The Birth of Hidden Crown HQ
The scent of scorched soil, dragonblood, and ancient mana lingered in the air like incense offered to a god.
And at the center of it all stood Kieran—silent, proud, victorious.
Behind him stretched a broken battlefield, still humming with the aftermath of battle. The once-monstrous valley now lay tamed, subjugated by one overwhelming will.
[Territory Acquired: Hidden Valley – Crown Core Binding Complete][Establish Central Core? Confirm to begin construction protocols.]
Kieran glanced around the vast landscape—black peaks, shattered lakes, and plains that bore the scars of his battle with the twin tyrants.
"Begin," he said.
[CROWN CORE – ACTIVATED]
From the depths of the void, a massive obsidian crystal emerged, hovering high above the valley like a black sun. Its surface was etched with shifting golden runes—forming the sigil of a crowned eye. The mark of the System. Of Kieran.
The valley trembled again, but this time, not from fear.
From transformation.
The Construction Begins
With a hum of power, shimmering blue lines spread from the central crystal across the ground like veins of life. They formed massive hexagonal platforms, then towers, then walls of solid magical alloy—Voidsteel and Aetherglass.
Buildings rose from the earth like they had always belonged.
Elegant obsidian spires.
Training domes the size of coliseums.
Underground labs and halls for research.
Hidden vaults sealed in dimensional locks.
Every stone was placed by the will of the System—and shaped by Kieran's imagination.
[Crown City – HQ Construction: 37%...][Estimated Completion Time: 6 Hours][Auto-Optimized Layout Based on Combat, Command, Logistics, and Espionage Divisions]
Kieran stood at the core, arms crossed, watching his vision become reality.
But his lips curled into a smile when he sensed a pulse behind him—familiar presences, cloaked in loyalty and awe.
The Arrival of the 15 Crowns
A spatial rift shimmered nearby, and from within, the first figures stepped out.
Elira Virelle, in her ceremonial white cloak, eyes glowing with mana-thread vision.
"...You really did it," she whispered. "This power… it's divine."
Rhea Ashclaw stomped out behind her, dragging a giant hammer on one shoulder. "Damn right he did. And this place is a beast. Finally feels like we belong somewhere."
Then one by one, the other Crown Members appeared.
Talia's eyes sparkled as she took in the artifact labs forming underground.
Sylvie looked at the hidden waterways threading beneath the city like veins.
Yui stepped out of the shadows near Kieran's side silently, hand on her dagger, protective.
Mira stared at the surrounding barrier fields with wide, amazed eyes.
Luma clapped in glee. "We're home!"
Kaelira cracked her knuckles. "Time to train until we break mountains."
Nyssa flew overhead and shouted, "We should call it Crown City! Or Shadow Crown! Or—"
"Elira will name it," Kieran said softly.
The elf turned to him, blinking. "Me?"
"You were the first," he said. "And the most loyal."
Elira's cheeks flushed, then she straightened.
"…Then I name it Sanctum Noctis—The Night Crown. A place where shadows gather… and rise."
Bestowing Authority
[Initiate Crown Authority Protocol?]
Kieran extended a hand. The System responded instantly—forming 15 Crown Crests in a ring of glowing energy.
He turned to his gathered orphans.
His fanatics.
His family.
"These crests," Kieran said, "are more than a symbol. They are proof of our bond. Our mission. Our eternal unity."
Each girl stepped forward, one by one, kneeling before him.
And as the crest embedded into the back of their necks, a golden flash marked the completion of a new oath.
[Crown Crest Bound – Connection Complete]• Telepathic Link Enabled• Job, Item, and Skill Delegation Granted• Loyalty Lock Established – Absolute]
The moment the bond sealed, each girl felt it—the pulse of Kieran's magic through their veins, the echo of his voice in their thoughts, the promise of something greater.
And they all wept.
Silently. Smiling.
Not from sadness… but devotion.
Establishing the Order
The rest of the night was spent in motion.
Each Division Head was given a hall.
Each command unit was formed.
Rooms were designed, sparring grounds established, resource networks extended to distant forests and mines.
Hidden teleport gates were built connecting the outskirts of the kingdom.
And at the heart of it all was the Sanctum Noctis, a towering obsidian citadel that housed the Crown Chamber—where only Kieran and the 15 Crowns could enter.
Inside it, a massive obsidian throne stood on a raised platform.
Kieran sat.
The 15 kneeled before him.
"My vision," he said, "is not for war alone. It is for change. For reform. We are not the sword of the world—we are the crown above it."
"What is our name?" he asked.
And in unison, all fifteen answered:
"Hidden Crown.""Long may it reign."