Mana Soul: Chapter 58 - The Hero hero - Markus

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Impervious to the chill winds of the mountain thanks to his enchanted clothing, Markus spent the better part of an hour closely investigating the experimental core. He had come to the conclusion that perhaps his own Artificer abilities were to blame for the problem. It was entirely possible that Hector’s enchantments combined with its artificing abilities made the golem incompatible with the core. Markus had not deliberately designed either of them to be compatible, simply having assumed that they would be. An obvious mistake, in hindsight.

Believing that somehow he had subconsciously directed the goblin to attack him as a result of repressed self loathing. Deliberately touching the core for a second time had produced the same result, so while Markus was disappointed, he wasn’t willing to give up on the experiment just yet.

“I still think you should destroy it,” Aela muttered while darkly eyeing the motionless goblin standing a few feet away from them.

“I still might,” Markus agreed tentatively, “However, I want to have a couple of other people test it first, just to be sure.”

Aela sighed and glanced towards Hector, “If your golem will protect you, I can try,” she suggested uncomfortably.

Markus considered her offer and then slowly shook his head, “That might not be a great idea.”

“Why?” Aela asked curiously.

“Your mana might trigger a different response,” Markus replied uncertainly, “Being so close to dungeon mana, that is.”

Aela was quiet for a few moments and then slowly shook her head, “But I thought the core was made using normal mana?”

“That...Hrm...That’s true,” Markus agreed, wondering why he had overlooked that particular detail. “Alright, Hector, kill the goblin if it makes any hostile actions towards us.”

“I obey, Creator,” Hector rumbled in response as it moved closer to the goblin. The golem then drew an iron banded cudgel from its belt and raised it in preparation to strike.

Aela slowly took a breath to steady herself as she removed her left gauntlet, “I just need to touch it, right?” Aela asked nervously.

“I think so,” Markus replied, “You might need to speak the commands aloud though...This is all rather new to me too...”

Aela nodded to show she understood and slowly pressed her hand against the crystal core.

The goblin immediately came to life, slowly tilting its head as if listening to a voice only it could hear.

Aela glanced back at Markus nervously and gave a strained smile, “This feels really weird...I think I can hear it asking me what to do? But it isn’t using words...I don’t really know how to explain it.”

The goblin still hadn’t moved from its original position and was still moving its head too and fro.

“Should I try telling it to do something?” Aela asked uncertainly, “Or is...is this enough?”

Recognising that Aela was becoming upset, Markus nodded supportively in agreement, “Yeah, that should be enough for now.” Markus would have preferred if Aela had managed to issue an order to the goblin so he would know if the enchants worked as intended. However, Markus wasn’t going to push Aela into doing it if she didn’t want to.

Aela removed her hand from the core and released a deep sigh of relief as she began flexing her fingers, “That was really weird...”

Glancing at the goblin, Markus confirmed that it had gone unresponsive again, stiffly standing still on the spot. “Can you describe what exactly made you uncomfortable?” He asked hopefully, “maybe there is an enchantment that needs adjusting or-”

“It was like I was standing in front of two people...There was the goblin asking what it should be doing, but there was something else as well...Only...it was just there...watching and listening...waiting?” Aela shook her head and nervously drew her lips together, “It felt like when you know someone is watching you from the other side of a crowd of people...There wasn’t anything malicious about it, but it made me really uncomfortable,” she admitted with a hint of embarrassment

“That is weird,” Markus agreed pensively, “It might just be the core trying to ‘listen’ for commands to pass along to the goblin, but we should get Phillipe to try and see if he has a similar reaction.”

“I guess,” Aela agreed while watching the goblin suspiciously.

Markus sent Hector to cross the portal and send a message to Phillipe and call in two combat golems for additional security. Markus would have preferred to shut down the core entirely and fetch Phillipe as a group, but the process of recharging the core was somewhat tedious since he had somewhat ironically overlooked creating a larger and more robust Mana Reinvigoration Station.

After waiting twenty minutes, Hector returned with Phillipe, Hilda, and the requested combat golem in tow.

“How long has this been in the basement?” Phillipe asked jokingly while pointing back to the minimised portal. “Wait...” He froze partway through his gesture and redirected his hand towards the goblin, “Is that what I think it is?!” Phillipe hissed in surprise, backing up a few steps and drawing his sword.

“A goblin!” Hilda confirmed aggressively while readying her handaxe.

“Wait!” Markus grabbed Hilda’s free arm in a token attempt at holding her back, “It’s part of the experiment!” He insisted urgently, “I made it!”

Hilda lowered her axe slightly and seemed confused, “You made the goblin?” She asked warily, “Why?”

Phillipe lowered his sword after noticing the crystal core sitting in the crate, “This is it, is it?! The artificial dungeon core!”

“Artificial dungeon core?” Hilda sounded even more confused.

Markus released her arm and nodded, “I created an altered version of enchantments that would hypothetically make the dungeon core obey commands, and relay them to the monsters it creates,” he explained patiently.

“Why?” Hilda repeated warily, refusing to look away from the goblin.

“Expandable fodder for fighting other monsters?” Markus suggested, “Or combat training partners?” He added, hoping it would entice the combat-focused element of Hilda’s personality.

“Training partners?” Hilda repeated slowly, sounding decidedly more on board with the idea.

“Depending on how successful the experiment is,” Markus qualified, “Allowances could be made for even large scale battles to be conducted as training by using the monsters as an opposing force.”

“Now that’s what I was hoping for, Markus!” Phillipe exclaimed eagerly, “Less of that sewer slime stuff and more practical applications!”

Markus frowned, “You think ensuring a mana supply for all of my artifices isn’t practical?” He demanded wryly.

Phillipe deflated somewhat, “Right...I keep forgetting about that part...” He explained apologetically, “Probably because of how gross it is to think about..”

“Have you even seen the slimes at work?” Markus asked, “They leave nothing but clear water behind, no matter how disgusting the slurry they are dumped in.”

Phillipe staggered slightly and pressed a hand to his mouth, “Urgh...Fine...just...no more talking about it okay? I admit that the slimes are important and practical.”

Aela snickered in amusement while Hilda released a long-suffering sigh.

“So...” Phillipe sheathed his sword but made sure to keep his hand close to his belt, “How are you meant to control the goblin?”

Aela shifted uncomfortably and pointed to the core, “You start by touching that,” she explained uneasily.

“Is that all?” Phillipe asked, sounding quite surprised.

“You might need to speak the commands aloud,” Markus admitted, “We haven’t got quite that far yet.” Markus would have explained further, but he didn't want to poison Phillipe’s expectation for fear that it might cause problems of its own.

Phillipe nodded in understanding and excitedly reached for the core with his prosthetic hand.

‘Wait!” Markus called out and hurried forward, badly startling Phillipe in the process.

“Abyss take me...” Phillipe swore as he lost his footing and fell backwards onto his ass.

“Sorry,” Markus apologised, “I should have thought of it sooner, but the prosthetic might interfere with the core.” He wasn’t sure if it would, but given the similarities in the enchantments used for prosthetics and Markus’s golems, it wasn’t worth the risk in this phase of testing.

“Oh...” Phillipe looked profoundly relieved, “Is that all?” Hiking up the sleeve of his coat, Phillipe exposed the leather straps and buckles attached to his forearm that held his prosthetic arm firmly in place over the end of his arm. Removing the prosthetic with practised ease, Phillipe exposed the scarred nub at the end of his forearm and the pressure marks the prosthetic had indented in his skin. “So I should be fine now, right?” He asked with nervous excitement, inadvertently causing the fingers of his prosthetic hand to twitch.

Markus flinched, “Actually, I think I will have to deactivate your prosthetic as well, just to be safe.”

Phillipe winced slightly but nodded his approval, “Do what you need to do.”

Taking a few minutes to sever the connections, Markus felt somewhat guilty for considering Phillipe for the experiment. Reattaching and recalibrating the prosthetic was going to take no small amount of time, and there was no real telling what Phillipe must be feeling as Markus functionally amputated his hand.

Taking a deep breath, Phillipe hovered his remaining hand a finger's breadth over the core and glanced towards Markus for approval.

Markus nodded and hoped for the best.

Hissing between his teeth, Phillipe pressed his hand against the core.

Just as before, the goblin began tilting its head too and fro.

“Ah, so let's try...” Phillipe muttered quietly while staring intensely at the goblin.

The goblin stops moving its head and began determinedly walking towards the not so distant edge of the cliff.

“Ah, try not to kill the goblin out of the core’s catchment range,” Markus warned, “Falling off the cliff will almost certainly be too far.”

Phillipe nodded and the goblin made an immediate about-face to begin walking back to its original position.

Able to now see the goblin’s face, Markus was surprised to find it was expressing determined resoluteness with its pinched features and drawn lips pulled back over its sharp teeth. The difference was like night and day.

“So far it seems to be doing exactly what I tell it to,” Phillipe explained while the goblin began collecting small pebbles with the same serious expression. “And look!” He exclaimed excitedly, “It’s even sorting them by colour!”

“You told it to do that?” Markus asked curiously.

Phillipe nodded enthusiastically, “Specifically, I told it to make a pile from small pebbles, then I also told it to make separate piles from any pebbles that weren’t dark grey. I just wanted to see how complicated the commands could get before it wouldn’t be able to follow them, but look at the goblin go!”

“I guess that also proves the goblin isn’t colour blind,” Markus added thoughtfully.

“What good is sorting rocks?” Hilda sniffed, clearly unimpressed, “I thought you said it was meant to be for training and fighting?”

Before Markus could respond, Phillipe stifled a snicker of his own and smirked as the goblin stopped sorting rocks and shifted its focus towards Hilda.

“Now what’s going on?” Hilda demanded.

The goblin raised its fists and snarled aggressively.

“I just told it that Hilda was an enemy, but it isn’t allowed to attack her,” Phillipe commented, “Go ahead, throw a rock at it or something. It should just try to dodge or block, assuming the command worked...”

Markus was impressed by Phillipe’s ambition but decided it would be a good idea to try a different approach. “Phillipe, why don’t we try something else first?” He insisted.

“Like what?” Phillipe asked curiously.

“Why don’t we try marking out a space and designating that as a combat zone, and rather than giving it an order to attack a specific person, have the goblin consider anyone who enters the area as hostile?” Markus wanted a better idea of the core and goblin’s ability to interpret commands that were likely to be used as part of combat training, “And have it consider anyone lying prone an invalid target,” Markus added.

“Gotcha,” Phillipe replied with a wide grin.

“Hector, mark out a ten-foot circle in the dirt,” Markus ordered.

“What if Hector moves a large stone to the centre and I add another command that makes the goblin consider anyone touching the large stone as a non-threat as well?” Phillipe suggested, “And make it so the goblin can only go five feet from the stone? That way we see if it can follow abstract concepts.”

“Good idea,” Markus agreed, glad that Phillipe was willing to compromise and make things less unnecessarily dangerous.

Hector obeyed the adjusted command and created a near-perfect circle before placing a large stone in the centre.

The goblin raced from its position and into the circle, flailing its fists against the golem’s armoured body with reckless abandon. When it became obvious that its attacks were not having the intended effect, the goblin snatched up a rock in its fist and began using it as a hammer instead, trying to knock out Hector’s right knee.

Aela continued warily watching the goblin, her reptilian eyes darting to and fro as the goblin outflanked Hector and threw its rock at the back of the golem’s helmet.

“It's certainly aggressive like the real ones,” Hilda commented thoughtfully.

“Hehe, it sure is,” Phillipe chuckled in amusement, “Just look at the little blighter go!” He distractedly pushed the hair from his eyes and froze.

Aela and Hilda were too distracted to notice, but Markus could clearly see that Phillipe’s hand was no longer on the core.

All the same, the goblin continued its assault against Hector, its knuckles torn and bleeding as it scrambled for another rock.

Phillipe looked over at Markus and then nodded towards the goblin, “That’s an intended function, right?”

Markus slowly nodded. It was not ideal, but it was what Markus had expected. Preferably, the monsters would go inert when not under active control, but so long as they continued observing commands

Phillipe slumped in relief and placed his hand back on the core.

“Hector, touch the stone,” Markus ordered, partly because he wanted a break from the Goblin’s feral grunts and snarls, but also to test the conditional command Phillipe had provided earlier.

Hector obediently placed its right foot on the rock and the goblin immediately halted its assault.

Rather than going inert, the goblin slowly paced around the rock while keeping its eyes fixed on hector. The goblins lips moved in a series of silent curses while its battered and bleeding fingers clenched and unclenched into small fists.

Out of curiosity, Markus tossed a rock into the circle.

The goblin’s head whipped about so fast that it made Markus’s spine hurt to witness it. Glaring at the rock, the goblin warily approached before sniffing the rock briefly and spitting on it in disgust. Turning its attention back to Hector, the goblin renewed its predatory pacing.

“I think there is one last test we should make sure to do before calling it an evening,” Markus suggested somewhat warily.

Aela nodded in agreement.

“I guess so,” Phillipe agreed reluctantly, “But this is sort of fun, in a strange sort of way.”

Hilda snorted derisively and shook her head.

“What?” Phillipe asked defensively, “It’s kind of like playing wargames with my cousins, but I can see what’s happening and don’t need to use my imagination.”

“Wargames?” Markus asked curiously.

“An indulgence of the nobility,” Phillipe admitted somewhat sheepishly, “They are intended to teach you about tactics and troop formations by simulating denominations of archers, infantry and whatnot with little figures or game pieces. It’s is fairly abstract in that respect, so I was just saying-”

“Is it really time for explaining your hobby?” Hilda sighed wearily, her tone suggesting that she was more irritated by the prolonged testing and the monster in their midst than with Phillipe’s supposed hobby.

“Right...” Phillipe agreed sheepishly, “So, Markus, what were you thinking?”

“Well, to round things out a little, I just thought it might be a good idea to switch Hector to an ally and see how the goblin reacts,” Markus explained bluntly.

“Good idea,” Phillipe agreed enthusiastically, “The monsters will be a lot more useful if we can make them cooperative rather than just maliciously indifferent.”

Markus was inclined to agree that malicious indifference was a rather apt turn of phrase. The goblin hadn’t ignored Hector, it had only stopped attacking while biding its time for an opportunity.

The goblin’s attitude towards Hector changed rather abruptly. After eyeing the golem up and down, the goblin pointed towards the cliff and grunted something indecipherable while jabbing itself in the chest. It then repeated the jabbering again, this time poking Hector in the shin while pointing towards Markus and the others.

“It looks like it is trying to coordinate an attack,” Hilda growled, her leather glove creaking as she tightened her fist on the shaft of her axe, “Please tell me I can kill it now?”

Markus shrugged, “Go ahead...”

“Right!” Hilda grunted as she strode forward and entered the circle. However before the goblin had time to do more than widen its eyes, Hilda swept her axe upwards in an underhanded arc and sheared through the goblin's chin and out of the top of its skull. Crushing the limp body beneath her boot heel, Hilda rolled her shoulders and sighed, apparently feeling much better.

After deactivating the core, Markus and the others returned through the portal and had a late dinner before retiring to their respective rooms.

Opting to sleep in late after all the excitement of the previous evening, Markus then continued to spend the rest of the day following after Aela with the occasional break of checking on the Guardians being raised by Svenn and his family.

Pleased to find that they were growing at an accelerated rate, Markus’s enthusiasm was dampened somewhat when Svenn’s father Torvald informed him that the giant wolves were decidedly resistant to traditional taming measures and techniques. He admitted that the increased intelligence was likely to blame, but also insisted that it would payout in the end if they could manage to get them trained.

Markus had reassured Svenn and his father that they would have the time and materials they needed. He had no experience with raising hounds that he knew of, so Markus thought it best to let them do what they knew best while he continued stopping by to take note of the Guardian’s development for future study.

Markus also made a point of stopping in to check on Adam and his nephew Colt. Adam’s transformation had remained stable, so Markus decided that Colt would be allowed to undertake the chimaerafication as well, provided the uncle's condition remained stable for at least another few days.

The pair had mellowed out considerably since their first meeting, which was good news for Markus because he didn’t want anyone who was mentally unstable to be given that power and released into the general population. Granted, the chimaeras would probably take care of them before they could do any real harm, but Markus didn’t really want to take that chance.

After the events of the previous evening, Aela had decided they would spend most of the day either inside of or in close proximity to the hotspring. Unable to withstand so much heat for prolonged periods, Markus was the one who spent most of the time sitting outside and watching Aela swim instead.

Considering how the hot water made Aela happy, Markus was fine with putting up with the humidity and his own profuse sweating. After all, with golems serving cooled drinks on demand, he really didn’t think it was so bad. Particularly since lounging around most of the day gave Markus ample opportunity to think and plan for adjustments to the artificial dungeon core, and how best to implement it.

Markus’s current reasoning was that for training soldiers on any real scale, he would need to set aside a very large area to allow for more realistic battle conditions. As Markus continued thinking about it, he eventually had something of an epiphany. Considering that the soldiers in training would also need to become familiar with fighting in populated areas, Markus wanted to set aside at least one of the abandoned towns in the interior to serve as a premade training ground.

A containment wall would need to be built in order to keep out civilians and as an emergency containment measure, but Markus was confident that Phillipe and his uncle would approve. An open field nearby could serve as another training ground for field battles, supplemented by fabricated additions that could be stored on-site. Lastly, Markus wanted to make a smaller scale training facility for his Knights so they could train against monsters in a more controlled environment.

The building would still need to be quite large, but Markus figured that so long as it was built with the protective enchantments in place, the training facility could be located just about anywhere. Inspired by Peabody’s lateral thinking, Markus was seriously considering having it built underground. Both a security measure and means of keeping unwanted visitors out, a subterranean facility was just about perfect for his needs.

By the time Markus was prepared to call it a day and head to bed, he had already run the idea past Peabody and Phillipe in order to determine if he was overlooking anything. Unfortunately, Phillipe was far too excited by the prospect of turning an entire town into a training ground to provide much objective scrutiny. Peabody, rather predictably, supported Markus’s ideas with little in the way of tangible resistance. The golem’s sole criticism and recommendation was that the Knights training facility be located outside of the boundary of the castle town rather than inside of it. When pressed, Peabody cited concerns about the potential dangers of the core’s control enchantments failing and the need for contingencies to isolate any monsters it may have active.

The concern was rather reasonable given how relatively untested the artificial core was and the relative danger it represented. Given the golem’s concerns and previous experience, Markus decided it would be best for Peabody to handle the planning and construction. Using only golem labour to ensure security and productivity, Peabody was confident that provided it was given sufficient artifices and mana to power them, the facility would be completed in under two weeks.

Given the scale of the facility, Markus had been surprised by Peabody's confidence to have it completed so quickly. Then again, Markus was altogether unused to the efficiency of golem labour beyond the scope of crafting his artifices.

Waking up early, Markus was surprised to learn that the fallen world’s hero, Debby, was finally ready to speak with him. Aware that Aela might misunderstand and grow jealous if she were to find out that Markus was visiting a young woman behind her back, Markus made a point of waking Aela up and carefully explaining the situation.

“Oh...The tall one?” Aela commented with surprising disinterest, “And you want me to come with you, just in case she gets violent?”

Struggling to control his expression of surprise, Markus shrugged, “Something like that,” he agreed while averting his eyes and pulling on his boots.

“Alright,” Aela agreed sleepily and crawled herself out of bed, opting to get dressed on the floor before using Markus to pull herself to her feet. “Maybe we can still go to bed afterwards,” Aela yawned hopefully while cinching a second and otherwise unnecessary belt tight against her gambeson.

Taking note of the slight, and artificial, increase in Aela’s bust, Markus decided it would probably be best if he kept his mouth shut and pretended he hadn’t noticed.

With Hector following behind them, Markus and Aela walked down the hall and entered Debby’s room.

Like the rest of the house, Debby’s room was heavily enchanted and linked to a dozen Mana Storage Crystals. Effectively, the house was indestructible so long as the mana reserves held out, which was just about the entire reason Markus had been so willing to hold Debby under his own roof.

Debby was sitting on a chair by the shuttered window waiting for them. Markus was already somewhat familiar with her appearance from reviewing images of the evacuation. However, Debbie’s currently dishevelled appearance and dull eyes gave her a haunted look Markus recognised on a much more personal level.

“So...You’re the one in charge,” Debby stated quietly, her eyes fixed on Markus with an icy glare.

“I am,” Markus replied, tripping slightly over the strange pronunciation of the words before realising that he understood what she was saying.

“So?” Debby shrugged despondently, “What happens to me now?” Dressed only in a long nightshirt, she planted her hands in her lap and slouched forward.

Just judging by Aela’s low rumbling growl, Markus figured it was probably an attempt to distract him, or a very poor attempt at flirting.

“We talk,” Markus answered, keeping his eyes determinedly locked on hers, “And if I am satisfied that you aren’t a threat, if you want to, you can leave.”

Debby seemed surprised, “You will let me go?” She croaked.

“Assuming you aren’t a threat to those I have sworn to protect,” Markus agreed before narrowing his eyes warily, “Or yourself.”

Debby made no attempts to deny the observation, just lowering her head and working her jaw, “The robot told you, didn’t it?” Debby accused bitterly.

“Robot?” Markus recognised the word, but could only assume it was another word for golem. “If you have been speaking with Leona, then you can rest easy knowing that the golem is the only one who was listening.”

Debby was quiet for a few moments before raising her head and staring at Markus again, “Then how?” She demanded quietly.

“You aren’t the only one who has experienced suffering,” Markus replied, struggling to keep his voice level as unwelcome memories began drifting into his periphery.

Debby guiltily glanced away and seemed to notice Aela for the first time, “An altered...” She muttered uncomfortably.

Aela maintained a deliberately neutral expression, but Markus could tell by the movement of her tail that she was growing agitated.

“Is that one of your creations too?” Debby prodded with renewed spite, “Are you one of those freaks who couldn’t get a real woman back home? So you played Frankenstien while you're meant to be completing your contract.”

Markus’s lips curled into a snarl, “Don’t, talk, about, Aela, like, that,” he growled dangerously, prompting a subtle but ominous shift in Leona and Hector’s stance. “I did not make Aela, but she is incredibly precious to me. Think twice before insulting her and consider if the consequences will be worth it,” Markus threatened while drawing closer to Aela and wrapping his arm around her waist.

Debby sullenly remained silent, while Aela took the opportunity to sidle closer to Markus and metaphorically mark her territory.

“I think it might be best if we leave one another alone for a while,” Markus suggested, “So far as I was lead to believe, you are not my enemy-”

“Then why keep me here?!” Debby demanded angrily, “For fucksakes, you won’t even open the fucking window!”

“If you can prove you aren’t a threat,” Markus repeated, “I will let you out right now, if that is what you really want. I can even send you to where the refugees are resettling.”

Debby was quiet for a while and then eventually seemed to make up her mind. “Alright, what do you want to know? What will convince you I am not a threat?” She asked quietly.

“I suppose we will start with this Earth you mentioned. Am I correct in assuming it is the world you originally came from?” Markus asked curiously.

Debby slowly nodded, “Was that meant to be a test? Do your fancy magic robots have lie detectors?”

“Lie detectors?” Markus muttered quietly to himself before frowning and shaking his head, “No, it was not a test, it’s a serious question.”

“Then, yes, it is...” Debby replied while giving Markus a strange look.

“And why is it that you think I am from there?” Markus asked while trying not to sound too desperate.

Debby’s strange look intensified, “You’re speaking English, the number of worlds that still use any form of English is meant to be almost non-existent. You aren’t even adding the ye olde inflections. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were from Australia or New Zealand.”

While Markus wanted to know more about Australia and New Zealand, he pushed onward for more pressing information, “Why do you keep making me out to be a sort of villain?” He demanded curtly, “I just saved what was left of a people I was told you were trying to protect, so why am I the bad guy?”

Debby’s fists trembled and she averted her gaze, “Because...Because I was supposed to be able to save them...I was meant to save them and go home...”

“And you think that it is somehow my fault, because?” Markus asked irritably.

“It isn't...” Debby admitted angrily, “But I had been fighting that war for nearly eight years! Do you have any idea what that was like? Watching people die because...because I wasn’t enough. Eight years of surviving battle after losing battle, all the while being worshiped like Jesus fucking Christ! And then you show up and save them all in under an hour...What makes you so special? Why wasn’t I enough?!” Tears had begun streaming down Debby’s face and blood was dripping from between the fingers of her clenched fists.

“I don’t know,” Markus replied honestly, “Finding Cara was pure chance, and obtaining the means to intervene was even more so...” Feeling bad for her, he decided to expand his explanation a little further, “If you hadn’t fought all those lost battles, if you had just given up, or if you had never been on that world to begin with, do you think as many of the refugees would have survived? Do you think any of them would have been waiting in the exact place I would come looking for them?” Markus let out a deep sigh and shook his head, “I honestly doubt it. So whether you are willing to give yourself the credit or not, those people are alive because of your actions and the symbol you represented.”

When Debby made no sign of providing a reply, Markus took it as a sign to see themselves out.

Once they were back in their own room, Aela promptly stripped down and buried herself beneath the blankets and then gave Markus an expectant look. “So, what did she say? And what did you say to upset her so much?” Aela asked curiously.

“It wasn’t exactly the conversation I originally had in mind,” Markus admitted wryly while pulling off his boots, “Besides confirming some things Cara already told us, and some things I expect I will have no way of confirming at all, she seems to be projecting a lot of her own anger and resentment at me for ‘being the hero’ and saving everyone.”

“Oh...” Aela shifted uncomfortably and looked markedly more sympathetic, “I thought you might have been...you know...defending my honour?” She blushed profusely and burried her face in the blankets, “It’s dumb, I know,” Aela mumbled through the blankets.

“Well, I did a little of that too,” Markus admitted sheepishly.

Aela peeked her head out from beneath the blankets and nervously darted her tongue in the air, “You did?”

Markus nodded and then got into bed, “I did.”

Aela giggled happily and pulled Markus close before resting her head on his chest.

Closing his eyes, Markus was brought back to a full state of wakefulness as his tablet on the nightstand began to chime. Unable, and generally unwilling, to dislodge Aela, Markus had to stretch to retrieve his tablet and read the message.

Sent by Peabody, it was a notification to expect Phillipe’s uncle and an assortment of cousins in the next hour or so. Not quite feeling up to entertaining guests, Markus sent the message to Phillipe alongside a hasty apology before setting the tablet back down and making himself comfortable with Aela.

Waking up a few hours later, Markus made a point of dragging his feet while thinking of what he would say to Phillipe’s uncle if the subject of the semi repaired castle became an issue. Fully aware that they would at least need to dress to impress, Markus and Aela helped one another dress in their almost otherwise untouched fancy clothes and accompanying jewellery.

Predominantly based around the palette of black and silver, Markus had opted for a style based on Aela’s original military uniform. The style of clothing was rather simple compared to other noble fashions, but the addition of some understated jewellery fit Markus’s own sense of style much better. The best of both form and function, all of it was heavily enchanted. Markus had refused to wear so many many valuable gemstones without making practical use of them.

As they descended the stairs, Markus silently noticed that the bust of Aela’s contoured jacket showed unmistakable signs of padding. Making a mental note to try and shore up her self esteem later while they were alone, Markus avoided showing any signs that he had noticed, choosing instead to admire her figure as a whole. The jacket and pants elements of the uniform did add a certain masuline element to her appearance, but the deliberate measures to adapt it to Aela’s frame and introduce more feminine curves shifted it back into more feminine territory. The addition of a tasteful amber necklace and pair of earrings really helped frame Aela’s face in a way that accentuated her eyes that made Markus consider if Aela could be convinced to wear them more often.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs and entering the dining room, Markus was surprised to find the room empty. Continuing outside, his eyes widened in surprise at the transformation that had taken place outside.

Large open-sided pavilion tents of coloured canvas had been erected alongside the training grounds, and tables of fine foods and undoubtedly fine wines were on prominent display.

The open ground between the house and training grounds had been dried through an almost excessive application of sawdust and woodchips. It gave the air a more pleasant smell in addition to making the walk over to the tents far more forgiving on Markus’s expensive boots.

Furthermore, combat golems had been posted in excess of their standard duties, with the extra golems standing in prominently featured locations. It was obvious that Phillipe, or whoever had made the arrangements, was doing their best to make it difficult not to notice them.

Approaching the pavilion, Markus found Phillipe standing before a sizable crowd of what could only be his not so distant relatives and their spouses.

Philipe’s cousins were easy enough to identify by their lithe frame, similar height and passing resemblance in facial features. A couple of the women looked more like Kassandra in comparison, but on the whole, they all bore at least a passing resemblance to either Phillipe or his sister, confirming their identities.

What Markus had not expected was for there to be so many of them. Including those Markus suspected to be their spouses, there were close to forty people in attendance, and only three that looked ten or more years older than Phillipe.

Noticing Markus and Aela approaching, Phillipe excused himself from his conversation and hurriedly stood on a crate to raise himself above the loose crowd. “Introducing, his majesty, Markus Farus, king of the ShieldLands! And his royal Consort, Aela, Svaladottir”

Phillipe’s announcement was met with what looked like very well-rehearsed bows and curtsies from the crowd of nobles.

“Consort?” Aela whispered uncertainly.

“It uh, can mean a few things. In this instance, it could mean that we are a couple but not married,” Markus explained quietly while hoping his ears weren’t nearly as red as he thought they were,

“Oh...” Aela mumbled and flushed a little herself before straightening her back and taking hold of Markus’s left arm possessively.

Phillipe hopped down and made his way over to Markus and Aela, meeting them halfway of the remaining distance, “Ah, sorry for that,” he apologised, “But I honestly hadn’t expected you both to get so dressed up for this,” Phillipe admitted sheepishly.

True enough, the dress code was somewhat more casual than Markus had expected. By no means casual, most of Phillipe’s relations had opted for more practical clothing at the expense of fashion.

“Many had to travel quite far before being able to make use of Peabody’s, aherm, shortcuts, so they opted for travelling clothes,” Phillipe explained, “I already reassured them that you wouldn’t mind, I hope that’s alright?”

Markus shared a wry grin with Aela and nodded, “We might have saved some time getting dressed, but otherwise no real harm done.”

Phillipe sighed with visible relief.

“At least we made a more favourable impression,” Markus assumed optimistically.

“I had already made sure to inform everyone of your more utilitarian preferences, but it was good for them to see you don’t have insanely high standards for holding court,” Phillipe agreed, “Royal fashion trends can be prohibitively expensive and damned wasteful. At least if any of my cousins are so inclined, they won’t bankrupt their holdings to do it,” he joked good-naturedly.

“Is that your way of calling my outfit cheap?” Markus joked back with a grin.

Phillipe shrugged, “I prefer the term, accessible,” he countered with a grin of his own.

“Perhaps you should introduce me to your uncle before you manage to destroy my confidence any further,” Markus suggested, beginning to feel a little uncomfortable with so many people watching him.

“Alright,” Phillipe agreed eagerly, “I arranged a smaller seating area over there so you would be able to speak more privately,” he motioned to a section on the far end of the pavilion with only a small number of chairs at an isolated table, “If you prefer, you could head over now and I could bring uncle Welard to you?” Phillipe offered.

“Alright,” Markus agreed, profoundly relieved that he wouldn’t need to enter the crowd of Phillipe’s relative so early.

Heading over to the isolated table, Markus realised that he would need to grow used to parties like this one now that he was a king. Token appearances at a minimum would be required to help remind the nobles he existed and discourage plotting openly against him. While the golems would make strides to eliminate that plotting altogether, it would be far easier if Markus reduced the prospective workload to begin with.

After shifting two seats closer to one another, Markus and Aela sat down and waited for Phillipe to return with his uncle.

“I didn’t expect there to be so many of them,” Aela admitted quietly.

Markus nodded in agreement, “I think most of them are second cousins,” he explained, “Phillipe, or maybe his uncle Welard are probably trying to save as much of their family as can be managed. Or maybe saving those they believe are worth the risk.”

“I think you are right,” Aela agreed, “Their smiles aren’t nearly as forced as other nobles I have met.. Some of them genuinely seem quite fond of one another,” she pointed to a pair of younger men who appeared to be thoroughly engrossed in their own conversation and laughing amiably with one another.

Far from being an isolated case, most, if not all of Phillipe's relatives had drifted into their own smaller cliques and were happily chatting away with one another while occasionally partaking from the refreshment tables.

Phillipe could now be seen pushing an older man in his early fifties along in a strange chair with a pair of large rear wheels. It was like a strangely inverse concept of a wheeled barrow, where instead of the wheel in front and lifted from behind, it instead had two wheels at the rear and was tilted backwards to facilitate forward motion through pushing.

The occupant of the strange chair was presumably Phillipe’s uncle. Dressed in a military uniform of white, red and green, with a house insignia boldly emblazoned over his heart, the older man seemed healthy enough to not need the chair. Well-groomed and with a healthy, if somewhat comparatively ruddy complexion from years of sunburn and weathering, Phillipe’s uncle also had the largest and busiest moustache Markus had ever seen.

“Please, forgive me for not bowing, Majesty,” Welard apologised while doing his best to bow in spite of the strange chair, “I mean no disrespect.”

“And none is taken,” Markus reassured him, “Your intentions matter more to me than the gesture ever could.”

Welard’s small smile was almost entirely hidden by his moustache, “Phillipe said you were different,” he commented with a pleased tone, “It is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Majesty.”

“Thank you, I appreciate the sentiment,” Markus replied, “And I hope you have given my offer serious consideration.” Markus had originally been somewhat on the fence regarding the prospect of giving Phillipe’s uncle such a powerful and influential position, but now thought better of it.

“Indeed, Majesty,” Welard replied, “Although I was admittedly somewhat apprehensive, my good nephew had made a point of demonstrating how much you have accomplished in so little an amount of time. Not least of which are your genuinely awe provoking artifices. I must say that I am thoroughly impressed by your kingdom’s potential.”

“Phillipe has shown you the Prosthetic Armours?” Markus asked curiously, deciding that if Phillipe hadn’t then it would serve as a fitting demonstration of strength and the military applications of his artifices.

“I don’t believe so?” Welard shifted in his seat to look uncertainly at Phillipe for confirmation.

“I had planned an exhibition match for entertainment,” Phillipe admitted, “Hilda and Claude are preparing as we speak.”

“As much as I am looking forward to that exhibition match,” Welard assured them sincerely, “The sheer number of golems in your Majesty’s service is simply staggering. To be honest, I am not exactly certain why you need a military advisor at all. You surely have the capability of destroying any force that moves against your Majesty’s interests.”

Markus smiled wryly and nodded, “That’s probably true,” he agreed, “But I am not interested in destruction so much as saving those who would otherwise be lost. I am not a strategist or tactician, so my directions would be more likely to hinder than abide by that directive.”

Welard remained silent for a few moments before his bushy eyebrows rose in surprise, “Your Majesty wants to preserve the lives of the enemy soldiers?” He asked shrewdly.

Markus nodded, “As I understand it, the bulk of just about any army sent against me and my domain will be primarily composed of peasant levies. Unlike professional soldiers who at least chose their occupation, the levies are relatively innocent and I would have as little of their blood on my conscience as possible. Not that I wish death upon the soldiers either, but again, I am not a tactician. In the field of war, I would be more akin to a hammer,” Markus admitted wrly.

“Well, in this regard then, I am confident that I can be of use, Majesty,” Welard stated reassuringly, “With the tools of war your Majesty possesses, it would be quite realistic to expect minimal casualties against levies and soldiery alike without the need for excessive bloodshed. Aherm, especially if your Majesty is willing to direct a certain degree of danger towards the nobility amongst the enemy commanders,” the older man’s dark eyes twinkled mischievously and Markus found his opinion of him improving even further. There was every possibility that Phillipe had coached his uncle on Markus’s distaste for nobles, but Markus didn’t really care.

Markus was going to say more, but the telltale heavy footsteps of the pair of approaching Augmented Armours made him think better of it, preferring instead to allow Phillipe’s uncle the full exposure and awe afforded by their arrival.

Sure enough, the approach of Hilda and Claude’s personal Prosthetic Armours quieted and drew the attention of the whole pavilion with a few of Phillipe’s relatives loudly gasping or dropping their plates and glasses in surprise.

For his part, Phillipe’s uncle Welard appeared transfixed by them, his eyes bulging and moustache positively quivering with excitement. “Y-Your Majesty called them armour?” Welard exclaimed quietly in an excited whisper, “Does that mean-”

Phillipe grinned and nodded emphatically, “Yes uncle, they have people inside that wear them as armour.”

“Remarkable!” Welard exclaimed emphatically, “Truly remarkable!”

If there had ever been any doubt that Phillipe’s uncle wouldn’t accept Markus's offer, it was now firmly put to rest.