The royal capital Astreon was heavily guarded because the king had arrived. From a distance the city still gleamed — domes and spires and banners — but up close the illusion broke. Knights struggled to hold people back. Crowds crowded the streets, chanting curses and trying to throw stones at the carriage. The knights shoved and beat them back. That had never happened in Clover Kingdom history. The whole system had begun to collapse.
Many noble family heads had already died in the revolts. The common people no longer cared if they lived or died; they only wanted to kill the nobles. During the dungeon breakouts, many nobles had gone into hiding while commoners burned, starved and died. Knights had been ordered to protect nobility, not commoners — and now the people paid them back with rage. Some families had lost fathers, mothers, children and even grandchildren. The sleeping spark in the people had awakened: they wanted the nobles gone.
King Augustus Nova did not slow his carriage for the cries. He ignored the curses and told the rider to ride faster to reach the palace. The carriage pushed through the frightened tide and entered the Hall of the Golden Star — the royal palace. Ministers and attendants lined the halls to receive him; Prince Finral Nova stood among them, pale and tense.
As Augustus walked past, he stopped beside Finral and slapped his head. The crack of the blow echoed. Finral's tooth broke. He staggered. Augustus did not wait for an apology. He took his throne and called for Prime Minister Joshua Ceaser. When Joshua arrived he gave Augustus a full briefing on the situation.
Joshua told him the truth: riots in multiple districts, marketplaces overturned, merchants hoarding food, nobles accused of abandoning their people, damaged supply routes, and the repeated appearance of dungeon gates that made everything worse. The ledger numbers were grim. The king listened, expression unreadable. When Joshua finished, Augustus spoke with the calm of a man making decisions that would be remembered.
"Do as you see fit," he said. "Do not spend too much valon coins on rats who curse me. They deserve to die starving."
Word of the king's arrival and of Augustus' orders reached Ephor Dukedom quickly. Duke Noah Rockson read the dispatch and felt a dark thrill. He swore to himself that he would crash Presia Dukedom and make it his. He paced and called for his fastest riders. He would arrive at Astreon with force and make sure the Crowells paid. He hated that Roman had defeated a dungeon boss and killed monsters to save people — and Noah promised that strength alone would not save Roman. He would cut the head from the Crowell house and show them the price of meddling.
Back in Presia, the palace was quieter but tense. Roman sneezed once and then again; he said aloud that someone was cursing "him." Selena joked it might be their uncle, but Roman answered something heavier.
"Not as Roman but as Ronald Reagan from my past life," he said. "I want to play and crush those I don't see fit on the chairs of rulers, whether it may be whoever."
Selena laughed, half in fear. "Allen — remind me to never mess with this mad dog, Roman Crowell."
Allen answered bluntly, "Yes, young master. He is dangerous."
Roman asked about the training. "How is the training of the thirty knights going?"
"It's going fine, young master. They will be ready for action by tomorrow morning," Allen replied.
"And Captain Zion?" Roman asked.
"He's looking after the weaponry division," Allen answered.
"And what about the mercenary Josey Herclue?" Roman asked.
"He will be arriving today, young master. I will send him to the training grounds," Allen said.
Roman nodded and began to walk. Selena said under her breath, "You really are dangerous, Roman."
They passed the long gallery. On a low wall an informant pigeon sat, a small scroll tied to its neck. The scroll was sealed with another dukedom's mark. Roman opened it. His face did not change when he read.
The scroll said: Duke Noah Rockson is headed toward Astreon to meet the King.
Roman folded the paper and slipped it into his sleeve. "Now is the perfect time to teach this lowlife how a real king works and conquer what he wanted," he said softly.
The timing could not have been better.
Dawn would bring a city tense with power and fear. Noah would arrive with his banners. The King had already sat on his throne and issued harsh orders. In the shadow of those moves, Roman had assembled soldiers, mages and a mercenary. In the cold light of early morning, he would begin to teach the lesson he had promised: that a true ruler did not simply sit on a throne — he carved a world around it.
Tomorrow would ask whose crown mattered most. Roman had made his choice.