The Villainess's Reputation [Kingdom Building]

The small fishing boat bobbed gently against the current as it glided into the northern shore's new harbor. The docks, freshly completed and gleaming with sturdy craftsmanship, stood like a testament to how far Kim Island had come in such a short time. Angelo and Richard stepped off the vessel, their boots thudding softly against the planks.

"I never thought I'd live to see this island thriving again in my lifetime," Richard said, his voice tinged with a mix of disbelief and quiet pride. His gaze swept over the shore, once barren and dusty windswept, now bustling with movement, cranes, and stacks of newly built cement walls.

"As if it was ever truly thriving, old man," Angelo countered with a smirk, adjusting the strap on his satchel. "Even back when it was a popular Herptian stronghold, I doubt it was this peaceful… or this advanced."

Richard chuckled, the sound warm and rough like gravel. "I'm not discounting what Her Highness Ravenna's done, boy. You might not believe it, but when I was your son's age, this island was a sight to behold. Bustling markets, merchant ships from every corner of the sea… it had its golden days."

"Oh, come on," Angelo teased, gesturing toward the inland horizon. "Even if it was a major trading hub back then, I'm pretty sure they didn't have that."

In the distance, beyond the newly laid roads and timber-framed warehouses, stood the skeletal frame of a building unlike anything the island—or the entire continent, had ever seen. The first railway station in the known world, its arched iron supports and tiled roof already half-complete, dominated the landscape. From the station yard, a short, stocky steam engine rumbled forward along unfinished tracks, chugging like a great iron beast. White plumes of steam hissed into the air, and the sunlight gleamed off its riveted steel body as it clattered forward without a single horse to pull it.

Richard's eyes followed the train's progress, his lips curling into a slow smile. "Of course… technology like this? I wouldn't have dared to dream of it." Even after weeks of seeing the prototype in motion, the sight still felt otherworldly.

"Hopefully they finish it soon," Angelo said, watching the workers shovel coal into the engine's belly. "Hauling fish to the city by carriage, through day and night, before they spoil is exhausting."

Richard cast him a knowing side glance. "Are you sure you're not just eager to get back to your wife and child faster?"

Angelo grinned, unashamed. "Of course I am! Can you imagine it? Once this 'train' and the tracks to the city are complete, no more month-long round trips to deliver the catch. We'll load up in the morning, ride straight to Kim City, and be back home by evening: just in time for dinner."

Richard let out a deep, contented sigh, looking back toward the station. "Hmph. The world's changing faster than I thought possible… and for once, it feels like it's changing for the better."

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"Mister Richard!"

The shout came from behind them, carried over the wind from the shoreline. A fisherman in a salt-stained tunic came running across the sand, his bare feet kicking up sprays of grit. He stumbled mid-sprint, nearly eating a mouthful of beach, but both Angelo and Richard lunged forward to catch him before he could fall.

"What's the hurry, lad?" Richard asked, steadying him. "Is there news from the city? Did we… lose the battle or something?"

The younger man's eyes went wide, almost offended by the suggestion. "No! No, of course not! I can't even imagine that— not after such divine light illuminated the whole island." He spoke with the fervor of someone who had witnessed the spectacle firsthand, almost as if the thought of Her Highness losing was a form of blasphemy.

"Then what's got you running like the sea itself was chasing you?" Angelo asked, brows knitting in curiosity.

"Ah—right." The fisherman caught his breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "We'd like you to come check our new catch, Mister Richard. It's… strange. Strange even for a magical beast."

Richard and Angelo exchanged a glance, each raising a brow before nodding. "Alright," Richard said. "Lead the way."

They followed the fisherman down the shore toward the long iron-and-cement bridge where the massive nets had just been hauled in from the water. The salty tang of the sea was stronger here, mingling with the briny, metallic scent of freshly caught magical beast fish.

Along the bridge, the usual catch was already lined up in neat rows, towering Maverick magical beast fish, each one so large their scales were the size of dinner plates, some even the size of a horse's flank. Richard walked past them with a practiced eye, running his calloused hand over the slick, iridescent scales.

"I don't see a problem here," he remarked. "All of these look like fine Maverick stock to me."

But Angelo's attention had drifted further ahead, where a knot of fishermen had formed a tight circle. Their heads bobbed and murmurs rippled through the group. Angelo tapped Richard's arm and pointed. "Looks like they're all gawking at something."

The first fisherman led them through the crowd, and as the men stepped aside, Richard found himself face-to-face with the source of concern.

It was a small Mira fish, at least, it might have been once. Its body was twisted, its fins ragged, and the skin along its belly looked as if it had been partially melted. But the most grotesque feature was its right eye: grotesquely swollen until it took up nearly half its head.

And inside that bulging, translucent orb, instead of a black pupil… there pulsed a tiny, fleshy heart. It thudded faintly, each beat sending a ripple through the liquid of the eye, as the fish writhed weakly on the planks.

Angelo took an instinctive step back, his lip curling. "By the Goddess… what in the world is that?"

Richard stared at it for a long, grim moment, the sea breeze ruffling his weathered hair. "It came from the same waters as the others… but it's no ordinary magical beast." His voice had gone low, almost reverent in its seriousness. "This… can only be what the old legends spoke of about dungeons."

Gasps and uneasy mutters ran through the surrounding fishermen. "You don't mean—?" one of them began, his voice quivering.

Richard gave a solemn nod. "Aye. It's an abomination."

The word seemed to weigh heavy in the air, like a curse given form.

"We'll need to notify Her Highness immediately," he continued. "But there's no cause for panic." He glanced around at the worried faces and raised his voice in reassurance. "Remember the divine light? With such a great power protecting our island, there is nothing in this sea, or beyond it, that can harm us."

The fisherman who had brought them here nodded briskly and took off toward the city, already preparing to deliver the urgent message to the castle.