The Newt and Demon - Book 4 Chapters 28,29,30 (Patreon)

Chapter 28

Home and Hearth

Theo understood the source for his lusting after adventure. When Yuri showed up in town—when the alchemist figured out who he was—there was a rush of recognition. The old days back on Earth were bad, there was no denying that. He wouldn’t forget the famine, the war, or the mass extinction of his world. But there was an underlying theme among all the spy-like people who worked for the nations. It was all bullshit, so they may as well make it as interesting as possible.

Those who settled scores with murder were handled. They were removed from the pool of cooperating agents, replaced with others willing to play the game. It was a twisted game. The only game they knew.

Theo stood in the harbor with Fenian, watching as Laedria worked on the boats. The alchemist had shared stories about Yuri. The things he did back on Earth. Those final moments.

“Where does your road go, Fenian?” Theo asked. “I’ve always thought you were out for revenge.”

“I am.” Fenian laughed. “King Karasan had a hand in killing someone dear to me. Ages ago. Eons now that I spent time in the realms. But then I discovered something. He has something I need. Anyway, tell me about your projects. What are you working on, my dear alchemist?”

Theo had to think about that for a moment. He was working on a lot of things. Leveling the town and the nation had taken a backseat to other things. The alchemist had his eyes on a new upgrade at level 25 for Broken Tusk, so his immediate goal was to expand the town out. He explained that part of his plan to Fenian, going on to detail the importance of his weapons and transport projects.

“My Toru’aun core is also coming along nicely. Very powerful for a low-level core,” Theo said with a nod. “I was also looking into getting Throk an artificer core aligned with Tworgnoth. I was going to add more synergistic links to the town, but those are expensive. I need more golems harvesting motes. Oh, and you owe me a mint.”

Fenian laughed. “So, not much? Just relaxing and enjoying your time as Archduke? I have to say, I love that title. Very pompous.”

Theo narrowed his eyes at the Elven trader. “Alright. I get it. Should have picked another title.”

“I’m most interested in your transport system. I’ve heard about something similar in Bantein. Yes. Motes seem to be a limiting factor for you.”

Theo wondered if Zarali was still hung up about him cheating with the golem system. His willpower had expanded, but it was hard to understand how far that went. Currently, he could support 10 golems. The alchemist needed 2 [Lesser Plant Golems] minimum to keep his greenhouses going. There was a constant flow of motes from his [Lesser Mud Golems]. The [Lesser Stone Golems] and the [Lesser Copper Golems] were for defensive purposes.

Power production for the golems was simple enough. The [Lesser Plant Golems] harvested more [Manashrooms] than they consumed, even if there was processing involved. As long as Theo remembered to brew [Mana Essence], they’d have fuel forever.

Casting his mind into the lodestone network, Theo felt around for his golems. They were all working tirelessly. Some dug in the mud for motes, others fought low-level monsters in the mine. The next big thing for the golems would be a construct that automatically harvested power from the air, then converted it into mana for their use. That was a problem the alchemist hadn’t cracked.

“How about my mint?” Theo asked, his mind returning to the moment.

“I have one on order,” Fenian said. “Just tied up at the moment. Say, can we visit Galflower?”

“Where is she?”

Fenian led the way to Miana’s ranch. When they arrived, the Half-Ogre woman opened the gate to the paddock to allow the Elf inside. The massive purple glowing creature bound across the field, almost knocking the wheelchair over. Theo busied himself with his administration map.

Expansions were getting expensive, but the alchemist remembered what he’d heard. He wanted another farm to the east, near the river. Expanding the town out and over the river was cheap if he didn’t incorporate it. That would leave it outside of the wall, which represented a danger to the workers. Theo bought 6 expansions to the east, leaving them outside of the walls. It drained his gold to almost nothing but he shrugged it off.

“Fenian, I need to visit Zarali and Xol’sa,” Theo said, waving as he walked away from the giggling Elf.

“Certainly! See ya!”

Fenian is doing a lot better, Theo said.

Yeah? Did you see his little baby limbs?

No. I’d rather not.

Ral almost has his left leg back! You should see that guy hobble around, Tresk said, laughing into Theo’s mind.

As expected, Xol’sa was with Zarali in the town hall. They had their own room on the first floor, and were the only people left with injuries. The Dronon Priestess was fine, even if it seemed the injury her partner took hit her harder.

“Theo,” she said, looking up with tired eyes. “How are you?”

“I’m well. How about you, Xol’sa?” Theo said, coming to sit next to the bed.

“A lot better than before,” Xol’sa said.

It was hard to tell if the extra-planar Elf’s complexion was back to normal. It normally sat between gray and blue, but seemed duller than normal. But the striations of glowing energy that ran through his body seemed bright. They pulsed with some invisible tide, flashing different shades of blue.

“Going to have a word with your girl,” Theo said, grabbing Zarali by the arm and hoisting her to her feet.

“By all means,” Xol’sa said, waving them away.

Theo led his adoptive sister into the atrium of the town hall, closing the door behind them. “What’s up with him?” he asked. “Looks like he’s doing better, why not let him out of that bed?”

A flash of annoyance ran across Zarali’s face. It disappeared in moments. “The wound he took from the soul-slaying was bad. But your potion did damage.”

Theo felt the pain of regret fall over his chest. “What?”

“Calm down.” Zarali produced a tired smile. “Your [Reforge Soul] potion was a lot for him. It remade his soul, brother. Now his body is trying to adapt to a new soul. His people were never meant to live on the mortal plane.”

Xol’sa’s people were weird, but Theo had never put much thought into it. There was an array of strange races in this world, so he never put stock into it. He remembered Zarali calling them the Bara’thier, but he didn’t really know what that meant. Not until he thought about it. After traveling to Tero’gal to see the weird system messages meant for the gods, he had a better idea of what the Bara’thier were.

“Wait. What do you know about his people? The Bara’thier, was it?”

“You’ll know more about that than me by now, brother,” Zarali said. Theo could tell she was using every bit of her willpower to suppress an indignant tone. She was tired. Worn down by the sight of her partner set prone like that.

Worst of all, she was right. “Interesting, if you think about it,” Theo said. “I didn’t understand what extra-planar meant. I understood the word, but not the meaning. There are places between places, Zarali. Imagine us. Here on the mortal plane.”

“I can do that.”

“Now imagine Drogramath’s realm. Then a space between here and there. Uz’Xulven created the Bridge to allow travel between those places, which I’m fairly certain was never the design. I think Xol’sa is from the in between places.”

“An extremely interesting academic proposal. But, how does that help him?” Zarali asked.

Theo had started talking before his thoughts had formed. He was walking down a logical path, tracing the cause of Xol’sa’s arrival without considering what it meant for his condition. He shook his head, clearing away the miasma of uncertainty.

“It just means that I can ask around in the heavenly realms. See if anyone knows something that could help him. There’s a very friendly bear god that I’ve been talking to.” Theo paused for a long moment. “He said his [Planar Mage] core was the only thing keeping him together. Yeah, I think there’s something weird going on with his body, soul, and cores. I’m officially on the case, Zarali.”

Zarali placed a comforting hand on Theo’s shoulder. “I hope your investigation yields more information than Drogramath’s. He’s been ignoring my prayers.”

“Khahar placed new rules on the gods. I doubt he can talk to you directly. He certainly can’t intervene.”

“Yet power still flows from the dungeon,” Xol’sa said, appearing at the door.

“My love,” Zarali gasped, rushing to the door to support the Elf.

“Don’t make me brew a sleeping potion,” Theo said.

Xol’sa managed a smile.

“If anyone can solve this, it’s you,” Xol’sa said.

“Not because you’re smart,” Zarali said, jabbing a finger at Theo. “Because you’re stupid and tenacious. You’ll bang your head against the problem until you pass out.”

Theo shrugged, turning on the spot. As he walked away he called over his shoulder. “Just living my best life.”

The alchemist stood outside of the town hall for a long time, taking deep breaths. He needed his thoughts ordered if he wanted to figure this out, and the sight of Zarali’s tired eyes wasn’t helping. Belgar’s connection to her wasn’t helping matters, flooding him with a brotherly need to save his sister. But rushing the problem wouldn’t help.

“Hah,” Theo said, snapping his fingers. He turned on the spot to regard his town hall. “If there’s a [Reforge Soul] potion, why isn’t there a [Reforge Body] potion?”

Intuition only went so far. Theo was working on a suspicion that he felt was wrong, but it was the only way forward. Until then, he withdrew a low-level [Monster Core] from his inventory. He pressed it into the town hall, repeating the process until it hit level 5. Upgrading buildings always made him feel better. The first set of upgrade options popped into his vision.

[Home and Hearth]

Citizens of this town will have their minds soothed while within the town hall. They will also require less rest than normal.

[Massive Hall]

Increases the size of the town hall, adding a third floor.

[Underground Complex]

Adds an underground, customizable complex to your town hall.

It was rare that the first three upgrades a building presented were this awesome. Theo would have accepted any of them, but went with [Home and Hearth] for his first upgrade. He continued shoving cores until he got it to level 10. He inspected the new option before making a decision.

[Beacon of Hope]

Radiates a sense of comfort to all citizens within a radius of the town hall.

“Turns out, I should have done this ages ago,” Theo said.

He thought about the upgrade for a while. It would be nice to have more space in the town hall, if only to make it more impressive. But the [Underground Complex] upgrade didn’t seem as helpful as [Beacon of Hope, so he selected that one. Theo jammed more cores into the building until it hit level 15. The next upgrade option popped up.

[Efficient Taxation]

All taxes are automatically deposited into a lockbox within this building.

“Finally a stinker,” Theo said, laughing. He could already do that with his [Governance Core].

“Oh! Are we upgrading something?” Fenian said, his voice coming from up the road. “I love upgrades.”

“Done with your Galflower?” Theo asked, selecting the [Massive Hall] upgrade option.

Fenian started talking, but the building lurched to one side, then the other. The whitewashed exterior expanded upward, rising until a third floor had magically appeared. Like the bottom two floors, it held windows that gave a splendid view of the surrounding town.

When the building was done moving, Fenian spoke. “Yes, I had a good time. Thank you for asking.”

Theo nodded, adding more cores until the building hit level 20. A crowd had formed, the way it always did, and Alise stormed from the interior of the building. During the upgrade process, the town hall had been expanded to either side as it leveled. The addition of a new floor was enough to draw her out of her office.

“A little warning next time?” Alise asked.

The next option was interesting.

[Efficient Movement]

Increases the speed of all citizens, and their vehicles, when traveling on roads connected with this town hall.

The basement option just wasn’t appealing to Theo. He didn’t like a room without a window. It seemed unnatural. He selected the [Efficient Movement] option before inspecting the building.

[Town Hall]

[T-shirts for sale]

Owners: Theo Spencer

Faction: [Southlands Alliance]

Level: 20 (25%)

Rent Due: 5 Days

Expansions:

[Home and Hearth]

[Beacon of Hope]

[Massive Halls]

[Efficient Movement]

“Those are some fantastic upgrades,” Alise said, shaking her head. “I thought they’d all be trash.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Theo said, his brow knitting. “Well, that’s enough of that.”

“Oh, look at me,” Fenian mocked. “The fancy archduke. Bored with the tasks of the peasants.”

“Yeah, join me Fenian,” Theo said, leaving the crowds behind.

The pair traveled south along the main road, finding their way to the Newt and Demon. The alchemist could hear Salire inside, haggling with someone about something. He gestured to the lot on the far side of the road, next to Zarali’s enchanting workshop.

“I want to put a mansion there. Do you have a mansion seed core?”

Fenian gave him a flat look. “I was joking about you being a fancy archduke. You don’t need a mansion.”

“Come on. Wouldn’t it be neat? I could have a house. Instead of sleeping next to my smelly lab, I could sleep in a real room. Maybe have a dining room. A study.”

Fenian withdrew a seed core from his inventory. A gold cage surrounded a pulsing core of shifting light. “I owe you my limbs, don’t I? And my safe passage through Gardreth. Go on, my dear alchemist. You’ve earned it.”

Theo took the [Manor Seed Core] from Fenian, holding it in his hands. It radiated a power that wasn’t found in the [House Seed Cores]. He thought about the placement for a moment. The manor could go to the south of his lab, as that space was empty. But there was something about having two of his own structures on the same side of the road that made him feel uncomfortable. The original plan was the best, so he planted it on the western side of the road, south of Zarali’s workshop.

“You know, I was saving that seed core as a gift to an Elven lord,” Fenian said, driving up to the spot where the tangled roots sprouted from the ground.

Theo inserted cores into the seed core, feeding it until it sprouted. “I appreciate it, Fenian. You’ll always be a friend to the alliance.”

The alchemist was thrown back when the building sprouted. He’d feed the seed too quickly, causing the roots to flail around before they wrapped into the form of a massive building. It built itself in the style of Broken Tusk homes with a blue roof. But the siding was rendered in a pale lilac, almost off-white. It was twice the size of the Newt and Demon, already two stories without upgrades. The pair checked the exterior around the back, finding a dark iron fence spanning a hundred paces into the distance.

“This is a big house,” Theo chuckled, rubbing his hands together.

The inside was even more impressive. It opened with a stout atrium. There was a place for him to place shoes and coats in that entranceway. It opened up to a massive sitting room overlooked by a balcony on all sides. Plush sofas surrounded a large wooden table, and there was a large fireplace on the left wall. Fenian let out a low whistle.

“More impressive than I expected,” Fenian said. “I should get one of these for myself.”

Theo wasn’t certain what he’d do with all the space. The building needed air conditioning. Maybe more than one unit to keep the large interior cooled during the unforgiving Season of Fire. The bottom floor had a kitchen, sitting room, and several small bedrooms. Upstairs there were more bedrooms than Theo could count, including a massive master bedroom with an attached bathroom. There was also a massive study on the second floor, complete with walls of empty bookshelves and an excellent view of the town outside.

Unfortunately, Fenian couldn’t make it up the stairs to inspect. Instead, they made their way outside to inspect the building and consider upgrades.

[Manor]

Owners: Theo Spencer, Tresk

Faction: [Southlands Alliance]

Level: 1 (0%)

Rent Due: 5 Days

Expansions:

None

Fenian helped Theo insert [Monster Cores] until they gained their first upgrade path. The alchemist read them out.

[Endless Comfort]

While relaxing within the manor, you are placed in a state of extreme comfort.

[Expansive Gardens]

Expands the rear garden. Fruit trees and flowers will grow automatically.

[Service Competence]

All workers with servant-based cores will gain increased experience while performing their duties.

“Servants?” Theo asked.

“Oh you must hire servants, Theo. I need you to hire several buxom Elves to serve you chilled Tarantham wine.”

Theo selected the [Endless Comfort] upgrade. He fed the manor more cores until the level 10 option popped up.

[Cellar]

Adds a cellar to the manor. All items placed within the cellar will not decay.

Theo thought about this one for a while, but he was more interested in the garden. He selected [Expansive Gardens] for the level 10 upgrade, then added cores until it was level 15. While his supply of high-level [Monster Cores] was low, he had a ton of low-level ones. He inspected the next upgrade with Fenian.

[Bonus Dining]

Eating meals in your dining room will grant additional bonuses.

“Hard to say,” Fenian said. “I’d go for the [Service Competence] upgrade, but you seem opposed to having servants. I mean, your town is run by them but hey… who am I to judge?”

Theo selected the [Bonus Dining] upgrade. The alchemist decided that level 20 was fine for the day. He inserted cores until the next upgrade popped up, inspecting that one with Fenian and signing.

[Reduced Taxes]

Reduces the amount of taxes this building requires by 25%.

“Well, since you hate the idea of servants, I guess you should pick the cellar.”

“I hate cellars,” Theo said.

“There’s only one option, then,” Fenian said, clapping like an excited child.

Theo reluctantly selected the [Service Competence] upgrade.

Fenian clapped like an idiot again, then rubbed his hand together. “Come, Theo. Let’s find the plumpest Elf in Broken Tusk that needs a job.”

“I’m hiring an old man. Just to spite you.”

Chapter 29

Mansion

We got a mansion! Tresk shouted into Theo’s mind.

Theo stood on the third floor of the town hall, looking down at Fenian on the first floor. The Elf was grumpy that he couldn’t ascend the stairs to speak with Alise, and the administrator refused to go downstairs. She was still mad at the alchemist for upgrading the building without warning the inhabitants. She’d fallen over, hitting her head and receiving a grievous injury.

“Seriously, Theo. That’s careless.”

“I follow my whims,” Theo said with a half-hearted shrug. “Look, you’re fine. Right?”

“Physically? Yes. Emotionally? No.”

“Alright. I’m sorry,” Theo said, locking his gaze onto the administrator’s.

He was serious about his apology, too. Not just something he wanted to say to get her to stop complaining. A reckless streak had entered the alchemist’s life, and he didn’t know if it was for the better. Alise kept her eyes locked for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

“You’re forgiven. For now. But only because these upgrades are good.”

“Excellent. Now, I need a servant,” Theo said.

Alise gave him a flat look. “Why?”

“I have a manor. I need someone to clean it.”

“No, you don’t. You have [Cleansing Scrub]. Just dump it on everything.”

Theo beckoned for the administrator to follow him, leading her into a meeting room. Fenian’s idea to have a maid or butler was interesting, but that’s not what the alchemist wanted. Alise had stopped being his personal assistant long ago, going off to do bigger things for the alliance. He was left without someone to run his mundane errands. While he could live without an assistant, he wanted one. Why shouldn’t he have one?

“I miss my assistant.” Theo placed a comforting hand on Alise’s shoulder. He saw her sag slightly at the touch, and recognized the meaning. She was stressed from her duties. “I think you need an assistant, too.”

“I have too many.” Alise let out a heavy sigh, then her eyes went glassy. “No, Gael is ready to take over some of my workload. That allows me to transition to matters of the nation. Alright, any preference?”

“The oldest, ugliest man you can find,” Theo said. “Actually, a local Half-Ogre or Marshling would be great.”

“Right. I have a few people requesting transfers from state-run ventures. I’ll interview them.”

Theo chatted with Alise for a while. He wanted to make sure she was doing well, and not just posturing for his sake. After some quizzing, the alchemist decided Gael was indeed ready to take on more responsibilities. He’d share power with Gwyn as they had planned, allowing the army of junior administrators to take over the little things. While things moved fast in Broken Tusk, some stuff just took longer.

“Did you find one?” Fenian asked. “How big are her—”

“Alright!” Theo shouted. “That’s it. I’m building a golem to be my administrator.”

“I’m sure you could shape a golem to the form of my choosing.”

Theo bent down, pressing a finger into Fenian’s chest. “I’m gonna make it look just like you.”

“Oh, my,” Fenian said, fanning himself. “Even better.”

Theo let out an exasperated breath, storming out of the town hall. That was the only way he could hide the smile on his face as he left. But the Elf was close behind, pushing his artifice-powered wheelchair into action. While Fenian was high-energy, his help was valuable. He was a good friend, and the alchemist wouldn’t trade that for anything. Instead of pushing him away, he led him back to the Newt and Demon to share his wisdom with Salire.

The young shopkeeper was ecstatic to soak in his wisdom. Theo was free to work on his alchemy.

There were no new orders at the shop. People were buying the excess potions he made, and Theo couldn’t be bothered to care. Instead, he spent the midday hours working on [Freeze Solution] for the many air conditioners in town. While his stock was holding strong in the shop, the days were only getting hotter. The alchemist toiled away until a knock came from his door. Salire poked her head in.

“You have a visitor. Alran Cherman.”

“Oh. Really? Send him up.”

Theo put down the flask he was working on, placing his hand on his hip as he waited. His eyes dragged over the room, locking on the statue of Drogramath. The shrine was still accepting offerings, but his alignment hadn’t increased. Just as an idea was forming, the pudgy form of Alran entered the room. A grin painted the man’s face.

“Spymaster Cherman,” Theo said, crossing the room to shake his hand.

“Archduke,” Alran said with a chuckle. ”Apologies for the unannounced visit.”

“Ah,” Theo said, looking around his lab. It was messy. It smelled like burned rubber and freshly dug earth. “Let’s move to my manor to discuss matters.”

Alran made a sound as though he were pleasantly surprised. As they departed the Newt and Demon, Fenian tagged along. Salire was disappointed, but the Elf promised to come back and instruct her more on her duties as a merchant. The group rested in the massive first-floor sitting room, the fire dead in the fireplace.

“Libations are in order,” Fenian said, withdrawing a bottle of something from his inventory. He then brought forth wine glasses, setting them on the wide table and pouring a glass for everyone. “To the alliance. And spies.”

Theo toasted to that, taking a sip of the tart drink. It wasn’t good, but he put on a brave face.

“An excellent vintage, Feintleaf,” Alran said, shifting his weight to be more comfortable on the couch. “Of course this isn’t a social visit. I wanted to speak face-to-face with you, Theo.”

“About what?”

“Things are moving faster than I expected,” Alran started, taking another sip of wine. “I’m free to spend my time spying, now that I don’t manage Rivers. So, here’s a few points. Veosta has been reinforced by Tarantham. Qavell is holding on somehow. Partopour, Bantein, and the Khahari are holding back. They’re waiting to see who rises from the ashes.”

“Interesting turns of events everywhere,” Fenian said, swirling the wine in his glass. “I assume Gronro is holding strong.”

“They are. But the undead aren’t abating. They’re growing stronger by the day, if the reports are accurate. My spy in Qavell says it’s bad. They’ve lost a wall,” Alran said.

“But not their leader.” Theo nodded. They needed to cut the head off the snake, otherwise this would go on forever. “How strong is King Karasan?”

“He’s powerful enough to ascend,” Alran said.

Fenian smiled, tipping his glass to the spymaster. “He’s level 152.”

“I can’t figure out why he hasn’t ascended.” Alran’s eyes were now locked on Fenian. The spymaster didn’t like being uninformed.

“King Karasan must remain on the mortal plane. If he gives up his mortal body, he loses possession of an artifact.”

“An artifact you want,” Theo said.

“One I need. He’s kept the artifact in a dormant state, aligning himself with the traitor gods. If he activates it, he’ll assume a new role. And he clawed his way to the top with the Kingdom of Qavell. He won’t give that up.”

Alran nodded. “My spy reported your battle with the king. Seems like you were aiming for the exterior wall.”

“That was the only way to get him to flee. I had him cornered in Balkor’s dead realm when he tricked me. The bastard.” Fenian let out a heavy sigh before draining his glass. He poured himself another. “But I have a backup plan.”

“Of course you do.” Theo smiled at that. Fenian was prepared for everything. “How does this news affect us?”

Alran shrugged. “Not much. We have our port to the world while Qavell does not. They’ll starve out eventually. I suspect they’ll reach out soon enough.”

Theo tapped his foot. He fell into thought, stretching his mind to imagine the ways they’d do that. The administrators in the kingdom could no longer contact them through the [Kingdom Core]. There might be a way to communicate between nations, but that felt wrong. What the alchemist wanted to do was lead an attack on Qavell, leveling it before they fought off the undead. Perhaps that was too grim, even for the old version of himself.

“How would they do that, Fenian?”

“A messenger, perhaps.”

“Perhaps or certainly? How would they get here?”

“Maybe an airship,” Alran said, holding his glass out for a refill. “But my agents in Broken Tusk said you’re preparing for that.”

Theo nodded. He would have been disappointed if Alran wasn’t spying on him. That’s exactly what he would do in this situation. “What’s the correct response if I spot an airship approaching?”

“Make no mistake, Theo,” Fenian said, gesturing with his one good hand. “You shoot it down. If you see Qavell’s colors flying on an airship, you blast it out of the sky.”

That was already his plan.

“Oh!” Alran said, leaning forward in his seat. “Speaking of aggressive action. Some Ogre Warlord has taken an interest in the alliance. I almost forgot because my Ogre spy is an idiot, but they’re coming to offer help.”

Fenian perked up. “Really? Well, that’s not part of the plan.”

“Why?” Theo asked.

“Slagrot doesn’t enjoy sending emissaries.” Fenian drank more of his wine. “They’re happier sending war parties. That should make for an interesting conversation.”

If Half-Ogres were aggressive, Theo couldn’t imagine how bad the full-blooded Ogres would be. But if Alran said they were coming for peaceful purposes, he wouldn’t turn them down. On that line of thought, things were going far better than he’d expected. The international community didn’t care that the Southlands Alliance were traitors. That painted Qavell in a far worse light than he first thought.

The group shifted to talking about theories, rather than fact. Alran was happy with his replacement in Rivers, but wouldn’t speak much of them. Fenian was all mysterious about everything, the way he always was. During their drinking and joking, Tresk and Alex arrived to enjoy the new manor. They ran around honking—both of them—while they checked out every single room in the place.

“I don’t like the tavern,” Alran said, looking around the interior of the manor. “Would you mind if I stayed here tonight?”

“Yeah, me too,” Fenian said.

“I don’t care. Maybe we could get Xam to cater dinner. I have a big dining room, after all.”

For the first time in a while, Theo wasn’t tempted to leave the sofa. The [Endless Comfort] upgrade made the seat impossibly soft. He felt himself melting into it, washing away his desire to leave. Even when a knock came at the door, he didn’t want to stand up. Fenian rolled himself over, letting whoever it was in.

“Theo! You will not believe this!” Fenian shouted. That got him out of his seat and over to the door.

Standing at the door was a young Half-Ogre woman. Theo remembered seeing her in town, and cross-referenced his memory to find what she did for a living. She was one of the few floating people in town who went between jobs. Sarisa Fletcher was the height of most Half-Ogres. A good two feet taller than the Humans, and a head taller than the Elves. Well-built for manual labor, she now wore different clothes than those meant for laboring. A well-fitted black long-sleeve shirt with a bow near the neck, and a white ankle-length skirt. Pale ochre skin, hazel eyes, and raven black hair. The hallmarks of a local Broken Tusker.

But she was pretty, and Fenian was drooling.

Sarisa bowed low, doubling herself over. “Sarisa Fletcher. Alise sent me because of my core. She said that you have a job for me.”

Alise had conspired with Fenian. Theo was certain that was the only way the administrator would send someone like her. The situation would boil over if he didn’t act fast.

Theo let out a long breath. “Fenian, go to your room.”

“I don’t have a room.”

“Find one.”

“I don’t want to.”

Theo glared at the Elf. “Then behave. I need to get Sarisa up to speed. Come, let’s sit.”

Sarisa finally stopped bowing. She followed Theo to the sitting area, finding a comfortable place to rest. The alchemist didn’t know what to think about a Half-Ogre that acted so proper. He couldn’t tell if she was trying to fit into her new role as a ‘maid’ or if that’s the way she was. The alchemist made introductions to everyone seated at the table, drawing up a contract specifically for his new assistant.

“If you’re going to be around us, you’re going to hear stuff we don’t want repeated,” Theo said. She signed the restrictive contract without hesitation.

“I understand.”

“I wanted an old man because Fenian is a hound dog. Not sure how he hasn’t banged his way through half the town.”

“How are you sure I haven’t?”

“Mister Feintleaf’s charms never worked on me,” Sarisa said, smiling. The tusks protruding from her bottom lip were smaller than the average Half-Ogre. It gave her a more Human-like appearance.

“That hurts.”

Theo went over Sarisa’s duties. He mostly needed her to run between various places and deliver information. The alchemist often found himself without the time to run around town, ordering people around. That left him little time to do the things he needed to do for the town and his alchemy. He’d been neglecting the advancement of his mage core for that very reason, leaving him itching for someone like her.

“Is she my servant as well?” Tresk said, appearing from nowhere. Alex came honking down the stairs.

“She’s an assistant. No, you can hire your own. You’re rich.”

“Bah!”

“We were just talking about dinner,” Alran said, smiling at Sarisa.

“I’m on it,” she said, rising and bowing before departing.

No one had to tell her to head off to Xam’s to get dinner. She departed without another word, heading north to cater their food for the night. Everyone gathered in Theo’s manor shared their thoughts about the woman. She was far too tame for a Broken Tusker, something Tresk was convinced would break in time. Most people from the town were high-strung. The alchemist’s observations of his people showed that to be true in every case.

People broke off into their own conversations after a while. Theo was shocked to see Tresk partake in some of it. She had no desire to run off and adventure now that they had the manor. That sent him out back to inspect the gardens. The black metal gate spanned an area twice as large as the house. While there were trees growing, and strangely shaped bushes, there was no fruit to be found. When he arrived at a small pond, he paused. Alex waddled behind him, jumping into the water without hesitation.

I like this, she said.

“I think I’ve been working too hard, Alex,” Theo said, sitting by the pond. “Might be time to take it easy for a while.”

Is that an option?

“It might be. We have workers now. People who are aligned with my mission.”

What is your mission?

Theo had to think about that for a long time before responding. Alex was happy to splash in the pond while he thought, honking and diving in the shallow water. His mission had been to make things better, but there were roadblocks. Things that threw themselves in his path. But what he said was true. Broken Tusk had people now. Competent people who could help run not only a town but a growing nation.

Sure, that path was paved with blood and stone. People had died. A nation had crumbled, even if Theo didn’t have a direct hand in that. But things were better for it.

“To keep the citizens of the Southlands Alliance safe. To bring order to this world.”

You want to rule the world?

“Not like that, Alex. I want to set an example so people can see what compassion is all about. It doesn’t mean being weak. It means being strong.”

How whimsical.

“How do you even know that word?”

Because I have a big brain.

Theo reached out, stroking Alex’s slender neck. “Yeah, you’ve got a huge brain.”

He spent a good amount of time in the garden. The others came to see it, and the manor had more visitors than Theo cared to count. By dinnertime, the party intending to dine had grown. Sarisa arrived with a team of people from the Marsh Wolf Tavern to lay out the food on the massive dining room table. She lit lamps, set the table, and stood nearby.

Theo, Tresk, Alex, Fenian, Alran, Perg, Azrug, and Miana all sat at the table. The alchemist was at the head position, flanked by his new assistant. Xam had prepared Karatan steaks that night, something that must have been imported for Partopour. Tresk kicked an air conditioner to life in the room’s corner, cooling the sweltering interior as the group dined.

“Alise picked me for a reason,” Sarisa said, keeping her voice low enough to go unnoticed by the others at the table.

“Why is that?” Theo asked, cutting a chunk off his steak and placing it in his mouth. As always, the rare meal was welcomed.

“I have a [Maid’s Core]. That’s the one I got when I came of age,” Sarisa said. Theo turned to look at her peerless gaze. He noticed the constant searching in her eyes. “I also have a [Baelthar Guardian’s Core].”

“A defensive class?” Theo asked. The others around the table chatted, enjoying the new place to eat.

Sarisa smiled, hand still tucked neatly behind her back. She shifted her stance, the head of a short spear becoming visible.

Theo turned back to the table, stifling a laugh. “Guess I have a bodyguard, too.”

Chapter 30

A Secret Most Evil

Alise must have been plotting for a while. Moving all the right pieces behind the scenes so Theo wouldn’t notice. If she had approached him to assign him a permanent bodyguard, he would have declined. Not because he was too proud, but because it was a waste of resources. The walls were safe, after all. The alchemist sat in his massive library, shelves still empty, as Sarisa explained the situation.

“There’s another one!” Tresk said, poking her head from behind a curtain.

The others attending the dinner party were still chatting in the dining room. Tresk and Theo had retreated upstairs to discuss things with the new assistant. A large Half-Ogre man now stood at her side, baring most of the same features as the woman. The alchemist marked them as siblings before they explained themselves. He’d seen both of them around town, the man being a member of the Guild. Rowan Fletcher, owner of a potent stealth-style core. Tresk was his commander.

“Rowan Fletcher, sir,” the Half-Ogre man said, bowing. He wore the same style of clothes as his sister. A black button-up shirt with white pants. That couldn’t be practical for combat. He looked too dapper for a Broken Tusker.

“So Alise orchestrated this?” Theo asked.

“Yes,” Rowan said, still bowing.

Theo sunk deeper into his chair. He wanted to be upset, but could not produce the reaction. They should have led with Rowan as his butler. That would have made things easier. But a sibling pair struck something within him.

How is Rowan in the field? Theo asked. The pair of assistants remained silent.

He’s a beast. [Baelthar Shadowstalker’s Core]. That guy is good at making sure monsters don’t move. In my squads, he’s a floating specialist.

I like him, Alex said. The goose nipped at the man’s ankles, but he didn’t flinch.

Theo let them stew before he spoke again. “Siblings, right? Rowan, you’re the big brother.”

“That’s right,” Rowan said, still bowing.

“You can stand up straight. You’re my bodyguards, then?”

“That’s the idea,” Sarisa said.

“And servants. Assistants. Whatever you want to call us.”

Theo let out another sigh, sinking deeper into his chair. If he went any lower, his back would be on the seat cushion. This is the sort of loyalty he didn’t want. He understood a Broken Tusker’s desire to support him, but this took it too far. Maybe that was a good thing, though. The alchemist always claimed there were endless jobs within the town, why should he deny a pair of citizens that wanted guard duty? Or servants, for that matter. They could do whatever they wanted with their lives.

“Same contract as your sister,” Theo said, drawing up a duplicate of Sarisa’s contract. Rowan signed it without hesitation. “You’re the better fighter, Rowan?”

Rowan and Sarisa shared a look.

“That’s debatable,” Sarisa said.

“Fine. I’ll leave the assisting and guarding to your discretion. You can maintain your own homes, but I recommend you stay here. Both of you are excused from your duties with the guild.”

“Aw, man,” Tresk groaned. “You’re taking my boy away?”

Theo gave her a flat look, shaking his head. “I don’t need protection sometimes. I need it all the time, right?”

“Man. Fine. I’m gonna complain, though.”

“You always complain, Tresk.”

“Not always.”

Always, Alex said.

Sarisa and Rowan had a comprehensive plan for their duties. They explained it together, detailing how they’d been working with Alise for longer than Theo expected. Even more surprising, it was their idea. Mayors normally had a guard detail, while national leaders had even more. The alchemist had been unprotected for too long, and he wouldn’t disagree with their assessment.

Instead of turning in at their regular hour, Theo and Tresk worked with the new guards to place wards throughout the manor. The alchemist constructed several figures carved from bone and enchanted with [Reveal] for the pair to use. He also opened all the stock of the Newt and Demon for their personal use. They ended their parade around the manor in the kitchen.

“I’d like it if you wore armor, though,” Theo said. “Gear with stats.”

Sarisa and Rowan shared one of their looks. Something they seemed to do often.

“We thought a mage would notice,” Sarisa said, grasping a locket at her neck. The maid’s outfit dissolved in a sheet of gray smoke, revealing chain armor over a padded gambeson.

Rowan followed, revealing his light leather armor.

“An illusion,” Tresk said, gawking. “Alright, you guys are cool.”

With that sorted, there were only a few more things to do before bed. Theo described his schedule to the new assistants, including his ability to drop into an adjacent realm once a day. His [Tara’hek Core] was bound to level to 30 at any moment, resulting in a new skill. Both Sarisa and Rowan nodded as though that was a normal thing.

“We’re going to bed,” Theo said, heading to the second floor with Tresk and Alex. “See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight,” Sarisa and Rowan said in unison.

During the day, Theo had moved their beds from the Newt and Demon to the manor. Alex nestled in her little box while Theo and Tresk fell into their comfortable beds. They drifted into the Dreamwalk after only a moment.

“Alright, what’s your read on them?” Theo asked, feeling the soft grass of a random field depress under his feet.

“Broken Tuskers through and through. I’ve known both of them my entire life,” Tresk said. Theo felt a sense of pride when she said that, her emotions flooding through their connection. “Their parents still live in town. They’re both a few years older than me. I think Rowan is like… 30? Yeah, serious old man energy.”

“How about you, Alex?”

I love them. They are my best friends.

“Good enough for me.”

Theo had little he wanted to accomplish in the Dreamwalk tonight. He watched as Tresk ran off to fight more dragons. The alchemist sat in the field for some time, letting the breeze wash over him. As always, the sense was dulled in the Dreamwalk. It was nothing like the intense sensation he got in the mortal realm or Tero’gal.

Instead of worrying about the development of his assistants, Theo shifted the scene to the current version of Broken Tusk. He took up position on the eastern wall, looking toward the river. Tresk complained about the sudden shift. A dragon swooped far in the distance, tossing her a good mile with a swipe of its tail. Alex honked with delight.

“Farms run by golems near the river seems like a good idea.” Theo imagined ghostly farms stretching out, north of the east-running road and west of the river. Spectral monsters attacked the farm and the golems within, killing them all. “But no Broken Tuskers get hurt.”

Oh! My turn! Alex said.

The ground darkened below their feet. A massive, feathered airship appeared above. The hull was made of wood, but mottled with bright white feathers. A set of wings stretched to the side, flapping unevenly. It stayed in the air, despite the physical impossibility of the vessel. Alex’s imagination wasn’t there yet, but it was a good start.

“Want to test Throk’s gun? Can you remember it in detail?” Theo asked.

I can. I am good at remembering things.

Alex turned, honking at the ground below the battlements. A poor recreation of Throk’s weapon appeared. It tilted to one side before falling over into a heap. Theo swiped the image from the Dreamwalk and remade it with his near-perfect memory. The alchemist jumped from the wall, landing near the weapon. The goose did her best attempt at flying, something she still hadn’t mastered. She fell in a tangled mess of wings and webbed feet.

The goose-ship lingered overhead, flapping in unpredictable intervals. Theo helped Alex up, untangle her from herself, before loading the weapon. Throk’s designs were always easy enough to understand, but this one was more complex than most. The modifications he’d made to the rail system made it doubly confusing with controls for both the launching rail and the braking rail. With the hook in place, and a dense bar of [Drogramathi Iron] as the payload, the alchemist cranked the launcher up to maximum.

“Ready?” Theo asked.

Ready!

The moment Theo pressed the launch button, the railgun exploded. It did send the payload to destroy the goose-ship, but it destroyed itself in the process. Both the alchemist and Alex were sent flying back by the violent, unplanned deconstruction of the weapon. The airship above spun, flapping uselessly against the gaping hole in its center. If this were the real world, both witnesses to the firing of the weapon would have been dead.

“The final design requires safety features,” Theo said.

No! That was awesome! Alex shouted into Theo’s mind.

The goose had been spending too much time with Tresk. But Theo couldn’t help but smile at the familiar’s excitement. They got back to working with Throk’s first design, testing to see how fast it could launch a potion. There was a balance between the toughness of the glass, and the maximum speed the object could be launched. Too thin, and it would explode on launch. Too thick and it wouldn’t detonate when hitting Alex’s imagined ship.

What about your mage-thing? Alex asked.

Theo tapped his foot on the cobbles of the town. A dragon swept through the air above, attacking Alex’s airship. From the ground, the alchemist could see Tresk battling away on the deck, ‘dying’ several times during the exchange.

“We could combine [Detect Enemy] with some sort of fire effect,” Theo said, withdrawing the appropriate reagents to accomplish the task. “But the Dreamwalk doesn’t take kindly to me breaking the rules.”

How about I help, Alex said, honking repeatedly.

Theo shrugged. He was willing to try anything in the weird realm. The alchemist held the shell of a [Fire Salamander Egg] in his hand, focusing with his [Reagent Deconstruction] ability. The Dreamrealm pushed back immediately, then Alex’s well swooped in. They pushed against the rules of the realm, and it gave way without much of a fight. Together they extracted the [Flame] effect for Toru’aun’s wards. They repeated the process, taking useful components until they had an array to test.

Oh, I have high hopes for [Force], Alex said.

Theo had high hopes for a lot of the effects he had learned. [Force] and [Flame] both came from the eggs, but there were others. [Poison], [Maim], and [Devour] fell into his ‘dangerous’ category, all from the [Widow Lily]. [Wind Shell], from [Roc Berries] might be interesting but he had doubts. Perhaps it was time for the goose to learn a lesson.

“Having the ability to make potions—wards for that matter—doesn’t mean you should,” Theo started. He imagined the potion he’d crafted with Tresk. The one he didn’t even want to think about. The liquid inside was a sickly green color, swirling to mix with a deep purple. “Do you understand how dangerous this is?”

Oh, extremely dangerous, Alex said, honking and bobbing her head.

“So you understand why we can never let this potion reach the real world.”

Yes, I understand. I’m not a child.

Theo let out a frustrated breath. “What about the properties are dangerous?”

Alex pecked at the potion with her bill. She was examining it. Theo joined with her, examining the potion.

[Imbue Phylactery]

[Potion]

Legendary

Created by: Belgar

Grade: Good Quality

Alignment:

Drogramath (Middling Bond)

Imbibing this potion removes your soul from your body, transferring it to an object of your choosing. Creating a phylactery designates you as undead, specifically a lich. You gain innate power of all undead creatures (based on your level and willpower), but may not level up through the normal system.

It was a vile thing. Theo had accidentally discovered a way to create a potion that made the drinker undead. Worse, it made them a lich. His cursory investigation into what being a lich meant didn’t bode well. The drinker would become immortal, so long as their phylactery remained intact, but they would be undead. They’d command Balkor’s hordes, twisting the souls of the dead to suit their needs. It made his stomach turn.

This potion is evil, Alex said, nodding her head.

“Yet I’m not evil.”

While we have powers, using them isn’t always an option, Alex said. We hide things like this away, so that others don’t use them.

“Not only do we hide it, we never talk about them. Any Drogramathi alchemist that can brew one of these should do the same, although I doubt any exist on the mortal plane.”

Can you be sure?

“Absolutely not. And there’s going to be other potions like this. Other potions that aren’t morally gray like my bombs. Evil potions, Alex. Things that could ruin people’s lives.”

We are the protectors of those secrets, Alex said, spreading her wings and flapping. I will protect the secrets with my life.

“Good goose,” Theo said, patting her on the head. “Chances are high that I was placed in Belgar’s body because I have a strong moral compass.”

Everyone has a breaking point.

Theo’s stomach twisted into knots, but he pushed it down. “We’ll take steps to make sure we never get to that point.”

Thank you for the lesson, papa. Now, can we blow stuff up?

Theo’s first attempt at applying the [Lesser Flame] ward to a bar of [Drogramathi Iron] failed. Even when Alex added her willpower to the problem, it didn’t work. They switched to a bar of regular [Iron] and it worked the first try. The aligned metal just didn’t want to take the effect. They inspected the ward before tossing it at an airship.

[Lesser Flame]

[Advanced Ward]

Creates a reactive field of [Flame]. Field only activates when enemies are detected in range.

Trigger:

Detect Enemy

Duration:

1 day.

Theo loaded the bar of iron into Throk’s imagined contraption. Alex made sure there were enemies on the deck of the airship above. That would activate the trigger on the ward. They dialed the speed back on the launcher, sending the bar soaring at their target with an ear-splitting snap.

Ooooo, Alex said.

As expected, the bar punched a hole through the side of the feathery airship. But the moment the enemy on deck came into range, the bar emitted a field of fire that lashed at the ship. Flames spread across the ship, consuming wood and feathers alike. It floundered in the air for a moment before coming crashing down on the harbor, setting everything ablaze.

“Yeah, that’s effective. Assuming they don’t have magic to counter projectiles.”

Again!

Alex reset the scene, clearing the fire away and adding a fresh airship to the sky. Next up was the [Lesser Force] ward. The description wasn’t worth inspecting as the pair were only interested in the practical application. They loaded another bar with the effect, and sent it up. The effect was less impressive, sending the ship tilting to the side for only a moment. There was still a hole in the side, and the enemies on deck were sent tumbling off.

Not as impressive.

Theo nodded. The next wards to test were best observed on the ground. He understood the effectiveness of launching a heavy bar of iron, but wanted to observe how these wards affected targets up close.

“First up is [Poison]. I think we know what to expect,” Theo said.

Alex conjured a group of five Goblins. They mingled around the streets of Broken Tusk, tightly packed so they could observe the poison. Theo enchanted a bar of iron with the [Lesser Poison] ward before tossing it into the group. A bubble sprung from the iron, coating every creature in range with a sheen of green. They coughed, stumbled around, but didn’t die from the effects.

Not bad. You can make everyone on a ship sick.

Combined with the effect of having a hole punched in an airship, that might have been worth keeping on hand. Alex cleared the board, preparing more Goblins to test the [Lesser Maim] ward. When Theo tossed the bar of iron, most of the Goblins took a knee. Upon closer inspection, those who had been affected had broken limbs.

“Interesting,” Theo said, kneeling near a Goblin to inspect the damage. “Some weren’t affected.”

They resisted the ward. Cool!

Alex cleared the area again, generating fresh Goblins for their testing. Next was the [Lesser Devour] ward, something Theo hadn’t even tested in potion form. The moment he tossed the warded bar of iron into the group, the air swirled with magical power. Once again, some Goblins resisted the effect. The ones who failed whatever invisible check was at play didn’t fare well. Around one creature, glowing blue jaws appeared, taking a literal bite out of the monster.

Both Alex and Theo flinched back when the effect took hold. The Goblins thrashed on the ground, screeching and pawing at lost limbs. The goose cleared the scene away before they could see more of the carnage.

That might be a dangerous one, huh? Alex asked, managing a weak honk.

“Let’s try [Wind Shell] next,” Theo said, eager to clear the image from his mind.

Alex brought the airship back while Theo warded an iron bar with [Lesser Wind Shell]. Once again, the description gave away nothing about the effects. They loaded Throk’s cannon, shot the bar, and observed. The moment the bar impacted the side of the ship, a field of forceful wind sprung up. It whipped the people on deck into the air, sending them flying over the side with force. The airship fared just as bad as those unlucky, imagined people, sending it flying hard to one side.

That was far more effective than [Force], Alex honked.

“Hey! Tresk shouted, appearing next to the pair. “Are you guys having fun without me? Shooting my dad’s gun without me? How dare you!”

“Alright. Let’s show her the good ones, Alex.”

Oh, with pleasure!