Aise and Ty circled the country, stopping at every village and fort, destroying only when warranted, but choosing to talk amicably when appropriate.

The two returned to Pentaleven after two weeks of traveling. As they neared, they could see a large crowd gathered. Aise and Ty exchanged a worried glance before making a straight line for the crowd.

Aise spoke to Ty, "I'll go down, see what's up. Stay here, get ready for an evacuation."

"You got it."

Aise drifted down and landed gently. As he walked, the crowd turned and parted, allowing him through. On the far side, there were a handful of people he recognized - the various people he'd spoken to from around the nation. He took a deep breath and walked through them before he beat his wings, taking his place on a roof in front of the crowd.

He stood tall and surveyed the crowd, noticing that there were some familiar faces - the women and kids from the noble family, a handful of soldiers who chose to side with him from the forts, and even a commander who bent the knee to him. He swallowed his anxiety and spoke, "People of Gratia! My name is Aise, and I'm the new emperor here. You might be asking, why is this dragon saying he's the emperor? Well, allow me to tell you my tale."

"Many of you know this, but please allow me to catch up with the newcomers. A number of years ago, the army of Gratia attacked and destroyed my village in the Free Stretches," He began, reciting his story from the beginning. Many of the townsfolk knew the basics, but either hadn't heard all of it or hadn't heard from Aise himself. They began to tear up, along with the visitors and new folks.

The soldiers, on the other hand, had a different reaction. They clenched their teeth and fists, seeming to silently curse all that this young man before them had been through at the hands of their beloved country.

"And that's how I wound up here. The people of Pentaleven have been very kind and welcoming to me and my family. As such, I plan to rebuild this as a kingdom, with Pentaleven as my seat of power. Any of you that wish to join me will be welcome. Anyone wishing to stand against me will be free to leave. Anyone with questions, I'll happily answer," He finished.

An older woman stepped forward, "But... Why?"

Aise met her gaze, "I could've gone about my life and lived a fair life in Bloomport. But where would that leave all of us? No better than where it all started. Gratia would've still been hunting my kind. I killed the emperor to take his place. I eliminated nobles who stood against me so I could rebuild from the ground up - from the very foundation of this nation. I am the reincarnation of Lord Draconis. He is not at all pleased with how this nation took his instruction."

An old man scoffed, "So what, are you going to kill us?"

"No, sir, I'm not. Any who want to leave may. But as for those who stay, know that this is my kingdom now. You will answer to me. My word is law. However, my rule is fair and kind. I won't demand anything unreasonable. Those who stay and assist in rebuilding will receive a full pardon for the history of their nation - I'll not hold you responsible for the choices of those you once served."

A middle-aged man shouted, "How do we know you won't kill us?!"

"I'll tell you what," Aise spoke calmly, "I'll meet with anyone who doubts my word one-on-one. Bring a sword. Challenge me to single combat. I'll not use my dragonling abilities. If you wish to challenge my claim to the throne, then let's allow the gods to decide."

"And if I kill you?"

"Then this is a very short coronation. Now, does anyone doubt me?"

The man stepped forward, "Yeah, I'll take you up on that."

Aise spread his wings and stepped off the roof, gently gliding down to stand before the man, "Let's step outside of the village. Anyone else that wishes to challenge me, step up and join. The moment one falls, the next can step in."

The man drew his sword, "What makes you think you can beat me? I've fought plenty of dragons, boy."

Aise shook his head and chuckled, "I'll remind you again: This is a civilized kingdom. Killing dragons is barbarism. The dragon you fight is ME, your king. Do you really wish to challenge your king in front of his subjects, or will you lay your sword aside and pledge your loyalty to your ruler?"

"You're a damn fool, boy." The man stepped forward and slashed. Aise flickered and disappeared, reappearing behind the man. He grasped his neck, pulled, and threw the man, sending him sprawling.

Aise grinned down at him, "I said outside the village. There's no sense in involving innocents here."

A few more men stepped forward. Aise smiled at each other, "Gentlemen, I have a feeling you all know I won't be beaten. But I'll not deny you the right to try."

With that, he took flight before landing outside the village and waiting. Sure enough, the men followed one by one. They drew their weapons, prepared themselves, and the first charged in. Aise dropped his dragonling form before he drew his sword. He sidestepped, parrying and sliding his blade down the man's. He stepped in and struck out with the pommel, hitting the man in the face.

As he fell, the second one ran in, leading with a thrust. Aise deflected and brought his sword back up, delivering a powerful strike to the armored part of the man's chest. He fell, revealing another directly behind him. Aise grinned as the third man raised his axe.

"This is gonna be fun," Aise said to himself as the man swung the weapon.

The battle raged. One by one, the men fell, until only one was left. The man gasped for breath, exhausted and battered, as he planted his sword point in the dirt, "I yield, my lord. You've bested me."

"I did, sir. You're the last one left. And now, the question: will you bow to me, or will you challenge me once more?"

The man sighed and dropped to his knee, "You are my king."

Aise nodded approvingly. He walked up to the man and grasped his shoulder, "What's your name, friend?"

"Lind, my king."

"Lind, rise. Now, the rest of you," Aise stood and addressed the crowd, "I am not a tyrant. I'm not here to kill, or enslave, or otherwise harm you. I'm here to make this a better world. If you are willing to help me, I'll help you in turn. If you need aid, don't be afraid to ask."

Laz and Sey stepped forward, standing to either side of Aise. "That was amazing, Aise," Sey said.

"Thank you, Sey," Aise replied.

"I can't believe you actually beat them," Laz added, "And without killing a single one. You aimed every strike for a well-armored spot. You ended it efficiently without leaving lasting damage. I'm genuinely impressed."

Aise smiled at the wolf girl, "It's not about beating them or killing them. The ones that took the offer can't respect a man they can best in combat. They're men of the sword. To them, bowing without a test of my strength first would've been seen as an insult."

Aise and Laz walked off to Aise's house, while Sey stayed behind to keep an eye on the crowd and ensure work on the castle proceeded smoothly.

When they got inside, Laz spoke, "What happens if they decide to revolt?"

Aise shrugged, "Then I'll handle it when that issue comes up."

Laz smirked, "I love a man that knows when to act and when to rest."

Aise glanced over at her, "And what's the plan now? To rest or act?"

Laz turned and locked the door, "Why not both... Act on me, then rest with me."

Aise raised his eyebrow, "That... was a terribly cheesy line."

Laz giggled, "I know. But come, let's have our first time, my love."