Several days had passed.
The construction of the new Duke's residence was nearly complete, its foundations strong and veiled in enchantments. Once it was livable, Kael and his companions moved in without ceremony.
General was focused on preparing the army, training soldiers with relentless discipline. The air around the barracks was thick with the rhythm of drills and the sharp ring of steel.
Nyra had relocated to the Church of the Night Goddess, where she had been appointed High Priestess.
Under Kael's approval, the once solemn church was transformed into a full-fledged orphanage—its sacred halls now a refuge for the forgotten and abandoned.
Selene, meanwhile, was buried in legal work—duties that should have fallen to Kael but were instead conveniently handed off to her....
Estate papers, royal correspondence, land rights—she handled it all with quiet efficiency, though not without occasional muttering about her "useless Duke."
And Kael?
