Chapter 38: Adhart reports, preparation + Changes in demeanor

Asking so, Liam then leaned back on his throne, his expression contemplative. The flicker of candlelight danced across the ornate carvings of the throne room, casting intricate shadows on the stone walls.

"There were no major issues, My lord"

 Adhart continued, his voice steady. 

"but there were some minor disturbances that required attention"

Liam nodded, his gaze shifting between Adhart and the entrance to the throne room. 

He was accustomed to the ebb and flow of this, understanding that even in times of relative peace, problems are prone to occur.

From the tone of Adhart's voice, Liam could roughly guess what the minor issue was. Though it was not his position to voice it now, let the person before him do the work. The status that was given comes with a certain price and responsibility.

"Tell me about these disturbances, as detailed as you can"

Liam prompted, his tone calm yet curious.

Adhart hesitated for a moment, his eyes briefly flickering with concern. 

"There were reports of minor disputes among the townsfolk, disagreements over land boundaries and trade agreements"

"But these trivial matters were resolved easily by Sir Rudolf"

He explained.

 "Additionally, there were a few instances of petty theft and vandalism in the market square."

Liam listened intently, processing the information. 

While these issues were not uncommon, they still required swift and decisive action to maintain order within his territory.

Even if there were some moles within the thousands of people being summoned every day, it would be better to have them at bay, or else the consequences might be dire.

"And how were these matters resolved?" 

Liam inquired, his brow furrowing slightly.

Adhart straightened.

"With the assistance of the iron guard footmen, we were able to mediate the disputes peacefully. The thieves were caught and apprehended and were temporarily detained in a special building since the prison is still under construction"

"While the vandalism was fined accordingly based on the immediate laws that Sir Rudolf had come up with"

He replied. 

"Ohh? A prison is under construction? Was this one of Rudolf's initiatives?"

Liam asked.

"Yes my Lord, Sir Rudolf had been anticipating for there to be people that would commit crimes days before, and as such we had agreed to separate a certain amount of labor force to build a prison"

"This Prison is located under the ground near the end of the town's exit"

Hearing this, Liam then pondered the issue for a moment, and in the next moment, he ventured his curiosity. 

"To excavate a large space under the ground, what method are you using to do such a feat Adhart?. As far as I am aware, most of the people are normal mortals without any strength within this territory of mine"

To Liam's doubts, Adhart affirmed with a smile. 

"My Lord, within the vast population of the people, some of them are known as the awakened, where the number of them took over 10% of the whole population"

"Their strength is far stronger than a normal human and some of them even possessed a myriad of skills that is useful during the underground space excavation"

"Under their help, we were able to accomplish such a feat with our plan in this construction"

"I see, awakened people huh?"

Liam murmured with a distant look on his face regarding this matter. 

He had never really expected there to be a special kind of people under his territory, it was quite a surprise he must admit it. 

And now this matter had come into his eyes, he naturally would be even more curious regarding it. Shifted his eyes over the imposing figure before him and ventured curiously.

"The standard of their strength, how powerful are they on average?"

"This... "

Adhard paused for a moment as he began to recall the information regarding this question, and in the next moment, he responded firmly.

"On average, according to this world leveling scale of strength, the awakened people under the territory jurisdiction possessed the strength from level 1 as the weakest and level 4 as the strongest"

"And to add to this, some of these awakened people possessed a rare job class as their profession. Like the Lord might be aware, the rarer the professional class, the stronger the strength that they can exert"

"As such to determine their true strength might be a bit problematic, but overall, the average strength that can be gauged from their performance so far is similar to what I just mentioned"

Liam nodded in approval, impressed by Adhart's efficiency and resourcefulness. Since Adhart is aware of these awakened people's existence within the territory, there must be a plan for them arranged already. 

And so Liam could place the matter in their hand at ease. 

After all, a group of awakened mortals is different. Mortal possesses greed and desires, if these people are out of control, the situation might be unsightly for him to look at.

Liam doesn't mind if any of the people within his territory want to chase after power or strength. As long as it doesn't interfere with him and the well-being of the territory. 

If the bottom line were to be touched, then Liam wouldn't mind eradicating them from the face of this world.

And as he expected. Indeed, some forces are slowly emerging from among the people of his territory. But so far, most of these forces are mainly aiming at expanding their wealth and banner among the people.

Under Adhart and Rudolf's careful eyes, these forces remained obedient within the territory. Peacefully co-existing one among the other.

"Very well done, Adhart"

 Liam praised, a faint smile touching his lips.

 "Your vigilance and leadership are commendable."

Adhart bowed respectfully.

 "Thank you, my Lord. It is an honor to serve you and our people"

Liam then added, his voice carrying a weight that matched the gravity of his words 

"Ah yes, there will be an important thing tomorrow. My order for you is to make sure that everyone is in their houses or any other form of shelter tomorrow morning. Is that clear?"

Adhart's expression shifted, a mixture of surprise and concern crossing his features. 

He had grown accustomed to his lord's commands, but this one seemed different, tinged with an air of mystery. Despite his initial confusion, he quickly composed himself. 

Since Liam didn't intend to mention the thing that he was going to do tomorrow, then Adhart simply stayed shut and complied.

"As you ordered, my lord"

Adhart replied, his voice steady despite the lingering uncertainty. 

"I will ensure that your instructions are carried out diligently."

Liam nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze fixed intently on Adhart. The torchlight flickered, casting shifting shadows across the room, with Liam's face hidden under the flickering shadows.

Satisfied with Adhart's response, Liam leaned back in his throne, his mind already racing with thoughts of the impending task. 

With a final nod, Liam gestured for Adhart to leave, allowing the commander to carry out his duties. As Adhart exited the chamber, the heavy doors closed behind him, leaving Liam alone with his thoughts. 

Lost in his thoughts, Liam was startled when a gentle voice broke through the silence. 

Turning his head slightly, he found Elera, kneeling beside him with a look of genuine concern on her face. Her purple hair cascaded over her shoulders, a stark contrast against the muted tones of the throne room.

With a soft smile, Elera reached out and placed a hand on the armrest of Liam's throne, her touch light and comforting. 

"My Lord, are you feeling tired? If you want, I can give you a massage"

She offered, her voice carrying warmth and sincerity.

Liam regarded her with a neutral expression, his features betraying little of his inner thoughts.

 Despite his initial stoicism, he couldn't help but soften slightly at Elera's caring gesture.

Elera, undeterred by Liam's lack of response, continued to express her concern. 

"Are you hungry? I will let the maids prepare some food for you" 

She suggested, her eyes filled with genuine worry.

Liam listened to her words, a flicker of curiosity crossing his features as he processed her question.

 "Just now, you called me the lord?"

 He asked, his tone measured but not unkind.

Elera's smile widened at his question, her demeanor innocent and earnest. 

"Yes, of course, my Lord"

 She replied with a nod. 

"You are the owner of this land, after all. It's only natural to address you as such."

Liam considered her words for a moment, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. 

"Ah, I faintly remembered someone calling me by my name directly before in the corridor. As I could remember, that certain someone didn't even flinch when saying the lord of the land's name directly"

"I wonder just what had happened back then"

Liam mused with a smile, looking over the flustered woman on the side with a beckoning look on his face, seemingly to invite over her response to fulfill his interest.

Knowing the meaning behind the words, Elera flushed a little with a tinge of red on her cheeks, and in the next moment, she retorted... 

"That certain someone that the lord is mentioning"

 "Not only must that certain someone be beautiful, but I've also heard a rumor that she is a slave to the lord. Is this rumor true?" 

She asked, her eyes wide with feigned innocence.

Liam remained composed, unfazed by Elera's boldness as he regarded her with a calm expression. 

He could feel the gentle pressure of her hand against his on the armrest, but he made no move to withdraw.

"Such rumors"

 Liam replied nonchalantly, his tone casual. 

"Perhaps I should find the source of this rumor and deal with them accordingly, don't you think so?"

Elera's lips curved into a playful pout at his response, her expression one of mock disappointment. 

"Hmm"

Elera's playful demeanor softened as she sighed, conceding defeat with a theatrical air. 

She leaned her cheek against Liam's hand, her expression one of mock surrender, yet a smile played on her lips. 

The torch on the wall cast a warm glow on her features, accentuating the subtle contours of her face as she gazed up at Liam.

"Alright, you win"

 She sighed, her voice carrying a hint of amusement as she met Liam's gaze. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, reflecting the flickering flames of the candles that illuminated the room.

Liam raised an eyebrow at her antics, his expression one of mild bemusement. 

He couldn't help but find Elera's antics endearing, even if they did verge on the absurd at times. He shifted slightly in his seat, his hand still resting against Elera's cheek. 

'Woman eh, one by one. They sure are an interesting element that is now included in my life'

'Luckily, only one of them is out of control'

'As for this one... well, she's quite amusing'

Liam sighed within. 

But then.

"Is there something on my face?" 

He asked, a note of amusement in his voice as he lightly touched his chin, casting a questioning glance at Elera. 

Elera's fingers gently traced the lines of Liam's hand as she spoke, her touch light and fleeting. Her eyes searched his face as if trying to discern the subtle changes that had taken place since their last encounter.

"No" 

She began, her voice is soft yet determined. 

"But you seem to be a lot more different than before."

Liam's interest was piqued by her observation, and he regarded her with genuine curiosity.

 "Oh? Can you tell me the differences?" 

He inquired, his tone laced with intrigue.

Elera paused for a moment, her fingers stilling momentarily before resuming their gentle exploration. 

"Well..." 

She began, her voice hesitant yet earnest.

"the most prominent change is your demeanor."

Liam leaned in slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Elera as she spoke. 

"My demeanor?" 

He repeated, prompting her to continue.

"Yes"

 Elera confirmed with a shy nod, her cheeks flushing faintly under Liam's scrutiny. 

"If before, you looked cold and distant towards the others, now you look..." 

She trailed off for a moment, searching for the right words to convey her thoughts.

Liam waited patiently, his expression one of genuine interest as he listened to Elera's assessment of him. 

"You look ethereal"

 She finally concluded, her voice barely above a whisper.

 "As if you were sculpted by the stars into human form."

"It feels breathless for me to look at you"

"As if you are a walking star that is hidden within a human skin"

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Liam's lips at her words.

 "How sweet your words are" 

He remarked.

Elera shook her head, a determined glint in her eyes. 

"No, it's true."

 She insisted, her gaze unwavering as she met Liam's eyes.