After Mystique and Coral made my day with the news of more Space Mages to come, that signified the end of our meeting.

I didn't manage to get away as fast as usual due to Kolena being bombarded with questions, but I did manage to keep my mouth shut to avoid looking further like the bad guy. It's not my fault I stole her title. Nor was it my fault that Kor, the old Lazy God picked a fight with me. Either way, the Q and A session ended and we ported back to the forest.

There, I find Me combing Bear's fur with a brush and Violet's eyes sparkling as he does. It's obvious she wants cthat brush. At least I know what to make her if I need to coax her into doing anything. Amber is snacking on skewers that she's managed to acquire from somewhere. Probably her storage seeing how none of the vendors open till lunchtime. Blondie... Is nowhere to be seen.

"Me, where's Blondie?" This is the second time since her evolution that she's left the dungeon and I've lost track of her. She wasn't gone for that long last time, but it still makes me panic nonetheless.

Me looks around and shrugs before continuing to brush Bear. "She was here a minute ago."

"You know why I left them with you, right?" Implying my meaning, I try my best not to say it out loud. The last thing I want is to argue with Violet or Amber.

That said, I still need to figure out what jobs they can do whilst I'm supposed to be getting on with my own. There isn't much they like to do other than what they're known for. Amber likes to eat, Blondie likes people and Violet only likes Bear. It's tricky to think of any type of employment they could fit into with those personalities.

That's when I remember that the triplets already have a job. A Dragon's job. They're my peacekeepers for Cores' sake. With how peaceful Varona is, it's really easy to forget that sometimes. Knowing that, I should just let the triplets do what they do best and be themselves.

Amber can be a taste tester. There's no way in hell she will ever turn down that opportunity and it means she'll get about. She can hit up the market stalls and visit whichever Ali's she wants to whenever she wants to.

The same almost goes for Blondie. If I leave her to her own devices, hopefully, she'll just wander around Varona talking to people. If I want them working while I'm working, I'm going to have to settle for letting them out of my sight too.

Violet's a trickier subject. The only place I think she'd be happy would be the stables. There are other animals there and she and Bear can run around as much as they like. Plus anyone entering my city will be greeted by a peacekeeping Dragon and her unique mount. That's the best I've got until I can think of a better position for her.

Hopefully, Blondie will be back soon so I can tell her what her job is.

That leaves Kolena, but I already know what she's doing and where she's going. She'll be left in the capable hands of Hana and Mira at The Towers of Torture. I'll also introduce her to Sam and she can alternate between the two locations to check on our prisoners' status.

The spider-infested floor that houses the souls of those orange and above needs less supervision than the towers do. After all, their stay with us are guaranteed to be much longer than those who are closer to the neutral zone. Turning grey is enough to get a person released back into society with the hope that they'll go on to live a better life.

I know. It sounds just like prison. The only difference is your stay is based on how much you actually show repentance for. If someone's unwillingly to change for whatever reason, their stay either becomes indefinite, or they become dungeon food. Smashed through the cycle with a blank slate and no attachment to the resentment they carried in their past life.

Blondie returned while I was caught in thought about Soul Guide and it was good timing. After a little explaining, mostly for Violet's benefit - the purple Rebellion Dragon feeling as though she's the only one being lumbered with a proper job, they left for work. I then dropped off Kolena with Hana and Mira before porting off to get on with my own tasks.

Mythril bricks.

I don't get very far though and before I know it, I'm in Anya's office at the Royal Halls of Regeneration drinking tea. Lola, who still happens to be a Black Dragon - the first Black Dragon I summoned no less, is also here. Chilling with the Rainbow Mage at work and relaxing the entire building whilst doing so.

"I know, right? I'm telling you now, adventuring was a lot harder than these Assassins make it out to be," I laugh.

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We've been indulging Lola in stories of the past. They were many and numerous, but quite a few were almost life-or-death situations. Although, those same scenarios would now pose no problems for the current me. It's just nice to reminisce with my Bestie.

I've been working hard recently and, since the King's invasion, I haven't really had much in the way of time for friendly conversation. Even my nights these days are spent working on skills.

"Big sis, Anya," Lola attracts the Rainbow Mage's attention with her cute little line. The little Dragon stealing her attention doesn't phase me in the slightest. In fact, it causes my heart to flutter.

"I'm hungry." Her words snap me out of my daze as I realize I'm late. The first time in a long time and I'm surprised Amber hasn't let me know already. Speaking of Amber, her job as a taste-testing, peacekeeping Dragon is probably the reason why she hasn't informed me.

She's already eating.

"I'll catch ya later, Anya," I smile at my Bestie before waving to Lola who's holding her sleeve. "Bye Lola. Make sure you eat lots of sweets."

I chuckle evilly at Anya before porting to the girls. As expected, Amber is exactly where I left her, but both Blondie and Violet are here. Them being taller now still throws me off a little when I see them, but I suppose they're still the same as they were and I'm probably just overreacting about this whole Rebellion Dragon thing.

I mean, they haven't acted out yet. Taking a seat beside them, Bear rolls its eyes at me for some reason and I feel as though I'm missing something. Only after Amber has smashed through her first plate do I realize not what it was, but who it is.

"For Cores' sake. I'll be right back."

Ten seconds later I arrive with an eager-looking Kolena in tow. She takes a seat and digs straight into one of the Chef's specials. She's clearly taken a liking to our food and it makes me wonder what they eat where she's from. I don't like the answer, however, as it hits closer to home reminding me of when I didn't have a body.

"We don't need to actually consume substance to maintain ourselves. We survive on the mana we absorb from our surroundings."

Amber actually stopped eating for a second, casting a horrified glance in Kolena's direction before shoveling as much food into her mouth as possible. No one's sending you there, Amber. You don't have to eat like it's your last meal.

No one commented on what she said and instead continued to eat in silence. Dozens of dishes stacked unevenly in the middle of the table later, it was time to get back to work.

Since it wasn't the triplets' day to enter the Coliseum, they were also going back to work. That meant that Amber was staying exactly where she was whereas Blondie was going to walk off her meal, greeting everyone while she did so. Violet was headed back to the stables. She must have enjoyed her time there as I didn't hear her voicing any complaints over lunch.

I dropped Kolena off with Hana and Mira before reminding her about dinner and porting away. I really didn't want to have to go and get her again. Although the first time was entirely my fault for not specifying what time lunch was going to be. It's easy to forget trivial matters when there are larger games in play. Wanting to somehow skirt my morning meeting being one of them.

If only.

Instead of working on the roads, the wall or acquiring any more land, I end up in my Core Room. The once-quaint room is now an emperor's treasure trove. Literally. Scattered amongst the statues of my titled family members and Bosses are more mimics than a person should ever be able to see in one viewing.

In the middle is a Mimic three times their size and as golden as they come. With its tongue hanging lazily out of its mouth, saliva flies everywhere as it spins to greet me. Muscular arms appear at its side as it pushes the smaller Mimics out of its way on its path toward me.

"Hi, Colin. Looking good buddy. Man," I quickly scan the large room as fast as possible. "I still can't believe you can create these little cuties, you know? That's amazing."

Around us are thousands of different treasure chests made from a variety of different materials. However, it doesn't matter how the chests improve as we keep going, none of them are like Colin. The King Mimic swallowed a fragment of my Dungeon Core, forcibly evolving him into what he is today.

A panty-snatching drool machine if rumors are to be believed.

"Thank you, Master." Colin's voice is like that of a snake. If snakes could talk that is. It even has the little hiss that comes with their species.

"Want some more?" I ask and he bobs up and down, knowing exactly what I'm talking about. He then slaps away a chest that was getting too close for his liking.

I summoned him two hundred diamond chests, enough to hopefully keep him busy for a few days. Before bidding farewell and leaving the Core Room, I turn to the Core itself. My heart and the single most important object in my dungeon sits graciously in the middle of the room.

I still can't believe how big it's gotten. Then again I am looking pretty good on levels these days.

My Core looks a lot better now than it did during my fight with the King. Back then it had fractures all over the place and a good chunk had even fallen off. Thankfully, Colin was in the middle of the action and I managed to snag that piece before he did. My one and only Mimic back then had eaten the broken pieces himself becoming the King he is today.

I still need to do something with the broken pieces I have in my inventory, but I'm not quite sure what yet. Although I should be thinking about who and not what. It obviously works better on system-classed monsters than it does humans.

Maybe I could shortcut the triplets' evolution?

No. Who knows what would happen to them? I was a little anxious when I gave that small shard to Marie. Fortunately, nothing bad happened, not that I considered it would, but nothing truly good came of it either.

I should really get on with upgrading the wall, but brick by soul-crushing brick - even with using Creation, it's slowly sucking the life out of me. There's only so much boredom a person can take in one day and I need to come up with a way to alter those bricks on a much larger scale fast.

Because until that time, I've got to keep plugging away one brick at a time.