Gasps rippled through the room.
“These measures are not suggestions,” Heiko finished, his tone shifting like steel drawn from its sheath. “They are mandates, effective immediately.”
Silence. Then whispers. Some were excited. Some anxious. But the majority were surprised…
Then came the voice they had expected.
“My Lord…”
Diego, the former interim lord, approached with a half-smile stretched over tension. Dressed in deep burgundy with silver buttons, he bowed—but not too deeply.
“I understand your enthusiasm. I do. But surely… with respect… you must see the risks in rushing forward with such changes. Perhaps a delay? A few months. A council vote. The traditions of—”
He never got to finish.
Heiko’s voice cut through like a blade, as he let his aura flare.
“Lord Diego… I wasn’t asking
