Daniel walked into the royal court as though he were entering a quiet tavern.
Unhurried.Unimpressed.
The vast hall stretched before him—polished marble floors, towering pillars carved with the kingdom's victories, golden chandeliers glowing softly above rows of nobles seated in rigid formation. They wore silk and jewels, their expressions carefully schooled… yet beneath the surface, tension rippled.
Fear.
Displeasure.
Curiosity.
Daniel felt it all—and cared for none of it.
He stopped at the center of the hall and looked around lazily, hands resting behind his back. His gaze swept across the nobles as if inspecting livestock.
Then he laughed.
A short, amused sound.
"Well," he said casually, voice echoing through the chamber, "this explains a lot."
The nobles stiffened.
"Explain what?" one demanded sharply.
Daniel tilted his head. "Why the borders are collapsing."
Murmurs erupted.
"You sit here," Daniel continued, gesturing broadly, "draped in silk, drinking wine older than most villages… while your people are eaten alive beyond these walls."
Gasps followed.
One noble slammed his hand on the armrest. "How dare you—!"
Daniel cut him off with a lazy glance.
"You've even marked the abandoned regions on your maps," he said with a grin. "Red lines. Gray zones. Unprofitable territories. Very efficient."
The court erupted.
"Insulting—!"
"This is treason!"
"Guards—!"
Daniel laughed again—this time louder.
"You call it efficiency," he said lightly. "I call it cowardice."
His smile vanished.
The temperature dropped.
"These," he said, voice hardening into steel, "are people you marked for death."
The room fell silent.
"Luckily for you," Daniel went on, eyes burning, "that path happened to be the road I travelled. I cleared it. I carved open a corridor of fresh air and peace for humanity with my own hands."
His gaze swept the nobles like a blade.
"And some of you sitting here right now," he said coldly, "have regions rotting with demonic beasts—yet you keep your private armies hiding behind castle walls."
Several nobles paled.
One old man trembled.
Daniel turned toward the throne.
"Your Majesty," he said, voice calm once more, "I formally request that every noble present donate half of their resources—gold, supplies, troops, and artifacts—to aid in the war that is pushing us to the brink of extinction."
The hall exploded.
"Outrageous!"
"Half our resources?!"
"He's mad!"
"This barbarian—!"
Mimi's fingers tightened at her side.
Her heart raced.
The hostility in the room was suffocating.
Then—
Daniel released his aura.
It poured outward like an invisible tidal wave.
Killing intent sharpened by endless slaughter flooded the hall.
The effect was immediate.
Several elderly nobles went pale—then collapsed unconscious.
Others gagged, clutching their throats as if they might vomit.
A few fell to their knees, shaking violently.
Even the air itself seemed to scream.
Mimi gasped as the pressure reached her—
Then vanished.
Daniel's hand rested gently on her waistline bringing her close to his body.
A thin barrier of controlled mana wrapped around her like warm silk. He glanced at her and smiled faintly—apologetic, reassuring.
She steadied instantly.
The king remained seated.
His eyes gleamed.
So young… and already this terrifying, he thought, smiling inwardly. I like him.
Royal guards burst into the hall, weapons raised—only to freeze mid-step.
Some collapsed instantly.
Others couldn't even breathe.
Daniel didn't look at them.
The king raised his hand.
"That is enough."
The aura vanished as abruptly as it had come.
The court gasped, collapsing into stunned silence.
The king stood.
"Daniel Bellhem," he declared, voice carrying authority forged by decades of rule, "by royal decree, I hereby bestow upon you the title of War General of the Kingdom."
Gasps echoed.
"You are granted full command authority over all border defenses, demonic suppression forces, and war operations."
A golden scroll unfurled midair, glowing with royal mana.
"The fortress near the warzone borders shall be prepared at once," the king continued. "House Elvaren will assume financial authority effective immediately."
Nobles looked as if struck by lightning.
"And the resource contribution," the king added calmly, "will be enforced."
Daniel inclined his head slightly.
"Wise choice," he said.
Outside the court, chaos took a different form.
As Daniel exited with Mimi beside him and his squad following in perfect formation, young noble ladies crowded the palace steps.
Silks fluttered.
Perfumes clashed.
Smiles bloomed like practiced weapons.
"General Daniel—!"
"My lord, allow me—!"
"Our houses would be honoured—!"
shhhh, Daniel said as if signalling for silence, he then ignored them and left, Shame gleamed on the young ladies face some crying and ruining the make up in their face, changing the beauty into the beast.
It was obvious.
The old nobles' last attempt.
Bind him through marriage. Seize influence through bloodlines.
Daniel didn't slow.
Didn't glance.
Didn't acknowledge a single one.
He walked straight through them as if they were air, wow, Eeseren sarcastically said,how cold.
Mimi hid a smile in her face.
Eseren snorted softly.
The Red Flags Battalion followed—expressionless, immovable.
The message was clear.
—
Daniel stayed at the Elvaren mansion while his fortress was prepared.
The prestige alone shook the capital.
The War General is staying with House Elvaren.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
Invitations poured in.
Titus Elvaren's political standing skyrocketed overnight.
For two weeks, Daniel remained there.
And for most of that time—
He spent it with Mimi.
Late conversations. Quiet laughter. Stolen moments in moonlit halls. Hands brushing. Lips meeting.
Months apart melted away.
They learned each other again—slowly, honestly.
Meanwhile, Eseren became a spectacle of her own.
Suitors lined up.
Young lords. Veteran commanders. Noble heirs.
She rejected them all—bluntly.
"Only a strong man is worthy of my love," she declared.
And meant every word.
As the kingdom shifted, one truth became undeniable—
Power had arrived.
And it was not asking for permission.