Three days later, back at the Robinson's Territory Gates
When the first line of our trucks appeared over the ridge, a cheer erupted from the half-finished watchtowers. Flags were raised. Bell chimes rang out across the settlement. People ran to the road—workers, mothers with children on their hips, and old men with canes.
The woman's warriors jumped down first, helping direct the return as the convoy rolled in. The moment Karl's family stepped down from the HUMVEE, villagers surrounded them with food, cloaks, and soft smiles. Marla was crying again—but this time from joy. Even Sylphy, her face still pale from her brush with death, limped forward to hug them tightly. "You're safe... thank the heavens."
Karl placed a hand on his mother's back. "This is home now. You'll be safe here."
As the convoy fully parked, warriors leapt down, stretching sore muscles and laughing in relief. Someone tossed a waterskin to Kael, who caught it midair. "We made it," he said simply.
Felix looked around, brow furrowed. "Where are the others?"
Ella pointed toward the ridge. "We held a vigil last night. The fifteen who fell...um, lanterns were floated down the water. It was beautiful."
"I'll visit them tomorrow," I said quietly.
A moment passed in silence.
Then, Igor broke it. "We need a feast tonight. For the living. For the fallen. For the victory!"
The mood lifted again as warriors started pulling supplies from the trucks—meat, preserved Earth food, crates of drinks, even speakers hooked to mana cores. One of the dwarves from the forge wheeled out a small grill and grinned.
"Lord Dirk!" One young girl shouted as she approached me, holding up a glowing fruit from the Divine Tree garden. "Everyone said you saved the day again!"
I knelt beside her and tapped her nose with a finger. "No, we saved the day. All of us."
Her smile could've lit up the road.
Late That Night — Atop the Watchtower
I stood with Karl, Kael, Felix, and Sylphy. The wind had picked up, cool and refreshing, carrying with it the scent of herbs from the garden and roasted meat from the fires below.
"Feels like a real town now," Kael muttered.
"It's more than that," I said. "It's a home. And it's growing."
Karl leaned on the railing, his family visible below, dancing with villagers. "I didn't think I'd live to see them free again."
"I'm glad you did," I said. "Now they can live. You can live."
Sylphy nodded slowly. "But we shouldn't forget. The enemy still exists. Veranos was just one of many."
"True," Felix added. "But they'll think twice now."
Just then, the first fireworks shot into the sky—small mana-infused rockets I'd purchased from the system. The explosions bloomed in blue and purple, lighting up the sky. The crowd roared with delight below.
"They know your name now, Dirk," Kael said. "Not just as lord... but as legend."
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I watched the sky, my hand resting on the hilt of my sword. Somewhere out there, another threat was building. More darkness waited. But for tonight? We were the light.
And we were ready for whatever came next.
The next day. Throne Room – Capital of the Kingdom
The hall was tense with silence, the kind that held centuries of history and echoes of judgement. I stood before the royal dais, the weight of the moment pressing on my shoulders like armour. Behind me stood Felix, Karl, Kael, and a few of the warriors who'd survived our battle against the Duke. We were bruised, but victorious.
The King, once cursed and bound to his bed for months, now sat upright in his throne after I sent the temporary healing herbs from the divine garden. Thanks to Divina and his son, a day before we march to the Duke's territory, I sent the herbs here. Now, the king's colour had returned, though faint. His eyes, once dim, now shone with disbelief as he gazed at the glowing vial in my hand—the cure that had come from the dungeon drop we fought so hard to claim.
"Your Majesty," I said, stepping forward. "This potion was retrieved from the Tower Dungeon's deepest level. It is said to cure even the most ancient of curses."
The court mage stepped forward hesitantly, inspecting the vial with trembling fingers. "This... this radiance—it matches the ancient text. It's divine-grade."
With a nod from the king, the mage administered the potion. We waited in silence as a light pulse shimmered over the King's body. Moments passed. Then—
A soft breath. A twitch. The King's hands clenched.
He opened his eyes fully, sat straight, and took in the room.
"By the gods," he murmured. "The pain is... gone."
Gasps rang across the chamber. His wife, the queen, and her daughter, the saintess, broke into tears. The royal guards dropped to one knee.
The King's gaze locked on mine. "Who are you... truly?"
I bit my lips. "I am Dirk Robinson," I answered calmly. "A foreigner to this land. A lord now by title, but only because I fought for it." What the hell with his questions? He knew who I was. But yeah, whatever; the king was overdramatic sometimes.
He slowly stood, the curse truly lifted. His voice boomed with renewed strength.
"Dirk Robinson, you have saved my life. Name your reward—gold, title, land, anything you desire."
I shook my head. "I need no gold, Your Majesty."
He looked confused. "Then what is it you seek?"
I glanced at my companions. At Karl, who stood next to his mother and sister, finally free. At Kael, whose resolve had never wavered. At the court, filled with nobles who had never lifted a hand for the people they governed.
"I want freedom," I said. "Not for me. For the slaves scattered across the mainland. I've seen the mines, the branded children, and the way the broken are tossed aside as tools."
A hush fell over the throne room. The Queen's lips parted in shock. One noble choked on his breath.
"Free them," I continued. "Give them a choice. Let them stay in your land if they wish—but if they want to leave, grant them safe passage to my territory. I'll take them in. I'll give them a new life. Not as workers or tools... but as people."
Gasps echoed across the majestic hall. The King stood silent, considering the weight of the request. "Do you know how many nobles would protest such a thing?" he finally asked.
"I do," I replied evenly. "Let them protest. You'll gain the loyalty of thousands who've never known kindness. And I'll ensure that they never lift a sword against your banner."
Felix stepped forward. "You'll also gain allies with modern tactics, strategy, and tools."
Kael added, "And perhaps... redemption for this kingdom's sins."
The King stared at each of us, then finally nodded. "So be it. I will issue a decree. Every slave shall be given freedom—and a choice."
Cheers erupted from behind me. Karl's mother wept silently. His sister hugged her brother tightly.
The King stepped down from the dais and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You ask for nothing, and yet you change the very fabric of our nation. You are... unlike any man I've known."
I bowed slightly. "Then I hope I remain that way."
As we exited the hall, I pulled up my Guardian Screen and saw the mission notification flash.
Quest Complete: Save the King. Change a Kingdom.
Reward: Royal Trust. Title Upgrade. Population Morale +100.
Wow! I thought the reward was zero? Huh, guardian system, you are amazing.
Outside the palace, people already gathered in the streets—word travelled fast. I saw children running with freedom slips, old miners tossing their shackles in the gutter, and families making plans to travel to a place they now called...Home.
Three days later, after yet another party in the king's castle, the sun crept over the horizon, casting golden light across the kingdom's main road as a convoy unlike any the realm had ever seen rolled toward my territory. Leading the formation were five massive military trucks, their sleek steel bodies humming with mana-infused engines. Behind them, three rugged HUMVEEs growled with power, kicking dust as they rolled like beasts across the earth. Dozens of mana-boosted motorbikes, ridden by my trained warriors in dark green armour, flanked the path like wolves guarding their pack.
And at the heart of it all—twenty ornate carriages, gilded with the royal crest, provided by the King himself. They carried families once broken by chains: former slaves, widows, children, beastkin and dwarves who had never dared to dream of freedom. They now smiled cautiously, clutched bread from my stockpile, and watched the skies in wonder.
I stood in the leading truck's bed, wind in my face as we rumbled down the wide road. Karl rode behind me on one of the Humvees. Kael and Felix checked and rechecked the gear. Sylphy, now recovering from her wounds, rode beside Igor in the second truck, a protective rune glowing softly across her arm from Divina's potion.
"Elvie," I called through the radio.
Her voice crackled back. "All supplies intact, boss. Bread, potions, blankets... and even a barrel of honey. Kids are already dipping their fingers in it."
I chuckled.
From beside me, Felix grinned, chewing a piece of dried meat. "They're going to think we're gods when they see the main gates."
"We're not gods," I said. "But we're giving them something divine—hope."
In the rear, one of the children pointed to the bikes and whispered to her mother, "Are those... dragons?"
"No," her mother said gently, "That's our new army."
The king's carriages had been enchanted for a smoother ride, and thanks to the mana-infused suspension system I secretly rigged in via the Guardian Screen, not even the potholes from last week's storm could jostle them.