Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Chapter 901: You need to rest.

The morning in Asgard carried that heavy, elegant air typical of northern industrial cities. The sky remained covered by dense clouds, constantly pierced by columns of smoke rising from the foundries and factories scattered throughout the working-class districts. Even so, the city seemed alive in a way that was almost impossible to ignore. The metallic sound of hammers echoed between the Victorian buildings, locomotives whistled in the distance, and carriages crossed wide avenues paved with dark stone. Workers walked in organized groups, merchants opened their shops, and engineers discussed projects in front of enormous maps affixed to public panels.

Strax walked slowly beside Monica near the huge, newly built central train station. The building dominated much of the district with its monumental architecture made of reinforced iron, smoked glass, and ornate pillars. Rails spread in various directions like metallic veins crisscrossing all of Asgard. Some locomotives were already operating normally, spewing hot steam while employees loaded coal and unloaded goods.

Strax’s gaze followed one of the machines slowly passing before them.

The locomotive was enormous, robust, painted matte black with gold details, bearing the symbol of Asgard emblazoned on its side. Steam escaped from the internal mechanisms in constant jets, while gigantic wheels slowly turned on the tracks, still damp from the early morning rain.

He remained silent for a few seconds before finally speaking.

"When I mentioned a train," he said, crossing his arms as he observed the machine, "I didn’t think that old man would actually build one."

Monica adjusted her glasses calmly as she walked beside him. Her steps were organized, precise, almost as disciplined as the entire city around her.

"The engineer was offended when you called his idea impossible."

Strax chuckled softly.

"Of course he was."

"This is the result."

She made a slight gesture pointing to the entire station.

Workers pushed freight carts between the tracks. Employees recorded schedules on large metal boards. Passengers waited to board, clutching suitcases and boxes of goods. Guards monitored the area while operators adjusted levers near the central track mechanisms.

Everything worked.

And it worked too fast.

Strax remained genuinely impressed.

"This still seems absurd."

"Technically it still is," Monica replied. "But efficiency usually seems absurd to those who don’t organize spreadsheets."

He gave her a tired look.

"You say scary things too casually."

"Thank you."

Strax ran a hand through his hair as he watched another locomotive slowly approaching the station. The metallic sound of the brakes echoed throughout the district.

"So this is fully operational now?"

"Partially."

Monica pulled some folded papers from under her arm and opened one of the railway maps in front of him as they continued walking.

"Currently, two major railroads are under construction."

She pointed to lines drawn across regions of the continent.

"One of them goes towards Filgram."

Strax raised an eyebrow slightly.

"The territory of Christine and Yennifer."

Monica nodded.

"Their dark guild grew very quickly after the fall of the continent’s old criminal routes. They practically took control of the underground market for information, escort, and illegal transport."

Strax let out a small, amused sigh.

"Of course they did."

"The railroad will facilitate trade, military transport, and the circulation of resources."

She moved her finger to another point on the map.

"The second route goes to Athenion."

"The mercenary guild’s city."

"That’s right."

Strax observed the map for a few more seconds before noticing a specific piece of information written near the route.

"Branch?" he asked, looking at Monica. "Since when did that become a branch office?"

Monica maintained a perfectly neutral expression.

"Since Samira decided to make Asgard the main headquarters."

Strax blinked a few times.

"She did what?"

"Said it would be strategically better to stay close to you."

A small smile automatically appeared on his face.

"That woman can’t hide anything."

"Don’t even try."

They continued walking as employees crossed the station carrying boxes and documents. Some workers recognized Strax immediately and bowed in respect before continuing their tasks. The strangest thing for him was that no one seemed terrified.

People were simply... going about their business as usual around him.

It was still strange.

"And the others?" Strax asked after a few seconds. "What are they doing?"

Monica closed the map again.

"Depends on which ones."

"All of them."

She sighed slightly, like someone mentally organizing an overly long list.

"Shura and her group went out to hunt whit Kali."

Strax narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Kali is still alive? She also needs to take a break."

"Apparently."

"How persistent."

"Despite this, Shura liked Kali, and they’ve been quite busy killing things together."

"That’s never good."

Monica nodded slightly.

"Beatrice, Cassandra, and Daniela left to assist the remaining tribes after the fall of the Beast Monarch."

Strax was silent for a moment upon hearing that.

The memory of that war was still too fresh in his mind. Destroyed forests. Entire peoples displaced. Creatures driven mad by the influence of the dead monarch.

"How are the tribes?" he asked in a more serious tone.

"Slowly improving," Monica replied. "But many have lost territory, leaders, and resources. The three of you decided to help with the political reorganization and food distribution."

"That sounds like something Cassandra would do."

"It was her idea."

They passed near a group of engineers discussing metal structures for railway expansion. One of the men almost dropped his papers when he noticed Strax casually walking by.

The King simply ignored him.

"And Albedo?" he asked.

Monica sighed for the first time, a slight sign of weariness.

"She said she needed to check something important."

Strax already seemed worried.

"What does that mean?"

"I have no idea."

"That’s bad."

"I agree."

"How long has she been gone?"

"Two days."

He ran a hand slowly over his face.

"This is definitely bad."

Monica put the documents away again as they descended a side staircase of the station.

"Christine and Yennefer are still gathering information about the Monarchs."

"As expected."

"They’ve created an absurd espionage network."

"Also expected."

"According to Christine, several territories began to become unstable after the recent deaths."

Strax remained silent.

He already suspected this.

The entire continent was beginning to change too quickly. Monarchs were falling. Borders were weakening. Independent cities were growing. Trade routes were shifting.

And Asgard was at the center of it all.

"Xenovia and Krissia?" he asked afterward.

"New training center."

Strax raised an eyebrow.

"New?"

Monica pointed into the distance to a huge building partially visible among the industrial buildings.

"It opened four days ago."

He stared at the building for a few seconds.

"It looks like a fortress."

"Technically, it is."

"Of course."

"Xenovia wanted something sturdy."

"And Krissia?"

"She wanted something bigger."

Strax chuckled softly.

"Two psychopaths."

"Quite efficient."

They crossed a metal bridge above several tracks while smaller locomotives passed below carrying industrial materials.

The entire city seemed to be constantly moving.

It was almost impossible to believe this was Asgard.

"And Xyn?" Strax asked.

"She went with Samira."

"Why?"

"Reports of disappearances."

Strax immediately looked away at Monica.

"Where?"

"Northern mountains. Near the old abandoned mines."

"Who else went?"

"Rogue, Agnes, Samira, and some knights along with experienced mercenaries."

"How many missing?"

"So far, twenty-three."

His expression immediately became more serious.

"Monsters?"

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps?"

Monica nodded slightly.

"The reports are strange."

"Strange how?"

"No bodies."

Strax remained silent.

"What else?"

"The trails end abruptly."

"Magic?"

"Possibly."

"Cultists?"

"Also possible."

The sound of a locomotive whistling echoed behind them as hot steam crossed part of the metal bridge.

Strax stared at the city skyline for a few seconds.

"And nobody woke me up?"

Monica finally looked directly at him.

"You arrived less than an hour ago."

"Good point."

She sighed lightly.

"Besides, you looked tired."

"I am a dragon."

"Dragons sleep too."

"Unfortunately."

The two continued walking slowly while the intense activity of Asgard unfolded around them. Officials crossed streets carrying documents, laborers worked on construction sites, and merchants negotiated industrial resources in broad daylight.

Strax observed everything in silence.

Every detail of that city seemed too distant from the old, destroyed Asgard he had left weeks ago.

Now there were universities.

Railroads.

Administrative districts.

Commercial companies.

Factories.

Military centers.

An entire economy was being born before his eyes.

It was impressive.

And a little frightening.

"Monica."

"Hm?"

"You realize you created an economic monster, right?"

She adjusted her glasses calmly.

"It was necessary."

"This stopped being reconstruction a long time ago."

"I know."

"This looks like the beginning of an empire."

Monica was silent for a few seconds before answering.

"Perhaps so."

The cold wind swept across the railway bridge as another locomotive below crossed the tracks, releasing steam against the gray Asgardian sky.

Strax observed the city once more.

The chimneys.

The towers.

The tracks.

The crowded streets.

The factories operating.

The Asgardian flags waving above the buildings.

Then he let out a small, tired sigh.

"I was gone for a month."

Monica finally allowed a discreet smile to appear on her face.

"Yes."

Strax pointed to the entire city.

"This looks like the work of uncontrolled people."

"Yes, also."

And for the first time since his return, he slowly began to understand that Asgard might have ceased to be just a city trying to survive.

Now it was growing fast enough to change the entire continent along with it.

The cold wind swept across the metal bridge as locomotives continued to cross the tracks below at steady intervals. Hot steam rose through the iron structures, mingling with the smoke from the factories scattered throughout the industrial districts. The distant sound of hammers, train whistles, and metal wheels filled the air of Asgard like a permanent industrial melody. Even at that early hour, the entire city seemed to have been awake for hours, functioning at a disciplined pace almost impossible to keep up with.

Strax observed everything in silence as he walked beside Monica.

The more he looked at the city, the more evident the sheer scale of the transformation became. There was life everywhere. Employees organizing documents. Engineers supervising construction. Workers unloading materials from the northern mines. Merchants haggling over prices in front of newly built markets. Guards patrolling streets organized with military efficiency.

Everything was happening too fast.

And Monica walked through it all as if it were just another ordinary morning.

She held stacks of reports under her arm while mentally analyzing dozens of problems at once. Even walking beside him, her eyes still observed details of the train station, locomotive schedules, employee movements, and even small structural flaws in the side tracks.

It was impossible not to notice.

She seemed tired.

Very tired.

Strax slowed his pace slightly.

"Monica."

"Hm?"

She answered automatically, still looking at some documents.

"Are you okay?"

The question finally made her look up from the papers.

Monica blinked a few times, as if she had been pulled from a constant stream of organizational thoughts. For a few seconds she simply seemed confused by the question itself, like someone who wasn’t used to hearing it.

"I am," she answered calmly.

Strax narrowed his eyes slightly.

A lie.

Not exactly a complete lie. Monica probably sincerely believed she was okay. But her state said otherwise. The subtle dark circles under his eyes. The rigid posture of someone who spent too many hours without rest. The automatic habit of reviewing papers while walking. Even the way his fingers gripped the reports showed accumulated tension.

She was operating on sheer discipline.

And she probably had been doing it for weeks.

Strax let out a small sigh as he looked back at the tracks.

"You’re working too hard."

"I’m not."

"Yes, you are."

"No."

He looked directly at her.

"Monica."

She finally sighed lightly.

"There’s a lot of work to do."

"That doesn’t answer what I said."

"The city is growing too fast. If I slow down now, several things will collapse administratively."

Strax let out a low, humorless laugh.

"You just described exactly why you need to rest."

Monica adjusted her glasses calmly.

"I can handle it."

"You always say that."

"Because I can."

"Until my body stops cooperating."

She opened her mouth to reply immediately, but Strax continued before she could.

"How many hours of sleep did you get this week?"

Monica remained silent long enough to answer everything.

That was enough.

Strax slowly ran a hand over his face as he watched a locomotive being refueled just below the bridge. Workers hurried between the wagons carrying coal and supply crates while supervisors shouted loading times.

The entire city seemed to be slowly consuming Monica.

And she probably didn’t even realize it anymore.

"You’re going to take time off."

She blinked a few times.

"What?"

"A week."

Monica immediately frowned slightly.

"That’s not possible."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it isn’t."

"Monica."

She crossed her arms, holding the reports against her chest.

"There are pending reports, ongoing rail expansion, tax reorganization, agricultural contracts, industrial redistribution, trade negotiations and—"

"A week."

"Strax." "One week."

She took a deep breath slowly, clearly trying to maintain rational composure while mentally organizing her arguments. The problem was that Strax already knew exactly that behavior. Monica always reacted the same way when someone suggested rest. As if stopping meant abandoning important responsibilities.

Probably because, for a long time, she really had to carry everything alone.

"I’m fine," she insisted again.

Strax stopped walking.

Monica took two more steps before realizing he had stopped in the middle of the railway bridge. When she turned, she met his golden gaze fixed on her with an almost irritating calm.

"No," he said quietly. "You’re not."

The wind ruffled her dark hair as locomotives continued to pass below the bridge.

For a few seconds, Monica didn’t answer.

She seemed genuinely at a loss for words.

Because that was the tricky part.

Nobody usually told Monica to rest.

People gave her more work. They trusted her.

They depended on her.

They asked for solutions.

They asked for planning.

They asked for results.

But rarely did anyone look at her and simply say: stop.

Strax continued to observe her in silence before speaking again.

"You practically built an entire city on your own in a month."

"Not on your own."

"You get the point."

She looked away slightly for a moment.

"There’s still a long way to go."

"There always will be."

"That kind of thinking hinders growth."

"That kind of thinking kills people from exhaustion."

Monica fell silent again.

The distant sound of a railroad whistle echoed between the industrial buildings as workers crossed the streets below carrying construction materials.

Strax approached slowly.

"You’ve already done more than enough."

She let out a small, tired breath.

"It doesn’t seem like enough."

"Because you’re crazy."

That elicited a slightly offended expression from her.

"I’m not crazy."

"You transformed refugees, ruins, and bankrupt merchants into an industrial powerhouse in thirty days."

"Efficient planning."

"Sick."

She tried to respond immediately, but Strax raised a hand first.

"No discussion. You’re going to rest."

Monica clutched the reports to her chest again.

"The city depends on me."

"The city depends on hundreds of employees now."

"They still need supervision." fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

"Then supervise them later."

"This could delay important projects."

Strax looked around the gigantic city.

Locomotives.

Factories.

Markets.

Railroad lines.

Entire districts functioning perfectly.

Then he looked back at her.

"Monica." He pointed to the whole of Asgard. "This place will survive a week without you."

She opened her mouth.

Closed it again.

Because part of her knew he was right.

And that was annoying.

Monica finally looked away at Asgard’s industrial skyline. Smoke from the chimneys rose slowly against the gray sky while flags fluttered above the administrative buildings.

The city really did function now.

There were enough employees.

Enough engineers.

Enough administrators.

She had organized everything precisely so that it would continue to function even without her constant presence.

The problem was something else.

She simply didn’t know how to stop anymore.

Strax immediately noticed her silence.

"See?"

"That doesn’t mean I agreed."

"It means you know I’m right."

She sighed defeatedly for the first time since the beginning of the conversation.

"One week is an exaggeration."

"Two then."

Monica immediately turned her face to him.

"No way."

"Then one."

She fell silent again.

Strax almost smiled.

"I’ll take that as a yes."