When Archer saw the two girls, a happy smile appeared before he greeted them with a hug. Leira spotted the food stall he was waiting at while Kassandra commented as she looked around, ”What are you doing, Arch?”

”Getting something to eat while Ella, Halime, and Teuila are exploring down south with the White Dragon Knightsm,” he explained.

The girls nodded and waited in line as Kassandra took Archer’s arm. ”Can we get some food as well? I like Leonora and Nalika, but they can talk for hours without breathing,” she commented. ”We needed a break, so we followed the other three’s lead when they left to see you.”

”You two are always welcome to join me,” he said with a charming smile. I love spending time with you both.”

She blushed when Leira heard his compliment, excitedly causing her tail to sway as Kassandra beamed. The trio waited a little while until it was their turn to order, and Archer ordered five of everything, shocking the stall owner.

But when Archer produced three gold coins, the man agreed and started cooking while motioning for them to sit at the nearby table. They sat down as Leira spoke, intrigued, ”Where are all the poor? And why do the people look so happy?”

He chuckled at her reaction before explaining everything he’d done for the people, including a safety net for people who fell off and couldn’t support themselves. Archer created a program where the poor were put to work and paid five gold per week, but they had to budget for rent, food, and other necessities.

Once the person or family were back on their feet, the government would help them find jobs until they were stable and would pay five percent of their wage to the kingdom in return for the help they received.

After speaking, the two girls looked at him like he was a strange monster, causing him to ask, ”What?”

Leira shook her head and questioned, ”That must cost a fortune to run, and why do you care for the common people so much? Why spend your wealth?”

Archer smiled. ”If I lift up the poor and vulnerable, they will be able to work and support their families while giving them an extra coin to spend on whatever they like,” he explained. Most kingdoms forget about the lowborn, but if given a hand and allowed to rise, they can become productive members of Draconia.”

”How is the kingdom funding such endeavors? I know it’s not the only one you’ve created,” Leira commented while the group waited for food.

”Well, my personal wealth, taxes, and gold I steal from the Novogorodians and Church Of Light,” Archer replied. ”They will pay for themselves when the kingdom is fully functional, but it will take some time.”

”So you care for the people? Are you a kind ruler then?” Kassandra asked while turning her gaze to him.

Archer chuckled before shaking his head, ”No. I will still be brutal, but only when people break the law or attack me in some way.”

The two girls nodded in agreement before the stall owner appeared with bowls of soups and broths, which he placed on the table, and rushed off to get the rest of the food. When Archer smelled the aroma drifting off the food, his stomach rumbled.

He looked at the first soup, which reminded him of tomato soup from Earth, and grabbed the spoon before trying it. As the hot liquid touched his tongue, it lit up as the spices and heat from the food tried to burn his mouth.

But all it achieved was letting Archer enjoy it as he started eating. Kassandra tried a mouthful, and when it burned her, she panicked before pulling out a waterskin and downing the cold drink, causing Leira to laugh.

Once the Kraken girl calmed down, she challenged Leira, who accepted it and started eating the burning hot soup. Archer watched this with amusement as he noticed the cat girl’s face reddened with every mouthful.

Kassandra gazed at her knowingly before Leria gave up and snatched the waterskin. This caused Archer to laugh at the girl’s reactions, but the three continued to eat and enjoy the meal.

One soup tasted nice, sweet, and salty, while others were spicy but not as spicy as the first. After the three ate, Leira wanted to tour Stormwatch Port. The city was big and separated into several sections.

The central part of Stormwatch was the government district, where all the buildings needed to run a city were located. A protective wall surrounded that area, keeping it separate from the public.

Dragon Legionnaires guarded the entrances while checking people trying to pass through while keeping the district safe. Archer witnessed officials being escorted by the Homeguard as they did their business.

Outside the government district was the Housing district, which comprised tall 20-story apartment blocks made from Whitestone mined by the southern coast. The buildings were covered in windows, allowing light to flood the inside, and the late afternoon sun lit up the stone.

Beautiful patterns could be seen, and the street below lit up, which amazed Kassandra and Leira. After the Housing District was the shopping district, followed by the manufacturing, and then lastly, the massive harbor that jutted into Dragons Cove.

The trio explored every inch of the city and realized more than half was still being worked on. When the guards spotted them, they bowed before carrying on with their patrols. Archer enjoyed the sights and sounds of the people.

He noticed humans, elves, dragonkin, and many other races rushing around, trying to get their business done before the city started to shut down as a chime was heard. Archer was confused and asked the first soldier he saw.

The man explained that there were three daily chimes: Morning, afternoon, and evening. At the third chime, everyone knew it was the end of the day and could head home. After that, they continued to walk through the beautiful city.

While strolling, Kassandra turned to him, ”There are so many people here from all over Thrylos Arch,” she said. ”How come your kingdom exploded?”

He shrugged, ”I think Aisha and the government have sent representatives to all the continents to negotiate with the different realms, as our food is top-tier and full of mana thanks to the land.

Archer and the two girls arrived at the bustling harbor, the air humming with activity. They stood on one of the roads along the edge, taking in the sight before them. Dozens of ships of various shapes and sizes dotted the harbor, their sails billowing in the breeze.

The vessels creaked and groaned as they rocked gently against the dock, their hulls burdened with crates, barrels, and other cargo. He scanned the scene, his eyes alight with curiosity.

“Look at all those ships,” he remarked, gesturing toward the bustling harbor. “Each one has a story to tell.”

Leira’s tail swished excitedly as she took in the sight. “It’s incredible,” she marveled. “So many ships from all corners of the world.”

Kassandra nodded in agreement, her gaze tracing the lines of the vessels. “I wonder where they’ve all come from,” she mused. “And what treasures they carry.”

”Look!” Leira pointed at a long, sleek ship with a bright red sail, ”It’s from the Kitsunia Kingdom in the far east.”

When she said that, Archer noticed it was built in an eastern style and looked strong, but what caught his attention was the fox people unloading its cargo. After that, Leira pointed at another vessel.

This one was bulkier and looked like a floating tank more than anything, but dwarves unloaded crates of metal ore while chatting to the Draconian Officials who were inspecting the cargo.

All kinds of smells ranging from delicious to disgusting drifted through the air, causing Archer to grimace whenever he smelled something foul, ‘That smell is nasty.’

As the three stood there, an older human woman rushed over to them with a panicked look before kneeling in front of him, ”Al-Maseeh At-Tinyan,” she said in a tone of devotion. ”We are glad you grace our presence with your mighty self.”

When Archer heard the woman, he was confused and didn’t know how to feel. He was just about to talk, but the woman beat him to it, ”We are devout followers of the Fireheart Faith and Al-Maseeh At-Tinyan who has blessed us with this glorious land.”

Leira stepped closer and whispered, ”Are you starting a cult husband? Because if you are, this is how you go about it.”

”I’m not bothered. It’s good to have a kingdom of fanatics as they would die for me,” Archer replied.

”Test your theory,” Kassandra spoke up from the said. ”See if they truly worship you.”

Archer nodded before turning to the human and speaking, ”What’s your name, commander?”

”Maria, Al-Maseeh At-Tinyan.” she kneeled lower.

”Kill yourself for me and show me your devotion,” he suddenly said, which shocked Kassandra and Leira, whose eyes widened.

Without thinking, Maria took out a blade and went to slit her throat, but Archer caught her arm to stop it, ”No need to go through with it, Maria,” he said. ”You’ve proved your devotion.”

The elderly woman initially appeared bewildered, but a spark of recognition flickered in her eyes. Archer bowed respectfully and addressed her, “You tested me, Al-Maseeh At-Tinyan. Have I succeeded?”

“You have,” she affirmed. “Now rise and enlighten me on the source of this unwavering devotion,” Archer said as he helped Maria to her feet.

As Maria regained her composure, she adjusted her uniform and locked eyes with him.

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