The morning began with what the ministers had come to call "The Great Freeze." Without prior notice, Grayfia—armed with a crystal clipboard and a retinue of administrative assistants—initiated the General Sanitary and Administrative Inspection.
The first target was the Ministry of Health and Subsistence. Benedict, the Master Baker, was caught off guard while experimenting with a new fermentation process. Grayfia did not look at the quality of the bread, but rather at the angle of the shelves and the purity of the alchemical water.
"Minister Benedict," she said, her voice cutting like an ice blade, "I have found a flour trail of 0.5 millimeters outside the containment zone. This is an invitation for spiritual pests and a severe failure of Level 4 hygiene protocol. A ten-credit fine for the ministry and a full audit of the stockpiles."
Panic spread. Sebastian, at the Ministry of Education, was reprimanded for the "harmonic disorganization" of his sheet music, and Genevieve had her fabrics temporarily confiscated for failing to display the magical sterilization seal required by the new code.
In the royal office, Sirzechs watched Grayfia's reports with a mixture of admiration and exhaustion. The inspection had revealed a critical problem: with the opening of the embassy and the increase in trade traffic, the Avalon Gendarmerie—composed of the original five guards—was operating at its limit. Internal security was vulnerable, and the new citizens were beginning to show a boldness that bureaucracy alone could not contain.
"Grayfia is right," Sirzechs murmured, standing up. "If we want to maintain this standard, we need a force that doesn't just protect the borders, but acts as the right hand of order within these very streets."
He walked to the center of the Marble Plaza. The human within him felt the weight of responsibility, but the Sovereign knew what had to be done. Using [Visionary], Sirzechs did not just imagine new beings; he projected the necessity for discipline and vigilance.
In a thunder of crimson magicules that darkened the Jura sky for a moment, two hundred new Hollows were manifested all at once. Unlike previous generations, these were not born in civilian clothes. They emerged in perfect military formation, wearing breastplates of polished bone and wielding halberds that seemed made of solid darkness. Their masks were austere, with narrow slits for eyes, exuding an aura of implacable authority.
«Notice. Mass creation detected (200 units).» «Designation: Praetorian Guard of Avalon.» «Primary Directive: Maintenance of Internal Order and Enforcement of the Grayfia Code.»
Sirzechs felt a momentary drain on his infinite reserves due to the complexity of the creation. With this new contingent, Avalon's population jumped to 330 individuals. Grayfia, finishing her sanitary inspection with a look of stern approval for the new guards, approached Sirzechs with a new stack of scrolls.
"Lord Sirzechs, the increase in the guard is providential," she said, handing him the pen. "But two hundred new soldiers require two hundred new barracks, a military mess system, patrol regulations, and, of course, a new Director of Internal Security to coordinate them."
Sirzechs looked at the mountain of recruitment and logistics papers.
"Grayfia, I just created an army to help me maintain order, and the first thing they bring me is more paperwork?"
"Order, My Lord, is merely the name we give to well-executed bureaucracy," she replied, serving him tea to calm his nerves. "Now, please, sign the training directives. Alistair reported that the foreigners are curious about our 'Porcelain Army.' We need them to look as organized as your bread."
Avalon now pulsed with a new energy. Grayfia's inspection ensured that every corner of the city sparkled, and the two hundred new guards ensured that no one dared to tarnish that shine. The marble nation was becoming a fortress of laws, where even the air seemed to be audited before it was breathed.
The population expansion of Avalon to over three hundred inhabitants transformed the city from a charming village into a militarized, organized metropolis. The white marble now extended to the north, where Sirzechs, using [Visionary], erected the Iron District. Inspired by the forts and barracks of Central Europe, the new sector displayed imposing walls, perfectly leveled training courtyards, and barracks that followed absolute symmetry.
However, the true milestone of this expansion was not the marble, but the evolution that occurred within the heart of the new army.
Author's Note:
Grayfia is officially the scariest auditor in any world. Even the King isn't safe! But with 200 elite guards now patrolling the streets, Avalon's "Soft Power" is getting some "Hard Power" to back it up. Who will be the legendary commander to lead this Iron District?