Chapter 312: One of Many Dangers Between Two Hammers

Daniel’s heart is racing as he holds Wenlianna’s shoulders. By the time he could have done anything, the event was already effectively over.

A new crater was made in the ground of the testing area, and a single flash in the sky far away were the only signs of what happened with super-human force. Mithril cables just gave way, and the floating anvils Daniel designed to try to hammer-forge sharmelkolle have both disappeared.

The echo of the supersonic booms rumbles deep from the distance, echoing off of the mountainous form of the Citadel and the hills surrounding them.

Everyone’s faces are as white as ghosts, and Wenlianna’s knees are the first to give out, which Daniel catches her as she starts hyperventillating.

“Make sure everyone is alright! Did anyone see where it landed!?” asks Daniel urgently.

“It ain’t coming back down,” replies Kaeralegier’s voice as she lands on Daniel’s right shoulder. He tries to look at her, but she pats his cheek to assure him that she’s there. “I told you I’d protect everyone. I didn’t expect that, but…” She uses her telepathy, even though she doesn’t need to. “{If you want to make Magnir owe me a life debt, I don’t mind.}”

{What?}

“{I deflected it, but I was just kidding about the life debt thing. If it was a direct hit, my barrier wouldn’t have held.}”

{D-... Did you know this would happen?}

“{I was a little worried about the mithril holding under the strength of those two, but I thought it would be alright.}”

Daniel eases Wenlianna to her knees while she catches her breath, and he checks on everyone else. “Any injuries?”

“My ears!” yells Hekate loudly with watering eyes and her hands holding down the big triangular appendages. She crouches with Daniel, asking loudly because she can’t hear, “What happened!?”

Daniel feels like a fool. The idea was so simple and straightforward, but even the heavy rig he had made toppled to the side.

Everyone gathers around them, and Daniel replies quietly, “I was an idiot… I’m sorry, everyone.”

Jeavana is the one to look at the rig and notice. She replies, “I wouldn’t say that…” She jogs to the machine, returning after retrieving something. She shows it to everyone as the focus on calming down. Others are running their way to see what happened, since it definitely sounded like a bomb went off. Daniel knew to expect that much, but he had no idea exactly how disastrous the method would be.

But, the golden dragon crouches down to Daniel’s level and shows him what’s in her hand.

There, distorted by a small dent pinching a portion of the middle, is the sharmelkolle ingot that Daniel wanted to use as a test.

The dent is tiny, but it proves the most important step as everyone studies it silently.

Jeavana grins, and she says deviously, “If you don’t want credit for this, I’ll keep it going myself…”

Daniel looks at her, and she smiles gently. “Mu-... Daniel,...” She clearly corrects herself for Wenlianna’s benefit, continuing, “This… This is progress. Proof once more that you're not a madman. So, put that stupid brain of yours back to work with little Wenlie, Ahok, Zuzia, and even that damn assassin if it means you can push this forward.” She looks over her shoulder with a big grin. “I don't know if sharmelkolle will work as those “cables” of yours, but I'll start kidnapping people for mana donations if that's what we need. Should I bully the other dragons? With the exception of Mag and Neith, I think I can handle them.”

She smiles warmly like a living sunbeam, excited to keep going when Daniel considered abandoning all together.

Zuzia replies as she takes the knife ingot for a moment. “There's no way ball bearings or greased rails would work, though, would they? The friction is going to be immense…”

“I also think we might need to use only one person after all,” adds Magnir. “There are too many things to account for with each swing.”

Zuzia shakes her head as she thinks. “No, I agree with Daniel on that point. Trying to hammer this setup against anything else will only cause massive damage to whatever we’re braced against. Not unless we can use a barrier or something that can withstand the forces.”

Hekate studies the knife when it’s handed to her, and she asks, still not quite in control of her volume, “Damaging it’s supposed to make it stronger?”

Zuzia smiles and pets her head gently. Hekate twitches, since it has mostly been a privilege of Daniel’s, but she also bats his hand away when she doesn’t want to be treated like a child. She’s not after anything specific from Zuzia, so it doesn’t really matter as much to her, so she allows it. The Polish brunette replies to Hekate’s question, “If you’re going to be an Empress, you should observe your blacksmiths at least once. I’m surprised Daniel hasn’t shown you himself, since he makes so many of his own things.”

Hekate replies as she looks at Daniel, “He uses lightning magic and fire tools to stick metal together, but I haven’t seen him hammer metal, trying to dent it.”

Daniel chuckles. “Our end goal is more than just a few dents. The goal is to break apart the tiny element balls I talked about. Sort of. So, we have to hammer it a lot of times.”

Hekate’s eyes widen as she pieces together what he’s saying. She nods in agreement, not wanting to admit that she doesn’t get it at all, but not entirely trying to pretend that she does. Zuzia already knows Daniel has given a quick and dirty explanation of atomic elements, but they need more teaching to really understand it.

Wenlianna has finally caught her breath, and she says softly, “I-I-I agree that…” She holds the knife ingot preciously when it’s her turn. “I agree that we need to keep going… But,...” She looks at Daniel. “I… Will you forgive me… if I…?” She shrinks in on herself and looks away.

Daniel hugs her close and presses his chin to her temple. “You don’t ever have to feel obligated to stand at my side, Mukori.” Her hands tighten, gripping his shirt firmly in her delicate fingers. The mechanic adds, “If you really need work to do, I can gives you some projects to work on, and I’ll join you when I can…”

Wenlianna blushes and nods. “A-Alright… I just…” She clutches her own blouse over her heart, finishing softly, “That frightened me far more than I thought it would…”

“I’ll make it safer to use.”

“Some kind of rails are the best bet, Daniel, but I don’t think we’ll be able to get more than a few strikes of worth before the friction becomes a problem,” replies Zuzia.

The mechanic smiles. “You’re right, but you just gave me the idea I needed.”

“Do you plan to share it with the rest of us?” asks the Polish woman.

“Yeah!” snaps Hekate. “Why was Zuzia the one who gave you the idea!?”

The human’s smile widens into a cheeky grin. “Because… She and I are absolutely magnetic with each other.”

Hekate scowls at him. He hasn’t talked magnetics too much with her, but she knows it enough to have an idea what he’s going for.

Except, there are two phenomena associated with magnetics; the one that the metaphor usually represents –attraction–, and then the other one.

Repulsion.

Daniel asks Zuzia, “Tell me, Zuzia, do you know how some modern ship’s bearings work? Ooo! Or, the world’s fastest trains?”

Zuzia thinks for a moment. She perks up. “Kolej magnetyczna… Magnetic levitation, right?”

The mechanic nods. He grins at Wenlianna. “Let me show you a particularly fun usage of magnets, and how we’ll solve this problem.” Daniel then looks at his ‘blacksmiths’, adding seriously, “But, we now know how important it is to control as many variables as possible. So, it’s even more important that your forces are at least close, so that the rail front and back stops aren’t broken.”

“Hey, you make sure a little deflection won’t send the pieces straight to the other side of the world, then we’ll handle the rest.”

“Why not just have them hit directly with hammers?” asks Hekate. “Why do we even need the rest of this stuff?”

Magnir explains, “Having the anvils was supposed to ensure that the knife is struck at the same point each time, since Zuzia and I are living beings. For now…” The blue dragon gives Daniel a skeptical look, and the mechanic chuckles uneasily.

He then continues, “Will we be alright, though? The anvils were… uh…”

“Don’t worry,” replies Daniel. “This was all my fault. I won’t charge you for them.” he smirks, but turns serious, “While I’m improving the design, find a team of goblins to dig the one out of the ground. I don’t think we’ll find the other one.”

Daniel then thinks to himself, looking at Kaeralegier, {Are you sure that other one isn’t coming back down?}

The fairy-like woman smiles genuinely. “{Yeah. That flash was probably ionization or friction during exit. Maybe someone will find it in orbit someday…}” She snickers deviously, though no one else knows what conversation they just had.

The wayward mechanic takes a breath and sighs. He helps Wenlianna and Hekate to their feet, and he and Hekate brush their legs and knees off.

“Alright… As long as everyone’s alright,... I’ll improve the design. Though, I imagine we’re going to know what’s going on with the Empire soon enough.”

“Ah… right,” murmurs Zuzia as the others realize the same thing.

“If I may make a suggestion, my Liege,” offers Roetta. “If you can get the design improved, I would happily oversee its construction while you handle the affairs of the Empire. Other than my guarding duties as a Valkyrie, which her Grace Ryuogriar has relieved me of until after our hatching, I have no pressing duties. Even Jeavana is busier than I am with her pearl farm.”

“Hey! Why am I taking stray hits?” whines the golden dragon. “And, at risk of sounding like Wenlianna, I can fire you, Roetta.”

Everyone laughs while Wenlianna blushes and clings to Daniel, pouting in sheepish embarrassment.

The first prototype to forge sharmelkolle proved the bare minimum. Now, Daniel just needs to find a more solid design. It’s work that needs to be done if he keeps getting into the problems that he does, though it could all shift if he acted like an Emperor.

But, that has never been who Daniel is. He doesn’t like to make someone else do something that he could do himself, and if that continues to make him a terrible emperor, he hopes that his Empresses can at least handle the actual important affairs as they have been so far.

If they need him, he’ll do what he can, but he is a blue-collar worker to his core.

The grind is what he lives for, even if it places him in front of unkillable monsters, reality bending magic, and malicious enemies that threaten everything he has come to care about.

He will find more and more ways to protect them with his own hands.

***

Aramellianna studies the report she received from Yanidere. The second daughter of the Stalvaltan family has stepped right into the large shoes of one of the most formidable families on the continent, especially because they were the first to immediately adopt the Fievegal’s mighty weapons and adapt them into their fighting styles.

But, being a noble family on Zenkon is more than just military might. And, maintaining a skilled espionage network is one of the most crucial tools an aristocratic patriarch or matriarch can possibly have.

“[Old home decaying. Father over-spending on a gamble. The shed is full. Request advice. Should I empty the shed to make room?]”

The Grand Duchess Senior smiles warmly as she reads the simple, coded message. She knows every piece; Mornistae is teetering because of the resource strains in all directions, King Father Greydald is preying on the shortages, and he’s even spending more money than he should have. Yanidere’s final suggestion is the most predatory. The Fievegal can get resources to anywhere in the world via the shuttles, and the new airships being constructed in the Grand Duchy and the Citadel will eventually make massive deliveries anywhere in the world as easy as a walk across the yard.

The prices will continue to creep upwards for months while Greydald slowly trickles his own luxury supply back out. They’ll only stabilize months or even years after Urflasdat stabilizes.

Most countries wouldn’t dare to antagonize any other with economic undercutting, because it’s very easy to get boxed in and lose your own supply shipments.

But, if your supply shipments are fundamentally unreachable…

Aramellianna pens her reply to her daughter. “[You should let your husband miss you as much as you miss him. The reward is greater when time has separated you. But, do not wait too long. Even good timing is better than missing your chance.]”

She is just about to seal the secret message to be sent via golem, and then she pauses. She unfurls the letter and adds a small script at the bottom. It’s almost impossible for anyone to intercept the Fievegal’s letters, and even if they do, the addition is fully suitable for the context of the letter.

The brunette matriarch hands the letter to the golem soldier serving as her delivery boy. “Ensure this ends up directly in Grand Duchess Yanidere’s hands. And, if she seems to struggle with the message, inform me without delay. If I must be interrupted, use the name ‘Grandma Phenglegorn’. I welcome anyone who would mock this name to do so in my presence.”

The golem nods, and it disappears into thin air. The senior advisor to the Fievegal then exits the private section of her office to study the ‘Phenglegorn Embassy’, as Daniel jokingly calls it. Because the new Phenglegorn family has only informally been promised territory, she has some of her own scouts, as well as dattakorien, oni, and Chi’rinnis villagers employed as resource scouts for the currently-controlled territory of the Fievegal. She wouldn’t be the Aramellianna that Daniel and the others trust to advise the Fievegal above all others if she didn’t constantly think about every possible way to advantage herself, such that she might advantage her family, such that her family might advantage their people, such that their people might advantage the Liege to whom she has pledged her family.

She doesn’t have true ‘Phenglegorn people’ yet, but when she can settle the Demon Wildlands and make the region prosperous, Phenglegorn will become a name ingrained in the Fievegal’s history alongside Stalvaltan, and she will ensure that all three are unstoppable.

“What can you show me?” asks the matron as she approaches a map in progress. The demons don’t have many cartographers, since the more wilderness-savvy races generally navigate on instinct, while the more scholarly races like the Uhl’tall aren’t especially adventurous and focus more on ‘close’ maps. Using this, Daniel has simply instructed them to form maps a chunk at a time, stick them to wooden blocks, and add them to the overall map. Aramellianna has a copy of that map in her ‘embassy’, keeping it up to date.

Her embassy assistant, a young noble lady from the Stalvaltan territory, turns with a smile. “Your Grace, we got three updated grid sections. The ‘Koggus Forest’ is almost completely mapped with landmarks, including the river and creeks. The south is proving difficult, though. Imperial troops from the Grand Principality are trying to encroach across the defined borders, and it may come to conflict, according to Lord Ucahote.”

Aramellianna looks at the sections in question. The southern shoreline west of Reeffjord was a priority, but borders only matter if they can be defended. Since Yaulander is already making accusations against the Fievegal and challenging their legitimacy in spite of the Empress’s diplomatic intentions, it will almost certainly come to blows.

But, Aramellianna isn’t a military commander of the Fievegal. She is an advisor, and most of the men and women that she would go to for military advice are already in direct contact with the Fievegal’s officers or commanding missions of their own.

“We’ll have to leave the south to the Fievegal military. I don’t want our teams getting in the way of their operations or stumbling into traps. Dattakoriens and Chi’rinnis use some rather nasty methods from what I’ve been told.”

There are three dattakorien women and one of each dattakorien and Chi’rinnis men present, and they all glance at Aramellianna, and then at each other, not wanting to be the ones to confirm or deny it.

The brunette matriarch smirks and waves her hand, “Please do not mistake my meaning. I am not condemning the methods. I’m just glad they are not aimed at my people anymore.”

Pretty much everyone chuckles, though some are confused or don’t know what those ‘nasty methods’ are, and as a result, they don’t know if they want to agree.

The text here came from the author's publication page without permission, while the chapter at that page supports the author when read there.

Aramellianna then asks, “What about agricultural resources? Have the scouts identified any wild grains or fruits that can be added to our domestic needs and exports in time?”

One of the dattakorien women speaks up, “We have received reports of quite a large variety of fruits that aren’t yet in the Fievegal’s farmed goods, here and here.” She points at two of the grid zones beyond the southwest border of the forest where Kernuules was, and she adds, “It appears like it’s mostly marshland through here, and I’d need to reference the full index to know exactly where in these two regions the resources are.”

Another of the dattakorien women speaks up, “I believe these zones were added yesterday, so the full index probably doesn’t include the full grid for them yet.”

Aramellianna nods. Each main grid zone, such as the ones she’s looking at, are approximately five miles by five miles, being mapped and sent in piece by piece, compared with the old maps and the current pieces, and then expanded to represent the new map. It’s honestly the first true effort to map the ‘Demon Wildlands’, as they’ve been known in the east for generations, going far beyond where the old eastern nations, including Phenglegorn territory, used to be near the mountains.

“That’s helpful. Please ensure that the scouts send samples back as soon as possible. We’ll need to check them for poisonous elements and to see if we can get test crops started near the Citadel.”

The dattakorien man raises his hand, and Aramellianna nods at him. “Please, speak.”

He adds as he points, “This is an old legend, but we should be cautious with this region. A creature known as the sphranterus has slain many dattakoriens of the northern tribes. I know the Emperor is very busy already, but…” He goes quiet, his expressive tiger-like ears folding back, and Aramellianna can’t help but smile. It’s easy to overlook, since she has known gatonines and shenwulves all of her life. But, she has been far too easily distracted if she can ignore how easy so many of the other races are to read. But, more importantly, she thinks fondly of Hekate, particularly, who has been a strong attractive force for gathering so many people who believe in the Fievegal. Some see a young woman and hope to take advantage of her, others have started to quietly worship her because of her power, and others follow directly behind her as she fearlessly chases Daniel into a future of luxury and comfort, whether the world accepts it or not.

“What kind of creature is this… sepharantus?” asks Aramellianna.

“Sphranterus,” replies one of the dattakorien women. She adds, “It’s supposedly some kind of monster, but I’ve never met anyone who can actually describe what it looks like.”

The man retorts, “It successfully kills all who gaze upon it, naturally.”

“Which is why its existence is in doubt,” counters the same woman.

It seems it is a middling split for the dattakoriens about whether or not it exists, while the Chi’rinnis man adds, “It is, at the very least, something that many disappearances have been attributed to. I wouldn’t say these grid zones are exclusion zones, but I do agree that we should prepare for every possible scenario. And… the one most talented among the Fievegal for thinking beyond what we all fear…” He scratches his cheek a little sheepishly.

Aramellianna sighs. “Yes, Daniel, and I assume Zuzia as well, should provide us a good list of things to consider as possibilities in addition to the weapons needed to kill a monster. Is there any indication this creature is as strong or stronger than Yaulwembor, Rohgattabor, or Tyror?”

The denizens of the west, formerly known as ‘demon-kin’, all glance at each other as they give the question some thought. Some don’t believe it exists, or at least, not in its ‘legendary’ form. Others don’t know how to quantify its strength.

The dattakorien man replies, “Forgive me, your Grace. Though there are stories of entire villages disappearing, I am not foolish enough to believe it takes a dragon-like threat to do so. If the stories about the Selkethia are true, their out-of-control soldiers are quite thorough.” He looks to the side, adding quietly, “Before the Emperor,... The dragons also were. But, they made an example of it. The Sphranterus does not.”

“Ah, the Selkethia. I am scheduled to meet the Princess they sent. Thank you for reminding me.” Grand Duchess Senior Aramellianna then straightens her posture as she makes her way for the door, “I shall bring up your request to the Emperor. For now, make sure the scouts avoid the known areas and use extreme caution in any grids that border the known areas. If it’s a monster the size of Yaulwembor, or even Tyror, there’s almost no chance its territory will be particularly limited.”

“Thank you, your Grace! If we gather more information, we will ensure it makes it to all of the Fievegal’s upper ranks.”

She nods with a pleased smile. “Very good. Then, I shall depart for now. Keep up the good work, everyone. The Fievegal and the Phenglegorn Grand Duchy are counting on you.”

The group helping operate the embassy cheer together, and Aramellianna makes her way out.

The Selkethian princess arrived a few days ago, but Aramellianna strongly recommended that she go through the normal immigration process that the Fievegal is implementing. But, because she’s a welcome guest, she is allowed to stay in the barrier fortress of the wall, which has grown since becoming the main immigration headquarters.

Shek notices Aramellianna when she enters the conference room. Though she did momentarily forget about this upcoming meeting, she would have been early regardless, since she would be a terrible Grand Duchess if she couldn’t instinctively keep track of her schedule, even when she’s excited about something else.

Though the two goblin Queens outrank her, they both quickly jump up from their desks to try to greet her.

Aramellianna curtsies politely, and her entourage of guards and attendants do the same, either bowing if they’re men, saluting if they’re military, and curtsying if they are Ladies-in-Waiting. “Your Majesties, Grand Duchess Senior Aramellianna kos Phenglegorn greets you.”

The two goblins glance at each other. They’re each half the height of Aramellianna, and it would have almost been laughable to the brunette a few years ago that she would ever curtsy to actual goblins. But, as the Fievegal routinely proves, there are distinct differences between the nearly-feral sword-fodder goblins that would be sent to raid towns and villages and the skilled, trained, or educated goblins that live fast, but make efforts not to die fast. Jieka and Tekten are less than two years old and can speak in full sentences, with the other four half-goblin children of Daniel’s right behind them.

Now, Aramellianna is content to accept the Fievegal’s leadership, odd as it is, because she dares not chase off the golden bird when it’s still happily shedding feathers. Shek and Skloe are respectful and kind, their children are sweet and adorable, and they have been diligent ambassadors as the first important faces of the Fievegal.

It has been an effective strategy. Just testing visitors and immigrants with the Goblin Queens filters out a great deal of problematic people of all sapient species. Exceptions are tolerated in some cases, as long as the person can keep their actions in check. The Fievegal tolerates a certain level of disrespect in a sense, because of Daniel’s favor for ‘free speech’, but he also has everyone make a note of it. Just because people are allowed to say what they want without going to jail or facing death doesn’t mean it is free of consequences entirely.

Shek greets the brunette politely, “Your Grace Aramellianna, thank you.” She smiles brightly, and it makes the matron feel warm.

“You honor me, your Majesty.”

Skloe adds, “Good day, your Grace. Thank you for coming.”

“Truth be told, I’m interested in kidnapping the Princess to Phenglegorn territory as soon as possible, since their workers seem to be quite laborious and efficient.” The brunette matriarch smiles warmly, though it’s an awkward joke, because Aramellianna just might. She then asks, “Shall we, your Majesties?”

“Yes,” replies Skloe warmly. She leads the way to the comfortable meeting room for VIP immigrants to the Fievegal.

Only Aramellianna’s two most senior Ladies-in-Waiting join her with Shek and Skloe to meet with the Selkethian Princess that was cast out of her hive because of her age.

The Princess calmly watches them enter, and a golem nearby says politely, “I am Yaegovv. I have the honor of translating for you today. I have introduced myself to her Highness, the Princess. May I introduce you, your Grace?”

“Please do,” replies Aramellianna as she takes a seat across from the Princess. It’s a little unnerving, since the being is about the same size as Arachne. But, the brunette has grown accustomed to Arachne’s presence, and it makes her wonder if the goblins always feel this way around everyone else.

Aramellianna clears her throat when she notices her Ladies-in-Waiting being hesitant, and they flinch, quickly sitting down beside her.

After Yaegovv finishes the introduction, which he speaks in Eastern Imperial Trade, Aramellianna asks, “Do you understand the Eastern Trade language, your Highness?”

The Selkethian Princess nods her head, and she replies in a buzzing, clicking language that Aramellianna couldn’t possibly emulate with her mouth.

Yaegovv translates, “Her Highness has replied, ‘Yes. It is extremely unpleasant for all parties if I attempt to speak your language, though.’ And, if you’ll permit me, your Grace, I shall translate seamlessly from here on.”

“Please do,” replies Aramellianna. “And, thank you, your Highness. As long as you can understand, and we have a translator or the required magic, I do believe we can work together seamlessly.”

Baileph, the young Baroness who has served Aramellianna for more than ten years, asks politely, “If I may, your Grace, your Majesties; is there a possibility of using the translation magic for all languages on one person?”

Kloetene, the most senior Lady-in-Waiting and a viscountess, replies quietly, “It’s a matter of stability. I’ve read about mages who have tried permanent linguistics magic for too many individual languages, and it can cause madness.”

“Yes,” confirms Shek. “I asked the same thing when we first founded the Fievegal. Goblins struggle to learn languages after becoming adults, but Vaergraes said that magic should be used with caution, or it can cause the user to hear the same word many, many times all at once, and it can quickly spiral out of control.”

Aramellianna nods in agreement. “Were it so simple, the Imperial academy would be half as long, and the entrance ceremony be a long sequence of language exchange. Goddess bless us, were there an ‘etiquette magic’. Hekate and Yaulwembor would already be perfect Empresses.”

Everyone present giggles playfully, and Aramellianna feels a little bad that she made such a joke. Were it any other kingdom, she could be accused of disrespecting royalty and held accountable. She should be more mindful. It is fun to speak candidly with the members of the Fievegal, but not everyone will always have the same casual sensibilities as the Emperor that acts as the glue for this peculiar rising nation.

She turns her attention back to the Selkethian present. “Now then, if you don’t mind, your Highness, I’d like to discuss with you the best path forward for your transfer into the Fievegal. Naturally, the Citadel has space for you, but we are interested in ensuring that you are comfortable. I have been told that your Queens tend to build hives out of ice. Is this correct?”

“[We use whatever material is present and easy to work with,]” replies the Princess. Daniel explained that, using the logic of bees and ants from Earth, the moment ‘Princesses’ are born, they are already destined to have the capacity to become a queen of a hive, just as the workers are born to be workers, and soldiers are born to be soldiers. As Daniel understood it, though he never researched it deeply, hormones from the main Queen play a major role in determining the ‘needs of the hive’, in a sense. So far, it sounds like the Selkethia operate in a similar manner, though the restrictive island they had almost entirely conquered means that a large hive doesn’t have the luxury of allowing other queens to survive.

“I see,” replies the Grand Duchess Senior. “We can make you a proper structure then, but for now, we’ll find you a room in the Citadel if that’s alright. The territory the Fievegal is going to set up for the Selkethia is still being developed. It’s a good time for you to start… uh… producing workers.” The human feels a little awkward speaking of it that way. But, Daniel has posed the warning that they’ll need to observe the workers and soldiers of the Selkethia closely, since there did appear to be castes that are fully sapient and those that are little more than living machines, and the latter, he suspects the Selkethia don’t treat like anything more than that.

But, if even the workers show actual sapience, Daniel wants to ensure protections from cruelty are put in place. After all, for callous, expendable jobs, the golems can simply detach from their physical forms, meaning they truly are unharmed by being used as expendable labor.

The Princess explains, “[I will not be able to produce offspring without a mate, and I was forbidden from bringing a male with me. I am sorry. I am willing to work on my own, but I may not be able to help much.]”

“Yes, this was mentioned by Sir Olmosk’s team. If you are willing, we can attempt to have you produce children with one of the men of the Fievegal and observe the results. Though, we’ll need to discuss it and see if we can find anyone willing.”

“[I have no objections,]” replies the potential Selkethian Queen. “[Though, when the other junior queens arrive, they will possess a higher status than I will. I will not fight, but it may be better to keep me out of sight. I will be peaceful. I only wish to live.]”

Aramellianna ponders these words. She was quite literally sold to her husband originally, so she knows the fear of coming to a strange place all alone, with no allies behind and near-certain enemies ahead.

Something seems odd about all of that, though. The brunette narrows her green eyes at the large figure seated on a cushion due to her large frame, rather than a sofa.

She is undoubtedly accepting a fate close to living like she doesn’t exist, but she’s accepting it too easily. The Fievegal owes nothing to the Selkethia. Were it not for Daniel’s general sense of mercy, Yaulwembor and Neith would have cleared out the entire hive with fire without ever knowing.

“Tell me why you really wanted to leave your hive,” states Aramellianna.

The Selkethia don’t have particularly expressive faces, but their toothy mandibles can definitely produce a look that resembles a wicked sneer. In this case, she is keeping her expression placid, but her large body magnifies small movements of her posture.

The Grand Duchess Senior adds before the Princess can respond, “I don’t like being deceived. I know there are secrets and deceptions that must occur in our society, but in this matter, I can’t afford not to trust you. So, if you have some ulterior motive against the Fievegal, I will discover it, and I will do something about it.”

The Princess looks down, and she clicks her mandibles a couple of times. Because they aren’t actual words, the golem feels the need to say so. “She is not currently speaking.”

“I figured as much, thank you. Take your time and give me the best answer you can, your Highness, but know that I will not tolerate…”

“[I am capable of killing my mother.]”

This causes Aramellianna to cock her head curiously, and she briefly glances at everyone else. They also have no idea, but she’s the most in-the-know, so it’s not entirely surprising.

“We were told that you would die, and that you were fleeing in cowardice, at least in your mother’s words, her Majesty the Selkethia Queen. While I can certainly sympathize with the will of a daughter to survive, if the Queen is deceiving us and is cowardly…”

“[No!]” insists the Princess. “[Mother is very powerful. None of the Princesses my age will ever defeat her. Not for another fifty winters or more. But, I am not my sisters.]” She fidgets quietly, and she looks to the side. “[I… am a monster…]”

Aramellianna notices Kloetene and Baileph tense nervously, and Skloe is the first one to ask, “What kind of monster?”

Aramellianna smiles. The goblins aren’t stupid. If anything, they’re careless. But, given even a shred of education, they aren’t so different from humans. And, in this case, they’re more like her than she is to any of the Empresses, including her own daughter. She was about to ask a similar question, so she decides to emphasize the important part, “We are quite familiar with peculiar beings that others would consider monsters. So, you’ll need to be more specific about what makes you one.”

The Princess is quiet for a moment longer. She replies in a more level tone, but with a quietness to her clicks and hums, “[Please do not panic. I can do this…]”

The Selkethian Princess holds her hand out towards an open part of the room, and a magic circle appears. Daniel and Magnir suspected that the Selkethia are not very good at magic, or the ‘Starvers’ would have killed them much more efficiently.

But, it’s not merely magic. The magic circle on the floor starts to produce something from the ground up, and Aramellianna recognizes it with ease. The soldiers do as well, and they immediately ready their weapons, but Aramellianna holds up her hand to prevent any hasty action.

It’s a summoning circle, but the creature that the Princess is able to summon is much larger than even Arachne, who is a Death Knight summon, originally, and one of the largest-known kinds of magic summon that most people can manage.

But, the Selkethian Princess is able to summon a creature that is almost as large as a mid-sized drake. It is curled up like it was asleep when it fully forms from the summoning circle, and when it uncurls itself to stand up, it reveals itself to be a strange, almost-shaggy kind of beast that seems to be growing its own moss, though flowers peek out of the various lobes of plant-matter.

Kloetene instinctively starts to move in front of Aramellianna, while Baileph reacts just as reasonably, preparing to flee. Aramellianna is the only one of the three humans who are calm, and she growls in a soft whisper, “If either of you take one step off of this sofa, you will return to the Grand Duchy.”

While this isn’t the best ‘punishment’, since it’s where their homes actually are, being dismissed by Aramellianna would inevitably harm their reputations. The Stalvaltan Grand Duchy still operates on the ‘Old World’ sensibilities, for the most part, so social gatherings and galas would be a nightmare for an aristocratic lady of any standing to have been sent away by a retired queen of high society. Moreover, her daughter, Yanidere, is the Grand Duchess now, so it would definitely be plausible for her to carry scorn even if Aramellianna’s reasoning is neutral.

In this case, she’s trying not to offend an official guest who is trusting them with a secret. It is risky, but Aramellianna has good instincts, and if the Princess can do this already, she could have done so at any time.

She asks politely, “Does anyone recognize this creature?”

One of the Chi’rinnis soldiers raises his hand. “I do, your Grace. We call them Tabryoads, though, that appears to be the monstrous mutation of them.”

Aramellianna nods fearlessly. She is outwardly calm, but her heart is undeniably racing. She is an extremely high-ranking aristocrat. Being this close to beings that can potentially kill her entire personal guard is not something she ever had to do before Daniel came into her life.

And, yet… She can’t help but wonder if this is what her husband Yaandrestarr was well accustomed to when he survived a run-in with a ‘Class A Drake’, the largest and most dangerous rating of terrestrial reptiles that rival actual lesser dragons in strength. He commanded his men in battle, and though the losses were significant, they were able to bring it down with his combined techniques using magic actively with his weapon, vastly increasing the wounds caused by the weapon and directly making use of his talents for all elements of magic to whittle through its scales and bleed it dry, causing the titanic beast to collapse.

As if blessing their marriage and his victory, Aramellianna became pregnant with Wenlianna, and he would have almost certainly spoiled her rotten if she hadn’t enjoyed studying so much and learning how to make use of her own talents for magic.

The Princess folds her hands in front of herself calmly, saying softly, “[The beings I can create… They are unnatural. My Mother was frightened, and she mistook the act for something one of my sisters had done. She considered it unacceptable.]”

Before the Princess can continue, Aramellianna holds her hand up. “Please, say no more, your highness. I understand the situation now. The Selkethia have very strict standards, and with an ability like this… I do see how you might pose a threat to even a powerful hivemind like your Queen. Have you tested how many of these creatures you can summon? What else can they do?”

The Princess cocks her head. She seems to be genuinely surprised that she’s not being ostracized. She finally answers cautiously, “[I have not tested it much. It is difficult to describe how I knew I could do it originally… As for what else it can do… I do not know.]”

“Y-Your Grace…” murmurs Kloetene as she points her trembling finger towards the Tabryoad’s feet.

Everyone is stunned, including the guards, who relax their postures just a little to look.

Growing around the feet of the summoned Tabryoad, as if emerging from the solid wood floor of the meeting room, are tiny green branches of new life, leaves and all, and they are most concentrated around where the creature’s feet and tail contact the wooden floor.

Aramellianna asks gently, “Your Highness, do you know how to recall your summon?”

The Princess nods, and she moves her hand. The magic circle appears again, and the creature bows reverently, dissolving just as it had appeared.

Even so, the branches don’t disappear with it.

The Grand Duchess Senior watches for a long time, with everyone else watching her on bated breath, waiting on pins and needles for a response from the wisest person in the room at present.

When the branches still don’t recede, she realizes the full potential of this power, and the scope of how powerful the Princess might be in magic to create such a large creature, and one that can influence plants so strongly.

“I think we are quite fortunate to have met you, your Highness,” replies Aramellianna with a warm smile on her lips. “If you are willing, I can give you a task right away. And, we can test that lunatic’s ‘god’ to see if it really can bless us with at least one miracle after all it took for us to subdue it.”

“Y-Your Grace?” asks Baileph nervously.

The Grand Duchess Senior grins broadly. She can see a great many advantages already. If she were still the matriarch of the Stalvaltan family in a frail kingdom that they were helping prop up, she would never tell a soul. She would swear everyone in the room to secrecy and find some way to deal with the two Goblin Queens, either through a deal or some other means if need be.

But, Daniel is a lead man in a phalanx charge at the head of the Fievegal; a dangerous gambit every time he makes a move, yet managing to crumble every wall, line of enemies, and even nature itself to destroy the mire not of tradition, but of stagnation.

So, even though she could make her own territory the strongest in secret, she happily chooses to be the Mother of the Fievegal, an even more powerful position gifted to her by a strange man from a faraway world.

And, Ochibenara has been given a gift far above her own station. It’s only right that she makes it and herself useful.

***