16 — The Near Future

16 — The Near Future

As we approached the entrance to the fake town leading to Rockford, Ketty reported an absence of hostile presences. We continued on.

“Hopefully things are still quiet,” Lionel murmured.

Inside the town, all was well. There was no rubble, no sunken earth, and Pola’s golem stood in the distance. Relieved, I began to head towards it. The plaza was littered with corpses and new holes in the ground, the signs of battle evident.

“Is everyone okay?” I said. “We’re back. Show me to the wounded.”

Upon hearing my voice, Pola’s golem disappeared and she crumbled to the ground.

“Pola!” I cried.

Dhoran caught her before me. “Thank the spirits,” he said. He looked up at me. “Help me close up these holes.”

There were indeed more cracks in the ground than he’d be able to seal on his own.

“Grand, lend him a hand,” I said. “Everyone else watch for monsters.”

“Mind if we make use of some magic stones?” Grand asked.

“Sure. It shouldn’t take too many, so you can pull some out from the ants piled up over there. Or from the ones we gathered. Lord knows we have enough.”

“Got it.”

The work was done quickly, but even the little effort it took seemed to be too much for Dhoran and Lycian, who had been guarding the town through the night. They could barely remain standing, and Estia’s magic had run dry.

“We’ll take care of things from here. Everyone else go get something to eat and get some rest,” I said. “Let me know if anyone needs healing.”

I treated a few people, and then the dwarves left for their forges with gruff expressions of thanks.

“You don’t need to eat?” I asked Dhoran, who had stayed behind.

“Had some o’ the stuff you left behind,” he replied.

“How’s Trett?”

“Can’t fight, so he’s been butcherin’ the monsters.”

Disassembling them for magic stones and materials, no doubt.

“All right. You get some rest.”

Dhoran dipped his head, then headed off with Pola on his back. Lycian and Estia leaned on each other as they made their way back as well.

“Now we can finally return to those measurements,” I said to Grand.

“Not headin’ back yet?” he asked.

“I’m going to collect my thoughts a little first. Lionel, Ketty, Kefin, you can go on if you want.”

Grand nodded and followed behind Dhoran. The others left as well, while Lionel remained next to me.

“I’d like to think that your days of falling down holes are over,” he said, “but one can never be too careful.”

I thought about arguing, but the moment I opened my mouth I realized he had a point. I looked aside towards the plaza. “That’s...entirely possible, I guess.”

“You have found yourself in a position of leadership, and leaders are accompanied by their followers,” Lionel said. “You really ought to get used to it.”

“That might be difficult.”

“Give it a decade.”

The thought of such an incredible length of time made me anxious. Would Lionel and Ketty let me free them by then? Would they finally be true companions? Maybe that was wishful thinking.

I continued to stare at the plaza and said, “You know we might have to go to the empire at some point. Can you handle that?”

“I will have no choice as long as I am a slave,” he replied. “If I am not, then I fear what I might do.”

He wouldn’t betray me. He likely meant that he might run off and let his personal grudges send him into a fury.

“Thanks for the honesty,” I said. “The plan right now is to visit Merratoni after dropping Dhoran off in the kingdom. We may have to stop at the Holy City too, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“Can you decide our destination without convening with your superior?”

“As long as nothing’s obligating me to be elsewhere. I’d also like to visit Neldahl. I may be able to learn how to use some new magic, even without the right affinity. Also, you can’t go wrong with a flying city, am I right?”

“Very well,” he said. “But you should know there are only three ways to enter the city: by way of dragon from the empire, ascending through a particular labyrinth in Grandol, or having each country sponsor you and request the city to land.”

“Those are the only three options?”

“As far as I’m aware.”

“In any case, the plan is to spend a few months in Merratoni while your gear is being worked on,” I said. “I think I could use a refresher of the basics. And I’d love to see you and Master Brod go at it.”

“With your spells, you are sure to have many chances to witness that,” Lionel said with excitement in his eyes.

“About Lihzalea,” I said, changing the subject. “You really don’t remember a thing?”

“My memory is not entirely gone. It’s almost in a fog, so to speak.”

“Got anything?”

“Only vaguely. I spoke of Illumasia conducting human experimentation, if you recall, and those memories are somehow hazy to me.”

“Did meeting her make anything click?” I asked.

“No. But the particulars of what specifically has left my mind are suspicious.”

“And I assume this isn’t a simple case of forgetfulness.”

“It’s like a kind of subliminal masking effect on my mind, similar to Kefin’s ninjutsu. I believe a resistance to it can be developed.”

“What are your thoughts on her in general?”

“If she is an Illumasian spy, her being a slave could have been a mere ploy to gain entry, and it would have been easy given her magical talent for deception. But if we are to combat an enemy we can not perceive, the empire must not get to her first.”

“Well, if there’re holes in her acting, that’s good, but what worries me is what the spirits have to do with it.”

“She didn’t strike me as particularly malicious,” Lionel admitted, “so I would not object if she joins us, but I recommend caution.”

“I would normally agree,” I said, “but Forêt didn’t seem to like her.”

“Your steed?”

“Yeah. Animals have better instincts than people because ours are based on memory and learned experience while theirs are innate. And Forêt seemed cautious of her, so I think we should be the same.”

“If only there were some tool that would allow beasts to speak.”

“Tell me about it.”

We passed the time with more idle conversation, short bouts, and a little magic training.

Some time later, I was speaking with Dhoran.

“We got a lot of magic stones from all this,” I told him. “I want to use them for the project. Of course, the gear comes first, but the rest is up to you.”

“Pola, get to work on those,” he said to his granddaughter. “Lycian, start refinin’ those affinities.”

“Fine,” Pola replied flatly.

“May we work on our own projects when our job is done?” Lycian asked.

“To your heart’s content,” I said. “I’ll join you both tomorrow. I know it’s a lot, but we’ll get through it together.”

Ignoring Grand’s glances, I got to work cooking dinner and let everyone know we’d be calling it a day early. After dinner, I returned to my room and contacted Her Holiness via arclink.

“I’ve yet to verify matters regarding your prior request,” she said. “Forêt Noire’s behavior is indeed suspicious. This one called Lihzalea worries me.”

“Me as well, Your Holiness.”

“You have rid the girl of her slave crest, yes? Bring Estia to her and you may find answers.”

“Estia?”

“She is knowledgeable in the way of spirits. I will say no more.”

“Yes, Your Holiness. I anticipate that we will visit the Holy City before making for Merratoni.”

“Go with luck. I fear you may need it.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

The transmission ended.

Everything seemed to be linked to Illumasia. Lionel was reluctant to visit the empire, and I wasn’t itching to go myself. The quickest way to find answers was talking with Lihzalea again...and just when I thought we were through with all the drama after Yenice. There was no end to it. Not that I was too overwhelmed or anything, but I would have liked a day or two off. Dragons, the Wicked One, capricious spirits... It seemed like I was getting tossed around like a ragdoll. The blessings felt like a curse in disguise. I was receiving them for a reason, but in reality I found them extremely binding, like I was slowly losing any agency in my own life.

I could only lament my lot in vain as I began my daily magic practice and then went to sleep.

The next day, Trett helped us with extracting the magic stones from the ant corpses.

I gave him a weak smile. “In the time you can take apart an entire body, I get a single gem out. I’m feeling a little inadequate over here.”

“You haven’t been doing this since you could walk.” Trett smiled back. “The day you outdo me is the day I vanquish gender for good.”

“Uh-huh,” I said without even blinking. “Let’s save all that energy for the task at hand.”

I focused on my work, only a little bit exasperated. Everyone was extremely thankful for my cleansing magic, which I made sure to cast every thirty minutes or so to keep the place from reeking.

As we toiled away, I thought of something.

“Lycian,” I said, “you use spirit magic, right?”

“Correct. The wind variety, to be precise,” she replied.

“Say, hypothetically, that you tried to use earth. What would happen?”

“I’ve never tested it,” she confessed. “But it would take an exorbitant amount of magical energy to do. A person’s affinity with the spirits affects how much mana it takes to use their powers.”

“So you could, for example, use the Spirit of Dawn’s light magic?”

“With the correct technique. Much like how I’m refining the affinities of these stones through the corresponding spirits.”

“Are there any types of stones that are impossible for even you and Pola to make?” I asked.

“Of course. No amount of magic alone can create a light- or dark-type stone. Sometimes it takes special items, like holy water for dark-types.”

“Sounds rough.”

“Now you see why I admire Lord Reinstar so. He could command every magical affinity, and it makes me green with envy to think of how many things one could create with that kind of power.”

“Huh.”

“I could see Luciel being one of those fancy sages one day,” Trett said. “Be a dear and promise we’ll collaborate together when that happens.”

“If it does, I’ll make sure I’m single,” Pola said.

“Add me to the list of marriage candidates, if you please,” Lycian added.

“Yeah, like you two would ever take your noses out of your work long enough to maintain a relationship,” I laughed.

The work continued on, punctuated by many snack breaks.

“A whole day of nothing but this,” I moaned. “This is rough.”

“Any work worth doing is not easy work,” Lycian stated.

“Blood, sweat, and tears is the only way to improve,” Pola agreed.

“Disliking something doesn’t mean it’s impossible to do,” Lycian continued. “What’s important isn’t skill or talent. It’s a passion and pride for creating something new. Without those, whatever you do will never last long.”

I supposed that for me, it had been my magic training. When I tried to think of what else I’d poured my heart and soul into for an extended period of time, Merratoni came to mind. My two years of training. I had been in so deep that I hadn’t even had time to spare for a single moment of thought. But I had to wonder. Where would I have been if I hadn’t been sent to Headquarters several years ago?

“So what’s Luciel’s passion?” Pola wondered. “Helping people?”

I couldn’t say anything for a while. I didn’t know how to correct her. If helping people wasn’t my purpose, then what was?

“I studied and trained because I wanted to survive,” I said finally. “It was only recently that I decided I wanted to help whoever I could, but that’s where it ends. I’m not an altruist.”

All I wanted to do was help those I came across in my own life. Nothing more.

“You’re young,” Trett said. “You have all the time in the world to figure that out. People have always praised me for my pedigree, but I never knew whether I wanted to use my talents for what they were meant for or forge my way into something new. Decades later, I still don’t know.”

I never would have expected Trett to be carrying his own inner turmoil. Speaking of inner turmoil...decades? Just how old was he? No. That was a train of thought that I should not, must not entertain. For my own sake.

“My goal is to be a master artificer and max out my skill level,” Pola declared. “And to make something even better than Master Trett one day.”

“I want to be a revolutionary,” Lycian stated with pride. “A pioneer of bold, new inventions.”

The girls weren’t pressing on blindly. They were striving for something. And for some reason, I felt the slightest twinge of what I would almost describe as jealousy. But over what? Their goals? Their confidence?

“Wonder where I’m going in life,” I mumbled.

“Well, what’s your goal?” Trett asked. “To found a country of peace? To rid the world of suffering?”

“Make the ultimate team?” Pola asked.

“I assumed it was social reform,” Lycian said.

“Those would all be nice, but I’m not after anything that lofty,” I said. “Just something stable. Safe. Like medicine, or maybe making magic items.”

“You have plenty of time to figure that out,” Trett said comfortingly. “Just remember that no matter what world you find yourself in, it may seem unassuming at first, but reality is always harsh. You need to follow through.”

What it came down to was how I planned on making good on what I set out to do, regardless of the obstacles before me. The question was, what had I set out to do?

“Heh,” Pola chuckled. “Luciel. My apprentice.”

“An assistant like him would be invaluable,” Lycian mused. “Just think of all the magic stones he could make.”

“You guys might be right,” I said. “Dying from old age is a pretty morbid singular goal to have.”

I glanced at Trett, but he was gone. I panicked for an instant before his arms wrapped around me.

“You’re so cute when you’re conflicted,” he crooned. “I could teach you all sorts of things, you know?”

I felt goosebumps ripple across my skin and a chill run down my spine.

“Finders keepers,” Pola argued.

“Do not seduce my patron,” Lycian said sharply. “Doubtless you intend to turn him into your crony.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Trett challenged her.

“Make magic items till I die,” Pola replied.

“Stand by Luciel until his short human life span comes to an end,” Lycian declared. “I have a partner and rival now who I need to impress.”

Out of context, that could have easily been construed as a proposal.

“Thanks for the advice,” I said. “I’m going to take some time to think about what sort of things I want to do in the near future.”

It took us three long days to get through all of the ant corpses.

I began a new training regimen the next day, involving several spells at once with multiple magic circles. Goals and aspirations were still on my mind, but that didn’t mean I could slack on constantly improving. The things one lacked had a tendency to be exactly what one needed at the least expected times.

Lionel, Ketty, and Kefin’s measurements were completed quickly with Trett’s help despite his love of teasing Kefin. Ten days passed in a flash.

“We all ready to go?” I asked.

“Aye,” Dhoran replied, though his tone was uncertain. Meeting Rockwell must have been weighing heavily on him. “I can’t convince either o’ ya to stay here?”

“Nu-uh!” Pola declared.

“Like they say, know thy enemy!” Lycian agreed.

Was she really Lycian’s enemy? Those two were really getting along like the best of friends now. Even Dhoran had gotten over his prejudice towards the elf now that Lycian was friends with his granddaughter.

“I’ll keep your forge warm,” Trett said. “I’m feeling inspired lately.” He winked at Lionel. Ketty all but hissed at him in response.

“Should take about three months to get four sets o’ gear hammered out,” Grand said. “You’ll get back any ore we don’t end up usin’.”

“I thought you said not to expect there to be leftovers.”

“Remembered somethin’ I never shoulda let go,” he replied. “When your job’s done, I’m headin’ to the mines.”

“You’re serious, brother?” Dhoran asked.

“Can’t go expectin’ Luciel to hire me with all this baggage,” Grand said. “Whaddya say? Think you’ll have any openings when I’m done?”

“With you on the team, I almost want to buy some land in Yenice and build a nice little town,” I mused.

“I don’t suppose you mean to leave little old me out, do you?” Trett cut in. “Oh-hoh, now that sounds like a project.”

“It might be another ten years down the line,” I said, “but that’s a nice goal to have. A little place of respite like Rockford.”

Everyone smiled in agreement. As we left for the Kingdom of Dwarves, my steps felt lighter than ever.

There wasn’t a single monster on the road. We arrived at the cave’s mouth having only seen the occasional flier soaring far overhead.

“Easy trip,” I remarked.

“We can safely assume that the queen ant we slew was the cause of our troubles,” Lionel replied.

I nodded, turned on the light, and proceeded towards the cavern, but Dhoran stopped me and said, “A minute, lad.”

“Not feeling well?” I asked him.

“Just a little uneasy is all. Last time I came here with Pola, it... I don’t like to remember it.” Pola looked up at her grandfather and he patted her head. He took a deep breath, then said, “Sorry ’bout that. Let’s get goin’.”

When we emerged from the tunnel and into the Kingdom of Dwarves, cheers rose up, but not for me—for a change. For Dhoran and Pola.

“You guys are popular,” I said.

A shy smile appeared beneath Dhoran’s beard. “Small neighborhood.”

We continued towards the king’s palace.

“So, is there no reception or anything around here?” I asked.

“We don’t do stuffy formalities like that,” the dwarf replied. “King Rockwell calls all dwarves brothers ’n sisters.” I gave him a sarcastic look. “The matter o’ the sword I forged was complicated,” he clarified. “His Majesty’s hands were tied, and rules had ta be followed. He didn’t enslave me ’cause he wanted to, lad. Who knows what else he had ta do to clean up the mess.”

“And a king simply doesn’t have the power to pardon people,” I said sarcastically.

“Not for family he can’t. Not without it lookin’ bad.”

“Excuse me? Repeat that first part?”

“Rockwell’s father, the last king, was my younger brother,” Dhoran said. “I left home when I was a boy to follow the way o’ the hammer. Wandered around a bit before apprenticing with a master with Brother Grand. When our old man died, my brother took the throne in my place.”

“You’re telling me you and Pola are royalty?”

Dhoran grinned and nodded. “In so many words, that may or may not be what I’m implyin’.”

As we walked through the building, angry shouts echoed through the corridor. They were coming from the audience chamber.

“Is that King Rockwell?” I asked.

“Plus one more,” Dhoran said as he opened the door.

“Did I not say I would not be taking...” Rockwell began to shout. “Uncle?!”

“And his little twig,” Aleslei added.

Their faces were red, like they’d been screaming at each other until just a moment ago. They stared at us.

“I purchased these two some time ago,” I said. “After much service, I decided to free them. They’re now officially under my employ and manage my crafting. King Rockwell, if you have anything to say, say it now. The same goes for you, Dhoran.”

“You think you can just waltz in here and throw your weight around, S-rank?” Aleslei hissed.

A figure emerged from the prince’s shadow and promptly covered his mouth. It was Pola’s golem.

“You’re even more annoying than usual,” she said. “Let grandpa talk.”

“My apologies, Pola,” Rockwell said. “Uncle Dhoran, it’s been too long.”

“I caused you a lotta pain and trouble,” Dhoran said, somehow with more remorse in his voice than the king. “All because o’ my own failure. I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

“Do not apologize to me. It’s my fault. I should never have sold Pola with you, no matter how much she begged me. What I did was unforgivable.”

“But I got to stay with grandpa because of you,” Pola argued.

“Truth be told, I thought you were a cold man when ya sold her,” Dhoran confessed. “But that’s what it takes to be a king. Toss your guilt to the wind, boy.” He stood up straight and continued, “You acted as a ruler. If ya still wanna do with the apologies, I’ll accept it and move on. Water under the bridge.”

“Uncle...” The king began to cry. “How I regret what I did to you.”

Aleslei watched in awe. A king crying before his subjects. Rockwell carried a great deal of hidden stress, and he had lost one of his two sons. His arrogance and bombastic nature was likely a mask he put on to assuage his people, when in reality, he was creaking under the weight. It made me wonder what I would have done had I not had people to lean on in Yenice. The Healer’s Guild probably would have taken far longer to establish, at the very least.

I sympathized with the king. Perhaps if Dhoran and Grand had been here, he would have been able to control his sons better and none of this would have happened.

Aleslei struggled against Pola’s golem, uttering something that was too muffled to make out.

“I’ve heard the story,” Dhoran said, looking pitifully at the prince. “How ya plan to disinherit your son if he doesn’t change in the next few years. I’ll stand by you if it comes to that. I’m partly ta blame, after all.”

“You agree?” Rockwell asked. “We dwarves should be the best at controlling golems, and if he can’t dismantle that one there, I worry for our kingdom if we’re ever invaded again.”

Dhoran grunted. “In five years, we may have to find ourselves a new Dwarf King if your boy can’t learn better.”

“That we may.”

Aleslei watched his father. Pola tilted her head and said, “I can dismantle it. Does that make me queen?”

At that moment, Aleslei passed out from the lack of oxygen making it through the golem’s hand.

Rockwell sighed. “Pitiful. But as his father, I am more so. About the treasury, it seems Grios and his people took off with quite a few things. We have several items missing. Uncle, whatever you want from what remains, it’s yours.”

“Don’t worry about how valuable anything is,” I said. “We just need anything we can make use of. Nothing else.”

We left Aleslei where he was and headed for the treasury. Directly behind the throne was a door.

“You don’t keep a lock on this thing?” I asked.

“No one’s getting in without their mana being properly registered,” Rockwell explained. “My sons were given access in the unlikely event that I perished.”

The king put his hand to the door, and a light shone in the shape of a crest just like the doors the Eternal Dragons slumbered behind.

“Who made this thing?”

“The human legend, Lord Reinstar. The one who is credited with causing the decline of the Kingdom of Dwarves.”

For a man who could create a floating city, a door was probably child’s play, so that checked out. But the decline of the Kingdom of Dwarves? What had that man done this time?

“What exactly did Lord Reinstar do to you?” I asked

“It begins in Rockford, before it was Rockford,” the king said. “It was once the site of a mine, but Lord Reinstar destroyed it with a single spell to defeat a powerful monster. It terrified the dwarves, and they feared he might do the same to them.”

Did that mean the fake town leading to Rockford was the aftermath of Reinstar blowing apart an entire mountain? Yeah, I would have been terrified too.

“I know he’s an intimidating guy, but that can’t be everything.”

“Lord Reinstar then came to our kingdom, seeking to cooperate in the invention of new ideas. He wanted to take up trade, something dwarves have historically failed at, and improve our people’s understanding and abilities.”

“That makes sense. You’re great crafters, but I can’t exactly compliment you on your bedside manner.”

“The kingdom prospered in the time leading up to the creation of Rockford, but that’s when it ended. Scientists and crafters flocked to the new city, including dwarves, of course.”

“And you declined because...there was a golden age of innovation?”

The king was silent for a moment. “The records state that the kingdom itself was left with only isolationists after the migration, and that’s why our nation is the way it is today. Anyway, the treasury is yours to choose from.”

“Take whatever you like,” I said to Dhoran.

The dwarf suddenly froze and turned to Rockwell. “Why do you still have it?” he rumbled with a hint of anger.

“Because I sensed possibility in it,” Rockwell replied simply.

Dhoran took a single sword from the vault. A particularly large one-hander. “I’d like this, Mister Luciel.”

“I’m guessing that’s the sword that caused you to become a slave?” I asked.

“It is.”

I thought for a moment. “If you can promise me that the past isn’t going to drag you down, you can have it. King Rockwell?”

“I can’t refuse a request from my dear uncle.”

“Appreciate it,” Dhoran replied.

Grand had once said that Rockwell had fallen into a depression after enslaving Dhoran and Pola. It explained why he might have chosen to hold on to the sword that had started it, to cherish a failed creation.

“All right,” I said, shifting gears. “Can you take me to where the former slaves are?”

“Some have begun working, but...well, some committed crimes,” Rockwell replied. “So we put them behind bars.”

Ten days. They couldn’t have just stayed calm for ten measly days?

“What do you mean ‘crimes’?”

“Theft. Some tried to assault people with magic.”

“Idiots,” I sighed. “They agreed to the terms of the contract. I want to talk to them, and if they have nothing to say for themselves, you can punish them to the extent of your laws.”

“You’re sure?”

“I freed them because they would have died if I hadn’t. If they want to waste their lives as criminals, that’s their prerogative. Can you take me to them?”

“This way.”

Shutting the treasury door behind him, King Rockwell walked off and picked up Aleslei from the floor. I followed behind them. Rockwell handed his son to attendants in the hallway, then led us to a door next to the slave quarters. Behind the door was a staircase leading down.

“Careful. It reeks,” the king warned us.

“Mind if I take care of that?”

“By all means. The smell’s not for decoration.”

I cast Purification as we descended. Lionel followed directly behind Rockwell, while Ketty and Kefin took my flanks. They had fallen into the formation all on their own, without me even realizing it. My companions sure were competent.

The cells soon came into view.

“This looks a lot like the prison you made in Yenice,” I told Dhoran.

“Same design,” he said. “Pola’s version caused fatigue and suppressed spells with magic items, but this here’s the original.”

“Interesting,” I said.

Dhoran was clearly back to his old self if he felt good enough to brag about his granddaughter in response to a simple comment. Meanwhile, we approached the former slaves in their cells.

“Repeat offenders common around here, or what?” I mumbled to myself.

I spoke with each person individually, and although I’d bound them to speak truthfully by contract, they got around it by simply not talking at all. They were doomed to become slaves of the Kingdom of Dwarves again.

“Sorry to waste your time,” I said to Rockwell. “You can deal with them however you see fit. I’d like to see the former slaves who haven’t committed any felonies this time.”

“This lot will be enslaved again, if that’s all right with you.”

“They couldn’t go ten days in their new lives without throwing them away. Clearly, I’m still too incompetent to do anything for them.”

I had thought that by showing them a new path, they might choose a better way. But I was still green. The day I would learn otherwise was evidently far off.

In the quarters where the ex-slaves were staying, we found eight people.

“Excuse me, everyone,” I called out, “you have a decision to make. You can either stay and work here in the kingdom or come with me to the Holy City. I cannot guarantee anything after we arrive there except compensation in the way of twenty silver pieces. But that’s all. I don’t know what kind of lives you’ll lead in the Kingdom of Dwarves, but chances are your work will consist of what you’ve been doing for the last ten days.”

One man raised his hand. “I’ll go.”

One after the other, five others joined him.

“The two of you left should be taken care of by King Rockwell,” I said, glancing at His Majesty. He nodded with a compliant smile.

More ex-slaves appeared then, along with the healers. Word seemed to have spread that I was back, and they were out of breath but smiling. I repeated what I had told the others.

“As for the four healers, I’ll need to take you in for questioning, so you’ll be coming with us to the Holy City. What will the rest of you do?” Surprisingly, five of the ten chose to stay in the kingdom this time. “They’re yours, Rockwell.”

“They’ll receive the same treatment as dwarven citizens,” he reassured me.

“You know, the kingdom doesn’t have much experience with international relations ’n whatnot,” Dhoran noted. “If you wanna change that, you oughta talk with Yenice or Shurule.”

Rockwell looked at his uncle with emotional eyes and nodded. “Luciel, can I expect your good word?”

“As long as you promise to not send any snobs this time,” I said.

“You drive a hard bargain.”

We quickly finished forging the necessary contracts.

“Next time I visit, I’ll bring some drinks,” I said. “Make sure you’ve got a feast ready.”

“As long as you bring the hardest spirits you can find,” he replied.

We shared a firm handshake and a promise that we’d meet again under better circumstances. Then, with the former slaves in tow, my group departed for the Holy City.

Lihzalea was nowhere to be seen.