"They should be arriving soon. You ready?" I ask Claire as she adjusted the cap on Sophie's small head.

"Mhm, I just don't want her getting too cold when we get up there."

"It's not as bad as the first version. It'll be much warmer now."

She eyes me carefully, likely remembering the first trip we had taken in the chilly vehicle. It was insulated but it still got fairly brisk. It wouldn't be a problem for the cargo blimps, but passenger ones need comfort.

I made sure to address the issue with improved insulation designs.

"If you say so." She says wrapping a thick scarf around my neck.

I laugh through the fabric that obscured my vision and blindly reach for Claire's hand. I find it and then notice the air grow colder after a single step.

I will need to improve the insulation further I suppose.

Two mages glance at us from the back of the ship and then nod casually. Most of the craftsmen had gotten used to Claire's teleportation, I was thankful we had sent two of the knowledgeable ones to pilot the craft.

The fire mage, who only needs to use magic occasionally to maintain altitude, walks over to us while the Air mage continued to steer the craft.

"Good to see you Your Grace; Duchess." He says bowing to each of us formally. He then crouches to the level of the bundle at Claire's chest. "Lady Sophie."

Sophie fusses lightly and tosses her arms about in the sling. It seems she has accepted the greeting.

Me and the Mage spoke for awhile about the new fire training that I had developed for the guild.

All the mages in my Duchy were amazed by the rate at which they increased in skill with the new training. It was a culmination in research of both professor mages, with small additions I had developed. Now even the least talented fire mage would produce a reasonable flame after a year's work.

I printed the books and was giving them to the individual mage guilds for free.

The mage pilot was grateful for the work. He hadn't been skilled enough for most high paying work. Mostly settling for lighting torches in wealthy capital cities. Now he says he is paid triple his prior wage, and can produce an eight foot flame with ease.

He could likely now get any magic based job he wanted, but he was adamant about staying under the Blood Duke's employ.

I had heard similar from many before. The benefits of working under us in the Bay were better than anywhere else. We provided healthcare for workplace injuries, free room and board for craftsmen constructing the capital. And I gave away the knowledge necessary for people to better themselves.

And I was just getting started.

"Oy were dropping." The Air mage shouts from the back of the long open ship.

"Oops." The fire mage says hurrying back to the large metal tube.

He lets out a concentrated burst of fire up the tube and into the balloon above. The movement, and heat, is noticeable immediately. It seems excessive. I think this man is showing off. He should do it later when my wife and daughter aren't in the danger.

I eye him silently and he notices my thoughts. He smiles apologetically and shifts the blue flame into a soft yellow.

"We are close right?" I ask approaching the air mage and looking at the glass window he stared through.

"Yes my Lord. We should be able to see the capital behind this mountain soon."

The man points with one hand while keeping the other on the steel tube beside him. This was the system used for air magic based propulsion. It was basically a simplified jet turboshaft engine powering a propeller on the back of the blimp.

We currently have three methods of propulsion and two of elevation.

The loadout can be an air & fire mage like we have now, or any combination of the two. The current setup is the fastest but the ship could even fly with a single fire mage and a steam powered propulsion system. And we were even developing a ethanol based turboshaft flight system. With that even lone merchants could pilot it.

"There it is." He says after Claire joins me to investigate the small window.

It's interesting to see the city from above. I can see every flaw in its design. It's not terrible, but it's not perfect by any means. The blocks are angular but there are a lack of organized alleyways. It's likely they built the city based on necessity instead of function. Roads were built, and then citizens were told to build structures. This lead to many irregularly shaped buildings and unoccupied spaces.

My city however was going to be perfect. I'm sure the King will be very jealous once he sees it. I've built it carefully so far with expansion in mind.

I have to admit, I am excited to see the king and tell him of my progress. And Claire will probably have much to show Aeri regarding Void magic. She's progressed much in her training the past year. Claire's already surpassed her mother's skill and is experimenting on her own. This time the king would have no doubt she was a void walker.

I wonder what possibilities void magic holds. Could she attain the same level our ancestor had? If I feed her mana she could probably even surpass that level. I'm interested to see what may come of her powers.

The blimp begins to lower towards the small landing zone we had made outside the city. It is only when we near the ground could I truly grasp our speed. It is alarmingly fast.

I fear for the life of my wife and child, but as it stands it is still under control.

I wonder how that earthling could ride on airplanes so easily? That would be much more terrifying than the speed we currently fly.

I watch the air mage carefully as he lands the zepplin. He coordinates with the fire mage as if they are a single mind. One slows his pulse of fire into the balloon while the other quickly pulses air downwards to slow the descent. If a single mistake is made it would fall too rapidly, but they would make no mistakes.

They were the best pilots we had. With them the blimp had arrived at the capital in a record destroying one week. And they hadn't even been at full speed.

True, most of the other records had been made via horse, but there weren't any rules against it were there?

I feel a little bad for Claire getting her record beaten so soundly. But if it makes her feel any better Vigi would probably arrive here in seconds if he attempted the time trial. Oh, but wouldn't Claire teleporting beat everyone's records?

"Here let me get it." The air mage says once the ship had come to a halt and we walked towards the craft's exit.

He leans over and unlatches the deployable ladder. It unfolds smoothly and I descend first, followed by Claire with Sophie. After that the air mage descends and refolds the ladder behind him.

It's now the fire mage's job to maintain the balloon. It would be too much of a hassle to refill the craft so instead mages would take shifts keeping the balloon semi-aloft until we leave. It's safely tied so there isn't to much to worry about.

I thank the farmer we hired to create the landing zone, then turn my attention to the crowd that had assembled in the field around it. There appears to be people dressed in all sorts of outfits, I can see nobles, fishermen, merchants and of course farmers. There are others, but I can't identify them with Earth stereotypes.

"I'm glad you are all present to see the maiden voyage of the 'HMS Sophistry'. This magnificent behemoth was made by the craftsmen of the Duchy in the Bay of Mountains. Claire would you?" I say extending my hand to Claire.

The name is something I came up with on the spot, it is good enough. I just hope my sales pitch is good enough.

She was confused earlier as to why we had brought this object she now handed me, but i assured her it was necessary. I know the order is backwards but this also isn't actually it's maiden voyage.

So who cares?

I grab the neck and swing the heavy glass bottle against the wood and metal frame of the blimp. It cracks spilling the liquid against the ground and ship. I feel bad wasting our liquor but it was the only bottles we had on hand in the keep. And now that we have multiple stills there would be no trouble producing more alcohol.

The townspeople looked at me strangely. Only a few ship workers as well as merchants seem to understand the display.

Hopefully I have done enough to spread word of this craft. It was already used regularly in my Duchy but we have only sold a few at this point to neighboring districts. Havas now has one and an earl I haven't spoken with has a couple.

I want there to be dozens in each district to broaden trade, and that can only happen if merchants and nobles see it.

It will become the most useful trade tool I create. Unless I decide to build a train system at some point, but I don't foresee needing to introduce that. I will pick and choose carefully what I bring to this world. I will spread the tools I need to help the world and no others.

I won't develop explosives because this world mines with magic.

I won't develop gunpowder because this world doesn't need more tools for war.

"Introducing The Duke of Blood Drew Goldianus, and his wife Duchess Claire Goldianus."

A small round of applause is heard as well as some soft whispering amongst the other nobles and lords at the pre-summit gala. This event is held as a way of determining the sides for the coming summit.

From my spy's explanation of things, it seems the summit is a war-zone each year. A political war-zone. Lords will trade villages like trading cards, trying to assemble resources in exchange for areas with resources they have in abundance.

The summit becomes a redistricting, as well as a scouting mission between the various lords goods, and this is all before the actual summit begins.

I note carefully the people Syph told me to speak with during the briefing. These are the strongest political powers amongst the Lords.

Title doesn't matter, even a count is amongst them.

Well two. But I already know I likely have one on my side. Even if I did steal land from him, I also saved his son from kidnappers while attending academy. I also sold him a blimp to better trade between our two capitals. He's surely forgiven me.

I felt strange assembling allies but Syph said it was vitally necessary in upper court.

The knowledge Syph passed me was extremely helpful. I had to thank her parents whenever they returned from assignment. I also would need to speak with the King about assigning Syph's parents to watch us in the first place. Discovering that she operated at the school as a spy for the count had initially confused me. But I got over the surprise when I noticed her skill with creating poisions with alchemy. She also explained that her calm mana was actually something breed into her, it helps to mask her presence.

I speak with a few of the Lords and Ladies on the list, then my face turns to one of smugness when i see the man who attended my coronation and griped about the measly cost of the construction of the Canal. This was one of my missions for the trip. I know for a fact his capital city is now twice its size. I have the paperwork to prove it. A dozen docks have been added, as well as a dry dock for river boat construction. They are prospering.

"Ahem." I fakely cough to draw his attention.

"Yeah, yeah, I see you." He says waving at the air. "Well you sure look smug, but I can't deny you it. I'm forever indebted to you. I thought the cost would completely ruin us honestly, but instead our county is stronger than ever. I know I have you to thank for that, if there is ever anything you need, I will see to it personally."

"Thank you but it's unnecessary, your support is enough. If your people are living better than I am satisfied."

"With the farming techniques that came from the Havas Craftsmen, as well as the new canal, food is at its all time cheapeast. Our farmers are training themselves to become mages with the time they now have. It has truly become a tizzy in my capital city. I barely found time to come."

I won't bother telling him the farming techniques are mine as well as the magic revolution. It will make him praise me as a god, that wouldn't be couth in the gala.

I already have him on my side, it is enough.

I move to the next one on the list and exchange pleasantries, it seems this was the Earl who I had sold the pair of small airships. His district was directly beneath the counts. He thanks me for them with a sly grin and then assures me that I have his complete support.

I feel a bit of concern about the behavior but I'll brush it off with the help of some pastries. Claire truly judged well, she gazes at me coyly while I wolf down the tarts. These people have gone from a small bakery to catering this lavish gala.

Impressive.

Dozens of Lords sat around a wide round table that had been wheeled into the fake chamber of the Royal Castle. The king and his wife sat almost exactly opposite my own position. A few feet behind them was Aeri who was standing lazily, glancing around the room. The Royal couple's seats sit slightly higher than the rest of ours, it gives them a domineering look.

The chamber is decorated with elaborately weaved fabrics and silk.

I recognize some as spider Silk, the fabric my district has become most famous for.

The purple room was illuminated by a pair of 'light' specialized mages at the corner of the room. The rare mages each held a finger in the air maintaining a soft glow throughout the room.

"Are we waiting for something?" I finally ask. We've sat at the table silently for near twenty minutes. I can tell I'm not the only one becoming restless.

I'm just the only one ballsy enough to speak on it.

"The summit is always lead by a prayer from the Church's priest. However this year I'm told a special emissary from the Church will be leading the prayer instead. They should arrive here shortly."

I don't like the sound of that, but the king appears to see no problem with it so I shrug the feeling off as paranoia.

"Then before that, let's talk about the elephant in the room!" A woman standing behind a small timid looking boy says with fury in her voice. I hadn't seen the mother and child pair at the Gala.

Oh, no, that's not true.

The woman was there. She was yelling at the Earl moments before I spoke with him. What was her issue with the shrewd businessman?

"You're issue being, the forced change of your sons borders?" The king asks looking between the Shy Duke and the Earl.

These two are nearly neighbors of mine, yet I know nothing about this.

Border change?

How?

When?

By 'forced' he must mean the change in borders was done through force instead of the usual trading.

No. You can't mean?

"Yes! Him and that blasted Blood Duke used their air behemoths to steal one of the islands my son controls in Goddard Lake."

"I only did because your son refuses to participate in trade like the rest of us. I have offered many good villages to the duke in exchange for the single island. I even offered a dozen of my finest slaves. Yet he still refused. The offer was vastly better than a few island towns. There is even an Alchemist amongst them. He acts belligerent by refusing. So I chose to strike."

I hate this man. How did we allowed him to use our technology for war? We should have watched him, we should have vetted him. People can't be trusted.

"I'll allow it then." The king says blankly. "On that same subject I'm removing the limit on standing armies. All lords may now assemble armies at their leisure."

I bolt from my chair and glare at the man. 'What are you doing?!' I shouted through a domineering pulse of intent towards the king.

The whole table turns to face me but as I have said nothing to them it just looks like I was just agreeing with the king's decision by standing with him.

'Now phase II begins.' He whispers with his own sly intent into my mind. 'Change in borders by force has been allowed. Your land appears ripe with advances and intelligence to the other Lords. Your war can be fought to protect. Your tools won't be feared for your actions, only continuously envied. The Era of the 'Righteous Gods' can now begin. We just have to wait for the last pawn to arrive.'

What are you doing?

I don't think I can easily stop this current momentum without killing the king. But that's not a reasonable option.

The rest of the lords have already become animals. They look at their neighbors with blood in their eyes. Some just gaze at me with frowned brows.

Envy.

War.

And when the church gets here it will likely become even worse. The king was planning to draw the empire into the war as well. With that he thinks I will be forced to develop technologies of war to protect my people. Those technologies would eventually be stolen and reproduced by the warring parties as they always are. That was his plan. I was sure.

Could I still throw a wrench into it?

Ah. Possibly.

I'm sorry Claire.

I'm sorry Sophie.

I'm suddenly glad for those weeks I spent at the academy. If I hadn't found that scroll 'Lord Hood Rules & Regulations' in the library I would've never known about the clause.

I just have to wait out these stares until the real action begins when the Empire's emissary the Church Priest, arrives. They will be my saviors.

But, if my plan hits a hitch I will have to kill the king and take the throne from him to reverse this decision. It's the only other way to prevent all out war.