The lazy fog in his eyes cleared for a split
second, replaced by a cold, cosmic sharpness.
"Alright, listen up, you kneeling statues," he said, his voice echoing with the power of
a thousand storms. "The Empress wants a war. I want a nap. To get what I want, I have
to give her what she wants. So, here's the plan: You will gather the armies. You will
stop crying about 'tradition.' And if anyone tries to take this chair while I'm in the
garden... I'll erase this city and turn it into a pond for my lizard."
"I want a big pond!" the Lizard chirped telepathically, its scales glowing.
The Flow of Power:
The nobles didn't just see a king; they saw a disaster waiting to happen if they didn't
obey. One by one, they pressed their foreheads to the cold stone floor, acknowledging
the "Monster" of the Aurum Meadows.