When Dorothy was finished giving all the instructions she thought to be necessary, she made way toward one of the kitchens of the spaceship. The Lion Pride Legion was composed of war vessels for short-term travel so the kitchens were not exactly decorated to a detailed degree, nor were they equipped with any of the modern equipment necessary to prepare any advance meals. However, she thought that it was fine as is.

Furthermore, according to her knowledge of the galactic races, most humanoid and carbon-based beings of this Milky Way galaxy had very similar metabolism structures.

Finally, people who had managed to acquire control over Dark Matter had a certain resistance to most basic poison, so there should be no worries catering to Noah’s needs. At most, he would simply have an indigestion problem if the food was not compatible with his body type and nothing else. There was next to no chance of a life-threatening event happening to the kid.

Thinking about this, she could only chuckle to herself. The chances were slim but it would be an interesting prank nonetheless if Noah was a rarity among races. Still, she hoped that he would be alright eating their food. The best would always be the scenario where he had no reaction to the food they consumed.

When she finally reached the kitchen area though, Dorothy realized that all her worries had been for nought or perhaps… they were not nearly enough and perhaps not in the right direction.

“Sir Noah?” She asked tentatively as she saw him gobbling the food while crying to himself, leaving her wondering if there was something really wrong with the food. Wrong enough to make her guest don such a miserable expression.

“Oh. Dorothy. No worries. Everything is alright. These are just manly tears of joy.”

Noah sniffled while slurping on a special dish seemingly made out of foam and meat. He had an expression of utter bliss and irreplaceable joy on his face as he devoured dish after dish as if his life depended on it. It almost felt like he was tasting the food of the gods, as if this was the most wonderful food in existence to the little boy.

“This is the stuff.” Once he was finished with a dish, Noah nearly burped out loud in satisfaction. However, he still knew to keep his manners so he opted to cough a little before asking… perhaps the most important question of his life, “What kind of meat is this?”

“It is…”

“Wait. Nevermind. Forget it. Let me finish eating first, then we can talk about the origin of this meat. Don’t wanna destroy my appetite for no reason with the answer by any chance.”

Dorothy was simply flabbergasted by his words. In the next few minutes, she could only watch with both horror and curiosity as Noah continued to inhale – yep, not eat – a monstrous quantity of food. It was a scene that left much to be questioned, and the act itself certainly did not match his small and childish body.

She had the feeling that she was watching a small cosmic beast in action or some living black hole devouring the food with no end in sight. She was probably right.

This situation continued for some time. Now Dorothy was looking at the whole spectacle with eyes shining with a hint of analytical insight. The capacity to eat large quantities of food was quite a prized trait in the whole universe. As far as racial traits went, it was actually top-tier.

More food almost always meant more energy to store and preserve within one’s body. It also meant that the individual showing the trait had a larger capacity to stock other forms of energy. However, it could also mean that one was very inefficient in managing their own energy which led to the large consumption of food to make up for the deficiency. There was a flip side to everything, after all.

She did not know how long she had been watching the stupendous phenomenon but soon Noah stopped his act, placed his hands together, and bowed his head, “Thanks for the food. I am half full now.”

Dorothy looked with a bemused expression at all the dishes that were perfectly cleaned by the little black hole. Noah alone had eaten enough to fill an entire army for a few days and he was only half-full?

He would be a very dangerous opponent to fight.

She smiled, “I am happy you enjoyed the food. Though I must say, I am quite curious about the last gesture. Is it a prayer? Do you believe in a particular god or a cosmic deity of some sort?”

Praying to gods and other cosmic deities was not something particularly rare in this universe. However, it was more common in backward planets that did not understand that the so-called gods they prayed to were nothing more than extremely powerful entities that roamed the universe as if it were their playground.

Dorothy herself was acclaimed and recognized as a god in some of the solar systems, which were under the control of Oz of course, and while she had tried to change this illogical practice she knew that it was utterly useless.

“I do not believe in God.”

Noah smiled reservedly as he spoke those words. He did not believe in God. Whether some form of a being called God existed or not did not matter to him in the least. At the end of the day, no amount of prayer could change the reality in which a person lived.

If praying was useless at the end of the day… why even bother wasting time doing so?

“I only believe in…” Noah stopped himself and soon a bitter smile formed on his face, “I guess I can only believe in myself and one other being at the moment.”

Dorothy was curious about this being but she could guess that the whole topic was quite heavy for the little boy. Moreover, she knew for a fact that she was not close enough with Noah to broach this. However, it was easy to see that the man, in the form of a little boy, was someone who had lost his loved ones over the course of his existence.

This knowledge made her feel a little closer to him. Dorothy knew a life where one could only walk even while suffering the pain of losing those they loved.

It was a pain she wished no one would experience in their life. Not even her worst enemies.

“It seems like you are a man with quite the story to tell.”

“Oh. You wouldn’t believe.” He gave her a wolfish grin, quite comical to look at with his childish face, “Perhaps one day if we become closer I will share my woes with you.”

“I will await the day with impatience.”

The two shared a small smile. It was hard for Dorothy to ignore the way he looked now but her race was the perfect example of never judging a book by its cover. Now that she was closer to him, she could feel that the weight of time on his body seemed akin to a complex maze with no way out.

Her senses were telling her that he was beyond a few hundred years old but her scanners were telling her that his body was that of a newborn. This was quite the contradictory result and there was not much she could do to unearth this paradox.

“So. Since we finished with the niceties away. Why don’t you tell me what you want from me?”

Noah wiped his mouth and observed Dorothy but she showed an ever calm facade, “I do not know.”

“Oh? Are you playing games with me?”

“No. I truly do not know what I want from you.” She shook her head, “We are tied by a faint karmic thread and the stars murmur to me that you are my destiny. But I do not fully understand what it entails. What I do know though, is that forming a positive relationship with you now will be very useful for me.”

“I like how you aren’t trying to portray yourself as some good samaritan.”

“I believe a good relationship can only be built on being straightforward and true to the other party. I have many friends I would fight for without hesitation. But you are not yet one of them. You are… an investment.”

Dorothy initially planned to go through a more mellow way at things but when she heard his choices of words about belief, she was able to gain a small insight into what kind of person Noah was. She knew that in such a situation trying to cajole him would only make him wary of her.

“So… You are a seer?”

Dorothy stopped and looked down at Noah. His expression was still full of smiles but her intuition was telling her that something was wrong with the kid in front of her.

“You could say that. I was gifted with the power to read the stars. Though what I see is but one of the innumerable existing possibilities of Fate.”

Noah nodded nonchalantly and asked, “Then— Do you know someone named Apollo or Libra?”

A tense atmosphere formed between them as Noah observed Dorothy silently, ready to catch any expression change from her.

In the end, though all he could see was confusion in her eyes as she asked, “From your tone, it seems like the person you are talking about is an enemy?” She shook her head, “Either way, I am in no way or shape related to that person nor do I even know them.”

Noah liked to think that he was a good judge of character and he could see no falsehood from her words. He could be completely wrong and Dorothy could have been the best actress in the world.

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“I see. Then I apologize for asking such a weird question.”

“I will accept your apology but only if you tell me what your relationship is with them. Oz has great resources and I might be able to find them.”

Noah gave a bitter smile, “He is not an enemy. But I do not know if I could call him a friend either.”

The Apollo Noah knew was a true arrogant know-it- all prick and someone he wished to punch more than once when they crossed paths in the past. The two of them had never been able to see eye to eye and they were oft prone to fighting.

But that was only in their personal life.

When it came to fighting, Apollo was one of the most reliable companions Noah had. The two of them fought back to back many times in seemingly desperate situations.

He might not like Apollo the most but he would definitely be ready to die for him and he knew that Apollo would do the same. Be it for him or any of the other constellations.

This was the bond that tied them but…

‘All of this was in the past.’

As much as it pained Noah to think about it, the constellations he knew were not the same as the ones who grew and developed with the civilization after his disappearance.

People changed. The current Noah was different from the one he once was and it would be foolish to think that his friends did not change either.

For all he knew even Venus had changed, or the Venus he talked to wasn’t the true Venus and just a program that could induce him in error. Even so he decided to believe in them.

Even though it was foolish, even though it was stupid and naive, he wished to believe that his friends were still his friends. That even if they changed, their cores would still be the same.

“It’s hard to explain is all I can say.”

“Things are always hard to put in words sometimes.” Dorothy smiled. She was starting to realize something. A wild theory was growing in her mind and if she was right, it would be huge. But for now, she didn’t have to push him.

She could feel that Noah was wary of her and it was understandable.

“Any other questions? I am happy to help.”

Noah nodded, “I do have one other question. I am searching for two things. The first one would be someone who can create a Mecha for me and secondly, I am searching for someone. I do not know her name but that person is called Queen of the Shadow Fortress.”

“Oh my…” Dorothy started coughing once she heard this and it took her some time to gather her bearings.

—Was that a wise decision?

We don’t have much choice.

Noah didn’t particularly trust Dorothy. After all, they had just met. But he knew that whatever information he might search for would be extremely sensitive and difficult to obtain from people without enough influence.

Information brokers might exist but he was a nobody. Any information broker he managed to get hold of would most likely sell his information.

In such a case, it was better to take the risk now with someone who at least seemed friendly enough rather than entering a trap.

It was undoubtedly risky but it was a far more calculated and measured risk. Another problem he would face was finding a competent Mecha builder who wouldn’t just steal and release his blueprints into the wild.

Should I try selling them to her?

It was a little too soon for that. Underestimating greed was the way to get blindsided and backstabbed in the worst way possible. This was a lesson he had learned the hard way even back when he was on Earth.

One thing that he wished to sell her was the Mecha he obtained from the pirates. But doing so would reveal his ability to open a breach in space all by himself. This power might be his trump card in the future, as it was undoubtedly the best way of escaping he had. There was no way he would reveal it now for some money.

Once Dorothy finally managed to calm down, she took a deep breath, “I must say. Your first demand is not anything complicated for me. Oz is not specialized in Mecha development and creation, as we focus more on Magic and Standard Mechas that we import. If you want a Standard Knightframe, I believe you can buy one from us at a very good price, and with the bounty of the pirates you will receive money. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

She smiled, “Seeing your expression, I guess a standard Mecha is not to your taste. In this case, I believe that I have a solution that will please you but we can talk about this later during our travels. As for your second demand.”

She cleared her throat, “The Queen of the Shadow Fortress or just the Shadow Queen is…Well, she is a very famous and also very dangerous person. She is not easy to meet.”

A serious glint appeared in her eyes, “I will be honest, I do not think it’s someone you should even try to meet. At the very least unless you are ready to die for it.” She paused before asking. “Do you still want to meet her despite knowing this?”

“I do.” There was no hesitation in his voice as he answered her. This so-called Queen was supposed to be the key to understanding more about everything that was happening. There was no way he would let this chance go.

“Very well. Once again I will tell you that the route toward the Shadow Fortress is treacherous. Death will be at every corner and many call this road the Graveyard of Heroes. Many talented people fought to meet her but to date, only very few were graced with her presence.

“Those who succeeded became renowned warriors. Those who failed were forgotten in the river of time. Elusive, unpredictable and extremely powerful. She is the Queen of the Shadow Realm, the Immortal Witch, the Slayer of Gods and the Teacher of Heroes. Her name is — Scáthach Uanaind.”

Scáthach Uanaind?

—From the information I have, she was a relatively major figure in Celtic mythology and was mainly known for her skill as a teacher in the art of combat and for having taught Cu Chulainn.

I do remember that one. This is truly fascinating.

He was reminded once again that he was not in his universe but in a universe where fairy tales and mythologies seemed to be real. This made him wonder just how much had become reality and what were the differences.

At the same time this knowledge was undoubtedly an edge for him. Something that, while he could not entirely lean on, could help him understand those he was facing better.

However, he needed to be careful about relying on that knowledge too much.

The best example stood in front of him. Dorothy was supposed to be some random American girl who got thrown into Oz and had a sort of psychedelic adventure with a cowardly lion, a heartless tin man, and a stupid scarecrow.

Meanwhile, the Dorothy in front of him was someone who could teleport as well as stop time and was ruling some kind of empire while the Cowardly Lion was the general of an entire space Legion and had some kind of flaming mane.

Sighing about the wild difference, he asked, “So, how do I meet the Shadow Queen?”

“You cannot meet her. At least not now. The Shadow Queen is elusive and she obtained her name from her ability to open a gate in a strange and complex dimension where time and space stop mattering. This is one of the primary reasons she is hard to reach. When the road is open, the majority of those who wish to meet her will die instantly when they enter that space.”

“Oh?” Noah raised an eyebrow, careful to control his reaction. This seemed very similar to what he could do and his ability to open a gate to the Sea of Quanta. If this so-called Queen had the same ability then, he could understand why Venus told him he had to meet that woman.

She would definitely be an important key for his mastery of the dimension. Furthermore, Noah himself was a spear user so it wouldn’t hurt to obtain her tutelage.

“Is it different from the space you guys enter in hyperdrive?”

Dorothy gave him a funny look but soon she nodded. He had the feeling he asked a very dumb question and perhaps it was common knowledge for them. But Noah knew he could lean on his identity as a “barbarian” from a small planet to ask these kind of questions.

“If you are interested I can put you in a learning pod. They are very handy machines used for children to give them relatively common knowledge. This helps eliminate years of useless studying.”

Noah hesitated. This seemed very tempting but this also seemed like the kind of stuff that would end in unwanted information being fed to his mind. He also did not relish the idea of being brainwashed.

Even back on earth, such technology was not unheard of and the only reason it wasn’t directly used on the Constellations when they were children was because of the risk of brain damage this kind of thing posed. Didn’t stop them from doing slow and careful indoctrination, but this was another matter.

Noah was pretty sure that Dorothy would not try to hurt him but it was better to be safe than sorry. The common knowledge of this world would be obtained once he deciphered the memories of all those he devoured. It would take some time but it would happen.

“I will pass for now. Though, I would be thankful if I could get some kind of…hum. Some kind of teaching material that I can read?”

Dorothy nodded. Noah refusing this proposal helped her get a better insight into his personality and what she found was someone who was extremely distrustful of people that he could not call his own.

This kind of individual was always interesting to observe because of the way they behaved with those they considered as friends.

In a way because of how distrustful and wary they usually were, once they decided to trust someone they would give their all and even ignore logic.

Getting their trust may be hard but this trust would be extremely tough and difficult to break.

“You seem to have quite the scheming smile.” Dorothy's smile grew even larger as Noah called her out. “I am just thinking about how I can get you to trust me even more.”

She had to say, looking at his expression was truly interesting. He was so cute she had the urge to pinch his chubby cheeks. Though she had the distinct impression that he would bite her finger if she ever tried such a thing.

As a Queen, Dorothy had been used to manipulating people in a way that brought her the greatest advantage. Truthfully it was a tiring life but only by doing so had she been able to fight against the wicked witches and get Ozma to put down their arms.

Compared to this, dealing with Noah was delightful. She did not need to put in any effort. She simply had to be honest, and sooner or later she knew that he would start trusting her.

“Getting back to our main topic. Sometimes the Shadow Queen will distribute tickets through the galaxy and only those who obtain a ticket can access the dimension on a specific date of her choosing. The tickets can be obtained in any way possible and as you can imagine, the distribution of those tickets is always followed by a bloodbath. Finding a ticket and keeping it until the promised date is in a way a form of test. Only those strong enough, smart enough, lucky enough, or with a powerful background can hope to get a ticket.”

“She seems like a pretty cruel woman.” Noah frowned. Sharing those tickets knowing what would happen was not something one with good intentions would do.

“I would not say so.” Dorothy shook her head, “Her methods are fair all things considered. When one enters her dimension, the background one may have is completely worthless. All that matters is whether you can survive that place.” Dorothy did think that the Shadow Queen was a very dangerous woman. But cruel she was not.

“Her ticket represents a fair chance for everyone to join in and those who succeeded her test all became renowned warriors and leaders of their own sectors. Sometimes owning planets or even entire solar systems.”

“I see.” Noah decided that arguing more was not worth it. He needed to ruminate on the information he had just obtained. He was a hundred percent sure that he could survive the place where that woman resided.

This meant that he only had to worry about two things. One, finding and keeping a ticket when they were out, and two —

“When will the next opening be?”

Dorothy gave a bitter smile as she spread her hands, “No one knows. The last session was 20 years ago and from history, the longest interval between two sessions was 300 years. So…”

“Oh…”

Noah fell silent. This was going to be quite complicated.