Chapter 489 – You Didn’t See Nothing

First things first, Asterios brushed gently through Grea’s hair. “How are you holding on, love?”

The crimson-skinned lady wasn’t shivering anymore, but she stayed in his arms nonetheless. “Just give me a minute.”

“You can get more than that.” He pressed a kiss to her brow. “A lot more for what you managed to do.”

“And as always, I almost fucked it all up.” She whispered into him while squeezing herself closer.

“First times are never easy.” Asterios brought her face up and cupped her cheeks so she would look at him. “Everyone knows pioneering is a dangerous thing. There are risks everywhere. But I’m sure you guys have minimized those as much as possible. We only encountered a slight disturbance on the way, more fascinating than uncomfortable, honestly.”

“Perhaps we should have conducted a few tests beforehand,” Tina added gently from the side. “But, things tend to get lost in excitement. I remember almost destroying a few of my class grading projects by getting too thrilled about how it was turning out.”

Radir showed up by climbing the ramp and joining the group. “We did go through an extensive list of experiments after each major development phase to ensure nothing serious was wrong with the final product. However, the last batch of corrections might have introduced some slight instability into the whole.”

The girls glanced at Noir, who scoffed haughtily and turned her face away, crossing her arms under her chest. To the outsiders, it certainly looked like the Dragon girl made light of her input and its consequences, but Asterios could tell through their faint connection that she was feeling at least a tad responsible. She just wasn’t used to showing it. Or honestly admitting that it might have been her fault without someone forcing her to tell the truth.

And he wasn’t going to put his new friend to shame by using their positions to make her say everything out loud.

“Our dear Lord isn’t exactly normal, thus even if you thought of every possible trial to be made, there’s always a chance his unique circumstances would disrupt everything,” Selene chimed in, attempting to lessen Grea’s and Noir’s burdens a bit.

“They are right.” Asterios chuckled, leaning in to offer his genius mate a chaste kiss. “And, at the same time, I’m clearly the best test subject for initiatives like these. I can claw my way out of nearly anywhere. So, with some minor trouble, things have gone rather well, I would say.”

Grea rolled her eyes while releasing a quiet snicker too. “I guess you are right. There’s no way we can make sure your insane ass doesn’t break things the moment you interact with them. Thanks.”

“Always.” He stepped back but took hold of her hands, caressing the backs of her palms.

She tugged him close once more to steal a more passionate kiss before smirking. “I’ll take this as your transfer fee. We ain’t gonna make this thing free, don’t you think?”

“You’ll get your full payment later.” Asterios winked at her, causing Grea’s cheeks to darken in anticipation. “But you better come up with something else than kisses if you want people to take this new service seriously. Speaking of which, how is this going to work?”

Radir cleared his throat to capture their attention. “Simple, really. You saw those crystal panels they touched on the other side? Two people are necessary to operate each gate by connecting with those spiritual links. Normally, you need both sides to connect for the passage to open, but let’s just say that, as its creator, my daughter knows a trick or two how to bypass that.”

“I’ll tell you how later.” The cheeky demon lady licked her lips. “Not everyone can trigger these archways. We decided to play it safe and restricted it just to those you can explicitly trust. Or monitor.”

“That means the activation sequence requires a trace of your essence,” her father continued. “Which practically anyone you have taken in as your subordinate possesses. Even the lowest ranks of your retinue.”

“We plan to introduce two shifts, day and night. Done in pairs, obviously. The chosen operators will receive living quarters nearby so they can be close in case of an emergency,” she explained further. “Also, we’ll post an official stall in the middle of the market where visitors will register their arrival and departure, receiving tickets that shall act as permission slips for the outgoing transfer. People trying to leave without those won’t be allowed to and will be checked for any suspicious activity. Our gate operators will record every passing in and out too, of course, and compare those with the final count of their shift. Any discrepancies will be instantly investigated by the Dragon Guard.”

“You did think it out quite thoroughly.” Asterios stroked his chin with an impressed expression. “Do you girls even need me for anything at this point? I’m starting to feel like a figurehead ruler.”

He meant it as a joke, but the ladies hastily gathered around him, with Grea once more pressing herself into his chest.

“Of course we need you, dummy.” She bopped him on the nose. “Care to remind me who is handling all the other matters like introducing our new ally to the nation, assisting our serpentine friends with securing their safety, fussing over every little detail of every ongoing project to ensure that no one is lacking anything, and so much more?”

“Grea is right. We can focus on what we are good at with you always taking sound care not just of us but also every other matter that doesn’t suit our skills and knowledge.” Silvia offered him a delicate smile.

The other girls just nodded in agreement, and he could only shake his head with an affectionate chuckle. “I can’t even act humorous anymore without you ladies coming in to cheer me up.”

“Tough luck.” Grea snorted, placing a quick peck on his cheek. “You aren’t the only one allowed to do that.”

After a moment, he was released from their cage and turned to look at the inactive archway. “One connection established. Now, onto the next one.”

“I’ll take my old man and get started with King Welrond’s doorway next. We have 3 days until the big event, and I’m sure he is going to appreciate getting one early. After that, we should discuss which places or realms are going to receive the gate in what order. And who to delegate to be the guards or who to sic you on so you can recruit them into your service. You might need to speak with someone knowledgeable about the locals each time,” the demon woman stated.

“Got it.” Asterios turned to Noir, who had been standing on the side quietly. “Do you want to go with her?”

The Dragon girl gazed back at him indifferently, but the hints he was getting better at spotting let him know she was curious about other places around his realm.

Before she could respond, however, Grea caught her hand. “Of course she does. I need someone capable to look over my shoulder and point out where I fucked up. Clearly, my old man’s eyesight is getting worse with age.”

Radir snickered to himself.

Noir frowned at her. “You aren’t that incompetent. One mistake doesn’t make someone—”

“Sure, sure. I know how to recognize my betters. And you are obviously much more knowledgeable about this particular shit than me,” the demon woman cut her off. “Plus, you can’t just hang around Asterios all day. We exist too, you know?”

The Dragon girl stared at her defiantly. “I only provided minor adjustments to the process you have already fully designed by providing an outsider’s perspective. That doesn’t make you worse—”

“Enough yapping, more brick laying.” Grea tugged at Noir’s hand hard enough to make her research partner stumble, then waved at Asterios. “I’m stealing your new girlfriend for a few hours! See you at dinner, love!”

Further protests from the raven-haired beauty died down amidst the shadows that swallowed them both. Umbra happily moved them to Welrond’s castle, taking Radir and a few Lesser Dragons along.

Asterios reached out to Noir mentally. ~Don’t coddle her too much. She’ll notice what you are doing immediately. Remember, her love language is sarcasm and being a total pervert. Though, she swore to be better now, so feel free to test her resolve for me. I’m okay with you being a bit of a jerk to her. She’ll appreciate it more than you walking on eggshells around her. Trust me.~

A faint sneer came back to him. ~I’m not trying to be nice to her or anything nonsensical like that. She’s just—~

~Noir.~ He interrupted her firmly. ~Do you think I’m stupid?~

Silence answered him for a while before a quiet reply arrived. ~No.~

~Good.~ Asterios sent her a few mental pats, chuckling at how she growled in response. ~Have fun out there, and if you do notice her spiralling down again for whatever reason, just let me know and I’ll be there for her in a flash. Good luck working together.~

He withdrew himself from the connection, not waiting for her to get back to him.

Tina showed up by his side with a raised brow. “Are you sure she will be fine?”

Smirking, he wrapped his arm around her small waist and pressed a kiss to his beloved girlfriend’s forehead. “You know yourself how tough she really is all the time, save for some rare occurrences.”

“I didn’t mean Grea.” The Summoner girl snorted, cordially rubbing the spot he kissed. “You practically left Noir alone with her unsupervised.”

“Ah.” Asterios paused. “That might have been a slight miscalculation. But, the others should be enough to keep her usual antics… tamer?”

Tina looked up at him amusedly. “Do you really believe that?”

He dragged a hand over his face while she giggled at his despair.

Althea slowly approached them. “I’ll start a simpler class with Phatru for those who stayed, and we’ll have them switch after it’s finished so the other half can experience it too.”

Bowing politely alongside her kin, she took off with them, heading for her lair.

“I’ll take Mom to see Suanori, Master!” Miria hopped up and down in front of him. “Now that our homes are connected, they can start expanding into my world! I can’t wait to guide adventurers through our lands! We’ll need to locate a few Monster Domains for them!”

Glad to see his feline mate so full of energy, he caught her for some ear scratches. “I’m leaving it to you and Selene, then. Keep me posted.”

She purred lovingly while pushing herself more into his hand, requiring her vulpine sister-mate’s merciless fingers to pry her off him. The pair took Oria, Rook, and a few other beastfolk and headed down the platform.

“Master.” Bryn approached next. “I would like to inform Atra personally that both the gates and the floating islands were a success. Since you have a lot of things to do, I’ll wait to bring her here until our own archways are constructed. I’m sure she would love to experience them herself. Would it be possible to fit enough of them here for more than just one ARK?”

“I’ll make it happen if I have to.” Asterios gave her a brief hug too. “But, this plaza should be big enough to house dozens of portals. We can even go higher or lower, adding an underground area like the one in Queen Civienne’s capital. And assuming these platforms can move, we’ll sort the destinations as they are anchored. I’ll push for yours to be on top of the priority list.”

“I would be highly grateful for that, Master.” The proud Valkyrie inclined her head respectfully. “This won’t just help with our long-term plans to raise awareness about your realm amongst the population, but also provide many depressed individuals an opportunity to take a well-deserved break in an incredible environment. Though if we wanted to include more ARKs than just Tyr, Brage, and Odin, we would need to discuss it with their respective councils.”

“And we will. I truly appreciate your amazing patience. I hope you don’t think I appreciate you and what you are doing less than the others.” He peered deep into her golden eyes with pure fondness.

“I know that, if there was anything difficult or serious happening in my realm, you would have thrown everything aside for me, Master.” She graced him with a brilliant smile. “Our matters simply require much more time to develop due to how scattered our community is. For now.”

“Yes, for now.” Asterios grinned. “Give my thanks to Atra again. If she wishes for anything in return for her hard work, let me know. Maybe save for kids.”

The gorgeous Valkyrie laughed openly. “I shall convey your message as is, Master.”

Gingerly pecking his lips, she backed off into her familiar gate, returning home.

“Now, what are you two miscreants up to this time?” He spun around to face Tina and Silvia with his fists on his hips.

Both elegant ladies chuckled charmingly.

“Maybe I shall accompany you to see Father for once,” the fiery-haired princess answered with a faint curl of her royal lips.

“Same here. Mom would certainly find an update on how things are going on his side useful,” the azure-haired noble heiress replied with a mischievous tone.

“Shall we?” Asterios offered them his arms and they happily hooked their elbows with him.

One instant trip through darkness later, they stood in front of the doors to Welrond’s office. The man was still inside, according to Ast’s draconic awareness of his entourage.

Silvia knocked on the ornamental entrance. “Dad? It’s us. May we come in?”

“Of course!” His muffled voice reached them from inside.

Slipping in, they found the king seated behind his heavy desk with his elbows resting on its smooth surface and his hands joined together in front of his mouth, a serious look on his face. The moment they walked in, his eyes found Ast’s, retaining the contact unflinchingly even as the trio sat down in front of him.

After a few seconds of nervous silence and the two ladies glancing between the men, Asterios decided to speak up first.

“So… Are we going to talk about it?” He raised an intrigued brow at humanity’s ruler.

“Talk about what?” The king raised one in return, clearly playing oblivious.

“The doll you dress—”

“Ah, you mean my ballroom practice session that you have accidentally stumbled on and caught me perfecting my moves with a masterfully-crafted partner mannequin that is meant to resemble a common male or female partner during an upcoming event so that the trainee can achieve their best form without having to bother their actual partner and which is definitely a staple element of palace upbringing that Silvia and I have been partaking in since our childhoods?” Welrond hastily managed out within a single breath. “Isn’t that right, my dear?”

Asterios had to admit that was quite something else. He wondered if the man had practiced this speech numerous times to fit the whole thing into one uninterrupted sentence.

Nevertheless, with the man’s attention switching to his daughter now, Silvia was trying her best not to laugh or smile. “Y-Yes, that is true, Father. I greatly enjoyed my ballroom practice… as a kid.”

Tina was having a hard time staying quiet now too.

“After growing up enough to comfortably learn alongside an actual human partner, though, I was glad to make the switch,” the monarch’s daughter added, firmly pressing her lips shut as soon as she was done so as not to chuckle.

Welrond managed to keep his calm facade even as he gradually grew redder right before their eyes.

“Of course. That’s only natural. Just not as easy for someone like the king, you know? It’s much easier to find the right tutor or dancing companion for a princess. Requirements are much stricter when it comes to the head of the kingdom. Sometimes there’s no time to make such arrangements and the leader is bound to use whatever means necessary to ensure they are ready for the important celebration that’s coming soon,” Welrond reasoned. “One day, you too shall understand.”

“I’m not so sure, F-Father.” Silvia offered him a strained smile. “I think I would still prefer to practice with Asterios over anyone or anything else.”

“Well, fortunate for you to have such an option.” He huffed. “Not everyone is as blessed as you are, my dear.”

Asterios nodded lightly. “I could always ask Mom—”

“Now that we have cleared things up, shall we move on to the more pressing matters?” The king promptly changed the topic. “I heard from one of your beautiful mates that you already wrapped up the transfer arrays and sent her to raise one for us.”

“Yes, Professor should have arrived shortly before we did. Accompanied by a new friend.” Tina finally allowed herself to giggle daintily.

“A friend? I thought that woman was her guard or escort, considering how mighty her aura was.” The man hummed to himself. “In any case, I sent them out with my Court Magician to find a suitable spot somewhere in the city that’s near the castle. I don’t think we need one specifically for the castle. If I or anyone else needs to quickly reach you, we can just let you or your shadowy familiar know.”

“That’s true,” Asterios acknowledged. “We’ll have to ask you to find a suitable locum for four operators that we are going to station at the archway, also fairly close if possible.”

“Can’t some of my people do that?” Welrond’s forehead creased a tiny bit.

“It’s possible, but they would need to become subordinated to me, which would offset any notions to keep them fully uninfluenced. Therefore, I would rather insist on our people rather than appropriate any of yours. It should look much better that way than the other. Just imagine the public’s reaction after someone slipped about being under my command too instead of just being loyal to the kingdom.” Asterios snorted.

“You are right. This way is a much safer option politically.” His father-in-law grinned. “You are getting better at navigating these waters, my boy.”

“I have a great teacher.” Asterios took a peek at Silvia, whose cheeks bore a shadow of rosiness. “How are things with the nobles, then?”

“From what my people are telling me, fairly well. And the agents from the household of your other wife even expand on that. I had no idea there were this many in my castle, aware of maybe a few.” Silvia’s father squinted at Tina, who turned away innocently.

She wasn’t even someone who would know all those details yet.

“Most, if not all, should succeed in seeking out the masters they have been going after,” he continued. “It’s going to be a huge show, that’s for sure. I’m surprised by at least one of their challengers, curious to see how you are going to fare against them. Would you like to hear more about those warriors? I’m sure the Nobelles are already making up entire dossiers for you too, intending to deliver full information ahead of time so you can prepare.”

Asterios mulled it over for a few seconds. “Honestly, no. I would like to go blind into this. Facing the unknown is the best way to get better and test yourself, especially if it can be done in a safe environment. I’ll let them know not to tell me anything, instead passing the information on to my mates. If the girls all agree that there’s someone I should be worried about, that’s when I’ll heed their warning.”

“That’s such a fun idea!” Tina perked up on his side. “You get to enjoy an unspoiled experience and we get to watch your genuine reactions to seeing your opponents for the first time!”

“I have to agree, that sounds entertaining.” Silvia smiled at them too.

“Considering what I already know, and suspect, it’s definitely going to be.” Her father laughed. “Now I can’t wait for the event even more. Maybe I should try to sneak in one of my own suggestions to a certain noble or two? But who would I pit you against? Hmm…”

Shaking his head, Asterios stood up, accompanied by his lovely girls. They left the king to his musings as the excited man was starting to list off his options. Staying any longer would risk him giving himself out mistakenly, ruining the surprise.

They moved to the Town Hall, where Asterios planned to drop Tina and Silvia off with an amiable kiss for each, but he was interrupted midway through reaffirming his feelings for the short Summoner girl when someone cleared their throat next to them.

“My Lord.” Gwen watched them with a knowing smirk.

Tina sprang back with a yelp, immediately turning into a full tomato at being caught by the younger sister.

Ignoring her adorable reactions, the taller sibling turned to him again. “I’m afraid I bring bad news.”

“Uh oh.” Asterios and his companions instantly composed themselves. “Did the nobles make some unexpected movements?”

She shook her head. “No, that operation is progressing without a hitch. This isn’t about the nobles. Although, the people involved can be considered of noble or royal standing. It’s about the dwarves.”

“What happened?” Silvia inquired.

“We received reports of a disaster striking Wintercrown. Part of the outer edge of the mountain city has crumbled and rolled down the hill, which was believed to be impossible with the amount of safety enchantments, supporting artifacts, and all the other magitech machinery their kin prides itself in. The casualties aren’t too great, but there are fatalities amongst the civilians as well as the military,” Gwen reported somberly. “Witnesses note a massive explosion in one of the warehouses belonging to Rubytongs that stood in that district, but the power of the blast was unmistakably stronger than needed for just surface demolition.”

“You don’t think…” Tina’s entire posture tensed.

“It might have been a deliberate act.” Her sister nodded slowly. “In the light of those events, the upcoming Clash of Clans has been delayed by a week for the first time ever to introduce a brief period of mourning, with talks to further extend that period since the proceedings have already been disturbed.”

“Damn.” Asterios cursed to the side. “I mean, I’m glad we just got us some more time, but at what cost? The resistance was supposed to be relatively minor out there, but if innocent people are getting involved…”

“They might finally be starting to get desperate after twenty years of trying,” Silvia shared her thoughts. “If so, there’s a chance they are reaching for more vocal measures, and this was simply an accident caused by not enough scrutiny. It might stop them from going further, but they might also press harder now that their people are going to become branded as terrorists.”

“We need to speak with Truvi.” He straightened up, looking out the nearby window. “She has family there. At the very least, I feel obliged to check if they are safe. But, and I apologize for saying this, I’m not sure I feel comfortable waiting idly as more lives are lost in their civil war when I know there should be something I can do.”

Tina hugged his arm lovingly. “I’m going to take Gwen and speak with Mom. I’m sure all of us feel the same, and you can easily tell that. And no, I don’t think we are the cause for this sudden change, so stop those foolish theories.”

Silvia stopped before him, peering confidently into his eyes. “We’ll locate this resistance and stop them from hurting their own kin, at the very least. That might open up a new path for us to intervene further or even to proceed with our plans and goals. I’ll talk with Father again.”

They pressed a loving kiss to his cheeks at the same time and stepped back, all three plunging into shadows.

Raking through his hair, Asterios sighed heavily.

Always uphill.