(Jacob, 16)

Sometimes, being the Crown Heir turns out annoying. Right now, Lina is with Niko for the Festival of Love, while I am stuck in a meeting, Tasha down in the Meti Duchy to run things. While I am able to visit her during these four days of the holiday, I am not able to be with her as fully as I should be for it.

During the Festival of Love, it is four days of spending time with our special other. If we are merely courting, it is waking hours, and with the standard others present as well. At least, that is how it is for nobility and royalty.

My personal guards have their own betrotheds, being nobility themselves, so they are with theirs right now. Due to their status, they rarely ever see them, and I know they do not actually like them. Arranged marriages, as most of nobility undergoes.

Customs are customs, though, so they are spending the holiday elsewhere, and guards who do not have a spouse or betrothed are acting as my protection for now.

I just hope this meeting ends soon, as I really desire to be with Tasha right now. Ever since Papa was wounded in the attempted takeover, I have had little time to be with her. This continued even after his return, as my duties have increased from the normal ones.

"As for the conflict in the northeast," finally, a topic which I have actual input for. "As the details for what is occurring and military action taken up there is being controlled by the her-by Prince Jacob, we do not have anything further to report."

They were about to call me a heretic. Even after a god decided to walk among us and publicly declare the Magi as heroes and servants of even greater gods, there are still those who refuse to believe it. By refusing to believe it, they can continue to tell their lies about how my family is no longer worthy of ruling the kingdom.

"Jacob," Papa indicates me. "Please give us a report on the situation to the northwest."

"The Jakor Duchy is no longer being held hostage by the traitor," I say. "And the former Duke of Varilar has passed on to the next life. With the assistance of Magi Adam, Elise, and Kyra, we have purged the traitorous soldiers and nobles from that region. Vel has created an alliance with Nelem, though they are holding their troops back for now. Due to the emergency state, we pulled soldiers from areas with a lower need for them to fortify our defenses and settlements there. We expect that should they attack again, it will occur during the summer. With Sar suffering from Magus Niko's assault on it and Iveko having decided to progress their society by not taking part in the war and instead entering a treaty with Jeshema, we are able to create a more accurate estimate of the forces Vel may be able to gather. My agents believe that they are in the process of speaking with the various nations to their east."

I tap my fingers on my desk as I think over what to say next, and the various nobles and officers present wait, able to tell there is more.

"I may be able to convince," I say. "Several of those nations to leave us alone. However, it would require traveling to the mountains to the east and spending some time there."

"How do you expect to do this?" Papa asks. "We only interact with those nations during the tournaments and meeting between leaders. Varil rarely does anything with them, while they maintain trade and borders with Vel and Nelem."

"In the mountains to the east," I summon my Crystal Crest and show it to them. "Are griffins. I am the Griffin of the Magi. No griffin would willingly attack me unless they became corrupted in the mind in some way. You are aware of what Jason did with the dragons in the mountains to the south. I can do something similar with the griffins to the east. In addition to that, I would be able to perform negotiations with those nations. As with Iveko, they may be willing to stay out of the war if it means progressing their magical technology to new levels. One thing which could turn the decision completely is offering to build a gate to allow for much easier trade. According to Sage Alyssa, they are ready to build more gates, as all of the important ones for Varil have been constructed. They are also ready to perform the reveal and remove the building around their gates so that we will have public Gate Plazas in each city with one."

"Your Majesty," one of the nobles speaks up. "I do not believe we can trust beasts. Griffins are known for being impossible for a mortal to kill, and for guarding their territory in an extreme measure. And who is to say that offering potential enemies power would not be taken advantage of? What if they agree, take the power, and then turn it against us? A gate could just as easily be used to send assassins into our land, or move an army into it."

"There is a master control for each gate," I set my Crystal Crest on my desk. "Only Jason Jeshema himself has access to it. Right now, he has every gate set to only be turned on manually, require Varilan permission, have a temporary active time, and limit the number of people able to pass through. All gates also scan each person who travels between them. Even if weapons, poisons, and other tools of assassination are stored in a dimensional space or a spatial storage, we will still know the magical power levels of each person who passes through. It will also catch anyone using light magic to conceal themselves. Sages Samuel and Alyssa, in addition to their son Jason, have come up with a way to detect dimensional spaces and spatial storages. This is something they have also incorporated into their gates."

I have no confirmation of this, but I know for sure that the Sages would have thought of the potential ability for an assassin to make it through with their gear hidden in dimensional space. Jason himself likely never thought about taking a measure against that for those who pass through the gates, but would the Sages really make the gates usable if they could not do such a thing?

So I feel positive the Sages have such an enchantment incorporated into the gates.

"Only employees," I continue. "Of Sageson Magical Technologies are able to create the important enchantments. Jason and his papas and mamas came up with effective enchantments to block them. If we build a gate somewhere and turn them into a trade and communication ally, then they betray us, we can simply shut down their gate. They will have whatever goods they bought from Sageson Magical Technologies, but will not be able to produce more of it.

"Anyone," I say. "Who rejects an alliance with us and Jeshema, who rejects the trade deals and other treaties offered by our two nations, will fall behind. Varil is flourishing more now than ever, and this success can be attributed to Jeshema's company and their products. Illness rates have dropped greatly due to the ready availability of fresh water. The life of even the common man has improved, and our workers have become more productive because they are happier and healthier. In a country which was already behind us, they would find themselves falling further behind as every other country around them accepts the alliance."

A new age for the world. One that we Magi intend on leaving it in when we leave this time. Jason has told us our time here is limited, and even more so than before. He revealed in a special session last night, just for us Magi, that when the Gathering of Power comes, we Magi will leave this world, and that we would understand why once we turned grey in magical power.

For those of us already aware, we know it has something to do with our true identities as the Divine Beasts. For the others… they are left in the dark regarding the reason, for now.

"If we offer this advancement to our potential enemies," I say. "We can turn them into allies. It's not a guarantee, but it may work. If I possess even the slightest suspicion they are attempting to gain an advantage against us, then I will close any potential talks and leave."

"And if Vel, Nelem, or another ally attacks them to steal their forces?" Another noble asks.

"If we have a gate there," I say. "We can swiftly respond to their defense. That would be another selling point for the gates: faster responses in emergency situations. How many times has a nation on our border asked us for assistance due to a monstrous threat of some sort? Even if we are not allies, they still call upon Varil for assistance, and we respond."

It is all they can do, when a horde of monsters much too strong for their own forces begins to run rampant. We usually only send a group of Slayers or Royal Guards, and that is enough to deal with it. Everyone knows our military might.

Which is one reason why this war is foolish. Were it not for the conflicts within the Southern Conclave, we would have no issue at all stamping out this arrogance of Vel's.

"We can discuss," Papa says. "Finer details of such a plan at a later time."

"You cannot be seriously thinking of doing such a thing?" One of the nobles exclaims.

"Jacob," Papa says. "Could you please explain to them what you actually wish to do to our enemies?"

"First," I say. "Kill every noble and royal in the countries who have declared war against us. Depending on how many Magi I take, we can finish it in a single night or just a few days. We would only strike down those who oppose Varil and wish for war with us. Then, I would replace them with trusted Varilan nobles, to ensure the leadership of the new regions of Varil are in good hands.

"After that," I continue. "We would replace their waterways with an update version of them, their lights with an updated version of them and perform various other improvements using the new magitech, all in their major cities and large towns, a process which would take three to six months each based on the size of the settlement. This will ease their peoples' transition in Varilan culture, as well as make them happier, having better things under a new rule.

"To deal with the resistances and rebellions that would no doubt appear," I continue. "We would have an elite group of forces acting from the shadows, taking them down as soon as they are located and eliminating such oppositions. We would not find it difficult to portray such groups as people who wish for their people to live worse lives when it comes to what we say to the common man."

The group of nobles stare at me in shock and fear, especially due to my casual tone with my statement.

"Also," I fix my gaze on one of the nobles. "I have no qualms with doing this to traitors. So I would carefully consider what you tell that group you meet with every two weeks when you go for that biweekly meeting tonight. We have already replaced three traitorous dukes and the nobles under them who opposed Varil and attempted to destroy the current rule and golden age Varil is under. A fourth will not be an issue, and I have only left you alone so far because you are more amusing than anything."

"You would accuse-"

"Yes," I interrupt him, earning several annoyed looks, as well as a stern one from Papa. "I would accuse you, considering that one of your subordinates recently realized that destroying a reign such as ours is not possible."

I open up my spatial storage and pull out a stack of papers, which I then use force magic to send to him as I close my spatial storage. He takes the papers and reads through, turning paler and paler the more he goes. Some of those are transcripts from their last meeting, others are things they have discussed or names of people under their command for their rebellion.

"As I said," I say. "I am quite aware of what is going on. The reason people such as you wish to destroy the current royal line is because we prevent your true greed from flourishing. We do not allow the exploitation of workers in the way other nations do, and we have outlawed slavery. Under the reigns of the factions who wish to see my family fall, nobility would have greater wealth and resources while commoners suffered terribly. Tyranny would reign. My family stands in the way of that, which is exactly why you and others like you wish to destroy us."

He swallows. Hard.

"It will not work," I say. "For the simple reason that not only is the Royal Guard absolutely loyalty to the royal line, but Lina and I are both Magi. And yes, I am aware that traitors like yourselves call us heretics, even after a god walks among us and claims we served a greater god. Do you want to know who that greater god was? It is not something we have been allowed to share before."

I asked Jason for permission, just for a situation like this. Every single noble in this room is a traitor to us, which is why I selected them for this meeting. Papa wanted me to take a more active role in such decisions, and I am turning it to our advantage.

As the one I am addressing attempts to come up with a response, I lean forward and smile.

"The Divine Dragon himself," I say. "Youngest, yet most powerful, of the Divine Beasts."

I pick up my Crystal Crest as the nobles begin to talk about how absurd that is, and I simply hold up the crest, letting them see it.

"This is my Crystal Crest," I say. "Something you are all aware is true. Tell me, does that image of a griffin look familiar?"

Silence as they all look at it.

"Does it not match," I say. "The griffin in the stars in its form? The very same griffin shown in the ancient temples, when showing the Sacred Beasts? This alone is a sign from the higher gods of my status."

I summon my Crystal Crest from when I was Ethan and hold it up.

"An identical griffin," I say. "On my crest from when I was the Magus of Light, King of Spring. You will find that each Magus bears one of the twelve Sacred Beasts upon their crests. The identical image to their ancient portrayals and forms within the stars, not the pale imitations you lot are accustomed to."

I let the silence hold for several moments, before I put my Crystal Crests away.

"So let me make one thing clear," I say. "The current Varilan royal line is not going away. You will fail in every attempt at doing so. And you will remember, above all, that you serve me. I act to protect Varil. Just as you will do away with employees who ruin your company or your lands, I will do away with nobility who ruins my land. I am in charge of the conflict to our northeast, so Papa and I will discuss how I will handle the talks with the nations east of Vel and Nelem. You will all rethink your plans to cause a rebellion or attempt to sever from Varil so that you can be the tyrants you wish to be."

I can tell Papa has a few words for me with what I have said here, as I know I lost my temper a little during it. However, I really do wish to protect Varil and our people, and am tired of assassination attempts, attempted overthrows, and other conflicts from within our nation.

Jason says that we may be facing a civil war soon, and if we do, it may split Varil entirely. I hope we can prevent that, because I know that if it splits, the nations not under the control of my family will turn for the worse. The people will stage their own rebellions against their new rulers with their treatment having become worse, and even more people will die.

I have put up with this for my entire life, for nearly seventeen years. I want it to end, and it will not so long as those who would betray us continue to believe that they actually stand a chance at defeating us. The longer this draws on, the more likely innocents are to be drawn into this power play by would-be tyrants.

Papa continues with the meeting, and nothing further is said of my topics. I give minimal input, mostly as it is not necessary. When it finally ends, Papa dismisses the others, then looks at me.

"I apologize for my outburst."

"You are fine," he tells me, sighing a little. "As with you, I am tired of these plays by them. They know that I will not side against you, yet continue to question your actions and suggestions. You are right in that we should negotiate with the nations east of Vel and Nelem. It may be difficult to do so, as Vel's leadership is no doubt already in talks with them, but if we can turn even a few of them away from the idea of facing us, it will be beneficial. The fewer nations attacking us there are, the fewer troops we will need to send, and the fewer we will lose."

"It also needs to be immediately," I say. "Which means I will miss university."

"We have several Royal Guards," he says. "Who can use gates, and their range will reach the mountains with only two gates. If you go, I can arrange for them to ensure the academic lessons you miss are brought to you, and you will be responsible for ensuring they are returned in a timely manner. As for your combat lessons, Royal Guards seem to be the better choice, considering your talents."

"Yes, sir," I say. "Can it wait until after the Festival of Love? I will no doubt miss Tasha even more than I am now. At least right now, we are able to see each other during the training group's sessions. Once I leave, however, that will change."

"I can arrange," Papa says. "For her to come visit from time to time. The negotiations will last some time, and I can understand wishing to see her."

"Thank you," I say. "Speaking of Tasha, do you know if she will be at the dance?"

"She will," Papa answers. "Though she will need to return to her territory as soon as it concludes to return to her duties."

"Okay," I stand. "Then I will head to my room and change now."

"I will see you soon," Papa says.

I make my way to my quarters, where I take a bath before I change into my outfit for the dance. There is one each night of the Festival of Love, and we wear similar outfits for each. Men wear reds, while women wear pinks, and both may wear white.

My outfit for tonight consists of white leather boots with red leather laces, white pants with red patterning, and a red tunic with white patterning. My valet picked a decent outfit, and he fixes up my hair as well.

Now that I am ready for the dance, I make my way to the ballroom, which is already packed full of guests, most of them nobility. Tasha is easily spotted, dancing in a beautiful pink dress that shimmers lightly. Her jewelry consists of a bracelet on each wrist, earrings, and a necklace, each made of silver and set with pink diamonds. Her hair is pinned up with silver pins set with pink diamonds as well.

As beautiful as always, Tasha is.

After taking her in for a moment, I approach her, taking a glass from a passing server on my way. Tasha is currently speaking with a noble who runs one of the baronies beside the Unwild Lands, someone she would ordinarily have no dealings with.

"Yes," Tasha is saying, neither of them having noticed my approach yet. "I do believe Jacob would like that."

They are discussing me? Should I step away, then, and allow them to return? She speaks with a gentle, yet genuine smile, so I know that they are not speaking of something ill. Her words implies they are speaking about something for me as well.

"Are you certain?" The baron asks, looking somewhat nervous.

"I am," Tasha's smile grows just a small amount. "I can understand why you are nervous, but he will not find it to be mocking him."

Now I wish to know what it is, or if it is intended on being a surprise to me. I finish approaching Tasha before their conversation can continue.

"Hello, Tasha," I greet her, then incline my head to the baron. "Lord Greenmont, it is nice to see you here. It is not often you leave the barony to make the trip here."

"Y-yes," he stammers. "It is an honor to speak with you, Your Highness."

"Jacob, please," I tell him. "Did your trip go well? We have had a rise in incidents involving ogres, corrupted, and monsters in recent months, and I know the journey here is not a short one."

"Yes, thank you," he answers. "I have left my daughter in charge of running the barony while I am away."

"Theresa?" I ask. "Your eldest?"

"Yes," he answers.

Thank the King and Queen of the Gods I remembered her name. She is the only one of his children whom I can remember the name of. While I can list the entire family of every major noble, the minor ones such as barons and earls of smaller territories are easy for me to forget, as I rarely even hear of them.

"I am sure it is in good hands, then," I tell him. "How is the barony lately? I have not seen any reports regarding issues that have arisen, yet you live on the border of the Unwild Lands. Have the monsters decreased their activities?"

"No, sir," he answers. "But I did not find it necessary to continuously send the capital reports saying that the monsters are doing what they always do. Activity levels have increased somewhat, but within the expectations based on the past. We are handling things as they come. My men are able to deal with the situations when they arise, though the local Slayers do come out to assist us when necessary."

"That is good to hear," I tell him. "Remember to send word if you need additional troops."

It would go to the nearest fortress first, as they would be the ones to dispatch soldiers. Greenmont is not within a duchy, so they do not have a duke to watch over things and provide additional protection.

"I will do so," he answers.

"Is everything alright?" I ask. "You seem quite nervous."

"Colby," Tasha indicates the baron, and I realize that she slipped her arm into mine already. When did that happen? I suppose it feels natural to me, so I did not notice it. "Has a suggestion he wishes to make. While I was waiting for you, we were talking, and I was inquiring about a few things, and he mentioned it. It is the main reason he came here, as he wished to petition to see the royal family to suggest it."

"I was planning," Lord Greenmont admits. "To make the request on Tuesday, after the festival concluded. It is nothing we need to discuss, especially not here."

"I can hear it now," I smile at him. "If Tasha says I may like it, then there is a good chance I will. We have known each other since we were infants, and are able to tell what the other would like quite easily. And these dances are an excuse for most nobles to gather and discuss plans of theirs. You can be sure alliances are being struck or annulled, trade plans arranged, even as we speak."

"Y-yes, sir," he says. "I was thinking of creating a combat academy outside of my town. We can build it using stone from my quarry and wood from the forests.

"In addition to the universities here in Varilsy," I say. "There are academies throughout Varil which provide combat training to warriors or mages. Greenmont Barony is not large enough to warrant an academy of its own. At least, not one devoted to combat."

Based on its size, his barony is a region which sends those who wish for such an education to another city. Nearly everyone within the barony receives apprenticeships or are trained in combat by joining the guards, not going to academy or university.

"Not that sort of academy," Tasha tells me, and I look at her. "Go on, Colby."

I look back to the baron, who nods.

"While some of the students will train in combat," he says. "The main purpose of the academy will be to research combat enchantments, to improve equipment wielded by warriors and mages. While I know the students of the Royal Enchantment University perform this on a greater level, we would be researching things more specific to our region, using stuff acquired from the barony and the section of the Unwild Lands we will enter. The hope is that we may discover something the better-trained ones may have overlooked, or which will assist them in their own research."

"With the hope of having a more specialized research," I say. "Specifically to deal with the Unwild Lands, which everyone has given up on understanding and inhabiting, save for the rare groups like the Sages."

"Yes, sir," he admits. "While I know the royal enchanters will do things much better, I wish to give my own citizens a chance at helping out with the area. It would also help to create a few more jobs for the barony, and with our population growth, this is necessary as well. However, I am sure that it would take away from those who would better serve the kingdom, which is why I am unsure."

"Well," I smile. "I'll inform Papa of your plan, and we can see if there is something we can arrange that works out for you."

"Thank you, sir," he says.

"You are welcome," I tell him. "Now, Tasha and I will take our leave, we have others to mingle with as well. Enjoy the dance."

"You as well, Your Highness."

Tasha and I leave as I think over what Colby said. It sounds like he is uncertain as to what he actually wants for the academy, and his main reason for it is to train locals better when it comes to enchanting, while also providing jobs to those who might need it. A short-term solution, but we can pull knowledge and advice from various people to help him.

"Have you seen your sister's dress?" Tasha asks me.

"It has a cage underneath," I nod.

It is more of a ballgown than a dress, meant to keep the dance partner at a distance. A more formal gown that has become more and more outdated as the years pass by.

"I am certain your papa had something to do with that," Tasha tells me, and I smile.

It is intended on preventing Niko and Lina from being right against each other during the dance. Bear Alpha has become an almost permanent supervisor to them due to how much they are violating the codes for courting among nobility and royalty.

"Jason and Alex are present as well," Tasha informs me. "Most of the Magi are, since most are nobility in some form. Jason has those hairpins in above his left ear, as usual."

"He rarely removes them," I nod as we spot Alex, who is dancing alone and looks thoroughly annoyed. "Come, let us find out where Jason went."

We approach Alex, who gives me a death glare. At the moment, he continues to dislike me, though I know the phase will end eventually and we will be on more friendly terms once more.

"Is everything alright?" I ask.

"Jason received a call," Alex grunts. "And hurried away to answer it. Then he returned and said he had to leave, then left."

What came up that caused Jason to need to leave in a hurry?

(Jason, 16)

"No!" I bop the baby dragon on the head. "Release! Release!"

"Please make him stop!" Dragon Alpha whines. "He's put holes in me!"

"I'm trying!" I tell Dragon Alpha, then bop the baby dragon dragon. "Release! Release!"

Finally, after twenty minutes of trying, I manage to get the baby dragon to let go of the grey dragon stuffie golem. Dragon Alpha tends to his injuries as I pick up the baby dragon, which is only a foot and a half in height.

As with all dragons, he has four legs, two wings, and a tail, and as a baby dragon, his horns are barely stubs on his head, though his teeth are as sharp as any dragon's.

Where he varies from other dragons, however, are his scales. They are neither red nor black nor copper nor silver nor gold. No, his scales are a rich forest green with the slight metallic shimmer the scales of all dragons have.

"How did he even get in here?" I ask Dragon Alpha. "The Shattered Isle should be against dragons, too!"

I set Dragon Alpha here after finishing his core and making his body, to protect the island and restock supplies. It wasn't really necessary, but I was making a new stuffie dragon, and then decided to put a proper golem core in it.

He's a lot more sane than most of them, and he neglected to tell me about this dragon. He did tell me about a baby dragon intruding here, but I thought it belong to the black dragon which lives on the mountain at the center and was just a little lost.

Not a green dragon.

"I don't know!" Dragon Alpha exclaims as the baby dragon curls up in my arms, nuzzling his head against my chest. "He just showed up one day! I keep moving him onto the mountain, but he keeps coming back down here! He won't leave me alone! It's annoying! It's like he wants to be with me, even though I'm a stuffie! The dragon up on the mountain says he'll watch over him, but the tyke keeps getting loose!"

Hearing that the baby dragon has an interest in Dragon Alpha makes me suspect what's going on.

"Dragon Alpha," I say. "Go fly onto the medical building."

Dragon Alpha obeys, watching us with caution. I set the baby dragon down into the fire pit in the clearing for the houses, then take several steps away in the direction opposite of Dragon Alpha, putting myself at the same distance from the baby dragon as the stuffie golem is.

The baby dragon manages to escape the pit, then looks at Dragon Alpha, before looking at me, then it hops off the pit and walks over to me, nuzzling my leg.

Yep, it's what I thought. I pick him up and rub his head, then approach the pit, beckoning for Dragon Alpha to return.

"He's reading my magic in you," I tell the stuffie golem. "And was trying to get at your core, where it's the most dense. It's possible he was thinking it was trapped in some sort of prison, and was trying to free it."

"I'm not a prison!" Dragon Alpha huffs indignantly "I am a member of the Ultra Defense Stuffie Golems! Well, a secret member they don't know about, but still! I'm not a prison! That's insulting!"

"You're a long way from home, aren't you, little guy?" I ask the baby dragon as I connect my mind to his.

"Papa?" He asks.

"No, not papa," I tell him. "Your papa is far away from here."

"Papa."

"You can call me that, though," I stroke his head a little bit. "Don't worry. One day, we'll return you to your family."

Letting out a sigh, I look up at the sky. As Nolan, I performed a number of experiments and adjustments. The green dragons were one of them, and they live exclusively on Amalia. It's going to be quite awhile before I can return the tyke to his papa, and I won't be able to just leave him anywhere.

My mamas and papas are already causing a fuss because of Rufus. What will they say when I bring a pet dragon home?