Ch.21 Zenith (Patreon)

It was now springtime, and Sundell's construction was underway. During the previous fall, I had people working around the clock to dig ditches for plumbing pipes and future sewer drains. It was time to create the equipment necessary to bring everything to life.

Plumbing is a remarkably simple concept.

Imagine a water cooler. There's a large barrel filled with water, and at the bottom, there's a dispenser. When a person twists it, it allows water to flow with gravity—that's how sinks and showers work. But the cooler is a water tower, and the valve is a sink. The strange part to conceptualize is that water is moving up against gravity. However, it's no different than a water hose shooting out water despite you holding it in the air—pressure is just pushing it out.

It's not easy. To control pressure, you must still create supply, drainage, and vent pipes. There are nuances like creating bends in pipes called "traps" to prevent sewer gases from entering buildings, skill-increasing valves and backflow preventers, and other nuances. However, it is simpler than it appears: create pipes, hook them up to a water tower, and let the pressure fill the pipes until someone hits a button or turns a knob. That's it.

We'd have to overcome a few hurdles to make them.

First, creating the pipes required a new machine called a rolling mill that would elongate pipes.

Next, we'd need a threading machine, machining equipment that can accurately and consistently cut uniform grooves into metal. That way, we could twist our pipes together instead of welding them. By standardizing the process, we could also revolutionize the world with it.

Third, we'd need to build a water tower and pump to take the water to the sky.

Fourth, our professionals would take care of some magical engineering stuff once we get there.

Fifth, a firm desire to take a shower!

God. I haven’t had a shower in nearly sixteen years. I desperately needed one!

I gave the water tower's construction orders and then went to Carter.

"Now that we have a steam engine, it's time to get serious," I said to Carter. The life in the man's eyes was long gone, and he nodded like a zombie.

“Okay.”

I chuckled and continued. "From now on, machines will make most of your metal, and you'll only use skilled blacksmithing for artistic pieces."

He blinked twice with a lifeless expression, staving off sleep. "I can't wait."

"To do that, we will create a universal standard for thread sizes for screws, bolts, nuts, brackets, and pipes. Then we'll export those requirements to machines to rebuild elsewhere. That way, people in Elderthorn, Silverbrook, and Sundell will make the same size screws."

"That sounds like a lot of work, boss," Carter sighed, looking at Thea, asking her to help convince me to have mercy.

"It is, but once we do that, we'll mass-produce metal for the entire world. Your shop will cater to millions with non-stop exports," I said. "It's perfect because none of our surrounding kingdoms are metal exporters."

Improving agriculture will destabilize the world by lowering the prices of crops. If someone could import our apple for one cent or buy it from the local barony for one dollar, they'll just stop buying from the barony, their tax revenue would go to hell, and serfs in that area would starve from unemployment.

Since this was an agrarian economy, I single-handedly threatened the entire world. That's why King Redfield didn't just let me go around changing things.

However, we could revolutionize metalwork because the only metal exporter on this side of Novena was Ironfall, and fuck those guys. So it wouldn't be so bad if I unleashed it, allowing countries around me to prosper while strangling that territory off the map. It was perfect. Win-win. Let's go.

"I don't doubt you, but…." After a deep breath, Carter looked me square in the eyes. "Do you understand that if we do this, we'll end up at war with the Dwarves? They are the metal exporters."

I frowned, my enthusiasm wavering. "What do you mean?"

"Look, boss," Carter began, rubbing his hand along his fuzzy head that he hadn't shaven in two days due to non-stop work. "The Dwarves in Dragon's Peak are the metal standard of the world. If you need something big and metal, you go to King Thrain. They're already probably pissed about the steel and tryin’ to steal it, but if you cut them out on big stuff, they'll send their wyvern army here to steal our technology and kill us."

I ran my fingers through my hair and took a deep breath, wafting the smell of steel, sulfur, and chemicals as I paced in his workshop.

'Withhold the desire to offer them cooperation or death, Ryker,' I internally seethed.

It was getting harder not to become an evil, number-hungry warrior conqueror-type billionaire dictator by the day. Not because I wanted to be rich, but because I didn't want any more problems!

I mean, really. How much violence does it take to bring people a reliable stovetop?!

It was exasperating, and no matter how popular Gandhi's words were, violence does solve problems—elegantly. If it didn't, people couldn't quantify how effective Gandhi's "peaceful" hunger strikes were by the number of dead bodies and burnt buildings that followed them.

Ahem. For all its elegance, simplicity, and time efficiency, I shouldn't use violence as a first resort without first luring my enemies into giving me a striking reason to annihilate them.

Thea stepped in front of me and put my hands on her ears, and I began kneading them in front of Carter, whose expression was a mixture of jealousy and vexation.

"Can we negotiate with them?" I asked, calming down. "I'm happy to give them the steel recipes and other things as well."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "You'd give them steel?"

I looked around us with a mocking smile. "Isn't it nice when you can hire people to get stuff done instead of taking in a 20-year apprentice?"

He frowned. I was mocking the guild system, which was designed to protect trade secrets. In pursuing that, people couldn't hire people without dedicating years to training them in the arts. With the new system, we trained whoever wanted to work and fired the people that did poorly, and the results were night and day. It was comical.

"It's time to stop getting attached to secrets," I said. "We can give people recipes all day. What separates us is that we're making machinery to automate and quantify things. Every time we make a steel ingot, it will be the same steel ingot, and we'll use that to make a hundred screws. We'll then transport these screws at a fraction of the cost of everyone else. Secrets make no difference."

Even if people had the secret sauce, the same equipment, and everything else, we would still pillage the market through the supply chain and other technology. With that in mind, I wanted companies to have my technology. If everyone started using steel, they'd buy steel from the cheapest producers: us. They'd buy their machinery from the best machining producers: us. These top-secret trade secrets were a god-class guerilla marketing strategy.

This is what patents did to technology on Earth, and it turned out alright for the people on top. Now, that person is me.

"If you say so…." Carter groaned, grabbing a cup of fresh ground coffee from the table and swigging it down with disdain. He was a milk-and-sugar kind of guy and forgot both. "I guess you could try, but I wouldn't go there blind. King Thrain isn't known for being carin’ or understandin’."

"Great, someone that understands the virtues and drawbacks of violence," I noted briskly, seeing a silver lining in everything. "I'll offer him steel for Mythril, and if he doesn't accept, I'll offer him death or peaceful economic pillaging. Got it."

"Please don't say you're serious," he said.

I separated from Thea and looked at her. "Do you want to offer the Dwarves cooperation or death? Physical or financial?"

"I'd love to!" Thea chimed, giving me an idol-like smile while clasping her hands together.

"Look, boss… you shouldn't base your decisions on someone who can make anything you say or do sound cute.

"Do you hear that, Thea?" I asked, rubbing her ears. "Even this big ol' softy thinks you're cute."

Without giving Carter time to persuade me otherwise, I walked out of the room, kneading Thea's ears while she giggled and hugged me.

---

Lyssa sat on a chair in front of a wide range of cosmetics and brushes, applying them to Zenith's face in the parlor of the new manor. She had a quizzical expression as she watched Zenith interact with her servants like she was a princess. "Why do you follow Ryker, Zenith?" she asked. "You don't seem like the type that would devote your loyalty to someone or aimlessly follow a kid."

Zenith blinked twice at the woman as if she were mad. "What are you talking about?" she asked, looking around the ornate room with lavish decorations, a beautiful feather bed, and two maids. "I live like a princess here despite doing barely anything. There's great food and new technology and luxuries every week. I’d be a fool not to follow Young Master Everwood."

Lyssa returned a wry smile laced with curiosity. “So, would you offer Ryker your body?”

“No~pe,” Zenith chimed, looking at her recently painted nails. "He's a century too young for me to even look at him with curiosity. Luckily, the young master is devoted to Thea, who simply doesn't approve of sharing. Serving the young master is my best decision in a millennium."

Zenith’s eyes widened in horror, and she glanced at Lyssa with a soul-piercing gaze. "Spread or speculate on my age, and I'll murder your future children."

Lyssa felt an icy chill crawl down her spine and quickly spoke up. "Women don't disclose age," she said. "I’m just surprised you let him use your wyvern form for travel. It bothers you when anyone suggests it but Master Everwood. That's what I'm curious about."

"Huh? That's what you're curious about?" Zenith relaxed. "That's simplest of all. Whenever the young master wants to use me for transport, it's to travel or something exciting. He doesn't ask me to transport him for peasant work."

Lyssa furrowed her brows. "Exciting? So far, every time you go somewhere with him—"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Are you decent, Zenith?" Young Master Everwood asked from the other side of her door.

"I~am," Zenith said. "Come in."

He walked into the room with his cat woman maid, and both greeted Lyssa and engaged in small talk for a moment.

“So why are you here, Young Master?” Zenith asked.

“We’re treating the dwarves to diplomacy or death… literally or economically,” Young Master Everwood said, avoiding Lyssa's steely glare. "Two things: do you have grudges with your kinfolk and want to collect on them?"

"Plenty!" Zenith stood with a wide grin. "Let's go immediately."

Young Master Everwood looked at Lyssa and shrugged with a look that said, "What's that look for? It couldn't be helped!" His assistant didn't find it humorous.

As they exited the room, Zenith turned to the black-haired woman and mouthed the following words to her. "See what I mean?"

Lyssa's eyes glazed over, and she reached out to Young Master Everwood but pulled her hand back at the last moment and sat down. "That woman made me pull out cosmetics for nothing," she grumbled, picking up the brushes. "So I'm gonna use them, goddamn it!"

Her cheeks got rosy, and she pouted in the mirror. "Ryker said I could, anyway."

---

Sundell is located in the west center of Novena. To the north is the kingdom of Goldenspire, and if one continues north, where it gets very cold, they will eventually reach Dragon's Peak.

Dragon's Peak is the home of the Dwarves, ruled by King Thrain, a seasoned miner and warrior deep within the mountains. According to legends, they live in a city deep within the mountains, which is… lively. I left out speculation but prepared gifts just in case.

For now, we traveled with Ajax and Graken, my two guards, who were still recovering from getting ditched in the kingdom during the onset of conflict. Therefore, it was kind of a work vacation, assuming the rumors were true.

Goldenspire is, as its name implies—it’s golden. Grain crops spread out for hundreds of miles without any landmarks aside from the ocean. Unlike Ironfall, surrounded by mountains, and Valeria, surrounded by the Crimsonwood and Silverbark Forests, Goldenspire has no natural defenses from invasions. However—

It has money. A lot of money. It’s the carbohydrate momma of Novena, whose accumulated wealth has given them the largest standing army, Novena, surrounding its capital, Inspira. It’s a wealthy, religious place where their king is a priest living in a solid 24-carat gold cathedral.

The inefficiency is sickening.

"Doesn't Priest Aelius understand how much polishing gold requires to remain shiny?" I scoffed, seeing golden rays piercing through the milky clouds as we passed over the area. "The workers getting paid to shine that cathedral better get hazard pay!"

Gold needs to be shined relatively frequently, and the entire damn cathedral was made of literal gold up to its spires, so people needed to climb to the top to shine the ceiling.

Once you consider that Valeria could solve its deflation issue by invading Goldenspire and melting its cathedral for coins, Priest Aelius’ life choices rubbed me the wrong way.

"Why does it bug you so much?" Thea asked, holding onto my waist. She could tell when something was wrong.

"I'm just thinking about how these idiots put all their eggs in one basket and how next year they'll attack us just for existing," I scoffed. "Their leader is a real piece of work."

Thea communicated telepathically with Zenith. "Zenith wants to know if you want to say hello."

I shook my head. "No. We don't want them to think that the Dwarves are attacking. We're not starting fights; just ending them."

"What about right now?" Thea giggled.

"What are you talking about?" I grinned. "We're saving these people's lives by giving them steel and telling them they shouldn't attack us."

"I love your generosity," she squealed, hugging me tightly.

I patted her ears, and we flew above the clouds again.

***

It was a five-day trip to Dragon's Peak, spent traversing a sea of wheat, followed by an ocean of green and silver from the Silverbark Forest, an expansive marshland, and finally, an expanse of white-topped mountains.

The glacial land surrounded Dragon's Peak on the west, and beyond that was an expanse of blue trees that combed through the massive mountain ranges. Moreover, it was impossible not to see a massive plume of mist shooting through the air, turning to snow after.

This phenomenon was caused by the Dragon's Roost, a massive volcano in the heart of the Dwarven kingdom, right next to the capital, Kraghammer. Since the volcano was active, it shot steam across the sky. Since it was below freezing everywhere else, the steam turned to snow, creating a snowglobe effect around the area around the clock.

It was a surreal sight.

That backdrop greeted us as we flew into Dragon's Peak. Thea shivered and gripped me tight, enjoying that we were sharing a blanket. I smiled and continued narrating a "fake" fantasy story I read as a child. It was a peaceful ride.

Even Ajax and Graken thought so. They would probably have enjoyed the trip if they weren't also sharing a blanket.

As for Zenith, Dragon's Roost is where she was born. As ironic as it seemed, the weather didn't bother her in the slightest. She was jazzed up to return home; we could see it from her creepy panting breath, creating large steam plumes in the icy cold.

It wasn’t a good sign.

“Zenith says that we’re approaching Dragon’s Roost,” Thea announced. “So… hold on tiiiiIIiGHT!”

Thea gripped my waist for dear life as we experienced 10 Gs of gravity and barreled from the sky overhead straight towards a raging, shooting out crystalline confetti.

Before Ajax and Graken could even scream, Zenith had already maneuvered through the mountains and corrected our course, gliding on the air, stirring up a wild reception of roars from wyverns sleeping on the volcano. Hundreds of them huddled together on the heat source for warmth, hence the name Dragon's Roost.

Zenith opened her maw wide. “GYARRRRRRRRRAAAAH!”

"Didn't you ever hear of letting news spread by word of mouth?" I huffed in disbelief. "Not only does it prevent direct confrontations, but it also gives people time to let their imaginations magnify their fear!"

Zenith ruffled her back as a way of saying, "deal with it," before we landed in a strange enclave that was conveniently surrounded by mountains.

As we made our way through, Zenith landed on a large platform with a designated perching area for her claws, with a changing room conveniently located underneath it. That way, her transformation didn't destroy anything, and there was a place for her to fall into after her transformation. Talk about efficiency!

Once Zenith transformed, she called for Thea, who quickly ran into the changing room while Ajax, Graken, and I met our guests. And by guests, I meant a group of robed men and women who filed into the crystal-studded enclave with fierce expressions.

Interestingly, none of the people who showed up had weapons. It seemed that Zenith wasn't lying when she said her people were dragons and wouldn't degrade themselves by using toothpicks to fight.

That logic made sense, but... really? Dragon transformers bypassed the laws of physics, common sense, and everything in between. So why would people using swords matter?

The absurdity left me with a slight smile.

"What are you smiling at?!" a man yelled in Drakonik, the language of the wyvern folks. It was an inhumane tongue characterized by deep, resonant sounds and a complex system of hisses, roars, and growls. It was the most absurd thing to hear coming from humans, and the Drakonik language training I had done with Zenith over the years didn't prepare me for the absurdity of hearing multiple people speaking it all at once!

After controlling myself, I studied the man. Despite his inhumane voice and stunning blonde locks, he looked like a Chad with two quadriceps that could rupture a watermelon and forearms that could nuke a mosquito if he flexed while it was sucking blood.

Simply put, the guy was as jacked as his sense of entitlement and only half as worthy.

"My apologies. I was laughing at your militant arrival to see our mutual friend," I replied.

"Mutual friend?" the man scoffed. "That's my betrothed, you swine! It's unbelievable that she would show her face here again after the disrespect she's brought upon us. Wait... " His eyes widened in shock when he realized I was speaking Drakonik.

"Oh, so you're Abel," I said. "Sorry to break it to you, but you and Zenith... you're broken up."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Abel asked, his eyes enraged, as he stomped towards me.

"I'm the person warning you that no amount of regret will bring you back together, 'you swine,'" I replied.

As the man barreled towards me, Ajax and Graken stepped in front of him.

Abel raised his hand. "Get out of my way! You filthy low-born—" He stopped talking when his attempt to swat Ajax aside like a pest was met with the man grabbing his forearm and squeezing. The wyvern man could only watch in disbelief as a human froze his movements!

Naturally, the strength disparity between the two was still vastly different. Abel had lived for centuries, and his magic was a serious threat. Combined with his battle experience, the man wasn’t someone that simple training and eating resources—no matter how intense—could immediately overcome. Still, the fact that they were holding their own was something that Abel had never seen before.

"I suggest you reconsider, Abel Narmox," I recommended, seeing the man's eyes light up with red flames. "You raised a hand against my people, and they have treated you rather amicably despite that. If you don't tell your people to hold off, there's bound to be conflict—conflict you're clearly unprepared for. Think about it, Abel! I haven't done anything to this man!"

"You're unbelievable," Abel laughed, pulling his arm free and looking around at his people, who wore colorful robes of every color and description. "Will you allow someone to invade your home—”

“WAIT FIVE MINUTES, YOU INSUFFERABLE FOOL!”

Zenith's irritated voice echoed through the cavern, causing people to whisper in Drakionik with muted excitement.

My eyebrow twitched when I heard what they were whispering.

Princess Veil.

"She didn't think to mention this before we started insulting princes?!" I seethed internally. "I'm okay with insulting princes, but not on their goddamn territory! I hope this guy's parents don't show up!"

Every major country has a semi-nuclear archwizard, a handful of wizards, and a variety of mildly overpowered mages. However, the leaders, like King Redfield, are ancients who have monopolized power and built it over God knows how many centuries. I'm still uncertain about these elites' power and don't want to test my luck. The only reason I came barreling in here was that Zenith said it was okay, something that seems a lot less likely by the second!

"What? Are you just now realizing who you're talking to?" Abel snorted, spitting on the ground.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn't think the man was a prince, but I’m a king! I can’t back down to a prince!

I'm not sure if it's a positive development that my impatience for disrespect and buffoonery has recently become institutionalized, but it is rather convenient.

"Don't say things you'll regret," I warned, locking eyes with him. "I may now know who you are, but you still don't know who I am. So watch your tongue."

Abel's bloodlust multiplied, and his eyes burned with scorching embers. He released a surge of magical pressure, cracking the ground and striking Ajax in the chest. Ajax held on, but Abel's arms ignited with flames, forcing Ajax to let go and crash into a cavern wall. Graken came next, taking a kick to the chest and flying into another. Abel approached me with heavy steps after showcasing his power. "Do you still think you're tough, little—"

I watched in slow motion as the man tried to react to a sudden blue flash in his periphery. However, he barely got a glimpse before a small hand connected with his jaw, sending multiple teeth flying as his body was propelled in the opposite direction with a force of 20 Gs.

BOOOOM!

The entire cavern shook, causing tension to fill the air. The warriors turned their attention towards the blue flash in a daze, only to discover... it was a cat maid.

It was surreal. No one there was prepared to recount that a feline beastkin, famous for becoming twisted pets of violent races, knocked out their wyvern prince! They would hang!

I smirked, hugging Thea from behind to prevent her from running off and attacking more people as she yelled at them in cute kitty Skylandish speak, which was far more horrifying after what they had just witnessed.

“Who disturbs this place!”

A thundering voice reverberated through the cavern like a microphone, making everyone flinch. Excessive magical pressure followed, making it difficult for me to breathe.

‘Yep, we've angered the big guy,’ I groaned inwardly, preparing to grab Thea and run. ‘That woman owes me a serious apology.’

I had come here to make a demonstration and help Zenith settle a score, not to engage in a war with a country in their own territory!

According to her: I want to slap my ex-fiancee. My people settle disputes with violence, so it shouldn’t cause too much trouble.

It sounded reasonable!

Now it comes out that she’s a princess, and a man with power outstripping King Redfield shows up immediately? Yeah, she better apologize!

A man with flowing silver hair and blue robes walked through the cavern, causing his subjects to drop to their knees solely from his magical pressure as he advanced.

Thea trembled in my arms, so I held her close.

"I'm here to do business with the Dwarves; one of your people attacked—”

My breath strained as the man looked at me and released even greater pressure. This man far outclassed King Redfield. He must’ve lived for millennia.

He looked at me with purple eyes that lit with azure flames. “You come here riding on a lost princess, let your people run amok, and then you DARE claim that one of my people attack—”

"You're unbelievable! ALL OF YOU!"

A society-crippling shrill erupted from the dressing room, capturing everyone's attention.

Zenith stormed out, wearing a hood, but her eyes blazed with blue hellfire. "You all knew I was here! Abel knew I was in this goddamn room. And I told everyone to wait five goddamn minutes, but instead, you stole my... confidante, and I need her back!”

The man’s eyes widened, and he reached out his hand. “It really is—”

Zenith slapped his hand away and grabbed Thea’s hand. "I need Lady Lockheart back, and you're all going to wait five damn minutes! Insult King Everwood again, and I'll prove that the century I spent training in the Nightshade Forest wasn't for show!"

Thea tried to cling to me, unwilling to leave my side, but I released her, propelling her towards the dressing room like a slingshot. That left me and the stunned man staring at each other.

“King Veil,” King Veil announced, appraising me. “You’re King Everwood? That’s hard to believe.”

"Would anyone else be with a wyvern from the Nightshade Forest?" I asked.

My words pierced him like a hot blade, and he fell silent.

"If you understand the gravity of that statement, surely you won't fault another child for breaking away from their country after being banished there at age 12 with only twelve guards and two servants," I said.

His eyes widened in shock. “How did you survive?”

“We became strong—fast,” I replied.

"It's much easier to believe you're a reincarnation," he narrowed his eyes.

I glanced at Abel's unconscious body against a pile of fallen stones. "One of my servants did that when he tried to attack me," I said. "I believe you saw her, yes?"

The man's eyes glided toward the dressing room as if watching a banshee disappear into a graveyard. "The beastkin... maid?"

"That's the one," I confirmed. "Surely you don't think a powerful god reincarnated into a beastkin and spends their time pretending to be a maid, do you?"

He closed his eyes and took an impatient breath. As a king, people did not speak so candidly to him unless they were other kings, and I had failed to meet that expectation in his mind.

“As King Veil, I welcome you to Dragon’s Roost,” King Veil said. “Contingent upon you apologizing—”

"I ASKED FOR FIVE MINUTES!" Zenith burst out of the dressing room, wearing a flowing red dress and masterfully applied makeup.

"Is that Princess Veil?"

"What happened to her... you know..."

"Did she get healed?"

"There's no way. She's even more beautiful than before!"

"Did she acquire a legendary body constitution?"

"Is that even possible?"

"And her power..."

A flurry of shocked whispers swept through the area, building anticipation for the return of their princess.

Zenith walked up to her shocked father and gave him a lethal glare. "Did I hear you ask Young Master Everwood to apologize for defending himself?"

The right half of King Veil's face spasmed in unison, causing him to tilt his head slightly. A dignitary punching a prince in the face almost exclusively warranted swift execution—an apology was already an amicable compromise. However, that wasn’t the real problem.

"Did I just hear you refer to this boy as 'Young Master'?" King Veil countered.

Zenith smiled. "Yes, as a matter of fact, you did hear me call King Everwood 'Young Master.' Or did you think I would return to this kingdom now that I'm pretty again? Now that you welcome me again?"

He frowned. "Neither I nor anyone else cast you out of this kingdom."

"You didn't?" Zenith laughed. "So you let a man lock me in a room and never let me see anyone? So that he could fulfill his legal obligation to marry me but never have to face the humiliation of doing so?"

My blood boiled as I realized the meaning behind Abel's statement. Zenith had hidden much more from me than just her identity.

I looked at King Veil and unleashed all my magical pressure, causing the people in the room, aside from Zenith, Thea, and me, to collapse. Then I spoke with clarity.

"I may not be as strong as you, but I'm not weak. I was forged in the Nightshade Forest, just like Zenith, Thea, and my army. So I suggest you punish that man for attacking a king before I take it as a declaration of war."

King Veil met my gaze head-on, unwavering, studying my expressions.

In the world of kings, you show wisdom, reason, and generosity but never weakness. You establish that first. Therefore, I had to demand retribution even in the face of overwhelming power. In the face of overwhelming reason, he had to demand respect.

In a world with atrocious communication skills, marriages are the only way to solve issues, and we’ve already seen how that turns out.

King Veil snapped his fingers and gestured towards Abel. The man's body was enveloped in soft turquoise light, healing his wounds and mending his teeth.

"GuuahhhHhHH!" Abel gasped, taking a deep breath and pushing rocks off him. "Where?! Where is that swine?!"

He struggled to get up and scanned the area until he spotted me standing with King Veil. A wild grin spread across his face. "Hah! Did you think you could come into this place and assault a princess, you fucking—"

"SILENCE!" King Veil commanded. "You will face punishment for your actions!"

Abel turned his head towards the man with a mechanical stiffness. "W-What? WHAT?!" He pointed at me. "This bastard hit your prince, and you wouldn't immediately seek his head as compensation?! What kind of monarch are you?"

King Veil's face stiffened, and his eyes stared into dead space, showcasing iron will and self-restraint. "Unbelievable. You are truly a chimera of belligerent traits."

"W-What?!" Abel asked in shock, glancing at me and then noticing Zenith. "W-W-Wait, Zenith?! Is... is that you?!"

A thin smile twisted on Abel's face, pushing past the pain and humiliation, making him feel like he had achieved a significant victory. "It's been a while, hasn’t it—"

King Veil's cheek twitched, and he raised and dropped his hand, sending a wave of magical pressure crashing into Abel, causing him to fall to his knees and gasp for breath. Then he turned to me. "What punishment do you propose?"

His narrowed eyes indicated he would humiliate him, but I should choose my request wisely, considering the strategic diplomatic implications.

"I came here today to meet with King Thrain regarding the metal trade," I announced. "We stopped in Dragon's Roost first because Zenith wanted to slap her ex-fiancé while we were here. I was unaware she was a princess or he was her fiancé. However, considering how things have developed, I believe that Zenith slapping him as punishment would defuse the situation for all parties.”

King Veil looked at the snowy sky above with a strained expression. It seemed as though the weight of his years had finally caught up to him, and now he lived in a world where allowing his daughter to slap her proposed son-in-law was a strategic diplomatic move. What a joke.

“Abel!”

Abel looked at the man in horror, feeling the pressure lift from him. "W-What?"

"You attacked King Everwood of Elderthorn," King Veil declared. "Do you comprehend the severity of your actions?"

Abel's face turned pale, and he looked away from me. "H-His guard..."

"His guard what?" King Veil smirked maliciously, glancing at the cat maid giving the prince a cute yet murderous smile. "Don't tell me you're claiming a maid harmed you?"

Translation: If you humiliate this family by revealing that a beastkin maid injured a wyvern prince, I will kill you.

"N-No..." Abel stammered.

“So you understand the nature of your inemptitude?” King Veil pressed.

Abel's face reddened with humiliation, and he turned away, falling silent.

"I'll take that as a yes," King Veil said. "Now stand. King Everwood demands that Princess Veil slap you as punishment for your transgression."

Abel’s eyes widened in shock and disdain, looking at us until he saw Zenith giving him a glance that was corrosive enough to eat through steel. “W-What?”

I turned to Zenith. "Don't kill him. You've already caused enough trouble by not revealing your true identity, so keep diplomacy in mind when seeking retribution."

King Veil nodded at me, relieved that I hadn't come here to start a conflict after all.

"W-Wait... Father..." Abel stammered.

"I am not your father, Abel," King Veil declared. "I would have been if you had married my daughter as planned instead of postponing the marriage until we found a suitable healer. Since you didn't, you have insulted a king and brought tension to this kingdom. Therefore, stand up and accept your punishment."

Abel stood on shaky legs, gazing into Zenith's eyes filled with a mix of awe and fear. "You look... stunning..." He gulped, unable to restrain himself, and his eyes wandered down her figure with a racing heart before meeting her gaze again. "Please come back and join my harem. I'll make you my first wife—"

Her backhand struck his jaw, sending him hurtling into the cave wall like a meteorite, causing the entire area to shake.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in exasperation, taking a deep breath to calm myself as rocks tumbled from the ceiling.

King Veil covered his forehead, shaking his head in vexation.

It was almost a bonding experience.

In a twisted political controversy kind of way.

Classy.

“Ahem!” King Veil coughed, capturing the attention of his people. “Unbury him and speak nothing of what happened here today lest you wish to hang.”

Everyone gulped and began to free Abel from the fallen debris, assisting him as he gasped for air.

King Veil turned to me. "Now that I know Princess Veil is alive, I cannot allow you to leave with her. Therefore, neither I nor anyone else saw you or her here. Do you understand?"

I met his words with a conciliatory gaze. "Understood."

He turned to his daughter and then back to me. "Once I confirm that Princess Veil is indeed alive, I will send word to the Everwood Kingdom to arrange a meeting with King Everwood."

With those words, the exasperated man called for all of his people to meet for a meeting that would determine whether they lived or died.

I like King Veil a lot.

With a weary gesture, I turned to Zenith, who wore the biggest shit-eating grin I had ever seen on her face. No, her grin wasn't as vibrant as when I fed her greatest enemy to her, but that was different. Sort of.

"Are you satisfied?" I asked, unable to stay angry at her.

"More than satisfied," Zenith grinned, buzzing with excitement, her pupils constricted. "I am at your service, Young Master."

Translation: You have earned my undying loyalty.

"Alright, let's heal our guards and then learn about Mythril production."

I hugged Thea to calm her intense anxiety, and then, using minor healing magic, I tended to our guards along with Thea. Zenith led us through secret passages within Dragon's Roost mountain.

It was a massive volcano, and we spent half a day descending the steep incline from the summit until we reached closer to the base. It was nightfall when we reached the area; by then, we could hear Kraghammer, the Dwarven Kingdom. The area had a pulse, throbbing with deep bass, with men and women screaming and cheering from within the mine shafts.

"It seems the rumors were true!" Thea exclaimed. "Isn't it exciting, Ryker?"

"Ex~cellent," I sighed. "I can hardly wait."

According to legends, the Dwarven capital of Kraghammer was renowned for its exceptional metalwork and wild nightlife. We were here to trade steel recipes for information on Mythril production as a diplomatic gesture, as steel held greater value than the legendary metal. In other words, I intended to offer something valuable to King Thrain to alleviate tensions and, in return, request something seemingly equivalent.

However, as I approached the pulsating music, squeals of joy, and the scent of alcohol growing stronger, I realized I would be getting a lot more than I had anticipated. The thought alone sent a surge of excitement through my body, resulting in a wide grin.

Thea pouted. "Why are you grinning like that?"

I smiled and pulled out a bottle from my storage. "I was just thinking, if I can obtain Mythril secrets for steel, what could I get for whiskey?"

----

[A/N: Next Chapter: Mythril Manufacturing and Distilling.

By popular request, I've given a Zenith character development chapter while also progressing the story. Hopefully, it's provided a nice break from the war and politics. The story hits high speed again next chapter.

I'll be pumping out extra content for you Patreon peoples this week! I'm going to get this up to 5 extra chapters soon, which is like an extra 100 pages for $5. Good deal? :D]