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The soothing and skin-prickling sound of a choir and violins tingled Elinor’s ears as she sat in her extravagant room at the Opal Shrine Inn; the night was quiet on the terrace, her gaze drifting over the empty arena behind the establishment.

On a small table sat a crystal-like record player, releasing the music that was recorded on the circular sheet the kingdom used.  It was a gift that had been sent by the matriarch of the Tarkov family, which was a tad surprising, considering the fire-experts’ explosive personalities.

Her father had returned, standing nearby with a quill in his hands; the primitive writing method was something all of them had struggled with a bit.  Black and Ash were still on their current assignments, obtaining the legendary jewelry and collecting more Death Energy.

On the other hand, Grace sat across from the Death Knight, giving the noble-dressed man all the information he knew about the goddess Nungal in order to please her request.  Inside, Tiffany continued her contract project, trying to keep what she was doing a secret from Elinor’s father as long as possible until they had most things ironed out.

Then there was Elira, who joined her little sister in the estate High Lord Yeven Tarnash had offered the House of Ravens, the woman taking up a protective detail position now that she was accepted into the Magic Knight program within the newly established House.

Lilya was overseeing the organization’s procedures to organize the various programs in the House, which was quite the task, considering it also came with her many classes that were possible for believers to receive, such as the Witch Class.  Overall, her network was quite stretched, despite her efforts to expand her roster in this world.

Which left her thélméthra drone to be the final piece of their group in this world; its spirit had just recovered from being used in [Warlord: Soldier’s Spirit].  Soon, she would have her chance to talk with the powerful metallic spider.

The hours passed, and midnight carried with it the cost for her empire, dropping her down to nearly the single digits again, yet Ash’s return bumped her back up to 109 Death Orbs; it was still a long way off from her new maximum of 368, but he had found a stable source of fish near the cliffs of the castle.

And at last, her Feat came off cooldown when dawn neared, and her father got up to change the crystal record to the next gift that was just brought by the Grand Duke; rather than being for Elinor, it was for her dad since they’d built somewhat of a budding friendship in their discussions over the architecture of the city.  One thing was for sure; this nation loved its string instruments and unique pianos, which Elinor could appreciate.

A small smile lifted her lips as she leaned against the side of her chair, staring at the brightening heavens as dawn approached, and the sway of the music quickened her undead heart.

 

[Prose of the Potentate - Lilya J. Oppenheimer Inserted]

[23 Languages Added - 29 Known]

[Language Requirement Met]

 

[Prose of the Potentate II - Advanced to Grade III]

[Prose of the Potentate III - Advanced to Grade IV]

[Available Language Slots Increased: 3; 3 Available]

 

[45 Languages Required For Next Grade Advancement]

 

[Prose of the Potentate - Thélméthra Drone Inserted]

[7 Languages Added - 36 Known]

 

Entering her internal world, Elinor swept her hand across the air, dismissing the roof to her mansion to allow her gaze to wander between the various celestial objects dotting the alien sky, meticulously picking apart the vast number of languages that had opened up to her Nexus.

It included three new ri’bot languages the thélméthra had deciphered, as well as a minor grasp on the Nalvean hand signals and spoken language to the south of the valley.  There was also a comprehensive grasp on the quen’talrat common language and the yaltha’ma fox-monkeys.

The bulk came from Lilya, who had an extensive language repertoire, having traded with many of the nations on this continent.  It would provide her empire’s branch in this world a solid start at trade relations.

Interestingly enough, the thélméthra also had the Ethereal Clan’s language coded into their DNA to inform their queen about the troublesome fog-users’ plots, meaning Garu could be unslotted.  The spider’s understanding of the quen’talrat was far, far more vast than even Quin was as a native of the race, as well. 

Sliding the mist scout out of the box to put one slot on cooldown for later use, she stared at the required languages needed for the next Grade.  Shockingly, she wasn’t all that far off, and she had three available slots to evolve her linguistic skills further with Garu’s exit.  At this moment, she wasn’t quite sure who she should insert next, so she brushed them away.

Elinor exited her internal world and rose to her feet.  Arms folding over the railing, she looked across the empty stands of the inn’s stadium, knowing some Magic Knights and students would be arriving soon to begin morning exercises.

Thélméthra Drone, are you able to speak to me now?

“I am, indeed, Empress.”  The fluid voice was hard to differentiate between male and female, coming off as a mix between lows and highs.  “I am honored to be of use to The Empire.  I have found and gathered several minerals that may be of use to you, and there is a vast, unnatural tunnel system underneath the land.  I have not been able to find a weak point in the hardened material its walls are fashioned from.”

Fascinating…  I will call you Charlie, and Lilya, what do you think about sending Charlie into the inner city to map out the city interior?  I’ve experienced thélméthra senses and intelligence myself, and their natural gifts would excel in that area.  I am thinking about leaving Charlie here to act as your support Lilya.  Thoughts?

The former queen’s low voice held her typical refined tone as she continued to work through the night, multitasking dozens of tasks that required the House Grandmaster’s attention.

“Charlie would certainly be a welcomed asset that I could use in order to gather information and perform… unsavory missions should stealth and anonymity be required.  I can send word to the Grand Duke to coordinate with me on this endeavor.  Castria could also be of service to us…  Is there something valuable in this goal to direct our resources toward?”

Elbows pressed against the railing, Elinor’s knuckles rested under her chin, a curious smirk lifting her eyes.

I can’t be certain yet, but a deeper understanding of this nation’s mysterious origins and its mirky, possibly rewritten history could put us in a better position.  Think of it as a Side Quest.  In the meantime, Charlie, coordinate with Ash and Black to move the minerals you’ve discovered to a place that can be recovered.  I will be shopping soon.

“The exchange of certain coins and goods, yes?”  Charlie inquired, feeding off the information it had from observing the other races it had preyed upon and the translation of the words and their meaning.  “I have found several buried objects that hold such things that you describe.”

Castria’s excitement boiled over from her silently listening corner within the Royal Court’s group Nexus chat.  “Buried treasure!  Oooh!  How much?  Is it a lot?  Are we really going to be royalty now and be super wealthy?”

“I love your enthusiasm,” Tiffany giggled, “but it is likely old bandit stores, long forgotten, or other hidden stashes of minor wealth from ages past.  We shall see.  Edmon, Sweetie, can you fetch it since everyone else is busy?”

No, Elinor interrupted, pulling back and smiling down at some nervous teenagers who glanced up at her terrace, arriving early for their training.

I’ll go myself, actually.  Ash needs to focus on filling my Death Pool up today, and Black is getting closer to this elusive seller of the First Tempest Queen’s necklace.

I do find it fascinating that the Autumn Countess three centuries ago who gave up her skin to the hag and made the deal took over the First Tempest Queen’s throne for her son.  If records are to be believed, High Lord Yeven Tarnash is an heir to that original throne, which means Lord Drake also has that blood running through his veins.

Straightening and making her way out of her room, she gave a passing wave to her father, showing him an unassuming smile.  If you could continue getting more information on the fashion-loving goddess, then it would be great, Dad.  We’re about to hit the market, after all.

“So much to do,” he groaned, rubbing his temple as he continued to scribble down more notes from Grace’s description of his goddess.  “She’s a lover of chains, cute morbid things, competitive, love competitions, and jewelry…  Nungal sounds like you in many ways with that gothic vibe.  Maybe that’s why she was drawn to you, huh?”

We’ll see, she whispered, not wanting to tell him that she felt some kind of odd connection to the older teenage girl when seeing her image behind the hare man.  Plus, her father wasn’t aware of the hag’s claims about divinity.  I will see you shortly.  Thoughts on my inquiries regarding the First Tempest Queen, Lilya?  Elinor asked, not giving the door attendants a passing glance at her exit.

A twist came to her lips when she caught Lieutenant Cole of the City Guard jump to his feet beside the wall, the man jogging to keep up with her as her escort.  “We have a stagecoach outside that can be readied in only minutes, Empress.  Where is our destination?”

“Outside the Northern City Gate.  We will be quick.  One of my servants is bringing me some gifts.  Now, I must continue with a conversation with my Court, so I will not be in a particularly chatty mood.”

Cole gulped, knowing she meant a silent conversation that only increased her mystic-like abilities to the normal guards of the city.  “Of course, Empress!  I will inform you when we make it beyond the final gate’s checkpoint.”

“Wonderful.”  They entered the elevator, dropping swiftly to the ground level.  “I am impressed by your nation’s prompt services that it has offered me.  Well done in setting a good example, Lieutenant.”

The man practically glowed from her buttery words.  “It is our honor to escort you, Empress.  I hope to continue to meet and exceed your expectations.  That being said, our schedule indicated that the Magic Knights detail will be relieving us of duty near noon.”

“Then we still have several hours to enjoy each other’s company,” Elinor said with a slight smile, spotting many of his guards around the bar of the inn snapping to attention as they came into view from the hallway.  “We are going to collect some buried treasure, so be sure there is room to carry a potential load.”

  “Buried treasure?”  a few of the guards mumbled to one another, interest sparking in their eyes and setting a conversation point as Elinor left the subject for them to gossip about.

Exiting the extravagant inn, she saw Sir Percy’s son running the bar and relieving the night attendant since his father had taken on a position as a Magic Knight instructor.  She passed by the exquisite monsters that the famed innkeeper had slain in his military days, lamenting the loss of their addition to her empire.

Lilya’s somewhat entertained voice came through their public exchange within the Royal Court channel.  “I am not too brushed up on Kaspir’s early history, Empress, but I can look into it further.  My interests dealt more with the immediate attitude and conditions of the nations on this continent.  Yes, I had necessary historical information, yet that was less required for Kaspir compared to other peoples that I built trade relations with.”

I see…  Elinor held her hands behind her back, glancing to her right, where a growling Cole stood, waiting for her stagecoach to arrive.  I suppose I shouldn’t keep distracting you from the enormous pile of paperwork you are required to do.  I’ll brush up on other topics from my father and Charlie, leaving you to your work.

“Your inquiries are always my priority, Empress.  I hope you find a rich bounty.”

As do I, she hummed, her vision narrowing as she looked across the street and centered on one face she had not anticipated to find.  It would be good to have some funds and goods that you can invest and flip for us…  Excuse me, Roman has decided to grace me with his presence.

“Roman?”  her father growled.  “I should join you.”

No, Dad, please.  A lot is hinging on us knowing more about Nungal to get her to work with me.  You’re doing really important work.

“That you’re keeping me in the dark about,” he grumbled, likely dropping back into his seat.  “I have trusted you, Elinor, so why is it hard to trust me?  I know I’m you’re dad, and teens don’t think they can trust their parents, but what else do I need to do?”

Dad…  She released a somber sigh, staring back at Roman as he began to make his way over to her; Cole maintained his alert attitude.  I will explain, and you will understand why I have been compartmentalizing things.  We need to remain focused on our individual tasks.  Trust me.

“…I hope I do understand because… I don’t want to think you’d intentionally leave me in the dark on something that is dangerous.  I’m here, Elinor.  I’m here for you.  So… let me be your father.”

Puffing out a melancholy sigh, Elinor prepared herself for the unexpected encounter.  I am.  More than you know.

Breaking away from the conversation, she spoke to Cole as Roman casually crossed the morning traffic, being mindful of the goods moving through the streets.  “Something upsetting you, Lieutenant?”

“No, Empress,” the man said, breathing a sigh of relief as Roman drew near and the stagecoach appeared around the side of the building, timed far too perfectly for her liking.  “I was only a tad nervous since you rarely go anywhere without someone from your court nearby.  Would you like me to inspect his bag?”

“Not necessary,” she whispered, her glowing, emerald green irises giving the approaching dark-haired general an imperceptive stare.  “Duke Roman, nice of you to join me this morning.  I trust you have concluded your business?”

The blind man was rocking a new pair of dark crystal glasses that he pushed up on the bridge of his nose while giving her a deep, sweeping bow, far overdoing the performative greeting.  “Naturally, Empress.  Might I accompany you on… wherever you intend to travel this fine morning?”

“Hmm.  It seems you expect as much; I’m busy, so I would suggest making this report short,” she advised, stepping onto the steps to enter the interior as a knight opened the door for her.  “I hope you will not disappoint my expectations or time, Duke.”

“Never, Empress,” he returned, following her entrance as Cole’s frown reasserted itself, no doubt realizing Roman’s attendance hadn’t been planned.  “Lieutenant, I am thankful for your continual attendance to the Empress’ safety.”

“Of course, My Lord,” he nodded, saluting the smirking general before the door closed, leaving her alone with the crafty Legendkin.

Elinor sat in the middle seat of the wide interior as Roman promptly took the pink crystals out of a leather bag he kept by his side, lighting the flames to keep most listening ears at bay.  Crossing her legs, she eyed her supposed Duke; his dubious connection to her was already blown with Logan, and she highly suspected the man had already been in contact with the hag.

The horses were prompted into action, taking them to the outer walls of the city, and once the swirling wind pressure from the flames enclosed them in silence, Elinor’s bored gaze shifted to the blind man.  “While I’ve been boldly dancing a fine line between the powers that be, what have you been scurrying around doing in the background?”

“Haha!  You make me sound like a rat, Elinor,” he mused, sitting back and spreading out his arms to show his fancy noble jacket and pants.  “You have made my life easier to an obscene degree due to your many points of attack.  I’m impressed… terrified even.  Well played with getting to High Lady Trisha Proltis, and nudging her to be the little canary to Grandmaster Lilya.  You’ve provided a way inside a rather dangerous and cautious faction within the kingdom.”

“Are you here to waste my time with honeyed words, Roman,” she sighed, examining her fingernails.  “I know you have already suspected that the hag has made contact with me… and you are trying to figure out how that meeting went because you are too frightened to interact with her at this time due to a lack of leverage.”

“I’ll admit it,” Roman hissed, rubbing the side of his neck with a small frown, directed at the pink flames flickering around them.  “Countess Autumn is a rather… nasty piece of work that has too much leverage to find any sort of angle to attack, and her claws run deep inside this kingdom, which is why I gave you that bit of information, knowing she would be drawn to you.  Was it helpful?”

“Unfortunately… it was,” Elinor muttered, vision narrowing as she glared at the man.  “However, if you want me to inform you of anything regarding that rather tense encounter, then I’d suggest you quit with the puppeteer games and tell me precisely what you’re plotting.  I have set up a good thing here in Kaspir, and I’m not about to let you ruin any of my plans.  Spill.”

“Hmm.  I thought as much,” Roman mumbled, head tilting to the side as his glittery crystal glasses reflected her imperial poise, staring the man down.  “In essence, the Jesena Kingdom and Delva Empire are colluding.  Within the Delva Empire, the Black Tower is their version of the CIA, and they’ve identified Castria as the fulfillment of an old prophecy given by the real Raven Empress five centuries ago.”

[Strategic Mind I - Advanced to B-tier]

Elinor’s mouth became a line, nose twisting as she read between the lines, her past conversations with the Legend connecting to everything she knew about the dubious general.

“You’ve been working with the Black Tower to better understand their internal network; it was you that forced this scenario in the first place by giving them Castria’s identity that triggered their attack on the Delenear Marsh, outing Julian’s mother as a traitor, killing Castria, and causing the murder of Julian’s father, which thereby triggers tensions between Delva and Kaspir.

“Essentially, you’ve brute forced them to reveal their hand by giving them what they wanted and saw how they reacted.  The Black Tower wants Castria alive, yet, sadly, she dies resisting Marchioness Delenear’s method of strong-arming her to go to the Delva Empire.

“I was your backup, and you drew me in with the promise of Levels to build my power and a new world full of resources for me to exploit.  So, I became a smoke screen that you knew I couldn’t turn down.  Understanding my loyalty to those under me, you positioned Castria to join my court, grasping her potential and how useful she could be to me, thereby putting me in conflict with your enemies.

“An Empress’ Gambit, if you will, plummeting us toward an End Game.  You’ve placed a target on Castria’s back and anyone associated with her.  How many agents are inside the kingdom, and how long do I have until an attempt is made?  What diversions will be done by the spies to—”

Elinor paused, eyes widening as she plotted out how she would proceed in their shoes.  “The Selection Ceremony provided an opportunity for agents to infiltrate into the inner walls of the Noble District, bypassing normal, rigorous inspections; they’re already here, and my House provides a way for any person to join… placing them right inside the manor Castria is in.

“Dammit…  How can I tell who is the spy?  A 17-year-old, potentially other plants from previous years working in tandem,” she muttered, crossing her arms and looking off to the side.  “It isn’t hard to believe that the Great House of Proltis is willing to support any actions against me…  And the Jesena Kingdom colluding with Delva?  Is Queen Alciel involved in this plot?”

“Hahaha.  You really are impressive, Empress,” Roman laughed, slowly clapping before rubbing his chin and returning to his casual posture.

“I cannot tell you who the spies are because I do not know, but there are seven in your House.  Do not think this will happen in the short time we will be here, either.  This is a slow and careful operation with many working points.  These spies haven’t been trained for this particular job, after all.  Three instructors, one Grandmaster, and a few lower nobles are turncoats.

“Who they are?  I can’t say; they speak in their own codes and methods, which I have learned through my interactions with the Black Tower.  That being said, the Delva Empire and Jesena Kingdom have different motives.  Delva merely wants Castria.  Jesena… well, they want to have a foothold on this side of the desert between them.”

He opened up his bag to take out a book of what appeared to be notes, written in his own braille code as his fingers ran down the impressed symbols in the paper.  “Is the queen a part of it?  Doubtful, but she will fall in line with her father if she is told to; unlike Lilya, her allegiances are fully toward her homeland.  What has my plan been?  Deterrence.”

Roman snapped his book closed, having confirmed a few things, no doubt.  “The Raven Empress’ sudden appearance and connection to the Kaspir Kingdom is sure to make the two hostile nations hesitate to act, and taking Castria into your court paints a troublesome situation for Kaspir and Delva.”

Chest shaking with laughter, he shook his head.  “And can I say you performed beautifully on stage?  You showed an aggression so bone-chilling that many of the spies are recommending further preparations be made in their letters, and certainly to wait to act until you leave the kingdom.  Satisfied?”

Elinor’s fingers linked in her lap, her narrowed vision drifting to the closed window as they passed through a checkpoint by the slowing carriage.

“Kaspir is preparing for war on their northern front with Delva…  A surprise attack from Jesena would be crushing, especially since they are supposed to be allies through marriage.  It isn’t as if we can levy such a claim without proof either; the queen is from that nation, after all.  We will need to play this carefully…  Work your angles and detail everything to Lilya before we leave.”

“And Countess Autumn?”  Roman pressed, sitting straighter now, and Elinor knew why; there was no countering or attacking the hag with how powerful she was.  The Legend had been tip-toeing around her since the start.  “If she wanted to squash the conflict between the two kingdoms and empire, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to arrange.  Can she be reasoned with?”

A wry smile twitched at the corner of Elinor’s mouth as she recalled the monster, hidden beneath a woman’s skin, her intense yellow eyes alight with glee and mystery.  “The hag would welcome a war between nations… because it would allow her to groom Heather further and pull her into her grasp.  Then again, her plans aren’t set to fully unfold for thirteen years, on Heather’s thirtieth birthday.”

Roman’s eyebrows drew together.  “Thirtieth birthday?  When… a Tempest reaches their full potential.  She harvests the Autumn House’s children at that age for their magic… but what does that have to do with Princess Heather?  Despite my efforts, I cannot see why the hag has invested so much into this kingdom.”

Glad to have something over the Legend’s head after he’d played things so secretly thus far, Elinor was content with not giving him the full context; after all, she knew he wasn’t giving up all of his own cards.  “Let’s just say that you don’t need to worry about Autumn.”

A line came to the man’s mouth, a serious expression moving his face as he studied her smirk.  “What have you learned, Empress?  The Hag of the Everborn Marshlands is possibly the most dangerous entity on this continent, and I’d only put the Raven Empress above her because I only have rumors about the ancient overseas empress.  How can you be sure she will not be an issue?  I cannot see you giving up Heather to her after you’ve placed Castria so close to her.”

“Correct.”  Elinor mused, reaching over to knock on the side of the door to draw the knight’s attention.  “You needn’t worry because I will be taking Autumn back with us to my empire.  Now, if there is anything else, then I would speak quickly because you have a lot of work to do before we leave…  I will have methods Lilya can take to nip this problem in the bud before we leave.”

Roman studied her in silence as the stagecoach came to a stop, and Cole opened the door.

“You wanted something, Empress?  We are still a ways off from the wall.  Pink flames?  I see…”

“…No, no,” the Legend said, showing a flashy smile as he gave her another bow before moving to exit.  “I was just concluding my report to The Empress.  I will be off to enact her wishes, so please, continue with your journey.  We have much to do in so little time, so please excuse Her Imperial Majesty’s court for their absence; there is just so… very much to do.”

“O-Of course, My Lord!  Would you like an escort?”

“No, no!  Haha.  I can more than take care of myself, and my duties are… sensitive in nature.  Thank you, though, Lieutenant.”

With that, the Legend was gone, leaving Elinor alone as she pondered the information Roman had collected.  It wasn’t hard to see things spiraling out of control, especially if the hag wasn’t here to manipulate things in Kaspir’s favor so as to fatten up her future baby incubator in all the right ways.

Delva will certainly throw Jesena under the bus the moment they get Castria, putting the focus on the other kingdom.  The empire’s Black Tower knows far more about Castria than we do, which is what Roman was trying to get but couldn’t reach high enough to get to the bottom of it.  The smarter play might have been to go with the Black Tower instead of Kaspir, yet I can’t cry over spilled milk, and it would have been challenging to convince Castria to join their side after Roman’s blunder.

Her gaze drifted to the still flickering flames.  My appearance and placing my own people inside of Kaspir are sure to make Delva nervous, but I can’t say the same for Jesena from what I’ve heard about their culture.  In fact, they might see it as an opportunity to increase their fame.    Should I leave Grace here to support Lilya?  No, I need his connection to Nungal on the outside…  Could she be trapped here and using Grace as an avatar to escape?

Head tilting to the side, she hummed, deep in thought.  There were too many threads to accurately draw a definitive path forward and too few to draw a connection to certain figures’ intentions.  All she could do was prepare her people for what was to come.

Her journey to the city outskirts didn’t take long, and she smiled when Charlie shot out of the grassy floor like a cracked trap-door spider, hauling quite the sack of bags and chests.  It seemed Lilya wasn’t quite on the mark on this one because there was a certain crest on the chests that made the guards look at each other nervously.

Bending down to run her fingers across the icy dragon imprint, Elinor chuckled.  “And what have we stumbled upon; the House of Tarnash’s hidden treasure, buried in the surrounding land?  Good work, Charlie,” she praised, stroking the spider’s leg and making the knights shake a little in their boots at the massive metal spider’s far too rapid movements for its size.  “Return to your scavenger hunt for now.”

Cole choked as the spider’s androgynous voice responded in their language.

“At once, Empress.  Shall I build a nest for you below the plains?”

“No need.  Do create a cache of everything you find for us to retrieve later, and cover up your footsteps.  We don’t want to agitate the locals.”

“It will be done.”

Charlie slipped down the shockingly small hole for its size, closing the lid like a hatch that perfectly fit into place; the tunnel would be filled in shortly.

“That… is under our feet?”  Cole coughed, trying to remain calm after seeing the colossal spider.  “How many?”

Giggling, Elinor motioned for them to start loading up the items the arachnid had dropped off.  “I’ll let you ponder on that.  Also… expect Lord Drake and Lady Anala to be joining us on our shopping trip.  Things are beginning to get interesting.”

She sent the invitation through Castria, allowing her princess to set up the date after Drake’s disastrous pivot over to the House of Tempest, leaving the love-struck redhead to feel spurned and whiplash; naturally, Anala would think the worst.  Elinor wanted to tell Drake and his older brother about this hidden treasure without each other knowing to see their reactions.

Lilya, can you have High Lord Alix meet me at the Noble District’s front gate?  I’d like there to be an audience.  And Black, I feel bad interrupting you again, but I need a little bird listening in the shadows.  It’s time to go shopping for a goddess and pluck a few strings to see where the ends land us.  This is going to be fun!  I love a good mystery.

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