Supreme Spouse System.

Chapter 510: Dawn Over Nagareth

Dawn Over Nagareth

The city that had once been called Vellore still carried the scent of smoke. Even after the rain had come in the night and washed the ash from the rooftops, a ghost of that scent lingered in the wind—burnt stone, metal, and memory.

Once, it had been the pride of the southern realm, the heart of trade, knowledge, and art. Now it was quieter—reborn, but scarred.

Nagareth.

That was its new name. The name spoken by every soldier who had fought beneath Leon Moonwalker’s banner, the name whispered by those who had survived to see the sun rise again.

Morning light crept across the horizon, slow and golden, spreading through the battered streets. The city exhaled for the first time in what felt like years.

The ground still bore traces of the battle—the black stains of dried blood, the cracked pavements where cannonfire had struck, the shattered remnants of statues that once honored kings long gone. But where ruin had stood, hands now worked.

Men and women swept the debris into piles, their faces marked by exhaustion and quiet determination. Children carried buckets of water to rinse the streets. Old men leaned on their canes, watching as the last of the smoke faded from the rooftops.

And among them, soldiers of the new kingdom walked—steady, purposeful, their armor newly polished though scratched by war.

The crimson and gold of old Vellore had been stripped away. Now, every uniform bore the mark of the new era—the black-and-gold sigil of the Seven-Headed Serpent, the crest of Nagareth.

Banners bearing that insignia rippled high in the wind, catching the first rays of dawn. The serpent’s eyes gleamed faintly, each head crowned with golden scales that shimmered like flame against the pale morning sky.

The sight was both strange and awe-inspiring. To the weary citizens, it symbolized change—whether salvation or doom, no one yet knew.

A group of women paused near the fountain in the central square, watching a pair of soldiers mount the steps to replace the last flag of Vellore. The old crimson cloth was lowered slowly, folding in on itself like a dying flame. In its place, the serpent banner unfurled with a sound like thunder in the still air.

Children pointed at it, whispering in awe.

"Seven heads..." one boy murmured.

His mother touched his shoulder, eyes fixed on the sky. "Seven heads. Seven oaths. Remember that, child. It’s the mark of the man who brought the storm—and ended it."

Around them, the rhythm of rebuilding continued. Hammer against wood. Water against stone. The soft murmur of prayers whispered by those still mourning the dead.

Yet beneath it all, there was peace.

Not the kind born of safety, but of exhaustion—a peace wrestled from chaos, held together by willpower and fragile hope.

The main avenue leading to the Grand Plaza gleamed faintly in the light. Blood had once flowed down those stones like a dark river, but now it was scrubbed clean. The city’s new guards, dressed in blackened armor traced with gold, stood watch along the street. Their spears caught the sunlight, forming a glittering path toward the heart of the reborn capital.

The Grand Palace of Vel, once half-collapsed from siege fire, had been cleared overnight. Workers carried out burnt beams and toppled statues while masons repaired the front arch. New banners already hung from its towers, fluttering boldly in the rising wind.

In the central courtyard below, ranks of soldiers gathered in formation. Their movements were sharp, disciplined—proof that the chaos of war had finally given way to order. Each breastplate bore the carved serpent emblem, each cloak trimmed in black and gold. The sight alone carried weight.

From the upper balcony, a handful of officers oversaw the morning transition. Orders were shouted, weapons inspected, patrol routes confirmed. The city’s defenses were no longer broken; they were being reforged.

The second day after Leon’s conquest had begun.

Somewhere, within those palace walls, he would no doubt be speaking to his council—strategizing, solidifying his claim over the ashes of a kingdom that had fallen and risen again under his hand.

But outside, the people moved as if testing the rhythm of this new dawn. They no longer flinched at every echo or shadow. The markets, though half-destroyed, began to reopen. Merchants spread cloth and goods salvaged from the wreckage, offering what little remained.

An old baker opened his shop doors again, kneeling to light the first fire in his oven since the siege. The smell of bread began to drift faintly through the streets, softening the air. A few passersby stopped, smiling despite themselves.

The war was over, but its silence lingered.

From the western gate, a small procession entered—wounded soldiers carried on stretchers, their comrades saluting as they passed. Among them walked a young medic, her white robe stained from tending the fallen through the night. She paused for a moment near the central fountain, glancing up at the new flag. The serpent’s golden eyes seemed to watch her back.

She whispered quietly, almost to herself, "Long live Nagareth."

Then she turned and continued toward the infirmary, her boots echoing softly against the clean stone.

As the sun climbed higher, its light reached the palace gates. The grand bronze doors gleamed, newly repaired, reflecting the serpent’s shadow over the courtyard.

A company of guards marched past, their steps perfectly synchronized. Their faces were solemn, but there was pride beneath the steel. They no longer marched for survival—they marched for something newly born.

And above it all, the sky stretched wide and clear, unbroken for the first time in months. The smoke was gone. The air smelled of earth and dawn.

On the palace balcony, a final flag unfurled—larger than all the others. Its fabric shimmered like molten gold, bearing the crest of Nagareth in full: the Seven-Headed Serpent, coiled around a single sword, its tails weaving into the shape of infinity.

The wind caught it, sending it rippling across the sky.

The city—once drowned in fire and ruin—