Chapter 463 – Ironing Out the Kinks

With the king gone, Asterios and the ladies got up from their seats too. They walked aside and contacted Silvia, waiting for their princess to finish her current work. A few minutes passed while the trio wandered all over the lounge and admired some of the artistic decorations. Receiving a word from the flame-haired beauty, they grouped up and watched her step into the chamber through Ast’s gate.

To not waste anyone’s time, they caught her up on their recent adventures and the conversation they had held with King Welrond. Silvia nodded along to the story and rolled her eyes once or twice during several crucial moments.

When she was up to speed, she let out a heavy sigh, putting her hands on her hips. “Looks like I really should have come with you. I have to say, it’s a silly idea, especially considering the fact that we, meaning Dragon Valley, have become independent during your last birthday. And that complicates things greatly.”

“I’m sorry.” Asterios chuckled wryly. “I know this seems quite far-fetched. Perhaps we should have worked it out a little more.”

Silvia shook her head and offered him a graceful smile. “No, don’t apologize. Father always gets overly excited when he gets to play the scheming king and tends to gloss over some minor details. With most of our kingdom following our rule almost to the letter thanks to our family’s relatively beneficial and mindful policies, his everyday issues are rather monotone.”

“What should we do about this, then?” Grea asked, crossing her arms under her chest.

Their royal companion hummed ponderingly, her enchanting eyes roaming over the floor. “This is a fairly extraordinary plan, but I think it’s salvageable. It’s not a lost cause if Father had enough presence of mind to ask for me. I’ll go to him and see where things stand. There are a few theories I wish to bring up with him. As for you, I believe you should consult the Committee. I have no doubt they would gladly defer to any of your decisions, but we are talking about something very public and possibly involving the entire town. Learn what people might think from them.”

“That’s what I was going to suggest too.” Tina graced them with a quiet giggle and the two elegant ladies exchanged smiles.

“We’ll do that, then. Thank you for your input.” Asterios grinned. “And, Silvia?”

“Hm?” The princess turned to him curiously.

Ast’s arms slid around her sides and wrapped themselves over her waist, pulling her into him. She was slightly surprised at first, but her hands went to his back right as their lips met with a gentle brush. They shared a slow and loving kiss while holding onto each other dearly.

Pulling away, she peered into his eyes and he stared back. “I’m always amazed how strongly I can feel your appreciation for me thanks to our bond.”

They heard a faint gasp to the side and broke the connection, glancing at the other two with a hint of confusion.

Silvia followed their gazes and took a peek over her shoulder, her eyes widening, her cheeks darkening even more than when she was being embraced by her beloved. Hastily stepping back, she caught a bundle of her fiery hair from the backside, brought it forward, and started patting out a literal fire that burned at its endings.

Getting a hold on the sudden combustion, she peered up at Asterios, visibly embarrassed. “My apologies… It seems to have started after you helped me progress back there… The usual sparks turned into something more…”

He smirked at her warmly and reached out to place his palm over her cheek, leaning in for one more peck. “As you said, don’t apologize. I find it rather cute.”

Giving him one last smile, she quickly trotted out of the room, the edges of her hair still glowing like molten embers, making Grea cackle after their friend was out of an earshot.

“It’s so magical seeing the proper princess pretty much melt into you from a single kiss.” Tina hid an impish grin behind her palm. “You need to do it more often. She deserves all the moments to relax with how hard she is always working.”

Moving closer to them, Asterios brought them both in for a quick kiss too. “Don’t exclude yourselves from that list. Now, let’s get back. We need to fix things up for Silvia’s efforts to not end up in vain.”

They walked back to the landing platform and found their Dragon Guard already waiting for them in an orderly manner. Confirming their departure with the same Royal Division captain as before, they launched into the air and hastily flew outside of Welrond’s capital.

As they increased the distance between them and the city, Asterios contacted his mother. Kindra was glad to gather up the Committee in his name. He mentioned that they needed their council, so she offered to bring Lady Luna with her. Figuring out that having someone this informed during the discussion should be quite beneficial, he agreed.

Thirty minutes later, they had no villages in sight so the whole group landed deep in a forest. Umbra then assisted Asterios with bringing everyone to Glimmervale right away, his transfer now once more overshadowing Ast’s completely. They reappeared in their own courtyard and their escorts were dismissed after receiving proper gratitude.

When it was just Asterios, Tina, Althea, and Grea, the crimson-skinned woman spun around and hugged him tight.

“I wanted to keep myself around you more than before to show my determination, but I just have to run back to my evil den and get everyone on this new project.” She glanced up at him with a guilty gaze. “Five days to go from an inkling of a concept to a working prototype is a short time. Sorry about that, my love.”

He ran his fingers through her black hair and languidly grazed them up her sensitive horn. “Go and do the thing I love you for. And no, I don’t mean that this time.”

Grea snickered while nibbling on her bottom lip. Stealing a chaste kiss from him, she plunged into the shadows again.

“To think she didn’t say a word after that obvious bait. This is really happening, isn’t it?” Tina linked their elbows.

“I just hope she doesn’t take it too far.” He nodded. “I would miss our raunchy professor way too much.”

“I am in agreement,” Allthea chimed in. “But, I don’t think she can completely get rid of her perversions ever. She’s a demon in the end.”

Chuckling together, they made a jump to the Town Hall, showing up in front of the building. Aware that everyone was already there, they hopped up the stairs and strolled into the round hall where every member of the Committee stood by the table with their office at their back. Kindra and Luna took the spot across the entrance, completing the circle.

“Alright, everyone. Thank you for finding time for us. Here’s what’s going on…” Asterios joined them and recapped everything once more. “So, how idiotic that idea truly is?”

Merfinna, their agriculture advisor, snorted on the side. “Men. Always looking for ways to show off their strength.”

“But imagine how much of a show it will be!” Esotvi, their trade expert, grinned. “We’ll double if not triple the traffic!”

“We don’t exactly need an even bigger resident boom,” Danny, their population overseer, commented. “We are already booked weeks if not months ahead and the stream of travelers is constant.”

“The realm knows our lord employs strong guards, sentries, and other units, putting a lot of effort to keep Dragon Valley safe.” Ted, the military officer, grunted. “Having him personally beat down all the challengers should show those prideful nobles that he’s not to be trifled with himself either. This news won’t be muddled up like his feats during various defences and other incidents, where some still believe he just takes credit for the accomplishments of his subordinates.”

Keenu, the construction specialist didn’t join in, but Ulyssen, the eldest member and the logistics supervisor clasped his hands to gain everyone’s attention.

“Our main issue isn’t about what effects this event will have but how to make it happen within our current circumstances.” He rubbed his wise chin. “Though, I have an idea. Just as far-fetched as the entire plan, but it aligns well with everything.”

“What did you come up with?” Tina asked with an eager expression.

“You keep insisting on all those draconic themes. And people indeed love them. Our problem lies with the fact that this is something between two independent nations. We have to present it in a way that doesn’t resemble a cover-up for a war,” the elf shared. “From what we know from legends, True Dragons are prideful and powerful. It wouldn’t be out of character for our Great Dragon Lord to issue this challenge to whomever it concerns, proving his superiority in front of his subjects.”

Several people opened their mouths to interject, but he silenced them with a polite gesture.

“Let me finish.” The man chuckled lightly. “At first, we would offer this chance to our allies from the Human Kingdom, without whose there would be no Glimmervale, which originated from King Welrond’s domain, and call this event… The Remembrance Day. In memory of what they have done for us before the change.”

Some nodding and thoughtful expressions met his suggestion.

“Since the actual date of our founding overlaps with our lord’s birthday, it’s not unwise to pick a different one, perhaps even advised,” he continued. “After the first iteration, we could further extend this festivity to other nations we have ties with. It’s a great way to tighten those bonds. Every established community needs its grand festivals that the residents and tourists can look forward to. This could be ours.”

By now, the mood was starting to grow more and more excited.

“So here come the technicalities now.” Ulyssen’s forehead wrinkled as he focused deeply. “The bet. Obviously, we can’t put the entire nation on the line or people might feel uncomfortable, at least the newer arrivals. But here’s the thing. Our governing system isn’t exactly a monarchy or despotism but something akin to a refurbished oligarchy.”

The others whispered amongst themselves, discussing the differences between the systems.

“We have our lord and ladies at the top, yet they leave most of the important decisions to us, their advisors. The city is pretty much autonomous, save maybe for a miniscule number of matters. Who sits at the throne in the fancy castle doesn’t matter as much.” The oldest Committee member showed a sly smile. “Therefore, please consider my following idea.”

Everyone locked in on his person, waiting eagerly to reach the conclusion of the gripping story.

“First, we offer to the winner only the title of the lord. Nothing is said about the ladies. This is just about one person. Second, the challengers can’t be any random people. They need to be acknowledged as the representative of their countries, therefore thoroughly scrutinized and purposefully chosen by their rulers. Third, they have to offer something of equal or greater value. They are challenging a Dragon Lord. He won’t even look their way if they aren’t worthy of his attention.” Ulyssen brought up his fingers as he made his list. “Finally, fourth. In case of defeat, Asterios can naturally attempt to regain the position during the next contest. If he wins instead of another challenger, the ruling person goes home with only half of their bounty, which originally will be set for a year’s worth of Glimmervale’s earnings. Plus, this rule is mostly added for show. People love comeback stories and they will be rooting for their fallen lord to finish his getting stronger arc to reclaim what’s rightfully his. It will also make it more acceptable in the eyes of many, even if we know Lord Asterios can never lose to the denizens of our realm. So, your opinions?”

Prefaced with the silence that comes before the storm, a cascade of mixed voices echoed throughout the room. Asterios immediately activated a silencing array and waited for every single person to realize what happened. Then, he met all the gazes and nodded towards his invaluable mentor.

“You have my support.” She smiled sagely, a tinge of excitement hidden beneath it.

“Good.” Ast’s eyes moved on. “Mom? Isn’t a year of profits more than enough to set us back?”

The Merchant Queen’s grin was positively haunting. “Oh, what ever will we do? It’s such a pity we don’t have a booming private sector that gladly covers over sixty percent of governmental investments with the promise of worthwhile future returns. Putting away a year’s worth of only the city’s profits is going to be devastating for the royal coffers. You would never financially recover from this.”

“Okay, okay, you don’t need to lay it on that thick.” He laughed a bit while waving her off. “Lady Luna?”

“I’m intrigued. We can ensure the information flows as it’s expected to and put even stronger emphasis on helping doubtful citizens see the greatness of this approach. Most of it should revolve around mitigating the worry of what might happen when you briefly pause looking over them, which we know you would keep on doing even from the shadows if you lost.” Tina’s mother let out a ladylike chuckle. “I don’t think we would have too much work with the latter. The population loves your draconic nature and always eagerly awaits new unbelievable reveals and thrilling edicts. With enough stress on the fact that your mates will remain by the throne, this should be a breeze.”

“I’m glad we can count on you and Gwen.” Asterios inclined his head appreciatively. “Anything to add, Tina?”

“It’s more than enough to give Silvia a better foundation to work on. As long as she was able to rein her father in at least somewhat while we were discussing this.” His blue-haired mate looked up at him cordially.

“Okay. Now, let’s hear everyone else out. One by one.” Facing his advisors, he rested his palms on the round table.

Following proper order, every person expressed their opinions and thoughts on Ulyssen’s take, then supplied it with further improvements or alterations related to their fields of expertise. They covered things like the duration of the visitant rule and how it might actually turn into a tradition to let Ast’s allies see how well things work inside his nation and how much of a great leader he is. The first iteration was meant to deal with those greedy nobles, who hopefully would be vain enough to believe that they would be able to stay in power after their term passed, thanks to how well they had done. But after that, it was more of a promotion campaign that the other rulers could partake in. About an hour of back and forth followed where they all brainstormed this operation together, making it more and more believable and even phenomenal.

The next would be to pass this information on to Welrond and Silvia.

Before Asterios got in touch with the pair, his mother moved closer and captured his attention. “Send me there. I’ll fill them in and add a few pieces of my own.”

He blinked at her slowly. “You? To the king’s castle?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t make it bigger than it is, Asti. It’s not the first time in the last two months I had to visit. Some matters are better handled in person.”

At the thought of her meeting with the duo, a certain memory flashed through his mind. It involved Silvia and how she reacted to seeing Kindra and Welrond side by side during breakfast at her family’s royal castle. As quickly as that scene appeared, it was gone in the next moment.

Asterios pulled his mother into a tender hug. “They will greatly appreciate your presence. Thank you.”

She silently hugged him back and stepped away with a cute salute. He snorted at her and she plunged into the darkness. The moment she passed through, he felt the princess’ surprise, then a plethora of complex emotions, including a radiating warmth.

Kindra didn’t take long to work her magic.

“Since we have covered the most important aspects, I shall retreat to tend to other obligations.” He rejoined the meeting. “Keep the other party updated if you think of more changes to our initial design. I’m grateful for your input. This wild idea has started turning into something real. I was afraid we would have to deliver bad news to King Welrond after too hastily accepting his objective.”

“And we are honored to be held in such high regard, My Lord.” Ulyssen bowed alongside the others. “I might have described our governing system as a quite open and lax one, but we are fully aware that with your power, you wouldn’t need more than a lift of a finger to subdue us all and turn us into your puppets. Yet, you trust us to regulate the nation in your place, giving a lot of authority to its people. Please, continue to rely on us in the future.”

They bid their farewells and Asterios left the meeting room. Tina and Althea escaped to check on their responsibilities too, receiving a few snuggles and kisses before getting out of Ast’s reach. There were so many things he had to oversee himself, so after a brief pause to think, he chose the most delicate one.

Using his own shadows, he moved to the castle, specifically the wing reserved for house arrest, or Naughty Guest Dormitory, as Grea liked to call it. Approaching the only taken room, he knocked lightly and entered. Finding himself inside a comfortably furnished chamber that fit all the necessary amenities in one place, worthy of a noble person, he gazed upon the night-skinned woman lounging on the wide bed with a book in her hands.

Noticing his arrival, she quickly pushed herself off the mattress and ran up to him, dropping to one knee. “My Lord.”

“Stand up. We talked about this. Just be comfortable.” Asterios brought her up by her shoulder.

“That’s… difficult. I don’t deserve any of this. I should have been spending my time in that cell instead. I’m just a—”

“Noctis?” He cut her off. “Yes, you are. Just a noctis. You aren’t inherently evil, are you?”

“No, but our people have an inclination to follow the darker paths—”

“Which have been enforced onto you by someone else. At the very least, you don’t seem intent on following those dark tendencies. And you aren’t as horrible of a sinner as you make yourself out to be. We’ve seen your memories thanks to that artifact from our friends.” Asterios smiled warmly. “I could easily impose strong restrictions on you and let you out of here. I really wish to. But, until we fully deal with that nasty curse of yours, you won’t ever be safe outside. And I’m not talking only about the enmity of other races. You could get recognized by your peers and attacked for being a traitor. So, until the proper time comes, I need you to bear with us. The room is still new to you, but trust me, you’ll be getting antsy in no time. We have no idea how long this can take.”

The woman took a deep breath and nodded. “Even if I have to live the rest of my life inside this gilded cage, that would be more than enough for me. Just the view out of the window is incredible. Though, there’s one thing…”

He let out a quiet chuckle. “Your sister?”

“I dare not to doubt your word, My Lord! I know you will grant this preposterous request of mine! It’s just…” She bit into her lip hard.

“You worry. I understand.” Asterios patted her on the shoulder. “Two of my most trusted operatives proficient in infiltration are working on her extraction as we are speaking. She’ll be with us in no time.”

“Truly?” The noctis girl peered at him like he was her new god. “Our retreat was one of the most populated ones. Will just two of them be enough?”

“No need to fret.” He waved her off dismissively. “They will be fine.”

※ ※ ※

“THIS IS NOT FINEEEEEEEEEE!” Miria screamed as she sprinted through a narrow tunnel with a stampede of robed figures slinging spells right at her heels. “THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A STEALTH MISSION!”

Oria laughed openly as they reached a dead end and she spun around, assuming low stances with her dual blades at the ready.

“Nobody will notice if there’s nobody to notice.” She grinned viciously under her mask and lunged forward.