Chapter 53: Sword Pointed at the Capital, Settling Old Scores

The morning sun cast long shadows across the main square of Prefecture City, glinting off the stone tiles that were still faintly stained with the memory of blood. Atop the highest tower of the City Lord's mansion, Evan Norman stood, a solitary figure against the vast sky. The city below him was quiet, a beast brought to heel. The chaos had subsided, replaced by a tense, fragile order built upon fear and his absolute authority. His gaze, cold and distant, swept over his new domain, but his thoughts...