Chapter 241: Tea With the Emperor (Patreon)

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I'm sorry for the inactivity, writer's block hit me hard. I'm trying to get back on the horse and hope next month will be better. I will keep posting public chapters until my schedule returns to normal, so if you feel you didn't get your money's worth this month, then feel free to unsubscribe, and you should still be able to keep up with the latest chapters.

Also, the story A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale by Abyssraven is publishing their first book on August 1st; if any of you are interested in checking it out, that will be a good time to do so.

AN: Got some editing suggestions? Suggest it on the Google Docs here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13OIE0PUoQnqtwYFe_-Atm_obsgf3VE5UcxCeoUDNLss/edit?usp=sharing

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It is early in the morning, the day after the battle with the Dwarves and Elementals. I didn’t have much time to review the event yesterday, but since everything has calmed down, I can do it now.

The first thing I want to review is the results of my ammo test. The antimatter bombs didn’t achieve much. It’s hard to say if they made any difference at all, but it’s safe to say that they’re not very versatile. It’s a big explosion, but that’s about it. It’s very powerful, but that means nothing if it can’t break past defensive barriers. A spell can be tailor-made to better break past those barriers, so while spells might be weaker, they are more versatile, and that is what really matters.

It always boils down to strong but not versatile or weaker but more flexible. Just like with bond skill casters, bond mages, non-casters, casters, and general casters. The more flexible you are, the less power you have. Generalists versus specialists.

So, in essence, antimatter bombs are finishers. When all the defenses are worn down, and I need that little extra oomph, that’s what it’s best at. That and fighting Cursed Beings.

Now onto the performance of my airships. They are surprisingly tough. They outperformed my expectations, and I think the reason is their supersolid hulls. In a supersolid state, mana is akin to nuclear pasta, which is one of the densest and toughest forms of matter found only in neutron stars. Both are made by squeezing matter or mana until everything kind of blends together. I’m not sure if nuclear pasta can exist outside of such extreme environments, but for supersolid mana, it’s held together by the MM force. This means that in order to tear it apart, one has to put in as much effort as it requires to make.

Of course, the Elementals did manage to destroy half my airships, but they weren’t intelligent enough to intentionally find ways to maximize damage; rather, they just threw things at the airships, resulting in light damage. The ones controlled by the Dwarves, however, were quick to find ways to disable and destroy the airships.

This battle has proven useful in highlighting the weaknesses in the airship designs, and if I want to make battleships, I will need to redesign them so they can’t be so easily disabled.

So, my airships wound up exceeding my expectations, but are they still good to use in combat? If it’s one-on-one, absolutely not. After witnessing Alexander fight, he can run circles around them. Teleportation is a major weakness, so unless I incorporate teleportation anchors in their design, the airships will only be good against the weak masses, and if that’s the case, a single Legendary is good enough for the job. I can already cast spells that rival small nukes, and I can expect equal or more powerful spells from a true Legendary being.

In a way, using them as portable shields was the best use for them. So rather than using them as weapons, perhaps a mobile fortress design would be far better. A place to serve as a refuge for the injured and weary in the midst of battle might just be the best design for combatting really powerful beings.

Perhaps I should ask Kayafe and Alexander their opinions on the matter.

I walk to the garden where both Kayafe and Alexander sit in a gazebo, talking while the latter drinks some tea. I feel guilty about interrupting them; perhaps I should wait for another time. However, just as I turn around to let them be, Kayafe opens a portal in front of me.

Guess I’m being invited anyway.

I walk through and sit on an empty chair. I would have to sit on the edge since it wasn’t made with tails in mind, so I set the chair sideways.

“Alex was just wondering what kind of things you’d want for your payment,” Kayafe says. “Since you were coming to us anyway, I thought to invite you.”

What do I want? I guess I should start thinking of what I want to make and then ask for materials. But, before I get sidetracked, I want their opinions of the airships.

“I’ll have to think about that for a moment. In the meantime, I want your thoughts about the airships.”

I tell them my ideas on airship uses.

“Hmm,” Alexander hums. “You’re not wrong to say that your airships are overshadowed by Legendary beings, but you are assuming all nations are like mine. This is most definitely not the case. Most will only have one Legendary being, if that. However, you are right to say that we have no use for warships, in my case. Although, fortress ships would be invaluable.”

Kayafe nods in agreement. “Your experience with so many Legendary beings has skewed your view of just how many there actually are. Legendary beings are rare; even Heroic and Exalted beings are rare. Humans, Dwarves, and Elves may be born at Heroic or Exalted tier, but that doesn’t mean they will achieve the same tier for their Classes. The normal number of high-tier people, considering both their race and Classes, is two or three Heroic and maybe two Exalted per nation.”

Thinking back to Lunaley, Ruluna was considered one of the best mages there, and she was only Grand tier. Lanya is Exalted, but I haven’t seen any others. I suppose that should be a better measuring stick when considering the uses of my airships. Putting that into perspective, my airships are already invincible, and their firepower is overwhelming.

“So you are saying the airships are good enough as is when considering normal countries?” I ask.

“Yes,” Alexander replies, taking a sip of his tea. “Of course, If I were to commission a ship, I’d want a fortress type; but as they are currently, they far exceed expectations.”

Well, at least now I have a better understanding of where my airships stand, but that doesn’t mean I should forgo innovation and improvements. If I am going to make something, it has to be the best version I can make; that’s the Runalymo way.

The sails are currently the weakest link, so I should think of something better. I could go with a helicopter-type design, with a large spinning fan to create thrust. However, that isn’t going to solve the problem since they can be jammed.

I can use thrusters for lift; the thrusters are a lot smaller, so they can easily be covered. This solves the weak point, but it comes at the cost of vastly increasing the mana upkeep on the enchantments. This is compounded by the fact that the sails have a secondary purpose of drawing in ambient mana to help cover those costs.

So now I have to make a choice: reduce the glaring weak point, or favor mana efficiency. I can’t have both. Or can I? Perhaps I should take a leaf out of the history books and just go with a more airplanelike design. Airplanes worked well enough, but then again, Earth didn’t have magic and monsters. I doubt airplanes would have worked if a flying monster could just snap the wings off. However, I think I can still make it work. I can make these wings more heavily armored so they’re more resistant to damage.

Unlike actual planes, I don’t need to store fuel in the wings, so I can instead just use that space for armor. However, there’s one more thing I need to consider, and that is wings require constant airflow to stay airborne. Enchanting the wings to have a constant upward draft for vertical lift and landing, as well as hovering, will solve this issue. Plus, with wide enough wings, I can use them to draw in ambient mana. So, in a sense, I am not actually getting rid of the sails, just making them thicker. It seems I have come full circle.

“Thank you for your insight,” I say. “I think I have a better grasp on where the airships stand and how to improve them further.”

“I find it hard to imagine a better airship. But then again, if I could, I would be able to build my own,” Alexander says. “In any case, I am glad to have provided some guidance and hope I can do so again in the future.”

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Your Majesty,” I reply.

Now, what should I ask for as payment from Alexander? Materials are always an option, and he did get several Legendary-tier materials. But, as I’ve stated before, I want something more valuable: knowledge. However, I don’t know what knowledge I want from him since everything that’s relevant to me I’ve already pretty much figured out for myself.

Actually, there is something I can ask for. Bond training. He is obviously far stronger than me in his Bond, so there is definitely something I can gain.

“I’ve thought over what I want for completing the task you hired me for; I want Bond training.”

“Bond training?” Alexander asks, surprised by my answer.

“Yes. Not only will I be able to advance in my Bond faster, but it should be worth a lot for my Classes’ achievements to be personally trained by you and the Oathbound.”

“See, Kayafe? Alysara understan— wait a minute….” Alexander furrows his brows and looks to be doing complicated math. “Classes, that’s plural. How many Bond Classes do you have?”

I might have said too much, but I’m not a mind reader, so what has he caught onto? [Inventive Perfection] is good at seeing through imperfections and puzzles, but it isn’t very good at social interactions, so it can’t help me here.

“Two…?” I answer, unsure where he is going.

“By any chance, are you an Heirloom Progenitor?” Alexander asks. “You couldn’t have more than three Classes, and if two of them are Bond Classes, then that must mean the third is your caster Class that has [Manipulate Magic]. This can only mean that your enhanced [Sense Mana], being as strong as it is, has to be in your race. There is a chance that it is in your caster Class as a support-type Skill, but I can’t see a Skill being so powerful without it being the main focus of the Class.”

He managed to deduce that from one tiny slip-up?! Well, I suppose he has encountered at least two Heirloom Progenitors. His and Kayafe’s companion, and then the progenitor of those Erudite guys I heard about. Also, he’s over ten thousand years old, so I guess he’s seen a lot. Maybe it’s not that surprising after all.

“...Yes,” I finally admit. He’s honorable, so I can trust him with at least that much information.

What Alexander doesn’t know is that I only have two Classes and that my race has two enhanced Skills. Although, from what I gather, Heirloom Progenitors and enhanced Skills go hand in hand.

“I had no idea just how important you actually were, but it makes sense in hindsight. I will certainly help you grow your Bond. It is a light or an essence-based one, right? If I know exactly which one, I might be able to help you more.”

Considering most of my power comes from my Skills, I guess I can say what my Bond is.

“I have a Beauty Bond.”

“Beauty, huh? That was in my top three guesses. Although, it seems obvious now,” Alexander says.

“What makes you say that?” I ask.

“Well, I was only hesitant because you are operating through an illusory clone; I have no idea if your clone is altered. However, your exceptional beauty and exaggerated features, such as your tails and hair, are a clear sign of a Beauty Bond. That’s why you had those evolution alterations.”

“My hair, yes,” I say, referring to the golden-colored tips, “but my tails came with my Heirloom Progenitor evolution.”

Alexander looks puzzled at that.

“Your tails? Usually, those evolutions come with changes thematic to the inserted Skill. What do your tails have to do with [Sense Mana]?”

There are only two reasons I can think of as to why that was the case. First is that my tails are now the primary point at which my body leaks mana, and they contain an unusual amount of mana too. The other might have to do with Japanese mythology from my past life. Perhaps it was just a coincidence and/or a mix of my past life and Bond influences.

“Perhaps it was just a coincidence?” I say with a shrug. “Is it really that important?”

“No, you’re probably right. It was an influence from your Bond that just happened to align with your Heirloom evolution,” Alex says before taking a sip of his tea.

There is a lull in the conversation, but not long has passed when I suddenly feel a telepathic spell trying to connect to me from Kayafe. I notice Alexander glance at the telepathy spell forming a link, but he doesn’t say anything.

“I’ve been thinking. Alex has gotten a lot stronger from when I last saw him, to the point where I think he can help you with your little god problem. I think you can trust him with that, especially since he is a Legacy Soul, just like you,”

I do need allies for that, but it’s hard to open up and show vulnerabilities, especially to someone I barely know. Kayafe may have known him ten thousand years ago, but it’s been that long, and he may have changed. That said, he has been nothing but transparent and honorable. His Oathbound Knights openly admit to their flaws, and that’s probably because of his influence.

My biggest fear, especially after learning how weak everybody in the Nexus is compared to the rest of the world, is that we will be taken advantage of or worse. While I don’t think Humans in general can be trusted, Alexander has shown that his goal is cooperation and cohabitation.

But what will happen when he learns that I have a Primordial Soul? Will he try to take advantage of me like Urolon initially did?

“Are you sure he won’t try to use me like some of the gods want to?”

“I am positively sure, Alysara.”

“Even though he’ll find out that my soul is Mythic tier?”

“You are far more valuable than that, Alysara. Besides, he knows just how hard it is to craft a Legendary item; anything above is far out of his grasp. If even Urolon realized he cannot craft Fabled tier items, then that’s all the more reason for him to believe that too.”

“Alright, I’ll trust him, but only because I trust you.”

“Emperor Alexander,” I say his name, not to be disrespectful, but to show that this isn’t simple politics but something serious and personal. “Like you, I have a Legacy Soul, one that is also Primordial tier. Not just any Primordial Soul either, but one known as the Archive of Eternity: Mythic tier. It is because my soul is such a high tier that there is a faction of Spirit Gods that want to use my soul as a renewable source of Fabled or Mythic tier materials. I want to ask for your aid against these Spirit Gods.”

Alexander doesn’t answer immediately, clearly weighing his options, making me fear the worst.

“I will help you,” He finally says, “but I am not sure how much I can do. If it’s one Spirit God, then I am confident I can hold them off long enough for us to escape, but if there’s any more than that, then I am afraid that there isn’t much I can do.”

Being able to fight off one of them is more than what I expected, assuming Urolon is average in terms of strength. He is the only one I analyzed, so I don’t know how strong the rest of the Spirit Gods are. He could be strong or weak compared to the others, but if Alexander is saying he can at least hold one off, then he can’t be far off from them.

“Tk’Thalim has promised his aid already, as has Safyr,” I say. “Plus, I am sure Myrou, Fathlyr, and maybe a few others will help us. There are two factions among the spirit gods, those that want to protect me and those that want to use me.”

“Safyr too? If that’s the case, then you have a strong chance of surviving. She is a well-known god slayer, and all of the Spirit Gods fear her. If you can also secure the aid of Ithronan and Xerithro, two other dragons that equal Safyr in strength, then your safety is assured.”

“I don’t know where they are.”

“According to world messages, Ithronan’s last known location was in the Sky Lands, a magic zone where an entire broken continent floats in the sky. As for Xerithro, she was last known to be in the far north Nexus.”

If I can get their help, then I am sure I’ll have enough backup to make the Spirit Gods hesitate, but they sound like they are very far away. Maybe we can make it a goal to visit them when I go on an adventure with Kayafe.

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Familiar POV:

“Alright, can you make all the dust in the house disappear?” the little mistress asks.

It doesn’t know what is wrong with dust, but if the little mistress doesn’t like it, then it must be bad.

Calling upon its creator’s power, all the dust vanishes.

“Yay! That saved so much time!” the other mistress says.

Wait, aren’t they just the same? It cocks its head, trying to figure out why there are two identical people, despite one of them not being a clone. Or is it? But if it was, then why talk to it? Wouldn't that just be talking to yourself?

“Now, let’s get the laundry done; clean this, please!” One of the little mistresses presents a blanket.

Is the blanket bad too? Well, they want it clean, so it must be bad. Calling upon the creator’s power again, the blanket vanishes.

“Huh? Where’d the blanket go?”

Where does it go? That’s a good question.

“Ah! Bring it back! If you don't bring it back, Momara’s going to kill us!” The little mistress waves her arms in panic.

Wasn’t it bad?

“That was Aly’s old blanket! If Momara finds out that it’s gone, we’ll be in so much trouble!”

The creator? So it’s good. Why are they saying it’s bad?

“Bring it back, you stupid familiar! We just needed the dirt gone!” The little mistress stamps her feet and glares at it.

Ah! So it wasn’t bad; it just had bad stuff on it. Can it even be brought back?

Using the creator’s powers, the blanket reappears, although it’s soaking wet.

The little mistresses breathe a sigh of relief and use their Bonds to draw the water out of the blanket.

“Alright, just make the dirt on it go away this time!” one of the mistresses says.

It does so, banishing the stains and dirt.

“Great! Now do the same for that pile!” She points at a pile of laundry.

Drawing upon more power, the laundry is clean in seconds.

“Yay! Now we can go play!”

However, before they can even take a step toward the door, the sound of someone clearing their throat echoes throughout the room.

“Yafe, Yafel, what do you think you’re doing?”

“M-Momara, we are done with our chores, so we can play now.”

“You didn’t do your chores; you made Aly’s familiar do it. You can’t always rely on Alysara! What are you going to do when you grow up? Do you honestly believe I’m making you do chores because I need help? I’m doing this for your own good! You need to learn how to take care of your home and be responsible!” The creator’s mother goes into a lecture, raising her voice sternly, but not at the level of shouting.

“But you never made Aly do chores. Why us?”

The creator’s mother became even angrier as she put her hands on her hips.

“Alysara has always been responsible! She’s been working since even before you two were born! Doing chores is not just to help us keep the house clean; it’s to teach you two how to be adults! You two are already ten years old; you can’t stay children forever!”

After that, the little mistresses received more chores to do.