Althea woke up once again with memories that were not hers. But this time she was much more calm. The world felt familiar, like an old friend reaching out to greet her. The surroundings were familiar too. The Empress must have carried her back to her bedroom. Althea had sensed her before falling unconscious.

Closing her eyes, she felt for her new memories, ones belonging to a particular beast. There weren’t a lot, the beast she had fought had been just an illusion. A remnant of sorts. The Archduchess had set up an inheritance land, a place for the next great Druid to learn from.

The Beast Prince had been trapped there to be the familiar of the inheritor. But the inheritor did not come. The Prince died eventually, hating the family and the Archduchess till his last breath. A hatred so great that it affected the little mana in the cavern.

As time passed, the Archduchess' spells weakened and the beast's influence grew. The inheritance trial warped into what it was today. The beasts within grew too, from merely beasts with potential, to full on Adept stage powers.

But the seal was broken externally. A silver object had been used to wear down the seal over a week. And then another, blood-red object had been used to give the beast physical presence, and use its hatred to kill her. But things had not gone according to plan. The beast had been too obsessed with the Diery family and had given her a chance.

Althea did not know what the items were, but she had a hunch that a certain Empress might. And she just happened to be sitting in her room.

"Empress." Althea greeted.

"Countess." A smile spread across the Empress' face. "I think congratulations are in order. That was an impressive breakthrough."

"I was just lucky." Althea replied. That was the truth, she had been very, very lucky. If the beast had not gone on an angry tirade that helped her comprehend her magic, she would have died there. The beast might have been an illusion, but the wounds weren't.

"A hundred people can be lucky, Althea, but perhaps one can make use of that luck." the Empress said. "But that is enough of that, do you have any idea who was behind it?"

Althea told her about what she had seen. A silver object that did not seem to have any shape, and a red slab.

The Empress sighed. "The Quarnessar. A Grandmaster grade artifact of the Rebels of Soleria."

Althea raised an eyebrow.

"The Zerolian family." the Empress added helpfully. "I sensed its mana. I do not know what the red slab is, but its influence was cleared from the region."

"The Quarnessar's mana was left for us to sense." Althea stated. The clues were adding up.

"And cause me to blame the Zerolian Duke for killing you, sparking a civil war." the Empress said. "There might still be one. The chances of the artifact being used without the Duke being involved in some way are-"

"No." Althea stated. "I will deal with the Duke, the price will be paid in gold, not blood. The person behind this wants to weaken the Empire and the entire continent. I do not think falling into its trap would be wise."

The Empress sighed. "As you wish. This way you get to prove yourself to the Empire. Now that the event involved a half-step Grandmaster, the other nobles cannot truly protest, but they still look down on you."

"I know." Althea rolled her eyes. The opinions of the other nobles did not really matter to her anymore. What could they do? Cry that she had a position they didn't? The Diery county was too important to the Empire, and with her class, they couldn't really remove her from her position. The nobles could protest all they wanted, they would still lose.

"What do you plan to do now?" The Empress asked.

"Oh, just a few administrative rearrangements. But first, I want to know what happened while I was away."

sc

Althea sat on her throne, watching the ministers shuffle nervously, and the common citizens look at her expectantly.

"A few days ago, the county faced an attack of massive proportions, and came out victorious." she began. "For that, I wish to congratulate every person that helped the county survive, even if their contributions were minor. I could not have done it without you."

The words were empty, and perhaps a lie. But it was what people needed to hear.

"But as people show their bravery and loyalty in times of need, there are those that instead displayed cowardice and betrayal."

The crowd went silent, waiting for her to continue.

"City lord of Marile, please show yourself." she demanded.

The city lord exited the crowd under the gazes of judging citizens, and then encountered her. Althea had been practicing a stare just for this.

"Henor Mesar, you are accused of dereliction of duty." she said, keeping her tone cold. "How do you plead?"

The city lord bowed. "I am guilty, your grace. I acted selfishly in a time of need. Please consider my service to the county and show mercy."

"Kneel." Althea bowed, mana swirling around her as she looked at the city lord.

"During the attack, you disobeyed every directive written and closed the doors of the fortress and the palace to the common people, showing corruption beyond what even your worst enemies expected of you. If you had not been overruled, then who knows how many lives would have been lost due to your selfishness."

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Althea took a sheet of paper. "But since you look apologetic, I shall give you a little mercy. I shall not banish you, instead you will spend the rest of your life working as a farmhand for the common people of the county."

The city lord looked like he was about to protest, but she wasn't about to have that.

"Please leave, there are people that are waiting for judgment after you."

The guards dragged the city lord away, and there were others for her to deal with. Not many, the beast tide had targeted just one city, and not given much of a choice in defending. But there were still people that had taken the chance to loot and pillage, presuming that there wouldn't be a city remaining.

Then their plans had fallen flat, the walls did not fall, they could not escape, and the soldiers had been less than kind. The following catch up had been brutal, their own neighbors had captured them and handed them over. The county had, more or less, come together at this time.

Althea dealt with them, going harsh with her punishments. A bit too harsh perhaps, but there was need for it. A person that could betray them at this point would almost certainly take the chance to strike when someone more human and negotiable attacked. A lot had been banished to the Bern march mines.

Sending them to the mines troubled her, the living conditions did not sit well with her. That was why she let those that only had lesser crimes serve their sentences in the Diery county. But she had asked this of the Marchioness for a reason.

There were people that had taken to killing and stealing, not out of desperation but greed and lust for wealth. At a moment when even survival was not guaranteed. That had to be punished as harshly as she could. The worst of them got the death penalty, the others were sent to the mines to live out the rest of their lives undergrounds.

The crowd was somber, the festive mood almost gone. There was a reason for this. The people had to see that there was still justice, that the battle had an underbelly like this. But there were still plenty of reasons for celebration.

"Adept Verest, please step forward." Althea said, letting the mana settle around her as Verest stepped through.

"I greet her grace, the Countess Guarding Diery." he said, giving her a small bow. Althea gave a smile.

"Adept Verest, you protected the city of Marile, going as far as to fight five Adept stage beasts alone, and coming out victorious." she said.

"For this, I grant you the title of Golden Sword. The Human treaty forbids me from making you a noble or even a citizen of the county. But tell me what you wish for, and I shall do my best to grant it." she said.

"This is merely what I should do, your grace." Verest said. "But if you wish to give me a reward, then I shall not refuse."

Verest kneeled, it was customary to do so while taking appointments. "I ask your grace to gift me a navy, to allow me to build one in the far off shores that my kind shall soon occupy so that we may defend ourselves."

So, he was sticking to the deal. A trustworthy fellow.

"So be it." Althea said, getting up. "Just yesterday, you returned this sword to me." she took out the Golden Sword. The weapon had been hidden for long, it is time that it showed its brilliance. The county also dearly needed powerful people. If the sword could have one be more loyal, then it was worth it.

"I return it to you today." she walked down to the half-elf, and gave him the sword. "Take it, and rise as the Admiral of the Eastern isles, guarding the county's eastern shores."

Verest took the sword, getting up a bit, but then kneeled again.

"I cannot take this, your grace. This sword is not one I can wield." he said. The crowd stared at him in shock. Althea just sighed.

"Pulsie?" she asked.

"Yes, you were right. The sword has consciousness. I swear, that Emotion element pf yours is cheating." the plant that had grown larger than most trees huffed.

"As you wish." she took the sword back, heading towards her throne. The crowd looked on with bated breath as Verest kneeled awkwardly. Ok, that was a bit cruel to do, but she had a flair for the dramatic. Just as the crowd presumed that she was angry, she took out a scepter from behind the throne.

"Have the half-Elves decided on a representative?" she asked.

"Yes, your grace. I will be Prime Minister of the new territory." Verest replied.

Well then, I think this weapon will be appropriate, Prime Minister." she handed him the scepter. Verest passed his mana through it as he stood up.

The staff glowed blue, projecting blue waves around as the blue crystal on the top began to rotate. The staff receded into the crystal and there was suddenly a glowing blue blade projecting out of it, the crystal the handle.

"A scepter-sword." she said. "A fine weapon for someone of your position, Prime Minister and Admiral of the Eastern isles. Eastern isles are what I have decided to name the archipelago."

The half-Elf looked at the scepter, getting its measure.

"Thank you, your grace. I will guard the territory well." he said, looking at the weapon closely. A Grandmaster weapon. There weren't a lot of them going around. Althea had to ask the Empress to identify an appropriate one for her from the Treasury. Even with her new cultivation, she could barely sense any of the weapons in the Treasury.

"I am sure of it." she smiled in return.

The half-Elves left, but there were more to award.

Vanessa and Nathan.

This would have been hard to handle. Vanessa would get a noble title, but Nathan wouldn't. But Nathan had cleared her doubt. Althea had talked to him about his heritage.

"Nathan of no name. In the battle for Marile, you proved yourself. Even against a literal tide of enemies, you stood, using poison to cause great damage to our enemies." she said. "Perhaps the difference was not felt like that of the ones that killed them directly, but every person on those walls has you to thank for weakening the beasts."

And then she sighed. "But there is little I can give you. The Human treaty forbids me from giving you any titles or true accolades."

Nathan bowed. "Please give my rewards to my sister, your grace."

"As you wish." she said. "But I wish to let you know, on behalf of the people of Marile. I am grateful for your contribution."

And then she turned to the girl. "Vanessa of no name. In the battle, you proved yourself as a Space Mage of import. The rays of purple stood stalwart at the gate, keeping the beasts at bay even as they reached great numbers.

I grant you the title of Viscountess, and grant you the unpopulated land west of Deadre to do with as you wish." she announced. "I grant you this manual, to pass on to your descendants, and continue your noble bloodline."

The Emperor usually did this part of the process, but it had been decided that she would do it.

"I confirm that Vanessa of the Solerian Empire has been bestowed the title of nobility and is now a noble of the Diery county. And should she wish, that of the Solerian Empire." the Empress said.

Althea still wasn't sure what was going on with that, but there were a lot of things to have a talk about after this anyway. But now there was another thing for her to do.

"I now call the person that built the defense plan. The one that led the effort to defend the city, on the wall and among the beasts. Come forth and receive your reward, Isa Fenesor, Marile could not have survived without you."