(Byakuya’s POV)

(Byakuya): “I also have one more issue that I want to address at the moment, as well something that I want to address now that we have a secondary “form” disponible to us.”

I said, gathering the attention of the girls who are in the form of their avatars, like me. Before I talked, I selected my normal appearance, and I changed back to my Byakuya form.

(Byakuya): “First, about these new appearances that we have, the appearance of our characters, we should use these when in public outside the Clockwork Palace.”

(Prunia): “Why?”

(Byakuya): “We don’t know if there are other people in this world that are in the same situation as us, as well their intentions towards us. Until we make sure of the situation, blend in with our characters appearance. Assume that everybody outside of Mechaville is an enemy. We don’t know if we will respawn at the graveyard of the guild.”

They nodded with a grim expression, except for Iona and Logan, who nodded with serious expressions.

(Byakuya): “Second and final, when I met Gehenna, the commander of the Royal Guard, she said that the Steam Gates were attacked several times.”

They widened their eyes in surprise.

(Logan): “How many enemies?”

(Byakuya): “I haven’t confirmed that yet, but I have asked Gehenna to send Bertram here…”

Just as I said that, someone entered the Throne Room. A butler, more specifically, Bertram. Perfect timing.

(Byakuya): “Bertram, I was just wondering when you would arrive.”

(Bertram): “Pardon me for the long time, Your Highness. Lady Gehenna warned me as soon as she got to the Steam Gates, but the distance is still great.”

(Byakuya): “Don’t worry. I heard from Gehenna that we were attacked several times, but we didn’t have time for the details. Can you feed me the details of the situation in the city first? What changed and what happened in the last four years?”

He went to one knee with his right hand over his heart, surprising me.

(Bertram): “The factories of basic equipment have stopped in His Highness’ absence as per costume, so the appropriate measures were taken as per the Commonwealth Protocol to sustain the life of the people.

However, some of the nobles in Mechaville are unsatisfied with the prolonged condition of limited resources, but no riots have started yet. With the lords returning and half of the Royal Guard enforcing the order, the probability of rebellion is low.

Unfortunately, the public security fell a little, but it’s still manageable. Again, the Royal Guard on the streets must cover the problem.”

I nodded, saying:

(Byakuya): “How is the food situation? Are the Harvest Clockworks still working?”

(Bertram): “Yes, your Highness. The food situation can hold out for ten more years without maintenance, and from the Harvest Clockworks, half are working without maintenance while the rest is on standby because of the risk. As Your Highness wasn’t present, the Mechanical Gardens were inoperant, but the stasis function saved the plants from withering.”

Good, the safety measures still work. All these problems can be solved immediately as soon as I reach the control room, that you can’t teleport directly unless you are me. After all, running around the massive Clockwork Palace and the even bigger Mechaville is impossible and inefficient.

Although there are some things that aren’t automated, since many engineers came to the Eternal Gear in search of tutelage and practice. So many mechanic parts of the city need to be human operated, so the experienced members could train the noobs and grind experience.

With that, I do need to go to the city eventually to make some maintenance. Well, it isn’t much for a Grand Meister, but enough to keep several low-level players busy all the time. I wonder if I can train the NPCs as engineers?

(Byakuya): “What about the enemy attacks? What are the details?”

(Bertram): “As explained by Gehenna, we were attacked several times. The enemy is in majority human, with only one assault being from what we believe variants of the demon race. We can confirm for sure that we weren’t attacked by only one nation, as they carried several different banners and armor.

The technology of the enemy army is varying and… strange…”

(Byakuya): “Strange? Strange how?”

(Bertram): “When they first attacked, their numbers were vast, 100.000 soldiers, but the equipment was primitive, and they didn’t carry swords, but long daggers, and they didn’t have any battlemages or any mechanic equipment. Their armor was also primitive, so the Bronze Guard was able to repel hem without problem.”

(Byakuya): “That is indeed different, there weren’t any nations around the Fomorian Mountain as far as I remember that had that kind of technology or numbers.”

(Bertram): “About that, Your Highness, we aren’t in the Sea Range. We are surrounded by plains as far as the eye can see.”

That’s surprising. So the whole guild inside the Fomorian Mountain Range was transported to another location? I need to make some calculations in the Observatory. Bertram continues his report:

(Bertram): “The second attack wasn’t much different, attacking a few days later with lesser numbers. The technology didn’t improve that much, but eventually, with the frequent attacks of different ages, the technology of the enemy leaped by centuries.

Full body steel armors, bows, swords, lances, and eventually mages and siege weapons. We suffered some injuries, but nothing major. Only a few soldiers are to be retired permanently.”

I nodded. They can be healed with the rare resources as well some of the healing items that I can craft.

(Bertram): “The attackers suddenly stopped, so we suspect that they are preparing for a greater attack.”

(Byakuya): “Have you tried to probe the plains outside?”

(Bertram): “I have sent a clockwork, but a purple mist came out and corroded it is mere seconds.”

Alright, things seem to be going smoothly right now except for the purple fog, so I’ll just need to do a few things.

(Byakuya): “Thank you, Bertram. You can return to your usual duties in the Palace, leave the Royal Guard administration with me and Gehenna.”

(Bertram): “Yes, your Highness. Lords, excuse me.”

He said, bowing to us and leaving the Throne Room. I turn back to the girls, who are making complicate faces, except for Iona, that seems fine with everything that is happening. Surprisingly, they don’t seem too shaken.

(Byakuya): “Unfortunately, we have an authority here that we can’t run way from.”

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After a short silence, Anastasia spoke, pensive.

(Anastasia): “So we have to assume the rule of Mechaville…”

(Byakuya): “Exactly. I may be the Guildmaster, but there is a limit to what I can do. If we could split the administration…”

(Prunia): “We could turn things more efficient.”

(Byakuya): “Exactly. I have an idea about this. Our positions inside the guild and in relation with Mechaville is similar to nobles, so I think for convenience sake we should assume noble positions. This also may facilitate the communication with the nations outside, eventually.”

They nodded.

(Logan): “What positions do you suggest?”

(Byakuya): “It may sound cheesy, but we should be kings and queens, as they are the highest position in nobility.”

They nodded, thinking.

(Anastasia): “Sincerely, we should name only you king, and name ourselves duchesses. You’re the Guildmaster after all, and in this situation, you’re the one taking the lead.”

(Byakuya): “Than what about Archduchesses? The only rank above it is the king, on that way you guys probably won’t find any problem with the people outside claiming about being higher nobles.”

They nodded, and Iona made an objection by raising her hand.

(Iona): “I refuse that proposition.”

I rolled my eyes.

(Byakuya): “Fine, you can be the queen.”

She smiled angelically, hugging my arm still in her fox form.

(Iona): “No objections!”

(Byakuya): “Alright, that was all that I had to talk about. If you guys want, we can continue with our discussion, if not, I’d recommend testing your abilities in the Training Yard.”

(Iona): “What are you going to do, husband?”

(Byakuya): “I’m going to the Observatory. I’m not going to activate the functions of Mechaville yet, when I heard of the unsatisfied nobles it made me want to check a few things before doing this stuff. What you girls are going to do?”

(Logan): “Training yard.”

(Anastasia and Prunia): “Same.”

(Iona): “I’m going to walk around the Palace and later go to the Training Yard.”

I nodded.

(Byakuya): “Alright, I’m going, if you need anything just post a guild message.”

They nodded, and I walked to the throne. This isn’t just a symbolic seat, it’s the most important piece of the Clockwork Palace. Under their confused gazes, I sit on the throne.

(Logan): “What are you doing, Alva?”

I just smiled, and said out loud:

(Alva): “Activate Eternal Throne, Move To: Observatory.”

The crystals embedded on the platform glow lightly, and the platform started too float, revealing itself to be a giant gear. The exact fit for the whole above in the ceiling in the shape of a gear. They look at me with wide eyes as I look down to them as the platform raises.

This throne is a special teleport relay that only I and the people that I allow to can use. It’s the only way to get to some of the areas of the Clockwork Palace, including the Control Room. The Observatory is just one of them.

I enter the light, the platform fitting perfectly on the hole. The light around me dims slowly, and I am now sitting on the middle of a circular room with a spherical roof. I giant white and golden telescope enhanced with several magical gems.

The whole place has the walls filled with star maps, tables and several mechanical stuffs like my room, as I am the only one that use this space. There’s also several bookshelves where several books that I collected and wrote during my playtime are stored.

And yes, I wrote several books about several subjects. I also did it in real life, ranging from theorical books about science and mechanics as well fantasy and adventure. I was, after all, an PhD in mechanic and engineering at the tender age of 26, since I jumped a few years a few times.

I was also interested in several other subjects, and after working hard at my first million, and being a known name in the scientific community, I was already deep in several stuff, including religion and languages.

So a game so full of details and depth and subjects, it was sure to draw me and my researcher spirit into it. the game has already been out for 15 years, and I have played for 10, and the time of the game is sped up by 5 hours, meaning that five hours in-game is one hour outside.

As a lazy millionaire, the game draw most of my free time, as I was already at for life at 15. I was always into gaming, but this was something else, as I never tried Full Dive, and fell in love with the game. I threw away my intentions of making a mage and went full support and researcher.

I eventually created the Eternal Gear, my ultimate research and support lab, where I make breakthroughs even in real life research with the help of the game to simulate the projects. The first thing that I do is to get to the telescope, sitting on the chair.

As one of those giant telescopes, there’s a platform that raises the whole stuff, a table with controls to raise and lower the platform, control the telescope and open and close the roof. There’s also a big screen on the right that works like a display for a computer-like system, the controls for it are also on the keyboard of the telescoped.

I sit on the luxurious seat, almost laying down on the red cloth. Even if it’s day, I can easily see the stars with the magic on the lenses. I open the roof and raise the platform while turning on the system of the screen. I’ll use this to make some calculations and see if this is the same sky of the game.

I can also determine the size of this planet and several other things as well. While looking though the lenses, I notice something strange. The stars… are moving! They jump positions every five seconds!

I take some pictures, and, after a few minutes watching everything and r4ecording the changes, I notice that they move in a set distance. After some time, they started to repeat as I kept track of them. I see, it’s a yearly cycle!

In only a few minutes, the skies changed enough for a year! I’ll try to check if these stars have the same power from the game world, as this is definitely a new world judging by the positions of the stars. In the game world, every world that you go there is a starfield, and the starts emit special light that concede magical powers as constellations, not something symbolic.

For example, someone attuned or born under a constellation can have stat boosts and special abilities, and even raised luck. It’s a bonus from being an astrologist, star magic. I can even collect starlight in liquid form, although it has fairly strict uses, and some healing properties.

One of the neat things is the Sephiroth Tree Of Life that we have access at level one thousand when maxing out the astrologist class. I can change between the ten attunements freely without having to go through the whole attuning process every time.

I see, I see. Interesting. There are several stars that emit power and are close enough to form constellations. I will need more time to sort them out, connect them and gather their power, as well name them accordingly.

Bertram didn’t mention anything different about the night sky… that either means that he either didn’t pay attention to it at all, or when he looked he didn’t see anything strange. As I observe the sky carefully, I take a pocked watch in steampunk style, black with golden roman numbers and golden pointers, as well golden gears.

It’s a handy communication device to communicate with the NPCs from the guild, as well show the hours and work as a GPS beacon thingy. Without looking, I press the button and say close to it while looking through the telescope:

(Byakuya): “Gehenna, come to the Observatory, I give you permission to use the Crystal Pendant.”

An item that the important NPCs have that allow them to communicate with me and teleport to my location. Immediately after I said that, a teleport light appeared on the base of the telescope, the figure of Gehenna coming out of the light. She immediately detects my presence and looks up.

(Gehenna): “Do you need anything, Your Highness?”

(Byakuya): “The night sky, is it different from usual?”

I ask. Since she followed me everywhere when I was online and helped me to either organize and even research, as well make tea and coffee, as well a delicious cappuccino, she should be able to answer quickly. Even though she didn’t have a voice pack, she had a good AI, even though she couldn’t answer properly. And she doesn’t disappoint.

(Gehenna): “The night sky is completely normal, Your Highness. The constellation cycles are normal, and the buffs from the attunements, as well the Starlight Wells are working properly.”

So they do see the normal nigh sky every night. I nod to myself, and say:

(Byakuya): “Gehenna, clean the research table number 6, and take the books related to constellation mapping and divination.”

I say so when I get down from here I can already put my hands into move. I want to have several answers to the girls this night, as well explanations to about where we are. But why this mystery about the stars? I look through the lenses again. Is it the filters and enhancers?

I’ll just leave the daylight blocker and deactivate some of the filters and barrier-piercers that this telescope has. It goes out of focus for a bit and when it returns, the sky that I’m familiar with is shown in the telescope. So there is a barrier around the Fomorian Mountain Range keeping us isolated.

That purple mist mentioned by Bertram must be the cause. Wait, didn’t he mention that the enemy army’s technology changed every few hours, jumping several centuries and eventually millennia?

This is a theory then. I should talk about it tonight with the girls. First, catalog the constellations and get their names. I deactivate the telescope and lower the platform, closing the roof and lighting up the lights inside since there’s no more daylight entering. I go to the research table that I asked Gehenna to prepare and start going through the books.

She brings some more, and when I finish them and take my notes, she takes them back to their shelfs. This table also has a screen with a keyboard that has access to the information given by the telescope. The pics from the sky are here, time to find some constellations.

(Byakuya): “I want at least to get three of them. Gehenna, bring me the divination tools and some liquid starlight.”

(Gehenna): “Yes, Your Highness.”

She says, moving to work. Although her combat capability, she doesn’t have that many responsibilities, as the golden generals are more than enough, even a bit excessive, to keep the military in order. She’s just a medium to control them, a very, very powerful medium. She’s more my assistant than anything else.

It got to the point that she would just act as my shadow, and never get out from my side while I was logged in. she brings the tools and several sample flasks filled with a white, shining and sparkling liquid. Starlight, to be more accurate.

The3 tools are a plate with several stars o it, a pair of goggles and a pair of gloves. I put on the goggles and gloves, put the plate in front of the screen with the special picture of the sky. This picture has saved the power of the stars.

I take a flask of starlight and put it behind the plate on the table. With the goggles o, the stars on the screen that have power glow in different lights, the stars compatible with each other glow in the same color. Then, I start murmuring in an ancient language.

(Byakuya): “Stars that dot the night mantle, reveal me your sisters, and give me your names.”

With the chant complete, some of the stars of the plate start to glow together some of the screen, reflecting the ones that are glowing the most. And like that, I managed to find seven constellations before I had to get up to go to the Laboratory.

The constellations, although they have different formats, their effects are similar to the constellations of one of the worlds of the game, but not the one where Mechaville is. This world might be similar to the other one in relation to monsters, as it was a low-level world.

I get up and sit on the throne, Gehenna climbing in the platform as well.

(Byakuya): “Activate Eternal Throne, Move To: Laboratory.”

This time, light surrounded us and vanished, teleporting us to the Laboratory. This time, it’s a large square room with four levels. It would be floors, but the enormous hole in the ground in these four levels change them to levels.

The throne is on the center of the room and is more useful to move around than in any other place of the Clockwork Palace. I can move between the levels using the platform of the throne. Alright, time to test some stuff.

I want first to test the effects of potions and see if it’s still the same thing as before. It may have different effects, and depending on the ingredients, the potions might even be poisonous. So I’ll test on some artificial creatures that I have around here. Still sitting on the Eternal Throne, I order the platform top float to the last level.

The first level is dedicated to brewing potions, the second to creating flasks and other containers, as well refining small amounts of metal. The third is dedicated to synthesis of materials and growing herbs, as well rare ingredients.

The fourth and last is where the high level stuff happens. Here, I create things using everything from the levels below. Here I also produce one of the rarest things in Mechanica Fantasy. Homunculi.