If Kai had a year he could have accomplished more, but Irun didn't have that much patience and he probably didn't have that much time before consequences would find him again. So eventually, about two months after they'd started the training, he and Tusquo decided that the new Irunian raid group had completed their base training.

When Kai looked over the group he was satisfied with what he'd accomplished. They were a tougher and more experienced group now: their Physiques had advanced, they'd strengthened their Paths, and they were wearing chakra armor that Inafay had looted. He glanced at their souls and saw the average picture very much changed:

<

Name: ???

Total Power: 90

Physique Level: F-8 (46)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

Path of Steel: Iron 3 (15)

Chakra Armor (+20)

>

The average soldier in the group now had 90 Power, up from 50. Zae Zin Nim had been privately dismissive of their progress, but he knew how much that near-doubling meant to the soldiers. Above all, he hoped the new potential would inspire them.

His only concern was how many of them were getting close to the 99 Power barrier. He'd even considered trying to go to Krysal to arrange trade in moonmelt pills before Tusquo called it off. Many of the soldiers were likely close to their limits and Irun could figure out that problem for themselves if it came to that.

Ten of the strongest had received harsher training, Kai and the Tonjin brothers pushing them as hard as they could:

<

Name: ???

Total Power: 171

Physique Level: E-0 (80)

Soul Level: 4 (16)

Path of Steel: Iron 5 (25)

Chakra Armor (+40)

Ironpath Physique (+10)

>

They'd all broken through to E-rank Physique and Omilaena had refined her process for the Ironpath Physique, so their average was closer to 170 Power. There were stronger Birtaegalese mercenaries, but not many, and Irun could be proud of its new soldiers. A large number of Irunian officials had been present to examine the group and they seemed suitably impressed.

Kai had been trying to figure out if he had anything to say in a speech, so he was glad when Tusquo took over. Irun knew that they owed this power to foreigners, but for now the ceremony was highly Irunian. Maybe eventually Kai would return and get to know the soldiers better, but there was another part of him who was ready to move on.

Once the ceremony was over, the Irunians split up, again mostly to talk to one another, so Kai retreated further. He noticed Omilaena leaning against the wall outside, examining her fingernails. Her posture looked careless, but he thought he saw some combination of boredom, weariness, and melancholy.

"Shouldn't you be celebrating?" he asked. "We made some of them exercise a little more, but the fact that the Irunians are actually impressed is thanks to you."

"Eh, the fun work for me was at the beginning." Omilaena waved a hand vaguely. "Then figuring out how the Irunians can do things for themselves was mildly interesting, then everything after that has been tedious busywork."

"That bad?"

"Irun is a depressing little country. Can't wait to get out of this place."

Kai considered her briefly, then went to lean on the wall beside her. "I don't think you're actually that dismissive. What's actually bothering you?"

Stolen story; please report.

For a split second he saw Omilaena stare at him in surprise, then her face was guarded again. "You really want to push like that?" she asked.

"I do."

"Their situation really is depressing. Surrounded by allies who just want to make use of them, who only want them so long as they're useful." Omilaena smiled wryly and tapped her chest. "I'm basically Irun in human form. I can help others, even boost a country, but me? I'm stagnating, falling further and further behind."

"That's really how you feel?" Kai stared at her, wondering how much he'd missed. "That's ridiculous. It's not that long ago that you were stronger than both of us and we were relying entirely on you."

"Easy for you to say that. You're advancing steadily again, and once your soul balances out, you'll have close to 1000 Power. Zae Zin Nim has cued herself up for some massive leaps even before she gets anywhere close to Sky Soul. And meanwhile I'm barely even managing slow and steady."

She sounded more bitter than he expected. Kai reached over to touch her shoulder and ended up stopping not far from her. "We wouldn't just abandon you like that."

"Oh, sure, but I'll just be your-"

"And we wouldn't just use your for your talents, either. You're one of the only other people who really understands the scale of the threat we're facing. If things go as high as we think, our positions at one point in time are just temporary."

"Thanks, Kai. I appreciate that."

Omilaena's smile looked authentic but he knew it was false. Not because he was a great reader of observer nature and definitely not because he knew anything about women, but just because he knew Omilaena. She wasn't really encouraged, she only wanted to cut off the conversation. Ultimately she didn't believe what he said and there was nothing he could say to convince her.

Kai wandered back toward the courtyard, less focused than before. Most likely Omilaena believed that he would do whatever was in his best interest, just like she would do, or at least that was how she liked to think of herself. Any gesture he made now would be clumsy, but maybe a clumsy gesture was better than nothing.

When he looked at the gathered Irunians, Kai took a second glance at Tusquo. In a way, his soul was also a major symbol of their progress.

<

Name: Tusquo Agyama of Irun

Total Power: 267

Manablade Class: 41 (51)

Physique Level: E-2 (86)

Soul Level: 6 (36)

Path of Steel: Steel 3 (69)

Ironpath Physique (+25)

>

With 267 Power, Tusquo was the single strongest Irunian Kai had seen outside the Frontier. He was already at the level of a Ruby Crystallier, and once he'd had more time to train his Ironpath Physique or build new weapons, he could even compete with the Diamonds. With their help he should be able to lead Irun into the future.

But Tusquo wasn't a piece on a board, he was a friend. They'd made their alliance when they were barely twenty years old with less than 9 Power, struggling against weak boar monsters. That mattered more than their current position, and perhaps that was the right lever for this whole problem.

When Kai waved, Tusquo separated from the others to talk to him. "What is it?"

"I want to ask a favor," Kai said. "Not something easy, so listen before you agree. You've seen what Omilaena can do with metals, right? I know your liquid metal sources are declining, but I'm asking you: give her a chance at one of the pools. The strongest ones at the heart of Irun."

"Strange that you should ask." Tusquo glanced back toward some of the Irunian leaders with an odd expression. "Some have been so impressed by her improvements to the Path of Steel that they're debating inviting her to something even more important than the deep pools. Something I can't even explain unless you're sworn to secrecy."

"You think she can help? Because I'm hoping for something that can help her."

"It could do both, and if not, we can take her to another metal pool. After everything you've done for us, doing any less would be dishonorable."

That was even better than Kai had expected, so he moved back to get Omilaena. He didn't think the Irunians would betray them after so long, but he still picked up Zae Zin Nim to join them. Inafay heard they were going somewhere and wanted to join, but the Irunian leaders put their foot down. Apparently they were serious about the secrecy.

Their entire group traveled to the Frontier outpost, then into a locked basement. In one of many empty doorways, one of them set up a portal. When they all stepped through, Kai was surprised that they came out in an empty wasteland... actually, only four of them: his allies and Tusquo. Tusquo only raised a hand for patience, and not long afterward a portal appeared in the air, inviting them on.

"They're serious about this," Zae Zin Nim muttered. Kai had been trying to track their general location, but he didn't understand portals well enough to be certain. When they stepped through, they entered an underground hallway that could have been anywhere in Irun.

"This is the most tightly controlled secret in Irun," Tusquo told them. "Even I wasn't fully aware until just recently. I want to trust you, but first I need to have your word sworn on all that you hold dear that you won't tell anyone about this. I need all of you to pledge your willingness to be responsible for all three of you."

Kai wasn't sure exactly what he held dear anymore, but he still pledged when it was his turn. Zae Zin Nim swore on her cultivation, which sounded suitably solemn, and Omilaena swore on her home. He doubted that any oath would hold her if she really chose otherwise, though. All he could do was bet heavily on the hope that he had actually understood her earlier. If not and she broke the trust, then Tusquo might never forgive him.

Once they had sworn, they headed down the dark corridor. Mana lamps lit up as they drew close, illuminating the dark stones. It ended in a larger cavern that lit up all at once. At first Kai saw only the deep pool of liquid metal and thought it was another source of Irunian steel, then he noticed the shard.

A thin piece of metal hovered above the pool, suspended by its own power. Even as they approached, a droplet of silver beaded on its side, made its way down, and dropped into the pool. That pool was far more intense than Kai remembered his trial being, and the fragment of metal was beyond anything he'd felt before. As if all the Irunian abilities he'd seen were just reflections of this.

Tusquo gestured them inside. "Please do not touch anything. This is the shard of-"

"Holy shit," Omilaena said. "It's an Insanity!"