"Wait, what do you mean by that?" I asked, my grin fading. "My architectural skills can't make a civilisation domain? But the description said I can manifest structures and systems. Isn't a civilisation a system?"
Driatus swallowed the last kernel and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. A thoughtful look crossed her face.
"It's not that you can't make one. It's that you shouldn't. There's a fundamental difference between a war domain and a civilisation domain. War domains are extensions of an overlord's will. They create monsters, armies, and battlefields. They are built on conflict. But a civilisation domain… a civilisation is a living thing. It has its own laws, its own beliefs, its own destiny. Its people are not extensions of your will; they have their own. They can defy you, and their power comes from their belief in their own laws, not just yours."
She looked at me, her young face filled with a wisdom that transcended her appearance. "Your Architect skill is powerful, Kamdo, but it is not the power of creation. It is the power of manifestation. You can manifest a city, a kingdom, even a world. But you can't create the living souls who will inhabit it. The souls that form the foundation of a civilisation domain are born of the world's core, and they form a contract with that core, not with an overlord. That's why they can produce Heroes and Gods that can challenge even the most powerful of Overlords. An Overlord of a Civilisation domain is more of a caretaker than a ruler."
I leaned back on my throne, processing her words. "So, I'm a farmer and a builder, but I'm not a god of my people."
Driatus shrugged before her eyes lit up again. "Now, can you sleep then wake up and tell me how to eat wheat better? Also, can I eat the corn, too?"
I chuckled. "Yeah, you can, just don't eat the ones my Drakelings harvested, I just summoned them, and they made a contract with me, so I don't want them to think I'm a tyrant"
Driatus's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Yay! Thank you, Overlord Kamdo!" she chirped, her childlike demeanour fully returning. She zipped over to a patch of unharvested corn, and with a series of quick, practised motions, she began to de-kernel it with her glowing fingertips, humming a happy tune to herself.
I watched her for a moment, the immense power of a Supreme Phoenix now completely overshadowed by the simple joy of a child with new food. My own fatigue began to catch up with me, a heavy weariness settling over my mind and body. Creating the summoning platform and the Drakelings had taken a toll, and my brain felt like it was humming with static. I needed to rest to let my MP recover.
I didn't bother trying to make myself a bed; I was an overlord on a throne, after all. I simply shifted my position, getting as comfortable as I could, and closed my eyes. The last thing I saw was the soft, golden light of my field and the fiery red hair of Driatus as she happily munched on the corn. My last thought before sleep took me was of the strange, new reality I found myself in. I was a Dragonoid overlord of a golden field, with a bunch of Drakeling farmers and a Supreme Phoenix as my new guide and a fan of my crops. It was a strange but welcome change from my previous life.
I awoke to the feeling of warmth and a strange, comforting weight on my head. I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was the golden wheat swaying in the endless breeze. The second thing I saw was Driatus, her head resting on top of my horns, her body curled up on my lap like a cat. She was fast asleep, a peaceful smile on her face. In her hand, she clutched a half-eaten cob of corn.
"Well, this is... unexpected," I mumbled, trying to shift without waking her. My wings twitched, and the movement caused her to stir. She opened one eye, the amber gleam a little hazy with sleep.
"Kamdo?" she mumbled, her voice muffled by my clothes.
"The one and only," I replied. "You made yourself quite comfortable."
She let out a small, contented sigh and snuggled in deeper. "The corn was good. I've never tasted anything like it."
I couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad you liked it. Now, about that rest..."
"Oh, right!" she said, suddenly wide awake. She hopped off my lap, her movements light and quick. "You slept for three days. Your domain's core is so peaceful. It's like a lullaby."
I blinked. "Three days? But it felt like only a few hours."
"That's the nature of your domain," Driatus explained, her face taking on that serious, ancient look again. "Time here is different. It bends to your will and the will of the domain's core. You could have slept for a hundred years, and it would have felt the same. Now, about that wheat... You were going to tell me how to eat it better, but I'm still getting used to it. Maybe you can teach me a new way to eat them? I've been eating them raw, but maybe they can be cooked?"
For the first time, I jumped off my throne and stretched. My wings opened up wide, and Driatus stared at them for a moment before saying. "You have health wings. They're also quite magnificent compared to a lot of winged races, though your horns do not appeal to me as much as your wings do."
"Healthy wings? What does that mean?" I asked, flexing them again. The vibrant red felt powerful, not just a flashy adornment.
She chuckled. "It means you were courting me when you opened the up, though I don't actually mind."
My face flushed a deep crimson. "Wha—Courting you? I was just stretching!"
Driatus laughed, a light, musical sound that made the golden field seem even brighter. "Yes, I know. It's an old racial custom. Among many winged races, especially those with powerful wings like yours, a full wing spread is a sign of trust, dominance, and a form of showing off your strength. When done in front of a potential partner, it's considered an act of courtship. It's a way of saying, 'Look at my magnificent wings. I am strong, and I am showing you my vulnerability by displaying it fully.'"
She blushed and covered her cheeks with both arms, a playful smile on her face. "Don't worry though, I won't accept your proposition at the moment, maybe after some time I will, but I am currently weakened, so I am a bit embarrassed.".
I did not know what to do. My face was still burning, and my mind was reeling. A simple stretch had been interpreted as a grand romantic gesture by an ancient, all-powerful being who looked like a child. This was a new level of awkward I had never experienced before. I quickly pulled my wings back in, feeling a jolt of embarrassment run through my body.
"I… I had no idea," I stammered. "My previous life didn't have any of those customs. I'm just… getting used to this body."
Driatus uncovered her face and giggled. "I know, I know. It's quite a lot to take in. Don't worry about it as I said I won't accept your proposal until I am not weakened, until then you would just have to bear with me." She then quickly changed the subject, her attention snapping back to the corn in her hand. "But really, what do you think about cooking the corn and wheat? Do you have any ideas? I'm curious to see what else they can be used for."
She changed the situation real quick, didn't she, I was not going to let it go. "Wait, so you accepted my 'proposal' in a way?"
Driatus's smile widened, a mischievous glint in her amber eyes. She put her hands on her hips, striking a pose that was comically assertive for someone who looked like a thirteen-year-old girl.
"Well, of course!" she said with a tone of playful indignation. "I am an Empress of the Sun, you know. It's not every day a Supreme Phoenix finds a suitable suitor, even if they are an overlord with a delicious domain. I am not like those lesser beings who just throw themselves at any overlord. I have standards, and your wings, my dear Dragonoid, have passed the test. So, yes, you're not just some random Dragonoid with a field. You are a potential partner."
She then leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "But I have to be sure. I'm a gourmet, you know. I can't just commit to someone who can only produce two types of food, even if they are delicious. I need to know what else you're capable of. My heart, after all, is just as important as my stomach."
I stared at her, utterly speechless. She had completely bypassed my embarrassment and turned the whole situation into a ridiculous negotiation.
"So, about that cooking," she said, her voice returning to its normal volume as she zipped back a few feet, giving me some space. "I'm still a bit hungry, and I'm very, very curious."
Her abrupt change of subject, or rather, her seamless continuation of her own train of thought, snapped me out of my daze. She was right. I had a unique skill, a unique domain, and a unique problem. My previous life as a miserable human was nothing. This was a new life, a new beginning, and I was going to make the most of it. I had a Phoenix as a guide, and if she wanted me to cook for her, then I would cook for her.
I took a deep breath, and the embarrassment faded, replaced by a wave of determination. I was an overlord, a Dragonoid, with the power to shape my domain. A little cooking was nothing.
So, for the next few hours or so, I began constructing houses for a few of my Drakelings while teaching Driatus about how to make flour and also bread, if I had some butter I would have taught her how to make popcorn too but roasted corn was also good.
I also made a large house where my throne resided in the middle and a few futons around me, which Driatus found comfortable and began napping on as she waited for the bread to be done.
I could also sleep, but I don't want to since I don't want Driatus to wake up and find burnt bread.
And thus for the next two hours, I made batches of bread and took them out in repeats and since they were in the shape of Rolls it only took 20 minutes, I also ground some corn down and made cornmeal then made three loaves of cornbread.
I of course shared the food with my workers and also taught them how to make it and they could do it by themselves, the reason why Driatus was sleeping like this was because she produced an eternal flame for me to bake the bread so I just made one of those olden day ovens.
Now, I was looking down at Driatus and gently woke her up. "Dria, wake up and eat."
Driatus' eyes flickered open and she stared at me for a while before tiredly asking. "Dria?"
"Yeah, Dria," I said, a soft smile on my face. "It's a nickname. You don't like it?"
She sat up, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands, a small yawn escaping her lips. "No, I like it. It sounds... nice. Like a little song." Her gaze fell upon the steaming pile of bread rolls and the cornbread loaves on a flat rock I had fashioned as a table. Her eyes widened, and her serious, ancient persona was gone in an instant, replaced by the excited child.
"You made all of this?" she asked, her voice hushed with awe.
I nodded, feeling a swell of pride. "Yep. The bread rolls are from the golden wheat, and the cornbread is from the corn. They're much better cooked, trust me."
She didn't hesitate. She grabbed a bread roll, her small hands fumbling with the warm dough. She took a bite, and her eyes fluttered closed. A low hum of pleasure rumbled in her chest, a sound so profound it felt like the very air was vibrating with her delight.
"It's... It's even better!" she declared, her voice muffled by the bread. "It's warm, and soft, and the flavour... It's like a warm hug from the sun itself! You're a genius, Kamdo!"
She then dove into the cornbread, her little face covered in crumbs. She was an Empress of the Sun, a being of immense power, but at that moment, she was just a girl enjoying a meal. It was a strange and endearing sight.
I watched her devour the food with an unholy speed, a satisfied smile on my face. My Drakelings were also enjoying their share, their happy chirps and mumbles echoing through the golden field.
The peaceful atmosphere of my domain was a welcome change from the constant barrage of information and unexpected revelations.