“...Rather impressive! I did not even notice them hiding everywhere around us. You have a rather good working piece of Land here, I must applaud you. Soldiers, put your weapons away.”
Suddenly the Ambassador of Arcana makes a completely different demeanor. Does he finally understand? Well it is better he does, as otherwise it would be a bloodbath.
With a smile on his face he seems in a rather good mood. Well my side still has their weapons out, as I am not budging right now. The Girls are ready and look like they are frozen solid in their readiness, one false move and they become a living blender.
“I did not introduce myself, I am Edgar of the Ivory Tower Caste of Arcana. We are the caretakers of disputes around fiefdoms in Telk. As we heard of this place, it was in our best interest to first see if the owner is able enough to be holding this place.”
Yeah, not buying it. He noticed it would get rather bloody, if he pushes me and now wants to say it was all a test. Let me just play naive.
“Then why would you just threaten us? There is nothing to gain in our animosity.”
“Ah, we would not gain anything, but the assurance you are able to hold this place. If there are disputes and the whole place gets ravaged in a fight against Mages, then no one would benefit from it. Unless the person who is living here can defend it, then there will be a time, where the fields might be damaged. Better to make sure you have what it got to defend your little fiefdom.”
Bet you already calculating how to remove me, without high losses. But I bite. I want to make the place a bit more… secure, before going into an all out war.
“So it was that. I was really worried about going to isolate the Crater for a while. While the Beast Kin of the Grasslands have a rather large appetite, they do not have coin and only trade for other wares.”
‘When I wave, get back into hiding and seal the hidden doors, then go to the sewers for eventual escalation later. Thank you for your help.’
As I wave everyone just vanishes through their own entrance and seal them right up behind them. Without a noise they skitter away and afterwards ready themselves in the chamber next to the sewers for a possible second strike.
It all was looking so choreographed, but if you put in hindsight their ‘play’ with Snow in her playtime floor and the chaotic Stairway, then their acrobatic prowess makes sense.
“… So you really are trading with F… Beast Kin. You are really ambitious, as for us the Grasslands on the other side of the Forest are not really reachable. If we do not get infected by the Fungus, we get thinned out by the Forest while suffering strange diseases if we go too near to the Death Peaks.”
...The Death Peaks and Fungal Mountain. I really need to find a way to look into them. Maybe I sacrifice a body or two for looking into what makes them that dangerous.
“They are rather wary of me as I am no Beast Kin, but as I have some as Family Members they at least trade with me a bit. Other humans might not be able to be seen as friendly by them.”
“I heard some things from the Kingdom about them. To be able to even talk to them is already a rather great feat. If you allow us, we would like to rest for the night. While I am curious about your Castle, I think the Mansion is comfortable enough for us.”
“Of course you are welcome to the Castle, but if you are comfortable in the mansion, then the Maids will be readying the Rooms for you and your men.”
…
The whole time the people were rather cordial as of now and did not do much. The peddlers loaded their gains and all the people were happy. Well Maleks ambassador was a bit peeved about them crammed into a small house, but asking them if they would rather be with the Ivory Tower or come to my Castle to be resting there, they suddenly were happy about their frugal and endearing resting place.
A few codewords were thrown here and there from Edgar to his people, and he wrote everything in a note stack, also in code. Nothing to gain for now, let us see how much time I have until the whole storm breaks.
Some precautions have to be made, so I asked Mordred for the Amulet for a checkup and switched it with a new one containing a few new gimmicks, I finally am able to produce. Impressive how the small things work out to become something big in a short time. Sight, presence detection, Sound and even noticing the different Mana waves around the Amulet are now all working.
Limiting a micro Gate to only be able to let a thin thread of Mana through makes it close to self sufficient, but still needs a bigger Mana gathering circle, so nothing else can be put into it for now. When I get the three dimensional Runes decoded I will have to redo them again.
…
“All of you did a good job. Thank you for your help.”
“Of course Father!”
They are rather happy about my praise. To be honest their prowess raises day by day. While I watch the Arena ever so often I see them fight more refined by the day. Some Rooms are now having special residents, as some Monster have claimed them to be their training area. Those are even respected by the Girls and train with them in their special way without eliminating them. The more the Monster fight in the Arena the hardier they get. I think that has something to do with the building Copy Miasma. The dissolving Monster share their experiences with the newly formed Monsters somehow.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The central room is now the proving ground for new Members of the slowly growing Monster residents. It already became a rite to… I am rambling again…
“Black Two, I give you a true Name, your Name will be Ville. Black Three you will be Maiden. I hope great things of you. Please come to me later, as the experiment with the Spirits have been fruitful and you can be connected to me now.”
“Is this true?!” “Thank you Father!”
Well they are happy, while I do not understand why. I rather take something out of them, so it should be a demerit… but somehow it strengthens Prime and even gave her a way to use and change more Miasma for her own.
Prime is former Black One. She is now my full time assistant and was the first to get modified after rigorous tests on lower Monster. With her help I have way better results in my experiments. After the accident with being so occupied with my experiments, she is also reminding me of everything around me.
“Grey, you three will be connected too. It is a necessity for your work anyway, so please be ready. Have you mastered your shape shifting?”
With a nod they start to change. Grey One becomes a little bit smaller and more stocky with hazelnut brown hair. Grey Two grew a bit and changes into a more lithe body type, her now human ears have a slight point, resembling far of elvish bloodline. Grey Three is now a normal looking girl with black hair and brown eyes, while she has a more fit build for a woman.
“Great. From now you will be named Angie, Betty and Christine. Angie your infiltration will be in Halk. I suspect some undercurrents there anyway. Betty, while I would like you to go go Arcana, it would be bad for you to just wander in, so try to set foot in Magus and just watch for rumors of the upper castes around the place. Christine, you will be roaming as Mercenary and improve your notoriety as a capable Soldier for hire.”
“Yes Father.”
All three answer. Now only taking a piece out of them and they are finished for their dangerous Mission.
…
“And what did you do to them?”
Snow is here. She has noticed the work I am doing on the Girls and asks me right away.
“I can not change Spirit bodies, but they work on a way different aspect in relation to dimensions, so I started to experiment in swapping parts of the Spirit with my Realm like how my Portal works and I can connect them right to me with this.”
“I see! ...And what does that mean?”
Snow… If you do not understand, just say it…
“It is like their most precious part of their Spirit is switched with a Portal right to me. As it is only on the spiritual base it does not even need much Miasma to be stable, as it has nothing to do with Space… I make it more simple. I take a piece of their Spirit for safekeeping. This has some benefits like if they die, I can create them a new Body before their Spirit dies for real and are connected to me in a way I can hear them wherever they are.”
“So they are immortal now?”
“...To be honest I do not know. While I have tested it with Monsters of different varieties, they are heavily weakened for a long time. It might even injure their Spirit if they die and be resurrected like that, so I do not want to test it on them.”
“But you would save them, when they die somehow and come back, right?”
“In a sense yes, but I do not want to really see it happening.”
“Me neither, but it makes me more reassured of them doing this Spy game. I was a bit worried about them, when you asked me to train them in shape shifting for that.”
“I know, but you should know, I do not want to put my Family in too much danger. They will be fine for they are rather strong for even experienced humans.”
“Yeah, humans are weak. So Null, when do you do this to me?”
“...what do you mean?”
“The whole switching spirit and making me connect to you directly. Would be so much easier to talk to you, when you again stop responding for a month you know?”
Ugh, again right in the wound I still work on forgetting.
“Is that necessary? I mean you are so strong, It would not really be needed for you, as you are a Stampede of Monsters yourself, right?”
“That is not the matter of needing it. I want to be tethered to you!”
Snow… Well maybe it would be a nice Idea for her to always talk to me, if she needs something without using an Item or directly coming to me…
“I will schedule it. You are rather strong and I would need preparation for safekeeping your part of your Spirit in my Realm.”
“Do not let me wait too long. I will nag you, you know?”
“Sure…”
…
A Month came and was gone in close of an instant. The most surprising thing was the visitors after the Root for their monthly Mana dew. The Bovine came right at the same time Mordred was visiting.
Mordred and company were shocked to see them, but after a few distant greetings they traded a small amount of their own stuff to each other as a nice offering to break the ice for maybe later visits.
While Snow was sad to hear Spot was not here with them, she understood it right away after hearing the state of her Grandfather. Life can be so cruel with letting your dear Family waste away like that. Hoof was at first selected to be the next chief, but put it down for he has not a good line with his shamanistic powers.
Huffing Loudly is the runner up and has a good magical affinity to lead them. While he is more scared of us, he understands we are not an enemy, and would love to strengthen the connection by assigning Hoof as direct ambassador to be in contact with us.
It is so sad to think this will be needed in such a short time now. Maybe I should visit Red Horn at least one time before he dies?
“You are always welcome to visit, but Red Horn knows how you are working on things we would not even understand, so do not worry. The only thing he wants to ask of you is for you to help Spot out in the future, if she is in trouble.”
“Of course we help Spot! I would never abandon my friends!”
Snow answered right before I could even take a breath to answer. Well she is right, we would always help her if she is in peril.
“He does not need to worry, as I will always help your people out. We are Friends and Friends help each other in times of need.”
“Thank you, that means much to us, Null.”
The whole trading comes to a peaceful end and both Parties Human and Beast Kin left with their Luggage. Mordred was shocked at the amount the Bovine could transport. Everyone can heave more than two hundred Kilos and they were twenty of them. This time they wanted to come back in one and a half Month, so maybe Spot will be there this time.