Keith's POV:

Keith awoke to the dawn song; a beautiful cacophony of phoenix melody and robin chirp. Usually he would never be awake at this ungodsly hour, but the sixteen hours of sleep - two whole rest periods - had left him full of mana and well rested in a way his nightly magic tinkering didn't often allow.

Keith stretched and sat up. He hadn't bothered changing last night and he'd lost another button sleeping in his long work tunic. Rinrin would tsk, but honestly there was nothing else to be done.

Until the arachne awoke from their diapause torpor in late spring, everyone had to make do with normal thread.

He snapped his fingers twice and Tulith entered his rooms. She and Chikli just got married, and Keith had to remember to post an ad for a new maid in the next year or so. He didn't want baby lizardkin running around his experiments and getting hurt.

"Have Panlith whip up breakfast while I take a bath." He instructed. "And find me something to wear that doesn't show grease stains." His creations always needed an unreasonable amount of grease to move.

"Your Viciousnesss," Tulith curtsied low, "If you wish, I have hot breakfast ready for you. Would you like cinnamon glaze pancakess with honey cream while you ssoak in your bubble bath? It would save you time for tinkering."

Keith paused, "Since when does Panlith have my breakfast ready at dawn?"

"Oh no, My Lord," Tulith curtsied again, "The princesss made the pancakes. She's been in the kitchen on and off since yesterday. Only ssstopping to rest for the wee hoursss."

"What?" His mind hadn't caught up with him yet. The princess. The daughter of his enemy who came to kill him yesterday. That princess. In his kitchen.

"Yesss, Your Viciousnesss, she got up and made everyone pancakesss." The maid continued. "We've had them tested and they are not poisoned."

Not that most poisons would do anything to him. Keith prided himself on his Survival 9 Skill.

It would almost be better if she had tried to poison him, since it might level up his Skill to 10 and grant him a new Perk. Even if it was something lethal, his apothecary was full of the world's most dangerous poisons - and their antidotes.

Keith gave his approval and Tulith returned with a stunning spread, including a side of hazelberry compote and two slices of salted sizzling pork cuts. Pork was usually separated into pies, steaks or hoc, but this was delicious.

Keith waved his hand and cast three spells in quick succession.

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You have attempted to use the Perk: Cantrips [Cleanse]. You have succeeded.

You have attempted to use the Perk: Cantrips [Burning Hand]. You have succeeded.

You have attempted to use the Perk: Cantrips [Gust]. You have succeeded.

He purified and heated his bath, then he poured in aloe and hard olive oil soap and used air magic to swirl it around to make bubbles. He added a drop of lavender oil and settled in for a long soak.

"Panlith got the recipe?" Keith handed off his clean plate, trying to figure out what to do with his new royal guest.

"Yesss Master," Tulith smiled and offered, "Apparently, Her Highnesss only cares about baking and sssightseeing. As per your ordersss yesterday, we let her leave this morning. She sssaid she will visit Kith Bog and return at your usual afternoon work hour."

"I see." And he was starting to see more clearly by the hour. Oh well, he needed the morning to finish the automaton and clear space for his new research subject.

"Just… don't let her into the inner sanctum until after lunch." He ordered. He didn't think he could survive [Mana Burn] twice in so many days. "And send someone to fetch her if she doesn't return by noon."

"As you command."

…

Keith finished his bath and made his way to his work room. He needed to finish the golem and clean off his enchanted work table.

When one of the treants fell in a duel with Knolith, General of the East, the treefolk tribe kept the monster-core and gave the body to Keith as tribute. His enchanted table was made out of the treant's wood, and a collection of the most magical ingredients he could find. It was of immense assistance in his [Arcane Sage] practice.

Though Keith thought that classifying a sentient race like the treants as a "monster" race, just because they sometimes spawned in dungeons, was very rude.

Still, he loved his desk. It was customary for a Dark Lord to have furniture crafted from bones; these bones just happened to be made out of wood.

Keith opened his character sheet and checked for any notifications before beginning [Construct Creation].

Name: Keith Monfort of Nilheim

Occupation: Dark Magician King

Level: 83

Experience Points: 7140/20750

Hit Points: 400/400

Mana Points: 3570/3570

Class: [Arcane Sage]

Titles: [Demini], [Royal Heir], [Dark Magician King], [Construct Wizard], [Golemancer], [Overlord], [Puppet Master], [Mechanical Enchanter], [Arcane Sage]

Attributes

Strength: 16

Dexterity: 42

Constitution: 25

Intelligence: 85

Perception: 20

Charisma: 19

Skills

Arts 3, Bureaucracy 5, Magic 5, ++Construct Creation: Large 9, Command 4, Survivor 9, Mastery 4, Enchantment 2, Sage 1

Perks

Steady Hand, Quick Read, Multitask, Cantrips (Burning Hand, Gust, Dancing Lights, Cleanse, Mold Earth), Quick Chant, Shape Construct, Share Senses, Deconstruction, Fuse, Repair Construct, Modify Construct, Pure Concentration, List Automata, Construct Flight, Animate Object, Basic AI, Multitool, Identify, Mind Map, Remote Access, Ventriloquism, Resist Poison, Resist Mind Manipulation, Sense Motive, Sense Enemy, Advanced AI (Sentience), Reduce Mana Cost, Imbue, Quick Buff, Slow Burn

Everything looked good to go. He pulled out an inkwell of troll blood ink and a griffin feather quill to freshen up yesterday's enchantments and then got to work animating his newest golem.

He had even decided on a name. "Hey there Delilah, let's not blow up and almost kill me this time alright?"