The Kingmaker System

Kai stood facing me, determination etched onto his features, though the subtle tremble in his eyes betrayed the storm within. I leaned back against the wall, my hands still in my pockets, watching him coolly.

My gaze shifted briefly to the group of men behind him—some bruised, some visibly shaken, all uncertain. They kneeled as a mass, but I saw them for what they were: thirty lives hanging by a thread, waiting for his word to bind them into something new... or to let them scatter like dust in the wind.

"So," I began, my tone light, laced with challenge, "tell me—what would you like to do to save them?"

Kai swallowed. His glance flickered to the men, the weight of their dependence visibly settling on his shoulders. I could almost see it—the realisation sinking in. These were not just warriors; they were fathers, brothers, sons. If he wanted to take my place, he would need to bear this burden without faltering. This was only thirty. I already had thousands under my watch. If this rattled him, he wasn’t ready.

"I-I want to give them a place to live in Oasis," he said, voice small but determined.

I tilted my head slightly, my hands still buried in the pockets of my coat. "And what about their dream of being knights?"

"Th-they could be... Ryujin family’s knights?" he offered weakly.

I couldn’t help the brief scoff. "We don’t have knights, Kai. You know that. The Ryujin army is comprised of assassins—quiet, lethal, and ten times more efficient than any knight order in this or any other kingdom." I let the weight of that truth hang in the air. His idea was romantic, noble even—but impractical. He flinched, clearly struggling.

"Th-then... they could take assassin training... but we give them the title of knights?" he offered, desperate to bridge the gap between what the men dreamed and what was realistic.

I raised an eyebrow, mildly amused. "So, honorary knights who kill like assassins?"

He flushed. "It’s symbolic."