Chapter 23
Liam made his way back towards his bedroom, his keen eyes catching subtle changes within the castle's ambiance.

There seemed to be a greater presence of maids than usual, their bustling movements indicating a flurry of activity. With a knowing nod, Liam surmised.

"This must be Rudolf's doing."

A sigh escaped his lips as he dismissed the thought, realizing it was futile to intervene.

"Then just let him be"

He muttered to himself, deciding to focus on more pressing matters.

Continuing on his path, Liam eventually reached the entrance to his bedroom. The sight before him confirmed his second suspicion.

"Now, this is Adhart's doing."

"Another version of Rudolf but in terms of protection"

He remarked with a smile.

"Though it does make it feel more ceremonially correct, as befitting a true lord's castle."

His gaze shifted towards the two Iron Guard footmen standing guard at the entrance of his chamber.

Despite their stoic demeanor, they executed a flawless military salute as Liam approached, their discipline unwavering even in the quiet of the night.

Liam crossed the threshold into his bedroom, the weight of the day's trials hanging heavily upon his shoulders. The soft glow of candlelight bathed the room in a warm embrace, casting dancing shadows across the walls as he made his way to the bed.

With a grateful sigh, he lowered himself onto the soft mattress, the cares of the world melting away beneath him. The bed, adorned with sumptuous linens and plush pillows, offered a welcome respite from the rigors of the day.

As he settled into the comforting embrace of the bed, Liam reached out a hand and summoned his panel with a simple gesture.

The familiar interface materialized before him, its soft blue glow illuminating the dimly lit room.

[Lord of the human race][Lord of the dragon race] [Earth, Human] +

[name]: Liam Adermin

[Race]: [True Dragon][Human]

[age]: 18/1000

[Lord level]: 3(+ 7)

[Exp to the next level]: 100/10000

[Lord Class]: None

[Base troop]: Draconic slime (Epic) (rarity: S) (level : 3(+7))

[Description]: A powerful life form that possesses the strength of a dragon cub at birth, seemingly hybrid, and adept at mana manipulation.

[Skill]: [The art of morphing, adapt]

[Combat power]: 1700

[Summon space]: 100/100

[Recruits]: 2320

1. [Iron Guard footmen][Level 2][Power]: 120
[Numbers]: 1260

2. [Iron Guard horsemen][Level 2][Power]: 160
[Number]: 1160

[Power]: 578650

[Experience points][624000]

[Items]: 172 small resources chest, 1 medium resources chest, 468 [1 hour] speed-up cards.

[Resources]

[Wood]: 162132

[Stone]: 164339

[Food]: 284005

Seeing the panel, Liam discerns the information on it with a thoughtful look for a couple of moments.

And he muttered in satisfaction.

"With my current power, I doubt anyone would even be able to come close in a short period"

"I am now half a million away from being a true 1 million power Lord"

Liam doesn't know why, but being closer and closer to that number makes him feel proud and quite stuffy inside his chest. It's like an honor or even, more of a title that is soon to be his.

Casting those thoughts away, Liam then put his mind on the next agenda.

"Now, let's put the castle under construction for tonight, alongside upgrading the summoning portal to level 2"

Liam murmured to himself

"As for using the speed-up cards on them, I will use them tomorrow morning. It's going to save up a lot more speed-up cards that way for a direct push towards a level 5 castle"

With his plan set, Liam navigated through the panel, initiating the construction and upgrades with precision.

As he confirmed the changes, a giant cocoon of light immediately appeared and wrapped the castle within it.

[Under Construction]

[Castle][Level 2][Timer]: 23 hours 59 minutes

[Summoning portal][Level 2][Timer]: 4 hours 59 minutes

And this time, the maids weren't as flustered as before as they kept on attending to their duties. The same goes for the guards, though their eyes never darted away from their duty, cold and disciplined.

After ensuring that everything was in order, Liam turned his attention to the giant knights stationed nearby.

With a simple command, he ordered them to stand guard not too far away from the castle, their imposing figures serving as a formidable deterrent to any would-be threats.

In addition to that, the knight's presence also would able to brush up the sense of awe from the town's people, thus brushing Liam's prestige at the same time.

The knights obeyed, their massive forms silhouetted against the backdrop of the night sky. Liam watched them for a moment, a sense of reassurance washing over him at their presence.

As he was lying comfortably, Liam reflected on the events of the day and the challenges that lay ahead. With a final glance at the construction panel, Liam allowed himself a small smile.

Next, Liam sets aside his thoughts for a moment as he has one final task to do before sleeping. Shuttling his fingers across the panel, finally, he set his sight on the lighted-up [Alliance] column within the additional side of the lord's panel.

"I wonder, just how many alliances there are now"

Tapping on it, the answer came directly into Liam's sight as he chuckled.

"it seemed my expectation didn't run off that much"

"it is indeed in absolute chaos"

[Alliance]

[Page number][1/123748]

[Rank 1]: [THE MOONWALKER DIVINE]
[Alliance Power]: 1.2m
[Alliance Leader]: Lord Xander

[Rank 2]: [THE FLOWER ORDER]
[Alliance Power]: 1.1m
[Alliance Leader]: Lady Firya

[Rank 3]: [DOOM MAKER]
[Alliance power]: 1.08m
[Alliance Leader]: Lord Alexander

[Rank 4]: [WISDOM KING]
[Alliance power]: 998k
[Alliance Leader]: Lord Askme.

[Rank 5]: [Flower Order firmament]
[Alliance power]: 947k
[Alliance Leader]: Lady Gabriella.

[Rank 6]: [Path of the Lord]
[Alliance power]: 912k
[Alliance Leader]: Lord Elijah

Liam observed the top-ranked alliances for a short moment, pondering the pros and cons if he were to join any of these alliances. With his current power, he can be considered to be a major player among the billions of lords, and 1 among the 7.8 billion people.

Knowing that his choices might have an impact by joining into any of these top-ranked alliances, Liam then shuttled his finger across the pages tab.

Scrolling through the pages one by one, checking the member roster and the power requirement to join these alliances.

Some of the alliance's public boards or we may call them the announcement board are filled with flattery words of chivalry and also friendship. These alliance leaders invite random players to join them as if they are going to find a new home under the shelter of many other lords.

However, Liam didn't buy any of the sweet words that these weak alliance leaders promised on their announcement boards. Liam shuttled his finger again and scrolled past many pages one by one.

That was until he found a particularly interesting alliance that gave him quite a laugh during this beautiful night.

"This neighbor of mine is quite ambitious, isn't she?"

Liam mused at the sight of his.

[Rank 69, 001]: [FARMING IS LIFE]
[Alliance power]: 78000
[Alliance Leader]: Lady Irene

It is an alliance that was created by a familiar neighbor of his. Liam tapped on the member roster and was surprised to find that she didn't have that many members inside her alliance at all.

Except for the alliance leader, there are only 3 people inside this alliance.

"Now, that's interesting... "

Liam smiled with a thoughtful look upon this.

Naturally, a lord that started an alliance would be scrambling like crazy to have as many members as possible.

But this one...

"this one is quite different... "

Liam chuckled softly, looking over the announcement board of this farming alliance.

[Alliance board]: We are a peace-seeking alliance that only wants to farm and grow our strength slowly. If you want to join, you will need to apply and then we will have an interview through a chat. If I deem that you are unworthy, then I am sorry.

"Hahaha, she's one hell of a person."

Liam laughed in amusement and finally, he had decided where he wanted to go in his choices.

"Then Lady Irene, I hope my character will be to your liking"

Liam smiled at the thought of this, applied the join button to her alliance and simply went to sleep for the night. Waiting for her response by tomorrow.

However, his actions caused a certain someone unable to sleep during this beautiful night.

Inside Lady Irene's chamber, the atmosphere was tense, her usually calm demeanor replaced by a whirlwind of emotions. Her fingers trembled as they hovered over the application form on her panel, her heart pounding in her chest with a mixture of fear and anticipation.

The ding that announced the arrival of the application had sent a jolt of excitement through her, but as she laid eyes on the name that appeared before her, all sense of composure fled.

"Lord Liam... Power: 578,650," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she read the name aloud.

Her mind raced with a thousand questions, doubts clouding her thoughts as she struggled to make sense of the situation.

"Could it be a mistake?" she wondered, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Lady Irene had never expected someone of Lord Liam's stature to even consider joining her modest alliance. The thought seemed too absurd to entertain, yet there he was, his name emblazoned on her panel for all to see.

"Perhaps he's just trolling"

She mumbled to herself, desperately clinging to the hope that this was all just a prank.

But deep down, a part of her couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement at the prospect of Lord Liam joining her alliance.

"He wouldn't join unless he saw some potential, right?"

She reasoned, her thoughts spinning with possibilities.

With a resigned sigh, Lady Irene made a decision.

"Well, there's only one way to find out"

She muttered, her resolve firming as she tapped on Liam's application.

A new window appeared, prompting her to initiate a chat with the applicant. Lady Irene hesitated for a moment, her finger hovering over the screen as she debated her next move.

"Here goes nothing"

She whispered, steeling herself as she tapped on the chat icon.

A moment later, a message popped up on her screen, indicating that Lord Liam was ready to chat. With a deep breath, Lady Irene began to type, her fingers flying across the screen as she composed her message.

"Hello, Lord Liam"

She wrote, her words careful yet tinged with nervousness.

"I received your application to join our alliance. May I ask what has prompted your interest in joining us?"

As she hit send, Lady Irene held her breath, waiting anxiously for Lord Liam's response. The seconds ticked by slowly, each one stretching out into eternity as she waited for his reply.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a response came through, and Lady Irene's heart skipped a beat as she read Lord Liam's words.

"Let's talk tomorrow, I will be coming to your territory. I am sleepy now"

As Lady Irene read Lord Liam's response, a surge of conflicting emotions washed over her.

Fear and uncertainty gnawed at her insides, her mind reeling with the implications of Lord Liam's unexpected visit.

The thought of facing him in person sent shivers down her spine, filling her with a sense of dread that she couldn't shake.

But amidst the fear, there was also a flicker of excitement, a glimmer of hope that perhaps this encounter could lead to something meaningful.

Her hands trembled as she typed out her reply, her fingers fumbling over the keys in her nervousness.

"Y-yes, Lord Liam"

She wrote, her words shaky yet sincere.

"I will be waiting for your arrival."

With a sense of resignation, Lady Irene hit send, her heart pounding in her chest as she awaited Lord Liam's response.

Deep down, she knew that this meeting would change everything, for better or for worse. And as the anticipation of their encounter loomed ever closer, Lady Irene could only brace herself for the unknown that lay ahead.

As Lady Irene lay in her bed, tossing and turning restlessly, sleep eluded her like a fleeting dream. The weight of Lord Liam's unexpected application to join her alliance hung heavily on her mind, casting a shadow of doubt and apprehension over her thoughts.

Despite her best efforts to calm her racing mind, Lady Irene found herself unable to find solace in the embrace of sleep.

Every creak of the floorboards, every rustle of the wind outside, only served to heighten her sense of dread, amplifying the silence of the night into an oppressive symphony of fear.

In a moment of desperation, Lady Irene reached for her communication panel, her trembling fingers scrolling through the chat as she switched the chat version from the global chat to the alliance chat.

With a deep breath, she composed a message, informing them of Lord Liam's unexpected application and the subsequent request for a meeting.

As she hit send, a flurry of responses flooded in, each one more incredulous than the last.

"HUH?"

"YOU KIDDING, RIGHT?"

"Sister, if he joins we are going to rise to the sky!"

The words echoed in Lady Irene's mind as she stared at the responses within the chat, a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation.

Despite the doubts and uncertainties that plagued her thoughts, Irene knew that she couldn't back down now. She had made a promise to Liam, and she intended to uphold it, no matter the cost.

With a heavy heart and a mind full of turmoil, Irene closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the restless embrace of the night.

As she drifted into a fitful slumber, the weight of Liam's impending visit hung over her like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over her dreams.