With Marlowe's interference delaying the faction representatives from Lonid that wanted to get Mirina as the centerpiece of their campaign for legitimacy and the right to rule Lonid, I had some time to go visit Vugh Tarim. I would love nothing more than going down with my father and Baritono to search for more truesilver but that was not on the menu. The dwarven situation became more and more volatile as the news of the ambush staged by Torgo circulated.

Regarding the truesilver, I learned that it was nothing more than a magically active silver isotope that shouldn't exist with mundane laws of physics. The Wizard of Oz too became not so marvelous once Dorothy pulled the curtains. The infusion of magical energy allowed the massive isotope to become stable and non-radioactive. Magically active and reactive too. But I digress.

I had confirmation that Elder Blackbrew was part of the "Torgo conspiracy", that much I knew. But the stubborn fool was nothing more than a pawn to Torgo's "bishop", while the true players of this chess game weighed several dozen tons. What was surprising was how fast they were pushing the game to a conclusion. Maybe the events in Lonid or the suspicion that I was already active and countering their moves made them rush but I already knew things would cascade faster and only accelerate.

The lamias deliberately let Malgrit escape. The female mercenaries were strong and capable, more than enough to wipe out the dwarves. Add the difference in speed between the two species, and chasing fleeing dwarves became just as easy.

Inside Vugh Tarim, the dwarves were on the warpath. With normal dwarven ears and a tail, nobody paid any attention to the young and thinner waif inconspicuously moving from tavern to tavern in the underground city listening to the rumors. Most claimed the need for an attack on Windemere, while another significant group worried about taxation.

The dwarven kingdom was landlocked by Windmere. A trade embargo or even the refusal to trade for foodstuffs with the rebellious nation could cast the dwarven dream of independence asunder. Not that it should've existed, to begin with. The dwarven situation was unsustainable. They were a mining and smithing enclave, not a nation. The number of dwarven farmers was ridiculously small given the prejudice they were looked upon.

After collecting enough data, I went to see my father at the smithing cavern. Dwarves on the warpath meant dwarves crafting tools of war. I stood next to his workspace watching him forge a gigantic ax head, probably meant for a high-level dwarf. Weapons should have a recommended Strength rating. Low-quality weapons could break when wielded by strong individuals, and a person with a Strength score in the hundreds could very well benefit from a weapon with a bigger mass behind it.

Anyway, he finished his work, set the piece in the hardening oven, and gave me a backbreaking hug.

"Ah, daughter. Good to see you here. Did you come to join the effort to overthrow the oppression we dwarves are suffering?" He wiggled his eyebrows at the end.

We needed to speak in code because, despite the incessant sound of metal striking metal, the other dwarves were hearing us just fine. There was an app… I mean, Perk for that.

"Oppression indeed. Would my father spare an hour or two to sit down and wash away the road grit with some ale?"

"Certainly! That stupid ax can forge itself. Come!"

We sat down to drink at the nearest tavern and I raised a privacy ward. Then I explained everything to him.

"What do you intend to do, Haru? Rumors of a half-dwarf-kitsune stirring trouble in Lonid have already reached our ears. Axejaw is not a fool, he'll know it's his granddaughter. Some of my friends already mentioned how my adoptive daughter has the same name as the one in the tales."

I could spread counter-propaganda and start another rumor. I could let Mirina's family go but that would blow my cover… Or not. Who would believe them? The dragons? Let them. Too bad I already had {Dragon Slayer V} and {Favored Enemy: Dragons} and there was no possible upgrade to them. The two remaining perk vouchers were burning a hole in my pocket.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Should I release Lonid's Royal family?" I wondered out loud.

"Should you have imprisoned them in the first place?" Helger downed his drink in one go and stared at me. "I love you, daughter, but you scare the wits out of this old dwarf."

"I'm not an irrational monster that can't be reasoned with, father!" I protested. "They tossed me in a dungeon! And you're not old. I'm centuries older than you."

That drew a hearty laugh out of him. "Praised be the founder of Windemere, weaver of people, breaker of collars!" He raised his empty mug, prompting the waiter to bring more.

"A drink in her name!" I cheered and drank with Helger. "You're right. Maybe I overdid things in Lonid."

"Aye, no doubt you overdid. Let them go, I say! I doubt Lonid will be as foolish as to attempt to attack now that they know who they're going against."

It was my turn to down my drink, "Always bet on stupidity [1], father."

We flagged the waiter to bring us more drinks. Helter let my words swirl on his mug before replying, "Wiser words were never spoken, daughter."

We finished two mugs each before speaking again, "I think I'll have to crush an army before this whole crisis ends. I'll make sure it is done in the most humiliating and fantastic way. All I need to figure out is which band of fools will attempt to attack Windemere first."

Helger whimpered, "I'll make sure our own band of fools is so overprepared we'll be late to the party."

"That would be for the best, I don't want a civil war. But maybe I should help some other fools beat Vugh Tarim to the punch. Father, I made up my mind. I'll let Lonid's Royal family go."

"You do that. And next time, try to get drunk on black ale, not power," he advised.

"Nah, power packs a stronger punch," I winked and chugged another mug. "Know what, when I come back, we should start brewing bourbon or whiskey."

"What's that?"

"Best booze ever, father. Straight from another world. Maybe it can beat power when it comes to inebriating a person."

"I'd drink to that," He finished the last mug. I dropped a gold coin on the table. "Go, daughter. Go save your country."

----------------------------------------

I returned to the Academy on the Ether Highways. I got out right in front of my princess-minion lounging in her bedroom.

"Hey, sexy. How's your day," I whispered in her ear.

She screamed and jumped away. "Haru! What's the purpose of your visit?"

"Yobai, [2]" I cheekily answered.

"Yo-what?" She kind of figured it out from context, as she placed her hands to cover her body.

"Nevermind. How's the cajoling?"

She looked away, clearly dismayed, "Terrible. The Headmaster is helping, but they are very insistent."

"Right. Mirina, I have a favor, no, an order to you."

A bit afraid, she resignedly complied, "What would you have me do?"

"Whenever I'm about to do something stupid, please talk back to me."

Surprised, she paused to think, then asked, "Where is that coming from?"

I sent a telepathic message to Marlowe letting him know what I was going to do and extended my hand to Mirina. "Come, betrothed. It's time to right a wrong I committed."

"As my betrothed wishes," She sheepishly answered. Mirina reached for my hand but I pulled it back.

"No. That's exactly what I don't need. Don't agree with me. Tell me how idiotic I'm behaving, how stupid are my plans, and how you can drastically improve on my childish antics. And don't be scared. I would never hurt you. Physically, I mean. It seems I left plenty of emotional scars already. I'm sorry."

"Good!" She tried to sound brave. "Then sit down, an ancient creature of unmeasurable and scary power. Sit down and explain to me what's on your mind."

I did. I explained to her how I acted on impulse yet again and my plans to release her family. On how I was running a counter-revolution playing by ear, so to speak. I also told her the latest intelligence regarding our situation. How Torgo double-crossed the dwarves and framed the lamias. Of the resurrected lamia mercenaries and a goat hidden in Fat Felix's warehouse. I didn't mention Raleigh. He was too valuable as an unknown for everyone else and his latest mission required utmost secrecy.

"Oh, and Torgo works for the dragons. The damned lizards are behind this whole shitstorm."

Mirina pinched her forehead. "Please tell me you're joking."

"I hoped so. Let's go release your people," I got a subordinate Tabard, "Don this. It's a subordinate one, it isn't as strict as the main Tabard and doesn't put you in the dynasty's line of succession. But they don't need to know that."

"I need to change," she looked at her dress. "Into something that matches the color scheme."

I removed Locksley's gothic plate armor from the item box.

Skeptically eyeing the pile of polished metal, she added, "And my escort's choice of… ceremonial wear."

I grinned, "I knew you were a keeper, Mirina."

----------------------------------------

[1] Babylon 5.

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yobai