A Journey That Changed The World.

Archer was staring at the pile of wealth in front of him, which glowed due to the fireballs he created using Mana Manipulation. Tons of different metals glimmered like stars in the night sky.

Silversteel, Mithirilm, Orichalcum, and many others would be helpful for Draconia and its navy. There was an uncountable number of gems of all different shades and sizes, along with a mountain of gold coins.

When seeing all this, Archer quickly stored it in his Item Box while Kassandra watched with an amused expression, and by the time it was all gone, she giggled, ''You truly are a dragon, Arch,'' she said. ''I love the look on your face when you're obsessing over treasures. It's cute.''

He spun on the Kraken girl while she watched him with a grin, which made him laugh before the two returned to the Drakeguards guarding the entrance. As they walked, Archer spotted something down one alley.

''Stop Kass,'' he said. ''Somethings down there.''

Archer pointed down the dark alley, but there was a glint when the fireball passed. The two of them walked into the darkness, only to be horrified by the sight in front of them. The flickering light of Archer's fireball revealed a chilling sight that sent shivers down their spines.

Hanging from the walls of the alley were the lifeless bodies of a dozen Drakeguards, their once proud armor now stained crimson with dried blood. They had been brutally butchered by the Forsaken thanks to the stench left behind, and the soldiers were displayed like grim trophies, a morbid warning to them.

Archer's expression darkened as he surveyed the scene, his jaw clenched with barely contained fury. Kassandra placed her hand on his arm, distracting him from the rage that started to die down.

''We can't leave them here, Arch,'' the Kraken girl said. We can take them to Elara, and she can compensate the families.''

He nodded and stored all the bodies in his Item Box, leaving the empty first layer behind. It didn't take them long to arrive at the gate, which the Drakeguard Commander Gerrick Strongwind opened with a smile.

"Your Majesty, Queen Kassandra," Gerrick bowed down, then looked concerned as he continued, "I hope Queen Lucrezia is okay. Is she safe?"

Archer chuckled at the man's reaction but reassured him that Lucrezia was fine and was exploring the underground sea that she had found. This revelation shocked the commander, who mumbled, ''There's a sea down here?''

''Yes, and it stretches around Thrylos,'' Kassandra informed the man. ''The world under the surface is weird and much bigger than it looks.''

Gerrick nodded in understanding before Archer asked, ''How many soldiers have we lost during the Ironfoot Operation?''

The older man thought briefly before revealing the causality list, ''We've lost two hundred and thirty-three Drakeguard, ninety-seven Dragonblood Knights, and fifty-two Legionnaires, Your Majesty.''

He felt guilty, and it showed as Gerrick reassured him. ''My King,'' the old man said. ''They died so Draconia could prosper. The DVW will care for their families, who regularly check up on them and pay them the soldier's wages.''

Hearing this, Archer remembered his conversation with Aisha and Meera about paying a wage to the families of soldiers who died during a battle so they could survive when their sons, husbands, or brothers were killed in battle.

The Veteran Widow's Welfare Department allocated an allowance of twenty gold coins per week, a fund personally maintained by Archer's generous contributions to that and the kingdom, which amounted to millions of coins.

Archer's support went to that, as did the army, navy, and civil departments. He funded the establishment of towns and cities that would house his population. Thanks to all this, Draconia exploded, and it's now growing faster than any other realm on Thrylos.

His funding was pivotal in ensuring the kingdom's stability and growth, laying the foundation of one of the greatest empires in history. Archer brought many good things from Earth but skipped all the bad, which helped build Draconia into a powerhouse.

Even now, the Draconian Army could stand toe-to-toe with the Avalonian military and any other in Pluoria, which sent a surge of pride through him. After daydreaming for a while, Archer replied to Gerrick.

''Gather up a list of names and give it to one of the Marshals,'' he said. ''I will make sure the families are well looked after.''

When the older man heard this, he dropped to one knee and started declaring his undying loyalty to Archer, who was shocked at the suddenness of it, but that wasn't all. Every soldier around them dropped, just like Gerrick.

Now Archer was confused, and his expression showed a bewildered expression, causing Kassandra to comment finally, ''You're adorable when confused, Arch.''

He chuckled when he heard this, but before he could talk, Gerrick explained, ''My King. Few rulers care about the average foot soldier and consider us ants. No ruler we have heard of would give up their wealth to fund such an endeavor.''

The soldiers nodded and agreed as the old man continued, ''You have set up an office to make sure all our families are well looked after if we were to die, and having that reassurance lets me and the boys fight harder.''

Gerrick bowed deeper as he finished, ''Us commoners will forever be grateful for everything you do and have done for us, Your Majesty. We cannot wait to be beside you as you change the world.''

Archer nodded with a big smile, looking at all the soldiers around him before bidding farewell to them. ''You will see Gerrick,'' he said, looking into the man's eyes. ''When my journey ends, Thrylos will be something new, something better for future generations.''

After speaking, he cast Gate before stepping through, followed by Kassandra, watching him with fascination. The couple appeared in a random alleyway in Starfall City, and when they stepped outside, hundreds of people were all walking up and down the street.

He looked up to see the floating island, which was still strange because it was just sitting in the sky. But he then pushed that aside and wanted to enjoy the festival with Kassandra and eat good food.

Archer grabbed the Kraken girl's hand before diving into the lively atmosphere filled with laughter, music, and beautiful scents of various foods from the stalls lined both sides of the street.

With excitement gleaming in their eyes, they walked toward a game stall, "Let's try our luck at one of these games," Archer suggested, gesturing towards a booth where a group of children were laughing and cheering. "I bet I can win you a prize."

Kassandra grinned mischievously. "Oh, you're on," she replied, her competitive nature ignited.

The black-haired girl dragged him over to the booth and was greeted by a friendly worker who explained the game's rules while he took their silver. They took their positions with determined expressions, ready to showcase their skills.

After several attempts, Archer knocked down a row of stacked bottles with impressive precision, earning a delighted cheer from Kassandra. "Nice shot, Arch!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

Happy with his victory, Archer accepted the plush Western Lion toy from the worker before presenting it to Kassandra with a charming grin, ''For you, my beautiful queen.'' he said while playfully bowing.

''Thank you, my dragon,'' she said while holding the plush lion close to her chest with a radiant smile that caught Archer off guard.

With a gorgeous smile on her pretty face, he could tell Kassandra was extremely happy, and it was about to boil over, but Archer decided to surprise her and step forward to kiss her full lips.

The Kraken Princess went rigid but soon melted again while sharing a passionate kiss. Archer broke up and ignored the looks they were getting before dragging her into the crowd to continue exploring the festival.

Archer and Kassandra continued scouring the festival grounds before trying different games and treats. They sampled the mystic moon fried dumplings, faerie honey cakes, and savory grilled meats from the food stalls, savoring each delectable bite.

As the day turned to dusk and the festival lights began to twinkle, Archer and Kassandra found themselves caught up in the enchanting ambiance of the Frostwinter Festival. Hand in hand, they strolled through the illuminated streets, their hearts light and their laughter echoing into the night.

They lost track of time, immersed in the festivities. After indulging in a spicy hotdog-like snack that left Kassandra's tongue tingling, she couldn't help but let out a surprised yelp, drawing laughter from Archer.

Once they had their street food, they returned to the domain, finding it deserted. He scanned the treehouse, noticing that only Hecate and Halime were present, but both were fast asleep.

After doing that, Kassandra spun him around before kissing him again, but this time around, she grabbed his hands and placed them on her large boobs while hers started taking off his shirt while touching every part of him with a lewd smile.

Archer grinned when he saw her reaction and started playing with her soft but firm chest while melding it into all different shapes, causing Kassandra to let out a pleasure-filled moan that made his lust soar.

The two of them made their way to his room while not breaking the kiss as her tongue slipped into his mouth and battled with his own while one of his hands slid down her body until he reached her bubble butt.

When Kassandra felt this, she pushed up against him before breaking their kiss, taking her dress off, and revealing her beautiful warrior figure that was a blend of muscle and curves that drove him mad.