Misjudged Lord C7 Kilns

After the coronation ceremony, Kael did not sit upon the throne like the kings before him.

Instead, he went to the king’s office, standing near the window that overlooked the city.

The room was filthy. The desk was old and worn, its surface scratched and uneven. The chair creaked under the slightest movement. The bookshelves? They held tomes that looked older than the kingdom of Aredan itself.

Eryndra frowned the moment she stepped inside.

The Demon Kings of Aredan had neglected this place for far too long.

And it was no surprise.

The previous rulers had no use for an office.

They preferred the throne room, basking in power, having officials kneel before them, making grand declarations as they sat elevated above all.

The office? They saw no need for it.

Yet Kael, freshly crowned, had come here first.

Eryndra couldn’t hold her silence any longer.

"Your Majesty, this place is unworthy of you."

Her voice carried clear displeasure as she watched Kael sift through paperwork.

"I suggest that Your Majesty sit upon the throne instead—where you belong. Have your servants attend to your every need, your officials kneeling before you. Let your subjects handle such trivial matters as paperwork. There is no reason for the Demon King to concern himself with such things."

Kael did not raise his head.

He continued reading, his expression unmoving.

His response was calm, indifferent.

"Are you dictating what I, the Demon King of Aredan, should do?"

A chill ran down Eryndra’s spine.

Her breath hitched, and before she could think, she dropped to one knee.

"Of course not, Your Majesty!" she said quickly, her tone laced with concern.

"I only feared that staying in such a place might—might displease you—"

Kael finally looked at her.

His golden eyes were sharp, piercing.

"Do you hear me complaining?"

Eryndra lowered her gaze instantly, unable to meet his eyes.

"No, Your Majesty."

"Then be quiet."

His voice was calm, yet it cut deeper than any shout.

"You are my Chief Advisor. Advise me only when it is reasonable."

Eryndra bowed her head, hiding the mix of emotions swirling inside her.

This Kael—the one before her now—was different.

Becoming king had changed him.

He was colder. Sharper. More commanding.

More… intimidating.

And yet—

She felt nothing but exhilaration.

This was the king Aredan needed.

Kael returned his attention to the papers.

The more he read, the more problems surfaced.

Underdeveloped infrastructure. A weak economy. A military that paled in comparison to other demon kingdoms.

Aredan was fragile. Exposed. Vulnerable.

Kael set the papers down and turned to Eryndra, studying her.

He wanted to see her capabilities.

To test her as his Chief Advisor.

Leaning back slightly, he spoke.

"Tell me, Eryndra—what do you believe is Aredan’s most urgent concern?"

He wasn’t looking for answers.

He was looking for her answer.

Eryndra took a deep breath. Finally, Kael had asked for her insight.

She carefully considered her words before speaking.

"I believe the kingdom’s greatest concerns right now are the economy and the military."

Kael said nothing, only listening as she continued.

"The economy is the foundation of every kingdom, yet ours is crumbling. Without wealth, we cannot sustain growth, nor can we support a strong army."

Her tone sharpened as she moved to her next point.

"The military is just as critical. A kingdom without strength invites war. Aredan’s forces are weakening. If we continue to stagnate, we will not only fail to expand—we will be overtaken."

At the mention of the military, she spoke with conviction, passion.

She wanted Kael to take action.

To strengthen the army.

To conquer the other demon kingdoms.

But Kael only listened, his expression unreadable.

Her reasoning was sound, and he was satisfied with her perspective.

But not enough.

Still, she had been by his side since childhood. She had potential. He would keep her close—until she learned.

She continued speaking, suggesting actions to increase crop production, expand weapon manufacturing, and bolster blacksmithing to prepare for war.

When she finally finished, Kael leaned back slightly, muttering,

"Economy and military..."

His golden eyes flickered with thought.

"You are right—both are vital. But pointing out problems and proposing solutions is easy."

Eryndra blinked, slightly taken aback as Kael continued.

"Executing those solutions? That is not just difficult—it is extremely difficult."

She frowned.

Kael’s tone remained calm, yet firm.

"If solving these issues were as simple as taking direct action, previous kings would have done it already. Throwing ourselves into large-scale reforms blindly will not fix anything."

Eryndra fell silent, absorbing his words.

"Instead of tackling these challenges head-on, we must start small. Focus on what we can solve immediately."

She nodded slowly, processing his logic.

"Start small…" she murmured.

Kael nodded.

"For example—cleaning the streets. Addressing the ‘filth’ in the capital."

Eryndra’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

She hadn’t expected that.

Kael smiled faintly.

"I am forming a team to remove the sludge and waste from the roads. From there, we will plan projects such as a sewage system and public restrooms."

Eryndra listened carefully, but the more she heard, the more astonished she became.

What was the purpose of this?

She struggled to understand the logic. How would this impact the kingdom’s core issues?

But she knew Kael.

He was planning something.

Something she hadn’t realized yet.

Her mind raced, trying to unravel what his true intentions could be.

***

The next day, fire mages from noble families arrived at the royal castle, summoned by the new king.

They gathered in the spacious throne room, waiting in silence, their gazes flickering with uncertainty.

At the far end of the room, Dianne stood in the shadows, watching them with narrowed eyes.

She muttered to herself, "Why does my brother need so many fire mages?"

A voice beside her answered.

"Maybe he needs them to burn something."

The speaker was a woman—average in appearance, yet something about her presence demanded caution.

Her fangs, the scaly tail that curled slightly behind her, and her taller, lean build made it clear—underestimating her would be a mistake.

And more than that, she was Kuu—Dianne’s personal guard, a demoness skilled in both combat and magic.

Dianne turned her head sharply.

Her scarlet eyes widened as she whispered, "What could possibly require this many fire mages?"

Her gaze flickered to the dozens of kneeling spellcasters.

Kuu merely shook her head, arms crossed.

"Only the king knows."

Her eyes lingered on the mages.

"And soon, they will too."

Dianne clenched her hands together, feeling a slight unease creep into her chest.

Was Kael planning to launch an attack?

Then—

A servant’s voice rang through the throne room.

"The King has arrived!"

The grand doors swung open as Kael entered, accompanied by Eryndra.

His stride was slow, unhurried—his presence alone commanded the room.

He passed by Dianne without sparing her a glance, walking straight toward the throne.

Seating himself, he glanced at the fire mages kneeling before him.

A heavy silence filled the air.

Then, he spoke.

"Good. With this number of fire mages, we will have enough heat."

A chill ran through the room.

The mages stiffened.

Dianne felt her stomach tighten.

Kuu’s tail flicked, her eyes sharp with suspicion.

The same question burned in everyone's mind—

What could the king possibly need to burn that requires this many fire mages?

But they didn’t have to wait long for answers.

After Kael briefed the mages, he turned, gesturing for them to follow.

He stepped outside, mounted his black horse, and without another word, began riding.

The fire mages followed, along with Dianne and Kuu, their curiosity outweighing their unease.

The group rode through the bustling streets, weaving their way through the West District.

And then—

At the very edge of the district, they arrived.

Before them stood a large stone structure, recently constructed—its towering chimney and thick stone walls unfamiliar to those gathered.

The fire mages stared, their expressions uncertain.

Dianne furrowed her brows. "What is this?"

Even Eryndra, ever composed, narrowed her eyes in confusion.

Then—someone gasped.

The realization struck all at once.

Their eyes widened.

The chill in the air deepened.

Because inside that massive stone structure—

They saw bones.

Piles of them.

The fire mages stiffened.

Kuu’s tail bristled.

Even Dianne took a step back, her breath catching in her throat.

Kael turned to the gathered fire mages, completely unfazed.

"This is what I need you to burn to ash."

His voice was calm. Matter-of-fact.

"It must be heated at the correct temperature, for the right amount of time, before it is ready."

His golden gaze flickered to the kilns, standing like silent sentinels.

Inside of it were the materials needed to make ancient Roman cement.

As for the bones?

Well, he lacked a sufficient supply of pozzolanic ash, so he used bones from animals and deceased demons as an additive. When burned at the right temperature, they would help enhance the cement's durability and binding properties.

The mages remained frozen in place.

Their thoughts spiraled into dark assumptions.

And Kael?

He simply smiled.