Reborn as the Third Prince: To Build and Conquer my way to Royalty.

The roar of "Hail Prince Sylus! Hail the Star Killer!" echoed through Linye, a powerful, unified sound that shattered the lingering silence of terror. Citizens, emboldened by the swift and brutal display of Sylus's power, began to spill from their homes, their faces a mixture of awe, relief, and a dawning, fervent hope. The Red Vipers, those who had chosen servitude over oblivion, lay prostrate, trembling in Sophia's lingering web of despair. Varkos, the husk of his former self, twitched on the ground, a chilling monument to defiance.

Just then, the rhythmic thud of hooves and the clatter of armor announced Alfred's arrival. He rode at the head of a small contingent of Linye's newly sigil-blessed guards, his face a mask of grim determination. But as his eyes swept over the scene – the broken gate, the prostrate Vipers, the blank-eyed Varkos, and Sylus standing calmly amidst it all – his jaw dropped. His new, youthful appearance seemed to age several years in an instant.

"Your Highness!" Alfred dismounted swiftly, his voice a strained whisper. "What... what has transpired here?"

Sylus turned, a faint, grim smile touching his lips. "Order, Alfred. I've merely introduced a new form of order to Linye." He gestured to the pure Mana Crystal in his hand, its soft blue glow illuminating his face. "This is the source of our future. And these," he swept his hand towards the Vipers, "are the remnants of our past. They've been given a choice."

Alfred, recovering quickly, surveyed the scene with a professional eye. The sheer efficiency of the devastation, the psychological paralysis of the Vipers, spoke volumes. He looked at Sophia, a shadowy presence beside Sylus, and a shiver ran down his spine. This was a level of power he hadn't fully grasped, even after his own transformation.

"Secure the gate, Alfred," Sylus commanded, his voice carrying an undeniable authority. "Round up the remaining Vipers. Those who pledged loyalty will be put to work, under strict supervision. Those who refuse... Sophia will handle them."

Alfred nodded, his new vigor evident as he barked orders to the Linye Militia. "You heard the Prince! Secure the perimeter! Round up the Vipers! Move!"

The militia, still shaken but infused with a new sense of purpose from their sigils, sprang into action. Their movements were still a little clumsy, but their intent was clear. They were Sylus's men now, and they would follow his commands.

Zani, meanwhile, moved with a quiet efficiency, her eyes still burning with a cold fire. She oversaw the binding of the Vipers, her gaze lingering on those who looked away, those whose despair was too profound to break. Sophia, a silent shadow, drifted among the defiant, her mist subtly expanding, ensuring their 'refusal' was absolute. The screams that followed were not of physical pain, but of a soul-shattering emptiness.

As the chaos slowly subsided, Sylus turned his attention to the gate. "This gate," he announced, his voice echoing, "is a symbol of division. Linye will no longer be separated. The walls between Upper and Lower City will fall."

A collective gasp rose from the citizens. The idea was unthinkable. For generations, the gate had been a physical and social barrier, defining their lives.

"Alfred," Sylus continued, "assemble the strongest sigil-bearers. We begin dismantling this barrier immediately. No more 'Upper' or 'Lower' city. Only Linye."

Alfred, though surprised, merely bowed. "As you command, Your Highness."

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity. Linye, once a city suffocated by fear and neglect, vibrated with a newfound energy. The dismantling of the main gate was a monumental task, but with Sylus's sigil-bearers, their strength amplified, and Aria's massive form assisting with the heavy lifting, the ancient wooden and stone structure began to crumble. Fabi, the Grakilo, in its mime-doll form, moved among the workers, mimicking their movements, subtly guiding them, and occasionally, to the delight of the children, performing amusing feats of strength that lightened the arduous labor.

Sylus was everywhere, a tireless force of nature. He moved through the crowds, his pure Mana Crystal held aloft, its blue glow a beacon of hope. He spoke to the citizens, not as a distant prince, but as a leader who understood their suffering. He organized the job registration stations, ensuring fairness and transparency. His "Lord of the Land" aspect was constantly active, providing him with real-time data on population needs, resource allocation, and worker efficiency. He knew exactly where every gold coin was going, and where every effort was needed.

The former Red Vipers, those who had chosen to serve, were put to work under the harshest supervision. Their despair, amplified by Sophia, was slowly replaced by a grudging obedience, then a flicker of hope as they saw the tangible changes in their city. They were building, not destroying. They were earning, not extorting. And the pure mana from Sylus's presence, from his sigil, was subtly purifying their corrupted essences, slowly burning away the malice that had defined them.

The nobles of the Upper City, however, were a different matter.

Sylus called for a formal meeting in the Count's (now his) mansion. The air in the grand hall was thick with unspoken resentment and fear. The "Pillars," the seven loyal nobles, sat at the head of the table, their expressions a mixture of apprehension and quiet pride. The other, unlisted nobles, those Sylus had stripped of their duties, were present, their faces a mask of barely concealed fury.

Sylus sat at the head of the long, polished table, the pure Mana Crystal resting prominently before him, its serene blue glow a stark contrast to the tension in the room. Zani stood to his right, her posture rigid, her eyes scanning the room with a predatory intensity. Sophia, a silent, shadowy presence, hovered just behind Sylus, her dark mist subtly expanding, touching the minds of the defiant nobles, reminding them of the despair that awaited refusal.

"Good day, gentlemen," Sylus began, his voice calm, but resonating with the chilling authority of his Catalyst Star. "And ladies. I trust you have all witnessed the recent changes in Linye."

A few murmurs, quickly stifled.

"The Red Vipers have been dealt with," Sylus continued, his gaze sweeping across the room, lingering on the faces of the unlisted nobles. "Their reign of terror is over. The gate between our cities has fallen. Linye is now united."

A stout, red-faced baron, one of those stripped of his duties, finally broke the silence. "Your Highness! This is an outrage! You cannot simply dismantle centuries of tradition! You cannot strip us of our lands, our titles, our rightful place!" His voice rose, trembling with indignation. "And to consort with... that!" He gestured vaguely towards Sophia, who merely tilted her head, a faint, chilling smile playing on her shadowy lips.

Sylus's eyes hardened. "Tradition that allowed half our populace to suffer in squalor? Rightful place that saw you hoard resources while children starved? Your 'tradition' is corruption. Your 'place' is in the past." He picked up the pure Mana Crystal, its blue light intensifying. "Linye will no longer tolerate such 'traditions.' Linye will thrive. And it will do so under a new order."

He channeled a surge of mana into the crystal, then, with a subtle gesture, directed a focused beam of pure mana towards the defiant baron. It wasn't an attack, but a purification. The baron gasped, clutching his chest, his face contorting in a silent scream. His eyes, for a moment, cleared, reflecting a profound, terrifying emptiness, much like Varkos. Then, he slumped back in his chair, alive, but utterly devoid of his former arrogance, his will shattered.

A collective gasp filled the room. The remaining unlisted nobles, their faces pale with terror, shrank back in their seats. They had seen Varkos. They understood.

"This is the fate of corruption," Sylus announced, his voice echoing with chilling finality. "A purification. A stripping away of the malice that poisons the heart. You will live, but your will to harm Linye will be gone. You will be... productive citizens, under supervision."

He then turned to the remaining nobles, the "Pillars." Their faces were pale, but their eyes held a mixture of awe and dawning understanding. They had seen the power. They had seen the consequences.

"As for you, The Pillars," Sylus continued, his voice softening slightly, "your loyalty has been noted. Your willingness to serve Linye, truly serve it, will be rewarded. Our first task is to rebuild. To transform this county into a beacon of prosperity. We will begin with infrastructure: clean water for every home, fertile land for every farmer, safe mines for every worker. And we will do so with the resources of Alhara."

He explained the Manifestation Engine, the pure Mana Crystals, and their potential to generate unlimited resources. He spoke of the need for engineers, architects, and skilled laborers. He spoke of a future where Linye would not just survive, but flourish, a model for the entire kingdom.

The Pillars listened, their initial fear slowly giving way to a dawning excitement. This was not just a new ruler; this was a revolution.

"Your first task," Sylus concluded, "is to oversee the immediate implementation of the job program. Ensure every citizen who registered is assigned a task. The daily wages, as promised, will continue. And prepare for the influx of resources from Alhara. We begin mining operations in force, immediately."

He dismissed them, leaving them to process the monumental tasks ahead. As the nobles filed out, their murmurs were no longer of fear, but of hushed, excited planning.

Later that night, in the privacy of his study, Sylus stood before a large, detailed map of Linye, illuminated by the soft glow of the pure Mana Crystal. Zani and Sophia stood beside him, silent, watchful.

"The Pillars will handle the initial phase," Sylus mused aloud. "But Alhara... that's where the true work begins."

He looked at Sophia. "The Dalins. They are guardians, but corrupted. Is there a way to... convert them? To purify them, rather than destroy them?"

Sophia's shadowy form rippled. "Master, their essence is deeply intertwined with the Destroyer's influence. Purification... it would require immense power. A direct application of the Bringinger's will. It would be... a sacrifice of immense scale." Her voice was chillingly neutral.

Sylus frowned. 'A sacrifice again.' The cost of cosmic power was always steep. He remembered Layla's "execution," Sophia's own creation as a "fragment." He wasn't ready to make such a sacrifice, not yet. He needed to understand the "Dormant Creation Node" more fully.

"No," Sylus decided. "For now, we bypass them. We secure the mining operations. We extract the pure Mana Crystals. We need resources for Linye, and we need to understand the engine's full potential."

He turned to Zani. "Your connection to the Bringinger, Zani... it's vital. When we return to Alhara, your role will be crucial. You are the key. Your presence stabilizes the primordial mana, and your loyalty guides the Manifestation Engine."

Zani nodded, a fierce pride in her eyes. "I understand, my lord. I will not fail you."

Sylus then turned to the map, his finger tracing the path to Alhara. "We'll need a dedicated team. Not just miners, but guards, engineers, and scholars. People who can understand and work with the raw power of Alhara, under strict supervision."

He paused, a new thought forming. "And we'll need to secure the entrance. Not just the temporal gate, but the physical entrance from the surface. We can't have anyone else stumbling into Alhara, especially not the wrong people." He thought of Martin, of Lucas, of the Head Principle.

"Alfred will manage the surface operations," Sylus planned. "He'll establish a fortified base around the cave's entrance. We'll control access. And we'll begin the systematic extraction of the pure Mana Crystals."

The task was monumental, but Sylus felt a surge of exhilaration. He was not just building a county; he was building a new foundation for the world, a new source of power untainted by the old order. He was the Star Killer, and his purpose was clear. He would liberate the stars, and he would build his empire, one pure Mana Crystal at a time. The cosmic crusade had truly begun.