An Accidental Coronation, Reforging the Order

[Opening Ceremony of the City of Dawnlight · The Day]

"We're all friends—!"

Ira stood atop a temporary stage made of mushroom chairs, waving her small hand with the same enthusiasm as someone opening a fresh pack of cream sticks.

"And also~ I love cream sticks!"

The crowd of magical creatures below erupted into deafening cheers. Some cried with joy, some spun their spouses in ecstatic twirls—the scene was absurdly touching.

At this moment, they were no longer outcasts, no longer wandering relics hidden in the forests and valleys.

They were residents of Dawnlight. Witnesses of a newly born world.

"One year already, huh…" Ashu floated above the plaza, watching the celebrating masses, and couldn't help but murmur.

Then, slowly, his gaze grew heavier, his thoughts retreating like melting spring snow, back to the chaotic but miraculous beginnings—

Back to that so-called "ridiculously messy founding spring."

[Spring · A Ragtag Army of Builders, At Least Give It a Name]

The first day of founding the city began… with a "city blueprint" so ruined by Ira's doodles it looked like a child's daydream.

There were houses, rivers, cats, and… a cream stick.

"Who are you even drawing this for?!" Ashu howled, clutching his head.

"For the city to see, of course~" Ira beamed.

The first immigrants to Dawnlight—Xibeast Tribe, Stonebone Clan, Stonecap Folk, along with Big Wheat and Frey who had just returned—looked at the blueprint… and collectively decided to first build a kitchen.

Because the only recognizable part was the soup bowl next to the cream stick.

Shien: "…Alright. Construction Division established. Kitchen first."

Stonecap Folk: "We're great at making soup!"

Stonebone Clan: "We can be the pot!"

Frey: "We… can taste-test!"

Luka: "What is even holding this city together…"

Ashu: "Blind courage and bad advice."

[Summer · Fires, Misunderstandings, and the Great Water Crisis]

With the onset of summer, the population exploded. Tents filled the fields, magical creatures ran amok—and so came the first crisis: magic overload + misconnected water pipes.

One whole street ended up mistakenly hooked into the Stonecap Folk's soup pipelines.

The neighborhood bathed and drank from mushroom broth for a week and almost sparked a broth-worship cult.

"WHO thought it was a good idea to bathe in and drink mushroom soup?!"

"It was the Stonebones. They dug the pipes."

"They can't even dig a straight wall, you expect them to dig plumbing?!"

Ira cheerfully: "Let's call it 'The Way of the Soup'—sounds poetic~"

Ashu, dead inside: "You keep naming things like that and I'm renaming you the Goddess of Soup."

After the chaos, Ashu personally drafted the First Infrastructure Law of Dawnlight, and Shien spent days and nights supervising, sleeping on dirt mounds, and occasionally settling disputes with his fists when fiery beasts refused to line up for water.

[Autumn · Village Rules and the First Cream Stick Distribution Policy]

As the weather cooled, order finally began to take hold. Houses rose, streets connected.

Thus was born Dawnlight's first "Code of Conduct for Magical Residents":

No fighting (or at least register first if you must). No stealing someone else's cream stick (apply for the Sharing Program instead). Basic courtesy between magical creatures (e.g., Good morning, Thank you, and Please don't lick me).

"What kind of city rules are these?!" Ashu cried, clutching his head again.

Unexpectedly, the rules—organized by Luka and Frey, signed and adorned with five glittery stars by Ira—gained overwhelming support.

Because—there was a Cream Stick Reward System!

Ira cheerily declared: "If you do good things, you get candy~"

From that day on, Dawnlight became the weirdest city with the weirdest merit system:

The higher your friendliness score, the more cream sticks you earned.

Even the Stonebone warriors voluntarily lined up to pick up trash just to earn a limited-edition "Honey Grapefruit Milk" flavor stick.

"The world has gone mad."

"No," Shien said with a smile, "it's being healed."

—

[Winter · Frostfall and Blessings, The True Birth of a City]

That winter was colder than any before.

The chill from the northern realms swept south like an invisible beast, burying mountains and roads beneath endless snow. Even at the edges of Dawnlight, a rare crystal frost storm appeared—something not seen for decades.

Dawnlight, a city pieced together by refugees and wanderers of all races, was now facing its first true trial against the biting cold.

Granaries ran dry.

The rivers froze.

The magic veins faltered.

The howling winds, laden with cutting magical chill, seeped through half-built wooden houses, stone huts, and tents—freezing countless younglings and elder creatures overnight.

The Crystalbone sentinels on night watch were encased in frost.

The Stonecap chefs couldn't even boil a decent soup.

The young kits of the Beastkin tribes huddled together, their little ears curled tight against the freezing air.

Ashu hovered over the growing disaster, frantically activating emergency protocols, rerouting supplies, registering incoming refugees, and dispatching night patrols.

For the first time, he felt truly overwhelmed—like bailing water from a sinking ship with bare hands.

But there was one person who neither panicked nor shouted.

She simply walked out of her room—still in her pajamas, wrapped in a thick cloak—hugging a small basket of cookies.

Ira.

She walked onto the snowy streets.

Without saying much, she went door to door.

In every house where families shivered in the dark, she placed a small piece of sugar cookie, a single warm candy, into their hands and smiled:

"Take a bite—it'll make today feel a little warmer."

She walked through the snowy alleys, through the makeshift refugee camps, through the dark, unlit homes of the Crystalbone Clan.

And those hearts, once heavy with hunger and cold, began to thaw—one smile, one cookie, one simple sentence at a time.

There was a little beastling who refused to cry because his mother was sick, and he didn't want to wake her.

Ira simply squatted beside him and whispered:

"I'll keep watch with you, okay?

But it's okay to cry too—crying is something very brave."

That night, the temperature in Dawnlight plunged to -23°C.

Yet, paradoxically, it also recorded the highest blessing density in its history.

Because every word Ira spoke was captured by the magic veins of the land—softly, gently—transformed into warmth and carried through the city.

There was no grand explosion of light.

No blinding miracles.

Just—

— A collapsing shack that somehow stayed upright, supported by unseen magic.

— A bedridden elder who woke at dawn, miraculously recovered and recalling dreams long forgotten.

— A frozen water pipe that, under the resonance of blessings, began to trickle, just enough for the children to boil porridge.

Ira never once said she was performing miracles.

She simply returned to her small cabin, sat on her bed without windows, and quietly said to Ashu:

"Everyone's trying so hard…"

Then she fell asleep, deeply and peacefully.

Ashu stared at her for a very long time.

He had witnessed countless miracles, countless heroes—but this was the first time he saw someone—

someone who, without weapons, without spells—

simply by sharing candies and smiles, managed to keep an entire city alive.

[System Notification]

Blessing Resonance: Dawnlight's magical veins have fully synchronized. Public Morale: Increased → Resident Loyalty: Upgraded. Dawnlight Upgrade Conditions Achieved: City-level Magical Resonance Field × Stability Rank A+ Status: Winter Extreme Challenge Passed → Proceed to Basic Autonomous Construction Phase.

That year, Dawnlight endured the cold and chaos.

And everyone remembered that winter.

Not for how fierce the storms were, nor how bitter the chill bit—

—but because, in a snow-buried world, a little girl had softly said:

"Don't be afraid.

We're all going to be amazing."

That was how the City of Dawnlight truly began.

Not with flags or walls, but with candies, blessings, and a heart full of warmth.

—

Now, one year later.

Ira was still on stage, waving enthusiastically.

She beamed and declared:

"I really love cream sticks!"

Below—an eruption of cheers from all races and tribes, so loud the stone tiles vibrated!

Ashu buried his face into the system reports with a heavy sigh.

"She's not a mayor… she's literally the physical embodiment of 'Adorable Faith.'"

But deep down, he knew—this city, this miracle, was built on her blessings.

It was also the result of everyone's sweat and stubborn hope, carrying them from that messy, chaotic spring to this shining moment.

This was—The City of Dawnlight.

Ashu crossed his arms, floating above the square, his gaze sweeping over the sun-drenched, applause-filled cityscape.

Buildings scattered harmoniously across the landscape—from the northern wind-forging workshops to the western magic waterway systems—each one a product of a year's effort:

Led by Shien's meticulous planning, Built by the Stonebone Clan's sturdy hands, Supplied by the Mushroom Nutritional Association's quirky ingenuity.

From the first patchwork tent camps, the "no fighting unless you report it" rules, the Cream Stick Assembly…

To a self-sufficient city-state with granaries, laws, city defenses, and even education and training camps—

Ashu could only think of one word:

"Absurd."

And yet… he felt it too. A twinge of genuine, unexplainable emotion.

But even now, he sensed… something was still missing.

Just then—

A familiar, shimmering light drifted down from the peak of the Blessing Tower.

"Little Iraaa~"

came a voice like an old lullaby wrapped in sunlight.

It was the Tower Spirit Grandpa—the glowing, floating elder who looked like a walking tome stitched together from ancient scrolls. His voice always trembled with gentle, ancient warmth.

"Grandpaaaaa—!" Ira lit up, racing over with a grin.

"You got candy for me?"

he chuckled, eyes twinkling.

"Of course!" Ira chirped, pulling out a freshly unwrapped cream stick and offering it up with both hands.

"I love Grandpa the most!"

In the next second—

The Tower Grandpa literally exploded into a background of shimmering pink bubbles, like the first male lead entering a magical shoujo anime scene.

Ashu frowned deeply.

"…Am I hallucinating? I feel like I shouldn't be seeing this."

However, just as the Tower Grandpa was trembling with emotion and nibbling on the cream stick—

A tidal wave of uncontrolled energy burst from deep within him!

The Tower Spirit blinked, stunned.

"Oh dear… oh dear… This child's emotional resonance… it's strong enough to even affect the tower's core systems—!"

The Blessing Tower, which was originally designed to quietly stabilize the city's magic veins,

was now—

—fully activating in response to his emotional surge.

[System Alert!!!]

Blessing Tower: Advanced Blessing Trigger (No Command Input) Target Range: Entirety of Dawnlight Affected Targets: All lifeforms / All buildings / All plant life Blessing Strength: Supreme Class

At that moment—

The entire city sky bloomed into a sea of soft, golden-white light.

Not the blinding kind of divine light,

but a honey-scented, grassy warmth—

as if the gods themselves leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss onto every brow.

—

The Chieftain of the Stonebone Clan, Clard,

his entire skeletal frame lighting up with ancient engravings under the soft white glow, erupted with a volcano-like surge of magic—

directly ascending to Demon Lord class.

"…Crackkk, is this what they call bone-age rejuvenation?"

he muttered, flexing his newly youthful joints.

The Dawnbeast Clan's leader, Frey,

ears twitching, had luminous magic runes bloom across her fur; with a low roar, she evolved into a blazing spirit form—

advancing to Demon Lord tier.

Meanwhile, Barley—

who had previously been a cute cat-boy that could half-transform into human shape—

underwent a staggering metamorphosis.

His body flickered between pure white and amber light, magic bursting out in waves that formed radiant beast-shaped halos around him.

Illusory wings sprouted from his shoulders, ears sharpened and elongated, and his golden-amber eyes could now gaze directly into the roots of any magic.

His paws glowed with semi-transparent spirit runes; his tail split into two streams, each tipped with intricate runic sigils—

the kind only seen on true divine beasts.

[Barley Evolution Complete!]

New Class: Chosen Spirit Beast - "Radiant Twin Tail" Unlocked Traits: Voice Resonance / Emotional Synchronization / Domain-Type Shelter Skill

Over in the food department—

King Mushroom Guzi suddenly shot up two inches in height, bulked out like a mini-bear, and evolved his "aroma signature," earning a skill called "Multipurpose Culinary Fist"—

capable of punching through ovens while simultaneously stir-frying vegetables.

Grandma Mushroom roared triumphantly:

"Whoever dares NOT eat my stew tonight, I'll flatten them with the whole pot!"

The other mushroom folk, not to be outdone, evolved en masse:

some sprouted extra eyes, some learned to talk, and others developed the sacred art of ten styles of omelette-cooking.

Thus was born a brand-new species:

"Spirit Shroom Tribe"—

A blessing-evolved race specializing in healing aromas, cookware affinity, and culinary magic mastery.

As for the humans—

Luka's magic level exploded from F-rank to C-rank within seconds, her hair now carrying a fluffy, glowy aura.

She blinked at her sparkling fingertips, cycling through expressions from shock → doubt → emotional → then casually asking:

"Can I become a magic teacher now?"

Meanwhile, Shien, ever the physical powerhouse immune to magic, simply clapped like an excited fanboy behind Ira:

"Ira's amazinggg!"

The city itself also underwent blessing upgrades:

Foundations reinforced. Walls auto-gained magic shielding. Weeds upgraded to spirit herbs. Air purified to a fresh meadow scent. Underground water turned into a magic spring.

And above all—

an invisible "Blessing Shield" enveloped the entire city, causing any would-be invaders to experience an overwhelming urge to put down their weapons and have a nice chat about feelings.

Ashu froze midair, staring blankly.

"…There's literally nothing missing anymore,"

he muttered, hands shaking as he filled out the event report:

[Dawnlight Anniversary Event Report]

Full Citywide Magic Vein Auto-Circulation: √ Mass Resident Evolution + Upgrades: √√ Buildings Gained Auto-Defense & Auto-Repair Functions: √√√ Ancient Tower Spirit Accidentally Caused Full-City Blessing Explosion: √√√√

Ashu floated to a lonely corner, gazing at Ira's innocent, brilliant smile,

and could only think:

"This child… she wasn't born to adventure."

"She was born to make the world unbearably adorable."

Meanwhile, Ira was sitting in the central plaza's flower garden, happily feeding spirit-herb cookies to a newly born batch of baby beastlings while humming a little song:

"Everyone leveled up~ That's so great~"

Ashu clutched his head on the side.

"Forget keeping a low profile… That ship's already in another galaxy."

[South Tower of Greenleaf Town - Study Room]

Inode hadn't slept a wink.

Without relying on ceremonies or suppression spells,

Ira had harmonized dozens of magic races' chaotic natures,

nearly achieving perfect emotional resonance.

He wrote a line in his personal log:

"Ira-Style Governance: Emotional Blessing Resonance with Soft Attribute Implantation."

Before he could finish, a messenger burst in:

"Sir Inode! Report from Dawnlight!

The seventeenth public bathhouse… was mysteriously completed overnight by unknown blessing forces!

It even comes with an auto-purifying water cycle!"

Inode fell silent.

The next second—

he snapped his notebook shut and shouted:

"I wanna move there—!!!"

"They have a bathhouse——!!!"

He let out a long breath, stared out the window toward Dawnlight's faint glow, and smiled wryly:

"Ira Mills… Let's see just what future you'll carve out for this world."