"Congratulations?" Austan said, his tone hesitant.

Bob let out a long breath and stood up slowly.

He'd been sitting for at least a few hours, judging by how stiff his muscles were.

"Thanks," Bob grunted as he slowly stretched, testing the tension. "How long did that take?"

"Just over three hours," Austan replied, "which is a little odd, as it looked, to my untrained eye, like a simple Control Earth ritual, which should have taken one hundred seconds. Which leads me to ask, what did you just do, and why were you so concerned that you wanted me on hand with a regeneration ritual at the ready."

"That was a Control Earth ritual," Bob groaned as he leaned forward to touch his toes. "I just didn't use the System to cast it, I controlled the mana on my own."

Bob held the toe touch for ten seconds before leaning further forward and placing his palms on the ground. He walked his legs back slowly, pausing to stretch as he went.

When Austan finally spoke, he sounded puzzled. "Why?" He asked.

"You know how messed up my skills are, right?" Bob responded with a question of his own.

Austan snorted, "I'm aware," he replied.

"Well, when I do finally reincarnate, depending on my path, I may not be able to take all the skills I currently have," Bob explained. "Which would suck because some of them are useful. So I took it upon myself to figure out how to cast spells without the System."

He looked up to see Austan shaking his head incredulously. "That takes years," he protested, "and even once you succeed, you basically have to repeat the process for each spell. I don't know anyone who has done that with ritual Magic, although I've read that it has been done before."

"By Vi'Radia's blessed light, you've been here for less than two years; how long have you been working on this?" Austan asked incredulously.

"More than six months, less than a year?" Bob replied hesitantly. "I didn't exactly mark my calendar when I started, and I've been kind of busy."

Austan rolled his eyes. "Seeing you do incredible things ought not to surprise me," he muttered.

"It's all pretty much driven by necessity," Bob said. "I never wanted to be a curator, Thidwell asked me to handle the Dungeon in Holmstead while he reincarnated, and I owed him."

It was Bob's turn to shake his head. "That being said, while I'm getting really tired of building out Dungeons, I recognize exactly how useful it is to have the skills to do so."

He lowered his voice, despite the fact that they were alone. "I've got a feeling that at some point, people are going to come for me. Maybe they'll be mad that I spread the word about the Affinity Crystals. Maybe they'll be from my world, and they'll blame me for the destruction wrought by the integration."

Bob sighed. "Maybe I'm being paranoid. But I read a book once that had a great line; 'Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face.'"

Austan blinked. "Stars and stones, you've got a bleak outlook," he shook his head, "but I can see your concerns. And while Vi'Radia lights our paths, a prudent man brings a lamp into the Dungeon."

Bob nodded, "Exactly, if I have to run, I need to make sure I can build out a Dungeon if I need to. So, I've managed all my control spells without the System, and now I'm going to make sure I can cast them ritually."

"Well, my evenings are mostly free, although now that I know it takes hours, I'll grab an early dinner," Austan replied.

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

"From what we understand, what you term Mana is simply another form of matter, one which is difficult to perceive but which carries immense energy," The Queen replied.

"Would a rose by another name not smell as sweet?" Huron asked with a smile.

"You've chosen your reading materials from our home rather well," Elizabeth smiled.

"Your world has so much to offer us," Huron replied, "despite being bereft of mana and adrift from Vi'Radia's blessed light, you've delved the mysteries of the cosmos, explored philosophy, described the nature of the body." The High Priest shook his head in wonder.

"From what Mr. Whitman described, your world has been hanging on by its fingertips, in no small part because the nobility forgot their duties and chose to cling to their own power and prominence above that of their people," The Queen sighed. "Our Nobility has, throughout history, risen and fallen for the same reasons. As beloved as they are, our own sons fall short of their fathers and grandfathers. We fear that they've not taken their history lessons to heart and that they love themselves better than their people."

Elizabeth couldn't deny that it was bloody well freeing to be able to speak her mind to someone, especially someone who had the background to understand her. While Jon was razor-sharp and as loyal as could be, he was too well aware of the fact that she was his Queen, and while that made him the finest PM she could have asked for, it hindered their friendship. For the past several years, Phillip's mind had been irregular, which had left her bereft of her closest confidant.

"Bob isn't wrong," Huron admitted with a sigh. "The Church knew that the Noble Houses had discovered new paths to power, but we had thought that they were exactly that, new paths. We have always taught that with safety in mind, there was no reason to delve deeper than the floor where you would produce mana crystals. While it is tempting to blame them all, those who truly deserve to be cast into the darkness are the ones who instituted the policy of Geasing those who would be allowed the knowledge."

"We can't help but wonder what the reaction of the Noble Houses was to the revelation of the knowledge of these Affinity Crystals to the general public," The Queen replied. "It stands to reason that those who reacted well, or not at all, are most likely to be of service to their people and their King."

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Huron nodded. "To be fair to them, over three-quarters of the Noble Houses raised no protest, either because they were relieved to see the knowledge in the public domain, or because they had no objections."

"Or perhaps because they feared the wrath of their people," Elizabeth suggested.

"That as well," Huron agreed. "There are a half dozen who were unhappy and willing to express it. All of them were houses where we had heard reports that their workers were illtreated."

"It might be worth mentioning that while the majority of Greenwold believe it was Thidwell Orstang who published the information about the Affinity Crystals, there have been indiscretions, and the truth of the matter will out eventually," Huron paused. "It might be wise to ensure that Bob is well protected."

"You believe that some of Greenwold's Nobles would seek retribution?" The Queen asked.

"If I were certain, I would take steps," Huron replied. "Bob has done nothing but good since he arrived in Greenwold, and he's even attracted the interest of the King. Still, to seek retribution for an action taken for the general good is childish and petty, a description which I fear applies perfectly to several of our worst Noble Houses."

"So you only have suspicions," Elizabeth surmised.

"Indeed," Huron sighed, "but we must delve the Dungeon beneath us rather than wish for another."

"On that note, we must confess that we are rather enjoying the process of delving into the Dungeon here in Harbordeep," she began, "and we appreciate your generosity, but we must ask what the normal fee structure is."

Elizabeth raised a hand in forbearance. "We are delving well and profitably. However, I would like to rotate another few groups of men through the Dungeon. Young Jason has served us well, and plan to entrust to him the creation of a Dungeon of our own that we might begin to prepare our armed forces and to gather the resources necessary to shelter our people during the integration."

"I believe your men would likely need fifteen hundred crystals each to delve long enough to become self-sustaining here in Harbordeep," Huron replied. "If I might suggest, having Jason begin his Dungeon immediately would be a better use of your crystals. The first few levels, while important learning tools are quickly finished."

"We shall defer to your experience in the matter," Elizabeth nodded, "you've shown us nothing but hospitality and honesty."

"All in the name of Vi'Radia," Huron smiled brightly.

Elizabeth shook her head. She knew very well that Huron was just itching to convert her people to the worship of his God. In truth, the Church of the Light's tenents wouldn't be disputed by any but the most dogmatic of religious scholars from the Catholic Church. But, she knew full well that even minor tenents could cause deadly contention, as evidenced by the troubles.

Her men, all save for Martin, had accepted a Divine Blessing of Fidelis in order to gain access to the Divine Magic they would be using as Curators. Martin, always the scholar, had accepted a Divine Blessing from Logos and was ecstatic to be able to read any written word.

Of her men, Martin was the only one likely to become devout in his new faith.

"Which bring us back around to our original question," The Queen began, "if mana flows through the gods to give us divine magic, where does the direction for arcane magic."

"All mana passes through the gods to reach us," Huron explained. "Arcane Magic is a reflection of Divine Magic, recognizable by the manner in which it shares similar skills. It was the scholarly priests of Logos who sought a more... condensed form of Magic."

Elizabeth leaned back as Huron spoke.

"Despite our advancement as we rise through our levels, and then through our tiers, we aren't able to perceive the truth of the mana that flows through the gods and into our world. The devout worshippers of Logos, who revere the pursuit of knowledge, had long been frustrated by this fact." Huron shook his head, "They begged Logos for his intervention, and he replied by allowing them to access raw mana while protected under his aegis. It took centuries, but they were able to manipulate the mana with enough consistency that the rest of the gods recognized that this experiment wasn't going away. The gods agreed, and they codified the mana constructs and patterns as 'Arcane.' This allowed mortals to access Arcane Magic without the blessings of the gods."

"There isn't anything wrong with Arcane Magic," he assured her, "it's simply another way to interact with mana, and if it is more limited than Divine Magic, well, such is the price of seeking power without seeking the favor of the gods," he smiled.

"The documents we perused suggested that I branch out into Divine Magic at some point," The Queen admitted. "We believe the precise wording was 'In a world where you can regrow limbs and organs, choosing not to be able to do so is stupid.'"

"I've read that document," Huron smiled, "several versions of it, actually, including one where the author was rather adamant that the instructions be followed exactly as prescribed, owing to their source being 'He Who Walks Before,' which, going by the sketch at the front, is Bob."

Elizabeth cocked her head to the side, waiting for an explanation, which Huron was happy to supply.

"Bob, despite being rather inept, socially, is apparently quite the orator. He gave several rather stirring speeches regarding path choices during his time in Holmstead, one of which sparked a movement named 'The Endless.' Their stated objective is nothing less than to safeguard every life in Greenwold, utilizing the knowledge of Affinity Crystals in conjunction with The Path of the Endless Swarm." Huron shook his head. "Without an Affinity Crystal, the Path of the Endless Swarm is terribly weak at lower levels and mediocre once at the level cap. With an Affinity Crystal, however, it is incredibly powerful. Six young men and women heard Bob's initial lecture, and they dedicated themselves to the plan he'd laid out. When the next wave arrived, they proved themselves to be the saviors Bob had promised they would become. They've attracted hundreds of members, in no small part because they are nearly fanatical, delving for hours each day, for weeks, even months, without advancing, in order to ensure they have Summoning Affinity Crystals for anyone who wishes to join them."

Elizabeth nodded while Huron took a sip of his wine.

"During the most recent wave, The Endless deployed themselves to every single settlement in Greenwold, where they stood against the wave, fighting to ensure that no one died. And they succeeded," he admitted, "which has seen their numbers grow even further. The Church of the Light has since approved a mandate to accelerate the advancement of an entire novitiate, that they might be assigned to the Endless, as they have made clear their plans to build a tower for their group near every settlement in order to provide support and refuge during wave or tide."

"All this is to explain that when a rather serious young woman decided that Bob was a Divine Emissary, sent to blaze a path for them to follow, the results of The Endless as a whole uplifted that message, causing it to be taken rather more seriously than it might otherwise have been received," Huron finished.

"And having a priest of the Church of the Light in each of the Endless's buildings would help to diffuse that," The Queen murmured.

"In addition to providing their aid to the members," Huron agreed, "there is no reason to offer spiritual guidance as well." He grinned brightly, "Also, while I can't claim to know the man well, I'm fairly certain that Bob will be horrified when he finds out that someone is attempting to make him into a saint."

"Do you feel it would be a worthy endeavor to set our men to seeking out these Affinity Crystals when they reach level twenty-three?" She asked.

"That's a difficult question," Huron hedged. "You have a limited amount of time to secure shelter for your people, so you have to measure the worth of an Affinity Crystal against the crystals they could otherwise be obtaining. Certainly, someone with an Affinity Crystal, and the proper path to make use of it, will be able to gather mana crystals much quickly."

"Therein lies the problem," Elizabeth mused. "Time is of the essence, and only in hindsight will we be able to judge how well we utilized ours."

She stood slowly, still unaccustomed to not needing to find her balance, and nodded gracefully to the High Priest.

"We appreciate your counsel and conversation," she smiled, "but we must be up with the dawn to delve the Dungeon again, so we must take our leave."

"Your Majesty," Huron nodded, still smiling. "Until tomorrow."