Two days have passed since I last talked with Luna. Except for her, no one had any reservations about Eva. Not even Aoi or Hestia, who usually agreed strongly with Luna. However, my Kitsune was still wary about my secretary, and during Eva's training, she carefully observed the Homunculus. I had better things to do, so I prepared an official welcome for the Empire's delegation. It was then that it dawned on me that Rizk'a, emissary of Hilgvar, had stayed extremely silent since the day he was left behind. I scratched my head as I summoned the proper report, and looking at its contents, I sighed. He was left behind, and it looked like he had been forgotten. The promised diplomats were never sent to Avalon in the first place, which nagged further questions about Mia and Tia. I read another report in my hand. It looked like they were really busy down there. My face froze in the strange mask of a person who was both terrified and amazed at once. The mana income from their conquests was reaching twenty million. That alone gave me a brief overview of their efforts. I decided to send Arani there to collect all the mana; after all, it would be a shame to lose it. They would also need reinforcements since they had lost about half of the legion so far. So perhaps Thor could go instead of Arani, leading the reinforcement of the Legion while collecting the mana.
I nodded to myself after a while and decided to send them both. Twenty million mana points were worth dispatching two scions with a heavy escort. In the meantime, I should probably summon Rizk'a and inquire about the payment promised. While I had no idea why Mia insisted on paying me with gold or mithril since I was more than okay with mana alone, nonetheless, that was the deal we agreed on. To stay in the role, I should at least briefly ask where the payment, which I hardly cared about, was. Except for mithril, that is. Speaking of mithril, the whole country-wide search for it ended in a very disappointing result. Two mithril rings, one of which belonged to Irene, two nearly ruined swords, and ten spear tips that were no better off than the swords. With the gifts previously obtained from Mia, I had only enough of this metal to create the most basic node. But I had the feeling that settling on it was not the best idea, so I decided to wait. Oh, right, meeting with Rizk'a... But why bother...? Hmmm...
•••
It was evening, just an hour before twilight, and the sun cast warm rays that softly lightened the halls of the main building of the Upper Castle. Amber walked through the corridors of the Palace, filled with disappointment and anger. She headed to Theon's office, not knowing how he would react. The descendants of the executed nobles had staged a rebellion in the northeast, gathering significant support from the local populace. Luna had already ordered an investigation to determine their funding and backing, but Amber suspected the Bernans. They shouldn't have been able to do that; they shouldn't have had enough resources… Unless they had managed to hide a substantial portion of their riches. Additionally, the rebels had spread the news that Theon was, in fact, a Dungeon, which was one of the most guarded national secrets. As impossible as it was, they had chosen to spread a lie that was the truth. The people, tired of being exploited by the Cridian nobles, believed in their lies because of how Theon won the war. It was too smooth, too clean, too... Peaceful. It was executed so perfectly that people refused to believe it was the doing of a Mortal. What was worse was that they somehow had missed all signs of the civil unrest and the early stages of forming the first battalions of rebellion. A few cities had burned to the ground, torn apart by the new civil war. It was her fault that she hadn't forced Luna to focus on fully controlling the country before anything else.
"Theon!" Amber shouted as she pushed the doors to her husband's office. "There is a rebellion in the northeastern part of Arcadia!"
"Really?" Theon slowly raised his head from over his papers. He was far calmer than he had any right to be. His eyes shone dangerously, and through her Authority Link with the denizens of Avalon, Amber felt the silent order he gave to Galahad and Morrigan.
"Theon... Oh, no..." She covered her lips, seeing him in this state. She rushed toward him, thinking how far he slipped away from humanity. His recent work must have been draining, far more than they had suspected.
"I am watching through the reports now. Thank you, my Queen, for bringing me this news..." He lowered his head again, like a lifeless figure. She barely recognized him as she hugged him and started crying.
"Theon!" Hestia cried from the open doors, and seeing Amber’s reaction, she approached them swiftly, gripping Theon's face in her arms. "What is going on? Why are you in such a bad condition?"
"What do you mean? I'm fine," he replied with a wooden voice, trying to lower his head.
"You stubborn... Ughhhh!" Amber angrily stamped her feet and kissed Theon, using the skill that helped him regain humanity.
"Amber is right. You locked yourself here for the past five days and refused any help! How stubborn could you be?! Luna was dead worried all this time! We all were worried!"
"But I’ve neglected my work for so long..." he tried to explain himself as Amber let him go. It was time for Hestia to use her skill.
"Yes, yes... That was why you created Eva instead of asking for help? Theon, hundreds of talented people are just waiting to work for you!" Amber scolded him, but he was so far gone that he probably heard only their logic but was deaf to all emotions.
"Amber, it's no use..." Hestia's voice was nervous.
"What's... What are you two talking about?"
•••
I looked at them and tried to figure out what was wrong. But instead of answers, Hestia vanished, and Amber teleported me straight into our living room, where I smashed the floor.
"That was uncalled for..." I remarked dryly as I started to stand up, but Amber tried to hold me.
"Theon, stop! Just... STOP!" she screamed, and only then I noticed she was crying.
That finally gave me a pause. Amber was crying, shaken by something, and I felt... Nothing. This was, by far, the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to me. To feel nothing. There was a tiny part inside me that screamed and yelled at me, but it was distant, so unrealistic that I almost muffled it completely. Yet, I let it be. One by one, my wives materialised from thin air. They tried hugging and kissing me, but I felt nothing. Not even a sliver of attraction, arousal, or simply happiness of being with them. I sat there frozen and cut out from reality as the panicked Queens of Avalon ran around me. I still had the tears of Amber before my eyes, and the scarred voices of Hestia and Lavender rang in my ears. I saw panic in Luna's and Aoi's eyes. I saw how Irene tried to ask something but was also crying. But it was all just... Irrelevant. Their voices became more and more distant as my vision started fading away...
Then I noticed the Mirror of the Souls in my hands. How did it get there...? Surprised, I noticed it finally had something to tell me after so long.
Humanity 5%
Warning! Cease all dungeon-related functions to stop the crystallisation process.
Crystallisation? Oh... That sounded bad. I focused and cut off my mind from all the projects I was currently running.
Humanity 4%
Warning! Cease all dungeon-related functions to stop the crystallisation process.
Ummm... I cancelled all ongoing constructions in all of the dungeons under my control, storing them as plans. I had no exact idea why I was doing that because this would only slow down our plans... Our? ... My plans... Yet, I still had Amber's tears before my eyes... I don't want her to cry...
Humanity 3%
Warning! Cease all dungeon-related functions to stop the crystallisation process.
I don't want her to cry! With all my formidable might, I ceased all activity in every single dungeon. My denizens stopped whatever they were doing, no matter what it was. Why?! That makes no sense... I should continue my plans, and everything will be fine. Through my blurry and dimmed eyes, I saw the green eyes of Lavender, full of pain and tears.
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Humanity 2%
Warning! Cease all dungeon-related functions to stop the crystallisation process.
I don't want any of my wives to cry! My Legions stopped in their wake, returning to the closest garrison. Even the Legion in Hilgvar stopped. Fortunately, they were not fighting at the moment. I felt a pleasant warmth… I gave the absolute order for all my vassals to stop whatever they were doing. I heard their surprised voices through my link with them, but their surprise soon changed into concern.
Humanity 3%
Restoring humanity... Dissolving crystalized tissue...
I felt a burning kiss of Irene on my lips and her tears falling on my face. The warmth spread throughout my body, and something changed. I felt a searing pain.
Humanity 6%
Restoring humanity... Rebuilding internal organs...
I slowly heard the voices of my wives, full of a new hope that reinvigorated their efforts.
Humanity 10%
Restoring humanity... Restoring Core shell...
So... Was I just one step away from becoming a regular core? Still, no fear, no emotions...
Humanity 20%
Restoring humanity... *error* I'm so sorry, Theon... I had no idea it would work like that. I will try to find a way to help, but I don't know how long it will take. Don't push away the ones that love you! You are not alone, my stubborn Champion. *error*
All right... I think I will talk earnestly with the ones I love in a moment...
•••
"What is going on?" I asked seriously.
"Oh, thank the heavens! Theon!" Amber cuddled herself to me.
"I will ask again. What is going on?" My emotions were still muffled, and I was glad it was that way, actually. On a rational level, I knew I was angry, but I wasn't sure if my wives deserved my wrath. "Please, tell me the truth and what you know."
"We don't know much." Amber shook her head. "We all have an unnamed skill, which the description says will help restore your humanity when used. We observed that if you focus on the dungeon activities too much, you become less human, without emotions or compassion. But I swear on my life we didn't know you could turn into stone!"
"Amber, my Darlings, it's all right... I suspected something was happening between the lines, but I never investigated... I still don't know very much..." My voice finally began showing my emotions. Since my anger had subsided, I was now simply sad.
"No, it's not!" Aoi protested through her tears.
They all hugged me, and I felt everything returning to how it should be. I felt a pain inside my chest, and I coughed up blood mixed with shards of some kind of crystal. Seeing this, Irene began healing me with a focused face. The pain started to fade away slowly, but they didn't want to let me go. I don't know how long we sat there, but finally, we were all able to calm down.
"All right, girls, it's all right... At least let's move to the couch." I tried to sound careless as usual, but my voice trembled.
"Are you sure it's all right?" Luna's voice was muffled, and her eyes were red from tears.
"Probably?" I looked at the mirror, but it was once again empty, so I stored it away. "You tell me."
"That's less funny than you think." Luna sighed heavily but tried to smile as she cradled my face in her trembling hands. "You are more than half so... The worst has passed."
"So what exactly happened?" I asked when they reluctantly let me go, well, mostly... Lavender and Aoi kept holding my hands as we moved to the bathroom. My clothes were soaked in blood and sweat, so it was a better choice than sitting on the couch.
"You started turning into stone... But that makes no sense! You were in a similar state a few times before, but something like that?!" Irene examined my body and used a healing skill from time to time.
"What was different this time?" Lavender asked as she forced the potted aloe to grow rapidly. She picked a few leaves and pressed them to my back after she cut them open with a knife.
"I don't know..." Amber admitted, still in shock. "But whatever was happening with you, you were not dying."
I simply raised my brow. But... She was right. "That's true. I was rejecting my human form in favour of my dungeon form. But that was not the worst part. I felt nothing. No anger, no happiness... Nothing."
"We tried almost everything that came to our mind to stop this, but whatever we tried, it would only delay the process." Hestia took off her dress, stained with my blood. "How did it seem from your perspective?"
We were shaken and scared. Before I replied, I was gently pushed under the shower, where I cleaned myself. I clenched my fists several times and tried to think how to describe what I was feeling back then, with little success. With a sigh, I washed myself and put on the bathrobe. My Ladies silently watched me, so I turned towards them with a soft smile. "Why don’t you shower as well, and let's talk over tea..."
•••
I was sitting with Hestia, who washed herself right after I finished, closely observing me the entire time. A few moments later, the rest of my wives came out from the shower and silently joined us. They were sad, worried and angry. As they took their places, I took a sip of tea and sat more comfortably on the sofa.
"An hour before Amber arrived, I started multiple projects across most of the dungeons under my control," I slowly started. "Before that, I was approving and dismissing budgets of various cities and towns where we had installed our officials. I was also simply reading through the reports from various parts of the Kingdom and allocating needed relief and general assistance."
"Right..." Luna nodded, trying to follow along with my reasoning.
"To answer your previous question... I gradually started losing my senses and felt no emotions at all. A few contradicting ideas crossed my mind then, but as I said, I felt nothing. The only thing that made me realise something was wrong were your reactions, my Dears. However, there is a problem. As we cosily sit and try to make sense of the fuck just happened, literally everything under my control has stopped. The dungeons stopped building everything I ordered, and my Legions returned to the closest garrisons. Even the simplest denizens are probably just lying on the ground doing nothing." I flatly smiled and took a sip of tea. "So... I am going right now to restore everything gradually. The plan is as follows: I will tell you what I am doing, and you will shout at me when my humanity starts to drop."
They looked at each other and nodded nervously soon after. I put down the teacup on the table and took a deep breath. "I'm resuming the Immortal Legions."
"A barely noticeable dent..." Luna reported after a moment. "But it's not a constant strain."
"Good. Resuming the normal activities of my dungeons."
Luna was silent for a while, but Aoi cleared her throat nervously. "I didn't notice anything, not even a scratch."
"Me either," Luna admitted, and the rest confirmed. "If it dropped, it was so insignificant that it was instantly regenerated..."
"I am resuming the normal activities of all my denizens," I informed them calmly, crossing my arms.
"A much bigger loss on your humanity, but again, it's not continuously draining you." Luna sighed.
"All right then... I'm resuming construction efforts in Avalon." I said, fully expecting this was the culprit behind my almost crystallisation.
"There was a drop, but the drain was countered by the regeneration we provide..." Luna replied almost immediately.
"I wish I could see that bar for myself…” I grumbled. “Resuming construction in Wolf Manor..."
"Same as Avalon. Maybe, but it..."
"No matter, Demesne reported they finished the expansion towards the lake, and the harbour is finished. So they aren’t building anything at the moment." I sighed and sent Demesne a calming notion it was nothing terrible. I was just testing things. "Bob is not building anything... Kirin..."
"There is a drop. But it's not that big to drain you that fast." Luna admitted and looked at me. "The Kobold Dungeon... Restart it briefly, but be ready to shut it down."
"As you wish. Doing it... Now."
"Stop! Stop! That was it. You saw that, sisters?!" Luna raised her voice in panic after just a few seconds.
"Hmmm... Let me..." I hummed and ordered the building of the structures to be done in steps. "Step one... Restart. How is it?"
"Now it's looking good. What have you done?" Amber sighed a sigh of relief.
"Well... Building the entire city at once was not the wisest idea, apparently. So, I gave orders to build it in a few steps stretched over time. That also means I must be careful about any future building sprees." I relaxed a bit and leaned my head on the couch's backrest. "I thought I could do that since I built Avalon almost in one go. But of course! That was under the spawn protection! God damn it!"
"I think that building things in Avalon drains far less of your humanity than anywhere else," Luna said carefully with closed eyes. "According to my Sage skill, this is your home ground, so you are supposed to change it according to your will without much backlash."
"I wonder if the other Dungeons had a similar counter to my Humanity. That could also explain why so many of them are murderous..." I said, rubbing my eyelids. After taking a moment to calm down, I warmly smiled at them. "You all saved me again, my Beauties. Thank you all."