Chako Blude.

2 Septara, 1492.

1455.

[Sorcerous Rogue: Prime Matriarch of the Orcinus Mafia, Step 2: Landfall.]

[To fully cement the Orcinus Mafia into the Mortal Plane, you must build a chain of legitimate organizations across the surface, employed both by aspirant locals and made members of the Mafia, who dwell within your seaborne castles.]

***

To be honest, I cared little for Bakewia at this point. My reality had bloomed to encompass much more than such a small country. I was the Goddess of the Seas. The Matriarch of Mafias. Thus, it went without saying that my ambitions were aimed elsewhere. Namely, at the poor little semi-sunken county of Brybs, resting on the Bodhi Tree's southeastern shores.

Amun, and thus I knew not the extent of his father's curse on the sinking land. Only the result. Squalor on a national scale. Thus, poverty made everyone into thieves, vagrants, and scoundrels - rogues. As such, they were assigned to the Lunarians. Seeing as it was a lawless land already, they planned not to speak to the Duchess. Instead, they would go city to city, recruiting more into their fleets while the rest of them constructed shipyards, docks, and other such places along the coast. For their ends only, I add. The rest - the cities, the roads, and shores, even the Duchess - was up to us.

All things considered, we had no need to speak to her. We'd do these things with or without her approval. However, we had a front to upkeep. And information was far more valuable than any land. Because of that, I didn't impose on her space like all the others. I made an appointment.

Duchess Dana Moft Brybs was a halfling with skin like orange clay, eyes like Iris's, and hair as sandy as the shores she wished her kingdom had. County, rather, for they were too weak as a society to be called a nation; and while they were somehow allied with Rhar, Brybs was too worthless for the Rharian's rivals in Kasia to plunder. Of course, one could never tell such a thing if they looked at her or her estate. She even brought her elegant design and cohort of guards along with her; both to this event, and this meeting. They greeted me warmly as I entered her booth, yet remained cold in the room's corners, listening in from the shadows.

"I am Blude. Proprietor of the Grand Hadal Enterprise." I bowed, intending to say nothing more. Yet the Duchess raised her palm as if she could stop what I had to say.

"There is no need for such pleasantries, Gerdian. I have lived for over a century, so I know the signs of a mastermind at work. I know the sight of a Nox Devil; whom you prance alongside. More importantly, I know your kind, Gerdian. You seek to spread your will across the seas, and you care for little more beyond making Brybs your springboard to do so. No matter how you try to disguise it, this is the truth. And so I cannot - will not help you."

"It's interesting you say that." I snickered. "Because when I looked upon the Moft Mangrove from on high, I saw a magical wall and skilled guards patrolling lush farms and such a rich estate. It made me stop in awe. Especially when I compared it to the rest of your county. And so, I decided to do the opposite of what you've done, which was nothing. You watched your people crawl through the mud from your gilded halls with pure contempt. And so the seas will look upon your manor with contempt."

"I have no choice!" she hissed. "Emeric Cole is to blame! For everything! That liar is the very reason for the name Brybs, because he takes a cut of every coin made by anyone in this county! Every transaction, reduced by half and sent into the dark to pay the devil his due! No one can turn a profit here! No one is willing to trade here! My mangrove thrives only because we realized the worth of bartering while the rest have not."

"A bribe - a payment to turn a blind eye, you say? And you also say he lied?" I turned my eyes about the room, tapping at my chin. "Sounds to me like you wanted to be let off the hook for your avarice through a deal. And though you were, you didn't learn your lesson, and so you don't see it that way."

"Please!" the Duchess huffed. "You are a mere child, Gerdian. What could you possibly know?"

"More than you could begin to imagine, lady." I said airily, smiling before rising from my seat to wave the matter away. "But that's neither here nor there, Duchess Dana Moft Brybs. If you can't do anything for your people, I suppose I'll have to do everything for you."

***

Roren Torhorn.

Regent of Rhar.

The 5th of Septara. The Year of Telin's Punishment.

***

"I at least have some solace, knowing we will forever be at peace here in the Tri-Hollow." Such light words and a hearty gaiety in my tone signaled my arrival. Naturally, it was an attempt to counter the dour mist pervading the room. But to my chagrin, it did little. Thus, I continued on to business. "The word has been spread throughout the kingdom. The chiefs are currently deliberating on what to do with the residents. Their answer awaits our return."

A nod was the only reply given by King Corym. A sullen sight, truly. In all my centuries, I had never seen him like this. His eyes were sunken and with heavy bags, yet his jaws bulged with stress and tension. Even his posture suffered. Again, it was a sullen sight, for I was the one who was grieving the loss of my son. But so too was it a sight I could not dwell on. Neither of them was. I was the regent of the Rharian Kingdom. Thus, it was my responsibility to act in King Corym's stead. More oft than not, by gathering information. Thus, I turned to my son.

"What can you tell us of... your classmate, Zaos?"

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"He has a drow's charisma mixed with a devil's silver tongue." My son hissed, venom pouring from his lips. "That was how he tainted our classmates. I've interacted with him little, however. From what I've seen, he is blatantly immature and utterly selfish; entirely undeserving of his power."

"This is our punishment." I muttered in despair. "But like the days of old, we will endure. Should we survive, we… we-"

My words were cut short but a sudden rattle of the door that silenced not just us three but the whole hollow. Cautiously, I motioned for Zaos to open it and watched him peer around after pulling it ajar with a deep breath. It seemed, however, no one was there, as he went to seal our Hollow once more. Only for a soft cough to bring his eyes down.

The deep gnome who entered said nothing as she approached. Yet she had the utmost confidence as she ignored the many eyes trained upon her. She was undoubtedly tainted. Her silken robes radiated the falsely soothing light of the so-called second sun. It was beautiful, to be sure, but in the same way the Faewoods were beautiful. It lulled one into a sense of calm, bringing down their guard until the monster showed its true nature.

"I am Nyella Lichenstone, the first Core Priestess of the Oder of Worlds. I'm here on behalf of the 7th Noctis Legion." She bowed. "Now, I can sense where I am not wanted, so I shall not waste anyone's time. We have come to understand you have residents within your kingdom that you would rather do without. The Blooded of the Moon are willing to escort those residents to the borders of your kingdom. The completion of your task with Amun shall be the completion of ours with your residents, wherein we shall forever cease contact."

"That is acceptable." I quickly said before anyone else could ruin the golden opportunity placed before us. Even if it was a ploy, by Caelarin's grace, we would make it work in our favor. The Kingdom would be closed the moment this devil departed our lands, regardless. Surprisingly, though, the dark gnome had more to say.

"Before I dismiss myself, I want to ensure you understand that both the Northern Peninsula and the nations that ally with Eotrom here in the south will be taken to Maru with Amun. Rhar and whatever nations who remain will then become an island, alone in the World Sea. So close and yet so far from the Nonusian coast. That is all."

In truth, I could not tell if the terms were agreeable to King Corym. Thus, when his bitter voice rippled into my ears, its venom poisoned my mind with fear.

"Before you go, dark gnome, I would like to know how he tainted you." The words brought a sigh of relief in one regard, and a gasp of trepidation in another. Especially when he pressed on. "Did he corrupt your mind? Did he entice you with words? With power? Did he purchase you with guarantees of grandeur like he did his classmates?"

"None of the above." The deep gnome answered with no hint of emotion on her face. Yet her robes seemed to turn a shade more crimson all the same; and each continued word saw my face drain of heat ever more. "If you must know, I used to be a slave in the Shadeforge; a gray dwarven stronghold that stood beneath this very Bodhi Tree. That was until not even a year ago, when Amun's undead raided them. His sole objective was to seize the veins of mithral and adamantine his legions now proudly bear. He destroyed them for it. But only after he ensured we were liberated. Us." She grinned with a fervor I could only hope to match. "He ensured to liberate us - the subjugated, the enslaved, and the oppressed. Only then did he utterly destroy them - the oppressors, the tyrants, the Culture. Only shadows remain of them now. Not even the written page was spared. Only the oppressed." She growled with a feral coldness that saw my spine shiver as she turned, waving over her shoulder. "That is the God I worship. What say you of yours, King Corym?"

***

Ferris Licht.

8 Septara, 1492.

***

"I'm not opposed to it. But how do you feel?"

As I looked through the light, I saw the faces of my two most beloved and smiled as I imagined the future in store for them. It was… grand. But it was not without potential problems.

"Him, I don't mind. Both his assistance with the plague and his agreement to meet you. However." I sighed heavily. "I disagree with the practices of these… Deliverers. Valkyries aside, those monks don't ease the pain of those with the Shadow of Death looming over their heads. Their version of mercy is a quick but brutal death; and they're quite zealous about it. It's... unsettling."

"Oh?" I saw him recoil. Then recoil again. "Oh! That is not good."

"The shining light is, they'll let you continue ruling as you are." I hurriedly offered. "I've made it clear that such a practice is unwelcome in Chaulort. They agreed to let our witches work as they wish and let the Valkyries do their job for those who have passed. Beyond that, they'll only improve infrastructure and teach us what they know of medicine and witchcraft."

"I suppose we should get more comfortable around the dead, then?" My beloved cheekily offered. I could sense the trepidation in his words, though. More than that, I could sympathize. He'd wanted to meet Amun due to personal matters, yet those matters extended to the Principality all the same. Now, it was forced upon him by the headmaster, and he didn't even know how long we had to prepare. Not that he or I could stress about it, given current events.

"So." My beloved began after the silence. "They won't be helping with the plague?"

"Not the Deliverers, no. But Amun gave me his word he would help. Those of his Troupe said they'd send someone by, but I don't know who or what, much less when. I… don't want to bother him again." I answered before he could ask. "I know he is busy. And, not only that, but I want to show I trust him."

'I want to show him I'm nothing like the rest of my family tree.'

I wanted to say that last part. But silence spoke volumes between me and my beloved. He hardly needed magic to read my mind, even from this distance. As could I, and so I conceded. "I suppose I can stop by his booth to speak to his Troupe before I come home." I sighed. Then proceeded to shower my two loves with affection before I turned away from the light and stepped inside the coliseum once more.

Before I could get halfway to the booth, three figures stopped before me. Yet only one could have been called sentient or living. It was the one in the middle. She was a drow with hair like silk tied loosely above her ears to frame her picturesque face and bulbous eyes, gold like mine. She wore the simplest of robes to cover her small stature, radiating with an intense power I've never felt before. But was even more intriguing was the tribal marking or line at the center of her brow. Almost like… an eyelid.

"I am Isstra," she said sonorously. Then gestured to the… thing in her arms. It looked like a kid with an abnormally large head had grown a tail and feathers across its body, plus an additional arm that sprouted from its spine to loom over its head like an angler's lure. "This is a member of the Brain Caste of our Mother's Brood. We will study your plague."

"M- mother?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Yes." came the simple nod. "Mother Reina and Mother Iris are both Divine Mothers of Nature. Mother Reina birthed my family anew, however, so of course she is my mother."

"I see." I nodded, not fully getting the picture but moving on to address the… hummingbird in the room. At least, it looked like a hummingbird, but it was taller than me and had feathers that seemed… wrong. It was almost like the silk of Isstra's hair, but different. I struggled to put my finger on it. So, I had to ask. "And what is this?"

"This is one of Mother Iris's machine lifeforms. A hummingbird designed for scouting and analysis. From what I understand, it will study a sample of the plague to better detect its point of origin. If you are ready, Ferris, we can begin immediately."

"Okay!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.