"Be at peace. I am performing the traditional funeral rite of my people. I am honouring my family that has passed. My name is Emil Schmidt." I decided to keep things formal and straight forward but also clearly unintimidated. I don't know how well they believed my acting, but hopefully it was good enough.

   "What business do you have in this region, and who are your people?" The response came hard and fast from the leader in front. He was a tough looking guy in his late thirties or early forties.

   "My people are no more. I am the last living member of the Halagan race. This ceremony is for the last of my family. I lost them only a day ago."

   "Vull shit!" One of the guards was getting really upset at the thought that I was taking them for fools. The captain remained calm and proceded with standard questioning.

   "Excuse my companion, but you should understand that we would require some evidence of your claims. It has been too long since anyone has seen a Halagan. Would you give some evidence?" The captain had a very no-nonsense look about him.

   "I do have evidence." And I did. In my wandering, I had found the master key to the the fortress city. It was no longer working, but I fixed it easily enough as well as all the enchantments in the city itself. It was honestly a lot of work but not nearly as much as it would have been if the Halagan were not so great at building long lasting enchantments. The repairs I made were many, but they were also all rather minor and trivial except the reconstruction of the teleport network and the repair for many of the golems. Yep, magic robot servants. These dudes had it good. Once I fixed one of each type of golem, I just erased the broken ones and duplicated the fixed ones. OMy powers were really too convenient. I did the same with the way stations. I just had to give each a different designation, and my work was done.

   I showed my very regal looking ring to the guard and said "This is the key to the last city of my people. I can take you there in this very moment. It is a teleport access and the only means of entrance. It is how I arrived here only short distance to the surface. My city lies deep beneath your very feet." I was guessing this is the part where he asks me to come along so that he can present me to his lord. The situation suddenly became bigger than he was authorised to handle.

   "These are interesting claims that I don't have the authority to verify. If you would be willing, we will have you come to meet our lord. If you are unwilling, we would still have you come with us. I do hope tou were sincere in your words of peace. We do not intend harm on those who wish peace, but we would also not let go of caution." The man was set like iron. Nothing seemed to phase him despite the reactions his men, and one woman, had to my words.

   "I would go willingly. It is not by accident I have exposed myself after so many years in hiding."

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   They led me to the city in the midst of them two men in front and two behind with a v-formation of five in front. The Captain, named Klees, marched beside me. I noticed during the relatively short walk to the town that my appearance was not exactly the most inviting. I looked too dangerous. I was two-hundred and ten centimeters of solid muscle. I may have tried too hard to look cool without thinking about how others would react. I had never been one to 'size up' another guy, but that may have been part of my upbringing. I knew other guys were constantly physically comparing themselves. It honestly did occur to me that general racism and predjudice toward the unfamiliar might be a problem, but I was optimistic. So far it was only a lot of suspicious looks and two or three of the guards being overly jumpy and tense when I made the slightest movement. One was clearly ready to stab me at a moment's notice. It was pretty uncomfortabe.

  We were stopped at a point, and two guards went ahead to deliver news of the situation. Within the hour one could hear the marching of many bodies in armor. They were not dressed like knights, but there were arm guards, shin guards, and breastplates. Every piece of armor the lord's personal guard wore was enchanted to enhance the strength of the material. All the swords had minor enchantments interfere with magic upon contact. This would let them more easily break enchanted items. It was pretty basic, but solid equipment set for a town this size. It would be strange to expect more.

   The lord himself was an imposing man. He had the typical magically-altered features of the ruling class. It was the trend to have a particular markings of raised or indented skin on the forehead to symbolise one's forehead. It was almost like a scar but much cleaner and intentional in appearance. Royalty would additionally have their ear lobes pointed. These distinguishing modifications were restricted to the noble class, and anyone caught forging such markings on commoners would be severely punished. 

   The Lord was also taller than average, almost as tall as myself. This was also artificial. So was my own height, but I thought I did a better job with my own modifications than whoever did the lord's alteration. Mine was not noticable to my own inspection. With the lord, the modifications were indeed noticable if one looked at the cells and mollecular alignment on his bones. But of course I was the only one who would notice such things. 

   "I greet the lord of these lands. I am Emil Schmidt, the last of the Halagan race and ruler of it's last city, Imamar. I come desiring peace." I gave the appropriate gesture for one noble greeting another of similar status, a downward bend at the neck with arms straight down at the sides. 

   The lord was not surprised at what I said due to being previously informed by his men. "I am Lord of Uluunquetin, Edgar Svali. I greet you, Emil Schmidt of Imamar. I am told you have some proof of your strange claims. I would see this proof before discussing further." He seemed pretty insistent. 

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   I produced a necklace key and held it out. "This is a key. It allows one instant transport to the city of Imamar. The activation is quick and free from discomfort. One might go and return as quickly as one might skip a stone over water. It requires no mana and activates simply by intent. I would offer to demonstrate if allowed." 

   "Do so. I would first see this before having one of my men test it." With that, the guards backed away from me a bit, and with a thought I was gone in typical magic fashion. After a couple seconds I reappeared exactly where I was before to the surprise of many. Teleportation was not a common magic, and it usually required a lengthy process for the few who could perform it.

   I held out the pendant again. "It is safe. I assure you." 

   Edgar looked to one of his men and said. "You go and return quickly. If you delay, we will assume the worst." His man then walked forward and took the pendant from my hand. In a few seconds he was gone. There was a palpably tense moment in which no one made a noise. Then suddenly he was back, and had a look of wonder on his face. He handed the pendant to his lord and said. It is as he says. This takes one to a place unlike any I have seen. The place was deserted of life from what I could see." 

   Lord Edgar contemplated these words. "Is there a method to travel as a group?" He directed the question to me. 

   "There is." I replied. "With the appropriate key, one might bring a group of up to five others with them at a time. This is accomplished by physical contact with the one in possesion of the key as well as the intent to bring those whom the keyholder is touching." I was overjoyed at how smoothly this was going.

   It was a good thing I dissabled the locks on the keys. Normally these would be tied to a particular individual and remain unusable to anyone else without recieving the unlock sequence from the original holder.

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Imamar

   The Lord and his men were led on a brief tour by myself. I made very clear that with myself as the last survivor, I had no secrets to hide and sought full cooperation with the inhabitants of the lands directly over my city. 

   "These here are the metal worker pits." I gestured to a large area with huge industrial equipment for the shaping of metal. Some things like lathes and presses were recognizable to me, but much of it was foreign to my understanding. In the previous world and in this world, I was no craftsman. I could use a hammer, a ruler, and an electric drill. That was about it. Even with my strangely vast magical knowledge, I only knew how to apply the necessary magic to create certain magical tools. I did not know anything about the non-magical aspects of crafting.

   There were a lot of unusually shaped anviles that I am sure had some very practical purpose, but I did not spend too much time going into any detailed explanation. I could read the smithing manuals in the library at a later time. It still amazed me that the library was not completely eroded. The preservation techniques of the Halagan people were definitely the most advanced. To bad they could not preserve their society as well as their literature. 

   I led the group to all the major places of commercial, academic, and military significance as well as showing the residential and recreational space. The library was the point of greatest excitement for Lord Edgar. "There is a great wealth here from which my territory may benefit. I would discuss terms sooner rather than later. The value of this city is even greater than I imagined. I would propose a full merger of territory and offer you to join as a member of my family. I have one yet unwed daughter I would offer you in marriage and give you right to succession of my title. She has some skill in magic and a good face by the standard of a human. I would send for her and have you meet. If she is not to your liking or if you would perhaps not wish to join with a human, we may renegotiate new terms. This seems the most direct course of action to me with the least amount of complication. What say you?"

   The offer caught me off guard. I was completely aware that this had the potential to come up due to my understanding of the culture, but I did not actually expect it enough to prepare myself emotionally to have a man offer his daughter to me in full seriousness. I responded after some hesitation. "I do not have objection to being with a human woman. I would meet with your daughter before agreeing to marriage. A full merger seems good to me. I do propose a new name for the city joined from two, Svalishmidt, from your name and my own. I believe it would only be appropriate to have a new name going forward. The change this would bring would birth something far different than either of our cities."

   Edgar thought over my words for only a second before confirming his agreement. "I believe you speak correctly. This undertaking would indeed create something new. I approve this new name. We should return to the surface and discuss more tomorrow. It is late, and I need to sleep. You are quite the surprise, Lord Emil. If you are sincere, I suspect this is the beginning of something great in the Empire of Viti. We ought to proceed with caution and not be too hasty. I bid you reside with me in my home. You shall be an honoured guest to our town. What would it take to get some of your golems to the surface? Is transport an option? They seem exceptionally useful as servants and guards. They need no sleep. And do not require feeding. Golems are an exceedingly rare thing in our province. I have only seen golems in the capital and in the home of High Lord Farahatnan, and they were far less numerous than the ones here."

   I responded as any benevolent owner of a golem army might respond. The level of respect and awe I was getting from the lord and his men was somewhat thrilling. I had never been in a position like this before. It was seriously hitting me that the magnitude of what I was undertaking was far far beyond anything I had experience to deal with. I would still charge forward and learn along the way. Too late to stop now. "The golems can be moved easily. Each golem has the key enchantment and can move freely to the surface and back to any of the docks. They were designed such to be an easily deployed militant force that might move rapidly about a battlefield using the teleport function of the city and outmaneuver any opposing force. They still have this capability. Eventually I would teach you how to command the golems, but you are correct. It s late, and sleep befits us.

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The Lord's Manor

   Things proceeded as one might expect. I was treated well by servants and fed food that would have probably tasted delicious to me if my sense of taste had not been warped by the magical leaves. Everything felt tasteless and bland, like eating food with the flavour equivalent of paper or cork.

   And yes, I did replace the mattress before falling asleep.