WIEDERGEBURT Act VII: Chapter 26

The first thing I did after returning from Vahn was check in with Queen Medusa, Hilda, and King Menes—all of whom were now in charge of ruling Vahn. I liked to call them the elder council, though I was certain my two mother-in-laws would hate it if I called them that.

Everything in Vahn was well. The five hundred Valkyries guarding our city had combined their talents to create a barrier similar to the one Fray had created. While it was neither as stable nor as impenetrable, it was strong enough that even a member of the Zehn Todesharr would not be able to break it on a whim.

The barrier itself was not visible to the naked eye, though I could certainly feel it. I remember how my hair stood on end when we first entered the city. It was like a static jolt. In some ways, the sensation reminded me of that time when Kari had dragged her sock-clad feet across the carpet and then poked me in the cheek.

There were no more Lightning Giants in the city. Most of them had moved to the Misty Mountain Range, which was far more spacious and more defensible. However, several Lightning Giants under Galdr’s command had also set up their own village a few dozen kilometers from Vahn. They would come to our aid if our city was under attack, and of course we would do the same should they be attacked.

I think most of our residents were happy to no longer worry about being stepped on too.

We still had a stream of people coming in every day. Sometimes they would be large caravans protected by armed escorts, while other times it was small families who heard about us and braved the journey on their own. There hadn’t been enough time for the population to receive a major increase. Even so, Hilda projected that our population would rise to about 1.5 million in less than three months if this many people kept coming.

One of the hurdles we found ourselves facing was how to feed a population this large. Vahn was not a self-sufficient city. It relied on imports from farms to sustain itself, and even though our population wasn’t even a tenth of what it had been, there were still too many people to feed with just the food we had on hand.

To resolve the situation before riots could break out, my wives and I used our elemental manipulation and some alchemy to turn the surrounding terrain into farmlands. Queen Medusa ordered several thousand people who used to work as farmhands to maintain and harvest the crops. While they didn’t seem enthusiastic at first, they were provided with an armed escort of Spiritualists who could protect them in the event of a Demon Beast attack.

It would take awhile before the crops yielded any results, but I hoped the ten thousand acres of farmlands we created would help us all survive without starving.

The situation in Vahn was resolved for now. With that out of the way, my wives and I traveled through one of Chloe’s gates to reach the Misty Mountain Range and inform Fray about our findings.

“It sounds like you all underwent a great ordeal.” Fray had a troubled look on her face as we informed her of what we discovered. “I do not like that they were a step ahead of us. I fear it may mean they have an idea of where the other Great Overlords are sealed away as well.”

“That’s my concern too,” I admitted.

We were once more sitting in Fray’s parlor. It was Kari, Fay, Lin, Siv, Tora, Chloe, and myself. I sat between Lin and Siv, while Kari and Fay sat on the outer edge of the couch. Once more, Tora was stuck sitting on the only chair in the whole parlor. Chloe had taken her place behind me, same as usual.

Lady Fray sat on something that looked like a divan instead of a chair. Clad in an elegant white dress with only a single shoulder, she sat with her back straight and elegant. Seeing her look like a sovereign made me belatedly realize that all of my family were made of rulers. Kari’s mom was a former empress, Lin’s mom was a former queen, and Siv’s mom was the current queen of Vindenket. Meanwhile, Fray was the sister of the ruler of Gudeverdenen and leader of the Valkyries.

No wonder I was often being forced into a position of leadership.

“I think we might need to increase our search for the other Great Overlords,” Fray continued. “However, we cannot do this half-hazardly. While we want to find out where they are, we do not want the Sekbeist to discover their location through us.”

“Do you think it would be possible to gather intelligence on the Sekbeists?” asked Kari. “If we discover what they know, we can make a better plan to protect the remaining Great Overlords.”

“Impossible.” Fray shook her head, immediately rejecting the idea. “It is impossible to infiltrate the Sekbeists’ base. Not only is their fortress similarly shielded with a powerful barrier, but they have the ability to sense other races.”

“They can even sense us when we’re hiding our presence?” asked Fay.

“Of course.” Fray took a sip of her tea, set it on the table, and placed her hands in her lap before giving us all a stare. “I’m sure all of you have a strong ability to detect Sekbeist by now, yes? You can basically detect a Sekbeist by sensing the ‘blank space’ where a person should be. Sekbeist feel like a void. This is due to their strong affinity for the Concept of Negation. Just like how we can feel them because of the gap in our perceptions, they can feel us because of how vibrant and full of life we are.”

“That explains why Gorrick was able to sense us when we used the Warp Gate,” I said. “I thought we had just made too much noise, but it was actually because he detected our presence.”

“Yes,” Fray said with a nod.

“So gathering intel on our enemy is impossible,” Kari muttered, cupping her chin. “Still, I don’t think we should just half-haphazardly search every area. If we do that, the Sekbeists may sense our desperation and use it to weaken us. They could also begin picking off any squads we send out on reconnaissance.”

“I agree,” Fray said. “That is the problem we now face.”

“So we’re stuck between a fucking rock and a hard place,” Tora said with crossed arms and furrowed brows.

“What about the Spiritual Research Sects’ library?” Lin suddenly asked.

“What?” I said, turning to look at the Lamia.

“Yeah. Didn’t you and Big Sister go there once before? You said they had a huge library. Maybe they will have some information on the other Great Overlords,” Lin said.

It sounded like a solid idea, but Kari shook her head.

“I don’t think they will. I mean, we can check, but the Spiritual Research Sect was devoted entirely to researching Spiritualism.” Lin’s ears drooped, and I patted her hand to reassure her. At the same moment, Kari poked up. “That said, while the Spiritual Research Sect probably won’t have anything we can look up, the Explorer’s Sect might.”

“You’re right,” I exclaimed. “The Explorer’s Sect is dedicated to studying ruins and learning more about the Great Catastrophe—or rather, the Great War. While I don’t think they ever did learn about what happened back then, they would definitely have knowledge of long abandoned ruins. Perhaps one of the ruins they have been to contains one of the Great Overlords. It’s worth a shot at least.”

“And it’s the perfect excuse to pay Axel and the others a visit,” Kari added with a smile.

In our past life, Kari and I had been members of the Explorer’s Sect. We had spent nearly a decade with them, learning the tricks of the trade, exploring dungeons, and bonding with our sect mates. I was sure Kari considered those to be some of our best days. Back then, we didn’t have to worry about the Sekbeist, the war, or whether we would live to see another day. All we needed to worry about was which ruins we would explore next.

“If that is the case, then you are in luck,” Fray said. “Axel and the others who belong to that sect are living in the Misty Mountain Range. They have set up base in a building located in the center of this village. “It isn’t the largest one, but you can recognize it because there’s a sign of a pick axe hanging over the front door.”

“We’ll talk to them after this,” I said. “There are a few other things we need to discuss.”

“Such as?” asked Fray.

“I believe we need to begin training,” I said. “We managed to defeat Entz by combining our efforts, but I would still say we were very lucky. If Chloe hadn’t been able to transport him onto dry land, we would not have been able to win, and Chloe nearly killed herself doing that.”

Chloe had used nearly every drop of Spiritual Power she possessed. Part of the reason we had not returned to the Misty Mountain Range right away had been because she was comatose for over half a month. This conversation would have taken place much sooner.

“It is true,” Chloe admitted when Fray looked at her with concern. She was blushing. Just a bit. “To my great shame, I nearly died transporting Entz to Nevaria.”

“The fact that you could transport him at all speaks of your prowess,” Fray said. “Though I do not wish you to do something like that again. I also suspected you would want to begin training soon, so I am having Sterk and his fellow Dweorg build isolation chambers for you deep underground. They are not ready yet. Chambers like this cannot be build within just a month. It will probably take around three months before they are complete. However, when they are, all of you may travel into them and begin cultivating. Your goal will be to increase you understanding of the concepts you have currently learned. If you can master them, all the better. That will help you once you begin dual cultivating.”

I was happy Fray had already predicted this would happen. It spoke well of her foresight.

“I think we should train while waiting for the isolation chambers to be finished,” Siv said. It was rare for her to speak up, so all of us made sure to listen. “I do not like how it nearly cost us our lives to defeat Entz. The other Great Overlords are all just as strong. Every moment we spend not training is a moment wasted.”

“You’ve gotten pretty motivated,” Lin said. “This princess is almost shocked. Are you really the same Siv who constantly hid behind Darling?”

Siv shrugged and smiled. “Everyone has to grow up at some point. It just took me a little longer than most.”

It was true that Siv was growing stronger with every passing day—from a mental standpoint. She was still quiet and still shy, but she worked hard to never let this affect her like it used to. That was probably why she’d also worked to deliver meals to workers when Vahn was being repaired. She wanted to overcome her shyness.

I reached out and grabbed the teacup in front of me. A gentle yet spicy fragrance drifted into my nose. It filled me with energy before I even took a sip, though that first sip really pepped me up. This tea had Valence’s name all over it.

“This was made by Father, wasn’t it?” Kari said after she took a sip. Of course she would notice it.

“Of course,” Fray said with a smile. “Ever since Chloe discovered his talent for breeding tea leaves, she has—ahem—persuaded him to maintain a garden that she can have access to at all times.”

I wasn’t sure what that cough was when she said “persuaded,” but I was going to assume she didn’t mean something like Chloe had blackmailed Valence into letting her use his tea leaves whenever she wanted. Knowing what I did about Valence, I was certain the man would not cave to threats or blackmail. I also wanted to believe Chloe wasn’t the type of person who would do that sort of thing.

“I’m surprised Father let you into his garden,” Kari said with a soft but sad smile. “The only person he let into his personal garden was Garret.”

Garret was the Astralia Family’s head butler in Nevaria. He had been about one decade younger than Kari’s grandfather, Herleif, and he had served the Astralia Royal Family for his entire life. Kari had thought of him as her favorite uncle.

We had learned after meeting with Hilda and her husbands that Garret was missing. He had been at Vahn during the Sekbeists’ invasion and became separated from Hilda’s family during the chaos. They had searched for him, but none of them ever managed to locate him or his body. Given what we knew of the Sekbeist now, we could only assume his life had been used up creating more Sekbeists.

That had been one of the few times I’d seen Kari really cry.

“I can be very persuasive when I want to be,” Chloe said with a gentle smile that seemed ominous somehow. Was it my imagination, or were there dark shadows covering her eyes?

“I’ll fucking bet,” Tora murmured—only to squeak and hide behind her tea when Chloe turned to face her.

We didn’t stay for much longer. Kari and I were going to visit Axel and the other members of the Explorer’s Guild, while Lin and Siv were going to visit the dragons. I was glad Lin had been accepted among them. I was certain part of the reason was because she was married to me and Siv considered her a sister, but I liked to think her personality and strength were also a reason.

Chloe, of course, would be coming with Kari and I.

So would Tora.

“Are you coming, Fay?” I asked.

“You two go on without me,” Fay said with a small smile that seemed somehow brittle yet determined. “I have something I wish to speak with Lady Fray about.”

I didn’t know what Fay wanted to talk to my aunt about, but seeing her expression made me realize this was important. After giving her, Lin, and Siv a kiss goodbye, Kari and I left with Chloe and Tora in tow.

***

Fay had never been alone with Eryk’s aunt before. She had spoken with such confidence when Eryk was still present, but now that he was gone, the weight of Fray’s silent stare and elegant stature seemed so much more intimidating.

“You do not need to be so nervous around me.” Fray wore a gentle and reassuring smile as she spoke, hands on her lap, back straight. She looked Fay right in the eyes. “I promise you that I don’t bite. You are family to me, so please, speak to me as you would an aunt or even an older sister.”

“I don’t have any aunts or older sisters, but I’ll try my best,” Fay said with her own little smile.

While she still felt a tad intimidated by this woman, the words Fray spoke had gone a long way toward soothing her emotions. She relaxed into her seat, reached out toward the cup of still steaming tea, and took a slow sip. The tea was truly delicious. It possessed a unique blend of spices that was somehow both soothing and energetic.

Fay wondered if she could create an alchemy pill that possessed similar affects.

“What is it you wished to speak with me about?” asked Fray.

Fay took a deep breath, set the teacup down, then bowed her head toward Fray.

“I would like you to train me.”

Silence.

Fay had her head bowed and eyes closed, so she could not see Fray, but the clinking of a teacup as it landed on a serving plate echoed in her ears.

“I am not sure I understand what you are getting at. Do you mean you want me to teach you how to fight? If so, I do not believe I can do much. Eryk has told me a lot about you. He often said that among all your wives, you are the most talented when it comes to martial combat.”

Fay’s ears burned at the compliment. Hearing that Eryk had given her such high praise was both embarrassing and joyous.

Fay did not have Kari’s incredible aptitude for learning, Lin’s natural reflexes and dexterity, or Siv’s ridiculous brute strength. Because of that, she had trained twice as hard to become the best fighter among them. While Eryk’s other wives might have her beat in terms of talent, they could never outdo her in sheer determination and grit, which was what allowed her to keep up with them.

It made her very happy that Eryk recognized this.

“I do not want you to train me in combat.” Fay finally looked up, and this time, when she looked into Fray’s eyes, she did not look away. “I want you to teach me about the Concept of Dimension.”

Fray did not say anything for several long seconds, which felt like they stretched on for minutes and even hours. She took slow sips of her tea like she hadn’t heard. Fay said nothing. She merely watched the woman as she set her cup down, folded her hands in her lap, and looked at her with a stern expression.

“Before I answer you, can I ask why you wish to learn the Concept of Dimension?” she asked.

Fay’s pants crinkled under her fingers as she clutched them tightly in her hands. “Because I am weak. During the battle against Entz, I couldn’t do anything. Eryk sent me away because he knew I would just be in the way of their battle. I don’t ever want to feel that way again.”

“I can understand that.” Fray nodded, still possessing the same calm as always. “But, you know, once you begin dual cultivating, you will learn how to wield all the Concepts that Eryk and his other wives have mastered. Is that not good enough?”

“It’s not,” Fay said immediately. When Fray raised an eyebrow, she flushed but continued. “Even if I can learn every concept they can use, it won’t mean anything if I cannot contribute something as well. It will be as if I was standing behind them. But that’s not what I want.”

“And what do you want?” asked Fray.

“To stand beside them. I want to stand by their side as an equal. But I can’t call myself their equal if I don’t contribute to our overall strength equally.”

Fray’s smile became more genuine. “That is a good answer, and I’m more than willing to help you.” Before Fay could sigh in relief, Fray continued. “However, be warned that there is a limit to how much I can teach. Learning a concept is a lot different than learning to use an element. There is no set method and everyone learns to wield concepts differently. This is also why there are no states like there are with the elements. The most I can do is tell you what I know about the Concept of Dimension as I understand it. Whether or not this will help you glean your own understanding, I cannot say. Are you still willing to listen to me?”

“I am,” Fay said. “Please, tell me whatever you can.”

“Very well. I’ll tell you what I know, but not today.” Fray lost her serious demeanor and once more looked like a gentle aunt or older sister. “Today has been a long day filled with dire news. It has given me many things to think about. I would also like some time to prepare. I do not want to give you information that could hinder your own progress.”

“I understand.” Fay stood up and bowed to the woman. “Thank you very much for your help.”

Lady Fray waved a hand through the air. “Think nothing of it. You and I are family, after all, and just like Eryk, I will do everything I can to protect my family.”

***

The day was bright. Sunlight shone on the village. Further out, interspersed throughout the mountains, were a mixture of dragons and Lightning Giants. The Lightning Giants were nearly ten times taller than the dragons. They were so large even some of the mountains looked small by comparison.

“I can’t wait to see Axel and the others,” Kari said, grinning from ear to ear as she swung my hand back and forth in hers. I hadn’t seen her with this much energy in a while. “It is a bit sad they won’t know who we are, but we know, and that’s all that matters.”

“Is that really all that matters?” I asked.

“Of course. Think of all the pranks we can play on them using what we know about them.”

“I thought you might say that.”

My wife was a mischievous as ever.

Walking behind Kari and I was our two companions, Chloe and Tora, who remained mostly silent. Tora was grumbling quietly under her breath. I was certain she was swearing. I could feel her eyes pierce the back of my neck.

The building that Fray had directed us two was two-stories, had windows without glass but wooden shutters, and was primarily made from wood but had a stone base. It look relatively plain.

We walked up to the building. Kari knocked on the door several times. A crash echoed from the other side, followed by a very loud curse, which was then followed by the thumping of feet. The door swung open, forcing Kari and I to step back.

“Yes? Who are you two?” asked the woman standing in the doorway.

The woman who answered the door looked delicate, with thin arms and legs, a lithe body that would have made most people mistake her for a child, and sandy brown hair that was long and straight. She stared at us with her brown eyes. Not blinking. She seemed curious more than anything.

I looked at Kari to see if she would speak, but my wife was biting her lip and was struggling to contain her tears. I sighed. It looked like talking to her would be up to me.

“Hello, are you a member of the Explorer’s Sect?” I asked.

“Former member,” the woman corrected. “Name’s Felicia Valentine. And you are?”

“Eryk Veiger,” I said.

“Oh! I’ve heard of you!” Felicia’s eyes widened, then shifted from me to Kari. “And you’re Kari Astralia, right? You two are famous!”

“We are?” I asked.

“Of course! You’re Fay Valstine’s husband and you’re her sister,” Felicia said. “A long time ago, people said you two were the strongest Spiritualists in the world. Then you disappeared. No one knew where you went.”

“We… went to another realm,” Kari managed to choke out.

“Are you okay? You seem like you’re in pain,” Felicia said.

Kari’s smile was filled with pain, but I doubted Felicia could see it. “I am fine. May we come in? We have something we would like to talk to your or Axel about.”

“Sure come on in—wait. How did you know about Axel?”

The woman let us inside. The room on the other end was just a large parlor with a staircase in the middle of the floor. It was a spiral staircase that led to a loft. Arrayed around the room were couches, bookshelves, dressers, and beds. A stove top and oven sat against the wall furthest from the door. While the floor was made of wood, a soft rug sat in the center and covered most of the wooden panels.

Three more people were arrayed around the room.

I knew all of them.

“We heard your name from Fray,” I answered her, covering my wife’s slip of the tongue.

“Oh. I see. Yes, that makes sense, though I am shocked Lady Fray knows who we are,” Felicia said.

“She has a good memory,” I said.

“Well, now. Here are some new faces,” one of the people in the room said.

He stood up from his couch, patting his pants as if to rid them of dust. Axel was an attractive catfolk man who stood just a little shorter than myself. His arms were thick, his shoulders broad, and his eyes were a vibrant green. Adding to his charm were the triangle-shaped cat ears on his head and the tail behind his back. Axel had once told me that his cat features were half the reason he got as much tail as he did.

“This is Eryk Veiger and Kari Astralia,” Felicia said, sounding excited. “I’m sure you know them.”

“I do.” Axel nodded. “If I’m not mistaken, some of your atrocious stories feature him.”

Felicia’s eyes became stormy and her face dark. “Don’t call my stories atrocious! You just can’t appreciate art!”

“Ha! Art. Right. My bad.” Axel didn’t seem bothered by the woman’s “I will kill you slowly and painfully” look, but he never was. I used to think there might have been some sexual tension between them. That was all in the past.

Kari looked at Felicia. “Have you been writing smutty stories about my husband having sex with your brother?”

I was certain my face just turned green, but the others ignored me.

“Of course I have!” Felicia puffed out her small chest and smiled proudly. “I will use any subject who catches my fancy—and your husband is prime writing material. I’ve never met such an attractive man in my life.”

“Ahem. Attractive man right here,” Axel said.

“You’ll have to let me read them,” Kari said.

Felicia’s eyes gleamed. “Of course I will, comrade.”

“You will not read them,” I snapped, pointing a finger at Kari, which I then turned on Felicia. “And you, don’t be a bad influence on my wife.”

“I’m not a bad influence.” Felicia crossed her arms and huffed. “There is nothing wrong with enjoying a good story about two men getting sweaty as they—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” I said. I would have covered my ears if this wasn’t important. “Show my wives those books, and I will burn the secret stash of erotic fiction you keep in a compartment under your bed.”

Felicia gaped. “How do you even know about that?!”

“That is enough silliness for now. I believe these four came here for a reason,” said another man, one who was large, well-built, and looked more like a warrior than an explorer. He had a head full of dark brown hair, a thick beard, and a masculine face.

“Oh. Right. They did say that.” With something of an embarrassed grin, Felicia walked over to stand in the middle of the room, spun, and gestured to us. “Allow me to introduce everyone here, though you seem to somehow know us already. This is Axel. He’s our leader, though we never listen to him.”

“Hey!” Axel shouted.

“My name is Felicia Valentine. The man who just spoke is Danivan Fotturist. He’s one of our more experienced explorers. If you have any questions about ruins, then he’s the man you want to talk to.” Danivan waved at us, and Felicia gestured toward the last person. “And this is my brother, Markus.”

“I thought I told you not to write me into your smutty stories, Sis,” Markus sighed, but he looked resigned. I felt sorry for him.

Markus had the same general appearance of his sister, though he was taller and contained the more angular features of a man. He was about a head shorter than myself. His body, covered in lithe muscles, made it clear that he had a lot of experience with mountain climbing.

“So, you have questions for us?” asked Axel.

“You’re fucking right we do,” Tora said, stepping forward.

Kari held out a hand. “Please let us talk, Tora. Your habit of swearing every other sentence can be offputting.”

“The fuck it can,” Tora grumbled but stepped back. I was impressed by how well Kari had a handle on Tora, though I never expected anything less either. My Primary Wife was the heart of my harem and the one who kept the other women in line.

“What did you want to know?” asked Axel.

“You are all members of the Explorer’s Sect, which means you’ve traveled to a lot of ruins dating back over five thousand years ago,” Kari began. “We’re looking for ruins that contain crystal coffins.”

“Crystal coffins, huh?” Axel crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. “I don’t know if I’ve ever come across anything like that. What about you three?”

Axel looked at Danivan, Felicia, and Markus, who all shook their heads.

“I haven’t seen anything like that during my explorations,” said Danivan.

“Me neither,” added Markus.

Felicia said nothing, her brow furrowed as if she was in deep thought. She chewed on her lower lip for a moment as her eyes became slightly unfocused.

“Felicia?” called Axel.

“I haven’t found any ruins that have anything like a crystal coffin,” Felicia began slowly. “But… I did once come across a book written by a famous explorer from before the formation of the Explorer’s Sect. It was in the library back in our old base. I can’t… quite remember what it said, but this man apparently traveled to another continent, where he discovered another civilization that worshiped a fire god who lived in an active volcano. According to him, there was a temple located inside of the ruins, and a crystal coffin was located inside the temple.” Felicia shook her head and smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. That’s all I can remember. I can’t even recall if the book mentioned where the other continent was located.”

“That’s okay,” Kari said with a gentle smile that made Felicia blush deep red. “What you’ve told us is more than enough. I believe we have enough information to do our own research.” Her smile turned devious and her eyes began gleaming. “Now, Felicia, about those books you write…”

“Don’t you dare show her those!” Markus and I shouted at the same time before Felicia could respond.

***

“Meerand!” Siv shouted as she and Lin set down on the gorund.

They had flown far away from the human village, into a clearing with a large lake of crystal clear water and surrounded by greenery. Numerous dragons were lounging there. This place was like something of a hangout for them. Only the younger dragons were present, however, as the older ones were staying by the temple where her grandmother was sealed, guarding it.

“Ah. Lady Siv,”Meerand said as he turned his head.

Around ten meters in length, Meerand was a relatively young dragon who did not have more than a century of experience. His body, covered in glistening blue scales, was corded with power muscles that rippled and flexed as he moved his large limbs. Hind legs that were thicker then the front legs shook the earth as he walked over to them. Sharp claws extended from his feet. His wings were currently folded on his back, but she knew they extended several meters in either direction, and his long tail swept back and forth.

Several other dragons followed him.

“Welcome back. How was your journey?”

“It was successful,” Siv said.

“Siv and this princess managed to kill the Great Overlord of the Fourth Realm with Darling’s help,” Lin said with her chest puffed out.

Dragons did not have the ability to make facial expressions. Their faces were simply too rigid for that, but Siv was sure Meerand would have raised an eyebrow if they could.

“You killed a Great Overlord?”

Because Lin was not one for detailed explanations, Siv did most of the talking, which made for an odd change of pace. It was normally Lin or one of Eryk’s other wives who did all the talking. She told the dragons about their journey to the merfolk city, how one of the Sekbeist Lords had already been there, how he’d released the Great Overlord of the Fourth Realm Ents, and how they had been forced to kill him before he could pose a threat to the realm.

“It was a tough battle,” Siv admitted. “If it wasn’t for all of us working together, I don’t think we would have won.”

“This princess… agrees with your assessment—much as she hates to admit it,” Lin agreed.

“It does sound like your battle was a hard one,” Meerand agreed. “Still, that you were able to defeat one of the venerable Great Overlords is a feat worth bragging about.”

Siv shook her head. “You misunderstand. I did not come here to brag.”

“Then what is it that you came here for?” asked Meerand.

Siv did not answer at first. She took in the area, the crystal clear lake, the fresh scent in the air, and the feeling of soft grass under her feet. This was a beautiful place. It would be a shame if they destroyed it.

She looked back at Meerand. “I want a place where me and my family can train. We need to get stronger—much stronger. Do you know of a place?”

Sterk was in the process of creating those isolation chambers for cultivating one’s understanding of a concept, but it would take three months to build them. That was too long. There was no telling what could happen within three months, so Siv needed to find a place where she, Eryk, Lin, Kari, and Fay could all train together in the meantime.

Meerand tilted his head and craned his long neck, looking up at the sky. He snorted once, causing lightning to shoot from his nose. Then he looked back down at Siv. His rhomboidal blue eyes stared into her green ones.

“I believe I know of a place,” he said at last. “Follow me.”

Meerand flapped his wings and flew into the air. Siv grabbed Lin’s hand and flapped her own wings, taking off.

“Hey! Don’t just grab this princess like that, Siv! She can fly herself! Are you listening?! Siv!!”

***

Gorrick had once heard that this city they had set up shop in used to be called Vesparia. It was the closest city to the Misty Mountain Range, and therefore the best place for them to set up their base.

Of course, even as large as the city was, it still was not big enough to contain their force of two hundred million slaves. They had built a sizeable army thanks to their ransacking of the Northern Plains. These humans might be weak, but most of them had enough Spiritual Power to at least create two slaves, and the Spiritualists could normally create as many as ten or twenty.

That was nothing compared to the numbers they could create with the races from other realms. But they made do with what they had.

At present, Gorrick was located inside of a library. It was not big, but neither was it small. Thousands of thick tomes sat on bookshelves that lined the walls. Most of them were journals written by humans who had explored the Northern Plains. The one he was currently reading detailed the exploits of a man named Kevin Swift, who discovered an injured fox spirit and fell in love.

It was a disgusting tale.

He put the book down with a sigh.

“Have you not found anything?” someone behind him asked.

Gorrick did not turn around. “Not yet. There are too many fucking books. I know we should be grateful, but shit, I fucking hate reading. Why can’t these people just pass down stories verbally?”

“If they did that, we would never be able to discover where the Great Overlords are sealed.”

“Yeah. I know.” Gorrick finally turned around and eyed the man. “So I see you’re back, Wutend. Were you able to unseal the Great Overlord of the Fourth Realm?”

“I was,” said Wutend. “Everything went according to plan. I didn’t even have to kill him myself.”

“Oh? Sounds like you had some good fortune.” Gorrick raised an eyebrow.

“Good fortune. Yes. I suppose you could call it that.”

Wutend had been sent on a mission to unseal the Great Overlord of the Fourth Realm, kill him, and recover the Spiritual Power of their Overlord. They had discovered the potential whereabouts of the Great Overlord known as Ents in this very library. Since it looked like their research had contributed to the success of their ultimate goal, the others would undoubtedly want Gorrick to scour this entire library for more information.

They had really struck a gold mine when they discovered this place.

“Have there been any changes in the situation since I was gone?” asked Wutend, sitting down across from him.

“Not really.” Gorrick flipped through a few pages of his book, but it was mostly a sappy love story with bad humor. Whoever wrote this book had been a terrible author. “The barrier surrounding the Misty Mountains is even stronger than before, if you can believe it. And Vahn now has a barrier surrounding it. We won’t be able to break through without a lot of preparation.”

“I don’t think we need to worry about the humans or Fray and her Valkyries right now,” Wutend said.

“But we will have to deal with them eventually.” Gorrick closed the book, put it on the pile of already finished books, and grabbed another one. He didn’t want to read that crap anymore. “Tiamat was sealed on that mountain. If we cannot break that barrier, we’ll never be able to accomplish our goals.”

“We can save Tiamat for last,” Wutend said. “I believe we should focus on finding and releasing the remaining three Great Overlords.”

“And once we’ve reclaimed the essence of the first seven Great Overlords, we can achieve our true objective,” Gorrick said with a grim smile as he flipped the book open. This was a non-fiction story about a traveler who wanted to journey around the world. It should be more useful than that boring ass love story.

“Yes.” Wutend nodded slowly as he also grabbed a book from the unfinished pile. “Once we have claimed the our lord’s Spiritual Power from the first seven Great Overlords, we can break the seal on Wodan, force him to merge with our lord’s power, and revive our great master.”