"The Bastard King," Mev muttered under her breath.0

Sensing her tone, Nasser quickly added, "I’m well aware that you’re not particularly fond of him, my lord. There’s no way you’d look favorably upon the man who allowed Agel Lan to fall."0

He stroked the white mane of the horse, Selim, as he continued. "But out of all the cities we’ve passed, none are as prosperous as Orendel."0

The frontier they had returned to was in utter disarray—a chaotic mix of monsters, beasts, spreading demonic realms, void creatures, and humans consumed by madness. 0

The Empire had completely abandoned the region, leaving it to rot like a land forsaken by the gods. The kingdoms, unable to recover from the war’s aftermath, had long since met their end. The surviving lords, seizing the opportunity, proclaimed themselves kings of their respective cities, rallying their people and rebuilding their power.0

One such figure was Declan Burchard, former lord of Orendel, also known as the Bastard King.0

"There’s no doubt about his capabilities. If luck is on his side, he’ll build a proper kingdom. More importantly—" He glanced up at Mev, who remained silent, deep in thought. "Wasn’t Sir Ian his benefactor? That’s why we were treated so generously. A contract with him wouldn’t bring any complications."0

"It’s not because...0