Anos Voldigoad stood on the highest terrace of the royal capital, overlooking Lugnica in silence.
From here, the structure of the kingdom was obvious.
Not in walls or roads—but in dependencies.
"So much power," Anos said quietly, "and none of it owned."
Below him, nobles moved according to inherited privilege, knights according to blessings they did not earn, mages according to spirits that no longer answered as they once had.
A borrowed world.
Subaru stood a short distance behind him, careful not to interrupt.
"You're… really not doing anything," Subaru finally said.
Anos glanced at him. "Observation is action," he replied. "This world has never been truly observed."
He extended his perception.
The royal court relied on prophecy to justify authority. The church relied on fear of sin. The military relied on divine protections. Even the dragon covenant was a lease, not ownership.
"All scaffolding," Anos concluded. "No foundation."
A tremor rippled through the city as another minor blessing failed. Somewhere, a knight fell from his horse when his enhanced balance did not trigger in time.
The kingdom adapted slowly—too slowly.
"This place doesn't collapse because it's strong," Anos said. "It collapses because it refuses to change."
Subaru swallowed. "Are you… going to take over?"
Anos did not answer immediately.
He watched the castle flags flutter in the wind, symbols heavy with meaning and empty of substance.
"Rule is not declared," he said at last. "It is accepted by reality."
He turned.
"When this world is ready to stop borrowing strength, it will come to me."
Subaru frowned. "And if it doesn't?"
Anos's eyes hardened slightly.
"Then it will break," he said. "And I will rebuild it."
Far beneath the capital, ancient mechanisms began to stir—seals, pacts, and oaths long dormant reacting to a presence that did not acknowledge them.
High above, fate grew quiet.
Because observation had become judgment.
And judgment, once passed—
Could not be undone.