T
The meeting was over, at least for Reiss. The others needed time to digest, and no doubt they would have their own separate briefing without him. Reiss allowed everyone to leave with their new clothes and old ones. Except for Nelson.
Reiss covered his mouth as Nelson's clothes disappeared upon exiting the mansion. A shrill yelp later, and Reiss could no longer rein in his laughter. The scene of Nelson hopping backward into the mansion caused Krom to vibrate like a jackhammer. Lima was able to curb her mirth, but Gideon was already having trouble breathing. Even Cray smirked.
The prank served to lighten tensions after an exhausting day.
When Nelson returned with both cheeks covered, Reiss bade farewell and exited the throne room the normal way. The oversized doors were surprisingly lighter than he remembered. Maybe getting all those feelings off his chest did some good?
As Reiss wandered through the winding corridors past palace staff and guards, he was pleasantly taken aback at the fanfare he received. Practically everyone was bowing, saluting, or moving out of his way.
His new Title worked wonders.
As the new [Nine Realm Ambassador], Reiss had full autonomy and would only answer to William when it came to national relations. In return, he would give William reports and present options for moving forward. All with the best interests of the Empire, of course.
It was such an amazing deal that Reiss couldn't help but feel like he stronghanded the [Emperor]. Still, it provided benefits such as recognition among any citizen of the Empire. It gave him a light golden aura in their eyes, signifying someone close to the throne. The others each had one; Reiss never saw it since he didn't consider himself a citizen.
Fortunately there was an off switch... somewhere... Reiss would have to do some scrolling to find it. Having it on full blast was rude and pointless.
Reiss mourned his anonymity.
"Where are we going?"
Reiss jumped.
"Krom? How do you keep doing that?"
Were his internal processes getting kicks out of scaring him? Like when he kept eating dirt on his way to Thorsten? It happened so often he swore someone was tripping him.
Krom fished a burnt treat from his pocket and popped it in his mouth. The audible crunching made Reiss cringe with each bite.
"I followed."
"Ah."
Eternally taciturn. Reiss scratched his temple with a finger. The others probably didn't want him in their meeting, so he followed Reiss instead. Work would likely start tomorrow for him. Reiss thrust a thumb behind him.
"I am going up to one of the lookout points. Want to come?"
Krom shrugged both boulder shoulders. Reiss just took it at face value and started walking through the mansion. He's been here countless times and knew the way.
Left. Left. Right. Straight. Down a set of stairs. Kitchen!
Reiss shoved a bunch of pastries in a dimensional space while throwing some at Krom.
Back up the stairs. Two Rights. Straight for 4 intersections. A Left. Hop over the floor trap. Round the corner. Up a narrow spiral staircase.
"Almost, Krom. Almost."
Exit hidden door in the stonework. Wave at the two assassins hiding in the shadows. A hop, skip, and slide through the maid's quarters, ignoring any cries of distress and thrown soap.
Up a final long flight of stairs that lay conveniently adjacent to the throne room and out onto a veranda overlooking the entire capital city of Wern. Named
A huffing Krom collapsed as he edged past the final staircase.
What was the point of all that?
=
"It was the scenic route, Krom. Plus, we got some snacks along the way."
Cream poked out the other side of a pastry, falling onto a watchful hand. Reiss didn't waste it.
"Assassins?"
Reiss's face wrinkled from the sour tart. Waving a sticky hand, he relieved Krom's worries.
"Them? They belong to the palace. However, I imagine they are having some trouble escaping the wrath of several maids right now."
Reiss choked on his tart as he attempted to laugh. Punching his chest, the piece of pastry flew out of his mouth and over the edge of the balcony.
"Ah. What a waste."
Hopefully that won't land on someone's head. We're high enough for it to reach terminal velocity.
The fact that Krom climbed so many stairs on his first try was a testament to his physique. Not many made the climb manually. Evidenced by how they were alone in the covered tower.
Reiss waited for Krom to recover by sitting on the edge of the stonework, dangling his feet.
"Eyebrows."
Eyebrows? What is that supposed to mean? Krom is the one with the furry eyebrows. Reiss' face scrunched up like a pug. ~May a merciful god let their breed finally die off.~
Wait a minute...
Reiss's hand went to his eyebrows as he saw Krom's face shift slowly into his own version of a shit-eating grin.
Quickly. Reiss took out a hand mirror. He swore softly, with venom.
"Oh, you rat bastard."
=
Krom extricated himself from a headlock to continue rolling around on his own.
"Why didn't you tell me they are still brown? You've made me look like a fool in front of the entire court, the assassins, the maids...
Reiss threw his arms every which way.
"I can't believe I forgot the eyebrows. I don't have any Winter Sprite magic left..."
Punishment was in order.
When Krom finished lamenting the loss of his burnt pastries being thrown off the side of the tower, the one-sided conversation resumed.
"Nothing can be done now. Besides, I can't make all my hair turn white. It will make me look old. Or like a fairy."
Krom faced Reiss, serious, his face a menacing mask. The two lasted a while like that. Then Reiss raised an eyebrow.
"Pfft."
Krom broke eye contact and turned to the side, his shoulders revolving in another silent fit.
=
The charades finally ceased. Reiss was back to sitting on the ledge, long hair swaying gently in the wind. Krom looked out at the watercolor skyline. Clouds reflected darker colors as they drifted across the skyscape unhindered. The city of Wern stretched out for dozens of leagues before terminating at a thick wall that put Thorsten to shame. Rural housing and farmland continued outward. Rolling grassland and hills, all dotted with teeny specks that you could assume were other settlements.
"The Slumbering Empire... what an ironic name."
Reiss scoffed as he looked outward.
"It truly does slumber Until it wakes and tears itself to pieces. And did you see the royal court when we arrived? Not a single non-human!"
Krom thought back and nodded.
"The nerve. Can you bring that up when talking to Nelson? Promote some beastkin in the army and get in touch with the Harpies. Those feathery fellows are amazing at politics. You know... I think I'll hire some myself."
Krom didn't know what Harpies were. That was the problem.
"Harpies exist in the Lyle Mountain Range. Over there, you see?"
Reiss pointed to small ridges along the horizon line. Krom realized he had seen those mountains before. In the movie. Enveloped in a fiery explosion.
"This world is segregated. The Beastkin live separately. The Harpies are forgotten. The Vampires hide in the shadows, persecuted. If Aurelia is ever to become a melting pot of nine other worlds, it needs to start accepting itself."
Krom gave a slow nod. It was clear once Reiss pointed it out. He never really thought about it before. It was similar to how no one thought about his smithing abilities or how he cornered the market as a [Farrier], out of sight and out of mind. William and his court rested in their beds without ever personally encountering other races or problems. Thus, it is never brought up in meetings.
"I think I will send them a note."
Reiss pulled out a pen and paper, scribbled a bit, and cast a message spell. It disappeared with a poof.
=
Shouts of alarm reverberated in a top-secret meeting space as a piece of paper floated down gently.
William picked it up and read aloud.
"Stop being such racist hobgobblers..."
A second shout and head slap repeated after another paper popped into existence.
"List of Aurelian Races?"
=
Krom was amused. Reiss wiped his hands.
"There. Now that gets them talking and shows them I know where they keep their cookie jars."
The sun was setting, the light dying and giving birth to something different. It had been only a short day, and yet Krom's entire world has changed. Krom decided now was a good time to ask his questions.
"Level 100?"
Reiss looked at Krom and snorted.
"Hah! No. But I'm strong enough to make them think twice. That is what matters."
Krom felt uncomfortable as his suspicion was confirmed. If Reiss wasn't Level 100 and still able to destroy the world...
"What level are you?"
"Higher than you, buddy. It doesn't really matter. Levels? Classes? It is all hogwash meant to soothe egos. Eldens are twice as powerful as Level 40 [Archmage]. Lizzy especially."
Krom remembered.
"Where is Lizzy?"
"In Elden, of course. The Elden Gate doesn't open for another 4 months. By then, it'll be too late."
Regicide. The elaborate storybook hadn't been too clear on the details, so Krom didn't know how or why it happened.
"Can you prevent it?"
"I told you. The Gate isn't open."
"Can you open it?"
"What? No. Of course not-"
Reiss froze.
Krom became worried as he waved a hand in front of Reiss' face. Prodding his shoulder didn't work. Neither did throwing him off the ledge. Krom began to worry as Reiss didn't respond even after he plummeted halfway to the ground. Then Reiss was magically back in his face.
"Krom, you genius! This is why I love your company. I could just kiss you."
Reiss tried. He received a violent slap that sent him back over the edge. A second time, Reiss reappeared in front of Krom. His voice was softer this time.
"Seriously though, thank you. Maybe I can stop it. Lizzy always regretted what happened, even if she rarely let it show. That much is clear by her storybook. We could never find a way to prevent it since I couldn't inform her upon reset, and the Gate was always locked."
Krom's friend's eyes sparkled as a new life danced within them.
"But if this works? It could change everything."
Krom put a comforting hand on Reiss's shoulder.
"Alright, this won't be pleasant, but I need to call in a favor. Take care of the royals for a few months, will you?"
"Wait-"
Too late, Reiss fell back down, plummeting towards the ground.
Months? Upturning Krom's entire life in a single day only to vanish. Krom never felt such camaraderie and closeness before. Reiss could interpret Krom almost as well as his parents. He was even better because he could hold a conversation all by himself. It would be difficult to find a better friend.
Krom's smacked himself as he remembered.
The third person.
He never got to ask...