A sharp rap on the cedar doorframe shattered the quiet of the bedroom before Kaelen could finish his first yawn.
He kept his eyes firmly shut beneath his silk eye mask, pulling the quilted wool blanket over his ears. Outside the window, the morning tide lapped gently against the white reefs of Void Lotus Isle, promising six months of uninterrupted bliss.
“Young master,” Sera Thorne’s voice cut through the quilt, crisp and relentlessly efficient. “Your carriage is ready.”
Kaelen lowered the edge of the blanket by two inches. “I announced a six-month nap. In plain language. With seven Saint Vessels present as witnesses.”
Sera stepped into the bedroom, carrying her black leather Overtime Grudge Ledger under one arm and a steaming porcelain mug of jasmine tea in the other. Behind her, Elder Sterling stood in the hallway, looking remarkably refreshed in his newly polished Saint-grade plate armor.
“The six-month nap is approved,” Sera said, setting the tea mug on the bedside nightstand with a firm tap. “However, the logistics department has exercised an operational veto regarding your location.”
Kaelen groaned, pushing himself upright against the carved headboard. “Since when does an indentured caravan scout command a logistics department?”
“Since we captured sixty-five enemy warships and absorbed eighty thousand surrendered sailors,” Sera replied without missing a beat. “Ancestor Draven owes Void Lotus Isle one hundred and eighty thousand Sovereign Jade Cores. The debt is past due, and interest is accruing at five percent daily.”
