Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 101: The New Court Magic Artisan

Ahok awakens in an unfamiliar room far exceeding the wealthy appearance or luxury of any room she has ever slept in for any part of her life, even as the Court Magic Artisan. The bed is comfortable, the blanket is soft and warm, and the pillows feel like what Ahok imagines a cloud would be.

She does her best to sit up, wondering if everything in her hazy memories were just nightmares, or if it all happened. She finds a little pain in her ribs, and she winces, touching her chest to find bandages.

She looks around the room as she rests her torso, waiting for the pain to subside. The room looks like a fairly minimalist bedroom, with little furniture, a small washroom in a separate room, and a basic dresser with a couple of drawers and a strange-looking window on top of it.

For the moment, there is no one around her, and she wearily climbs out of bed. She is dressed in an extremely simple robe, which is clean and soft, and she has bandages on her arms, legs, and wrapped around her chest. She approaches the dresser, and the ‘window’ startles her. Ahok has never had the luxury, but she has heard of mirrors before. That said, from what she heard -complaints of those who did have them as a luxury-, mirrors are tedious to keep clear enough to do detailed beauty work. The bronze that’s typically used must be polished regularly to stay clear enough to see. This mirror has a reflection like the surface of water so pure, it would be fit for angels to drink from. She can see every detail of her own face, down to the individual hairs on her head, the freckles on her broad goblin ears and her light green-blue cheeks, and the faint blood stains on the bandages wrapping part of her forehead and temple, which covers her right eye.

There’s a knock at the door which startles her, and she whirls to face the door, backing away. “Wh-Who is it?” she croaks out in a hoarse voice. Her throat is sore, and she flashes back to screaming as… She shakes her head to forget the thoughts. 

The half-goblin artisan looks around for something to defend herself with, but the voice that returns through the door is fairly gentle, even for a man’s voice. “It’s me, Daniel. I’d like to speak with you, Lady Ahok. May I enter?”

Her blood runs cold. D-Daniel? How can that…? Did he somehow survive Twilight? That’s… How? A-Am… Am I… a prisoner?

“Y-Yes. Y-You may enter.”

The door opens, revealing none other than the tallest human on the world of Zenkon, who was sent away from the castle to Fort Twilight almost a year ago. And, according to intelligence reports, he is now the self-proclaimed emperor of an organization calling itself the ‘Fievegal’. With him is a fox-eared girl with a big, bushy black tail who matches the description of Hekate, the self-proclaimed empress of the Fievegal. Both of them are wearing matching armor, minus their helmets, as if they are going into battle. Behind them are three women carrying massive eggs too large for their mostly-human bodies.

Ahok’s focus is locked on Daniel, though. A primal part of her soul is terrified of him. He is a large man, compared to her, and after… She shifts behind the dresser, trying to keep the dresser between herself and Daniel.

Daniel stops just inside the room, and Hekate stops beside him. The reptilian-women, likely dragon-kin if not the dragons in human form, also file in and stop alongside Daniel and Hekate. 

Daniel lowers himself to a kneel, saying gently, “Lady Ahok, it has been some time.”

“W-What’s going on?” asks Ahok nervously. “A-Are you here to kill me?”

“If we wanted you dead, we would have left you where we found you.”

She tightens her grip on the dresser, her body feeling the pain of what happened.

“I… Wh-What do you want, then?”

“What do you know about the weapon that erased Fort Twilight?”

Her whole body drains of strength, and she sinks to a kneel on the floor. Tears immediately start to well up in her eyes, and she whimpers, “I-I-I’m sorry…! I’m so sorry!” She begins sobbing, and Hekate glances at Daniel. He nods at her, and the young empress jogs to Ahok, kneeling to hug her. “Shhh… We won’t hurt you. We just want to know what that weapon is and how to counter it.”

Ahok is unable to answer for a long time, but to her surprise, Hekate stays with her and simply hugs her, reassuring her gently as the half-goblin does her best to apologize through sniffles, snorts, and sobs. She has truly become undignified, but she has nothing. She is likely a prisoner of the very people she helped attack, and when they learn that she designed the weapon…

But then, wouldn’t that mean… it would all end? M-Maybe that’s… Maybe that’s for the best…

After finally calming down, Ahok finds the other women kneeling nearby, though Daniel has remained at a distance. Seeing Ahok notice this, Hekate explains, “We suspect we know what happened. Daniel won’t touch you unless you allow it.”

The platinum blonde woman with silvery horns and a metallic white tail scoffs, replying dryly, “Forget that, Mukori won’t touch you unless you specifically pounce him yourself.”

The blue dragon-kin woman states, hiding her mouth behind a high collar of a blue mantle, “Please allow me to introduce us. That is Hekate, this is Ryuogriar, I am Reignleif, and this is Geirahoel. We are the four Empresses of the Fievegal in order.”

Ahok looks at each of them nervously, and she makes eye contact with Daniel, sniffling as she wipes her nose. She replies with a mouse-like tone, “I-I am Ahok, C-Court Magic Artisan of the Kingdom of Mornistae. O-Or I was. I… I’m a half-goblin… s-so… I have… nowhere I belong.”

Hekate looks at Daniel specifically, and she smiles, putting a hand on Ahok’s shoulder. Ahok is probably at least a decade or more older than Hekate, but Hekate is doing her best from the advantageous position to comfort Ahok, and she replies confidently, “The firstborn princesses of the Fievegal are both half-goblins. You’re welcome here, if you’ll help us.”

“I… But… I… I’m responsible.”

“How so?” asks Ryuogriar, the most mature of the three dragon-kin women.

“I… I'm the one who… designed the weapon.” Ahok fidgets with her hands. “I… I tried to stop them from using it! Rikuto kept saying it was a deterrence to prevent Daniel from using world-ending weapons from Earth. S-Something about ‘mutual destruction resurgence’... or something.”

“Mutually assured destruction,” replies Daniel. Ahok flinches, exclaiming, “Y-Yes! That’s the one!” She shrinks when she realizes she just spoke directly to Daniel. But, he still hasn’t even moved closer, let alone tried to intimidate her.

Geirahoel asks, staying focused on the weapon, “You are the one who designed that weapon? You know how it works?”

Ahok nods nervously. “Y-Yes. It generates a spell that merges all six of the magic elements into a concentrated orb of mana -t-two of them!-, and then casts them towards the target, where they merge. When the orbs merge, it unleashes the full force of the magic spells, using mana around to amplify the damage. I… I truly had no idea… We wanted a way to fight… um… d-d-dragons… B-But, I swear! I thought we were going to use it as a threat! Not to attack! I- When I realized what was happening, I tried to stop them, but… I’m… just… a goblin…”

Hekate looks at the others for a moment, and they seem to share the same thought almost immediately, including Daniel. The women all nod, and Hekate says proudly, “We won’t hold you responsible if you help us deconstruct the spell so we can counter it. If you refuse, we will provide you with two options; remain prisoner here, in this room, with 3 meals a day and supervised outdoor time in a secure area. Or, we’ll provide you a basic survival kit and release you wherever you would like to be dropped off. There are several goblin villages, we can escort you as far as Fort Peony.”

Ryuogriar adds, “You might find yourself quite comfortable there. Mukori seduced several of the women there just for being a magic artificer and repairing their equipment.” She adds playfully, “He helped them sleep like adorable little kittens.”

Reignleif clarifies, “What Ryuo means is that Fort Peony would welcome a magic artisan. As would we. And, your salary would be well worth it, though our economy is newly shifting to a finance-based economy. Still, there will be benefits.”

“Y-... You’re not… treating me like an enemy?”

“Are you our enemy?” asks Geirahoel pointedly.

“I… I don’t… know anymore…”

Daniel says gently, “You remember, don’t you? Where and how we found you? I’m not trying to…”

“Y-Yes…” squeaks Ahok. “Th-...” She looks away, trying to resist crying again. “I… was always an outcast…”

The door opens, and a surprising new entrance occurs. At least, surprising for Ahok.

Wenlianna kos Stalvaltan, first daughter of the Grand Duchess of the Stalvaltan family, and Ahok’s predecessor as Court Magic Artisan, enters the room. “That’s not true, Ahok. I worked with you, and I can say with confidence, you are one of the fastest thinking and most knowledgeable magic artisans the kingdom of Mornistae have ever produced.” She approaches, sinking to a kneel and lowering her head. “I, too, looked down on you at one time because I was prejudiced against goblins. But, I was also envious of how naturally the answers seemed to come to you when I witnessed you solving problems and developing devices. I am sorry for looking down on you for a superficiality. They speak the truth, you will be well-treated here.”

“W-W-Wenlianna!?” exclaims Ahok, stunned. “I-I mean, L-Lady -NO!- Duchess-...”

“Shhh, that’s not necessary, Ahok.” Wenlianna smiles. “We’ll explain everything better later, but for now, I want to reassure you, you are safe here. Daniel will ensure that any opportunity you desire is available to you, and you will hold the respect worthy of your station.” She looks at Daniel, saying seriously, “Daniel, I must recommend Ahok for the position of Court Magic Artisan. I pride myself in having better systems knowledge, but Ahok is far better at intuitive problem solving. She will be a great boon to the many technologies of Earth we are adapting to Zenkon technology.”

Daniel nods. “I had every intention of asking her to be our Chief Magic Artisan, but we have to first establish if she wants to stay or go. Lady Ahok, I will do my best not to intimidate you and treat you as a friend and respected colleague. I’m sorry for what happened to you, and I understand if you want to start from scratch somewhere else. You don’t have to decide today, but if you are willing to join us and help us build a prosperous future, we’ll always welcome you. No platitudes, no using you. Just cooperation for the greater good of this world and the Fievegal.”

Hekate nods in agreement. “And, Reignleif’s right. It’ll take some learning, but we’ll pay you well enough that you won’t want to go back.”

Ahok looks around at the strange collection of people. She won’t be the first traitor if she decides to stay, but as far as the kingdom of Mornistae is concerned, she’s dead. They sent her to die so Count Baumalde can take credit for her work.

“C-... Can I make… a request?” asks Ahok.

Hekate nods. “You can request. We’ll have to hear it first before we’ll agree to the request, though.”

Ahok fidgets nervously. Ryuogriar adds, “No matter the request, we won’t retaliate against you. We’ll just tell you no if it’s not possible. Even if you ask to marry Daniel and have him all to yourself, we’ll only tell you that you can’t have him all to yourself.”

Ahok stares at her in disbelief. She finally shakes her head after a moment, clearing her brain. “N-No! No, that’s… I barely know Daniel! I couldn’t… I mean, I wouldn’t… I’m a half-goblin. I’m not worthy…”

“Don’t say those words anymore,” replies Hekate a little curtly. “You are Ahok, a genius magic artisan. And, those princesses I mentioned earlier? Those are Daniel’s daughters. Shek and Skloe are Queen consorts to Daniel. I’m his first wife, of course. But, you are not worthy or unworthy because you’re a half-goblin. You’re worthy to be our Chief Artisan because you’re good at your job. You’re worthy to be anyone’s wife because you’re beautiful and smart, and you’ll have genius babies. Not that Daniel needs anymore mistresses…” She glares lightly at Ryuogriar, specifically, who smirks. “But, ‘worthiness’ is just worthless drivel spread by nobles who want to marry off terrible daughters and conceited sons when a commoner would be a perfectly fine match. Or… something.” She looks at Daniel. “How did you explain it, Daniel?”

“The… point was a little different,” replies Daniel. “Anyways, she’s right. Your worth isn’t determined by people who define it based on superficial traits you can’t change. But, don’t worry about the relationship part. The more important thing is; what was your request.”

“Oh! Um… Wellll…” Ahok nervously looks aside. “P-Please don’t hate me for asking this, but… I… I would like revenge…”

“Revenge?” asks Wenlianna. “On who? Mornistae?”

The goblin artisan shakes her head. “No… On Count Baumalde… He convinced Rikuto to send me to the front lines, e-even though I have no combat experience, all so he could take credit for inventing the weapon. I-... I don’t mind so much about the credit, but… they tried to have me killed to ensure I couldn’t refute.”

Hekate gently starts to reply, “Revenge is a little…”

“Done,” replies Daniel. The others are surprised, and they look at him. He adds, “Baumalde is the other scientist, and apparently close enough to Rikuto to sabotage a Court Magic Artisan. He’s either part of a greater conspiracy, or simply an overt enemy of the Fievegal. Regardless, when we conquer Mornistae, we’ll destroy his nobility. If he chooses to resist, we may need to charge him with war crimes after he is apprehended.”

“Are you sure?” asks Hekate. “That doesn’t sound like a very ‘Earth’ response.”

“Ancient Earth, maybe. Regardless, this isn’t Earth. Rikuto has adapted to that fact. My reluctance to adapt has cost us lives and sparked the creation of a weapon almost as bad as the one I created. Will that suffice, Lady Ahok?”

Ahok nods. “Y-Yes… A-As long as… he loses something important to him, so he knows what it’s like.”

“Consider it done, then.”

“Y-You’re… planning to invade?”

“They wiped out a fortress under our control and killed our soldiers unprovoked. Of course we’re retaliating.” Daniel finally stands up. “You don’t have to participate if you personally wish to remain neutral, Ahok, but I will ask you to help us defeat the weapon at least in so much as defending against it or how to disable it. We’ll also need to capture anyone who knows how to assemble and operate it.”

Ahok nods. “Count Baumalde is the only other one who understands the spell enough to recreate it. But, I-... I’ll make a list, as long as… Not all of them… are bad people.”

“I understand. We’ll treat those who repent with respect and mercy. Will you help us?”

Ahok looks once more at the women still sitting on the floor of the room. She climbs to her feet, and Hekate does the same, standing a little taller than Ahok, but not presenting any sort of condescending attitude. Ahok offers her hand, and Hekate shakes it. “I-I will. I… If you’ll have me, I will serve the Fievegal. P-Please treat me well.”

Hekate nods proudly. “Welcome to the Fievegal, Lady Ahok. From today onwards, consider yourself Chief Magic Artisan of the Fievegal, and prove your loyalty to me. If you do so, your loyalty will be rewarded many times over.”

Ahok nods. “I… just want a place I can call home.”

Hekate grins, and the other women smile as well as they stand up. “The Fievegal is the only true home anyone could ever have. Welcome home, Lady Ahok.”

Ahok’s eyes water as she smiles. “Th-Thank you… my Empress.”

***

Daniel hums to himself as he works on load balancing on the electrical ring bus for the generators producing power. Everything is oversized and inefficient, and there is a ton of noise in the generator bay of a hydroelectric dam, which is near the Citadel downstream of the lake, where a slope allowed the construction of an extremely simple dam to use the massive amount of water in the lake continuously flowing to generate electricity. He is wearing ear muffs, mostly focused on his work. It has been a while since he had to do anything with electrical power, especially because he has never been a traditional load distribution electrician, but had to learn the core pieces of the job to do his own work on the aircraft carrier. He won’t be doing any particularly safe load transitions, since he doesn’t have the know-how to make a synchrometer to time the closing of the breaker properly. But, he is able to use math to calculate the voltage and frequency to get those values close. He already blew up two breakers early on, so he has been having the breakers made of mithril so that they don’t break down so easily if the timing is way off. 

Which, of course, are why he generally keeps anyone that can’t shield themselves with magic barriers out of the generator bay, since it is a dangerous room of death, especially for those who don’t understand electricity.

Daniel grumbles, “God, I hate generator calculations…” He sighs. “It’s for the greater good, Daniel. Stick with it.” He scoffs, saying in a cult like tone, “The greater good. The greater good.” He chuckles to himself, having referenced a movie he liked to no one in particular. In fact, he may be the only person on this world who has seen that movie, depending on whether or not Rikuto has seen it.

Daniel prepares a switch, and he looks away. He shouts as loud as he can in case anyone is close, “Breaker closing! Look away!”

He flips the switch, and there’s a loud metal clunk as the breaker closes. The generators that he’s pairing thud loudly and shift their tones and hums, quickly stabilizing at the same sound as before.

He sighs. The mithril contacts for the breakers should hold up, but he’s dealing with tens of thousands of volts, and there is no such thing as stress-strain testing on Zenkon, yet, so there are no magic curves to define the properties of mithril. Like all things that Daniel knows a little about, he knows the idea of the Charpy v-notch impact test, but he doesn’t know exactly how to use the data collected off the top of his head. It has been a while. Regardless, mithril holds up well under strain and is a little less costly and rare than sharmellkolle, which Daniel minimizes the use of until he can get the generators working properly and generating mana directly to the Citadel.

The raw power output of the generators is finally at a rate that exceeds the mana donation rate of the portion of the population that they have donate mana each day. But, converting that electrical power into mana is a new bottleneck, since the device that operates that function is extremely inefficient, which is why Daniel is targeting a higher workload of the generators in pairs, similar to powering a really big motor, rather than a bunch of tiny ones. He gains slightly more mana for the relative equipment sizes and costs versus making a ton of tiny rigs.

For the moment, the hydroelectric generators are the best he can do on short notice, since the dam is just enough of a construction to count as such. To make a proper construction, he needs much more of a change in altitude, which is beyond his scope with the massive lake. He thought about using boilers and steam turbines, but the only continuous source of heat he has right away without using mana is the dragons, and it would be impractical to ask them to work in shifts generating steam continuously.

As such, the hydroelectric turbines, which aren’t much better than a simple water wheel, are the best he has.

That said, he is successfully generating mana. He hums even more triumphantly, beatboxing to entertain himself. He’s pondering his retaliation, of course, but he’ll need a continuous supply of mana to wage war, and as long as he knows a fixed value is coming in, he can justify making the attack.

“What are you doing here?” asks Hekate’s voice loudly over the noise. Daniel turns, and he rolls his eyes. Standing a little too close to him, watching over his shoulder without him noticing is the archoneldwyn, Doephluev. Doephluev replies to Hekate with a polite bow, “Your Greatness, I am standing by to serve my master with any of his needs.”

“How did either of you find me here?” asks Daniel.

“You can’t hide from me.” “I always know where you are, Master.” Their answers are simultaneous, and Hekate glares at Doephluev while the latter simply stares back at her.

“You’re no longer needed here, assassin.”

“I am my master’s servant, your Greatness. Only he may send me away.”

“Oh, so you’re his servant now?”

Daniel sighs, “Do EITHER of you need something?”

“Just your presence, Master,” replies the archoneldwyn shamelessly. Hekate glares at her, but she replies to Daniel, “Aramellianna asked when we’ll be launching the invasion. She wants to inform her people so they don’t try to fight us.”

“I don’t have a solid day, yet. I just got the generators producing mana at a reasonable rate. But, I’ll need to monitor them to make sure we’re actually gaining something, and that they’ll continue running while I’m gone.”

He then looks at Doephluev. “Weren’t you working on helping with brewing potations?”

“Master, the current potations are distilling. Unless, of course, you obtain more ignityal for me.” She smiles cutely.

Daniel sighs. ‘Extracting’ ignityal from any of the three dragons he’s close to is a commitment for the day. Especially because all three are likely to volunteer simultaneously.

“Fine. I’ll let Aramellianna know at lunch time what I’m thinking.”

“Alright!” says Hekate happily. She then bounces over to Daniel, and she places herself intentionally between Doephluev and Daniel, asking him, “So, these are generators?”

“Yep. They’re running together to share the load. I just wish we had a proper hydroelectric dam.”

“What’s wrong with this one?”

“We need a higher difference in level between the water source and the generators for higher speed, which would give us better and more stable power. This is a start, but we’ll be able to increase our mana income more if we have a better generator station. That said, we don’t have to abandon the Citadel, obviously. We’ll just have to find a good location and build a proper hydroelectric dam, and then run distribution wires to the Citadel.”

“I see, I see,” replies Hekate. “When should we do that?”

Daniel chuckles, “Right after everything else.”

“Master, if you’d like, I would happily scout locations for you.”

“We’re fine,” retorts Hekate sourly.

“I was under the impression you would be happy with me elsewhere, your Greatness.”

Hekate faces the archoneldwyn, who is trying to get closer to Daniel subtly. “My hope is that you wouldn’t come back. Since I doubt that will be the case, I’d rather know where you are.”

“You’re trying too hard, Doephluev,” replies Daniel. “Scouting from the air will be better. It’s not a priority right now. It’ll take years to build the dam, even if we find a good location. This is good enough for now.” He smirks at both of them. “I was mainly trying to gather my thoughts.”

“Yeah, assassin,” taunts Hekate.

Doephluev retorts smugly, “Master was completely undistracted and undisturbed by my presence until you arrived, your Greatness. And, if he needed anything, I would have been ready and present to cater to his every need.”

“This. This is why I wanted to be alone. Can you be nice to each other? Doephluev, please stop sneaking up on me. I’d rather you announce your presence, even if you don’t do anything else. Hekate,... She has given up on her old mission. I believe that well enough right now. Treating her like an enemy won’t inspire her to remain our ally.”

“Assuming she is,” replies Hekate skeptically.

Doephluev replies, “The only one I need to convince is my master and emperor.”

Just before the bickering can continue, Daniel states, “Let’s head back to the Citadel for lunch. If the bickering continues, I’m going to put you both in timeout. Hekate, five days in your own room, Doephluev, two weeks no contact.”

“H-How come I get two weeks?” whines Doephluev.

“Because, you’ll last a week.” Daniel looks at Hekate, who is incensed and simultaneously terrified at the notion of having to sleep in her own room alone for five days.

Hekate and Doephluev look at each other, and Hekate clears her throat. “Doephluev, you wear that dress and apron well.”

“Your Greatness, your posture is excellent and your hair is absolutely divine. You must teach me your techniques.”

They shake hands and force smiles. They both then chirp together with a creepily ‘cute’ and high tone, “Shall we go, Daniel?” “Shall we go, Master?”

“We shall. Keep it up. You don’t have to like each other, but you will play nice, or I won’t play with you.”

They both pout as they follow him, “Yes…” “Understood…”

As they walk to Daniel’s rover, he asks, “Doephluev, do you know anything about the actual war between the east and the west?”

“What do you mean, Master?”

“Who’s pulling the strings?”

“S-Strings?”

“Sorry. I guess I haven’t seen ventriloquism here. Who was Brosjak getting orders from?”

Doephluev becomes quiet, thinking. She replies softly, “There was someone, but I don’t know who. A human-kin, though. Passed for a human, but I think he was using illusion magic. I only saw him once, though.”

“Just one person?”

“The person who gave Brosjak instructions, yes. O-Or… I believe that’s the case. Brosjak didn’t like talking to him and would be upset for most of the day. He… took it out on…” She trails off, and Daniel knows that he doesn’t need to hear more. He knows enough.

Surprisingly, Hekate puts a hand on the archoneldwyn’s shoulder. She has to reach up a little, since Hekate has a rather petite build and Doephluev is around average height for an American woman. The young feldrok empress says gently, “Brosjak is dead. You don’t have to be afraid of him anymore.”

Doephluev smiles as she puts her hand on Hekate’s. “Thank you, your Greatness.”

Both of them sound sincere, but Daniel watches the scene with skepticism. Just moments ago, they were envious of each other and bickering, but Hekate does become serious and sincere when the situation warrants it, so it could honestly go either way.

Daniel opts to say nothing this time about it. He asks, “Anything else you can tell us, Doephluev? Any names?”

“No… But, I would recognize the mana of the person if I ever see them again.”

“Their mana?” asks Hekate.

Doephluev nods. “Yes, your Greatness. Believe it or not, everyone's mana looks… well, it's not exactly visible, but it's like… colors. Everyone has their own color and brightness. It’s as… distinct to me as a person’s face.”

“So, you could mistake one person for another,” asks Daniel, just to be sure.

“Of course. I’m not all-knowing. But, it’s pretty reliable.” She strokes Daniel’s chest invitingly with her index finger, adding teasingly, “I could teach you, Master. It’s something that can be learned.”

Hekate just about says something, but she halts herself, growling as they reach the rover. She huffs, saying brightly -fake brightly-, “Aren’t you supposed to be focused on restoring the archoneldwyn, Doephluev?”

Doephluev smiles, a little deviously. “Certainly, your Greatness. I feel I have made great progress. If you’d like a status report…”

Hekate immediately regrets her retort, and she shakes her hands vigorously, quickly blurting out, “Wah-hah-mah! No! No thank you! That’ll be all! Let’s go Daniel! Stop being so slow!” She scrambles into the passenger seat of the rover, buckling her seatbelt. “What’s takin’ so long? I’m hungry.” She clears her throat, saying in a sickly-sweet tone, “Doephluev, please watch your step as you climb in.”

The former assassin can’t help but laugh, and she opens the door and climbs into the back seat. Daniel stares at Hekate from the door to the passenger side, and she asks, “Wait… Me? You want me to drive?”

“Don’t you want to practice?”

She beams, scrambling immediately to the driver seat. Daniel climbs into the passenger seat, and Doephluev leans on his shoulder as soon as he’s in his seat. “The dragons probably don’t know how to read mana, Master.”

“We’ll talk later, Doephluev. Prodding for a fiery response is cutting it real close.”

“Real close, Doephluev,” reiterates Hekate.

“I got this, Hekate. Go ahead and take us home whenever you’re ready.”

“Yes sir!” Hekate starts the rover and shifts it into gear, driving smoothly and carefully along the dirt road Daniel’s trips have created. The road to Fort Twilight was Daniel’s priority when the fortress still existed, as well as Shek’s subterranean emergency route. Now, both are moot. The main trade route will likely have to be through Fort Peony, since the crater that used to be Fort Twilight is as impassable as the mountain range itself.

For now, it’ll have to do. The number of projects Daniel has to address continues to grow three or four times for every project he completes, it seems.

***

A/N: Hey Dear Readers, if you weren't already aware, I'll be posting 5 more bonus chapters this week as a thank you for all of the support. They are 98.1-98.5, and I have put them in the proper sort order. I'll be releasing them daily this week until they're all out starting Tuesday 10/29/24 at 07:00 EST, so please check them out!