I came to the conclusion that the ice foxes were lacking in intelligence. I had made a stone pit near the other experimental subjects and created canals connecting the trap pits to it. I only had a little more than a dozen of the foxes still living after the burrowing, and what did they do? First, they didn’t want to go down the canals after I woke them up. I had to cast fire spells to get them moving in the right direction, and then seal off the trap pits so they didn’t return. Then, the stupid creatures attacked the foxes from the second pit when the canals met. Four dead foxes later, and several fire spells later, they finally made it to the pit I had created. I watched them for a moment as they licked their wounds, or growled and snapped at each other. Just long enough that I was confident they weren’t going to attack each other again. Then I left to close up the traps and canals. That, of course, was a mistake. I should have put them to sleep first. By the time I’d returned, there were four foxes left. One stood brazenly on the bodies of the dead, and the other three cowered in a corner. So, I did what any good wizard would do, and checked myself for mind magic, illusions, and charisma skills. Nothing. I decided the dead foxes in the pits were something I could deal with tomorrow, once I recovered from the shock of losing most of my new test subjects. It would also be a good way to determine if these beasts were cannibalistic. After a night’s rest, I went downstairs to eat a hot breakfast of sweet buns and fried eggs. While I was happy we had enough eggs for Chelsea to make bread with, I was growing tired of eating the surplus. Lilly took her seat to my right, placing her tome down beside her. “Master, I believe I’m done with the illustrations,” she said. At first, I was surprised. After I considered it though, she likely spent most of her time yesterday drawing them. When I reviewed her pictures, I found them to be well drawn. For a beginner. But that was expected. “Good, good,” I complimented her as I flipped through the pages. She filled almost a third of the book, even to go so far as to describe any behavior she noticed. It was thorough enough as a starter, and I hoped would lead her down the path of a researcher. “When you’re done eating, bring any blank parchment you have remaining and meet me outside the dungeon,” I instructed her. “Yes, master,” she answered with a nod. We ate in silence until I finished, at which time I took the stairs down to the dungeon. I’d forgotten how deep it went. When I arrived at the bottom, I didn’t go inside. Rather, I began constructing a new room adjacent to it, this one bare except for stone shelves. Lilly found me there a few moments later and watched me work. It didn’t take long. “Miss Lilly, I will begin collecting samples from inside the room and placing them on the shelves here. I want you to write the names of each that you know on a piece of paper to be placed beside them.” She nodded her head and withdrew papers to begin her assigned task ahead of time. I cast protective magics on myself to prevent spore infection and went through the barrier. Inside, I began trapping the moving animals first. Small cages of stone, each with a ring at the top. Afterward, I cast barriers around those, both to prevent any escape and to guard against spore infection. After bringing them out and placing them on the shelves, I watched as Lilly began to place the parchments next to each. We worked together like that for a few hours, collecting mushrooms and lichen next, until I felt that I had sufficient samples to repopulate the dungeon. That’s when I used my [Fire Manipulation] to burn everything that remained. The dungeon core and mana crystals were stone, and should be impervious to the flames. The fires raged inside the dungeon, as Lilly and I watched from outside the barrier. When they finally died down, leaving nothing but ash, I did it again. And then a third time. One couldn’t be too safe when it came to parasitic mushrooms. The remainder of what was left inside the dungeon room was nothing but stone, crystal, and ash. I gave a satisfied nod and turned to head upstairs, but Lilly stopped me with a question. “Master, shouldn’t we return these things to the dungeon?” Her hand waved at the filled shelves. I shook my head, “No, we will watch them closely for a few days to see if any show signs of infection. We can move my Asrid Flower below, though.” “Asrid Flowers? Oh, your special tea!” When she bobbed her head, her blonde hair bounced about. “Yes,” I answered and we made the trek upstairs. I waited around the dining area, reviewing Lilly’s book in more detail with her as we waited for lunch. She had beautiful handwriting, though at times she used too much flourish. The lunch was a meal of bread sliced to hold a fried mixture of goat sausage, onions, and eggs. This, I felt, was an appropriate use of the eggs. Afterward, we met the guards outside, and I instructed them to follow us carrying the flower pots. They were more than happy for a break from plucking condor feathers and jumped to the task. Chelsea’s son Rolf, joined as well, though he only carried one potted plant. It was when we arrived in the dungeon, and I used [Earth Manipulation] to plant the first flower that I found myself surprised. Not just surprised either. Angry. Livid. My soul scroll had lit up glowing orange, with an option I could barely fully read. I sent the others away above with orders to fetch the other flowers and leave them outside the barrier. Then I torched several flowers. I may have also melted a wall or two and unleashed several bolts of lightning. The others were quick to set the plants down and depart when they saw me pacing back and forth muttering. My mind, though, was in disarray. I wasn’t just mad. I was seething. The calmness and poise I prided myself on, gone in an instant. I even let my illusion slip. The one that made everyone see me as a fifty-year old human with pointy ears. It shook away in the magical aftershocks of my barely controlled mana outburst. Waves of unaspected mana that appeared as a heat mirage. I wasn’t sure how long I spent like that. Days maybe. My guards or servants had left food by the entrance and taken it away to replace it with new meals several times. When I finally had exerted myself enough to think clearly again, I took another look at the option presented by my soul scroll. [Tower crystal has new plantlife: 4th floor, Dungeon] [12 Plants detected. Type: Loyalty-Inducing Flower Tier: 2] [Tower Crystal recommends the following options:] [Eliminate] [Expulse] [Convert] [Stasis] [Consume] I sneered at the screen. Loyalty-Inducing Flower? Was that how the crown controlled their nobles? Why there hadn’t been a revolt in so long? When was the first time I drank this? When I was a third-tier mage in the mage corps. A long time ago. The army included it in our rations and, like every other fool, I was happy to drink something more than water. How many times had I offered it to others? Who else knows about this? I started pacing again, my mind fighting with itself. I should tell everyone! But that could get me killed. They might already know and not care. How many people joined a war effort because of this tea? How many have died because of this plant? How many of my friend’s lives were gone because of this thing? I tried to rationalize it. In Tervan, to the south, the jungle kingdom made sacrifices to their dark god. Those who didn’t follow their priest-king met the knife at the altar. To the north, Mirktal enslaved nearly their entire population with slave-magics. I used to despise them both for it, but was this any different? More subtle and insidious, certainly. Would I have made the same decisions in the past if I hadn’t drunk this tea? Would I have accepted the position as alderman? Not slain the Scout commander? I didn’t know. But now I did understand why he had been so willing to accept the task of growing and delivering the flowers. I also knew that I shouldn’t make any decisions without a calm mind, and I was not calm at the moment. But I was also exhausted. The anger had drained me. With heavy steps, I returned to my room in the tower and curled up under the sheets. Tomorrow was a new day. I can consider it then with a calmer mind. Those were the lies I told myself as I closed my eyes.