'It's happening again.'
His mind flashed back: the beast moved the rock, Elara cleared the path, and now the Princess holding his wrist was trembling, not with rage, but with anticipation.
"You're holding me," Zen said carefully. "Let go."
Lysandra's fingers sprang open instantly. She stepped back, looking at her own hand like it had betrayed her.
"I..." she stammered. "I didn't mean to... My apologies."
Zen was quiet, his mind working through the pattern. The beast with the rubble, Elara with the bandits, then the guards, then Vexler. Now this.
Each time, he'd just asked for something, said something he wanted, and they did it immediately… enthusiastically, like it was the best order they'd ever received.
"Coincidence," he muttered. "Has to be. Or maybe I'm just authoritative. People always said I had a commanding presence in meetings."
But the golden shimmer, and the way their eyes glazed over… that definitely wasn't normal corporate synergy.
"My Lord?" Elara said, rushing to him. "Are you okay? Forgive me. I was weak. I should be flogged for my incompetence."
She dropped to one knee. "How should I be punished for this transgression?"
Zen stared at her. "What? No. Get up. Why are you kneeling again?"
"Because I should," Elara said, rising but keeping her head bowed. "I failed you. I should have stopped her from touching you. I should have…"
"I didn't ask you to do anything," Zen interrupted, confused.
"So it was a test," Elara whispered with shiny eyes. "You were testing me. And I nearly failed." She pressed a fist to her chest. "It won't happen again. I swear it on my blade."
Zen opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked down at his hand, the same hand that had pointed at the rubble and touched Elara's arm… the same hand the Princess had grabbed.
"My Lord, are you sure you're fine? You look…"
"I'm fine," Zen said automatically. Then, more carefully, watching her reaction: "Just thinking."
There was no golden shimmer or euphoric response. She simply nodded and then turned to glare at the Princess.
'Interesting,' Zen thought. 'So it's not everything I say. Just when I... what? Give orders? Make requests? Nahh, this can't be real.'
But if this was real, if he actually had some weird voice-command power in this afterlife or wherever the hell he was, he'd need to figure out the rules.
I need to verify this, Zen thought. Hypothesis: Direct commands trigger a dopamine response and absolute obedience. Test subject: The Princess.
He decided to run a diagnostic.
"Princess, pick up that piece of broken vase."
Lysandra moved before she could think. She dropped to her knees, scooped up the porcelain shard, and held it up to him with both hands like a sacred offering, eyes shining with pride.
"Is this satisfactory, My Lord?"
Zen narrowed his eyes. 'It… it worked.'
Test confirmed.
'Let me try with something else.'
"This situation," Zen gestured vaguely at the unconscious guards and broken door. "It's messy and disorganised. I just want to stay here without people waking me with noise in the morning."
He locked eyes with her.
[Sovereign's Voice Activated.]
The command hit Lysandra like lightning.
The Sovereign requires order. The Sovereign requires legitimacy. The current administration is failing to provide a suitable environment. Therefore, the administration must be replaced.
"Got it," Lysandra replied. Her tone was no longer filled with anger; instead, it sounded calm and professional. "The current Magistrate isn't doing a good job. The local laws aren't enough. I'll reorganise the city right away to make sure you're comfortable."
She turned on her heel and looked at the conscious guard.
"Captain!"
The guard jumped. "Y-yes, Your Highness? Should we arrest him?"
"Arrest the Sovereign? Are you stupid? If you weren't my loyal man, I'd have your head for blasphemy." She drew her rapier. "We are arresting the Magistrate."
"Ma'am?"
"Magistrate Vexler's incompetence has disturbed the Sovereign's rest," Lysandra announced. "He has failed to maintain order. Failed to process the guest registry. He is unfit for office."
She pointed her sword at the cowering Magistrate at the end of the hall.
"Captain! Seize Vexler for treason and gross negligence! I am taking emergency control of this estate. We begin restructuring the municipal code immediately!"
"But... Princess! Arrest the Magistrate?"
"Did I stutter? DO IT!" Lysandra roared, aura flaring with golden light that matched Elara's.
She turned back to Zen, dropped a perfect court curtsy, and lowered her head. "I will handle the bureaucracy, My Lord. Please. Resume your rest."
Zen stood there in his bathrobe. He looked at Elara, beaming with pride, and at Lysandra, who was currently organising a coup d'état in the hallway.
'It's not a coincidence,' Zen realised. 'I don't know how or why, but it seems I have some kind of supernatural HR authority here.'
He watched Lysandra bark orders at the guards, who were now moving with a snap and speed they definitely didn't have five minutes ago. There was no hesitation. No "I'll circle back to you on that." No "Let me check with HR."
For the first time since waking up in this world, Zen felt a strange sensation in his chest. It wasn't the heart attack coming back. It was… satisfaction.
"Fine," Zen said, turning toward the bathroom. "I'm having my bath now. Both of you, handle whatever needs handling. Quietly."
"Yes, My Lord!" they said in unison.
As he walked away, Zen noticed something disturbing in his peripheral vision—the blue System screen flickered back into existence:
[Bonds Established: 2/7]
[Territory Claimed: Magistrate's Estate]
[WARNING: Hostile Forces Detected]
Zen stopped mid-step and stared at the notification.
"Hostile forces?" he muttered to no one in particular. "This early in the morning? Come on."
He looked back at Elara and Lysandra, both still glowing faintly with that golden aura, organising the guards and dragging Vexler away.
Zen sighed deeply, pulled his bathrobe tighter, and continued toward the bathroom. "Maybe I should've just stayed dead."