(Ashen POV)

Innus had started the process of claiming the land for him to use as his anchor point. He said it would only take an hour, so that's how long I waited, messing with the runic formula of [Fireball] in the meantime. When the process was complete or at least appeared that way, the massive region he was claiming started to glow in a deep red light. I figured it would only be a minute longer until the process was completed in full, but something else caught my attention. Eyes. Something was peering in on me, watching me. They weren't here, else I'd be able to say for certain who it was, but the cold stare of dreadful eyes was upon me. Then came shivers, something unknown to me in this world so far. In waves, my body shook, jittering in place. Then, after that, came a feeling of icy cold sludge in my chest, like my organs were replaced with the vacuum of space. Only after these three things, did I realize the cause.

[Fire Plane Lord has anchored to the Physical Plane]

Then, something alarming happened, arising from Apoctaclass. A silent, high-pitched whimper of pain. Not of sound, but rather mana and soul, like the two were being obliterated in their entirety. Then realization struck me. The Plane Lord and the dungeons fought for control of the ground, and due to the dungeon in Apoctaclass, this was likely the result of their struggle. Three more strings of pain were struck in the air. Like the ghastly howls of a bleeding wolf, it whimpered, cried, raged, and screamed. Its voice cut in and out of the surroundings like a waterfall off a steep cliff. Then, the water fell, and a loud, echoing rupture was heard from all around. The ground shook, shattered, and sieged the air with clouds of dust and sound. If I needed to breathe, I’d be choked for air. Jets of flame started erupting from the cracks in the ground, and in moments, ignited the loose, fine particles of dust. In an explosion spanning kilometers around me, the dust turned to smog, and an array of sunrise colors breached the skies above.

[Abros Ni’collos Dungeon has been slain]

It died? So quickly, so abruptly, so… easily. “Lord, the townspeople are in shambles, none seem injured, but most concerned over the dungeon,” Jolven spoke to me telepathically.

In an instant, I teleported into the shop, seeing him and Julia together, along with three others, be them customers or whatnot. “Jolven, take care of the surface while I examine the dungeon’s depths. Julia, heal any I transport here from the dungeon.” They both nodded and I teleported again to the entrance of the dungeon.

“Help! Help! He’s stuck! His legs are crushed under the rubble! Help!” Other similar sentences called out around me, and I did what I could to alleviate the damage some have sustained.

I used my magic to clear the rubble and dust from the area and healed all I could detect, before diving into the dungeon proper. “Uh, should I be concerned about that message just now?” Aeyrs decided to speak sarcastically at a time like this.

“The dungeon in Apoctaclass was destroyed when Innus took over the region, if you aren’t busy, I suggest you come help me evacuate those that were unfortunate enough to be inside when it happened,” I swear I heard a sigh before he appeared next to me.

“Fine, fine, but just this once. I have beauty sleep to catch up on.” He yawned, showing his disdain for the current tragedy.

“Can it. Just look for survivors and send them to the town hall or Jolven’s shop.” He looked at me strangely.

“Like I know where your shopping mall is!” If only he wasn’t immune to my pity slaps, I’d nail him a thousand times for stuff like this.

“Just send them to the town hall, and hurry. I don’t want people to die due to your inability to be serious.” He shrugged and took on a more focused look, then we both dashed forward, flashing from place to place, room to room, floor to floor, helping everyone we came across.

At the same time as I was looking for people, my brain took in the details from the dungeon’s layout and design. “If nothing else, it might be possible to resurrect a dungeon even.” They were considered a race, and if anything has nailed home the point that ‘technically true’ means ‘most likely’ in this world.

But, where would I put it? It can’t inhabit the same region as a Plane Lord, so they can’t overlap. “Save it for after the place crumbles, don’t distract yourself with fantasies until this one is done.” Did he just tell me to focus when he…?

That’s my brother alright. “Fine, how about a word of advice.” he shot a look at me, one of curiosity.

“Oh, and what’s that?” His eyebrows raised.

“Small Cloud is more than willing to pound your ass in return for messing up his room again.” His relaxed demeanor dropped into that of regret, then to silence.

We spent twenty minutes clearing out the first hundred levels of the dungeon, nearly forty thousand adventurers were inside, not to mention the natural race of the dungeon, the Vamicil. They were slender, almost grey-skinned, tall people. They were weak physically, but brute in magic. They were on par with most of the demon races in terms of magical prowess, and their eyesight was perfect in pitch dark conditions. Their hearing was excellent as well, but their sense of touch, taste, and smell was all but non-existent. A few, only three or four, of them have reached the surface, probably due to them being on the bottom floors, or being killed in the dungeon’s upper floors. Still, the few that had reached the surface were protected, studied, documented, and then allowed to do what they wanted, be it return to the dungeon or stay on the surface.

I felt bad for them since their home dungeon was killed due mostly to my actions. It didn’t mean they were doomed though, as they can reproduce on their own, like any real species. They could survive, even prosper, and I planned to protect them and allow that to happen. I don’t know how it slipped my mind, but the conflicting occupation of the land between Innus and the dungeon should have been more alarming. I have no idea how my mind could let such an important detail slip, as it was something that was brought up just an hour ago. Could this be the effect of my high stats? Was a massive intelligence and wisdom score a burden in some conditions? Or was it something else? Perhaps it was due to some magical or racial cause, or even just a strange, random event. Was it a fluke? Or a flaw? I didn’t have much to go off of, but I’ll find out eventually.

[The Water Plane is invading the Physical Plane] [The Earth Plane is invading the Physical Plane] [The Air Plane is invading the Physical Plane] [The Frost Plane is invading the Physical Plane] [The Lightning Plane is invading the Physical Plane] [The Life Plane is invading the Physical Plane] [The Death Plane is invading the Physical Plane]

What? Why did they all come at once!?

[Water Plane Lord, Whiinthil, has Invaded] [Earth Plane Lord, Rokaroth, has Invaded] [Air Plane Lord, Hossihiir, has Invaded] [Frost Plane Lord, Connokku, has Invaded] [Lightning Plane Lord, Firgnaer, has Invaded] [Life Plane Lord, Loout, has Invaded] [Death Plane Lord, Dorriache, has Invaded]

The Plane Lords as well? I didn’t expect them so soon, Innus only just finished claiming his land, it was too sudden. “Should I be worried or excited about this?” Aeyrs questioned suddenly.

“What do you think? Both.” We took a second to think about what this means.

They never invaded together, and this seems a little strange for them to all come conveniently after the Fire Plane lord had just anchored to the Physical Plane. “So, what’s the plan, magic man?” I didn’t quite have one until I talked to them, I was in the dark too.

“I suppose we head to the surface quickly, but let’s finish here first.” He sighed but continued in our efforts, and after 40 minutes we had completely cleared the entire dungeon.

I thought it was odd, but it didn’t take that long, every five or ten floors had people on it, and the other floor started to develop more and more into trap room after trap room, with skeletons and other monsters lurking inside. The dungeon had 186 floors, so I assumed its level was the same, or close enough to it. There were only a few adventures down this far, most of them were startled to see me and Aeyrs sprinting through the entire dungeon and teleport them back to the surface. The Vamicil that were down here were also startled by our presence, and they were brought to the surface all the same. The strangest part of the dungeon was its last floor. Hundreds of rooms, some for storage, others for weird experiments, all with heavy veins of mana all dried up on the walls, ceilings, and floors.

The room the veins all lead to housed the core. A dull blue crystal ball, roughly 15 meters in diameter, large, but not the largest I’ve seen a dungeon has. That honor belonged to Darkfall Abyss, the hardest dungeon in Sugarea. The core took up a city block and had more health than almost every world boss combined. Though you didn’t need to kill the core to beat the dungeon, it gave dramatically more loot, which made its defeat all the more exciting. This dungeon, on the other hand, felt off. Half-finished creations of Vamicil and other monsters were sprinkled around the floor. Some were missing arms, others legs, and some were torn apart, their bones had strange lightning-like markings, indicating that this was a violent examination. It would likely make someone sick just looking at their corpses, but I wasn’t just someone.

Aeyrs on the other hand was affected by the sight in front of him. He nearly hurled the buffet he gorged on for breakfast, if it wasn’t for his [Draconic Immunity] skill, he would have had a bad time. It worked the same as my [Demonic Immunity], giving near perfect protection to non-magical sensations, excluding pain, blinding lights, deafening sounds, and extreme temperatures. I suppose it would be the perfect resistance in this world unless someone made a flashbang, which would be hard without magic. I wasn’t particularly worried about being blinded or deafened, as I have no real eyes or ears, and even temperature wasn’t an issue. I suppose the only issue would have been pain, but the Crystal Fire Skull all but nullified that sensation too. A small cut was nothing, even a large cut felt like a small pin-sized tap. The only time pain would be apparent is when a limb is cut off, or severe damage is sustained, but only the scar over my eye resulted in such deep pain so far.

Even the pain from the scar was subtle and not long-lived, quickly disappearing into the background of my thoughts. Thinking about it, that scar managed to impact the Crystal Fire Skull, an item said to be indestructible, and undamageable by the admins, so what truly happened? The damage was precise, not an atom’s width inaccurate, a perfect scar. It concerned me slightly, that something could destroy the one thing I took for granted. Could it have been a fluke? Or perhaps the rules have changed? Maybe something hidden was activated or revealed. With the current state of my skull as a baseline, it seems like the scar was caused by some sort of physical contact, but something a little more. A blade, no matter how strong, wouldn’t cause this. Could it have been damaging to my soul?

Like the lord of Wheatberg, my soul could have lasting trauma, even if it doesn’t seem like any aspect is missing or hindered. I suppose it’s worthwhile to see him again and see if he found any scars or the like on his body, as the resurrection should have removed any and all physical and magical damage. I suppose that would have to wait though, as there were more pressing matters that needed my direct attention. Seven Plane Lords was a scary but exciting thought. A single Plane Lord wasn’t a challenge, not to me at least, but seven… They could pose a reasonable threat. Then again, I doubt our relations would sour so quickly, even more so when I have something that they desperately want. I also had Innus on my side to vouch for the validity of my claims. I also doubt that with the amount of mana at my disposal that even all eight of them could best me, not saying it was impossible, just unlikely.

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(King Arthur POV)

My heart skipped a hundred beats as I read the news. First, the Fire Plane Lord invades, then another seven? Has the world gone mad? Every disaster in history is nothing in comparison to what happened within the last year! Do the gods think us unloyal? Do they fear man so greatly that they feel the need to challenge their survival so? The winter’s solstice is tomorrow, yet the world is faced with such trauma today? I fear the worst will happen, but that means little now. If the world wants to fall to pieces, we just have to force it back together again. It was a great relief when I found out the demon lord was still a positive force in the world, the old records we kept throughout the ages. We always tried to avoid fighting the demons, and as such, they left us alone completely, so it worked out for both of us.

“King Arthur, I bring urgent news!” A man came into the throne room bearing a scout’s armor.

“Speak.” In times of crisis, you have to be brief and calm.

“The Onnonbrook Kingdom has pulled its army from the demon lands, and from our borders!” They retreated? Why now of all times?

“Anything else?” Do they fear the Plane Lords?

“The Cravaea Alliance is devoting resources into a defense for the planar invasions, and is requesting our contribution! Also, the leprechaun king, Abraduubidool, has set sail to the demon lands, and is planning on meeting the demon lord in person, to judge whether or not he is as good as you have said!” The Cravaea Alliance, and the leprechaun king, at the same time?

“Is that all?” I’m going to have a busy day of papers at this rate.

“Several powerful people around the world have started to disappear, seemingly at random, and the only clue we were able to uncover was about Almora.” The dragon of gold skin and red eyes, but why?

“You may leave.” He nodded and swiftly left the room, the guards that lined the throne room were scrambled slightly by the information.

Plane Lords, the demon lord, the Onnonbrook Kingdom, the Cravaea Alliance, and the leprechaun king. Why does everything have to crash and burn all at once? I suppose I will never get an answer, but at the very least, I can do my best to get as close to it as possible. Out of everything in recent history, only a few pieces of the puzzle have been revealed. The history of the demons, the story of the gods, even just the fallen status of the gnome race, it all had a portion of the truth revealed but isn’t yet known in full. How much knowledge was lost to time? How much to war? What did the old world look like? I’ll never find the answer, not unless I dig much deeper than I’m comfortable doing now. If nothing else, I know one man who holds as many secrets as he does answers.

He gave me a Scroll of Telepathy, so I guess it was a good enough time as any to see what’s happening. “Ashen, is now a good time?” I waited a few moments in silence, thinking the spell might not have cast.

“Not the best, but I can talk. Is there something on your mind?” Was he dealing with the Plane Lords?

“What’s happening over there? With the Plane Lords, I mean. And I also wanted to ask if you know why the Abros Ni’collos Dungeon died?” My mind didn’t want to settle on one answer, always switching between what was likely, and what was easier on my heart.

“I’ve made a deal with the Plane Lords, so they won’t invade the Physical Plane anymore. They will stay on my land, and the death of the dungeon was a result of my quick actions.” Is that his way of saying he made a mistake?

My mind didn’t like the answer he gave, partly because it proved he was capable of error, but mostly because the Plane Lords could regain their power in the world again. “Why are you letting the Plane Lords regain their strength if I could ask?” Was there another hidden truth behind this as well? How many layers of knowledge would I have to pry through for the answers?

“The Plane Lords and dungeons have warred for millennia, but few know that the Plane Lords were the first in this world. The dungeons uprooted them and stole their power and role in the world. I’ve known the Plane Lords for a long time, and I know the truth about the whole war, so I’m helping them reclaim what was theirs.” It was hard for me to grasp, but I eventually got a hold of the information.

“You know them?” If the Plane Lords were around before the dungeon, that makes them thousands of years old, just how ancient was Ashen?

“Yes, though it was often a test of combat prowess, we still met time after time. Our relation was built upon those battles, yet it never soured our views on one another. The Plane Lords think of death as a foreign concept, as they themselves can resurrect if they have their anchor point set.” Not only are they able to stand a fighting chance against the dungeons, but with Ashen too? Even a small amount would be impressive beyond belief.

“Does that mean that dungeons are the evil ones?” Everyone generally agreed that the dungeons helped life prosper and grow, and made new life by the day, so how could something that great be evil?

“In a way, yes. The dungeons, at least the one that I have had an intermediate exchange with, showed no hospitality towards me since my power is greater than it’s. If I had to guess, then the dungeons only seem helpful because they are just using adventurers to grow stronger, and when their power is threatened, their facade fades instantly. Just walking inside the dungeon, it summoned a rather strong boss, compared to the rest of the dungeon, and even tried to kill me outright, without monsters, traps, tricks, or whatnot.” It tried to kill Ashen and without using ordinary means? Nothing like this has been recorded before. Maybe it’s because most adventurers don’t make it that far down, or are too strong?

“So, what will change if the Plane Lords take power from the dungeons?” If the dungeons can spawn life, then does that mean no more will be made, or the Plane Lords will make their own races?

“As far as I can predict, nothing important will change. The dungeons that cease their hostility with the Plane Lords will be left unchanged, and those that don’t likely will be fought until they die or change their minds.” He would go to war with every dungeon if they don’t make peace with the Plane Lords? I should have expected that much, but it’s still hard to swallow. If I hadn’t made good friends with him, maybe I’d face him in one way or another. An unpleasant thought.

“Do you have a plan for doing all this?” I knew he did but still wanted confirmation. Something in my heart just couldn’t bear not knowing.

“Well, I guess you could say I have a plan of sorts if you include using intimidation, persuasion, and threats. Those three things are required in order to get the dungeons to stop warring with the Plane Lords, otherwise, you’d have to kill them all, just to ensure the war ends. I know the advantages of killing them off greatly outweigh leaving them alive, but I’m not so heartless to kill that many without a just cause.” He made a good point, dungeons won’t be willing to just accept something stronger than them returning without a proper reason, even if that reason has to be violence or the threat of it.

“I thank you for your time and sharing your mind.” This leaves me with more things to think about, and less sleep to be had, but at least I have the knowledge I need to make the right choices.

“Of course, I trust you will do with the information responsibly, and not go blathering it around. It could sour my image worse than it is now, and could cause some rather, nasty consequences. I’ll talk to you again soon, hopefully, face to face next time, take care.” The spell ended, and it left my heart with a feeling of both anxiety and excitement for the future.

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(Aeyrs POV)

After rescuing the last of the adventurers and dungeon-spawn, Ashen went to go confront the other Plane Lords, giving me time to do whatever. I didn’t really have anything to do, not now at least. With the war basically over, and the lack of any immediate danger, other than the Plane Lords, I was left without anything to do. I suppose it was within my responsibility to speak with the dwarf king, so I’ll go do that. What was his name again? Ambrosia? Abrooja? Abroja? I can’t remember, but it was something like that. I’ll pay him a visit, might as well, it’s been a while after all. What was the last thing we talked about? I think it was about the migration treaty? No, that wasn’t it, was it? Ah, my memory is foggy, but why? My memory has been just fine for so long, why now?

I got my answer soon enough, as a purple ripple opened next to me, pulling me in. “I thought I made it clear to leave me alone.” I held back my anger and annoyance.

“Oh, I’m sorry, but this time it’s important.” I swear, just what could this be about?

“What now? Did you realize that you have nobody and nothing?”

“That’s awfully mean! Sheesh. I was trying to let you know that there are more from your guild in the world, and they are trying to reach your brother. Don’t go insulting others that are trying to help you.” More from the guild?

“Fine, I’m sorry. Maybe you are worth something after all.”

“That’s still too mean!”

“Fine! I deeply apologize for the way I insulted you, please forgive my blunt rudeness.” It killed me to be saying those words again, but she has earned them.

“You are forgiven, now can’t you just get along with me? It would be much easier, you know.”

“Why should I? After what you did to us, you think I can just get along like that never happened?” I felt the beginning of a tear form.

“Look, you know it wasn’t my choice. If I could have helped it, I wouldn’t have left.”

“Why!?” The tear fell, the trail left behind filled the scar under my eye.

“Otherwise they would have taken him instead!”I couldn’t bear the information, it left my heart feeling empty, but I pressed forward listening. “I figured it would be better for you to be upset with me than heartbroken without him. I’ve been trying to come back, but I’ve been here for who knows how long now!” Why did she tell me this now, instead of back then, what happened to her to bring her here? The same as us?

“Does Ashen know?”

“He doesn’t, at least not yet.”

“And you think we should tell him?” I was completely crying now, my heart still felt broken, but mending.

“He needs to know, it’s not right to leave him in the dark about it.” Her words were genuine, I knew she was hurting inside as much as I was, and the only true way to fix our hearts was to make amends, and tell Ashen.

“I’m sorry for doubting your sincerity before, and for lashing out. I should have known you were telling the truth about Ashen. I guess somewhere in my heart, I still loved you too.” Although it was a little awkward, we hugged and cried for a few minutes. We let time take us through our memories, through time. And we both knew what had to be done.

“I’ll leave you to inform Ashen of the guild member’s arrival, and I’ll try to set some things up so we can break the news to him together. What do you say?” It sounded like a plan, more than what I could say I had.

“Alright, I guess we can. I’ll try to prepare him for it as best I can. If nothing else, I’ll be there for emotional support.” The purple rift appeared, and I walked solemnly, and quietly through. And found my feet at the entrance of the dwarf king’s underground city.

I was still in the mountains, above ground, but at least she brought me this far. But does that mean she could read my mind? Or was she just that good at predicting? Maybe she was just trying to get me to go here and it’s a coincidence? No matter the reason, at least she saved me the effort of coming here through other means. It was a kind gesture, even if the motive was a little hidden. It really made her seem like she cared for us, even after all the time and differences. Just how long did she spend in this world? I’ve only been here for half a year, and the history goes back thousands. Did she arrive thousands of years ago? Was she all alone for that much time? Did she grieve until her eyes couldn’t produce any more tears? I guess I’ll have to ask, but I could just go with it for now. I’m sorry, perhaps when we tell Ashen, we can make up completely, and spend time together again.

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(Ashen POV)

Innus joined me in my talk with the other Plane Lords, as I didn’t think it would have been wise to do so alone, as it could make the initial impressions worse. We talked about it for a few minutes beforehand, but now, we were about to talk to the other Plane Lords in person. There was no room for err, nor was there room for hesitation. Diplomacy called for confidence and whole-heartedness, otherwise, things would surely go wrong. I calmed my mind before meeting them, so it gave me time to think of how I interacted with them back in the game. I acted similar to them all as I did with Innus, just with slightly less messing around. I was always a bit sporadic with them, and mostly casual, seldom acting like it was proper business. To me, it was just a game, and they were just a low hurdle to jump over to get the medal.

After a few moments of waiting, the seven of them made themselves present. We met outside the castle, their armies were covering the mountain range and spilling over the sides. The Water Plane Lord, Whiinthil had a flowing water body, with sheets of rapid and slow water forming what would be his clothing. He had short lines of water that acted as his hair, and a small blue glow from his eyes. The Earth Plane Lord, Rokaroth, had an abrupt golem-like appearance. His skin was formed of dirt and stone, the dirt moved and flowed, while the stone stayed motionless, appearing as armor and clothing. He had small vines that crawled over his body, and a crown of thorns and stones. His eyes glowed brown, with a hit of grey. The Air Plane Lord, Hossihiir, was made up of clouds, and her clothing resembled silk. Small clouds were floating all around her but didn’t block much of her actual body. She made a small trail of smoke come out the top of her head, and her eyes glowed in a gentle blue color.

The Frost Plane Lord, Connokku looked more like a glacier than anything else, with a smooth icy body, and snow flowing in between. She was much like Rokaroth but had a more jagged outline. Spikes and broken pieces of ice stuck out of her body like a broken mirror. Her eyes glowed with the purest of snow-white light. The Lightning Plane Lord, Firgnaer, consisted of yellow electricity, with small jets of black clouds covering bits and pieces of her body. Her body often jolted, leaving her to outline inconsistent, and unpredictable, and her eyes glowed yellow. The Life Plane Lord, Loout, looked more like an angel than a Plane Lord. She had six white wings that sprouted from her back, and two halos rested easily above her head. Golden dashes of light covered the majority of her body, and small golden tendrils dawned her body lightly. The Death Plane Lord, Dorriache looked like the incarnation of Death. He had a skull for his head and had a ribcage over his shadowy chest. Small bones and shadows were spread all over his body, with his eyes somehow glowing in black light.

“Ah, so it is you, it seems you grew your flesh back,” Dorriache said in a deep voice.

“I suppose I ripped the life back from the clutches of you, Dorriache. Why? Are you jealous of my beauty?” Dorriache chuckled to himself lightly.

“Ah, aren’t we off to a great start already. It’s been some time, hasn’t it? Care for another spar?” Dorriache asked, to the groan of the other Plane Lords.

“I’d love to, but if you died now, that’d be tragic. So let’s wait until we settle down, alright?” The Plane Lords looked at me intently.

“So Innus was serious when he said you’d give us an opportunity to re-anchor to this world?” Firgnaer said, her lightning grew more sporadic.

“Of course, and there aren’t many dungeons out in my land if any. The only concern lies in the scattered underground dwellings. So be mindful of them when you anchor.” They were left astonished and dumbfounded.

“By the heavens, you really mean it, don’t you?” Loout said, her wings fluttered in excitement and joy.

“By all means, it’s the least I could do for my old friends. If it means that it stops a millennia-long war, all the better. Just don’t attack the people, and you’re free to set up shop like before. Bring your people to these lands, it doesn’t bother me. The only thing you need to know is that I’m king here, not that it means much.” A pleasant smile made itself apparent on their faces, except Dorriache, as he simply couldn’t.

“I thank you, friend. I won’t dishonor your generosity.” Whiinthil said bowing.

“It’s no issue, just be mindful of what happens, I’ll catch up with you all in due time. But for now, let me show you where you all can anchor. Shall we get you all settled in? Does anyone want a cup of tea?” Partly in a joking manner, and partly just being kind, I prepared to move out.

“A cup of tea sounds lovely,” Dorriache said, everyone, looking at him in the same manner that one would look at a father after saying a corny joke.

“Just be careful, it might be a little hot.” He was surprised when I pulled out actual tea from my pocket dimension.

“So it is, not like it’s a bother to me, got no skin to burn, nor a tongue to sizzle away. But at least I have the backbone to go through with it!” I nearly forgot he made skeleton puns on occasion.

Players made it a running gag, that and the general humor that came about from the difference in his appearance and personality. “You might have a backbone, but you can’t drink tea without any guts.” He laughed to himself in what could only be described as a child breaking down from their own humor.

After a moment, he recovered, and we went on with their domains. After carving up the pieces needed, I ended up with enough room for three more Plane Lords, should they come. After talking with them all for a while, it didn’t seem like there were any new Plane Lords, but that could be because I didn’t ask or they didn’t know. I’ll leave it up to time to figure out. For now, I still have to talk with King Erik about the whole issue. He has requested a few meetings, and I guess it’s time to show up and talk to him. The sooner I get my responsibilities taken care of, the sooner I can talk with Small Cloud. Wasting no time, I teleported to his castle, the guards startled, but not alarmed. One walked me to the throne room, I believe it was the same that I gave the message to before, but could be wrong.

“King Erik, it’s been a while, what’s been on your mind?” He had his head resting in his hands, Melia was the same.

“Ah, Ashen’s here. Come on dear, it’s not much longer, just hang in there.” Melia said to Erik.

“Alright, alright. Ah. Ashen, it has been quite some time since, since we’ve met in person. How, how have you been?” His mind seemed in poor quality, like he hasn’t slept in days, or has lost his sanity.

“How do you fare?” I was preparing to use a healing spell to alleviate his mind but wanted to wait until he was talking a bit more.

“I’m, alright. Okay. I’m fine. How are you, am I?” Has he lost it? He isn’t even making sense anymore, so I have no choice.

[Greater Restoration], and he seemed to be back. “I’m also quite good. Melia, how do you do?”

“Oh, me? I’m alright, we’ve just had a few stressful nights, it’s nothing to worry about.” To be safe, I did the same with her.

“Ah, Ashen, how can I thank you? I felt like my mind was trapped in a maze of thoughts. Ah, but that’s not what you’re here for, is it? I assume this is over the delegations I've delivered?”

“Yes, I know you have a lot of questions and things to purpose, so let’s get to the core of it if you’ll allow it.”

“But of course, of course. I’ve no qualms with getting straight to it. Would you like to go somewhere more private?” He’s never invited me elsewhere in his castle before, I’ll take it as he’s warmed up to me.

“Sure.” He walked me and Melia to what I could only assume was a meeting room of sorts, I think Misfortune told me of this place once.

There were a few people in the room, and I recognized a few as the people that initially came to the castle as an escort. “Your majesty.” The people in the room bowed their heads lightly.

“Don’t forget that Ashen is a king too.” I didn’t really expect him to bring it up, but he wasn’t wrong.

“Yes, your majesty!” The people said together.

“Now, let’s get into the discussion, shall we?” We all gathered around the circular wooden table, and the meeting started.

“First order of business, the Bandarainian Empire would like to become official allies and closer friends with the Demonican Kingdom.” King Erik spoke aloud, the people all nervous to varying degrees.

“Have you prepared the conditions?” They surely had thought this through, otherwise, they failed as the heads of a country.

“Yes, the conditions wouldn’t be much different than those between the Demonican Kingdom and the Britgar Holy Kingdom. We ask for a free exchange of trade, knowledge, people, food, and protection. In exchange, we will give back an equal or the equivalent of. We also ask for an easier way to travel between our nations, as the mountain range acts as a hostile blockade for would-be traders and travelers.” I'm a little surprised that they went with the same conditions as King Arthur had.

“I’ll see to it that a portal array can be constructed. I’ll have it initially connect to five major cities in the Bandarainain empire, and expand it in the future. I’ll have it connect to the capitol of the Demonican Kingdom, Wheatburg, and the Black Castle in the mountains. You can choose which cities to have them built-in as well. Does that sound good to you?”

“Yes, those terms are quite acceptable. We can decide on which cities after the important delegations are finished.” King Erik continues to go through a few more matters like the one before, and I had to quickly come up with things to get in exchange for the benefits I’d be giving them.

After seven hours, we came to a good conclusion, and the meeting was over. In the end, I would have to build a portal array between our kingdoms, sell magical crop seeds, export raw, and processed minerals and materials, like ores and gems from the mountains, and they would help build towns and cities across my land and populate them. We also came to the agreement to have a massive campaign against the racial divide of demons and humans, but that would take decades to conclude. For now, they planned to outlaw the slaying of demons on their land and made an effort to convince people to get along with demons, so they can live together in town. After everything was settled, I got to know the people in the room a little better and found out their positions in the military, royalty, nobility, and one was even a lunar mage.

We exchanged words before I left, and I set off to see Small Cloud. Opening the large doors of the castle, and seeing a few maids, made the impact of Small Cloud’s return ever-more apparent. They were all happier than usual, and I made note of it. I said a few words to them each, and made my way to the dining hall, since it was approaching dinner time, and assumed he’d be there. It seemed my hunch was correct, as he was sitting on one of the benches talking with the Star-Mates. I walked over to them, and sat down, they were mid-way through a conversation so they didn’t notice me all too much, but figured that Lavender, Ember, and Small Cloud knew of my arrival. They were all too perceptive to let something like me slip their mind.

“Sounds like you haven’t had any experiences with women, despite how many opportunities you’ve had.” Cobalt said, forcing Cloud to blush slightly.

“Like I’ve said! It’s not like that! Can’t you pull your head from the clouds and listen to what I’m saying? I’m just waiting for a woman that can suit my needs, not just your run-of-the-mill elf or Zheln.

“So you’re looking for love? Aww.” Amber said, causing both her and Cloud to blush.

“Agh! Why must you be so cute that I can’t get mad with you!?”

“Oh, so you think she’s cuter than me? You have no taste in women! Look at her! I’ve got much more than she could ever have!” Cobalt said, blushing while puffing up her chest to attract Cloud’s gaze.

“Like I’ve said a thousand times now. Stop thinking you’re cuter than Amber! Everyone in this castle knows she is the cutest! Kraken knows Arath knows, Mons Knows, even Rubidia knows!”

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Rubidia started to walk over to the table.

“Eh? Oh! Rubidia! What a surprise! Eheheh…” She pinched Cloud’s ear.

“Sorry, you said that Amber was Cuter than who!?”

“Ow! Ow! Ow! You both are the cutest! Ah! Please let go!” She removed her hold of his ear and looked over to me.

“Lord Ashen, as the lord, please set the record straight. Who is the cutest out of all of us?” Why did I have to be dragged into this?

“Come on now, surely you don’t think I can answer such a difficult question?”

“Well, if anyone could know who’s the cutest, it would be Lord Ashen,” Lavender said, almost as if she wanted to toy with me, so I shot back a cold glare of annoyance.

“Fine! If I had to pick a single soul, I’d say Arath is the cutest.”

“Whaaat!?” Everyone in the room exploded in confusion.

My jest was soon ruined when the man I uttered walked in. “Lord?” he asked, and my heart sank deeper into my chest.

Wasn’t he in the dwarf kingdom or something? “Eh?”

“Lord, you think that I?”I could tell things would get awkward, but for now, it was a way to eliminate the tension that was slowly rising in the room.

“Arath, come now, you know your soul shines brighter than even my own, embrace that.” He breathed out a thick black miasma, much heavier than any before.

“I thank you for your kind words, Lord.” The Star-Mates and Rubidia sighed in defeat.

“Come Arath, we can use the company.”

“I would my Lord, but my miasma is toxic to non-demons, remember?” I really should see to it about finding a workaround for that.

“It’s fine, you can sit next to me, as I’ll be unaffected, it doesn’t spread far, right?”

“Yes Lord, thank you.” He came over and sat on the bench, barely fitting at the table.

“What’s on the menu, Cloud?” He smiled at me, just happy that he didn’t get in too much trouble for his words.

“Ah, house special! Calamari!” Kraken gave a wicked look towards Cloud from the window connecting to the kitchen.

“I feel like you have a poor time choosing words.” He turned around to look at Kraken and saw him sharpening a knife menacingly.

“Ah! It was but a joke! I meant no harm by it! Honest! The house special is actually Sky Pie, as ironic as that sounds. It’s made from Stardust sugar, Honeywood apples, and day-crystal wheat” Oh how the tables have turned, almost funny how ironic it was.

“Kraken, mind making an order of Sky Pie for everyone?”

“Gladly, I’ve been itchin’ for a rush order. It’ll be done in a few minutes, relax until then!” He immediately got to it, and I saw him working hard to prepare the dishes.

“Cloud, how often does that tongue of yours get you in trouble?”

“Often, to say the least.”

“If it causes you so much pain, why not slice it off?” Rubidia said, her hand imitating scissors.

“Why don’t you try cutting your tongue off! Besides, it’s something I know I need to work on, but all the same, it’s something that makes me, me. I just wouldn’t be the same without it.” I guess he was right, if we always fixed our flaws, wouldn’t that make us bland as people?

“At least you can lighten the load it produces. It would make you more enjoyable to be around, while also keeping your character relatively unchanged.”

“Bah! Change is overrated! Look at you for example. You still haven’t changed from that suave little child that you are, have you?” Was that an insult?

“At least I’ve been able to land a woman in bed. That’s something you’ll never say.” Cobalt fell backward with a blush so profound it made me think her brain was deprived of oxygen. “[Greater Restoration].” I healed her up just in case, couldn’t be too cautious.

“I think Cloud needs it more than Cobalt, his heart can never mend after hearing that.” Everyone in the room was blushing, it seemed like I shouldn’t have said that so loudly, and definitely not so carelessly.

Kraken came out with the pies and set them down in silence. “I don’t know if I should be happy for you or jealous, but, congrats?” Kraken gave a crack at what he thought would break the silence, and boy did it work...