System message:
Baron Montfort celestial observatory: Active.
Would you like to activate observatory enchantments? Yes, no?
Enchantments:
Time dilation: ten to one.
Body: Times five.
Speed: Times five.
Dexterity: Times ten.
Focus: Increase ability to focus on a task for prolonged periods of time. Increases mental acuity.
Optical enhancements: Enhances ocular nerve to receive and transfer information faster.
Mana sight: Grants the ability to see mana affinities.
Celestial mana sight: Grants the ability to see mana affinities in the celestial realm and fluctuating lines between celestial bodies.
Vail gaze: Allows for the barrier between realities to be viewed.
System notification: World walker detected.
Security question: Who was King of the great British Empire during the year of our lord 1782?
‘What in the hell, King? Brittan?’ I thought as I racked my brain for the answer. That would have been the guy the Americans were fighting during the revolution. What was his name, Greg, Gary, Geroge, it was King Geroge the third or something. Yeah, mad King George the Third. As soon as I had the answer formed within my mind, the system reacted.
Answer: King George the Third.
Correct: unlocking.
Embedded message active: This message can only be viewed by those who meet the criteria of a world walker. View the message from Baron Montfort. Yes, no?
Yes.
Message:
To whom it may concern,
If you are reading this, then you are, as I am, a world walker as those here in the world of Forduna have so named us. My name is Baron Montfort, and I am from Earth, as you most likely are. I was a baron for our good King in the year of our lord 1782 in the high country of Caledonia. I went for a ride in the early morning mists; heaven only knows why, for the passage of time has made me forget that detail.
My story is a long one, though I will not trouble you with it now. Know that I have spent three hundred and twenty years within this empire. I was granted the rank of baron, the same title I held within our beloved British empire at the time of my transference. For that is what happened to me; I was bodily transferred to this place; I still know not what happened to my mare Willow who disappeared along with me, I do hope she is well, wherever she may be. I arrived here with this unholy system surrounded by the workings of the devil in all his cursed forms. I have since learned to work with this system and have found my pleasures and joys here within the empire. Knowing I am most likely presumed dead and my wife and children long since passed morning my death, I have taken a wife after my natural life span would have surely been accounted for, should I have remained on Earth. Though only one, as the good lord commanded, unlike the multiple wives the heathen barbarians of this place take. However, due to the lack of male offspring, I understand why having more than one woman is quite normal. I just cannot bring myself to engage in such a hedonistic practice. The forced breeding is its own horror that I pray my soul shall be forgiven upon my departure from this world.
That said, I have taken to the craft of enchanting as mechanisms and the aperture of maths of the high knowledge used in the observation of the heavens was and still is a great passion of mine. I built this home with hopes of one day returning to my earthly wife and children, for the love I bore them was held in no small measure. Through my workings, I have long since learned that this is not possible, should I even be able to return to the sea of chaos, that primordial place between the many universes and the worlds and people there within. I have resigned myself to live out my days here, though, through my many nights of observations and calculations, I have uncovered mysteries, most of which I know I shall never find the answers to.
I implore you who read this now to watch and take heed, for this world is on the brink of destruction and catastrophe. This universe is new, from what I have come to understand from my calculations on such matters. As such, the branching network of universes that make up the core of reality, this universe is so precariously placed upon the furthest most branching pathway along the edge of the void, that place of vast nothingness that cradles the whole of all realities within its eternal embrace. What I have now come to know as the abyss is the layer of reality that nestles existence as some kind of corrupted insulation against this void, for which I have found no magics with which that veil of darkness may be pierced.
This universe is close to this abyss, from which creatures of horror and nightmare are born to let loose their tentacles, teeth, fangs, and claws upon the worlds close to their savage realm, thus consuming with unholy ravaging’s the new universes that form. They feed on these worlds and return to the place we call the abyss. What they do from there is a mystery and from what few attempts I have made to gain knowledge of their dark deeds in that place have left me with little more than madness and insanity creeping in at the edges of my mind. I warn you not to gaze into the abyss, for if you are noticed by those horrors within, and they gaze back at you, you may surely become lost.
My findings are this; that the death, space-time, and summoning affinities are somehow disrupted. By what or who, I do not know, but until those affinities are healed and brought back into natural balance, this world and universe slips ever closer to being fully consumed by the creatures of that place of horror, the abyss.
Using my telescope, you will be able to see the fabric of the celestial spheres warp and fluctuate, precursors to incursions from that place of abyssal horror. In my time here, the breaches into this world have only increased slightly, but they are increasing. I have tried to calculate how many more breaches of the veil between our realms this world can withstand. From my best guesses it is not many, maybe a few hundred at most, before the veil can no longer heal and the devouring of this world and universe truly begins.
I have sought ways to heal and mend the rips in reality, those holes between the dark realm and this world filled with such light by comparison. My attempts have only been marginally helpful, for I have no great skill with tailoring, and none of the exalted mages here within the empire will ever have the power to make a difference. But mending reality is not enough, at least I think not. You must find the reason why these affinities are so blocked within this world and seek a remedy for the affliction that causes it.
I have left my notes and findings in my journals, which I have hidden within the storeroom of my enchanting workshop. Should you possess the skills needed to undertake this endeavor then you will be able to find them and unlock the treasures held within. I have written the journals in the King’s English, so even if they are found by one underserving, it will be all the harder for them to uncover knowledge they should not have. By the grace of our lord God, I hope and wish with utmost sincerity you are able to continue this work.
I go now to mend a larger-than-average breach; if you are reading this, then me and my children have died.
Sincerely,
The baron Montfort, ever the loyal servant of his majesty King Geroge the Third.
“What, what is it, Eric?” Rachel asked, looking concerned as I pulled my eye back from the Eyepiece.
My mind was whirling at the information. I might not be as safe in this world as I once thought. “I need… I need a moment.” I answered, heading to a wingback chair and sitting. I closed my eyes and reviewed what I had just read.
So, the baron Montfort was, in fact, from Earth, but during the regency period of the British empire. I suppose that makes sense with some of the styling choices I have seen within the empire. From my stat sheet, it seems that my 15 percent in death and 25 percent in space-time and summoning, respectively, are actually maxed, and it is this world and universe with this weird system that is out of balance and keeping them so low. I would have expected these three affinities to be closer to 85 percent like my other affinities or even 100 percent.
The void that was what I saw from the platform and the things and twisted beings were, in fact, abyssal creatures. The void beast attacks the newspaper talked about; they are what Baron Montfort was most concerned about, these incursions from beyond this world’s reality. I have to find these notes; I have to find out how much the incursions have increased and, more importantly, how long this world has left before it is permanently broken. Was this a message from the great-grandfather who built the House, or was the current baron Montfort and this elder of the family actually one in the same person?
My thoughts swirled, and I had a growing unease in the pit of my stomach as I asked Rachel, “How long ago did the baron Montfort die?”
She cocked her head to the side, “Um, it was three or four decades ago. Why?”
“Well, it seems we might have a large problem. First, though, lets head to the storeroom down below. It appears that Baron Monfort hid his notes in a secret room, and I need to… well, we need to find them.” I said, getting up from the chair and heading to the stairs.
“What did the spyglass show you, Eric… you’re scaring me a bit?” Rachel said walking down to the basement workshop along with me.
“Forgive me for that, I just need to confirm a few things before I go worrying you anymore. Bring your anti-spying cube.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
After grabbing her cube from the table, we entered the storeroom. The large storeroom had four sets of long shelves inside of it. The two along the outer walls that stretched into the back were carved into stone, while the two in the center were made from some kind of metal. There were a few items inside, mostly just basic materials that were not actually worth taking or selling off over the years but were required for enchanting and other such magical workings. At least that is what it seemed, but based on the message from the late Baron Montfort, there was some kind of room hidden by enchantment. All I needed to do was find it.
“Can you sense anything, Rachel? I want you to try before I do.”
“Let me see, okay, okay, I think this would be the best spell and skill for that,” Rachel muttered to herself as the faint glow of mana began to move around her.
After a few moments, Rachel said, “I can detect something along the back wall, but that is the extent of it. A very subtle enchantment and powerful.”
“I thought as much; let me see what I can do,” I said, sinking into my mana and beginning the process of constructing a spell.
I let my arcane mana manipulation guide the process of spell creation. Through my mana sight, I watched the storage room sparkle to life with the detailed woven pattern lines of Masterwork enchantments. There was an outer layer of enchantments, but hidden deeper behind the veil of the simple enchantments was a network of fine hair-like woven threads that created a precise weave of enchantments that would easily be overlooked.
I walked to the back of the room where, in three spots, the fine detail lines of the enchantments converged. “What are you doing? Is that…?” Rachel asked, her words trailing off.
“Yep, it’s the lock,” I said as I placed my hand on all three of the panels one after another.
The stone of the wall did not glow or give an indication that I had touched them correctly, but as my hand fell on the third spot, the back of the storeroom wall began to shimmer. It only took a moment for the stone to appear completely liquid and begin melting into the sides and floor of the room. Just like with Rachel’s armor the Stonewall was malleable when under the effects of the enchantments.
“So flawless!” Rachel said breathless excitement at the enchantment activation. “I am going to learn so much just from getting to study the enchantments in the House and getting to work in the same place as the baron Montfort. I just can’t… I can’t believe how lucky I am!”
“I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do, but now, the hidden room,” I said with a wide smile on my face as I turned from Rachel and looked into the short hall that led to another room. We walked through the door and I was surprised that the stone did not seal behind us, but from what I could gather from the glowing enchantment lines was that the far door to the storage room had sealed itself.
The second storage room was larger than the first and held shelves and tables, none of which were bare of hidden treasures. However, the real treasure I was looking for were the notes left by the late Baron Montfort about his findings. Rare materials lined the walls, and along the shelves, there were more than a few completed items in the room.
I could only guess at the rarity of the materials or their value, but it was a safe bet that I had just increased my overall net worth by quite a large amount. The items were strange, each held in their own places behind glass or neatly hung on racks. The storage room was part study, part workshop, part library, and storage room. It was half as large as the whole of the downstairs workshop. This was a place where the baron Montfort would keep his most prized creations. The walls glowed with subtle yet powerful protective enchantments. The glowing blue lines in my mana sight made the walls almost appear fuzzy with the delicate detail from the enchantments.
“We need to find Montfort’s journals and notes,” I said to Rachel as we started our search on opposite sides of the room. We each took a wall lined with books and began reading over the titles, letting the system windows tell us about the items that were in the room as well.
There were such items as:
Bound chains of the aperture seal:
Quality: Excellent.
Scarcity: Unique and rare.
Etheric chains that are used as support for binding rift openings along with the aperture formation plates. Prototype.
Realm needle stitcher:
Quality: Excellent.
Scarcity: Unique.
A mithril needle that pierces the veil of realities and, when coupled with the celestial thread of healing, can be used to mend and strengthen the borders of reality. Prototype.
All the items were, as such, geared towards the healing of the veil, but each was a prototype or a failed creation with some flaw. I moved along the shelves of books, most of which were advanced texts on enchanting and system theory.
It took a fair amount of searching, before me and Rachel found the journals. On a bookshelf next to a worktable was row upon row of journals. When I opened them, they were all written in elegant stylized penmanship, but the words were clearly an older form of English. It was still readable or as readable as Shakespeare is, though they were far less flowery. Each had charts and tables, notes, and math equations. The bottom shelf held the earliest journals from Baron Montfort, while the shelf right next to the worktable held the most recent entry. It was going to take quite a bit of time to read through everything the baron Montfort had collected on the mechanics and coming disaster in this world, but I was determined to continue his work. I knew the stacks, and as I was stuck on the planet for the foreseeable future and this universe, I most certainly did not want to be consumed by some abyssal horror.
“This, this is his private, secure, enchanting storage and work room?” Rachel said, her voice filled with wonder at the treasure trove of materials and knowledge that was now at her fingertips. “But these items?... was he trying to stop the void beast attacks?” she asked.
“Sort of, from what I gather. There is more to it, Rachal, but Ashley, you and I should have a private conversation about it. And sooner rather than later.” I said, flipping through the pages of his most recent journal.
They at least were in neat sections, broken into parts on enchanting the items he was creating to heal the world, his personal musings, why the world’s affinities were out of balance, and the theories on what might be responsible and his findings on the void beast attacks. They were not truly from the void, but the abyss was so close to that enigmatic edge of reality that the distinction was almost meaningless.
“It’s not good, is it?” Rachel asked, worry plain on her face to see.
“No, no, it is not.”
We spent a bit longer cataloging items and familiarizing ourselves with the whole of the observatory workshop and secret storage room. When we had finished, and I was growing hungry, we went back to the House. I was sure Ashley would have gotten a lot set up in the hours Rachel and I had been gone. We took the tunnel through the underground to the basement level of the manor house. The door from the tunnel opened into a well-lit downstairs hallway that had doors that led to other storerooms for the House and, most likely, some slave quarters.
Rachel and I walked into the ballroom turned war room and found a sweaty and exhausted Ashely. She still looked immaculate, or at least I thought she did, though the few disheveled hairs and damp hair clearly showed just how furious her battle had been against the horrors of minimalism. Ashley was sitting in a chair with her feet up on an ottoman. The workers from the shops were packing up the last of their items while the last of the items she had purchased were being taken from the war room and directed into their proper places by her battlefield commander, Timothy.
“I see you’ve been productive, dear wife,” I said as I came to stand over her.
Ashley’s eyes fluttered open, and a wide, bright smile lit her face as she said, “Oh, Husband, Eric, yes. Oh Yes, it was… I was most productive.” She did not even get up to give me a kiss or hug as would have been her normal. She was truly tired from getting everything arranged.
“Did we get everything?” I asked.
“Mmm, Hummm, we did, well, mostly. There are a few special items we will have to get, but by and large, the whole of the House is now ready for habitation, yay…” she said flatly, her excitement for decorating having been drained from her most recent of melees.
“How about we head up to the Master bedroom and get some dinner and rest? How’s that sound?” I asked. The faded light in the sky was deep purple, the color barely spilling in through the high windows of the ballroom. The world was fast approaching the hours of darkness and sleep.
Kicking her feet onto the floor and standing to wrap her arms around me, Ashely answered, “That sounds like the best idea I have ever heard.”
Rachel stepped close and hugged her long-time friend as well, “It looks like you did an absolutely wonderful job, Ashley.” Their heads touched as we held each other for a moment, the dark auburn and black hair mixing like glowing embers in the dying light of a fire.
Ashley’s stomach rumbled, and a chorus of hungry rumblings followed suit from mine and Rachel’s stomach as well. “Food.” was all I said as we headed for the door.
“Timothy, have some food sent up to our bedroom. It’s time for dinner. Is there anything that needs to be addressed?” I asked.
“I will have May send up dinner. And no, Master Grayson, everyone is settling in quite nicely.”
“Good, good. Good night, Timothy.”
“You as well, Master.” He said with a deep bow, conveying respect and not servitude.
We steadily made our way upstairs to the Master apartments that Ashley had selected for us. We were all deep in our own thoughts, making the walk to the third-floor room on the southern side of the building facing the front of the House and grounds a quiet one. We passed many small tables that held flower arrangements provided by the Noble Rose. Ashley truly had an eye for the right kinds of fresh flowers that complemented each area they were in, their colors and even scents exactly for their selected location.
The floors had finely crafted runners down them, complementing the wood floors and the marble floors. Vases and other such adornments had been added, making the House of Stars a true home. Whirling patterns of galaxies and solar systems had been matched with a skilled eye with the flower colors and themes.
Once we reached the Master apartment room on the third floor, the true skill she had for stylizing rooms was made abundantly clear. Deep green, black, and silver leaf patterns flowed over sofas and chairs. The room seemed alive with the vines as each placement merged with the next.
We headed over to the eating area, a smaller dining area that would be better used for a quick breakfast in the morning, just past the sofas and study areas. Ashley had truly placed everything we needed in the room so we could keep our college apartment lifestyle while in our new home. The only main difference was the single large bed and shared wardrobe space, though I had my own walking closet, and Ashely and Rachel had theirs. Alma and Iolanthe were on their knees beside the bed, looking for all the world like the happiest two kitsune ready to please their Masters.
“Oh, by the hungry mouth of Sippsie, I am so hungry!” Ashley said, flopping into the padded chairs at the dining table. “How was the enchanting workshop and the spyglass?”
Rachel side-eyed me as she reached for her cube; I held my hand out for a moment. “It was the most beautiful workshop I have ever seen truly a credit to the late Baron Montfort. The spyglass is a marvel, and I am looking forward to gazing at the stars with it.” The tone a pitch of my voice immediately had Ashley picking up on the fact I was leaving something very important out. I was not sure how much the empire knew about Baron Montfort’s discoveries, but the fact I did not want to take the chance on a report getting back to someone, saying we knew about something we should not have.
Sasha, Milly, Faith, Brie, Strafa, and Allie all walked in, pushing carts that held the dinner prepared for us by May. They were beaming, faces happy and smiling though clearly tiered. Their clothes were still a bit disheveled, from the work they had done helping Ashley get the House set up. The garments hung loosely, as they are prone to do after a day of hard work. It was clear they were proud of the fact they were able to help set up the new House and be the first to serve us dinner in our new abode. It was a special moment for them, and I would let them play the part of slave this time.
The food was steamed piles of vegetables seared meats, delicate and full of rich flavors. We wasted no time and dug in. Ashley seemed to be famished and I saw her eat more than I ever had. Rachel and I were not far behind her, though, as it had been a long and taxing day. Conversation flowed between Rachels’s excitement for the enchanting workshop and Ashley’s new purchases for our home. I listened and ate, waiting for the right time to have Rachel set up her anti-spying device so we could talk freely about what it was I had learned from the system message left by the late Baron Montfort.
I nodded to Rachel when we were almost and she quickly set up her device. “We can talk now?” Ashely asked, switching to a no-nonsense tone once the device effects were on.
“Yes, we had to have it on for most of the day in the shop, and if we are being tracked, I wanted to fill the gap with normal conversation for a while before activating it again,” I said, pushing my plate away from me. Sasha took it to a cart, smiling and brushing me with her tails as she did.
“Smart,” Rachel said.
“So? What is it?” Ashely asked.
“Well, we found something, well I found something. A message the baron left in the system for a world walker like me should they ever use the telescope.”
“Oh, that is a very advanced system theory skill. What… What did it say?” Ashley asked as Allie took her plate. Each of our slaves was silent. They could feel the gravity of what we were about to discuss.
“Here is the message,” I answered, sending the system message over to the two. They would keep quiet about it and not alarm Milly, Sasha, Allie, Brie, Strafa, or Faith with the disturbing content.
They each read over the message half a dozen times by the looks of it. Their eyes went wide, and fearful expressions crossed their faces more than once. It was sometime before either of them spoke.
“Should we tell the empire?” Ashely asked.
“No. If they know, then they are working on it in secret, and we might be killed for knowing it. if they don’t know, then that means they dismissed the baron’s findings and likely would do the same to us.” Rachel said, going through just a few of the logical options.
“Our fathers?” Ashley said.
“Maybe, but we would have to time it right. Definitely make it seem like our own discovery and not something from the baron Montfort.” Rachel said, tapping her fingers to her lips.
“We need to… well, I don’t know what, but we will have to look into this more, right?” Ashley said, shifting her eyes between Rachel and mine.
“Oh, I most certainly will be looking into it, but not until after the auction. We are safe for now, but for how much longer…” I trailed off, picking back up as I said, “I’ll, I’ll have to go over his notes and study them for a while; this type of thing cannot be done quickly. I just wanted you both to know. We have a serious problem that we have to look into, and having to do it in secrete will be taxing.”
“With your power, you will help, won’t you,” Ashely said, a little bit of pleading creeping in at the edges of her voice.
“Of course he will, Ashley,” Rachel said, turning her eyes on me.
“Defiantly, I will do what I can and fix the problem if I can,” I said. I got a system notification at that moment.
System Quest: distortion of affinities.
This is a system quest. Discover the reason behind the low-affinity percents behind the death, summoning, and space-time affinity and what is causing it. Accept yes or yes.
Yes.
“Shit, I just got a system quest? And it forced me to accept?” I asked, more than a little worried that the system, which hardly gave out quests ever, was giving me one now.
“By the holy wet cunt of Sippsie, a quest?” Ashley said, her mouth falling open.
“That, that… I’ve only ever heard of a few outside of those given by the divines.” Rachel said the same look of shock on her face. I thought of sharing the quest, thinking of my two acting wives, and the notification went to them.
“Not a lot of information here, but as we discover something, it will update and give us hints as to what the next steps might be,” Rachel added.
“That’s good to know. But honestly, I am exhausted, and sleep sounds like the only quest I want o to fulfill right now.”
“Agreed,” Rachel said.
“Agreed,” Ashely said.
The others of our household looked equally exposed as Strafa and Milly were both swaying side to side on their feet, looking half-dreamy.
“Bed, all of us. We can figure more of this out in the morning. Sasha, Milly, Brie, Allie, Strafa, and Faith you will be joining us for our first night.” I said.
The carts weren’t even taken out of the room as we all made our way to bed. Clothes were stripped, and down to our undergarments, we each fell into the large bed. The nine of us took up the whole bed, and warm bodies and soft tails splayed over us as we maneuvered into comfortable positions.
Iolanthe and Alma stayed next to the bed and I was reticent to have them join us but decided they could sleep at our feet. “Iolanthe and Alma, you sleep at our feet.”
“Yes, Master Grayson!” they said as one. They looked so happy and content just being in the same room as me, but to get the chance to actually sleep in the bed sent them into a near fit of hysterical happiness. They controlled themselves, though not disturbing their Master was so ingrained that even their joy had to be hidden. I rested my feet on one of them, and it took only a moment for me to fall fast asleep.