Transcendence?

***Norfolk, Sarn-Valley***

“Please!”

“No!”

“Just one bite!”

“You will get fat!”

“I will train my body!”

“You are consuming chocolate, like other people would eat bread! That's not healthy!”

“But I can't help myself.”

“It's unhealthy! And let go of my hips. Hugging me like that while kneeling is cheating!”

“Please.”

Celestial has to be swayed to make chocolate for me! I can't go without it any longer! We are in the kitchen and she is cooking while dragging me around. I am hugging her around the waist in a vain attempt to persuade her.

Idala is sitting at the dining table while reading a book.

Celestial has me on a one week long withdrawal by now. “One week without chocolate! It's cruel!”

“You got an entire bowl for the whole month and you consumed it in ten days! Do you have the slightest idea of what will happen to your body, if you keep eating chocolate in this manner.” She walks over to the fridge, while dragging me along.

I know exactly what will happen if I keep this up.

“I will reincarnate?”

*Smack!*

Ow! She gave me a clout. That's going to become a bump!

“I saw to the proper implementation of these *greenhouses* with Stefan!” Arduin enters the room and stops while watching us.

Then he turns towards Idala, who shrugs her shoulders. “Don't look at me. They've been like that for half an hour by now.”

Arduin shakes his head and takes a seat beside his wife. Both of them started to help with governing my principality. At least they are trying to help in exchange for free lodging and food.

In essence it's a perfect arrangement for me. I keep playing with my toys to ensure a steady stream of new devices, which are beneficial to our infrastructure. Fortunately this world has magic, so I am able to create most devices by using short-cuts. In a purely technological realm it would require a profound industrial base and resources for something like a properly working engine.

I can avoid many of the problems which would occur in a world without mana.

It's also helpful that my rule is absolute. If someone from the higher class gives an order to the commoners, they will adhere to it without questions.

“A dictatorship is convenient when it comes to the implementation of a new order.” I talk to myself while thinking over all the new things, which were accomplished in Sarn.

The Jarl was on fire for my proposal to create a research- and development-centre for warfare in Sarn. Of course everything is completely walled in and top secret. The topography of my principality is another positive factor and helped my proposal.

Naturally he had a valid reason for giving me this much freedom. The Jamaian Union fell practically over night into complete disarray when the Phenex Empire invaded.

It's another benefit that he keeps feeding me with the latest news of the world.

It was completely unexpected, even to me. I had thought that we would have a few more years at least. But it looks like the rumoured Immortal Empress took action herself.

Norfolk and the Academy tried everything to get a hold on the spies. Mislow started a search too, but they continued to fight Jamaian when they found just a handful of agents. The Jamaian Union didn't heed our warnings at all and kept their offensive stance towards Mislow.

The division of the main continent is proving to be its downfall. I don't see how they can mount a proper defence if they don't start working together immediately.

It's like a twist of fate for Jamaian to be the first target of the invasion. When they heard of the huge fleet which took their most important harbour cities, they turned and marched with all their forces to their capital.

Well. If you think about it, choosing the Jamaian Union as the first target was obvious. Much land, many people and slaves to free. Of course they will praise you as the messiah who brought their freedom.

The best way to start a great scale invasion is to have the support of a sizeable amount of the population.

The invasion practically ended the war between Mislow and the Jamaian Union. It remains to be seen if the Jamaian Union is able to fend off the attack.

Mislow on the other hand is busy with fortifying its borders and walling itself in. They have no reason to help their enemies. Norfolk is too far away to send help. Even if the Jarl wanted to help, he wouldn't be able to.

The few troops he has would have to march through Mislow, or through the desert which is controlled by the academy. Mislow wouldn't allow it and the desert isn't easy to pass with a big army.

The Academy will surely send a few of its mages and assist with magical knowledge. But I doubt that it will be enough. There are reports that the naval fleet of the Phenex Empire already set its sails to destroy important cities along the coast line.

Because nobody ever thought about challenging the Nation of Mist on the sea, there is next to nothing which can oppose the Phenex-fleet.

I suppose that the Phenex Empire has a few more transports with new troops on their way too. Their first wave was just enough to conquer some important ports.

Or maybe they were weakened? Who says that they didn't clash with the Nation of Mist? Then the Nation of Mist must have gotten a bloody nose.

Haaah. If my theory is true, then the stupid Sky-General will grant me a visit soon enough....

“Ascathon, it's getting creepy. Let go and let's eat.”

I return to reality and take a look at the food on the dining table. Haaa. Probably Celestial won't give in, so I let go of her and crawl to my seat.

At least it's one of her best dishes. Rice with spiced meat and salad. The taste of the spiced meat is well rounded and perfectly to my liking.

When I am done with half of my plate, I realize that we have two missing persons. “Where are Liandra and Violetta?”

“Grounded in their rooms.” Celestial stabs her meat like killing it a second time.

“For?” What have they done now? It's becoming worse and worse with them since they tried to trip Sarah.

“They trapped Stefan inside a self repeating illusion of a corridor! The poor guy ran in circles through the mansion for half the night!” Idala grumbles while giving me an update.

Arduin is surprised. “They are able to pull off a high level spell like that? That's incredible at their age! Even if they worked together!”

“That's not the right reaction! The illusion-loop is a military spell for a good reason! I wonder who taught them something that dangerous.” Idala squints her eyes while looking at Arduin.

“No. I am innocent! I used most of my time to help with the principality! When could I have taught them?” Arduin shakes his head.

I stop chewing when all eyes wander to me. *Gulp* “Why aren't you looking at Celestial?”

“~Inner mana manipulation honey. How could I teach something which I can't do myself? And I am too responsible to do something like that.~”

This is way too convenient for her.

“Don't roll your eyes like that! You taught them! How can you teach something like that to children.” Idala snaps.

“Okay. Okay. I admit. I may have taught them a few spells for self-defence.”

“A.... FEW!?” Idala is shocked.

“~Which!?~”

Why has Celestial such a dangerous aura all of a sudden? “Liandra is quite good with illusion-loops, so it was probably her. Both of them have average skill with the slicing-cyclone-spell and Violetta is actually quite good at creating illusions of herself. Then I taught them a few tricks to bypass the mental defence of someone and a little telekinesis to pop something important in an enemy's head.”

Hmmm. What else? “Oh. Yesterday we started to train techniques for absorbing mana from our surroundings and other people. It's never bad if you have possibilities to refill your mana as needed, or to steal your enemy's mana.”

“If their progress is good, I thought about teaching them Inferno. It's never bad to have a last resort spell to annihilate everything around you.” Hah! See? I am a wonderful teacher! Of course my students are smart too, but it's actually hard to teach stuff like this during my free hours.

“Hoho? Maybe I will join in on those inferno lessons!” Arduin looks expectant.

“If you teach any more dangerous spells to them I will personally ~re-educate~ you.” Idala looks fearsome now.

“Try it! I will teach the kids proper self-defence. It's my estate and my house...”

Celestial grabs my hand from the side and I face her.

“~Honey?~ You realize that Liandra is thirteen and Violetta nine?” Celestial looks very calm and radiates a calm aura.

Suddenly her grip on my hand becomes tighter and tighter. “So..... would you please consider their age? See to their proper moral education before teaching them something to eradicate whole cities! ~If you do your work properly, I may find some chocolate which is hidden away.~”

Hmmm. Teaching morals isn't as much fun as making things explode or twisting someone's mind. But if I get paid with chocolate.... “They will have a higher moral standard than me.”

At that moment the kitchen is entered by Sarah with a certain person in tow. Sarah bows to us and introduces our guest. “Excuse me. But the ~Great-Sky-General-of-the-Nation-of-Mist~ didn't want to wait and wished to talk to the ~weapons-trader~ immediately!”

Fingulf leans around the corner and peeks into the kitchen. “There you are! We need to talk!”

…..

….

…

An hour later I am informed of the crushing defeat and the regular clashes between the Nation of Mist and the Phenex Empire.

“I hope that you realize that -white flashes- doesn't exactly help in creating a defence. White flashes can have many causes.” I shake my head. Fingulf obviously expects me to restore their naval power over night.

“We'll pay every price, if we can keep the Phenex-fleet away from our islands!” Fingulf looks a little desperate. “You want another three thousand platinum coins? We'll pay! Just name the price!”

Idala and Arduin gasp when they hear about such a sum being offered casually.

“Currently it looks like only the Immortal Empress is able to cast this spell. We can hold our ground with the ships we have left. But if she decides to take personal action another time.....” Fingulf has a grim expression.

I scratch my cheek while thinking about the situation. “You already have very good barrier-spells on your ships. So whatever that -white flash- is, it overwhelmed those barriers. Either by bypassing or simply overpowering them.”

“Without knowing anything about the spell, it would be foolish to give you something that adds to your defence. In the worst case your enhanced defence would be overpowered too. Wait here.” I stand up and walk into my basement to get five of my vision-globes.

They are earlier versions of the one which is able to spy anywhere. To make it short.... it would be appropriate to call them magnifying glasses. You can't look through walls and don't hear any sound through them.

But they should be perfect to aim spells at larger distances on sea. The Nation of Mist would be able to pick off enemy ships as soon as they appear on the horizon. I place all globes in a box and add a basic manual on how to create them.

Then I walk back to my kitchen and find Fingulf at the dinner table. He has a blue eye and Idala is tending to it with healing magic. Celestial and Arduin are gone.

“What happened?”

“I asked the demon why she became so fat.” Fingulf states this as a matter of fact. Then he looks towards me. “My condolences.”

I smile and place the box on the table in front of Fingulf. Then I present the globes to him. “These are better versions of spy glasses. You simply hold them in front of you and infuse your mana into them. If you use them to aim your spells, it should increase your range enough to stay out of their reach.” I shrug my shoulders. “As for staying away. I will leave that problem to you.”

Fingulf's eyes start to gleam. “Those Phenex bastards will never see us if we don't want them to! How much?”

I start to smile. “How about a few shipments of metals and raw materials for my principality? My industrial base has to become better. I will leave the amount to you. Of course I expect that you will judge a fair price on my globes.”

.