A Journey That Changed The World

Archer and Nala broke away as the lioness’s smile lit up the cabin they were in; all her beautiful features were perfection. She kissed the tip of his nose before speaking in a love-filled voice. ”I love you, Arch. Thanks for calling for me and being honest.”

”You’re welcome, Nala,” he replied. ”You know I wouldn’t hide anything from you.”

The young woman beamed at his response. She stood up, stretched her arms, and turned to her brother, who was rooted to the spot thanks to her aura. Archer chuckled at his reaction while getting rid of it so his friend could react. Lioran shook his head and jumped up, exclaiming. ”What are you doing here, little sister!”

Nala giggled as she pointed at him. ”I heard and saw what you said, Lio. My husband showed me everything.”

Lioran looked nervous; he ended up telling his sister everything. Nala sat there, listening intently as her tail swayed side to side. Archer noticed it was getting faster, like she was getting excited. Once the young man finished explaining, the lioness turned to him with a big smile as she nodded. ”You can meet Kiara, she’s a lovely woman but needs a touch of love to blossom,” she revealed.

Archer was shocked; he didn’t know what to say for the first few seconds, but shook his head before answering. ”Why? I don’t want anymore women, Nala.”

”At this point, husband, does it really matter?” she responded with an adorable grin crossing hr face. ”It’s not like you neglect us.”

”Alright, I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, giving in to his lioness.

Following that, Nala jumped up with a big smile. ”I’m going to get back to Aslan, he’s causing trouble.”

”See you soon, beautiful,” Archer replied as she vanished from the spot.

This scene shocked Lioran, who was watching him with a strange expression, before he shook his head. ”You two scare me. I don’t understand how little sister can be so strong at her age.”

Archer chuckled at this. ”You don’t want to know, Lio.”

The two of them fell into a peaceful silence as they admired the surrounding Draconia landscape, rolling hills, forests, and mountains dotted the place. Archer continued eating the food he bought while going over all kinds of plans he was coming up with on their little trip. By the time the train pulled into Dragonheart’s main station, they could see so many people that it was uncountable.

Lioran led him off the train and into the crowd as he turned to Archer. ”There’s a nearby pub we can visit before eating. Cian and Alaric should be there.”

”Alright, lead the way.”

The duo walked out into Dragonheart, and Archer was shocked at the sight before him. It was a grand city built to rival any other on Thrylos, and it was only growing, never shrinking. Aisha has informed him that its gonna be one of the biggest cities in the world within ten years if construction continues the way it has. He was impressed by everything he’d built, but swore that it wouldn’t stop until he controlled the entire world.

While daydreaming about world conquest, Lioran led him through the busy streets that were patrolled by Legionnaires and the Homeguard. They were taking their job seriously since I cleaned out the corruption plaguing Draconia. Everyone learned not to mess with the emperor or his wives; many knew it would lead to their brutal deaths, as proven by the way Archer executed the corrupted officials.

After ten minutes, Lioran poked him in the side, dragging him back to reality. ”You there, Arch? You were daydreaming again, which you seem to do a lot.”

”Sorry,” he chuckled. ”Was thinking how much things have changed since Draconia became an empire.”

”Yes, it’s drastically different, and everyone’s happy about it, it seems. Even my wives have noticed the change within the commoners.”

”They have more wealth than most lower nobles on the mainland,” Archer revealed with an amused twinkle in his eyes. ”They all love paying their taxes and receiving the benefit of a strong realm to protect their lives.”

Lioran looked at him with a proud smile. ”I knew you’d go somewhere far, brother. I just didn’t expect it to be this high, to be honest.”

Archer chuckled at this as the pair turned onto a side street, and the lion pointed out their destination. ”There’s the Blackarm Pub, famous among the legions and Homeguards. They love it here thanks to the retired veteran running it.”

”Interesting,” he muttered as Lioran held the door open for him.

He stepped in only to see dozens of Homeguards sitting around, enjoying their time off as they drank ale and chatted to their fellow guards. The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing thanks to Dragonheart and the surrounding area being free from monsters. Archer knew the Adventurers Guild operated on Draconia and paid a small fee to do so, which worked out well for his empire and the guild.

Lioran tugged them toward the table, his own disguise already dropped in a careless shimmer of magic. Archer kept his illusion firmly in place for now. As they approached, he spotted Llyniel’s and Maeve’s older brothers nursing tankards of the infamous Draconia Ale. Closer still, he recognized two more faces: alumni from the College of Magic. The four turned as one.

For a heartbeat, they stared at the stranger in their midst, then recognition slammed home. Cian’s grey eyes narrowed first. ”Who’s that, Lio?”

Archer let out a low chuckle and let the disguise unravel. The illusion dissolved like smoke, revealing the unmistakable features beneath. The four lurched halfway to their feet, instinctively moving to kneel. He raised a hand. ”None of that. Tonight I’m just a friend, not an emperor.”

A ripple of silence swept the pub. Gasps punctuated the stillness; some patrons froze mid-sip, pinned by the sudden press of his aura. Others stared, mugs forgotten. Cian broke first. A wide, reckless grin split his face. He stepped forward and pulled Archer into a rough, unceremonious hug, thumping his back like they were still boys sneaking ale behind the stables.

Archer stiffened for half a second, caught completely off guard, before the absurdity of it drew another quiet laugh from him. The other two remained where they were, eyes wide, caught somewhere between awe and uncertainty, waiting to see what their friend-turned-emperor would do next. Lioran was the next to speak as he looked at the two young men and reintroduced them.

”Arch, this is Lyndon Frostbane and Magus Steelbane, they’re cousins,” the lion man said.

His gaze flicked first to Lyndon, the shorter of the two by a good foot, his midnight-black hair falling messily across his forehead, dark brown eyes catching the light. He was Human, like Cian. Then to Magus, taller and leaner, the vivid green of his hair was almost unnatural against his pale skin, those sharp blue eyes watching Archer with quiet intensity.

”Good to see you both,” Archer said, a faint smile tugging at his mouth. ”It’s been years since I last saw either of your faces.”

When the duo heard this, they shook their heads before Lioran dragged Archer into the nearby booth. Lyndon jumped up to get some drinks for everyone, while sitting there, Cian turned to him with a knowing smile. ”So are the rumors true? That I’ll be an uncle?”

”Yes, she’s holding up in the palace for rest,” he answered the orange-haired young man.

Cian beamed at his answer before nudging him with his shoulder. ”What’s that? The fourteenth child?”

”Yes, there’s a small army of them now,” Archer replied, chuckling.

”So Lio finally managed to get you out? It’s good to see you out and about, not at the head of an army,” Maguc commented, laughing as he finished his drink.

Archer nodded, a wry smile crossing his face. ”I’m always busy. Between the children, the empire, the Alliance, and my harem, I barely have a moment to breathe. But we’re hiring more people now, good ones, who’ll handle the administration and finally bury me under less paperwork.”

When he finished, Lioran arched a single eyebrow, then burst into warm, rumbling laughter. ”Enough about work, Arch,” he said, clapping him on the shoulder. ”Let’s get properly drunk tonight. You’ve never once come out with us.”

”Yes, yes,” he replied to his friend just as Lyndon returned with their drinks.

”Here you go, boys,” the dark-haired young man commented. ”Arch, I got you an Avidia Beer, it’s delicious, and I’m sure you’d love it.”

Archer accepted the glass and took a cautious swig. His eyes widened instantly, the sharp burn he’d braced for never came. Instead, a bright, honeyed sweetness rolled across his tongue, warm and unexpectedly smooth. He drained the rest in one long pull, then lowered the empty glass to find four pairs of eyes fixed on him, all waiting. A slow, genuine grin spread across his face as he lifted the glass in salute.

”Delicious,” he said, the single word bright with surprise and approval.