Those with real strength rarely bothered with politics.
The truly talented chose the Ashborn path and chased riches and glory far from titles and complicated power struggles.
That was why Ben's victory mattered.
It did not only shake the arena.
It stirred the roots of the old noble families.
Eyes that had stayed closed now turned toward him, watching and calculating.
Ben did not care.
If this had been a human kingdom, it would have been a problem.
Humans lived short lives, so they acted fast.
Power plays came within months or a few years at most.
Nephirid were different.
Their lifespans were ten times longer, and so was their patience.
In a human world, Ben might have had a handful of years before someone forced him to bow or bleed.
Here, he had decades before anyone made a real move.
***
Ben and Elvira returned to their true forms once they were inside the pathway created by the Dhurnokh.
It was a hidden route, recently opened as part of their plan.
