Man in the Ark: Revitalizing Kazdel

The day after returning to Kazdel from his Laterano trip, a spirited Roy appeared at the office door, hands behind his back, humming a cheerful tune.

"Thud!" The moment the left foot stepped into the office, countless pairs of scarlet eyes lit up simultaneously. The almost tangible resentment instantly transformed into excitement and awe at seeing a savior, creating a chilling and eerie feeling.

"...Did I go to the wrong place?" Roy couldn't help but shiver, silently retracting his steps and taking several steps back to check the metal plaque at the door.

“That’s right.” After repeatedly confirming that there were no problems, Roy took a deep breath and stepped into the lair of demons once again. As the Demon King of Sarkaz, how could he be intimidated by his own subordinates?

"Your Highness, you're finally back... If you had been a few days later, you could have been preparing to attend my funeral..."

A humanoid creature made of black threads appeared silently before my eyes, its weak and feeble murmurs carrying a sense of relief.

Based on the familiar magical fluctuations, Roy barely recognized the humanoid creature as his capable secretary, office manager, the lich lady—Mio.

The current state likely indicates that the threads that make up the body have lost precise control, making it impossible to maintain the usual neat and capable appearance.

"Sorry I'm late. Mio, what's wrong with everyone? They were so lifeless just now, like a pile of burnt-out ashes, but they suddenly became excited when they saw me."

"It's nothing... it's just that everyone's workload was a bit heavy while you were away. Now that you're back, we can finally relax a bit."

The lich secretary weakly raised her arm, which was made of interwoven lines, and used her thumb and forefinger to gesture what "a bit big" meant in terms of scale, which turned out to be the universe at her fingertips.

"I see, I understand." After listening to the lich secretary's explanation, Roy raised his eyes and scanned everyone at their workstations. Seeing the serious and responsible work attitude of these young people, he waved his hand and announced the compensation plan.

"During my business trip, everyone's salary will be paid at three times the normal rate, and the payments will be completed this week. There is also a week of paid leave, which can be cashed out and paid at twice the normal rate. Mio, you will be in charge of the leave scheduling, and you will receive an extra bonus."

After Roy loudly announced the compensation plan, the atmosphere in the entire office instantly came alive, and joyful smiles appeared on everyone's tired faces.

The lich secretary, Mio, emerged from her near-death state, the lines covering her body shrinking back into the triangular cavity in her chest, restoring her to her usual appearance. She solemnly declared her loyalty: "Your Highness is wise! I swear to serve Your Highness to the death, and will forever remain by your side..."

"Alright, alright, you guys get back to work." Roy coughed lightly, interrupting the lich secretary's awkward remarks, and walked towards his office. "Mio, come in and help me organize the documents from this period."

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, I saw piles of documents stacked high on the desk, sofa, and even the floor. They seemed disorganized, but they were actually categorized and only needed to be processed one by one.

"That's a lot..." Roy's lips twitched slightly as he looked at this hellish scene, sighed inwardly, and silently accepted reality.

"Mio, let's get to work." Roy sat down at his desk, and several magical clones appeared in various parts of the office, simultaneously handling the backlog of work.

The lich secretary bustled in and out, distributing signed and stamped documents to various departments. With Roy back in his place, this sophisticated and complex machine sprang into action, sending countless orders to all parts of Kazdel.

......

After a long day of intense work, Roy stretched heavily, his bones cracking. To relieve his fatigue, he adjusted his chair and reclined, enjoying the fully automatic massage. It must be said, this little gadget, designed years ago, is truly impressive.

Unfortunately, Nian and Xi had set off back to Dayan together half a month ago, so there wasn't a chance to have hot pot with her. Nian didn't reveal the reason for returning to Dayan, only saying that it was the court's order.

Roy could roughly guess the Great Yan government's thoughts. There were still two or three months until the end of the year. To resolve the problem of the Year Beasts, the cooperation of the Year Beast agents was indispensable. Therefore, Nian and Xi were asked to return to Great Yan. The other Year Beast agents should also have received a summons from the Great Yan court.

However, the gathering of several Year Beast agents seemed to easily trigger a super fusion technique, synthesizing a giant Year Beast, causing the Year-Controlling Platform to emit a sharp explosion on the spot.

"If the threat of the Sui beast is successfully resolved, the Sui family should be able to gather together for a reunion dinner. At that time, we can enjoy the delicious wine brewed by the family, the rice grown by the family members themselves, and the hot pot during the New Year... all of which are rare delicacies."

Roy enjoyed a massage while anticipating the family dinner. Even as he relaxed, he didn't stop working. Under the control of magic, his work documents floated before him, automatically turning the pages.

The spell Ramalyn cast on the letter caused information to automatically flood into Roy's mind the moment he reached out to touch it, greatly improving reading efficiency.

The Silent River Elegy Ceremony...a traditional ritual in which the banshees sing dirges to guide the souls of the deceased. The banshees, who suffered heavy casualties in the war, migrated en masse to the valley to recuperate. They no longer accept large quantities of death announcements and restrict the banshees in the valley from going out to attend funerals.

Banshees who have long defied their natural instincts are consumed by the emptiness of their lives before they die, undergoing a long and painful process of forgetting. Two hundred years have passed, and some of the aged banshees have already shown signs of forgetting.

Lamaren hopes to alleviate the banshees' amnesia through a solemn and grand funeral ceremony, while also fully restoring the tradition of banshees burying their fellow banshees.

During the Kazdel Civil War, countless Sarkaz died in the War of the Two Kings. The vast majority of them received no funerals, no belongings, and not even names. As the Demon Lord of the Sarkaz, Roy knew that Kazdel owed them a proper burial.

"Tonight I'll discuss with Theresa how to help the Banshee make the Silent River Elegy Ceremony even grander and more solemn..."

......