25th of Alm, 226 years since megados eruption
Something's weird about Liberos. She kept saying weird things like 'I'll be on your side' and 'keep your new family safe' and stuff. Well, she seemed quite happy to learn that mom is alive. She hugged me, as apparently sapients do it to show their thanks. I still don't fully know if she counts as a dragon or not. Maybe she's as much of a dragon as I am.
Fuck, I forgot to ask about that letter she sent me a few months ago. I wanted to know what language it was in so that I could translate it. Oh well, if she wanted me to know what it said, she would've made it easier. She's not the type to make things harder than they need to be.
6th of An, 226 years since megados eruption
A few dozen dragon eyes appeared next to my bed. No idea where they came from. Rephantasia is still surprised that I can eat them without a problem.
Realistically, I shouldn't be wasting these, since they can be used for 'clairvoyance'. Just kidding, that spell is a total scam. It doesn't show you the 'future', but rather what you don't want to happen. It's also why mom hates Uildra. Idiot got addicted to a future that wasn't right.
Now, you can use dragon eyes for stuff like 'beholden' and stuff, but you can also use any other eye as well, so... no reason to not eat them.
19th of An, 226 years since megados eruption
Aesmo is forcing me out of bed and is telling me to 'do something, you lazy empress (affectionately)'. So let's start a new project! The ore processing system we have hasn't been updated for a very long time. Seeing as we have plenty of money to spend and homunculi to do manual labor, let's upgrade everything!
First is the furnace. Let's increase its size by 70%, repair the inner lining, add gem powder to inner lining for improved refractory capabilities, add several mana lines to regulate heat better, add separate output for slag, and a thermometer for consistency. Most of these upgrades are cheap or can be done here, but the thermometer has to be bought from someone. I'm sure someone has one that can measure the melting point of titanium.
After that, let's focus on the outputs. Since we'll be adding a slag output, we need a collection area, which can simply be a metal trough. From there, we can crush it up. To be honest, I don't know of any use for slag, so I guess it'll just be a spice for our meals (slag has variable taste, but is often closer to chalk or bone). As for our main output... we don't really need to change anything. Metal powder is good enough for storage.
Next, the input will be fully automated by the homunculi. Charcoal is plentiful thanks to Fesmo's trees, and we won't have to worry about poisoning homunculi. Design-wise, we don't need to make any changes.
Speaking of which, the chimney needs to be cleared. Let's upgrade the ventilation system. That requires some excavation... Aesmo is denying me mining rights until I finish everything else. Of course, I'm just going to ignore her. She can't stop me from mining better ventilation!
21st of Aos, 226 years since megados eruption
Whoops. Time flies when you're focused. Finished the vents, to Aesmo's begrudging chagrin. I'll start working on everything else I swear.
28th of Aos, 226 years since megados eruption
Couldn't find a good thermometer, but did find this new thing called a 'turbine'. Spins really fast in the vents. Forgot what it's for though. (She wasn't listening to the explanation.) [There was an explanation?]
Resmo managed to find a screw conveyor design that can transport ore directly to the input. This means we spend less focus on transportation. Too bad it can't be too long. I wanted it to start where I mine, but that was too far and deep for a screw conveyor.
----------------------------------------
Interlude; investigation
This is a report on the collapse of the dragon lord council room. Technically, this is a private investigation into the damage and potential cause. I am documenting this in case anything happens to me.
Initial observations; collapsed due to major structural damage. Unstable rubble can be found protruding from room, suggesting there was a tunnel there. No records of such tunnel exists. Internal layout of room is altered from norm. Central space is occupied by large mythril columns in semi-circle pattern. Damage suggests originally there were more, and they were taller. Faint remnants of burnt elves. 1 dragon corpse confirmed, but identity is unknown. To clarify, the dragon does not match anyone's identity. Faint spell damage, including freezing, burning, and acid, but mostly superficial. Entrance managed to remain fairly undamaged. Unknown blood in center (not dragon).
Personal conclusions of observations; Combat occurred in room. Dragon corpse is fairly undamaged by spells, leading me to believe they were not killed by a spell or an attack, but rather in the collapse itself. Clearing the rubble revealed a tunnel extending to the surface of the mountain. I suspect that an intruder broke in through this tunnel. But why? What were the mythril columns for? Their positions lead me to believe they were in a circle, and the height means it wasn't meant to display anything, rather for a more practical or pragmatic reason. The burnt elves would mostly be used for either scent management, or atmosphere. Are the columns for atmosphere as well? But then why mythril?
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Reanalysis of columns reveal remnants of enchantments, including one for strength. Columns were not meant to be broken easily... possibly used to contain something? Such a heavy and complex thing requires preparations. Unknown blood may belong to what was contained? Will attempt to analyze blood.
I almost thought that the tunnel was used for escape instead, but lack of debris outside the surface suggests it wasn't opened outward. Maybe tunnel was pre-planned/made for later use? Reassessing biased, intruder may not have been dragon. May have broke in for whatever was kept in the cage.
Inspection of corpse reveals internal necrosis, especially in brain and eyes. Caused by strong neurotoxin or poison. Noted similarity to victims of Vildra's poison used 107 years ago. Possible connection? Noted additional similarity to event Vildra-22, where Vildra was found with the corpse of a dragon who's identity did not exist.
Improvised conspiracy 1; secret group of dragons are targeting Vildra/have some sort of relationship. Vildra kills unidentified dragon using their poison. But then what of cage? And why was Vildra here?
Conspiracy 2; Unidentified dragon previously had identity, but somehow identity was erased, possibly by Vildra. Same questions as last conspiracy.
Blood analysis results; partial match to angel? Eureka!
If identities can be erased, then several mysteries line up. Vildra normally has no reason to attend meetings in person. Must have come here for a very strong reason/purpose. If cage contained angel or angel-like entity, Vildra would be called due to her past interaction with an angel. An angel should be watched by at least 3 dragon lords. Yet such dragon lords don't exist... anymore. Vildra potentially betrayed them and erased their identity. Unknown maximum capacity of mind palace for an angel, but it'd make sense that at least one did not fit angel's capacity, which would then be poisoned and killed by Vildra. This whole event may have taken some time, where Vildra would've been forced to fight against other dragon lords. Room was collapsed to hide evidence.
Of course, that's all a random theory. But the coincidences and clues are lining up. Uildra, that crazed child. If what she said is even partially correct, then Vildra's plans are already under way. I need to figure this out. I might be in grave danger.
----------------------------------------
Pov ???
"I swear I feel it. In the same place as that war. Not quite a sibling... maybe a distant cousin?"
"And you didn't feel this before? We were both near that place last century and there was nothing."
"It was over a century. A lot can change in that time. You should know that."
"Any why would you... never mind. So do you recognize them? Know their name?"
"...Hears like it starts with Re... Rephan. Don't recognize that name. Do you?"
"I know a Rephones. Does that count?"
"No, that's too different. If only I could see for myself."
"Uhm, if I may intrude. I can just take you to them."
"You can?"
"Yeah, I have a friend nearby. They're a little... unusual, but otherwise quite fun and helpful."
"...How the fuck did you make a friend? You're a titan! Literally hotter than the center of the planet!"
----------------------------------------
17th of Ar, 226 years since megados eruption
Cesmo's talking with Leviamuth. And Leviamuth is approaching. Because 'family should meet friend'. I really don't want to meet a fucking titan, but Cesmo is very insistent. Well, seeing as Aesmo is entirely unconcerned, I can only assume that there's nothing to be concerned about.
Well, good luck to me. I hope I don't fucking die.
19th of Ar, 226 years since megados eruption
Good news, I didn't die. Bad news, I erased my own memory, which I guess only happens if I don't have to worry about it? So I'll trust past me that it's all fine. If it isn't fine, there's nothing I can do against a titan. The demons tried, and it didn't work.
Well, better to distract myself. And the best distraction is mining! Or reading, but that requires me to go get a book.
21st of Auv, 226 years since megados eruption
Aesmo mentioned that I should write about the 'mine's' layout. I guess I haven't written about it since... don't remember. So let's start at the top!
The top of the mountain is dug open into a skylights, with a floating gem thing in the middle. It's mostly harmless as long as you don't point a laser at it. Below that is a light gem array that can make a laser pointing at the floating gem. It's harmless as long as you don't send lightning through it. Further down is my bed. No, it does not send lightning through the light gems. Right below my bed is a lightning gem that sends lightning through the light gems. Don't touch it.
Very, very far down is the gates of the fortress. I'm half tempted to destroy it since it might get in the way, but that won't happen for a while. Same with the inside. On the over side, the mine continues down for a while. Eventually it reaches the cave entrance, that's where I'm currently mining. And in the walls, throughout the entire area, is the roots of the mana spire.
There's a spiral staircase from the top to the mine entrance, which the homunculi use (the Esmos just climb on the walls). In the walls are several dozen rooms, most of which are where the Esmos sleep and tinker in. The topmost room is the 'entrance' room, the next is 'food', and from there are individual rooms for Aesmo-Zesmo. The other Esmos share rooms with four per room, but I'm planning on digging out more rooms so they don't have to share as much.
----------------------------------------
Pov Leviamuth
"Asmodeus. What're the odds, huh? An angel, a demon, and a titan visit a dragon, angel, and something not quite like any of us."
"It was unusual. A dragon with the blood and flesh of an angel, the decay of demon fragments, and no desires. An angel with far too little hate, far to little contempt, far too much care. And finally, a child. Only 110 years old. Should we keep an eye on them?"
"Already ahead of you on that one. I don't need to watch anything else after all."
"Using your only eye to watch such strange individuals... were you always this obsessive?"
"Demons have to be obsessive, especially ones like me with only one eye."
"There was something bothering me though. Why is the child so... weak? I can feel so much potential, yet none of it is showing."
"There's not enough mana. The world has far less mana than back when we were active. All of it is stuck in the ground, building up. It'll have to take a quite the disaster to release it all. Shame the dragons are so controlling. If only they let that volcano erupt again."
----------------------------------------
"This is Kraken News with some exciting breaking news! A dragon has been killed by sapients for the first time! I repeat, a dragon was killed by sapients! This comes with the reveal of the grandest super weapon in 13 years, the 'Kristopher's Fire'! Find out more in a few hours, on Kraken News!"