EG Book 7 Chapter 34 (Patreon)

*** AUTHOR’S NOTE ***

Chapter 3/5 today!

*** AUTHOR’S NOTE ***

Aleks frowned but nodded. “Okay. We will have you hold onto two of our arms to support you without looking like you need it. Would that work?” She looked at Jamila instead of me.

“It is … fine,” I growled.

“That should be okay,” Jamila said, reaching over to grip my bicep. “We just want you to be safe. You know that.”

“I know,” I sighed. “Still annoying.”

“Sorry,” Aleks said. “I am just worried. You were severely injured in a way I have never seen before. Looking weak in front of the city would be poor catch as well, especially since you …” she trailed off, blushing.

“I?”

“You declared we were engaged to City Lord (Name). I do not know if Dad will be okay with that.”

“Well, we could have a meeting before we enter the city. It has been a month, I think,” Vaya said, walking in. “Aiden, can you check the Connecting panel?”

With a thought, I pulled it out of my ring. The sheet of metal, absolutely covering in minute Inscriptions well beyond my ability to see, even with the enhancement that Seed Core had given my senses, appeared in my hand. I sent a tiny stream of Aether into it, probing at the connection and checking Connecting the Myriad People’s charge. “It’s ready,” I said.

Aleks held up her medallion, “Well, let us have another meeting. The last one was short and did not demonstrate the true power of your equipment.”

“Does King Craesti expect us to start walking in a parade soon?”

“No, we are still a day out from Craesti,” Vaya said. “Knight Kaminski had us set down for everyone to rest and recover before we cross the final distance. She said she was going to speak with King Craesti before we arrived.”

“Thanks,” I said, then surged Aether into the plate. Immediately, I felt a ping explode across the world, my mind seeming to stretch with the Aether surge. After a second, I felt a response to my southwest. Another few seconds passed, and three different points activated to the northwest. Two more triggered even farther north and to the east, then a final response happened.

Immediately, I found myself standing in an area enclosed by fog. Aleks appeared to my left, and then rushed to my side. “You still look like chum,” she said, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. I relaxed down onto her, letting her Seed Core strength hold me up as I sagged in relief.

“So, is this why you called a meeting?” King Craesti asked. “Or were you just hoping to get frisky with my daughter in a mind space?”

“Dad,” Aleks whined, dragging out the a sound.

Boisterous laughter echoed, and Prince Gunther appeared. “King Craesti,” he laughed, “I am Prince Gunther of the Weltreich.”

“Prince Gunther, it is a pleasure,” King Craesti walked over and gave him a head nod.

Gunther gave a much deeper bow, “The pleasure is my own. Unfortunately, I cannot give any updates on the front lines. My retainers and I are still on a ship headed for the Illyrian coast.”

“Nor can we,” (name) the Topraki heir said, materializing into the mists. “We still journey towards home, to speak with my mother and collect our troops.” The Topraki Soul Strengthening representative, Librarian Narwan’s equivalent to the tournament appeared, then bowed deeply to King Craesti, Prince Gunther, Princess Aleksandra, and then me, in that order.

“Princess Aleksandra, Prince Gunther. Oh, King Craesti,” (name), the Ashkhas heir, said, surprised. “I apologize, sire, I did not realize that the medallion had made its way to you already.”

“Good!” Sultah Aleahil said. “The last meeting was worthless, only these silly children playing around. Gunther, (name), have you reached your parents yet?”

“No Sultah,” Gunther said. “We are still sailing. (Name) was unwilling to leave me alone and journey ahead, as Master Narwan did for the Craesti.”

“I may have to admonish him,” King Craesti said, appearing in front of me. “What happened to you?”

I looked around, then nodded. “The Naga were at the ruins we discovered on our trip to the Ashkhas Baqiya,” I said. “Looking for a staff. We found it first, only to have to fight superior forces. A Perfect Core Naga killed herself on the staff and opened a portal to a dead realm. The staff disappeared into the other realm, and during our fight against an undead enemy, my Bond and I rushed into the portal to try and find the staff and close the incursion. An intelligent undead, a lich, was in possession of the staff. They were only at a power level of a Constructed Core gatherer to start, but quickly grew. Sia was able to surprise them, and I took advantage to grab the staff and run. We managed to dodge all of the lich’s attacks until just before we crossed the portal again, but they managed to hit me with a blast of a uniquely deadly Aether combination. Once through, I closed the portal, but my friends were forced to cut my hands off to prevent the corruption of the attack from spreading. I am still recovering.”

Of course, this opened the floodgates, and dozens of questions flew at me. I spent the next few minutes answering questions, before finally I waved my hands. “I need to speak to King Craesti, as we are only a night’s travel away from Craesti City. Uh, can the rest of you speak among yourselves? There should be another thirty minutes of time left still.”

“Rest well and recover,” Sultah Aleahil said. “We will look for the Naga around the Baqiya, as well as warn the merchant captains as they sail. Thank you again for your proactive defense of my people.” The leader of the Ashkhas in all but name bowed to me.

“Uh,” I stammered, “You are welcome.”

He laughed, then turned and scooped up the Ashkhas heir with a wall of Air Aether. We’d discovered during the last meeting that you could manipulate Aether as if you were truly here, and the stronger people were able to do more as would be expected.

“Hmm, would you prefer to just fly your treasure into the city with little fanfare?” King Craesti asked.

I looked over at Aleks, then sighed, “Yeah, I would, but it would be a disservice to my friends and colleagues.”

“Hmm. Do you need a stronger healer?”

“Uh, I don’t think so,” I shrugged. “I think I just need time to recover. Jamila and Vaya both have been pausing and letting my body rest between healings for the last day or so, and I’ve drunk at least two gallons of broth today.”

“I will have chariots await your group. You will land just outside the eastern gate of the city, and then only have to transition to the chariot,” King Craesti said, then his face grew stern. “Each one will only hold two people. You will ride with my daughter, then your other two paramours will ride in the next vehicle. Behind will come the rest of your party, except Knight Kaminski. She will know what to do. Once you arrive at the keep, we will have a long discussion about why you thought you could declare yourself my daughter’s betrothed.” His face started off genial, only to grow increasingly stern. Near the end of his rant, his aura started to crush me into the ground, and I gulped in terror.

“Daddy,” Aleks said, stepping in front of me. “We chose each other. You and mom said you would support any choice I made if it was acceptable to the kingdom. Aiden is the champion of the International Tournament, the holder of the Legacy of the M’Zee, and the youngest Seed Core gatherer ever. Are you going to say he is not a good choice?”

The aura that King Craesti was projecting popped like a balloon. “Of course not, minnow,” he said, and I felt Aleks’s blush. “I just hoped you would talk to your mother and I before pledging yourself.”

“Uh, I, uh, didn’t mean, uh,” I stammered. “I was.”

“Just trying to put City Lord (name) in her place? Create a new political problem for me while I was pushing through war ordnances and tax increases?”

“Yeah, uh, no,” I gulped. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It is fine,” he laughed, then scooped me into a hug. “I was hoping you would come to see my Aleksandra as a woman and a friend, instead of one or the other. The Volkov will be a mite difficult, but not too much. I am sure the Naanva will be more than delighted to have their daughter as a subsidiary wife to a Prince of the land. Now, I have to figure out what the best rewards are for you. Hmm, you are already a Knight, so a Barony! That would make sense, and would give you a taste of leadership. I cannot wait to see what you do with it.”

“Dad, really?” Aleks asked.

“Of course, you will get to participate as well. I will think on this. How to keep you two together?” He mumbled, seeming to withdraw into himself. “I have time to decide. Now.” He turned to the others. “I only yesterday received a report from the advance forces. The assault on Borgby will begin in six days! They will destroy that vile fort city and create a beaching plain for the follow on attackers. We will use their own fortifications against them, and eventually dismantle everything the vile lizards have created!”

Cheers echoed from the others, who’d taken the opportunity to speak among themselves. “Aiden! I wish to spar,” Gunther said.

“Unfortunately, my friend, I am still recovering, and even here I feel it.”

“Bah. Can you demonstrate for us anything from the Legacy?”

“Can we trade items? Did you try that last time?” Ritter Felix asked.

I summoned the stone with the Core Runes in it, then handed it to Gunther. “I can feel it. It is tenuous though.” He put the stone to his head, and I saw the line of Aether that connected them. Somehow, it arched out from the Knowledge Stone through me and back to Gunther.

With a flex of my own Aether, I found that I could tell what he was looking at. Water, Ice, Air rune, enhances temperature regulation and Ice creation capabilities. Neat, I thought as he examined a rune I could not see, due to my slightly insufficient Ice Affinity. After another few seconds, I pulled away, not wanting to invade his privacy like that. Well, too much.

I looked through the Legacy, then pulled out three of the lowest level stones. One was on gathering techniques, one on techniques using Air through Metal, and the last techniques using Earth through Ice. “Ritter Felix, look through this and see if you find anything helpful for your people,” I said, handing him the Air Stone. I turned to Sultah Aleahil and gave him the Earth Stone, repeating myself. The last one I gave to (Name), the Topraki representative.

I found more Stones, all Aether Gathering level, which I was willing to just give away for free, and handed them out to everyone else. I turned to Aleks. “What would you like to see?”

“Inscriptions. They have some interesting ideas that I want to see if I can combine with some of my lessons.”

“As you wish,” I said with a cheeky grin, then I pulled out the Condensation and Core level Stones, then gave them to her.

“Aiden?” she asked softly.

“You are my betrothed. It has some perks.”

“Speaking of,” King Craesti said, turning away from the Aether Gathering level stone on Smithing he’d gotten. “Another announcement, this one of a happier note. I am sure you all overheard, but I wish to make it official. Knight Kupiec Aiden has asked for my daughter’s hand in marriage, and she has agreed. Cheer for the future couple!”

“Uh, what about Headmaster Glav’s rule?” I asked.

“You have reached Seed Core, and are a first tier no longer,” he said. “Plus, it is not like you will be married anytime soon. There are proprieties to maintain, of course, and a few surprises awaiting you in Craesti City. Now, let us use this time wisely, for we have only twenty more minutes before the Inscription will fade.”

I nodded, then pulled out the Core level Alchemy Stone, and went back to work learning their methods of creating Affinity Pills.