Inside the administrative registry, the fat clerk scrambled to hide behind a stack of parchment, his hands shaking violently. The groans of the kneeling guards outside filtered through the walls, filling the room with a suffocating tension.

"I thought the capital reports were exaggerated," the greasy-haired clerk whispered, his voice trembling as he gripped his table.

The fat clerk swallowed hard, peering out through the small cracks in the window shutter, "how can a kid release such a monstrous aura?"

"They said he cleared the Beast King gate," the third clerk whimpered, "we thought the King just made up a hero to scare us."

Merrick remained silent at his desk, his ink-stained fingers resting on the ledger while he listened to their panicked chatter. The rumors from the capital had not been exaggerated at all, they had actually understated the sheer weight of his presence.

Outside the registry building, Hajin stood in the center of the quiet town square, his coat catching the dusty wind.

He looked around at the tattered crowds lining the streets, his chest tightening as he took in their hollow faces. The sick, poor, and skinny townspeople sat listlessly along the dirty storefronts, their eyes vacant as they watched him.

They did not seem angry about their squalor or happy about a new ruler, they simply looked incredibly sad. This entire place was a complete mess, showing the terrible reality of the local lords’ neglect.

He sighed, wondering why the King would put such a massive burden on his shoulders in the first place.

Even though this was the main town of the region, it was in a much worse state than he had ever expected.

He looked at the system panel that was giving him ideas and guides, displaying the updated regional management interface.

[Quest: Reclaim the Sixth Region]

[- Objective: Stabilize the regional capital (In Progress)]

[- Guide: A leader’s true weight is not measured by the crown, but by the trust of the common people. Speak to them directly to build a foundation.]

’So this is the new you, very helpful,’ he thought, offering a smirk at the guidance.

He swiped his hand to expand the viewer comments section, curiosity drawing his eyes to the streaming chat. The online community was actively debating his survival prospects in this desolate territory.

[SwordMaster99:] Man, this region is a dump. Look at the local people, they look like walking ghosts.

[DailyHunter:] How is a nineteen-year-old kid going to fix this place? It needs a lot of work.

[SwordMaster99:] @DailyHunter He probably can’t. Clearing gates is about combat strength, but ruling is about politics.

[LuckyStar:] @SwordMaster99 But he cleared a Beast King gate. Maybe he can just force them to obey?

[DailyHunter:] @LuckyStar You can’t solve poverty and sickness with just a sword. If he doesn’t know what he’s doing, he will fail.

[MageLife:] I don’t know, did you feel that mana wave? He definitely has the presence of a king.

[SlasherX:] Presence doesn’t pay for clinics or feed people. I wonder if he’ll run back to the capital within a week.

He closed the system window with a brief thought, his expression turning serious as he turned to the crowd. He gathered his mana to amplify his voice, the golden light flickering slightly around his eyes.

His voice carried clearly across the entire town square, arresting the attention of the silent crowds, "I am Hajin, your new lord."

"To be completely honest, I am just a nineteen-year-old kid from the capital," he continued, looking at them.

"I have no idea how to rule a region or manage a town," he added, his voice steady, "but I will try my best, and I hope to learn how to do this from all of you."

The quiet townspeople stared at him in stunned silence, their vacant expressions slowly shifting to shock. No noble from the capital had ever spoken to them with such raw honesty before.

"I know you are hungry, and I can see that many of you are sick," he continued, his expression hardening as he looked at them. "I did not come here to collect more taxes or throw a fancy banquet for the local noble houses," he said, scanning the tattered crowd.

"Starting today, things are going to change around here," he declared, his eyes sweeping over the square, "but I cannot do it alone."

"I need people who actually know how this town operates, people who know exactly what needs to be fixed," he explained, stepping forward slightly. "If any of you know how to run a registry or manage supplies, step forward now," he offered, looking directly at the crowd.

"I need honest workers who know how to keep records, and I will pay you fairly in gold," he added, tossing a small leather purse into his own hand so they could hear the loud clink of coins.

"I am going to tear down whatever corrupt system is currently running this place," he warned, his tone turning cold, "so if you want to help me rebuild it, now is your chance."

The townspeople exchanged uncertain glances with each other, too afraid of retaliation from the local lords to actually step forward.

Inside the administrative building, Merrick listened to the young lord’s blunt promises, his fingers gripping the edge of his desk. He looked at the ledger sitting in front of him, the accurate records he had secretly maintained despite the rampant corruption.

He wanted to step outside and believe in the young lord’s blunt promises. However, looking at the unresponsive crowd, it was clear the fear instilled by the local nobles was far too deep.

Hajin looked around at the quiet townspeople, quickly understanding the invisible chains of terror holding them in place. He let out a short sigh, realizing he would have to prove his intentions with action instead of just words.

"I see," he said calmly, crossing his arms, "I suppose you all need some actual proof before you can feel open enough to trust me," he continued.

He reached down and patted Loccy on the head, with her leaning into his touch with a bright smile.

"Go into that registry and drag everyone inside out here," he ordered, pointing toward the weathered administrative building.

"Yes, Master!" She cheered, her eyes flashing with excitement as she immediately pounced toward the front door.

A series of panicked screams rang out from inside the building almost immediately and a few seconds later, Loccy casually dragged all four adult men outside by their collars like they weighed nothing.

She carelessly tossed the terrified clerks onto the ground right in front of Hajin, including a bewildered Merrick.

"Behave yourselves," she warned them cheerfully, crossing her arms as she stood beside her master.

Hajin looked down at the men, easily noticing how healthy and well-fed the three corrupt clerks looked compared to the starving townspeople.

"Are you the ones who have been responsible for managing this town’s funds so far?" He asked, his tone deceptively mild.

"Y-yes, My Lord," the fattest clerk stammered, pressing his forehead against the ground in sheer terror.

"I see," he replied simply, his eyes narrowing slightly, "well, from today onwards, you are fired."