Chapter 303: The Advent of the Princess Saints Part Two

Sometime before Zuzia got Włócznia Peruna to punch through to what she hopes is the mine cavity where the miners are, a new group of people arrived that nearly stopped her heart when they made their presence known.

The King of Ahmpur himself, a man named Harnavock kos Ahmpur, arrived to take stock of and try to assess the mine with his own eyes.

The timing couldn’t have been much worse.

And, given the enthusiasm with which the people gathered around explained it, he got the exact message Zuzia’s allies hoped for.

A divine miracle blessed this random girl, and she managed to bore a hole all the way through to the miners, and a wind mage has been pushing air in to try to help revitalize the miners. They still don’t have formal confirmation that anyone is still alive deep within, but everyone’s gotten a second wind, such that the arrival of their King isn’t an omen of terror, but a reason to race to catch him up.

Zuzia, having finished her task and noticing the vassals and King himself being regaled about the recent events and glancing several times at her and the two gatonine women with her, turns her own gaze to Treia for a silent plea for help.

Treia is also looking concerned. They could try to flee, but Zuzia would be the only one who can actually escape, meaning she would have to blow her cover as “a regular girl”, ruining the whole thing.

If I could use telepathy, I could get those three to do the light show then, and ‘ascend us to heaven’. What the heck should we do now?

The brunette turns her eyes towards the sky to see if she can spot Jeavana, who is supposedly up there watching over her and the other two. Jeavana is brave, but she doesn’t seem to be all that invested in a delicate mission where her fists go unused.

But, of course, the dragon isn’t going to be cruising around in her full size, or she would be instantly spotted by any random person out of the hundreds that are gathered around.

Of course, as distracted as they are by the ‘divine miracle’, she probably could fly right over head and never be seen by a soul.

Before Zuzia can figure out an escape plan, though, the King of Ahmpur approaches. “Blessed Ladies of Herithania, is it true you were able to wield the divine lance ‘Vuwashnia Puroona’?” He looks past Zuzia to see the half-meter wide hole that goes straight through the rock, still glowing faintly from the residual heat as a pair of mages send fresh air inside to the best of their ability. Simply pushing air in won’t actually move that much air, but it’s better than nothing at all, since there was definitely a quick suction from vacuum having formed inside the mine for one reason or another.

Zuzia is caught off-guard, that’s for certain. So, she doesn’t have to feign the awkwardness when she replies, “Oh! Um, yes, um, your Majesty.” She does her best to curtsy, adding, “Please forgive me for not greeting you sooner, your Majesty.”

Treia and Veiranoei mimic her, performing curtsies as they add, “We humbly greet his Majesty, King of Ahmpur.”

“Please, I thank you for the formalities, but I wish to know all that transpired this day! The great spear of Vuwashnia Puroona! Please show it to me.”

Zuzia’s mouth moves just faster than her brain, and she starts to correct, “Włó-...” before halting herself. “I mean, yes. ‘Vuwashnia Puroona’. Um…” She looks towards the hole when the mages there start to panic. They start to bicker, and the King asks, “What is it!? What just happened?”

“Your Majesty!” cries out one of the mages. “Vuwashnia Puroona… It’s gone!”

“What!?” shouts the King angrily. “What did you do!?”

“Nothing, I swear, your Majesty! We were only casting magic to move air into the mine…!”

“You expect me to believe that!?” shouts the King.

While he’s distracted, the terrified Zuzia looks at Treia and Veiranoei. Veiranoei is also worried, but Treia locks eyes with Zuzia. She has a serious expression, since they’re in a situation they’re not prepared for, but she isn’t worried about the spear. She gives a subtle thumbs up at her waist, which Zuzia almost misses. It feels wildly inappropriate, since it’s hardly a thumbs up situation, but it smacks Zuzia in the face.

This isn’t Earth.

That anyone uses a thumbs up on Zenkon almost has to be a result of Daniel, or maybe Rikuto. Treia would know this, and she’s using it to say more than ‘all’s good’.

She’s telling Zuzia the spear is handled. How, she will need to ask about later, because her own instincts were to request Amalaskae store it away like her backpack. But, as long as it can’t be studied too closely by Ahmpur’s people, they can at least keep the farce going a little longer.

Zuzia decides to trust Treia, because Treia is trusting her. “Your Majesty,” speaks up Zuzia.

The King whirls, snapping, “What!?” He quickly softens when he realizes he just snapped at the only remaining ties to the ‘miracle’ that just took place, and he asks, “I mean, what is it, young Lady?”

“Forgive me, your Majesty, but please don’t be angry at the mages. When I received Vuwashnia Puroona, I heard the voice that gave me its name also say that the blessing to wield it would only be temporary. I was just so desperate to help the miners, that I acted quickly. I was told that we would need to handle the rest on our own…”

Zuzia saddens as she bows her head. She can see the King’s posture relax a little, and he asks, “Is… that so?”

“I’m afraid so, your majesty,” replies Zuzia. “I only acted as a vessel for God’s will. If I could burrow through to free them this instant, I would gladly do so.”

King Harnavock gently places a hand on her shoulder, saying, “Please, my Dear, you have granted us a great miracle. Look at everyone. I was receiving reports of hopelessness just a day ago, yet here, there is hope. This blessing cannot be overlooked. I am pleased that you were able to carry out the divine will of Herith in my humble Kingdom. All three of you beautiful ladies pushed forth this miracle.”

Zuzia feels gross from the way he says that, as well as the circle of self-assured men gathered around them, nodding along to the King’s giddiness as he basks in the ways he can use these events to his benefit, even if he doesn’t have the ‘Divine Spear’ itself.

Suddenly, some people call out from the direction of town, and two figures descend from the sky; Neith in his disguise as Sir Larven, and another young man that Zuzia doesn’t recognize.

Oh thank God, thinks Zuzia in relief. The dragon lands them both on the ground just past the town, which is about a hundred meters from them at present. But, at least they might be able to figure a way to help the three ladies out of this mess.

“Who are they?” asks the King sharply.

One of his aids, a shenwulf, replies, “It sounds like they’re Imperial messengers, your Majesty.”

“Imperials? Curses… The Imperial relief forces must be close. Quickly, take these ladies out of sight. We can’t have the Empire trying to seize our Miracle Saints.”

“As you wish, your Majesty.”

Zuzia wants to cry out, and Veiranoei starts to say something, but Treia is the one that maintains their cover while also trying to object. “Your Majesty! My Brother is still trapped inside. Please let us help…”

Harnavock turns a quick and somewhat disturbing smile to the three ladies as he says, “Worry not, dear Saints. As you said, we’ll need to handle the rest. Please, go rest. I’ll be along shortly to determine how to reward your most divine efforts.”

The Polish brunette doesn’t know much about the cultures of this world, but she knows a greasy scheme when it’s aimed at her. And, this King is planning something greasy, to put it generously.

Damn. We need to get away from these guys, but how? Please tell me you’re getting us out of here somehow, Neith. I won’t be enslaved again. I promise you that.

She is still ‘protected’ by Daniel’s contract, since it uses her full name, which apparently makes it as strong as enslavement magic can be. But, she doesn’t want to have to explain why a slave collar doesn’t work, or why she has a magic tattoo with Daniel’s name on it on her left breast when they try to put her in a new dress.

Or worse.

A corset.

Zuzia grits her teeth slightly, and she looks at Treia once more as the three are quickly dragged away by the King’s vassals. They should be relatively safe for the immediate future, because they are, at least ostensibly for the moment, ‘Ladies granted Herith’s blessing’, and Zuzia reasonably assumes ‘Herith’ is the name of Ahmpur’s god or an extremely important prophet otherwise.

Treia, for her part, simply keeps her role. “Please, my brother is still in the mine, and I can’t rest until I know what has happened to him. We’re so close now! If we just pray…”

“Shh,” hushes the Shenwulf man. “Come along quietly, and everything will work out. His Majesty came here to help your brother and the other miners.”

It’s not lost on Zuzia that she and her two fellow ‘divine ladies’ are being whisked away before anyone even bothered to ask for their names. A few of the miners struck up conversation with Treia and Veiranoei, and they had cover names surprisingly prepared. Treia went with “Misha” and Veiranoei went with “Heidi”. They’re names from Earth, so they probably came from Daniel’s phone or the man himself.

But, none of the King’s assistants or even the King have asked the names of their new little toys, and it definitely reminds Zuzia to stay on guard.

If she has to, she won’t let anything happen to Treia or Veiranoei. But, that also means she might have to get her hands bloody if it turns into a fight.

You better be working on a plan, ‘Harbinger’. I agreed to this stupid plan like an idiot because I trusted you JUST enough not to screw your little consorts, if not me as well.

Veiranoei asks, “If we could, may we be allowed to pray once more, my Lords?”

A human replies, “Wait until we get to a safe area. We don’t know who those men are.”

Ah. Great. Lying right to our faces, thinks Zuzia. That’s always a great sign.

She has to resist the urge to sigh. Her role right now is to appear like a scared young woman. And, as long as they are the ‘blessed women’ these people believe they are, they’ll be relatively safe.

And, judging by how Neith flies off shortly afterwards, headed southwest, which is not the direction he came from, it seems his hands are tied.

But, you can use telepathy, right Neith? Can’t you tell Jeavana, Senn, or Serrentuk to rescue us? Or,... No, I guess it was too late when the King himself caught wind of us… Ugh… This is stupid. I should’ve waited… But, what if… No, I’m sure there are survivors. I did the right thing. This is just a challenge. Some slippery rocks on a climb. I can handle this.

Zuzia stays close to Treia and Veiranoei, rather than falling behind. Since they’re in this together, they should be able to ‘cuddle in fear of the unknown, surrounded by nobles, and worried about their families’. Something like that.

Zuzia looks to the southwest for a moment, wondering how long it’ll take for rescue to come. She doesn’t see any signs of her allies that are supposed to be watching over her, but she trusts Serrentuk is out there somewhere, even if the others are slacking.

And, she doesn’t actually believe they are.

***

Senn boards the bus carrying Daniel, Wenlianna, Hekate, Sundenelle, Magnir, Ecklevon, three of Sundenelle’s ladies in waiting, and hidden in the back behind a curtain is Doephluev. The elven sorceress flagged down the convoy of buses from the dirt road to the mine.

“The King himself showing up was a wrench in the plan,” remarks Senn without too much concern. “But, it does seem that our girls are holding their own.”

“Are you sure they’ll be okay?” asks Wenlianna as the elven sorceress takes the next available seat close to the main group.

“For now, almost certainly. Though… We definitely won’t want to leave them to fend for themselves for too long. Young Harnavock seemed to be excited about his precious new divine toys. He won’t break them, but he certainly won’t take care of them, if my instincts are right.”

“I’ll take several centuries of experience any day,” replies Daniel, which causes Senn to smirk.

“Oh? ‘Centuries’, Daniel? Is that your way of calling me young or old?”

“You, yourself, called an old man king ‘young’, Miss ‘Yuna’. I doubt you’d appreciate it if I called you ‘young Yuna’ at my wisened thirty-three… or thirty four years. Thirty-five?” Daniel mumbles as he realizes he hasn’t carefully kept track of his age since coming to Zenkon, though he has been here for two years by Zenkon’s longer standard. He’s almost certainly thirty-five by now.

Senn giggles. “I would actually be most grateful if you call me ‘Young Yuna’. You may even call me ‘Young Maiden Yuna’.”

Daniel leaves that one alone. Senn is hardly a romantic, let alone possessing any signs of having any libido whatsoever. So, even though he suspects she’s several thousand years old, it’s not impossible for the previously-reclusive elven sage to still have her maidenly virtue; a sort of miracle that she would have avoided any dangerous entanglements for so long.

That’s probably why she uses disguises so often, but also why she almost always uses the name Senn. If any elf could be the legendary hero ‘Senn’, then people might approach them with more caution.

Senn smiles at Daniel as she suspects he’s thinking of something, but it was just to make sense of her, what little sense a human can make of an ancient being that has forgotten more about Zenkon than Daniel could possibly hope to ever know.

Daniel explains, “Either way, we’ll keep Jeavana on overwatch until she needs a break. Though, knowing her, she’s lazily lounging in the sky in such a way that she can almost indefinitely float up there.”

Magnir chuckles, trying to hide his smile behind his fist. “Forgive me, my Liege. You’ve almost certainly come to understand Lady Jeavana quite well. Though, I suppose I should say ‘her Grace’, now…”

Wenlianna pouts, and Magnir momentarily pales, realizing she’s a little sensitive about it.

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Daniel hugs her close for a moment, which startles her, and he whispers just loud enough that everyone next to them can easily hear, Magnir included. “I can blurt out some embarrassing things about you if it’ll make you feel better, Mukori. I probably know you better than almost anyone by now…”

“Gah! No! D-Mukori!” The young brunette shoves Daniel back just a little, though her hands grip his jacket anyways, and her cheeks instantly turn a rosy red as she objects. “Focus on the mission instead of embarrassing me! O-Or I’ll say embarrassing things about you, too!”

Wenlianna’s face pales a little, though the color quickly returns to her cheeks when she realizes that everyone present, including Sundenelle’s female attendants, are all staring at her expectantly for juicy gossip about Daniel.

She slowly hides her face behind her notebook, whimpering as she shrinks into herself.

The American laughs as he pats her thigh gently, deciding to have mercy for now. “S-, uh, Yuna, our plan is to have Hekate go in and extract the ladies covertly before they get cleaned up enough to be discovered or recognized later. Though, it’s the best we could come up with for now.”

Senn nods. “That sounds good. Though, if you’d like, I can also take one of their places as a backup.” She glances towards the curtain, likely knowing who is behind it.” She accepts a cup of rose milk from one of Sundenelle’s attendants, since the bus is moving slowly and steadily enough to manage that. Even at their current pace, though, it’ll only be a few more minutes before they arrive at the mine. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, your Grace,” replies the young woman as she returns to her own seat. Denizens of Zenkon take a while to get used to the Fievegal’s vehicles, since they travel more steadily over the dirt roads than any carriage, since Daniel uses a combination of weight for inertia and leaf-springs for sturdier shock absorption, though this sturdiness can also work against it to a degree if they’re moving too quickly or hit especially hard bumps.

Senn then continues, “Illusion magic is a bit of a specialty of mine, as you know.”

“I’m not particularly worried about Zuzia for now, since she can hold her own in a fight. Though, I won’t choose between any of them right now. All or nothing if we make a move. The newest Dragonslayer, Sir Muindis, has joined us, so brute force will be quite easy even if something appears to stall or neutralize our dragons. But, if we can get in, save the miners, and get out without a fight, then drinks of whatever kind anyone wants will be on me. And, don’t tell Zuzia yet, but the alchemists do have a batch of early ale that should be finished in a few days. Though, I’m still missing hops, specifically, so it’ll be some time before we can ‘touch up’ grain alcohols. Not that I know much about beer and ale, myself.”

“I vaguely recall some of these creations coming up through history,” replies Senn. “Whether or not I was there to experience it is up to you to guess at, dear, sweet Daniel.” She grins at him playfully.

“So, it’s probably not far off from prostitution and brothels, huh?” murmurs Daniel as he thinks. He has always found it odd that two of Earth’s most ancient vices are largely absent from Zenkon, or at least, the continent of Stoerykame.

We may need to be mindful of the influence of the religions of the continent, now that we’re becoming a more prominent figure outside of their control. Given the lax nature of religion in Mattarglos and the Empire, they might leave us alone… but if we impersonate divine power…

Daniel lets out a soft sigh. I’m not actually a web novel protagonist making my own life harder with everything I try to do to make it easier instead, am I?

But, there’s nothing to be done about what has already come to pass. He’ll just have to deal with that like everything else; as it comes up.

After a short while, the buses arrive at the mining area. King Harnavock’s detachment of knights block the entrance to the area that is protected by a simple wooden barricade to keep out large animals and monsters, for the most part, and probably to reduce the dust affecting the town.

“I’ll go show my face,” remarks Sundenelle. “That should be able to explain this.”

“Should I come with you?” asks Hekate.

“I think… if we’re treating this as a ‘mercenary operation’ on the part of the Fievegal, it would be best to minimize your presence, your Greatness. Though… that said…” Sundenelle looks at Daniel for a moment, her face a little complex. She requests, “If I could walk with Daniel as my betrothed, it may explain the Fievegal’s willingness to aid me so directly.”

Hekate takes a deep breath and sighs. “Very clever, Sundenelle…” She points fiercely as she jumps to her feet. “But, know this! I have already laid claim to the right of three times! Daniel owes me three times over whatever he does with anyone else! And, you must abide by that if you wish to be part of this family!”

“I’m well aware,” replies Sundenelle without missing a beat, simply smiling thankfully that Hekate is rather easy to win over, at least in a ‘neutral’ sense. “I accept my betrothal is not just to the Daniel, but to the Fievegal and the abnormal family that it represents.” She smiles sincerely, saying, “I am not much more experienced than you are in the ways of love and romance, but if I can be of assistance to your eventual triumphs,...” Sundenelle grins playfully at Daniel. “Consider me your Sister in Arms.”

This is Hekate’s not-so-secret button; a pledge of loyalty in helping her claim that ‘three times’ promise from Daniel the moment Daniel relents.

The mechanic sighs. “Shall we, my fiancee?” He holds his hand out to escort her off the bus, and she smiles. She does give a polite bow to Hekate, saying, “Thank you, Hekate. We won’t be long. But, I will also be counting on you to protect us if things go awry.”

“Hah! I am the wry! Nothing is more wry than me.”

Daniel, the attendants, and Wenlianna all snort as they try to suppress laughter, and Hekate scowls at Daniel and then Wenlianna, specifically. The brunette Empress waves her hand defensively, still trying to suppress giggles as she replies, “That was a very apt declaration, your Greatness.”

“Y-Yes,” adds one of the attendants. “Please forgive us, it was just so unexpected. U-Unexpectedly… um… reassuring.”

The other young ladies that serve Sundenelle nod in agreement, a little nervous that they just laughed at a supposed sovereign Empress more powerful than the one they are beholden to, but given the lighthearted nature of the teasing, Hekate is not easily offended.

Sundenelle clears her throat, saying, “Yes, well,... Daniel, you shouldn’t laugh at your Empresses so easily. We set the example for our subordinates and the expectations of respect and diplomacy we should strive for in mixed company.” She shoots a brief look of warning at her own attendants, and then returns her gaze to Daniel.

Daniel replies apologetically. “You’re right. Hekate, I’ll explain later. I’m sorry for laughing.”

Hekate has a conflicted look as she glances between the two. She generally doesn’t hate being teased, since Daniel accepts being teased in return. And, he’s always patient and forgiving of Hekate’s mistakes. But, by making him apologize, Sundenelle was essentially making him ‘lose’ to Hekate, right?

The feldrok teen narrows her eyes at Sundenelle, and her ears slowly tighten from their normal resting vertical to their highly alert vertical. “You’re a formidable foe, Sundenelle… Far more so than Ryuo, I see…”

The snow-haired Empress blushes slightly and replies, “I assure you I am not your foe, Hekate. But, I do believe Daniel has a greater responsibility to guide you and our fellow Empresses, and he has instead chosen a lax approach to a dangerous game.”

“This would have all faded into history someday, whether I arrived on this world or not. But, let’s go get past this checkpoint. The miners and our ladies are waiting.”

Sundenelle sighs, and she follows Daniel. “You spoil your Empresses, Daniel.”

“Yes, yes. Give me a few months, and you’ll be just as spoiled as they are,” retorts Daniel with a playful sarcasm. He makes eye contact with the attendants and ‘blinks’ his left eye, since it’s his only usable one, though he’s not sure if they’ll understand the intended wink.

But, it seems they do when all three of them blush and immediately lean in close to each other, causing Sundenelle to twitch her hand’s grip on his.

Daniel steps down first, helping Sundenelle out of the bus. She’s dressed in a more lax ‘travelling dress’ and all-purpose, slightly-feminine boots, so she wouldn’t have had much trouble climbing down on her own. But, it’s proper for him to escort her down –and catch her if she falls–. Ecklevon follows behind them, escorting them as his role demands.

The gatonine knight whispers as they walk towards the front bus, where Muindis is attempting to explain who they are. “Your Graces, middle-right, towards the town. Our ladies…”

Daniel would have to turn his head too far to look, and he doesn’t want to draw too much attention, so he stays in step with Sundenelle, who is on his left and can justify looking to the right to look at him. She smiles up at Daniel to hide her words. “I agree. They’re being escorted into town as we speak.”

Daniel whispers, “They won’t want us to meet their new treasures. We’ll be patient for now. Just like Wenlie said, we’ll feign ignorance about anything but the light itself existing.”

“Agreed.”

The King’s knights notice Sundenelle and Daniel approaching, and they recognize Sundenelle before anyone else. They kneel, calling out, “Your Imperial Majesty, welcome.”

Muindis steps back and bows to grant Sundenelle control of the situation, and she says warmly, “Please rise, good Sirs. I saw the earnestness in King Harnavock’s letter and came as quickly as I could. My intended, Emperor Daniel kos Lawson, was generous enough to escort me with several of his highly versatile vehicles so we could bring the best men and equipment to aid with this crisis.”

“I… see, your Grace. We were informed that an Imperial procession was on its way…”

“If you wish to cast dispel on me to ease your doubts, I can assure you, I am Empress Sundenelle kos Lindenmorg, and only I could make this request to the Fievegal and get an answer so quickly, as they are soon enough to be my family.”

The knights glance at each other, and a shenwulf man in much nicer clothes, a noble likely in direct service to the King, jobs over. “What’s going on here!? Your Grace!? You fools! You were told to expect her Imperial Majesty! Please, your eminence, forgive our men.” The man bows deeply to the Empress.

“Please don’t berate your men too harshly, my Lord. Though there caution was an inconvenience, I did arrive in an abnormal mode of transportation. When I told my intended, his Imperial Majesty Daniel kos Lawson, he did not hesitate to join me and bring along the best of the best assistance he can provide.” She smiles affectionately up at Daniel, and the man glances between them for a moment as Daniel smiles down at Sundenelle.

“My sincere pleasure, my Love. I understand your men are still completely isolated, Lord…” Daniel trails off intentionally, and the man twitches.

“Forgive me, your Graces. I am Viscount Urgophewn pel Meerashkim, Minister of Industry to his Majesty King Harnavock kos Ahmpur. His Majesty is overseeing the current efforts to get through to the miners.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” replies Daniel. “As her Majesty has said, I am Daniel kos Lawson, Emperor of the Fievegal. Though I was not requested, I couldn’t stand by while my future wife wished to aid the trapped miners. And, the economic strain the loss of a mine like this on the people of Ahmpur, I hope my presence will be far less of a burden.”

“There is certainly no cause for concern or offense at all, your Majesty. His Majesty, King Harnavock, only hesitated to reach out to the Fievegal because of the severe burden our Kingdom has already placed upon you.”

“I thank you for your concern, and I shall extend my thanks to his Majesty as well when the time is appropriate. We should get moving as soon as possible if we wish to aid the men who are, as we understand it, still trapped, yes?”

“That’s correct, your Majesty. Sir Larven was able to travel quite fast.”

“Indeed,” replies Sundenelle proudly. “Now, the first thing we’ll need to do is to bore a lifeline to get air and water into the men still trapped inside,” says Sundenelle. “We do have an augur capable of making the bore at least, what did you say, your Majesty? Three fathoms?”

“Yes, though I believe it can go deeper if we need to,” replies Daniel.

“Ah, about that…” starts Viscount Urgophewn. “We have managed to make an airhole, and our mages are handling the transport of air inside. The trouble lies with an evacuation route. A mudslide has compounded our struggles. Please, I’ll personally lead you to a place to park your… carriages.”

“Thank you,” replies Sundenelle, and she looks up at Daniel with a placid expression. She taps his arm with her fingers to signal that it’s a confirming glance; they’re pretending Zuzia’s team doesn’t exist.

“If you would,” starts Daniel. “You may guide us from aboard our lead carriage. But, the equipment we intend to use is quite large and heavy, so if you can direct us to the lowest area near the mine where a massive amount of water drainage will not be an issue, that would be the best location for us to stage at.”

“Understood. Though, with your permission, your Majesties, I would like to consult with his Majesty King Harnavock to confirm the plan of mining and how to divide up our teams.”

Daniel nods, and he defers to Sundenelle. “I have no objections, my Love. But, I defer to you, your Majesty.”

She nods. “Thank you. Yes, please lead us to his Majesty at once. We shall walk. Captain, please follow the instructions of the Ahmpur knights and park out of the way for now. We’ll deploy once we know the angle of attack.”

“Understood, your Majesty. I shall see it done.”

“Ah, and one more thing.” Sundenelle extracts her left hand, and she places it to her mouth to whistle.

A few seconds later, a figure descends just off to her left, and the three from Ahmpur instinctively reach for their swords, but the Viscount quickly holds up his hand.

‘Sir Larven’ has just landed and knelt next to Sundenelle, and he says politely, “My Liege.”

“Thank you, Sir Larven. We will be meeting with his Majesty King Harnavock, so if you would escort us alongside Sir Ecklevon, it would be most appreciated. Since you’ll be operating the rock cutter, I believe it will be beneficial for you to hear as well.”

“As you wish, my Liege,” replies Neith with practiced grace. Urgophewn has no reason to object, though he is obviously a little nervous by seeing the winged knight appear with such speed.

But, he keeps his grace as he escorts them to meet with the King of Ahmpur as he gives instructions about focusing on clearing the mudslide away from the mine entrance and assembling a bucket brigade to move water into the mine through the lifeline hole.

The King perks up when he sees them approaching, though he’s surprised to see Daniel among them, especially because he’s escorting the young Empress like her proper fiance.

It’s no secret that, like Aramellianna, many men have taken their shot propositioning the Empress for her hand in marriage, only to be politely refused because she was ‘too busy to worry about such things’. Obviously, most of them were out of greed or ambitions of power, while the rest were out of physical desire and nothing else.

Daniel likes Sundenelle, and he does intend to treat her as highly as he does any of the other Empresses, in spite of the fact that their marriage is being used as a means of binding the Fievegal to the Empire to quell the desire to try to attack the Fievegal. In a sense, Sundenelle is ‘selling’ herself as an apology and a promise of future alliance, but in reality, she’ll become more free to worry about her desires for the Empire, because Daniel will give her what she wants and ask for reasonable things in return, as more of an equal than a conqueror.

And, because Daniel happened to meet the ‘right conditions’ at the ‘right time’, he is the one who found himself in one of the most enviable positions in the east; at Empress Sundenelle’s side.

Harnavock tips his head politely, saying warmly, “Empress Sundenelle kos Lindenmorg, you grace me with your presence. King Harnavock kos Ahmpur welcomes you to my humble kingdom.”

Sundenelle offers her left hand, which he takes gently to kiss. “Thank you, your Majesty. As I mentioned in my letter, I couldn’t stand by while our neighbors were facing such a challenge. Especially because my intent was to petition my intended for aid, which he has graciously presented.” She repeats it once more, gesturing to Daniel. “Please welcome my most honorable betrothed, Emperor Daniel kos Lawson of the Fievegal, your Majesty.”

Harnavock has a brief moment of irritation, shock, and then a touch of fear as all of these process through him, but he maintains an ironclad facade, and he bows his head only slightly once more. “Your Majesty, it is my honor to formally meet you. I have a great many things to deal with at present, but I will be requesting to make a visit to the Fievegal at the earliest opportunity to express my sincere gratitude towards the Fievegal for the aid provided in the tragedy of the Vile Blaze.”

So, that’s the ‘official name’ they’re giving it. It’s likely to shift the blame towards actual demons or our ‘demon-kin’ without necessarily saying it.

“Yes, thank you,” replies Daniel. “It was causing interference that we were able to detect even in the Fievegal, and once confirmed, it was something we couldn’t stand idly by and ignore. As indirect neighbors that we’ll be sharing with the Empire, I truly hope we can work together and establish strong bonds for the future.” Daniel is blowing smoke, but he’s doing his best to say the most formal and polite things he can think of. He doesn’t really care if Ahmpur befriends them or not, but it will make things easier if they are willing to allow trade routes for the Fievegal to pass through their territory with minimal interference.

Sundenelle then says, “If you would, your Majesty, we are ready to begin at once. We’ll simply need to be downhill from the mine’s entrance to make our own new entrance. It needs to be somewhere where a continuous stream of water can safely drain without creating issues.”

This information briefly overwhelms the older King, since it doesn’t match what he knows. It’s obvious that water entering the mine would be a risk, but if they’re accounting for that, he can’t imagine how they intend to use water to reach the miners.

“Your Majesty?” asks Sundenelle when he takes a long time to try to understand the request.

“Ah, forgive me, your Eminence. If I may, how do you intend to break through the rock?”

Sundenelle glances at Daniel for permission to explain, and he nods. They won’t be able to replicate the design so easily, and Daniel doesn’t even mind the design becoming useful. The problem is, the current design could likely cut people in half beyond extended melee range, and isn’t tied to its own heavy infrastructure the way an Earth design would be. While ‘portable’, an Earth design wouldn’t be able to be used as a weapon on a battlefield.

Daniel’s design, if it works, could be used to breach castle walls, pierce into vaults, and sabotage infrastructure like bridges, castles, and even mines, and can be carried by sufficiently strong wielders.

All of which ignores void bags, of course.

But, with permission from the one who designed it, Sundenelle explains, “Quite simple, your Majesty. We will be carving through the stone with water at a relatively high rate. It will be messy, but we should be able to reach the mine cavity within the next couple of days, if not sooner, as long as we know the depth of the tunnel. Can you tell me the estimated depth of the collapse?”

The King checks over his shoulder, and one of the nobles that are aiding the King replies, “I believe the estimated depth is ten fathoms, your Majesties.”

“Ten fathoms…” murmurs Sundenelle thoughtfully. “I’m impressed that you were able to create a lifeline hole at that distance. Well done. We’ll have to discuss a possible trade. But, there are men who are cold, hungry, and likely terrified. Please, your Majesty, direct us to where you would like us to begin.”

“Very well,” murmurs the King as he thinks. It’s clear that he is pondering whether or not to mention how ‘his side’ managed to bore through such a deep depth when less than a day ago, they were on the edge of giving up on the miners.

For now, he decides to hold off, since he still needs to make sure that he can keep the glory of the ‘divine blessing’ to himself, and if everything went according to plan, he doesn’t have the lava spear itself. And, he won’t be holding onto the ladies who wielded it for much longer, either.

***