Fay now had more responsibilities than he could keep track of. He didn't know the first thing about being a king or what ruling even meant. So, naturally, he left it all to Mirage.

The summoned dragon sat lazily on the golden throne, gnawing on aether cores whenever she got hungry, completely unbothered by politics or formality.

Meanwhile, Fay wandered through what remained of the city, surveying the damage left behind.

The once-proud wall lay in ruins far beyond any simple repair. The streets were filled with the displaced: villagers with no homes to return to, and demi-humans who still resented the hums but worked tirelessly to clean the city and keep their new "queen" pleased.

Fay had made it clear that Mirage had no intention of eating any more humans or demi-humans.

She was full. Still, that didn't stop people from offering her food or trying to earn her favor at every turn.

Part of Fay just wanted to return to the forest and pretend this never happened, to end it quickly, and go back to how things were. But another part of him liked living under a roof. With so many houses abandoned, there would be plenty left empty after the villagers' departure.

Helping him sort through it all was Mistwalker Selra. She stayed behind to gather everyone and try to make some kind of plan out of the chaos.

"Do you think my father would want to live here?" Horin asked, stepping beside Fay.

Her gaze swept over the city.

She wanted to stay; he could hear it in her voice.

The forest had its peace, but a home built from stone and wood spoke to the hum half of her heart.

"I don't know," Fay replied, watching as Grin hauled broken wood to a pile. "Weren't you nomads before?"

"We were forced to be," Horin said softly. "If it weren't for that bird… who displaced us in the savanna, we might've still been in our little village…"

Her voice cracked. The weight of loss hung heavy in the air, especially when she spoke of Kimya, who had been like an uncle to her.

"Then it should be fine here," Fay said quietly. "We'll find a new way to live. Your father… he can't hunt anymore, but there's still plenty he could do. He could train others, maybe even help organize things. As for food, we'll probably have to start farming."

He paused, scanning the fields beyond the broken walls.

"At least there's land, plenty of it. And animals… well, the ones that survived the onslaught. We'll need someone to care for them."

Fay's eyes drifted to the herds being gathered in a section of the city, Cattle and bird-like creatures, similar to oversized chickens, who were being rounded up by a few demi-humans. Their numbers were on the small side, but they'd be vital.

They would need to be bred before anyone even thought of eating them.

Then he turned toward the hums.

They stood in loose groups across the city, shaken, quiet, and wary of the palace where the dragon stayed.

Around two hundred had stayed behind.

Most didn't speak much, but slowly, steadily, they were reclaiming homes, clearing rubble, and sweeping out the dust and debris that littered the main streets.

"Let's just do our part for now, we have to set this place right before we can even think of living here…"

As Fay began to work earnestly on clearing the rubble from the wall, Selra called out to him.

The Eluwyn had taken it upon herself to organize everyone who remained, assigning roles and trying to restore some sense of order amid the chaos.

Above her, Crowru circled quietly, scouting the situation from overhead.

"I've counted the homes and people. We might have just enough space if you decide to invite the Ravari back," Selra explained carefully. "But clearing all this rubble is going to take weeks. The barracks area, though it's wide enough to convert into fields for the animals, and set up as farms. That might help us avoid a food crisis. Still, as the dragon's summoner—and as their new king—you really must settle the tensions between the hums and the demi-humans first. The hums seem ready enough to continue living here, but many of the demi-humans still harbor resentment. They need you to intervene directly."

Fay glanced over at the two groups standing apart, clearly wary of each other, and scratched his head uneasily.

The only one who could truly calm everyone down was currently lounging on her throne, dozing peacefully. He definitely wasn't eager to wake Mirage, even if he was her summoner.

"I'll do my best," Fay finally said, giving Selra a grateful nod. "Thanks, Selra. Let's start working on the farms first. If we secure food, at least we can handle that worry right away."

Selra nodded approvingly while Horin wiped sweat from her brow, looking exhausted but determined.

"Sounds tough," Horin remarked. "I bet my father would already have everyone busy working instead of arguing with each other…"

Her offhand comment sparked an idea in Fay's mind. He looked at her, brightening suddenly.

"Exactly! That's what we need, tasks to force them to work together. If they're too busy doing this, they won't have time to fight," Fay said, a smile forming on his face.

Horin didn't look too pleased with the hums either. She gave them the same look she had once given Fay when they first met, guarded and distrustful.

Fay, on the other hand, made his way toward the hums' side to see if they were willing to cooperate.

The one who stepped forward to greet him looked different from the others; his clothes were the first clue. A green-and-gray military outfit, rugged and worn, one that clearly didn't belong in this world. Fay recognized it instantly. He was from Earth.

"Hey, kid. Looks like you're the new boss," the man said with a half-smile. "Name's Bruno. I've been trying to get these people organized, but it's been rough. Your dragon definitely left an impression of scrambled their heads."

"I'm from Earth too," Fay said, rubbing the back of his neck. "And… sorry about Mirage. This kingdom took my friends. I had to get them back."

He glanced around, wondering if Bruno was the only Earth-born here.

Bruno followed his gaze. "If you're looking for others from Earth, there are about fifty of us still here. We stayed because we don't hold the same resentment the others do. We didn't have slaves or treat the demi-humans poorly. In a way, we were dragged into all this just like them. This kingdom wanted to use us to build their power, but thankfully, most of us never made it into the army. If we had…"

He trailed off, the implication clear.

Fay nodded slowly, taking it all in. Maybe there was more common ground here than he'd thought

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