Transcendence?

***Norfolk, Sarn-Valley***

Having two secretaries isn't bad at all. I lean back in my chair and place my feet on the table while reading a report.

Sarah is dealing with people at the reception and Celestial kneels at a small desk beside the entrance.  She is checking the tax-reports for me.

I organized the desk especially for her to emphasize her lower position compared to me. And to humiliate her. A little bit of teasing should be allowed.

It's very convenient to find such a well educated hand. And she seems to have a gift for it! She is faster than me. “You are really sure that you never worked as a secretary in your previous lifes?”

She just glares at me and continues writing.

Too bad. “Well. If you continue at that rate you might have earned zero point zero zero one percent of your worth at the end of your life.” Muaha, yes! Work for me until I die of old age. And forget holidays!

Someone knocks at the door and takes a look into the office. “Are you Ascathon? I am here to apply for the job as a tutor. My name is Stefan Sung.”

An old guy with white hair and the aura of an academic takes a look into the office. I stand up to greet him. “Yes, I will get straight to the point. What is your competency?”

The old guy takes a curious look at Celestial and winces at the sight of her slave-ring. Then he turns towards me. “I worked my entire life at the Academy as a magical researcher. I feel confident to teach basic knowledge and magic.”

He hands me a sheet of paper which turns out to be a certificate from the academy. I take it curiously. “Why aren't you still working at the Academy? It's strange for someone like you to apply as a home tutor.” Then I find the reason for his leave on the certificate. “I see. You investigated new knowledge.”

The expression of the old guy drops and he takes his certificate back. “I was thrown out because I asked too many inconvenient questions about scientific methods and artefacts. I understand that someone like me is unfit to teach untainted minds.” He turns and walks out of the office.

Seems like he already tried at quite a few places to find work. If you are thrown out of the Academy for a reason like that you are socially dead and your career is finished. This must have been quite a blow to him.

I look out of the office. “Sarah. Give the man a room and a contract. He is working full time as a tutor for Liandra and Violetta from now.”

Stefan turns around with a surprised expression.

Then I call for Liandra and Violetta who should be playing upstairs. Seconds later I see both of them rumbling down the stairs. “Liandra, Violetta. This is Stefan. He will be your tutor from now on. If you don't follow his orders I will think up a suitable punishment!”

I turn towards Stefan. “You teach them everything you know. If you need materials, books, items. Just give a list of the needed stuff to Sarah. Did I forget something.” I scratch my cheek while I think hard.

Stefan raises his hand to the height of his chest with a forced smile.

“Yes?” I give him a curious look.

“How am I supposed to teach a slave magic?” Stefan smiles at me.

I blink while I think about his words. Then I look at Liandra and Violetta. “Ah! I forgot!” I point a finger at their slave-rings and concentrate.

*snap* *snap*

Both slave-rings split open and drop to the ground. I bend down and pick them up. Then I place both of them in my pocket.

“No slaves. Family members. If you hurt them I will nail you onto the roof and measure the time it takes you to freeze solid.” I step back into my office and close the door, leaving a shocked Stefan behind. Liandra and Violetta are grinning at him with strange expressions.

Inside my office I feel Celestial's gaze on me so I turn to face her. She is smiling cutely and holding her hand with the slave-ring towards me.

“Forget it! Puppy-eyes don't work on me.”

“Damn!”

I walk back to my chair and sit down again.

“Have you heard anything about Mislow?” Celestial starts to fiddle with her pencil. She has an agitated expression and looks down at her tax-reports.

“I haven't heard anything. And it's unlikely that the borders will be opened any time soon.” I grab the report again and start to search for the point where I was interrupted.

“But there has to be a way to get a message through! I need to know what happened to the rest of my family after the raid!” -Celes

“The only hope for you is that there are some nobles from Mislow at the Ball of Fellmar. The Jarl throws a big party in about a month. He will most likely invite people from everywhere.” I snort when I think about the problematic event.

Probably it will be very chaotic. After all there will be nobles from Mislow and Jamaian present. They will jump at each others throats like bloodhounds.

And the Phenex Empire will greatly benefit from the continued discord between the two most powerful nations on the main continent.

“Will you attend?” Celes looks at me with hopeful eyes.

I shrug my shoulders. “I doubt that I will be able to avoid it after I informed the Jarl about the coming invasion.”

“What invasion!?” Celestial jumps up.

“The Phenex Empire is using the current weakness of the main continent to enlarge its sphere of influence. They sent already a lot of spies with a few merchant ships. My guards accidentally captured one of them and I ripped the information out of his mind. But he preferred to kill himself before I could get anything substantial.” I explain the state of the world to Celestial with a bored voice. “Don't worry. I think we still have a few years of peace. His memories didn't sound like Phenex has already a huge army ready.”

“And you are sitting here with your feet on the desk and reading reports!?” Celestial calls out.

“Hahahaha... do you want me to go out there and play hero? I have done that far too many times. Who cares? Especially you should be able to understand that. I was a hero, I played the demon lord, I conquered the world, I saved the world and I destroyed it. That's how often I already went through all this. And do you know what I learned!?” I hit my fist onto the table and Celestial twitches.

“It doesn't matter! There will always be a next story and another world to save! Just grab the few things you hold dear and protect them as long as you can! And who knows for certain that the Immortal Empress is a bad thing? Maybe she is a better ruler than those stupid governments of the main continent?” I lean back again. “Maybe it's better if she conquers all countries.”

Celestial clenches her fists. “That's a very sad viewpoint. It's sickening me that it comes from someone like me! We have power! We have a responsibility!”

I throw the report onto my desk and look at Celestial. “You have power? Look at you! All your reincarnations and you ended up with a slave-ring. If you weren't extremely lucky you would have been used as a breeding mare for some mortal idiot. You would have most likely died in the bed while giving birth to another bastard. In your next life you would have sworn to make it better. Remembering your past lifes doesn't make you any stronger than the lucky bastard from next door!”

Celestial turns red. “Lucky!? I am working for an ignoramus like you! If I wasn't in this stupid mansion and surrounded by a hundred guards then I could have fled ten times already! How am I …...”

This idealistic moron! I will show you why you are lucky!

“~To your knees.~”

Celestial falls to her knees with a fearsome expression in her eyes.

“~Turn your back towards me and bend over.~”

Again her body moves against her will and tears well up in her eyes.

Then I stand up and walk towards her to whisper into her ear. “That's why you are lucky! Because someone else would have used the slave-ring's potential! Just poking you with a little pain is nothing! How does it feel to have no control over your own body!?”

I can't believe that she never came across one of those cursed artefacts. They exist in many worlds. Once I received one right after my birth. That special resurrection was pure hell.

“~Release.~”

Celestial drops onto her small desk and wipes the tears from her eyes. Then I turn and walk back to my chair. “When will you be done with the taxes?”

“Today.” She looks at me but strangely there is just pity in her eyes. “Those nightmares, that personality and that world-view. I hope that you will sometime have a life which will make you forget whatever horrid memories are responsible for that.”

.