Kingdom Building Game: Starting Out With A Million Upgrade Points! - Chapter 180

Chapter 180: • What She Wants

Utilia nodded once, narrowing her eyes dangerously as she grinned. “It would be a pleasure, my lord.”

Finally, his hand rested on the northern coast. “Thassamira, their coastal heartland, rich with trade ports and military outposts. Lord Valen Darkmoon and Laris, you will cripple their logistics here. Seize their harbors, scatter their convoys. You’ll move in silence. The tide will carry your blade.”

Valen’s voice was smooth and cold. “I’ll bring the storm to their shores.”

Laris cracked his knuckles. “Let them choke on their own fish oil.”

One region remained untouched—the very center of the map, marked by concentric walls and towers. Domereth Valas, the Akerian capital. It pulsed faintly under the spell, a golden hub for every route.

“And this,” Arkanos said, his voice dropping, “we do not touch. Not yet. The airships are here. Their heart, their pride. But it is too well-defended. If we rush, we risk failure.”

He looked around, gaze sweeping across his generals and nobles. “Each team will carve their path toward it. Each front will sow chaos and force the Empire to turn its gaze everywhere at once. We do not storm Aurealis—we bleed it dry. By the time we arrive, they will be crippled, scattered, desperate. Then, and only then, we strike the crown.”

“By the time they realize they’re at war… they will already have lost,” he said.

But three spearheads remained unmarked.

Marshal Seraphine gave a questioning glance. “Three more spearheads require champions. Who will join them?”

Arkanos simply smiled.

“It is time,” he said, voice low, “to call forth three more heroes.”

His gaze swept across the map, then to the flickering runes that still pulsed in readiness.

“The final pieces fall into place tonight. For now, this war council is adjourned. You will meet the remaining heroes before dusk. Prepare your forces. Memorize your targets. The invasion begins in three days at first light. It’s time to expand the borders of the Bloodbane Empire.”

…

…

Arkanos and Seraphine now walked down the halls of the Imperial Palace, their towering walls of black marble veined with gold that caught the flickering torchlight like veins of molten fire.

The air was cool, scented with the faint musk of aged stone and the sharp tang of polished steel from the guards stationed at every corner.

High, arched windows let in slivers of dawn, their stained glass painting the polished obsidian floor with fleeting streaks of crimson and violet.

The clink of armor and the soft rustle of robes echoed as Emperor Arkanos strode through the corridor, beside him walked Imperial Marshal Seraphine, her white and gold plate armor gleaming, her sword constantly at her hip, her steps measured but purposeful.

Their boots echoed in unison, the sound sharp against the stone, when a voice—soft but urgent suddenly called out. “My lord! Emperor Arkanos, please, wait!”

Arkanos paused, turning with a playful glint in his emerald eyes, his silver hair catching the torchlight.

Head Priestess Isode stood a few paces behind, her white silk robes shimmering like moonlight, her delicate hands twisting nervously at her silver amulet.

Her cheeks were flushed, her violet eyes darting between the emperor and the floor, a look of hesitance in her usually serene demeanor.

“What is it, Isode?” Arkanos asked, a bit teasing, a smile tugging at his lips as he tilted his head. “Something dire, to call out like that?”

Isode swallowed, her fingers tightening on the amulet. “I… I would speak with you, my lord. Alone, if it pleases you.”

Arkanos raised an eyebrow, his smile widening, but he turned to Seraphine, who stood watching with a neutral expression. “Seraphine, leave us. I’ll join you shortly.”

Seraphine nodded, her armor clinking softly as she inclined her head. “Understood, my lord. I’ll be at the barracks, sparring with the knights. They could use the practice.” She gave Isode a brief, unreadable glance before turning on her heel, her footsteps fading down the hall.

Arkanos faced Isode fully now, folding his arms, his playful smile still in place. “Well, Head Priestess, what’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Isode hesitated, her cheeks reddening further, her voice barely above a whisper. “My lord… you haven’t… we haven’t spoken much, not truly, for months. Not since I gave you the ring.” She glanced at the ring on his finger, etched with holy runes, her voice trembling with a mix of shyness and frustration. “I am your fiancée, Arkanos, and yet… we’ve spent no time together. Is something wrong?”

Arkanos’s smile didn’t falter, but his eyes gleamed with mischief, as if he knew exactly what she meant but wanted to draw it out.

“Wrong? Isode, you’ll be by my side during the war, riding into glory with the empire. We’ll have plenty of time then. I don’t see the big deal you’re making.” He leaned against a marble pillar, casually, baiting her to say more.

Isode’s flush deepened, her frustration bubbling through her shyness. She took a step closer, her robes rustling, her voice rising slightly, flustered but determined. “No, Arkanos, that’s not—! You’re a man, you know what I mean. Don’t play coy with me!”

Arkanos chuckled, low and warm, straightening from the pillar. “Coy? My dear, you haven’t said a thing. I’m no mind-reader, Isode. If you’re implying something, you’ll have to spell it out. What’s got you so worked up?” His tone was teasing, but his eyes were sharp, watching her every reaction, daring her to be bold.

Isode sighed, her shoulders sagging, her hands twisting the amulet until the chain bit into her fingers. “I’m a woman, Arkanos,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “I have… needs, and they’re your responsibility. We’re not children—this is a holy union, blessed by the Light. You shouldn’t treat me like this, keeping me at arm’s length.”

Arkanos’s playful demeanor shifted, his smile fading into something sharper, more intent.

He closed the distance between them in a few strides, his presence suddenly overwhelming, the faint scent of cedar and steel rolling off him.

Isode’s breath caught, and she instinctively stepped back, her robes brushing the cold marble wall behind her. He stopped just short of her, one hand planting against the wall above her shoulder, caging her in, his other hand gently tilting her jaw up so their eyes locked.

His green eyes were storm-dark, piercing, and her breathing hitched, a flush spreading from her cheeks to her neck. Heat stirred in her core, her thighs pressing together as she fought to hold his gaze.

Up close, he was intoxicating—the sharp lines of his jaw, the silver hair falling just so, the raw power in his frame.

Her mind flickered with images, unholy thoughts again—his hands on her, his breath against her skin—and she bit her lip, trying to banish them.

He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear, voice a low, velvet whisper that sent shivers down her spine. “Come on, Isode,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. “Is the Head Priestess really so incapable of telling her so-called beloved what she wants? Or are you acting out of duty, not love?” He pulled back slightly, just enough to meet her eyes again, his gaze challenging, searching.

Isode’s heart pounded, her voice trembling but defiant. “That’s not true! I… I…” She faltered, her cheeks burning, the words caught in her throat.

Arkanos’s smile returned, slow and knowing. “You what, Isode? Too scared to speak your mind?” His fingers brushed a strand of her purple hair, tucking it behind her ear with care, his touch lingering just long enough to make her pulse race.

“I like my women to be honest with themselves, Isode. Until you tell me exactly what you want, I’m not sure I’ll give it to you.”

His voice was soft, but it carried a weight, a promise, and a challenge, his eyes never leaving hers.

Isode stood frozen, her back pressed against the wall, her breath shallow, caught between frustration, desire, and the weight of his gaze.

The torchlight flickered, casting their shadows long and tangled across the marble, as the silence stretched, heavy with unspoken words and the faint hum of the palace around them.

Isode’s violet eyes widened, her breath catching as she looked away, her fingers trembling against the silver amulet at her neck. “What I want…” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper, cheeks burning crimson.

“Aren’t you being a bit cruel, Arkanos? Isn’t it… obvious what I want?”

Arkanos’s hand moved gently but firmly, his fingers brushing her chin, tilting her face until her eyes met his again.

A faint smile on his lips. “To want something is easy, Isode…”

“To reach out and seize it—that’s something else entirely. It’s where most fall short. A wife of mine must have that fire, that certainty, that drive to see what she wants and grab it without flinching. I don’t keep cowards in my corner, and certainly not in my bed.”

He leaned closer, his breath warm against her skin, the scent of cedar and steel enveloping her. “If my wife wants something from me, I should hear her exact thoughts, clear as a bell. Then it’s my responsibility to make it reality. Isn’t that an ideal relationship? Each of us trying to meet the other’s exact needs?”