While Miria ran back to Ashen Barrel, the rest of the party walked out of the portal leading to Bryn’s realm. They immediately noticed that, just like the capital of Spiritual Foxes, this place used a lot of white stone.

But, the scenery wasn’t as dominated by it as in Selene’s hometown. The majority of the structures shimmered with golden hues as they were in huge part metallic, most likely made of actual gold. Marble was the secondary material in this flying fortress.

They had stepped out of the gate in front of a small, two-story residence placed on a metal platform like many others around it. The line of silvery-golden houses stood on round plates just by the edge of the city.

Leaning over the chest-high railing, they could see an almost boundless sky. Far down, dark ground spanned. They weren’t able to catch any details from their attitude but everyone easily understood how uninhabitable the region they were looking at was.

“Welcome to Tyr, the Eighth ARK,” Bryn said to them from behind. “It focuses on the military and everything connected to it. We train warriors here, send expeditions to the surface, send support to the other ARKs, and so on.”

She flapped her feathery wings and started hovering in the air in front of everyone, pointing her staff down.

“What you can see below is what remains of our lands, our world, Heven. The Scourge consumed most of it, if not all. These monsters destroy and kill everything on their path, spreading vile contamination in their wake.”

Bryn floated to the balustrade and stepped onto it, perfectly balancing on the thin bar with no visible effort.

“The terrain can heal, our world is full of vitality, and the roots of the World Tree run deep underground, where these foul creatures can’t reach. Additionally, it seems to fend them off for now, but for that to happen, the Scourge in the area needs to be completely eradicated. Which, as you might be able to imagine, is close to impossible to achieve.”

Sighing sorrowfully, she tried to bring a soft smile to her lips.

“The ARKs closest to us are Brage, Heimdall, and Forseti. Their main focus is, in the same order, knowledge and history, transportation, and general laws. We try to share with our neighbors whatever we can while the valkyrjas of Heimdall oversee the logistics of these shipments and their practical realization. Since most goods need to be carried, they have the highest endurance.”

“Sounds very organized. I honestly expected much worse when you told us about the Scourge and how you escaped into the air,” Asterios commented.

She jumped down onto the metal pathwalk and nodded. “We had time to prepare. Before the Scourge grew in strength, we managed to finish Project ARK. We hoped not to be forced to initiate it, but that hope was quickly shattered. Twelve ARKs in total float in the sky and we constantly pray that none of them malfunctions.”

“I don’t know if I will be able to help twelve gigantic fortresses but I’ll do my best.”

“Don’t worry. I will not demand the impossible from you.” Bryn smiled nicely. “Anything is of immeasurable value at this moment. I would never dare to reject the smallest acts of kindness towards our people.”

“My Lord has quite a big heart so you can be sure that his acts of kindness will be anything but smallest, fufufu~” Selene hugged Ast’s side. “Shall we proceed then? The earlier, the better, no?”

The Valkyrie nodded and closed her eyes. The golden halo appeared above her head and flashed briefly. A few seconds later, they could hear the flutter of feathery wings and someone descended from the sky, landing next to them with a mighty impact.

“Councillor Bryn. How can I be of service to you?”

The black-haired woman stood up, hit the metallic floor with the butt of her spear, and saluted respectfully, pressing a fist over her heart. Contrary to their new friend, she wore light robes, barely covering her well-trained body.

“Thank you for your quick response, Sol. Please, ask the members of the Council to gather in the conference hall. There’s something urgent we need to discuss.”

“At once, Councillor.”

She saluted once more and immediately took off, causing a powerful wave of wind to hit everyone present.

“In the meanwhile, let me show you a bit more of our city,” Bryn suggested and everyone agreed.

They walked out of what they assumed was a residential district and followed a metal road leading towards the center of the flying fortress. Countless valkyrjas soared through the sky or walked the streets. The majority of them were armed and only a small number of people carried no gear with them.

Since Tyr focused on the army, a huge part of its population consisted of warriors, required to be ready to dispatch at any given moment, and it showed. They could easily spot the difference between combatants and non-combatants.

Selene smiled mischievously after spotting a pair or two that held hands as they strolled through the breathtaking town or stood somewhere on the side, imagining Miria’s reaction if she saw them. It wasn't really possible to judge which person was a Valkyr and which was a Valkyrie as either looked beautiful and pretty much the same in terms of appearance. Using chest size to assume their gender wasn't that viable since that could vary just like in their new friend's case.

Bryn toured them through many incredible places, casually explaining their role. They saw most of the districts, from the barracks, training grounds, academy, recreational facilities, even to the farming sectors. The last ones were the smallest in comparison to the others, but that was understandable considering the focus of this ARK.

Just before they finished their trip, stopping in front of a castle-looking structure that served as a town hall and gathering place for the most important people, Miria rejoined them. They had to take a few more minutes to satisfy the overenthusiastic panthergirl’s curiosity and excitement as Miria couldn’t stop running around.

After she finally calmed down, they entered the building and followed Bryn to the meeting room. Quite a few people frowned at them or looked at them weirdly, much more than on the streets. Back there, they had been kind of avoided, perhaps due to the fear of the unknown.

They entered a hall with five valkyrjas inside. Three of them looked to be older women while two seemed as youthful as their new companion. None of the members of Ast’s party knew about the average age of Bryn’s race as they had forgotten to ask so they tried not to make any assumptions.

“Bryn. What is the meaning of this? What are these?” One of the mature women frowned.

“Not ‘what are these’ but ‘who are they’. Don’t assume that everything that’s not a valkyrja is a monster, Hilda,” Bryn scoffed at her. “This is Asterios and his companions. He called me through Summoning Magic and I entered a contract with him. As per my request, he will be helping our situation a little.”

“What? While looking like—”

“Yes, I know, I said the same thing when we met, and it was rude, and I’m sorry for that, but he is not the monster of the Scourge. He’s a man, an equivalent of our Valkyr in his realm… more or less.” She glanced at Asterios with an apologetic smile.

“Leaving that part aside, and ignoring for a moment how impossible it is for you to become the target of Summoning Magic, what do you mean by saying that he will help our situation?” a younger valkyrja asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? He is from another realm. I can now travel to his world. You should be able to imagine the possibilities of such a blessing. I could ask for anything except for living things,” Bryn answered.

All the women present in the hall directed their gazes onto Asterios. He stepped closer to Bryn’s side and nodded.

“She is speaking the truth. I will help as much as I can. Additionally, I come from a merchant family. If you have something to trade, we could even establish a stable, periodic exchange of goods at a higher volume than what I could get alone for Bryn’s service.”

Hilda clearly wanted to say something doubtful again but a different senior spoke before she had a chance.

“Do you have anything to prove your words?”

Asterios nodded at Miria and she quickly jumped into a dark crimson gate, surprising the valkyrjas greatly. She soon came back carrying a medium-sized wooden box and brought it to her master. He lifted the lid towards the audience and showed three rows of various potions of his own making.

The women started whispering between themselves until Bryn silenced them with a few claps of her hands.

“So, not to waste Asterios’ precious time, what are we short of at this moment? Is anything running out? Eir?”

A younger valkyrja summoned a notebook from somewhere and skimmed through it.

“Unless we find a new oil reservoir and secure it in three weeks, we will have no fuel for lamps and some other things. Otherwise, we either live in darkness or draw power from the Heart.”

“Preposterous!” Hilda shouted. “The last thing we want is to overstrain the Heart!”

“I agree with her on that,” Bryn said and glanced at Asterios. After he nodded, she turned her face back to the others. “Next. Kara? Rota?”

“We are a little low on herbal bandages and mana potions after the last expedition. Nothing critical but a resupply before another one would be advised,” Kara replied.

“Heimdall brought us a shipment of food and water, straight from Odin, which seems to be doing fine, so we should be good in terms of that too. Our alcohol supply is gradually running out, though. We have recently shared half of it with Brage. Those scholars drink like crazy,” Rota followed.

Bryn took a peek at Asterios again and he nodded too, bringing an exquisite smile to her beautiful face.

“Good. Anything else? Leave less crucial things for later. We will hold a full meeting regarding the state of our warehouses and storages afterward.”

The valkyrjas thought for a few moments, a few of them flipping through their notes, and everyone shook their heads.

“Alright. That will do. For now. Is this fine, Asterios?” She fully turned toward him.

“No issues here. Do you have anything to barter with or should I cover this exchange myself?”

“You heard him. Anything?”

“Only weapons. We could get in contact with other ARKs for different things, with a promise of a share of the goods we will receive,” a person who hadn’t spoken yet answered.

“Can I see some?” Asterios asked.

Her halo shimmered briefly and the doors to the hall opened. A dozen of valkyrjas walked inside and formed two rows.

“Present your weapons,” the same woman ordered.

Everyone unsheathed or gripped their weapons and brought them to the front. After receiving a nod, Asterios came closer to inspect the various blades. The women wielded a myriad of arms, from swords to greataxes. All had the same gold-silver exquisite design.

“They seem to be of great quality. Noble households would love this style too. A bunch of these would be more than enough, I think. I should first show one to my family to be sure,” Asterios said, examining two short war scythes.

“You can take any of these with you,” Bryn informed him.

He picked a simple longsword and apologized to the owner, promising to return it.

“I will head back to get things moving then.” Asterios glanced at Bryn.

She quickly stepped closer and bowed her head. “Thank you so much again. I will remain here to discuss everything with the members of the Council. Call for me whenever.”

He nodded with a smile and left with the girls through the portal. Arriving back in the green plains, Asterios was transferred to Tyrienheim through Umbra’s Shadow Movement while Miria and Selene returned to their own realm.

Meeting with his grandparents, Asterios informed them about the interdimensional deal he had secured and showed the longsword to them. James agreed that such fine weapons would do great on the noble market and not only. Just the materials were quite expensive. They agreed to the deal and promised to gather what he needed in a week.

Anna realized that if Asterios had visited most if not all of the locations with their warehouses or stores, he could easily teleport between them to directly move things instead of waiting for them to arrive.

Therefore, they agreed to spend some time traveling the kingdom after they dealt with their business on the Demon Continent and returned to Rosewind for Tina’s graduation.

They could let Umbra slither through the shadows on the surface instead of the abyss and visit those spots, but they preferred to have him with them at all times in case something happened. Especially while exploring the Demon Continent and after their recent experiences.

Asterios wanted to check on Risvi, but Kindra told him that the little dwarf was on the ship to Dagger’s End after King Welrond informed them that it should be safe now and they had been able to get in contact with the boy’s relatives.

They hadn’t wanted to bother Asterios while he was traveling, and Risvi was quite excited about the voyage, so they agreed to let him experience it under the escort of the king’s men.

Hearing that, Asterios decided to make a full round through his friends again and moved to Suanori’s place. They chatted briefly, discussed the progress on the dungeon exploration in Dagger’s End, and talked a bit about random things. Suanori was glad he had come to show himself.

Then, he jumped to the royal castle, or rather, in front of it not to cause unnecessary chaos. He used the communication sigil he had received from Welrond to let the king know about his arrival and a sentry guided him to a meeting chamber.

“Asterios. I didn’t expect you back so soon. Especially alone.” The king raised a brow at him.

“I was just passing by and heard that Dagger’s End seems safe. How are things with the cult?”

Welrond poured them a glass of wine and they sat down by a coffee table.

“I’d say good. Thanks to the evidence and the help of your familiar, we were able to find a few locations in other nations and strike them down at the same time before anyone noticed anything wrong. I must say, not every operation proceeded as smoothly as the one with your help. You would make an incredible special forces member.”

Asterios smiled. “Anyone would with the help of as powerful companions as mine.”

“I don’t think so. Don’t forget that we do have Summoners amongst our squads, and so do other nations. It can be laughable to compare some of them to you, in all honesty. I can’t send a single Summoner alone to wipe out a criminal facility with the speed and efficiency of your raid.”

“Alright. I guess I’m a little special.” He chuckled. “They are not gone, are they?”

Welrond shook his head. “For sure not. And it will get harder to hunt them now after we destroyed a bunch of their labs. It’s not just a lucky shot anymore. They will be much more wary and careful. Anyway, unless something critical happens, this is on us. Focus on yourself for now.”

Asterios nodded and the king pointed a finger at him.

“Speaking of which, you already feel stronger. That was quite fast. It was what, a week or so? Did you already take down the seal?”

“No, we just had an unlucky encounter right after starting. By the way, ever heard of Descending Spire?”

“I don’t think so.” Welrond rubbed his chin. “I’ll ask around. It sounds important. What about Silvia?”

Asterios didn’t answer, just smiled back.

The king groaned. “She told you not to say anything, did she?” He sighed. “At least that means she’s doing good. Thank you again for agreeing.”

“As we thought, it’s beneficial for both of us so there’s no need.”

They talked for a while longer and Asterios returned to Ashen Barrel, not wanting to make the others wait for too long. Svertaniel and Silvia were already in his room when he materialized there.

“Welcome back,” the princess greeted him.

Asterios nodded while Miria and Selene walked out of a crimson gate.

“So, I suppose everything is now finished? Silvia told me you managed to summon a new familiar,” Svertaniel spoke first afterward.

“Yes. There’s no need to delay things any longer. I’ll introduce Bryn to you a bit later. She’s busy with things at home currently. Did you get anything useful while checking out rumors?”

The demon man smiled. “We are lucky that the person you are looking for is quite renowned amongst our people. Although, that fame isn’t exactly completely positive.”

Asterios chuckled. “I did have a feeling it would be like that after Grea introduced him. Doesn’t matter if it's good or bad. If people are talking about him, then it’s easier for us.”

“Exactly,” Svertaniel agreed. “Therefore, I was able to quickly confirm that Radir is on the Demon Continent and didn’t travel somewhere else. Additionally, he seems to be spending a lot of time in the same place. People say he only settles down for so long after stumbling on something bizarre or exceptional, with a connection to seals and arrays.”

“That’s good!” Miria exclaimed joyfully. “We should be able to have no trouble reaching him before he goes somewhere else, right?”

Svertaniel nodded. “Agreed. Supposedly, he’s been researching something at that location for three years now. It’s some ancient ruins in the center of the continent, more or less. Depending on the form of travel, from four days to two weeks from here.”

“I’m sure I would be able to get there even faster!” Miria puffed out her chest a little, earning herself a few pats.

“I have no doubt about that but that could get difficult with three people on your back. Unless we leave either Svertaniel or Silvia to wait here for our arrival. I don’t think that would be fun for them, do you?” Asterios raised a brow at his feline mate.

Miria giggled adorably and nodded. He then glanced at the demon man again.

“What options do we have?”

“I would suggest Centracers if everyone here can bear the ride.”

“Oh. Interesting. I forgot demons domesticated those.” Asterios rubbed his chin.

He could feel the curiosity coming through his bond and smiled at the girls.

“It will be more fun to see than to explain. Shall we?”

Miria couldn’t hide her excitement and even Selene seemed very interested so they followed Svertaniel to the stables. The girls thought that they would be lending some special breed of horses, or maybe using the services provided by Centaurs, but they were terribly mistaken.

After walking into a different section of the spacious black metal building, they found themselves amongst… centipedes. Giant bugs with hundreds of spiky legs were being tended to by their caretakers in their respective boxes.

These creatures, Centracers, reached the height of a horse. As one could imagine, they were much, much longer, though. Their tough carapace was modified by artisans into what looked like the seatings of an open carriage. Certain bugs had additional hoods attached, but they looked much pricier.

While Svertaniel talked to the stable master to secure their transport, everyone else examined the nearby Centracer. Albeit a little uncomfortable at first, Miria quickly overcame that weird feeling and switched back to her curious and eager self. No one seemed to have any problems with their new steed, fortunately.

They rented one with two passenger sections and departed soon after. Since Svertaniel was the only one experienced in riding these creatures, he took the front seat. Miria joined him after getting permission from Asterios, who was placed in the back with Selene and Silvia.

Everyone was warned to properly attach the two crossing leather belts over their chests by the demon man and obediently followed the instructions. The beastfolk girls wondered why it was necessary, but they learned the reason just seconds after the Centracer rushed forward.

In an instant, their carriage gained unexpected speed and everyone was pushed into their seats with spine-breaking force. Miria screamed loudly while Selene’s and Silvia’s eyes widened to the brim as they couldn’t move under the immense pressure. If not for the belts, they would have flown off the giant bug’s back.

Svertaniel chuckled to himself and slowed down a bit. It was a tradition to give new people a good show of Centracer’s capabilities. They traveled at a slower pace for a bit so that everyone could get used to the feeling and then switched back to full speed again.