Three months had passed since Son Gokū officially became one of Liyue’s Guardian Beasts.
Life had settled into a comfortable rhythm.
Isobu had his lake.
Son Gokū had taken responsibility for the southern road.
Aran continued overseeing construction.
The academy continued producing scholars.
And Noel…
had discovered the terrifying power of paperwork.
The Mountain of Paper
Noel stared at the desk.
There were documents everywhere.
Trade agreements.
Construction requests.
School budgets.
Water distribution reports.
Geo Vision records.
Requests from allied settlements.
Noel slowly lifted one document.
“Who created all of this?”
Aran stood nearby.
“You did.”
“…I regret everything.”
Aran laughed.
“You wanted a civilization.”
“I wanted a civilization.”
“You have one.”
“I didn’t realize civilizations came with paperwork.”
From outside the window, Isobu’s voice echoed through the connection.
You could simply ignore it.
Noel immediately answered:
“No.”
Why?
“Because then someone else will suffer because I was lazy.”
There was silence.
Then Son Gokū laughed.
You’re definitely becoming a ruler.
Noel sighed.
An Unexpected Report
A messenger suddenly entered the room.
“Lord Noel.”
Noel looked up.
“What happened?”
The messenger bowed.
“Our southern scouts found tracks.”
“What kind?”
The messenger hesitated.
“Large.”
Noel frowned.
“How large?”
The messenger spread his arms.
“About the size of a small house.”
Aran’s expression changed.
“Another Tailed Beast?”
Noel stood.
“Maybe.”
The messenger continued.
“But there’s something strange.”
“What?”
“The tracks stop near the border.”
Noel narrowed his eyes.
“Do we know who it is?”
“No.”
Noel immediately walked toward the door.
“Then let’s find out.”
The Southern Border
Noel, Aran, and Son Gokū traveled south.
Isobu remained near his lake.
The farther they went, the quieter the desert became.
Eventually, they reached a rocky valley.
Son Gokū examined the ground. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“These aren’t my tracks.”
Noel crouched beside them.
“They’re fresh.”
Aran looked around.
“Then whatever made them is nearby.”
A voice suddenly echoed from the cliffs.
“You’re observant.”
Everyone froze.
Son Gokū’s four tails rose.
Aran immediately activated his Geo Vision.
Noel remained calm.
“Come out.”
A figure stepped onto the cliff above them.
It wasn’t a Tailed Beast.
It was a human.
An older man wearing traveler’s robes.
He carried no obvious weapon.
Noel looked at him carefully.
“Who are you?”
The stranger smiled.
“A traveler.”
Son Gokū snorted.
“Travelers don’t leave tracks that big.”
The man’s smile widened.
“Good observation.”
Noel narrowed his eyes.
“Then what are you?”
The stranger looked toward Liyue.
“I’ve been watching your nation for some time.”
Noel’s expression became serious.
“Why?”
“Curiosity.”
“That’s not an answer.”
The stranger chuckled.
“Very well.”
He pointed toward the distant city.
“I wanted to see whether the stories were true.”
“What stories?”
The man answered:
“A desert city ruled by a Tailed Beast.”
“A nation where another Tailed Beast lives peacefully beside humans.”
“A golden statue that grants mysterious crystals.”
“And an academy where children are taught to question everything.”
Noel crossed his arms.
“You’ve been spying on us.”
“I’ve been observing.”
“That’s the polite word for it.”
The stranger laughed.
A Question About Power
The stranger looked at Son Gokū.
“Why did you stay?”
Son Gokū’s expression hardened.
“Because I wanted to.”
“Even though humans live here?”
“Yes.”
“Even though their ruler is another Tailed Beast?”
Son Gokū smiled.
“Especially because of that.”
The stranger looked surprised.
Then he turned toward Noel.
“And you?”
Noel raised an eyebrow.
“What about me?”
“Why build this place?”
Noel looked toward Liyue.
He could see the distant golden glow of the statue.
“I wanted a home.”
The stranger was silent.
“And now?”
“Now I want my people to have a future.”
The man’s expression became thoughtful.
The First Diplomatic Question
The stranger finally stepped down from the cliff.
“I understand.”
He reached into his robes.
Aran immediately raised his Geo-infused weapon.
The stranger stopped.
“Relax.”
He removed a rolled map.
He opened it on a nearby stone.
It showed the surrounding lands.
Several settlements were marked.
Noel recognized some of them.
Others were unknown.
The stranger pointed toward the eastern side.
“Your influence is expanding.”
Noel nodded.
“Slowly.”
“Some settlements are considering joining your alliance.”
Noel’s eyes narrowed.
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve spoken with them.”
Aran looked at Noel.
“This could be important.”
Noel nodded.
The stranger continued.
“But there’s a problem.”
He pointed farther east.
“There are groups that don’t want Liyue’s influence spreading.”
Noel became silent.
“Who?”
The stranger looked at him.
“That…”
He smiled.
“…is why I came here.”
Back in Liyue
That evening, Noel returned with Aran and Son Gokū.
He immediately summoned the council.
The map was placed on the table.
Several settlements were marked.
The room became quiet.
Liyue had spent years building roads, schools, farms, and alliances.
But now they had reached a new stage.
Their existence was becoming impossible to ignore.
Noel looked at the map.
“We’re going to need diplomacy.”
Aran nodded.
“Perhaps an official foreign relations office.”
Noel sighed.
“More paperwork.”
Everyone laughed.
But Noel was smiling too.
Because this was exactly what he had wanted.
Not conquest.
Not endless battles.
A nation capable of standing on its own.
That night, Noel stood beneath his golden statue.
The faint glow illuminated the plaza.
He looked at the inscription.
A guardian who protects without ruling through fear.
The system appeared.
[Morax Template Synchronization: 21.3%]
[Liyue has entered the regional diplomatic stage.]
[New objective unlocked: Establish formal relations with neighboring powers.]
Noel stared at the final message.
“…Neighboring powers?”
Far beyond Liyue’s borders, unknown communities were watching the golden glow of the desert city.
And for the first time since Noel’s reincarnation…
Liyue was about to encounter a world that was much bigger than the desert.
To be continued…