Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 47 - Limited Dimensional Authority - Part One

 

The boy, Percy, didn’t know anything. Or, more specifically, he didn’t realise that he knew something until Gregory was called upon to question him more thoroughly. The second round of questioning uncovered a single word that had been omitted for the first round of questioning because Percy wasn’t sure he had even heard it correctly. However, that one word made all the difference depending on the context.

 

That word was ‘others’, and the fact that Percy had overheard it from a group of confirmed spies or saboteurs meant there was a distinct possibility of more spies lying low amongst the Laine population of civilians. It also may have been a reference to spies elsewhere, but paranoia at this stage seemed warranted.

 

Percy, his mother and his great uncle were given quarters within the inner wall as an additional reward for Percy’s assistance. Additionally, Clarice immediately began haggling with Percy for the Elixirs he had earned from the Quest.

 

The high tier Elixirs didn’t technically exist yet, but Clarice was hellbent on getting her hands on them.

 

Despite his young age, Percy quickly proved that he wasn’t an idiot. He had something Clarice wanted, or he soon would, and he seemed more than willing to push his luck and see what he could get for it.

 

“I want to ride Beast monsters, just like you!” Percy insisted adamantly, ignoring the enormous pile of redeemed equipment and supplies Clarice had already promised in exchange.

 

Clarice fidgeted uncomfortably and appeared to be straining herself to remain civil, “Look, kid, Percy. I can’t just teach you the Class for Taming your own Beast, it's incredibly dangerous. There is no way Tim would allow it...” She paused and took a moment to look at me for confirmation, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

 

I shook my head, “Not unless we find something like a toothless Vrabbit,” I warned.

 

Clarice fidgetted again while working her jaw, “See? If it was up to me, I would have just shown you how to do it. But Tim has rules about this sort of thing.”

 

Percy frowned, scrunching up his small face in frustration, “Then promise to teach me when I’m old enough!” He insisted.

 

Clarice winced. Although Percy had said promise, it was clear that he was expecting an oath.

 

Percy’s mother and great uncle both shifted uneasily. They had not been comfortable with Percy's hardline bargaining tactics to begin with, and it was obvious that attempting to extract an oath from Clarice was pushing them to breaking point.

 

“Fine,” Clarice hissed, “I swear to assist you in unlocking a suitable Class in exchange for the rewards of your participation in the spy hunting quest,” she took a breath, “In such a time as Tim deems appropriate.”

 

Percy frowned, gnawed at his lip for a moment then nodded, “Deal.”

 

Clarice grinned maliciously, “Ahahaha!”

 

It took me a moment to realise why Clarice was so pleased, “Percy, can you read?” I asked calmly.

 

Thoroughly confused and a little suspicious, Percy looked away from Clarice and up at me instead, “No?”

 

“I tried to teach him letters,” his mother apologised quietly.

 

“The boy’s got too much vinegar in him,” his great uncle added, “Erm, your Majesty,” he added hastily, bobbing his head and wringing his leather cap between his knobbly fingers.

 

“What’s so funny?!” Percy demanded.

 

“If you learn to read, then you will be able to interact with a quest that teaches you one of the approved Classes. You can also earn Exp without putting yourself in danger by accepting the Reservist quest and fulfilling the daily objectives,” I explained carefully, “The quest is sort of like a teacher that explains different ways of unlocking the Class you want. It’s possible that you might have been able to unlock the Class you wanted without requiring Clarice’s help at all. You just need to learn how to read so you can follow the instructions.”

 

Clarice’s grin widened.

 

There was a very real possibility that she had just managed to con Percy out of the Elixirs in exchange for the Asrusian government's property and a largely redundant oath.

 

“I’m sure Clarice won’t mind giving you personal riding lessons,” I added flatly while narrowing my eyes at Clarice, “A good faith payment on her oath.”

 

Still grinning, Clarice shrugged, “Sure, why not? But I'll need to feed Dhizi first so she doesn’t mistake him for a snack.”

 

Percy’s expression brightened, “I get to ride one of the giant Beasts?!” He asked excitedly, earning fresh looks of concern from his mother and great uncle.

 

“It would be hard to teach you to ride if you didn’t,” Clarice scoffed, acting as if she herself hadn’t become accustomed to riding relatively recently.

 

Leaving them to it, I returned to my temporary lodgings and found Lash playing with Pete and Suzy on the floor. The cauldrons had been knocked over, or fallen over, leaving the floor three inches under water. Not that the twins seemed to mind in the least, crawling and splashing around the large room while Lash made a show of snarling and chasing after them.

 

Giggling and squealing in delight, the twins scrambled into one of the overturned cauldrons in order to hide.

 

Lash gave me a broad smile before making an exaggerated show of looking for Pete and Suzy beneath a pile of soaked blankets.

 

“I wonder where they could be?” I chuckled, walking past their hiding place and looking inside of the other cauldron, earning a fit of not at all stealthy giggling laughter from the twins hiding place.

 

By the time Lash ‘found’ them, Pete was thoroughly worn out by the excitement and seemed ready to take a nap. Suzy was on her second wind, but she seemed content with rolling around on the floor and attempting to drag her left foot into her mouth.

 

Both twins were now beginning to grow dark greenish and brown hair, which was something of a relief. The last thing I would have wanted was for them to inherit my Alopecia.

 

“So lively,” Lash cooed proudly while settling Pete into a wet blanket on her lap.

 

“I don’t know where Suzy gets all her energy from,” I chuckled in agreement.

 

“Bwa!” Suzy exclaimed, wiggling her tongue in an attempt to close the remaining distance to her toes.

 

Lash smiled, but her expression quickly turned contemplative instead, “Tim?”

 

“Mmm?” I could tell something was on her mind, so I made a point of showing she had my mostly undivided attention.

 

“You love Suzy and Pete...” Lash stated slowly, “If I change, you will love me?” She asked somewhat awkwardly, a hint of embarrassment and anxiety in her voice.

 

“You’re talking about Evolution,” I realised, following her line of sight to Suzy, “A specific Evolution.”

 

Lash nodded.

 

“Well, you already answered your own question,” I smiled reassuringly, “I love our kids, so I think it would be impossible for me to stop loving you for becoming more like them. Even if your appearance changed to be more like something else, I can answer that with a question of my own.”

 

Lash stared back at me expectantly, and I was relieved to see that most of the anxiety from earlier had left her features.

 

“Do you love me any less for changing?” I asked sincerely, nearly choking up as I felt a sudden rush of anxiety over having forced an issue that would have otherwise remained dormant.

 

Lash shook her head and smiled, “No. I like you bigger,” she admitted, blushing slightly as her smile momentarily turned into a lascivious grin.

 

“And the webbed fingers and toes?” I pressed, grinning back at her.

 

Lash shrugged, “Don’t notice mostly,” she admitted. Lash’s eyes widened as she realised she had her answer.

 

“Having gills will probably take some getting used to though, and you would need to change the design of your armour,” I pointed out supportively.

 

Lash nodded, “I have plans,” she stated confidently, “Was for Suzy and Pete,” Lash admitted a little sheepishly, “Will work for me also.”

 

“A little young for armour aren’t they?” I asked in a half-joking tone.

 

Lash shrugged, “Maybe, for now,” she replied noncommittally.

 

“You’re thinking of training armour?” I guessed, recalling how the children in Sanctuary wore crude approximations of armour made from peeled bark.

 

Lash shrugged again, but her nonchalance was more exaggerated this time, “Maybe.”

 

I honestly couldn’t blame her. If I was more familiar with armour crafting I might have been obsessing over plating our children in steel as well.

 

“So a Swamp Orc then?” I asked curiously, “Or are there others? Like a More Orc, or River Orc? Maybe a Lake Orc?”

 

“Swamp is our home,” Lash declared decisively, “Would choose Swamp Orc.”

 

“Or whatever its higher evolution is,” I added supportively, “I mean, you are already an environmental Evolution. So it would make sense that when you reach your next Major Evolution, it would be a progression plus the environmental Evolution tacked on top. Or at least that’s how I understand it.”

 

Lash was listening with keen interest, so it was somewhat unfortunate that my knowledge on the subject was very nearly tapped out.

 

“Nadine probably knows more about it,” I admitted, “However, I am fairly certain that so long as we spend enough time in our swamp, it is more a matter of time than anything else whether you will have the chance to achieve the more advanced form of Swamp Orc Evolution. Does that make sense?”

 

Lash nodded thoughtfully, “Maybe not this time, or next time, but eventually,” she summarised succinctly, demonstrating the results of her widening vocabulary.

 

“The chances seem quite high,” I commented thoughtfully, “Close to half the children born in Sanctuary have the Swamp environmental Evolution. About a quarter of the adults that have Evolved are Swamp Subspecies as well, and that doesn’t account for those who had the choice but chose something else.”

 

Lash seemed pleased by that particular tidbit of information. While she had managed to achieve literacy through her own hard work and dedication, Lash probably wasn’t nearly proficient enough to indulge in casual reading like I was prone to doing.

 

Of course, directed Evolution was an interesting subject that I hadn’t actually given that much thought to before now. Depending on how the Demi-Plane plan worked out, it might become a very important issue.

 

Was the environmental evolution of an unborn child decided by the environment of their conception? Or by their hatching? With only a single Grove to guarantee egg hatching in a timely fashion, the entire population would begin skewing towards swamp adaptations regardless of their parent's home environment. This would be bad for a number of obvious reasons.

 

However, requiring a monster be present in the environment in question in order to select that environmental Evolution also presented a number of potential issues. Just because someone was in one place when they became able to Evolve, doesn’t mean that it was their intended destination.

 

Unfortunately, Wisp’s behaviour seemed to suggest that this was indeed the case and that if an alternate Evolution was desired, then steps had to be made to force the issue. Only time would tell if it was the same situation with the egg hatchings, but I suspected that it was the same situation.

 

Steps would need to be undertaken to create hatcheries in other locations so parents would at least have some degree of choice and autonomy. After all, a Swamp Orc being raised in the desert, or his parents having to live in a swamp, seemed like a lousy compromise for everyone involved.

 

With Rikit and Garn both racing to seize control over their respective floors of the Labyrinth, and the Imperial’s camp remaining silent, I didn’t have much else to do besides engage in basic exercise and spend time with my family.

 

Judging by the noise coming from the house next door, Ril had recovered from her mana exhaustion and Toofy was making an event of it.

 

Even though there were questions I wanted Ril to answer, I decided to give her some space as a sign of respect for her quick thinking in removing my family from danger.

 

Without soldiers in need of treatment, Nadine had begun treating civilians in the upper quarters of the city. The Surgeon’s Guild had begun lodging complaints with the army, claiming that Nadine wasn’t certified and was a risk to public health. However, the army had rejected and dismissed all their complaints, demonstrating that they were keenly aware of who was contributing to the greater war effort, and who was not.

 

A full day passed before the first of the new Elixirs were completed. Unfortunately, Clarice snatched them up first as the reward for her quest. While I could have claimed them anyway and reimbursed Clarice later, I didn’t realise the exchange had been made until it was too late.

 

“Sorry!” Clarice apologised sincerely, “I didn’t know you wanted one for Lash...I just got excited. I’ll hold off and let you know when the next batch is ready!” She promised.

 

“Fine,” I agreed with a sigh, “I don’t think Lash is in a hurry, since we will need to know how this Demi-Plane thing will pan out before returning to Sanctuary. But she still has a number of intermediary Evolutions to complete before then as well.”

 

“Right...” Clarice agreed apologetically, “But there is some good news too!” She insisted, pointing to Dhizi who was soundly asleep. “Those manastones the Elixirs are made from must be really high level! Dhizi breezed through all those intermediary Evolutions and is on the brink of her next major one!”

 

“Really?” I was more than a little surprised to hear that.

 

Dhizi was already a high-tier monster, so to make any large degree of progress was a shock to say the least.

 

“Do you know what floor the Adventurers Guild reached in Hurst?” I asked somewhat apprehensively, only now realising that the large volumes of Exp I had been receiving from Wisp had likely been at the minimum Takesation level.

 

Clarice was thoughtful for a few moments, “Thirty or forty-something, I think?” She replied with some degree of uncertainty, “Nadine would probably know, or you could ask Gregory. He’s probably gone through all their secret books and all that. Why?...Oh...” Clarice’s eyes widened in surprise, “Blood hell! Is that why you have been levelling like crazy?!” She demanded excitedly.

 

“I think so...” I admitted, “I told Wisp to go hunting to level up, but I didn’t expect him to go to such extreme lengths to do it.”

 

“Well, he’s basically untouchable. So it’s not like he was in any real danger...Damn! I should have gone with him!” Clarice cursed again.

 

“It probably wouldn't have been pleasant,” I reminded her, “Wisp’s a Necromancer, remember?”

 

“Ah...Right...” Clarice conceded, deflating somewhat, “But I guess it’s still just a matter of time before we can go there on our own anyway, right?”

 

I shrugged, “I guess,” I conceded and then remembered something else, “Hana needs at least a few of the Elixirs as well. The Grove, and the water inside of its boundaries can provide passive progress for Evolution-”

 

“WHAT?!” Clarice exclaimed, staggering slightly as she struggled to scan my face for signs of deception.

 

“It’s how Ril had been progressing without consuming any mana stones. By living inside of the mana-saturated water, absorbing it through her skin, and breathing it in through her gills, Ril has been steadily progressing her own Evolution at a comparatively competitive pace,” I explained with unrestrained interest, “I was hoping to do the same with Pete and Suzy, and I think Lash would benefit as well, especially if she remains behind to take care of the twins. It would mean Lash would continue growing stronger without needing to rely on Elixirs or mana stones.”

 

“Ugh.....” Clarice ran her hands through her short red hair in frustration, “Why couldn’t I have been born a monster?!” She lamented, “That sounds so amazing!...Wait...” Clarice turned to look at Dhizi who was still sleeping in a drunken stupor, “So if Dhizi had gills so she could breathe water, she would be able to benefit from the Grove water too, right?”

 

“Should do,” I agreed, “She might even progress faster than a smaller monster due to surface area,” I could tell Clarice didn’t quite understand, so I adjusted my thinking slightly, “Because Dhizi is bigger, she would be exposed to more water, which means more mana. Although, there is a possibility that there might be limits on mana absorption rates...” I scratched my head for a few moments while trying to think of any precedents but came up dry.

 

“That’s good enough for me!” Clarice grinned happily, “What do you plan to do with Ushu?”

 

I actually hadn’t given it much thought beyond helping him Evolve out of the Blighted environmental Evolution. “I suppose, depending on how substantial Hana’s improvements to the Grove turn out to be, and depending on his own preference, a swamp environmental Evolution wouldn’t be the worst in the world.”

 

“You mean, like a Swamp Dragon?” Clarice asked excitedly, once more defaulting to her unrestrained obsession with dragons.

 

“I guess?” I shrugged, “But bear in mind that depending on how radical the transformations from the Evolution might be, riding Ushu or Dhizi might become impractical.”

 

“What do you mean?” Clarice asked, visibly confused.

 

“Well, what if they looked more like Ril and had fins in places you would otherwise want to set the saddle?” Ril wasn’t necessarily the best example of what might happen, but her physiology fit the point I was trying to make.

 

“Oh...” Clarice nodded and became contemplative for a short while before shrugging it off, “We will just have to see, I guess.”

 

When the next Elixir became available, Lash mistakenly downed it in one go, confusing the relatively small size of the Elixir’s vessel with a lesser degree of potency. She collapsed into a drunken stupor almost immediately. As concerning as this was, Lash’s status only displayed the Inebriated and Unconscious Conditions, so it seemed like there wasn’t anything else to worry about for the time being.

 

Just in case, I made a point of checking Lash’s eyes and skin for signs of jaundice. Unfortunately, the twins demanded most of my attention at any given moment, and I wasn’t sure what jaundice would look like given Lash’s odd eye and skin pigmentations.

 

Ultimately, I had to be content with no news being good news. A lack of visible change would strongly suggest that Lash was still healthy and in no immediate danger. On the contrary, Lash had successfully brute-forced her way through to the threshold of her next major Evolution. Considering how relatively low tier she had been before, I supposed it was inevitable.

 

Initially concerned over the cumulative effects of alcohol consumption causing cirrhosis of the liver, I was worried that the Grove might become the only viable long-term source of Evolution. Then I had something of an epiphany that radically changed my perspective. The liver regenerates. So long as the liver wasn’t too badly damaged, its own regenerative properties would be accelerated by my iron Gut Ability, functionally eliminating cirrhosis of the liver as a medical concern.

 

This still required the lethal doses of alcohol to be metabolised and excreted before they could do lasting damage to other organs. Technically, with the liver kept in peak fighting form, and Iron Gut treating alcohol as a poison, that wouldn’t be as big an issue as I initially feared.

 

As if to prove my point, Lash regained consciousness roughly fourteen hours after downing the Elixir.

 

I had been keeping her as hydrated as the twins had allowed, but I was still genuinely impressed that Lash showed no signs of being hungover.

 

Lash grinned and gingerly flexed her muscles as she adjusted to her more reinforced frame. Lash had grown four inches taller since drinking the Elixir. While it was not a particularly drastic change in proportions, it would still feel like she had months worth of growth spurts overnight.

 

Sure enough, Lash’s first attempt at standing unassisted brought her crashing to the ground and splashing water everywhere, much to the twins' delight.

 

“So clumsy,” Lash chuckled, giving Suzy a deliberate splash while settling on her haunches.

 

Even though they were only a handful of days old, both Suzy and Pete were becoming increasingly mobile, half crawling and half flinging themselves forward through the shallow water.

 

Lash swept them up into her arms and settled back down into a sitting position to avoid losing her balance again, “Missed you too!” She gave each of them a fierce kiss that earned more burbling cries of happy excitement in return.

 

“Maybe we should have a small feast to celebrate?” I suggested, “I’m sure you have got to be hungry, right?”

 

“Grrr!” Suzy growled and bared the teeth beginning to poke through her gums.

 

“Mmmbuh,” Pete burbled, clumsily slapping his belly.

 

“They say yes,” Lash chuckled.

 

With the dubious cleanliness of the waterlogged floor, I opted for conjuring the food rations onto the raised surface of the bed instead. With a relatively wide selection of food to choose from, it really was like our own private feast.

 

Lash set the twins onto the bed next to the food and then began helping herself to a small slatted crate of what looked like crab apples.

 

I began setting out some of the food so I could feed the twins, but they began helping themselves the moment things came into reach.

 

Suzy gleefully set to tearing her way through a pale sausage and Pete seemed content with pulverising smoked fish in his meaty fists before stuffing it into his mouth with stoic satisfaction. Of course, they only succeeded in delivering half of what they snatched to their mouths. The rest was scattered down the front of their bellies or across the bed. Not that either of the twins seemed to mind.

 

Sitting down beside Lash, I wrapped one arm around her waist and held her close while reaching for one of the small apples she seemed to have taken a liking to.

 

Crisp, slightly sour and sickeningly sweet, the apples tasted more like candied cherries than any apple I had ever tasted. It was no wonder Lash liked them so much, they were packed full of natural sugars.

 

“Maybe don’t feed any to Suzy,” I warned quietly, unsure that I wanted to find out what Suzy was like on a sugar rush.

 

Lash shrugged happily, “More for me,” she chuckled quietly, biting another apple in half, core and all.

 

Eventually, Suzy and Pete managed to eat their fill and settled down to sleep amidst the carnage generated by their feasting. I fell asleep with Lash resting in my arms and felt a profound sense of contentment.

 

I woke up early, but the twins were both already awake and tearing their way through the food leftover from the night before. This would have been fine, but Suzy had found the apples and was shoving them into her mouth as fast as she could manage.

 

While I attempted to wrangle Suzy, Pete looked on with mild interest and chewed on his fingers.

 

I had just managed to get a hold of Suzy when my vision was abruptly obstructed by a block of white text against a black background. This was promptly followed by a second, then a third and then finally a fourth.

 

[Conditions for {Lesser Dimensional Authority} have been met. Candidate {Tim} is now bestowed with {Lesser Dimensional Authority} and qualified to {Converge} {Dimensional Assets and Territories}.]

 

[Lesser Dimensional Convergence: {Dimensional Assets and Territories} may be integrated into a singular {Lesser Dimensional Plane}. {Dimensional Assets and Territories} must be under your control and must remain uncontested in order to qualify for integration.]

 

[Lesser Dimensional Plane: Integrated {Dimensional Assets and Territories} must be positioned and anchored to other {Dimensional Assets and Territories} in order to prevent {Dimensional Entropy} and {Dimensional Instability}. {Dimensional Assets and Territories} may be positioned in correlation to the {Lesser Dimensional Plane Integration Interface}.]

 

[Minimum number of {Dimensional Assets and Territories} qualified for {Lesser Dimensional Convergence} has been met. Proceed: Y/N ]

 

Reading through the mass of information, I realised that Rikit and Garn must have only just finished achieving their respective objectives.

 

“Something is wrong?” Lash asked warily, having woken up while I was distracted.

 

“No, I don’t think so,” I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt, “But Rikit and Garn just finished with their assignments. I can now create the Demi-Plane Gregory was talking about a few days ago.”

 

Lash shifted to make herself more comfortable, “This is the safe place?” She asked for confirmation.

 

I nodded while biting my tongue. A part of me had wanted to make an offhanded sarcastic remark, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to do it. “I need to let Gregory know about this development so we can plan for what comes next. Will you be alright looking after Suzy and Pete on your own for a few hours?”

 

“We will be fine,” Lash insisted supportively while taking Suzy.

 

“Alright,” I carefully got to my feet and stretched the stiffness from my legs and back. Sleeping on the wet floor hadn’t been nearly as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. “I’ll be back soon,” I promised, planting a kiss on Lash’s forehead before heading out through the thick curtain covering the doorway.

 

Looking over the heads of the armoured Orc guards on watch, I scanned the immediate area for potential threats before passing through their ranks and heading for the portal to the city of Laine. I could have sent one of the enlisted Slaves, but they were already working a demanding schedule as it was.

 

Crossing through the portal, I tasked one of the soldiers on the other side to let Gregory know I wanted to speak with him about something urgent.

 

Unsure if Gregory was present in the former guild building or one of the fortified mansions nearby, I walked out onto the mostly empty street outside. The dark clouds above gave an ominous tone to the largely abandoned district. If the Regent followed through on what Gregory had suggested, it was entirely possible that the city might fall entirely into ruin.

 

Again, this raised the question of what would happen to the Labyrinth once I cannibalised its territory to create the Demi-Plane. Would the portals on the planes I removed cease to function? Or would they remain linked to the Labyrinth they were taken from?

 

I was still musing over the possibilities when Gregory came jogging down the street from the direction of the heavily fortified estate of the former Baron. “Majesty, you sent for me?” Gregory asked while giving the nearby soldiers a paranoid glance.

 

I nodded, “We need to talk. There are decisions that need to be made.”

 

Gregory gave a nearly imperceptible nod to confirm that he knew or had guessed what I was talking about. “We should relocate to a more secure location,” Gregory suggested, motioning back to the former guild building.

 

It wasn’t much of a surprise when Gregory led the way back to the portal into the Labyrinth, and it was even less so when he pulled out his communication device and began rapidly signalling a message to whoever was on the other end.

 

“Do you have a location in mind?” I asked while not particularly expecting an answer.

 

“Apologies, I am awaiting the Lord Regent’s reply,” Gregory apologised while keeping his attention focused on the communication device.

 

A number of minutes passed in relative silence before Gregory began receiving his reply.

 

Gregory’s expression quickly turned from apprehension to outright concern.

 

“What is it?” I demanded warily.

 

“The Lord Regent would like to discuss matters in person,” Gregory replied somewhat stiffly with a grimace, “And he would like to do it here.”

 

Now I could understand Gregory’s cause for concern, “There is only one building, excluding the hospital, that I can fit inside of,” I pointed out as a warning.

 

Gregory nodded, “I know...But the Lord Regent is being...Insistent...” The way he said it made it seem like there were a few other less than pleasant words he would have preferred to use instead. “The Lord Regent will be arriving presently...” Gregory couldn’t have sounded less enthusiastic if he had tried.

 

We made our way over to the gateway to await the Regent’s arrival.

 

After a few minutes of waiting, A tall man with a wiry build and immaculately groomed goatee appeared before the Gateway in the midst of a huddle of heavily armoured bodies. For his part, the Regent was dressed in a manner I subconsciously associated with a conquistador. Wearing fine courtly clothes beneath a ceremonial breastplate and with a sword at his hip.

 

There was a middle-aged woman with him as well. With the same dark hair that seemed commonplace in the people of the Asrus kingdom, it was streaked with lines of grey around her temples. However, her delicately featured face was more youthful than her hair had led me to expect. Similarly, her porcelain skin was immaculate and unblemished. Despite having never met her before, there was something about the playfulness in her hazel eyes that made the woman seem familiar.

 

“Your Majesty,” the regent bowed and his guards parted to either side.

 

The woman at his side pinched her dress and curtsied, smiling in amusement all the while.

 

“I know this is an imposition, Majesty, but is there somewhere we may speak in private?” The regent asked politely but also in a tone of urgency that made it clear he wasn’t going to accept a refusal without a fight.

 

“There is,” I replied, fighting down an amused smirk of my own, “But you might not enjoy the ambience.”

 

“I am sure I will walk away the better for the experience,” the regent insisted in an upbeat tone.

 

“Your guards won’t be allowed inside, and you can’t bring that sword either,” I added prudently. It wasn’t that I thought the regent might go on a genocidal rampage against my family, but I wasn’t willing to risk letting a weapon like that within arms reach of Suzy.

 

“But of course,” the regent agreed amiably, promptly unbuckling his sword belt and handing it to one of the guards, “It is largely ceremonial anyway,” he chuckled in good humour.

 

The guards didn’t seem particularly thrilled at the condition of being left behind, but I didn’t really care what they thought about the arrangement. In such a confined space, it wasn’t like they would be able to do anything if things turned bad anyway.

 

“I should probably surrender the knives hidden on my person as well,” the woman volunteered in a breathy voice, removing two knives from the sleeves of her dress, another from each shin, and a fifth from the concealment of her cleavage.

 

I felt that same sense of familiarity hearing her voice that I had felt about looking into her eyes, but I was profoundly confident I had never met this woman before in my life.

 

‘Wouldn’t want Suzy getting her hands on them,” the woman said quietly, her eyes flashing with amusement.

 

<Jacque?> I had formed the thought without truly meaning to, but it now seemed obvious.

 

The woman’s delicate lips drew back into an amused grin, <Of course,> Jacque replied in the same breathy voice.

 

<Why do you look like...this?> I asked curiously, <And why are you with the regent?>

 

<Oh, well that actually saves us some time,> Jacque commented, <It’s for largely the same reason. You see, Francis has a thing for women that look like his wife, and I like silver foxes that look like Bond villains. He also treats me like a queen, so there is that as well,> she added with another smirk, <But what’s this about children?! I knew you weren’t a monk!”

 

I fought the urge to blush as I led our small party through the outer perimeter. <I never said I was celibate.>

 

<But you weren’t exactly making an effort not to be,> Jacque countered with amusement, <I can only assume that if your children are here, then their mother is as well?>

 

I made no reply.

 

<I can’t wait to see what your type is!> Jacque continued excitedly, <I have been avoiding spoilers, and have some theories.>

 

I parted the thick curtain and entered first, leaving Gregory scrambling to hold it open for the regent and Jacque.

 

Lash looked surprised to see me back so soon. However, she must have determined from my expression that something wasn’t quite right, because she immediately grabbed Suzy from off the bed. Pete was already sitting in her lap, so Lash just had to cross her legs to cage him in. Not that Pete seemed to care in the slightest, continuing to slap at a small apple floating on the water.

 

I conjured two empty crates while I crossed the room before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

 

The regent was next to enter, but he paused at the threshold for a moment before stepping into the shallow water, “I beg your pardon, Majesty, but I am not acclimated to the darkness and for the sake of expediency request permission to activate a magic item to provide temporary illumination.”

 

I looked to Lash to make sure she would be okay with it.

 

Lash nodded and narrowed her eyelids to brace against any abrupt exposure to bright light.

 

“You may,” I replied, waving at the regent to continue.

 

The regent accepted an iron rod the length of his forearm from Gregory who was still outside holding back the curtain. The rod had a seam roughly halfway down its length that divided the rod in two. Taking a firm hold on either end, the regent twisted the two halves in opposing directions. Almost immediately, the half of the rod in his left hand began to glow. As the regent continued to turn the rod further, the light increased in fixed increments.

 

The regent handed the rod back to Gregory, who then awkwardly entered the room while holding up the rod and continuing to hold open the curtain.

 

With his hands free, the regent offered a hand to Jacque while bowing slightly at his waist.

 

Jacque accepted his hand and entered the room in a manner befitting a Lady, with the noted exception of her surprised stare at Lash and the twins.

 

The regent made a point of bowing to Lash and Jacque followed his lead with a respectful curtsy. “I must apologise for the imposition, your Majesty, but there is a need for both secrecy and expediency that made this venue more preferable than the alternatives. All the same, I apologise for the intrusion,” the regent insisted apologetically, “If I may introduce myself and my Lady companion, I am the Lord Regent of the Asrus kingdom, Francis Asrus, and this is Lady-”

 

“Jacque,” Jacque interrupted, sparing a moment to give Francis an apologetic smile, “It’s okay, Tim already knows anyway.”

 

Francis took the interruption in stride, nodding in agreement, “Quite so, but it is to be expected. I hope your Majesty does not consider this imprudent, but Lady Jacque has given me firsthand accounts of your time together so I might better understand the quality of your character. I do not wish for there to be any misunderstandings.”

 

“You've come a long way,” Jacque noted, nodding towards Lash and the twins, “Amazonian huh? I guess this makes sense, now that I can see it for myself.”

 

Lash shifted uncomfortably, the hint of a scowl on her lips.

 

“Oh, sorry,” Jacque apologised, “I was just saying how perfect you are for Tim, and I have been inside his head, so believe me when I tell you that he adores you. I mean, here I am, easily a solid nine, nine and half, and he barely gives me the time of day.”

 

Lash looked surprised and gave me a questioning glance.

 

I nodded, “Jacque can read people’s surface thoughts. It’s like you are talking to her without meaning to, and usually without you knowing.”

 

Lash nodded in understanding, smiling slightly as she took a firmer grip on Suzy, who was attempting to leap out of her arms and towards their visitors.

 

“Indeed,” Francis agreed, “Her assistance has been invaluable in ousting traitorous influences from the royal court. Alas, there are only so many hours in the day, and servants are as vulnerable to bribery and blackmail as the nobility.”

 

“Can’t spy on everyone,” Jacque shrugged, “There literally aren’t enough hours in the day. But we should get on with this before your daughter starts trying to escape for real.”

 

“Bah!” Suzy exclaimed, expressing outrage and betrayal.

 

Jacque just smirked and briefly stuck her tongue out at Suzy.

 

“Ghehe,” Pete burbled in amusement and slapped the water.

 

“Hey, this kid gets it,” Jacque grinned and gave Pete a thumbs up.

 

“I guess I should start then,” I grunted, “It’s like Gregory told me. After claiming complete control over ten floors, by conquering territory surrounding each of the portals for each floor, I unlocked the Ability to create a Demi-Plane. Only, the accompanying message called it a Lesser Dimensional Plane.”

 

The regent removed a small book from a pouch at his waist and what looked like a fountain pen before hurriedly taking notes.

 

“The way the Ability was explained suggests that I can add to it over time, but the new additions would need to follow the same rules as those that came before. Furthermore, it also suggested that I will have some sort of control over how the floors of the Labyrinths will be integrated in terms of how they will be connected to one another. If I am understanding this correctly, it might mean that I can only place them on a two-dimensional plane, side by side. But it might also mean that I can replicate a smaller approximation of a planet, connecting them spherically,” I paused to take a few breaths and gather my thoughts again. “The information mentioned Dimensional Entropy and Instability in reference to determining the relative placement of the respective territories. I think this means that any territories that are placed too far from the others will deteriorate over time, or are more vulnerable to whatever causes those effects. There was no mention of an access portal or anything like that, but it’s possible that it won’t provide that information until it’s relevant. Similar to how the Conquest quest only provided information incrementally.”

 

Francis continued bobbing his head and scribbling notes as fast as he could manage.

 

“So, bearing in mind that you and your people would have the most to lose if something doesn’t go quite the way we want,” I stated bluntly, “How do you want to Proceed?”

 

*****

 

Francis paced the length of the street while doing his best not to seem too perturbed. This was particularly difficult given the monumental importance of the decision he was now expected to make. This was precisely why he had never wanted the throne in the first place. It was far too much responsibility and the pressure was sometimes so great that he would forget to breathe.

 

Jacque, or Lady Sabine, as she was known to the court, had remained behind in the Tyrant’s temporary accommodations to socialise with the Tyrant, his wife, and their children.

 

While Francis would have appreciated her input, he also understood why she had left him to his own devices. This was a decision that Francis had to make on his own. Jacque had some degree of vested interest, but no more than the Tyrant himself. It was Francis and his people that had the most to lose, so a Human needed to make the decision.

 

In and of itself, being allowed to make the decision had come as a profound surprise. Francis had expected to perform an advisory role at most while advocating for his people's best interests. Being responsible for the decision of when and where to proceed was quickly becoming a living nightmare as possible eventualities continued streaming through his consciousness.

 

If the Tyrant were to proceed an hour from now, and the only means of entering the Demi-Plane, no, the Lesser Dimensional Plane, and the only means of access was placed in the city of Laine...It would create a logistical nightmare unless the Tyrant and his Daemon intervened.

 

But what if there was no access portal at all? What if the Gateways ceased to function?

 

Every Asrusian citizen left behind would be doomed to Slavery, oppressive servitude, or death.

 

The Kingdom outside of the Labyrinths was crumbling. Only five cities remained, including Laine. The preempted evacuation of the rural villages and towns was something at least, but nearly eight million souls remained outside of the relative safety now afforded by the Labyrinths.

 

It was one of life’s many ironies that living inside of the Labyrinths was quickly becoming preferable to living in the real world. In many respects, the Tyrant had subjugated the Labyrinths and brought them to heel, allowing ordinary, or now altered, humans to thrive. Granted, the economy had evolved due to a shift in priorities and rise in self-sufficiency, but it wasn’t an entirely bad thing either.

 

There were more than enough perks to incentivise military and administrative service, and the quest issuing function seemed more than adequate for rallying public assistance for any problems or projects that might arise.

 

Exp and mana stones were somewhat interchangeable as currency due to the repeatable quest templates that awarded Exp for donated mana stones. While Humans were limited to a single Evolution, the Summoning of Sanctuary’s Daemons and Angels meant that there was always a strong demand for mana stones to secure the services they provided.

 

Knowing that he had to make a decision and that every moment wasted in dithering was liable to be paid in lives later, Francis settled upon doing the most possible good with the greatest possible degree of success.

 

Returning to the Tyrant’s dwelling, Francis bowed respectfully and waited until he had the Tyrant’s undivided attention. “Majesty, I have come to a decision,” he announced with far more confidence than he had felt less than a few minutes earlier, “If your Majesty is willing, I would like to commit a full evacuation of the cities of Laine and Hurst into their respective Labyrinths,” This would leave the citizens of the capital, Riyal and Genos behind in the worst case scenario, but Francis didn’t think he had much of a choice.

 

The soldiers garrisoned in the capital, along with its stockpiled resources, would be needed to assist Riyal and Genos should the worst come to pass. Francis was sorely tempted to evacuate the capital through the Gateway as well. However, he realised that so long as the Tyrant’s Daemon could deliver the Tyrant or his Lieutenants outside of the Lesser Dimensional Plane, then the remaining civilians could be shepherded to safety by annexing more floors of each city's respective Labyrinths.

 

The Tyrant considered Francis’s initial proposal and then nodded in agreement, “How long will it take?”

 

“Three days, if the truce with the Werrian Empire holds and the majority of the soldiers can be spared to assist with the evacuation and relocation efforts,” Francis answered confidently. It was a subject he had been giving a great deal of attention to lately, making him quite familiar with the logistics involved.

 

“What about the other cities?” The Tyrant asked warily.

Francis had anticipated this, but the Tyrant’s sheer size lent an air of intimidation to his every word, no matter how well intentioned it might be. “In the event of the Lesser Dimensional Plane cutting off contact, soldiers from the kingdom's capital city will provide assistance to the two other cities that remain under our control. That is, until such a time as they too can be evacuated.”

 

The Tyrant didn’t seem convinced.

 

“Your cheeks are so chubby!” Jacque cooed, pinching the cheeks of the Tyrant’s daughter affectionately, completely ignoring the sodden state of her otherwise exquisite and profoundly expensive dress.

 

“Gregory said you wanted to try and keep your capital as a sort of foothold, but why not evacuate the two other cities?” The Tyrant asked with a hint of accusation in his tone.

 

“Forgiveness, Majesty, but despite our best efforts, we have not been able to locate any additional artefacts that would allow us to contest the ousted Adventurers Guild’s claims over the territories in the Riyal and Genos Labyrinths,” Francis explained carefully, keenly aware that he was standing on thin ice, “Without Settlements, we would only be able to relocate a few thousand at most, and it would be far from safe.”

 

The Tyrant shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable, his expression suggesting that he was considering something. “Regent, tell me, what would you give in order to save your people?”

 

Francis froze. Afraid that his assessment of the Tyrant had been wrong.

 

<He’s testing you,> Jacque reassured him, her voice remaining unheard by everyone else in their vicinity, <Tim’s a big softie, he just wants to know he can trust you.>

 

Francis took comfort in her absolute confidence, “I would give my life, if necessary,” he replied boldly.

 

“And you, Gregory?” The tyrant shifted his attention to the elite Ranger still standing beside the door.

 

”Everything,” Gregory replied without a moment's hesitation.

 

Childless, and born into a family that took immense pride in their centuries of service to the crown and its people, Gregory’s loyalty and dedication was never in question.

 

In the time it took Francis to blink, a pair of weapons had appeared in the Tyrant’s hands. In his left hand was the bow Francis had plundered from the royal treasury, and in his right hand was a spear.

 

“I will give you the means to secure evacuation for the other two cities,” the Tyrant stated ominously, “But you will both need to swear oaths to me, here and now that you will die before surrendering these weapons to anyone but myself!”

 

Again, Gregory didn’t hesitate for even a moment, falling to one knee and bowing his head in deference, “I swear, upon my life, that I will not surrender the treasure entrusted to my safekeeping. Only to return it to his Majesty at the time of his choosing.”

 

The Tyrant grunted in satisfaction and offered Gregory the bow.

 

The bow shrank slightly in Gregory's hands, perfectly matching the specifications for his height and build.

 

The Tyrant turned to Francis.

 

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Francis lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head, ignoring the water soaking his pants and seeping into his boots. All things considered, this was a small price to pay to keep his promise to his late brother and their parents.

 

“I, Francis Asrus, Lord Regent of the Asrus Kingdom, so swear, to safeguard the treasure entrusted to my keeping, even at the cost of my own life. At the time of his Majesty’s choosing, I shall return the treasure without complaint, delay or malice. This, I swear.” For a brief moment, Francis felt an immense pressure around his heart as the conditions of the oath settled into his soul.

 

The Tyrant held out the spear with visible reluctance, making it obvious that he was not parting with it lightly.

 

Gingerly accepting the spear, Francis felt a surge of insight as he injected a small amount of mana into the artefact. The spear was named Shiverfang, and Francis very nearly dropped it in astonishment as he began to read through the magical properties it possessed. He now understood precisely why the Tyrant had demanded their lives as collateral...