In the days that followed, Tuf began the full-scale development of Aquilonis.
With Ceres's official permission, he divided the kingdom into newly organized sectors. The entire infrastructure was overhauled, everything, save for four major landmarks, the Empress's Palace, the Emperor's Palace, the Holy Church, and the Magic Tower. These iconic sites remained untouched, preserved for their historical and strategic value.
The rest of the capital, however, was systematically reshaped.
Even lands that had been held by nobles for generations were not spared.
It wasn't like they had much of a choice.
Not only were they still terrified of the Demi-human Prince's threats, which he had delivered with sweet smiles and thinly veiled promises of torment, they also knew better than to challenge the Empress's decree. And Tuf made it clear, he would not lift a single finger to help those who defied Ceres.
So the nobles, grim-faced and quietly simmering, had no choice but to nod and sign every document Tuf placed before them.
Ceres had long wanted to uplift the commoners, to give them access to better lives, better opportunities. But after the chaos and destruction brought by the battle… her plans had crumbled.
So now, Tuf was making it up to her.
With Captain Hugo as head, Tuf established a Merchant's Guild, an organized trading alliance open to commoners who wished to enter commerce.
To jumpstart the guild, Tuf promised a full shipment of raw materials from Velrathis.
"This is a one-time thing," he made sure to announce. "You'll get the first shipment for free. What you do after that is your responsibility."
He promised no hand-holding.
But he did promise support, if they worked for it.
"As long as you're vouched for by the Empress," Tuf declared, "you'll receive a forty-percent discount on all future materials. And priority access to the best-quality supplies we have."
The commoners were stunned. It was more than they had ever dreamed of.
Meanwhile, the nobles watched in frustration.
But even they could not stop what came next.
All landowners, noble or not, were required to lease their lands under newly regulated terms. Prices were assessed based on location and accessibility. And rent? No one could raise it unless approved by a newly formed Council of Trade and Commerce.
The council would be made up of representatives from the Magic Tower, the Knight Corps, the Holy Church, the Nobility… and most importantly, the Commoners under the Crown.
And it was clearly stated,
"Money will not determine your place in this council."
Representatives would be elected. Each sector would vote, and the majority would decide.
As if that wasn't enough to send shockwaves through the social hierarchy, taxes were implemented, standardized, structured, and unavoidable.
Anyone earning over one thousand gold coins per month would pay ten percent to the royal treasury. Those making over ten thousand would pay twenty percent.
Even the nobles paled.
Tuf then revealed the new map of Aquilonis.
The entire capital was separated into distinct zones,
Noble Sector, dedicated residential zones for noble families.
Commercial Sector, reserved for all businesses, trade centers, guild halls, and storefronts.
Residential Sector, a haven for commoners, with spacious, vertical buildings designed for comfort and accessibility.
At a gathering in the courtyard, Tuf projected the full architectural layout from his dimension ring.
Everyone stared in awe as the design came alive, floating 3D models showed streets, districts, gardens, fountains, schools, markets, towers, and advanced magical infrastructure.
Ceres watched silently as the image of a transformed Aquilonis shimmered above the crowd.
It was beautiful.
It was nothing short of revolutionary.
And for the first time since the battle…
Hope settled across the kingdom like sunlight after a long, dark storm.
After witnessing the projected vision of what the new Aquilonis would become, Tuf wasted no time.
From his dimensional ring, he summoned massive magitractors, construction golems, aerial drones, and other forms of magitechnology no one in the kingdom had ever seen. Towering machines glided across the land, reshaping the broken city with uncanny precision and speed.
They didn't know what the towering constructs were or how they worked, but one thing was certain, with them, Tuf's promise to rebuild the entire kingdom within a month no longer seemed like a fantasy.
Even the nobles, who had at first shown silent resistance, finally gave in. None of them wanted to be left behind as the era of magical innovation marched forward under the name of Aquilonis.
One quiet afternoon, as construction roared in the distance and workers buzzed like bees, Ceres sat in the garden of the new Empress Palace with Tuf beside her.
He had changed the design of the Empress Palace at her request.
She'd shown him detailed sketches and described everything from memory, Château de Chambord in Earth's Loire Valley. A palace of turrets and fairytale dreams. And as for the Emperor's Palace?
Versailles.
Of course, Aurelian had protested at first, until Ceres whispered the truth to him, "These are palaces I once walked through in my past life."
From that moment on, he had agreed. Because Aurelian wanted, desperately, to understand the life she once had.
"So… you're really a businessman?" Ceres asked, unable to hold the question any longer.
They sat in the garden, warm sunlight casting gold on the marble veranda. Nymphs floated around the courtyard, quietly preparing coffee and pastries as if they belonged there.
Tuf looked pleased with himself, reclining lazily across from her.
"What, you didn't believe me, your highness?" he asked, pretending to be hurt.
"Can you blame me?" she arched a brow. "You said it yourself, you like to play."
"I'm serious when I need to be serious," Tuf said, more gently this time. "Besides, I helped Father build Velrathis from scratch. I just applied everything I learned from him to Aquilonis."
That made her pause.
She tilted her head, eyes softening.
"Tell me about your family, Tofu. Your parents. Your siblings."
Tuf blinked, caught off-guard.
"That is… if it's okay," she added quickly. "If not, you don't have to. I'm just… curious."
Tuf smiled slowly.
"I can't tell you everything," he admitted, "but I'll tell you what I can."
She nodded, giving him her full attention.
"Our eldest is named Alpha. He's a white wolf shifter. His core ability is Rune Magic and Ability Boosting. He's calm. Controlled. The kind of guy that looks like he could tame a hurricane with a stare."
"Then there's Orso, second eldest, though we all call him Bear. Because… well, he is one. Big. Silent. Scary to most people. But oddly soft-hearted for someone who can snap a tree in half."
Ceres chuckled, resting her cheek on her knuckles.
Tuf continued, telling her of the rest of his siblings, each one a different kind of powerful, chaotic, or brilliant.
"And the youngest," he said with a grin, "is Pixie. She's the apple of our father's eye. His favorite. Small, dainty, and absolutely terrifying when she throws a tantrum."
"His favorite sibling is Alpha," he added thoughtfully. "But Pixie is the only one who can make him break. The moment she cries, Alpha loses all sense. And so…" he smirked, "it has become my favorite pastime to make her cry."
"You are evil," Ceres laughed, covering her mouth.
"I know," Tuf said proudly.
As he continued to talk, something soft bloomed in Ceres's chest. Not just amusement, warmth. Comfort. The kind she hadn't felt in what seemed like ages.
And while she listened to the tales of Caelum's unruly, chaotic, powerful children…
Ceres didn't know why… but for a fleeting second, it felt like home.
"You must be absolutely chaotic when you're all together," she said with a soft laugh.
Tuf grinned. "Yes, Your Highness. That's exactly why the High Council of Velrathis only happens once every ten years. And even then, we're rarely ever complete. Because when all of us are in one room? The playful banter lasts longer than the meeting itself."
He shook his head, chuckling. "And you should see Alpha's personal aide, Cosmo. Poor guy's probably close to ripping all his hair out from stress."
Ceres laughed again, picturing the scene. The chaos. The mischief. The madness. And somehow, it was… comforting.
"How about your parents?" she asked curiously. "I've heard bits and pieces about the Demon Lord from Queen Azura and Seiryu… but I've never heard anything about the Demon Queen."
And instantly, she saw it.
That subtle change in Tuf's expression.
The smile flickered, replaced by a shadow of longing.
It lasted just a second, but it was enough to still her heart.
Tuf tried to speak.
To tell her.
To say the words, You are her. You are my mother.
But…
Nothing came out.
Ceres, noticing the silence, softened her voice.
"I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about them if you don't want to."
'It's not that I don't want to, mother…' Tuf thought bitterly.
'It's that I can't.'
He exhaled. "Ask anything you want, Your Highness. I'll answer what I can."
Ceres looked at him more intently this time. Her gaze sharp, searching.
'Could it be… like Ori, there are things he's not allowed to say?' she wondered. 'Not because he doesn't want to, but because he literally can't?'
She hesitated. She was going to change the subject.
But something inside her, something deeper, older, urged her to keep asking.
To know more.
To understand the Demon Lord… and his family.
If she was going to face him, she wanted to be prepared. To know what kind of man he was. Especially if he turned out to be hostile to humans.
"Why does the Demon Lord hate humans?" she asked quietly.
Tuf raised an eyebrow.
"Who told you my father hates humans, Your Highness?"
Ceres blinked. "Didn't you say you hate humans? I assumed your whole family did. Isn't that why your father instigated the Great Human War?"
She wasn't sure. Everything was just based on assumptions.
Tuf chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Yes. I hate humans. Some of my siblings do too. But not all of us. And my father?"
He leaned forward slightly, his voice softer. "Caelum is human."
Ceres felt the blood drain from her face.
"So… it's true?" she whispered. "He really is human? Just like what Seiryu said?"
Tuf nodded. "You thought the Holy Beast lied to you?" he said with a smirk. "Holy Beasts cannot lie to their master, Your Highness."
Ceres looked dazed, trying to process what she was hearing.
"So… your mother," she said cautiously, "she's a demi-human? And maybe she was a victim of human greed before the war? That's why your father started it?"
"No," Tuf said simply, his eyes calm. "Our mother is human, too."
Ceres sat frozen.
Mind spinning.
Staring.
"But… you're a demi-human," she finally said. "And Seiryu told me, all ten of you are demi-human shapeshifters. So how… how do two humans create ten demi-human children?"
Tuf smiled.
"And how can a human live for a thousand years?" she added. "Because if your parents are humans, then, how are they still…?"
Tuf's expression turned unreadable.
"My father hasn't aged a single day since stepping foot in Solmara."
He looked at her, gaze deeper than before.
"I can't answer the rest of your questions. But when you meet him, Your Highness…
you'll understand."