B9 - Chapter 20: Good Luck

In the crisp morning air, a giant fortress slowly lowered itself toward the ground. The area below had already been prepared. A pit had been dug that almost perfectly matched the underside of the fortress, allowing it to dock without damaging its hull.

Hundreds of workers stood around the pit, watching with expectant eyes as the fortress descended into the hollow, thereby becoming the new peak of the low hill.

Among them were Zeke and Leo, who stood a short distance from the crowd, their gazes likewise fixed on the spectacle.

The Alexandria slid into the opening with a soft plop as its underside met the loose dirt. A moment of silence followed before the people began to cheer.

Zeke smiled as well. It had taken them no more than a day's work to create this foothold, which could now serve as a temporary shelter while they established themselves in the wilds.

However, his momentary joy was interrupted by a single word from the man standing at his side.

"Liar," Leo said accusingly.

Zeke glanced at him from the corner of his eye. His brother's expression looked more like a pout than genuine anger.

"How could that be?" Zeke answered casually. "Didn't you hear that Dragons are unable to tell lies?"

"Then how is it possible that you said you weren't going to manage the territory, yet you haven't allowed me to make a single choice so far?"

Zeke lifted a brow. "What choices have even been made?"

Leo pointed forward, at the Alexandria, which was now fully integrated into the hill.

"You wouldn't even let me choose the location of the new city..."

Zeke rolled his eyes. "Build it elsewhere, then."

Leo's expression flipped in an instant. "No way! Do you have any idea how inconvenient that would be?"

Zeke looked at him, dumbfounded. "Can't do this, can't do that. Are you just complaining for complaining's sake?"

"I just..." Leo started. "I've put a lot of thought into this, only to find out that you've long since had a location in mind..."

Zeke grew curious. "What place did you come up with?"

"The center of the wide plain to the west," Leo said. "Where the two rivers meet."

Zeke nodded, impressed. "A good choice," he admitted. "You'd have one waterway leading to the sea and another leading inland toward the inner region. And there are even two medium-sized cities not too far."

Leo nodded, appearing energized by the praise. "If you already know how good it is, why did you insist on settling out here in the sticks?"

Zeke smiled. "Because there is nothing out here for half a week's march in any direction."

Leo looked at him as if he had gone insane. "In what world could that ever be counted as an advantage...?"

"In this one," Zeke said. "And any other," he added.

Leo stared at him, clearly waiting for an explanation.

Zeke didn't make him beg. "It is standard procedure to choose a location for your forward base that allows you to maintain your supply line. From there, you would work your way inward, claiming more and more stretches of wilderness."

Leo nodded, his expression growing serious now that he realized Zeke wasn't merely playing around.

"There is only one problem with that..." Zeke began. "Where is our supply depot? Is it in the inner regions? Or perhaps Tradespire?"

"It's naturally..." Leo faltered.

The inner regions barely had enough resources for themselves, while Tradespire was half a world away.

"I don't know..." Leo admitted after a moment of thought.

Zeke nodded. "The truth is... our supply line starts wherever the Alexandria is. We can produce any common material we need with the World Anchor. And what we don't have, Cassius can grow..."

A flicker of realization sparked in Leo's eyes. "Instead of working our way inward from one end of the region, we can simply settle in the center and work our way outward..."

Zeke winked at him. "Pretty smart, right?"

Leo's expression turned complicated. "Yes. Yes, it is."

Zeke waited.

"You know..." Leo started. "If you've decided to let me manage the territory just to spare my feelings, you shouldn't. Too many people depend on our success, and I feel more and more strongly how much better you would be at the job than me."

Zeke shook his head. "That's not how it works."

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"It is..."

Zeke gave him a soft smile. "By that logic, a master blacksmith should never take an apprentice, because every sword would turn out better if he made it himself."

"I am being serious."

"So am I."

"But—"

"No buts," Zeke interjected gently, though there was a definite edge to his voice. "I wasn't kidding when I said you would be running this territory. You, and nobody else."

Zeke could tell that Leo wasn't convinced. Sure enough, the protest came a moment later.

"What about Cassius or Rhea?"

"They declined to take lands and titles precisely because they don't want to be tied down," Zeke said. "David has already returned to Undercity, Vulcanos and Zelkara are completely unsuitable for this kind of work, and Raileh might be called back at any moment. The others will assist you for as long as they remain here, but none of them will take the burden of leadership from you."

Leo fell silent, seeming to shrink beneath the pressure.

Zeke placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't make that face. Leadership isn't that hard once you get the hang of it."

"Any tips?"

Zeke nodded seriously. "Dump as much work on those around you as you can..."

Leo frowned. "I was being serious."

"...So am I," Zeke repeated.

Leo sighed. "What will you be doing during this time?"

A thousand words wouldn't have been enough to describe the pile of insights Zeke had been sitting on ever since the last battle, but knowing them wouldn't help Leo, so he compressed it all into a single word.

"Research."

Leo gave him a look. "That's it? That's the reason you shrugged the position of Lord onto me?"

Zeke's smile widened. "If you'd like to have a chance of advancing to the level of Archmage in this lifetime, you'd better fix that attitude toward my research."

The change in Leo's expression was immediate. "Do you have a clue?"

Zeke only smiled.

"Now," he said as he spotted a dark shape approaching on the horizon. "Here is what I expect from you..."

Leo straightened.

"In the first six months, I want you to establish a defensive perimeter stretching the entire length of our territory."

Leo's eyes widened, and he was clearly about to say something, but before he could, Zeke continued.

"You won't need to build a wall, but a force capable of responding anywhere along the border. Under no circumstances should you allow a monster horde to ever reach the south."

"Even then—"

"Before the first year is up, I want the new capital built, including our new workshops."

"Are you seri—"

"And before the second year is up, I want a network of fortifications spanning the entire territory. Each should be manned by an elite force capable of holding its perimeter independently."

"Where should I—"

"Before the third year is up, I want at least three cities established in the North, each harboring no fewer than ten thousand natives."

"You can't just—"

The dark shape had nearly reached them now. Good. Leo would not be left alone long enough to panic.

"Before the fifth year is up," Zeke continued, "I want our first city to rival the nation's capital in size and manpower."

"Please—"

"I will send Akasha to check on you in a month," Zeke said, completely ignoring Leo's pleading. "Prepare a list of everything you need until then.

He removed his hand from the squirming Leo's shoulder and spoke one final sentence.

"Good luck."

Then, before his brother could say anything else, he teleported away, retreating to the highest floor of the Alexandria.

His laboratory had already been prepared. Instruments and materials filled the chamber, along with stacks of notes he had accumulated since the battle.

Akasha was waiting for him beside them. "Are you certain about this, Host?"

"Lock the door," Zeke ordered.

The doors swung closed a moment later, followed by the click-clack of complicated locking mechanisms snapping into place. It took several seconds for the door to finally fall silent, signaling the beginning of his seclusion.

"Leo will do fine," he said, answering the Spirit's earlier question.

"Statistically unlikely," Akasha answered without delay.

Zeke smiled. "Is that so? Then how would his odds change if I sent you out once a month to assist him for a day?"

Akasha's eyes went vacant. "A 30% chance of achieving the first milestone within the given timeframe."

"...And what if I had already ordered David to send the dwarven craftsmen who just finished building Undercity?"

Akasha's expression remained deadpan. "55%."

Zeke smiled at her. "See? Better than even odds. That means he will definitely be fine."

Akasha's brow twitched. "That is not how odds work."

Zeke winked at her. "Is it? I've never been good with numbers."

Akasha stared at him silently for a long while. "Host seems to be in a good mood today..."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes."

Zeke sighed contentedly. "Thanks to Vulcanos' breakthrough, there is nobody left on this side of the continent with both the strength and motive to act against us. No armies are marching. No enemy is waiting to strike. Do you realize what that means?"

Akasha didn't respond. She likely had an entire list of facts ready that would explain exactly what that meant in terms of probability, but she had grown familiar enough with him to know that wasn't what he was asking.

"Peace," Zeke said, answering his own question. "Peace and quiet. I think this might be the first time I've actually had the leisure to focus entirely on research without needing to put out any immediate fires."

"...Does Host really plan to lock himself away for multiple years?"

Zeke shrugged. "I'll likely go out from time to time. But it's better for Leo if he believes he cannot rely on me to make his decisions."

"He is ill-prepared for an undertaking of this magnitude."

"He will have help," Zeke said, nodding at her. "The dwarves can build his new capital. And Vulcanos can cover half the territory by himself if need be."

Akasha considered his words. "He will still suffer quite a bit."

Zeke merely smiled. "He'll be better for it."

***

Outside the Alexandria, Leo looked forlornly at the space where Zeke had just stood. The words his brother had spoken before leaving were still repeating in his mind. Especially the first milestone: a complete defensive perimeter within the first six months.

Was that... even possible?

Though he had the Bloodguard, Vulcanos, and the forces under Elder Tiger and Elder Dragon at his disposal, even together, they numbered fewer than a thousand. That was far from enough to guard a stretch of land several hundred thousand steps long.

That would be, what... one man every thousand steps?

Of course, Zeke had said that he didn't need to station men along the entire border. Watch posts, patrols, and rapid-response forces would suffice.

That didn't make the task feel much less impossible. Especially since he needed to start construction of his new city at the same time. That meant that he couldn't even commit everybody to the defense of the territory.

But before he could ponder his miserable fate any further, the ground suddenly shook, nearly causing him to lose his footing.

Leo turned and found that a massive creature had landed nearby. The Black Dragon, clutching a woolly beast almost as large as itself in its claws, was looking at him as well.

It then spoke in a rumbling voice.

"I brought dinner," the Dragon said. "For everyone."

Leo looked toward the massive slab of meat, enough to feed an entire army, then up at the towering Dragon.

Maybe... things weren't as hopeless as he had assumed.

He then recalled Zeke's earlier words about the best way to handle leadership.

"Vulcanos," he addressed the Dragon. "Could you please call the others? I would like to hold a meeting..."