Garrick gave a slight bow, a faint smile on his face.
"I'll carry out your first order, my lord."
Without another word, he turned and left the room.
Levi watched the door close behind Garrick, the faint echo settling into silence.
His gaze lingered for a moment longer than necessary.
"…Isn't this his place?"
This was Garrick's command room. His territory. And yet, Levi remained where he stood. "Shouldn't I be the one leaving?"
A quiet exhale escaped him. "…No."
Things were different now. Whether he liked it or not.
His gaze shifted to the map. The room felt quieter now. He was alone… in a place that wasn't his... yet.
Maps layered over one another, marked with ink and hastily drawn lines. Reports scattered across the table, some unfinished, others stained with dirt and ash. Ravenholt wasn't rebuilt yet. And neither was its command.
Just days ago, this place belonged to another king. Now it belonged to him. Not through inheritance, but through fire and ash.
Levi's gaze lingered on the markings, tracing the fractured state of the kingdom laid bare before him. Supply routes cut. Districts barely holding. Order… hanging by a thread.
A quiet breath left him.This wasn't a title.
It was a responsibility. His hand rested briefly against the table before he pushed himself away. There was no point standing still. Not now.
Levi turned and stepped out of the room.the corridor was far from quiet, The corridor stretched ahead, dimly lit by torches that flickered against unfinished stone.
The scent of dust and fresh timber lingered in the air. Ravenholt's wounds were still open, patched, but not healed. Soldiers moved past him, some carrying tools, others supplies.
A few slowed when they recognized him.
Their movements stiffened. Respect… or uncertainty. He couldn't tell. A younger soldier quickly straightened as Levi passed, nearly saluting before stopping himself halfway.
Levi didn't acknowledge it. He simply kept walking.
Some look down at the ground fearing to catch his gaze
some whispered
"…That's him."
"…The new Lord…"
"…The one who-"
They're watching. Not as their lord, but as something they didn't understand yet.
A prince from another land. A man who murdered their king. His jaw tightened slightly.
Good. Let them doubt. It would make the result clearer when he proved them wrong.
Levi walked past them without a word, his expression unreadable. But he heard it all.
Every doubt, every hesitation, every trace of fear, Good. Fear meant they were watching.
And if they were watching they would remember. His steps didn't slow as he exited the castle, outside, Ravenholt stretched before him broken, but breathing. Shops were being rebuilt. Homes patched together with whatever materials remained. Soldiers moved alongside civilians, no longer fighting but rebuilding what was left behind.
And yet…
the air felt tense.
"Did you hear?"
"A noble was arrested…"
"By order of the new Lord…"
The murmurs spread like wildfire. Levi's gaze shifted toward the lower district. A crowd was already beginning to form.
He exhaled quietly. Fast. Word traveled faster than he expected. Without hesitation, he moved toward it.
By the time he arrived, the square was filled with uneasy silence. Soldiers stood in formation, keeping distance between the crowd and the center. And at the center
a man, bound. His once-fine clothing was now disheveled, dirt clinging to the fabric. But the arrogance in his eyes hadn't faded.
"You idiots don't even know what you're doing!"
he shouted, struggling against the restraints.
"I am a noble of Ravenholt! You can't just-"
His voice faltered slightly as his gaze shifted.
The crowd had gone quiet. One by one... heads turned.
"…He's here."
Levi stepped forward.
the citizens whispered, "That's him..."
"The Ashford prince…"
"They say he killed the king himself…"
"Do you think he'll be any different?"
"…Does it matter?"
"If he feeds us, I don't care who he is."
The man's voice was loud—but not steady.
Beneath the anger, there was something else.
Fear.
"You fools don't understand!"
He laughed—but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I have connections! You think this ends with me?!"
Levi didn't speak immediately.
His presence alone was enough to silence the square. His gaze swept across the crowd, not hurried, not uncertain. Measuring. Then it settled on the man at the center.
"You dare lay hands on me?!"
The noble thrashed against the restraints, fury burning in his eyes.
"Unhand me at once! Do you even know who I am?!"
His gaze snapped toward the crowd, lip curling in disgust.
"And you-"
"You would let these peasants judge me?!"
"Have you all lost your minds?!"
A few in the crowd flinched. Others didn't look away. The noble's voice rose, sharper now, less controlled.
"This is absurd… this is madness…"
He laughed, but it came out uneven.
"You think this ends here?!"
"I have connections, power you can't even comprehend!"
His eyes darted, searching, for agreement. For support. He found none. The silence pressed in around him.
"…No."
His voice dropped.
"No, this isn't happening."
He looked at the soldiers now, panic beginning to seep through the cracks.
"You can't do this.You won't do this."
His breathing quickened. Then, his eyes landed on Levi. For a moment… everything stilled. Recognition. Fear.
"…You."
His voice wavered.
"You're the Ashbourne…"
A forced smile crept onto his face, desperate now.
"W-We can talk about this. Whatever you've heard, lies, all of it."
He swallowed hard.
"Gold… land… influence—name your price.
I can be useful to you."
The words came faster now, tripping over each other.
"You don't want to make enemies of people like me-"
His voice broke.
"Please…"
The arrogance was gone. Stripped away. All that remained, was fear.
Levi let out a quiet laugh, low, almost amused.
Not warm. Mocking.
"Gold? Power? Luxury?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"You offer me things I can take without your permission."
His gaze hardened.
"Your wealth was never yours to begin with."
A step closer.
"You stole it from the people."
A brief pause.
"…Now you'll pay it back."