*Day 083*
Joram sighed as he used [Cleanse]A, happy at least that the Power was as effective as it was in cleaning off blood and gore from him and his surroundings. Given how many corpses there were, he didn’t augment it enough to clear them away before Looting them, having long learned his lesson in that regard. Missing out on Loot was a painful experience that no true gamer and RPG’er would voluntarily do.
So, he quietly went around looting the bodies of the bandit/slavers as Avi, Asami, and Erys went about calming the two dozen or so people who’d already been taken by this group.
This time, they’d been targeting other humans, a change from the norm of “demi-humans”, as they called them. On the one hand, he was glad that the animal-kin weren’t exclusively targeted. But on the other, any sort of slavery bothered him. So much so, in fact, that he’d forgone using his mindbolt in favour of his mindblade. Hence the mess.
The truly tragic part of it all was the fact that this group had only targeted the young and attractive. And from what Avi was sharing with him through their connection, they hadn’t left anyone else alive after the raid. Which, he was told, wasn’t uncommon when targeting small human settlements. The ones in charge tended to listen to humans more readily than “demi-humans”. Which translated to them not doing much for the animal-kin, but certainly sending troops after anyone who’d targeted humans. So, the practice of killing everyone not taken was more common than not.
Hence, once more, the gore. He’d been very angry even before learning that his was one of those groups.
Fortunately, Bryana- the Queen-, had started acting to stamp out the illegal slavery in her queendom. Unfortunately, there had been, and still were, many people who didn’t appreciate the dwindling profits that came with such crackdowns. Which had led to more than a few well-armed “bandit” groups showing up that were able to fight off the queen’s soldiers. Which also led to higher expenses on her part.
Which then led to politics. People advocating letting things be, in favour of not raising the taxes to support the queen’s new “anti-slavery” initiative, as they were calling it. Something that even the common people weren’t for, as slavery accounted for a significant portion of the manual labour in the queendom, let alone the various other roles a slave could be used for. Both upright and not.
Which then led to him being out there with his party. Well, it wasn’t a static party, as Asami and Erys would occasionally switch out with others. Like Myra and the gals. So long as he was there, Bryana’s seal of approval for what they were doing was there. Why? Because she’d pulled a fast one on him, that’s why.
Bryana had called him to court one day, then had Shanghaied him with an official position, along with a Dukedom attached to his acquisition of the Great Forest. The position? Her official “Seeker”- which had also come with a Notification that a new Class was available for such an appointment. He’d obviously refused the Class, but hadn’t had much of a choice in accepting the appointment and dukedom, Title and all. Yes, he’d gotten a System granted Title from that.
Congratulations! You’ve earned a new Title!
- [Peerage: Duke]
You’ve been officially recognized and anointed to the peerage of a sovereign state, Muryn. Good for you!
- Benefits:
- Social status has increased.
- The right to own land.
- The right to have a personal military.
- The right to levy taxes and decide tax rates for your dutchy.
- The ability to marry into the royal line.
- Lineage-based Skill bestowal: [Skill Bestowal: Progeny] Skill acquired.
- The [Fame/Infamy]…
Recalculating…
- The [Paragon] and [Renegade] System has been conferred.
- Please choose wisely.
He’d nearly stopped reading when it mentioned marrying into the royal line, on the verge of setting out to kick that damned System in its memory banks. But then the [Skill Bestowal: Progeny] Skill caught his eye. He’d facepalmed.
But what had really piqued his interest had been when the [Fame/Infamy] bit had been mentioned. Then the recalculation. Then probably the two most famous game mechanic terms in the ME series had shown up. That was when he really, really, knew that the System wasn’t just some program. No, he was now surer than ever that it was, at the very least, sentient. More likely, sapient. Especially with how it had been treating him since he’d arrived on Iria.
So, what the heck? Why was it so interested in him? Why the seeming favouritism? He wasn’t anyone special. In fact, aside from being slightly more physically gifted… and smart… he would have said that he was basically your average Joe back on Earth. No huge ambitions, no particular talent that outshone others in a particular field. Just a geek that had been well on his way to becoming a certified hermit.
So, again, what the heck?
Shaking his head, he quickly reviewed the [Paragon] and [Renegade] System… Systems? They were two separate metrics, unlike in the video game that basically showed a Lawful vs Chaotic alignment slider. But, this one more seemed to track different metrics. Well, more than just law vs chaos, anyways.
Like, [Paragon] was a combination of fame and good deeds. Well, “good” deeds meant that he’d acted more out of compassion and empathy, a desire to help others selflessly. That sort of thing. Altruism? Sure, that worked.
Then [Renegade] measured things like infamy and acts that others viewed as… improper. Things like murder, rape, theft, extortion, and such. Acting outside of the law for revenge, or even helping someone only because it also helped you in some way, shape, or form. Basically, villain, bad-guy, or anti-hero stuff. Pretty simple.
What confused him, though, was this: why were they two separate metrics? In every game that he’d ever played, those two things were basically two sides of a scale that would subtract from one side or the other, depending on what you did. Now? Now it was more realistic, in his view.
Doing a good deed didn’t erase that you’d done something bad in the past. Likewise, doing something bad didn’t erase the fact that you’d done something good in the past. Sure, it would certainly affect how a person viewed you if they knew about everything you’d ever done. But it also affected how people viewed just a single side of you; your public side, for instance.
His favourite example was of politicians. They did all they could to get votes, from giving handouts to making promises that they never had any intention of keeping. Going to community events, shaking hands, donating to the most popular charities, that sort of thing.
But it’s when they’re behind closed doors, as it were, when their true colours came out. It was how they treated people who “aren’t important”. People with no power. People they don’t have to treat well to keep up their public façade. So, in that sense, he was certainly welcoming of a system where it kept track of one’s actions separately. It was… refreshing.
What he hadn’t expected, though, was that the System had seemingly been keeping notes on him. Extensive notes, from the day that he’d arrived on Iria all the way to the present. Which, really, was both flattering and terrifying all at the same time.
Still, he thought as he looked at just how many points he’d already accrued, I guess that people really would see me as some sort of good guy, huh?
[Paragon VII]: 36,431 / 51,000
But, really, what did I do that was so… edgy, to merit getting some renegade points….?
[Renegade I]: 9 / 1,000
He shrugged, not really caring about it too much, as it was probably due to him not listening to Celys when she told him not to go on the walls, or to leave Kirkwall. Or maybe jaywalking? Did they have jaywalking laws here? Shrug.
‘All done here,’ Avi sent, bringing him back to the moment even as he reflexively Looted the last body.
‘That’s good,’ he sent back as he looked over at the group of not-as-terrified-as-they-had-been people. ‘Can you send them off to Myrmeze?’
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‘That’s the plan,’ Avi sent with a grin. ‘You’ll need to help Kinkade with making more rings of sustenance soon, though. I’m pretty sure that the stocks are getting low.’
Joram just nodded at that as he noticed that most of the… refugees? Yeah, that’d work. Most of the refugees were watching him with not a few of them looking a little bit more than a little bit hero struck. Which probably explained why his [Paragon] rating had gone up again since he’d last looked. Well, killing bandits had also likely contributed to that.
He still hadn’t had the courage to look deeper into that system yet. Mostly because of the trauma from having received the [Harem] “Achievement”. Like, would they System eventually turn him into a walking lure? A lure that no one would be able to resist due to the ridiculous modifiers and “bonuses” that the System had heaped upon him? Would his [Harem] “Achievement” eventually get to the point where only the strongest-willed women were able to resist the urge to throw themselves at him, devoting their body, mind, and soul to him?
That was a truly terrifying thought, one that actually sent a shiver down his spine. Especially since it was legal here to have many wives/concubines/lovers.
Which then turned his thoughts to returning home, back to Earth. Could he escape all this and take refuge on Earth? Or would the System follow him there, much like Systems did in a lot of popular media on Earth? Would he forevermore be pursued by any being who took a romantic interest in him?
‘STOP!’ Avi psionically yelled at him, causing his eyes to water in pain before he blinked hard a few times.
He looked over at a very concerned Asami and a very confused Erys. It seemed as thought Avi had already taken the refugees to Myrmeze and had left him alone with the other two women.
He reactivated [Clear Mind: Greater] and heaved a sigh of relief as the anxiety and fears that had quickly accumulated were washed away by, well, clarity. Peace. Serenity. Calm.
As all of those negative feelings were being washed away, both Asami and Erys rushed over to him, latching onto him from either side. Still more than a little bit shaken by just how fast he’d spiralled, he deftly freed his arms, much to their obvious displeasure. A displeasure that quickly faded into shock, then joy as his arms went back down to tightly hug them close.
He stood like that, both women clutched tightly at his sides until Avi returned via [Teleport]. Instead of letting him let Asami and Erys go, Avi wrapped her arms around the three of them, pressing against his chest as she laid her head on his left shoulder, just above Asami’s head that was pressed more into his left pectorals.
A bit stunned, he indulged in the… warmth. For it wasn’t the sort of embrace that aimed at arousal. It was pure affection and warmth, with more than a hint of comforting care. It was… nice.
But, sooner than he would have liked, the moment ended and everyone slowly started drawing back a bit to take a peek at his face. One that was warming faster than he would have liked, especially given that [Clear Mind: Greater] was still up and running.
“Better, now?” Avi asked as her eyes searched his face from just a hand away.
Well, one of his hands. They were pretty big, after all. Which was still much closer than he was used to being to such a stunning beauty.
“Ahem,” he cleared his throat, then tried again. “Yes, thank you,” he said, sounding much less confident than he’d wanted to.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Asami said with a bright smile, her neck craned hard so that she could look up to him without having to let go of him more than was absolutely necessary.
“Mmm, she speaks the truth, mrrandii,” Erys said from his right with a smile no less enchanting than Asami’s, though considerably more… hungry, than Asami’s had been.
Are all dragons this horny? He silently wondered just before Asami started coughing.
Grinning, he finally let them go all the way, ending the group hug. Erys reluctantly let go, along with Asami, though he was sure that she was thinking naughty thoughts given just how red in the face she’d gone while coughing. Avi, though, didn’t seem bothered by the hug ending. In fact, she seemed eager to start up the bandit hunting again.
“So, are we continuing or stopping for the day?” she asked, obviously preferring the first option due to her emphasis on ‘continuing’.
“Yeah, we can look for another group,” he said, stuffing away the thoughts that wouldn’t be helpful in hunting down bandits.
So it was that they headed out again, once more hopping onto Erys in her dragon form. For as much as she complained about anyone other than her “mrrandii” riding her, she hadn’t actually refused anyone else yet. Well, maybe that was because she saw the others as fellow wives or something. Who knows?
* * *
*Elsewhere
He frowned as he read the new reports. It wasn’t his favourite activity, even by a long shot. But, it was certainly something he knew that he needed to keep up with. For it was a foolish ruler indeed who relied solely on the advice given by their advisors. One needed to have a firm grasp of a situation before seeking out other opinions; lest one wished to become a puppet, that is.
He stopped for a moment, briefly astounded by what he’d read, then proceeded to re-read the brief report.
Holding it up so that his [Spymaster] could see it, he spoke.
“Is this information reliable?” he asked as he felt his hackles rise.
“It is, your Majesty,” the [Spymaster], Cyril, replied with a slight bow.
Humming, he absently drummed his fingers of his other hand on the table as he processed the very short, yet impactful, report.
That the humans were once more playing around with [Summon: Hero] really shouldn’t have surprised him, especially with the anti-demon rhetoric and propaganda that was once more sweeping through the humans’ continent. But it did. It also ignited a raging fire of wrath in him that threatened to incinerate everything in the room, including his very reliable [Spymaster].
So, he used [Meditation: Greater] to calm himself down again, having long learned from past experiences that letting his temper get the better of him caused untold headaches later on. Headaches that came from things like having to replace staff, calm the masses, and finding room in the budget to repair or replace damaged items or buildings.
“If you would,” Cyril said, motioning to the next report waiting on the stack of unread reports. “There is more useful information.”
Glancing once more at the offending report, he carefully placed it on the pile of reports that he’d already gone through, then picked up the next unread report. A moment later he grunted.
“At least those [Dimensional Guardian]s are doing their job.”
He then went on to the next report and paused again, blinking. But before he could ask, Cyril spoke up.
“Indeed,” he said, nodding slightly. “Ina’Vaxchisa’Erys has chosen a human as her mate.”
At this point, he’d had enough to warrant a drink. So, he got up and made his way to the small bar he kept in his office. Once there, the [Mixologist]- a rare Class advancement for [Bartender]- quickly prepared his favourite drink before handing it to him.
Now leaning against the counter, he sipped at his drink as he thought things through.
If one queendom had “rebels” experimenting with [Summon: Hero], he was sure that there were more that hadn’t yet been found out. That said, should the various rulers of the humans manage to sway public opinion sufficiently to “justify” yet another war with his people, he was sure that they would be once more aiming to be approved to once again use [Summon: Hero].
Fortunately, the process involved with getting approval from the Senate, the ruling body of the [Dimensional Guardian]s, was very strict and involved. The humans would need to prove that his people were a dire threat to their existence.
Fortunately for him, his rule had more focussed on stabilizing his lands than waging war with the humans. Sure, there had been previous [Demon Lord]s and [Demon Lady]s who’d wholeheartedly gone to war with them. But he wasn’t one of them.
Sure, it was often argued that going to war stimulated the economy. Increased national pride. Brought in countless spoils of war, not the least of which included a steady supply of slaves.
But it also reduced the population, threatening that same stimulated economy with too few workers to keep things going. It also tended to shift the already skewed gender balance to precarious ratios. Sure, his empire was an equal one, one where both males and females could pursue whatever Paths they chose. Including military service.
Even then, the military was still predominantly male. Which, really, didn’t matter most of the time. But when all of those males died in war, it caused population issues at home.
So, not being a [Demon Lord] with a chip on his shoulder, or a grudge to resolve with the humans, he’d spent most of his tenure developing his lands. Helping his people improve their lots in life. Improving the infrastructure of the empire, which included simple things like road, irrigation, and sewage treatment. Yes, even that.
He’d been astonished that most places in the empire didn’t have a dedicated [Sewer Master]. He shuddered at the memories of seeing what some settlements had considered proper waste management….
All that said, with such stability and improved living conditions, his people had flourished. A nice side benefit of that had been an increase in population. As well as an increase in education, both martial and magical. Which had- coincidentally!- led to a higher standard of recruits….
Which meant that his military was as strong as it had ever been. Possibly stronger, if he wasn’t being modest. Unfortunately, that led to any human spies freaking out and causing their rulers to get jumpy. Scared, even.
He lifted his cup to take another sip, but found that he’d already drained it of its delicious contents, and sighed. He left the cup on the counter before heading back to his chair, sat, then pulled himself closer to the table before taking the next report and reading it.
He stopped again, then looked over at Cyril.
“Yes, it is indeed accurate. There is an unknown human, along with unknown constructs, constructing a massive structure. Likely a tower,” Cyril said as he fidgeted with the cuffs of his shirt.
“On Midway, of all places…” he muttered, wondering if he should approach the Senate to press the issue.
“That’s not all, your Majesty,” Cyril said, once more pointing at the stack of unread reports with a hand that wasn’t as steady as it had been just five minutes ago.
He mentally braced himself before picking up the indicated report, then leaned hard into [Meditation: Greater] as his blood pressure spiked.
“What in the Hells are those damn humans planning?” he growled, trying to understand why they’d be fortifying Muryn’s coastline.
A coastline that was both a terrible place to try to invade due to its massive, sheer cliffs, and was also the start of the Deathlands, what the humans called the “Great Forest”. For any “demon”, or Mana Touched, that forest was an almost guaranteed death sentence. Why?
Because one of his predecessors a few thousand years back, had decided to slaughter an entire kingdom with a ritual that had had unforeseen complications. Complications that had wound up turning almost every citizen of that kingdom into wraith-like beings. Beings that knew exactly who’d killed them.
So, why fortify that coastline? Did it have something to do with Midway Island?
Now unconsciously grinding his teeth, the [Demon Lord] Kivarok started reading through the rest of the reports, silently planning out how to approach the Senate regarding the concerning trends of the humans.
Cyril, though, took a very long and steadying breath before letting it out just as silently as he’d drawn it in, greatly relieved that his Lord hadn’t lost his temper.