Moonlight didn’t hop onto Raylo’s shoulder as usual. Instead, it kept a distance of seven or eight paces, following not too close and not too far behind him.

Raylo didn’t comment on the subtle distance, instead heading straight for the hillside behind the castle.

That was the newly built Pegasus Ranch.

Warm sunlight spilled over the verdant grassy slope, where dozens of majestic Pegasi were grazing and resting leisurely. Their snow-white wings glistened in the sun.

The Minister of Agriculture, Lady Martha, was there with a few assistants, feeding fodder mixed with a Magic Potion to a mare that had just given birth.

Seeing Raylo, Lady Martha hurried forward to greet him.

"Lord."

"How are things, Lady Martha?"

"Everything is going smoothly, Lord."

A gratified smile appeared on Lady Martha’s face.

"In the past month, fifteen foals have been born, all of them healthy. Once they mature, your Pegasus Knight Order can add a new squadron."

Raylo’s gaze fell upon the little foals frolicking beside their mothers.

Some were still unsteady on their feet, while others were already stumbling about and flapping their wings, looking endearingly clumsy.

This wasn’t just fifteen mounts; it was the future of Black Stone Territory’s aerial power and a symbol of its prosperity.

He even saw a few of the bolder foals curiously approach Moonlight, sniffing at it with their damp noses.

Moonlight seemed annoyed, but looking at the harmless foals, it ultimately just twitched its ears and didn’t shoo them away.

Its gaze seemed to soften just a fraction.

After leaving the Pegasus Ranch, Raylo headed to a valley on the other side.

Unlike the serenity of the Pegasus Ranch, this place was filled with a coarse, primal aura.

Huge caves were carved into the mountainside, their entrances scarred with deep scratches where the Earth Dragons had sharpened their claws.

This was the Earth Dragons’ lair.

The air was thick with the scent of sulfur and rock, and the temperature was considerably higher than outside.

In the deepest part of the lair, Raylo saw the four enormous Dragon Eggs.

Each one was as tall as a man, with a stony, grayish-brown shell covered in natural, ochre-colored Magic Patterns.

Raylo could clearly sense four powerful, wild Life Forces gestating within the eggs. On the surface of one, the Magic Patterns were even glowing faintly, and a slight throbbing emanated from beneath its shell.

After inspecting all this, Raylo stood at the mouth of the valley, looking back at his domain.

In the distance, plumes of cooking smoke rose from the town and its neat farmlands. Closer, the Pegasi and Earth Dragons were growing. In the castle, there were loyal Knights, brilliant scholars, and the recently-arrived Golden Dragon.

Everything was flourishing, brimming with limitless hope.

Just then, a furry paw gently tapped his boot.

Raylo looked down and saw that Moonlight had, at some point, come to stand by his feet.

It looked up at him, its pale golden eyes reflecting his image. Much of the melancholy in its gaze had faded, replaced by a complex mix of emotions: dependence, pride, and a hint of... defiance.

Raylo laughed, bending down to scoop it up.

"Of course."

He said softly, ruffling its smooth fur.

"You’ll always be my first companion."

Moonlight squinted its eyes in comfort, a contented purr rumbling in its throat.

Cradled in his arms, Moonlight’s bout of sulkiness vanished into thin air.

It found a comfortable position, resting its head on Raylo’s arm. Its pale golden eyes were half-closed as it wagged its tail contentedly.

Time slipped by quietly amid scenes of flourishing prosperity.

Black Stone Territory was like an awakening Giant Beast, undergoing visible changes with each passing day.

The castle’s expansion was in full swing, with artisans demonstrating their superb craftsmanship.

In their hands, huge blocks of stone were cut, hoisted, and fitted together with the precision of building blocks.

To the west of the castle, a Knight Plaza large enough to accommodate several thousand people was already taking shape. Its grounds were paved with heavy black Stone Slabs, making for a smooth and Solid surface.

In the center of the plaza, three enormous pedestals had been erected, one for each of the three Knight Orders under Raylo’s command.

One pedestal was carved with the crest of the Black Stone Territory—a Knight Sword piercing a mountain range. This would be the home of the Black Stone Knight Order.

Another was carved with a brilliant crescent moon and Stars, belonging to the Moonlight Knight Order.

The most eye-catching of all, however, was the pedestal carved with a blazing Sun and Dragon Wings. It would stand as a symbol of glory for the Sun Knight Order.

Even though these Knight Orders existed in name only, it didn’t stop the territory’s people from holding them in the most fervent anticipation.

The clamor of the construction site—the workers’ coarse chants, the hum of machinery—continued without pause from dawn until dusk.

Over the past few days, Raylo had been receiving periodic system reports about the Eternal Giant Turtle. After reigniting its vengeful fury, the ancient and wise Giant Beast had been astonishingly efficient.

[Your ally, the ’Eternal Giant Turtle,’ has successfully subjugated a clan of over thirty ’Deepwater Giant Crocodiles.’ Deepwater Giant Crocodiles are Tier Three Magical Beasts.]

[Your ally, the ’Eternal Giant Turtle,’ has forced a Tier Two Magical Beast clan, the ’Iron Shell Giant Claw Crabs,’ to submit. Their numbers are around three hundred.]

[Your ally, the ’Eternal Giant Turtle,’ has successfully subjugated a massive tribe of ’Deepwater Fishfolk,’ gaining their allegiance.]

Raylo spent time each day patrolling his domain, handling administrative duties, and occasionally stopping by Master Barnaby’s Alchemy Workshop or sparring with Ed and the other Knights at the training grounds.

His life was fulfilling and busy. A deep sense of satisfaction welled up within him as he watched his domain grow stronger day by day.

Then, one morning half a month later, a system notification shattered Raylo’s peaceful life.

[10: First Prince Eliot has successfully persuaded his maternal kinsman, Duke Angmar of the Saint Violet Empire. The Duke has dispatched two Domain Level Powerhouses to infiltrate Black Stone Territory and assassinate you. The two powerhouses have already departed and will arrive in Black Stone Territory in ten days. They are: Domain Knight Graham, known as "Thorns," and the Four-winged Angel of Death Sela, known as "Withering."]

Raylo stood before the window.

The gentle breeze on the balcony seemed to die in an instant.

The clamor from the construction site below seemed to fade into the distance. Raylo’s pupils constricted, and his relaxed body tensed involuntarily.

Domain Level Powerhouses!

And two of them!

Raylo’s heart felt as if it had been seized by an invisible hand, giving a single, heavy thud.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered that the First Prince, Eliot, would come after him again. He just never expected him to send two Domain Knights right from the start.

This was no longer a simple dispute among nobles. It was a kill-or-be-killed scenario.

Raylo gazed at the rising sun in the east, his resolve hardening. This time, he wouldn’t just deal with the two Domain Level assassins. He would also get rid of that festering sore, Eliot, once and for all.