Quest 1, Part 5: [Subjugation]

I’m angry. I’m very angry right now. Of course I grieve for the dead, but I consider this baby lizard more important. Thankfully even without the system help, I’m able to use my aura. The reason is simple, the system only releases a certain amount of pressure while your aura depends heavily on emotions, making it easy to understand what it is. This why I learned how to control my feelings inside the game. In role-playing acting and bending your emotions was a really important thing.

This is why I can fully release my [Dragonic Aura] aimed right at the newborn dragon. It’s not only effective for making others scared. When used on other dragons, if there is a large difference in power the weaker always submits. This is one of the reasons why most of the newly hatched dragons die early. Only the strong are able, no, allowed to survive.

Since my target is but a hatchling my aura is effective on him, making him completely freeze. As as walk towards him I notice that every limb of his are trying to move but don’t budge. He wants to escape but can’t.

Arriving right next to the small dragon, who is around the same height as me, I gently put my hands on his neck and whisper to him. Even if he can’t understand my words, he can understand my tone.

“Hush now, little one. Don’t fear, I’m here now.”

With one arm around his neck and the other touching under his cheek tenderly I weaken my [Dragon Aura], exchanging it with a gentle, calm one, [Motherly Aura]. I don’t think I’ll ever be a mother, but acting experience always helps me out.

In my hands the dragon baby let out a small cry as his [Rampage] and [Fear] status goes away. His delicate body wraps around me like I’m his real mother. In this position he closes his eyes and falls asleep.

I send a glace at the other two, and just as clever [Neth] is, she tells Shela right away what I have in my mind. The elemental covers both of us with a faint magic and carefully lifts us. After Neth conceals all of us, they take me and the sleeping child home.

An hour later the dragon wakes up, finding himself in my biggest dragon stable. Since I didn’t want to scare him again, I stayed with him the whole time, at least in the room. I managed to learn how to controll my aura quickly, so I went back to the other subject, the [Space Magic].

At least I named it like this, since space magic never existed in this word. I sincerely hoped the [The Book of the Dragon God] contained huge secrets, but the only thing it had was the true story of the dragons, and the [Magic Theories] made by dragons. It was somewhat useful, but most of the information could be found in the [Royal Library]. I mean my library.

The few things that were useful are the facts that every mage can use any kinds of magic, but it’s much harder if you have no affinities with it. Space magic should be Darkness magic (that I have good affinity for) and high level [Magic Manipulation] itself. This is just my assumption. But if it’s [Magic Manipulation] itself, doesn’t that mean you have to use all affinities well and at the same time?

I tried many different methods and theories of mine but this is the closest I could get. I can now throw in and out any item that can fit in a 30 cm in diameter hole. The longest time I can maintain it until my mana hit’s zero is around one second. That’s not too much but hey! I’m able to get most of the items in the distorted space, meaning other tester’s items. Sadly other players’ items are not there.

This means I spent the last 10 minutes emptying all the gold and equipment, and having the very cheerful and smiley treasurer take it to her den(the treasury). That said, even if they are all mine I won’t hinder her fun.

Totally worth all the effort.

Back to the dragon. It’s awake, and still scared a little, but my presence helps him a lot. He should be a very intelligent animal now, but in the future he can achieve to be sentient. He is a rare dragon after all.

I try laying him to the straw and pull the lever of the feeder. A cubic hole gets filled with water while dried meat falls into another. I’ll have someone bring him some raw meat later.

I pet his head and leave the room for now, carefully locking the doors behind me. It’s made with enchanted metal so it should do the trick.

It’s time to complete another part of my quest. I feel like I’m cheating starting off as a princess but more than others I know how easy to ruin everything you have. And it’s not like I mind having this, I would die in days alone, without help.

Still, just because the deity told me to not die, it doesn’t mean the worst. Even if I can’t respawn, they just let me back to my real body, right? Right?

No. I won’t test that. At least not on myself.

As I leave my mansion I see Tronos already waiting for me with a carriage. He also knows what he is doing, I have to admit that.

When he notices me he bows before me and speaks.

“Princess. I prepared the stage, the people are already waiting for you. I inform you that Rotko Pletze died during the attack while the oppositionists from the council ran. They are detained near the stage. Please speak to the citizens and enlighten them.”

I nod smiling at him and step into the carriage, while answering.

“Everyone will get what they deserve. Now make haste.”

The vehicle I’m in is relatively small and simple but still resembles power. The gothic style made with dark wood, reinforced by magical silver shows a great picture you can see only on paintings. Small parts are filled in with gold adornments to complete the whole.

I make a light, warm wind to disperse the dust from my dress and hair and I’m ready for the speech.

While riding I watch the streets and houses in the city. They are mostly in nice shape and since the whole place is relatively undeveloped there is no slum. The water system is like the ones it the industrial revolution, meaning it’s ahead of the time. The only thing this city needs is stable food supply, what the game never had. There was no need. But now there is.

Especially since many of the farms were destroyed in the vicinity. I’ll have to do something about it. There is still the church. I can only hope everything will go as I plan, it is easy to lose one’s life in this position. I don’t intend to end up like that.

As I think of the things I’ll have to do in the future, we arrive at the [Main Square]. The people are crowding in front of the stage, there are ten-thousands here. The whole place is filled with people. I believe they want to know what happened and how will they survive without food supply.

I walk in the middle of the stage and watch as many gazes point at me. As always, the perfect right-hand, Neth is the one who acts first. Sending a wave of sound with magic she makes the audience go quiet and casts wind magic to amplify my voice. Since this is a magic that requires high concentration and continuous casting the best is when not the speaker is the one using it.

As the right moment comes, I raise my voice that the magic carries far away.

“My dear people. Today is an unfortunate day, as you have guessed. The incompetent leaders of the Adventurer Guild made a mistake. A mistake that caused many to die and endangered all of thee. They are the cause of this tragedy.

When I say Ritko Pletze, I say the name of a man who fought and died to save others. He was a great man, but he was not strong enough. His name will be remembered and family will be honoured.

When I say the name Baito Kela, I say the name of a person who made a mistake, but regretted it. I, under my authority as your ruler, revoke his position as a member of The Council of Five. He will suffer two days of pillory.

There are two other persons I have to mention. Tronos, bring them here.”

I look at my personnel and see their faces of dismay or frown. Neth is the only one who seems indifferent. I guess I’m doing something cruel to one of their friends, but it’s not my fault that he is an idiot. Every one of us knew that the little hatchling is the strongest and rarest.

Tronos brings the two in chains with a few armed men around them. When they are next to me they are pushed to their knees. The older one seems like he regretted running away, but the younger is still pouting nonsense.

“I don’t care! Let me go! I’m one of the leaders of the Adventurer Guild, you can’t do this to me! Why are you taking me there!”

When he finally notices me I continue to talk. Since the amplifying magic is an area magic, even at the shortest range, his voice is also transmitted to the crowd.

“These two person next to me are the incompetent leaders of thy, who ran away and hide in fear. It makes me wonder what thou, the people think of doing with him.” I say and smile a little.

“What are you saying you stupid child! This is the adults matter, it’s not for children! Just because of you are a princ-” The idiot started shouting at me, but one of the soldiers interrupted him with a kick in the stomach.

The crowd are unable to hold their voices back and starts to shout many things without any unison.

“Off with his head!”

“Kill him!”

“How dares he talk like that!”

“Beat him a thousand times!”

The people are all shouting and even arguing on what cruel things to do with him. They have to vent their hopelessness and flustration on someone. This time I make quiet.

“Enough!” I shout.

“It seems thee all agree with me. The sinners shall be punished. By my name, I revoke all their position and standing. From now on they have nothing. No home, no name.

They will be chained in pillory in this place for the rest of their lives. Thee, the people will be able to do anything to him but letting him free. Thine deed will not be judged later on. They will be branded by the following letters written with their own blood:

I betrayed my family.

I betrayed my friends.

I betrayed my country.

I BETRAYED MY PRINCESS.

I wish you forget these two names, and only remember the stay loyal to yourself, your family and me.

Thou will be informed how we will handle the food issue. I have to go now and start the rebuilding but I leave these three in your care.”

I finish my speech and no voice can be heard in the time I walk back to my carriage. I understand their standpoints. I just stated that anyone that dares to oppose me might have the same fate. That two are just the sacrifice, the example. They will engrave these letters into their hearts.

But they will also know that anyone following me will live in peace, prosperity and see fair judgement. I punished one of my own for this very same reason.

People always fear power, but if I’m the one that feeds them and keeps them safe, they will learn to be thankful for it. Soon, they will think it’s normal to leave under watch. Human mind was designed to be controlled, guided.

The one thing I have to watch out for are the other [Tester]s.