A Journey That Changed The World.

Without hesitation, Archer pulled out a handful of gold coins and passed them to the woman, who went pale when seeing this. ''Take the payment and keep the rest for yourself,'' he said, his tone casual but generous.

He noticed the fire elf server's shock, but Kassandra quickly reassured her, ''We're rich, so just take it and don't refuse my husband's generosity.''

The young woman nodded with a bright smile, ''Thank you for the tip, your majesty. I knew the rumors were Alliance lies. Most of Emberport also think Draconia isn't as bad.''

''No wonder the Church of Light and Novgorod Empire hate me,'' he said with a chuckle when remembering the hundreds of rumors that his enemies spread about him.

Following that, the young woman walked off to place their order in the kitchen. Once she was gone, Lucrezia commented with a cheerful smile, ''I see the flirting has stopped my love. I'm surprised.''

Archer glanced at the blonde before speaking, his voice steady but laced with a hint of bitterness. ''Yes, after Apollonia betrayed me, I decided not to trust any women, except for the harem and a select few. That's why I have the Oathkeepers now.''

Lucrezia nodded in understanding, but it was Kassandra who spoke up next. ''So, you won't take any more girls?''

Archer shrugged casually. ''I'm not sure. There are a few I was seeing before things got busy, and they're lovely. But aside from them, I don't plan on taking anyone you don't already know.''

''Who are they again?'' she asked with a curious glint in her black eyes.

''My Monster General, the necromancer and Ironfoot sisters, Sofia, Inara, Aeris and my cousin Farrah,'' he answered honestly, which shocked the two women. ''But their not one hundred percent as I'm too busy to chase relationships when the world is after me.''

''We understand handsome,'' Kassandra said as the server brought over their drinks. ''There's no rush, as there are many of us now.''

He chuckled, ''That wasn't my intention, it just happened, but each of you bring something to my life in your own way,'' he revealed.

This revelation made their cheeks go red before Lucrezia distracted herself by drinking some of the wine. Just as she did this, explosions erupted in the distance, causing him to use Mana Manipulation to scan their new land.

Five minutes later, Archer had gathered enough information and decided what to do. Standing up, he addressed the group. ''Ladies, the eastern wall is under attack by a wave of Ghouls. I'll summon some monsters to handle them and return shortly.''

Kassandra and Lucrezia's eyes widened, but he reassured him, ''I'll be ten minutes at most. Vivienne's Nightmare Ants are powerful.''

The two women nodded, and without another word, Archer opened a Gate and leaped through. He emerged on the other side, finding the 13th Legion already locked in battle with the horde of howling humanoids.

Without hesitation, Archer summoned his swarm. Seconds later, a tide of Nightmare Ants surged out of the portal, their massive bodies crashing into the Ghouls. The relentless creatures tore through the horde.

They shrieked in agony as they were torn apart, their howls muffled beneath the relentless march of the ants. Archer felt a quiet satisfaction as the ants carved through the horde, leaving only blood and mangled remains in their wake.

The battlefield was slowly clearing, the once overwhelming numbers of Ghouls diminishing as the Nightmare Ants continued attacking. As the last few ghouls were being killed, Archer allowed himself to enjoy the sight.

His swarm had done its job, and the battlefield was cleared. Archer remained still, watching as the last of the Ghouls were torn apart. A tired Draconian, battered and breathless, slowly sank to the ground beside him.

Once every monster was dead, the Nightmare Warrior Ants dragged the corpses back to the portals he opened for them. Ten minutes later, the ground outside the fortress was stained with blood.

With wide, weary eyes, the soldier looked up at Archer and, in a voice thick with exhaustion, asked, ''Why are you doing all this, Your Majesty? We could stay on Draconia and be happy without war.''

Archer turned his gaze toward the soldier, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he spoke, his voice steady but cold. ''A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. And believe me, Draconia will be that old man who brings the world back into the light, so the Swarm can never attack.''

The Draconian soldier blinked, clearly surprised. ''Is that why you spend your own wealth?''

Archer met his gaze before answering. ''Yes. This is bigger than me, soldier. I was only trying to make my corner of the world a slightly better place, but the status quo couldn't stand that.''

He shot a last glance at the weary soldier before stepping toward the portal. As it shimmered to life, he paused and spoke over his shoulder, his voice calm but resolute. ''I believe happiness is amazing, so amazing that it doesn't matter if it's yours or not. Just look at the smiling fire elf children; that proves my point.''

Following that, Archer returned to the restaurant where Lucrezia and Kassandra smiled at his arrival. He sat down just as the Kraken Princess questioned, ''That was quicker than I expected. Did you deal with the horde?''
Experience tales at empire

''Yes, everything's fine in the east,'' he replied while eating some dumplings. ''Now I'm just waiting for news from Ashoka.''

''She went west, correct?'' Lucrezia asked while eating some chicken. ''Why did she do that? Wouldn't it have been better to travel with the other legions?''

Archer nodded in agreement, saying, ''Yes, but she's a competent leader, her soldiers are well-trained, and the western Duskfire Empire consists only of farms and a river bordering the sea elves.''

Kassandra set her mug down with a heavy thud, her brow furrowing as she looked at Archer. ''What if something goes wrong?'' she asked, her voice edged with concern.

''They could be ambushed in the jungles, swamps, or mountains that make up most of the land.'' She took another swig of ale before continuing, her tone sharper. ''I've done my research. The local fish told me the land is crawling with dangerous monsters, bandits, and cannibal tribes, especially outside the Duskfire settlements.''

Archer looked at the black-haired woman with a raised eyebrow before asking curiously, ''You talk to fish, Kass?''

Lucrezia was interested and looked at her friend, who let out a nervous giggle as she revealed, ''Well yes. Since we've been together, I've grown stronger and gained new abilities which talking to the sea life is.''

''Fascinating,'' he answered before nodding. ''She has her own bodyguards and four Oathkeepers that will protect her. If a scout doesn't appear tomorrow, then I'll search for her.''

As they continued talking and eating, the restaurant grew even busier. The patrons eyed the towering Oathkeepers, their imposing presence causing a stir. However, the staff discreetly pointed to Archer, easing the tension as people realized the knights weren't a threat.

Lucrezia and Kassandra loved their meals and continued eating along with him, but it was the Mosasaur woman who broke the moment of quiet enjoyment once they were resting, as the three were full.

Her beautiful red eyes sparkled with a playful gleam as she leaned toward Archer. ''Can we go for a walk after this?'' she asked, her voice soft but filled with curiosity.

''Of course,'' Archer replied with a smile. ''There are a few places outside Emberheart that I want to show you both.''

The two women's faces brightened with excitement, their eyes lighting up at the promise of a new adventure. They continued eating, savoring every bite until the plates were empty and the server took them away.

Kassandra, rubbing her stomach with a dramatic sigh, groaned, ''Ugh, my stomach hurts...''

Her over-the-top complaint made the others laugh. Shaking their heads, they stepped outside, ready to enjoy the walk. Archer quickly noticed the city was still alive even though it was night.

Once getting used to the cold air, the trio started walking down main street as Lucrezia grabbed his left arm and Kassandra his right. Archer smiled when feeling this before they approached the southern gate.

The trio noticed a few dozen Drakeguards guards it and the wall above as they let traders in, which surprised the Mosasaur woman. ''Why are you letting people in?'' she questioned with narrowed eyes.

He chuckled when seeing the serious expression on her beautiful face but quickly explained, ''They can spread stories about the way Draconians treat them compared to the heavy-handed Alliance. The merchants have to agree to a search, but apart from that, it's fine.''

Lucrezia met his gaze, her expression serious. ''Be careful. Spies might sneak in and cause trouble.''

Archer nodded in acknowledgment, his tone calm but resolute. ''I understand that, which is why the 1st Legion guards Emberport, while the 17th, 18th, and 19th provide support.''

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