So you managed to start the first step of conquering a hill. You're exceeding expectations very quickly, Mupin. (」゜ロ゜)」

Now all you have to do is convince your new subjects that you're not a drunken mess that has no idea what she's doing! Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ

Good luck! (･ω´-ゞ)^☆

Well. I've gotten myself into a doozy. What was I gonna do now? Should I run away? That was what incompetent leaders did when their people rebelled, right? But...I hadn't done anything yet. Right?

I mulled over my latest actions. Or, well, I tried to. My brain was fuzzy from the juice bombs and I kept getting distracted. The cheering from the overenthusiastic midgets didn't help, either. Why were they happy, anyway?

Oh, that's right! I just became their new leader! That's awesome!

Now, what in tarnation was I gonna do? I cleared my throat and shouted, "Hey! I need ya'll to calm down and sit a spell, alright? I need to figure some things out before things get too crazy!"

And then something crazy happened.

The doors to the cafeteria burst open and a flood of armored Dwarves poured into the room. They roared in unison, pointing their scary weapons at me and my friends. I couldn't understand their shouts but they must've been saying something mighty fierce as my party of midgets scattered from the table I was standing on, screaming in fear as they ran every which way.

Amazingly, the guards that I had first friended stayed hunched by my side, planting their booted feet into the ground. "Girls!" I cried. "Get me outta here!"

Betsy nodded to Dwarf #2—I only just realized I hadn't given her a name but now was not the time for my amazing naming sense to start up—and the girls hauled me into their arms and speed-crab-walked to the far exit of the cafeteria.

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Dukgraeg saw the aberrant being carried by two of the prison guards and snarled.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Move yisser sorry arses an' git dem!" he roared, charging after the fleeing baby dragon.

His men, who had hesitated at the sight of such pandemonium, snapped out of their fearful daze and chased after him. He shoved Dwarf after Dwarf out of his way, deadset on catching the beastie before it could getaway.

The thing saw him coming and, with wide reptilian eyes, it cried, "W̵e̶ ̷g̷o̸t̸t̸a̴ ̶g̸o̷ ̸f̶a̵s̵t̷e̸r̵,̶ ̶g̵i̷r̷l̷s̶!̵ ̶T̴h̷e̸ ̷m̷i̷d̶g̶e̶t̷ ̶G̸r̸e̵e̸k̵ ̴g̴o̴d̴ ̸d̷o̴e̴s̷ ̵n̷o̷t̴ ̴l̵o̷o̴k̶ ̶h̷a̶p̵p̶y̸!̴"

The maidens carrying the aberrant sped up as best they could but the panicking Dwarves made it hard to move. He himself wasn't making much progress; when a fleeing Dwarf saw him coming after the aberrant, they stopped running away and tried to slow him down.

He cursed as he shook off yet another set of grabby hands. He wasn't getting anywhere, so he decided to try a different tactic. Picking up a bewitched Dwarf, he hurled her body at the fleeing guardswomen. She went sailing over the crowd of Dwarves and slammed into one of the aberrant's carriers.

The trio was sent tumbling to the floor. Grinning, Dukgraeg slammed his gauntleted fists into the ground, sending a shockwave through the stone floor and unbalancing the surrounding Dwarves. The old commander straightened with a grunt, rolling his shoulders as he strode through the dazed soldiers to the aberrant.

Smiling cruelly down at the starry-eyed dragon, he picked the beastie up by the scruff of its neck.

"You," he growled, shaking the aberrant roughly, "'av caused me much trouble dees past two days."

The dragon winced as he tightened his grip around its neck. "C̵'̴m̷o̵n̸ ̷n̵o̷w̶,̴ ̸p̶a̵r̸t̷n̴e̵r̴.̸ ̸C̶a̵n̵'̶t̵ ̴w̴e̵ ̵a̴l̶l̴ ̵j̸u̴s̷t̶ ̴g̷e̶t̶ ̷a̶r̵o̵u̴n̴d̸?̶ ̴I̴'̷m̴ ̷t̷h̵e̸ ̴n̷e̷w̷ ̸o̴w̵n̸e̸r̴ ̸o̸f̵ ̵t̵h̴i̶s̶ ̴h̴e̶r̶e̷ ̸h̷i̶l̶l̴,̸ ̵a̷f̴t̴e̸r̷ ̶a̷l̵l̴.̶"

Dukgraeg scowled. "Yisser fierce tongue 'as naw effect on me, aberrant." He shook it again, smiling as it flopped around in the air. "You couldn't even 'arm a stray 'air in mine beard!"

The beastie growled and snapped at him, uttering more words in its strange tongue. He tapped its snout, the sensitive nose twitching when it contacted the metal.

Alas, there was no more playing around. Its thralls were starting to come back to life and Dukgraeg didn't want to be in the midst of an angry mob of mind-controlled Dwarves. Quickly walking back to the mess doors, he ordered his men to get up and fall in line. They complied with muffled groans and less than subtle glares, but there was not a word of complaint.

These were the men who'd trained before the mockery of a Head Maid ruined his army and—

Stop. He shook his head from these thoughts. Not now. Not when he had a job to do. He was still seething from his earlier confrontation, but there was work to be done and an aberrant to handle.

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"Sir!" I snapped, trying in vain to swat at the armored hand that was holding me far too tightly. "I am your new ruler!"

The midget didn't even spare me a glance. Sighing, I let my limbs hang in defeat. For now, I just needed to wait and see wherever he was taking me.