There was so much info I had to digest just with the kingdom possibly falling into ruin. Then the bears threw that whole bit on me. I mean, it was good that it cleared up some questions, but it was so much to process. I was really considering using time magic to speed up a localized area around me so I could get more time to think while the rest of the world moved at a regular pace. Messing with time attracts certain beings though, and I would rather not deal with them again.

It was nice to get away from it, and hang out in the library; it really helped calm my anxiety down to be in there. Books have always been my closest friends. I sent everyone a mental whisper, {Hey, I am back. Let’s get this dealt with. There is a lot that needs to be done. At this point, I would rather just turn them all over after we question Donna so that we can start preparing Astraville for what is coming.}

Everyone seemed worried when they got back. It’s like it took time for everything Martin had said to sink in. I doubted they had as many things going on as I did, though. They looked at each other like they all had something to say, but no one wanted to say it. I really wish they would just communicate with me.

“I called a meeting and I have something to ask of you. “

“No, Firth, we all called a meeting. You don’t need to risk displeasing Lady Astrid on your own,” Guye interjected, as Firth tried to ask something of me. Everyone nodded in agreement and stood up resolute. The comradery was great, but I wasn’t that scary, at least I hadn’t thought I was.

“We had a meeting and we would like to pivot plans to make it so that we can prepare to take in a mass of refugees, then take over the kingdom once things fall apart. With the creations you have brought us now, we could at least make it so that everyone survives while we rebuild. We would just need time to prepare, and then we could go about changing everything for the better.”

“It could be the first kingdom where otherkin aren’t second class,” Meeri added with hope in her eyes.

That was what I had already considered doing in the long run, anyway. Finding out that I really maybe was a goddess was just so much to deal with. Taking over the kingdom would be a step in the right direction and would give me a holy city to practice with. It was just a lot to figure out, with no real books on the topic of being a divine being. There were stories about how the gods had led the world but there was no manual anywhere in the library. I doubt one even existed even before the real knowledge goddess took a chunk of all the knowledge.

I was happy that I would have more and more books to read and could expand the library but it was just so much to take care of. How could I handle so much? I felt the pain in my neck rising again and I started breathing faster and faster, my teeth gnashing together. It was just too —

When I felt Highthorn’s warm embrace, I instantly calmed down. My stress washed away. I looked up at him apologetically, but he just nodded and stepped away.

“She asked me to hold her so she could tell me something in private,” Highthorn said. I felt the lie detection spell ring in my head, but I wasn’t going to tell anyone. 

I really needed to find a way to keep that under control. It could be terrible for Highthorn if anyone got jealous or got the wrong idea. There was the option of just having a bear escort me around. I really wasn’t sure which one would do it, but there had to be a couple of them ready to stretch their legs. 

“Yes, thank you for coming forward. That sounds like a good plan, but I want to read it all out. Please put it all in book form and give it to Liz to bring to me later. How many days do we have till we have to have peace talks with the kingdom?”

Everyone was elated by my reply. They were clasping their hands together, smiles plastered on their faces. I gave them a bunch of hope and now they needed to help me deal with it. I definitely needed to assign department heads like the corporation manual suggested.

“Well, it should be two days if you want to follow what you originally said, but you can set it to whenever you want, really. If you want to keep what you said though but wanted more time, we could have it on chore day.”

“Chore day?”

“Well, all business is supposed to be handled on the six working days and then one chore day to catch up on everything else to prepare for the next week of work.”

Sounds miserable. I will definitely need to make some changes on that and maybe even make one whole day a reading day. That was for later though; we needed to focus on the now. “Yes, let’s set it for chore day so we can have more time to prepare. I will do research on taking over kingdoms in the library. Let’s get this finished off. I am going to ask why they attacked me when they thought I was the goddess and move on to asking Donna. Then I will put them to sleep and take them away so we don’t have to deal with them.”

“Lady Astrid, I want to continue to interrogate them and ask them questions. There is a lot of knowledge they all have and it will be very useful to find out what they know. We could also have people record it into a book if you would.”

NEW BOOKS! He definitely knew how to get me to agree. “Alright, but they are your responsibility as head of security. Since you will be head of the departments of security for Astraville and the kingdom.” 

Everyone clapped at the sudden announcement, but I saw the color drain from his face and I saw him start to, so I sent him a positive thought, {I just trust you so much.}

They are all coming with me if I have to do this. Things are just moving too fast for me to find new people. Some of them looked a little jealous, so I made an announcement. “Don’t worry, all of you are moving from council heads to the status of department heads, just like Highthorn. It is one of the few things I like about the corporations. Their management techniques are very useful. Start planning out your own departments for when we move into the kingdom.”

The room fell silent as the color drained from all of them, including from Liz, who was usually so steadfast. Wait, no. Firth was smirking, unlike the rest of them. 

“Firth, why aren’t you surprised?” I asked, figuring he knew something extra that no one else did.

“Well, it is a hundred years earlier than I was planning for and instead of Fienna handling it, I get to do it for her.”

“Wait, what do you mean?”

“Even before you came back, I was raising Fienna to replace me. Then when you came back and accepted the role as our leader, I knew that you would take over once the gem mine dried up. So I already started outlining plans for the transition as a present for Fienna to be given to her after I passed. Since the mine is emptying up quicker than planned, I get to help now,” Firth said while everyone stared at him in disbelief.

Just how many steps ahead is he? He really is a cunning executive type. “Then help the others as needed since you had a head start. You also know the most about corporations, more than the books I read. I will rely on you to deal with the corporation dome then,” I said, trying to humble him slightly.

It was then that a presence of confidence washed over him. He somehow seemed younger even though no magic had been cast. “As you command, Lady Astrid. I will show you my faith by returning to my old dome and reorganizing it to align with your glory in mind.”

Well, that didn’t work. “Managing Managers: By Cen Harwick” had advised me to use humility to keep your managers from getting big egos. I should have taken their fervor into account. I just turned away and woke up Martin so I could get back to reading. 

The corpo slowly dragged himself to hit his feet and just stood there silently looking at me. “I still don’t know what I did wrong?”

My blood boiled a little. “You don’t remember signing off on an attack on me?”

His eyes went wide, and he took a deep breath. “That was in error on my part for believing the princess’s word that you were just another anomalous fake. I deeply apologize for my misjudgment and offer you my entire personal library in compensation.”

Donna again! No more nice bookwyrm. The lie detector hadn’t gone off at all and I did want his books but I still needed to push for more information. 

“What is an anomalous fake and what is Donna’s part in this, and how many books do you have?”

“There are still several recorded beings and, more specifically, human like beings that can cast magic. There have been several that have faked being you at the cost of a lot of lives. There has also been human actors that have faked being you that look similar. Also at the detriment to others but less death was involved. The magic ones are particularly bad since we have few tools to deal with them. Especially in the case when they use your followers for sacrificial rituals and empower themselves.”

My blood stopped boiling as much. I now felt some guilt for not having come out sooner to deal with the fakes. Now that I was out though, it was my job to manage my image or I could make a department for that so I could spend more time reading. If there had truly been several attacks on regular citizens using my name, then I felt that, at least on this issue, Martin was not to blame.

“Donna informed me that she had seen you use illusion magic, and that you had enchanted her father. She said you were using mesmerizer stones to trick people into following you. She is trying to position herself so that she gets a better position when we move. The Continental Conglomerate Of Executives were thinking about making her a regional manager after some training. It seems that was an error that I will be fixing when I get back. Based on how many benefits she could get us on our exit, she would increase her position. She promised a larger chunk of supplies and labor force and the dome shield gem on the kingdom side. The only way that would be possible is if she was queen, and the only way that is happening soon is if she removes the current king.”

The lucky bratty villainess has a living parent, and she is going to try and remove him by her own hands?! My hate for her grew deep. I would give up my library just to be with my parents again. It had been tempting to just throw her in the dungeon, no matter what the consequences maybe. That was too selfish, though. I had to position my people first.

“There are currently over seven hundred books in my personal library.”

My heart started to flutter at the mere thought of so many new books to read. I would definitely need to start carrying books around as I went about my business. Though in the meantime, I need to deal with Martin. “Thank you for your help, but until all of your books are in my hands, I will be removing the temporary clarity spell I have on you that is allowing you to function normally. If you want a permanent fix, I will need more than just your books. I will need a plan for changing the treatment of otherkin. Your treatment of otherkin is abhorrent and needs punishment.”

He had yet to see whatever that creature was and had yet to experience the uncontrolled trauma it caused. I walked up to him and snapped my fingers next to his ear, releasing the spell. The sound of his body dropping echoed in the room as he curled up in the fetal position, mumbling to himself. It was all incoherent gibberish. 

There were mixed looks of fear and joy in the room. I knew what I had done seemed controversial, so I knew I needed to clear something up. “It isn’t permanent. The worst of it should clear up in a few hours. As long as he doesn’t think about the monster in his thoughts, he will be able to function.”

“Will he still be able to answer questions?” Highthorn asked.

“Yes, the truth circle will still force it out of him. Now take him back. I need to deal with Donna.”