Although Momonga had temporarily set aside his plans to visit the remaining provinces, fully establishing his presence in each region he had recently obtained due to the recent events involving his other siblings, his abrupt tour halt had led to unforeseen consequences. The leaders of the remaining provinces he hadn't set foot on as of late had taken it as losing favor with him, intensely so, to the point that it was causing spikes in inefficiencies and plummeting morale. Gazel in particular had made noticeable efforts to find out what he had done wrong through all the information channels available to him, Dwargon's nobility throwing themselves into complete disarray from Gazel's intense crackdown trying to figure out what he had done wrong.
Thus the second part of the tour needed to be done post haste to ensure he wasn't seen as playing favorites. Thus, Momonga had made arrangements to blitz through paperwork, getting it teleported to him instead of building up in his office despite the possible safety issues.
The capital didn't need an additional tour since he had talked with Rigurd recently and he, together with the other guild members, could be seen often enough by the citizens living in the heart of the hegemony. It was fine, arguably the most stable part of his dominion.
His first stop now would be Dwargon for two reasons. First, Gazel was the last of the new Lords yet to be visited, and the one with the most economic influence thanks to his nation having historically produced the world's coinage. Second, the Emperor of the Eastern Empire had proposed a meeting bordering Dwargon to reach a mutual agreement due to the changes in the world's political climate and he needed the eastern border in tiptop shape.
With Velgrynd giving him a heads up, he knew that the Emperor was Manas: Michael and would fall in line with the general plan. Another manas, posing unpredictability to his plans. Nazarick was already enough. He knew that it was very unlikely that the neighboring nation planned an ambush, not that killing a part of him would achieve anything. The remaining True Dragons would obliterate the sapient skill for it, along with likely all of the Eastern Empire.
He had considered voluntarily allowing Michael to kill a much-depowered Parallel Existence of himself, if only to remove this world of its last major threat, but Velzard and Velgrynd were still too dangerous, their abilities unknown, to risk such a feat.
The arrival at the Dwargon's royal castle was smooth and he was accompanied by his three consorts and Rubedo, each decked out with the fanciest equipment they had. Pero had proposed that he and the other guild members should start thinking about their private royal guard, since the avian was the only one with an exclusive guard organization, consisting mostly of sprites. The rest mostly just relied on Benimaru to assign them guards, if at all.
Momonga understood the reasoning behind having royal guards with a unique theme for each of the Lords, as it would be a position many would strive for, even if there was little practical need for it. Symbolically, it also represented the strongest each of them could field, displaying to the world their ruler(s)' might. Rubedo alone could stop most threats and immensely enjoyed her position as such, but the idea of giving her subordinates to train and handle mundane tasks was surely an interesting one. Additionally, she could be put in charge of testing the loyalties of each candidate, her void capabilities unfathomable to most. He already had a template with his three consorts who had plunged into the void and had come back stronger than before. Of course, most wouldn't fare well in the void, with Hinata being a prime example. This idea was added to the extensively long to-do list that never seemed to stop growing.
They were greeted by Gazel standing beside his throne, with his personal guard and the majority of local nobles standing in neat rows on the sides. The spacious hall was brightly lit with magical lamps as the mostly short-statured people nervously shifted around upon his arrival.
From received reports, Momonga knew that Gazel's decision to join Tempest was unpopular among the nobility since rumors of purges performed in other territories acquired by the Hegemony were rampant, sending crippling fear through the upper echelons. Previous titles meant nothing and even established families could end up on the chopping block for minor offenses. Merchants and craftsmen, on the other hand, were ecstatic to join the much larger free market, where dwarven goods had the reputation of exquisite quality, thus bringing in ever higher profits. From what Pero had told him, the majority of reputable dwarven craftsmen had commissions spanning years, if not decades.
"I welcome you to the Dwargon Province, Supreme Overlord." Gazel was first to address him, dropping to one knee. The rest of the room followed their king's example, one by one, some more reluctantly than others.
"Raise your heads." Momonga motioned, "My visit won't be a long one. In my eyes, Dwargon is a shining example that the rest of Tempest can follow regarding social norms, economy, and overall culture. My agents have reported some minor discrepancies, but that can be easily fixed without replacing the vast majority of offenders."
Momonga heard a few sighs of relief from Gazel's court as they rose up one by one, following Gazel. The carrot-and-stick approach utilized in older provinces had proved to be the most effective way of governance, making corruption virtually nonexistent. Dwargon was no exception. The moment the millennia-old nations joined Tempest, local nobility rushed to implement the necessary adjustments to their governance in fear of drawing the ire of Tempest's dreaded high executors, who had the authority to execute everyone falling out of line without due process, and possibly people unrelated except for inadvertent or unavoidable connections.
Then again, Gazel had a lot of authority and could remove titles from families however he saw fit, so there wasn't rampant noble disobedience to be found even before Dwargon was his to rule over. It had mostly been petty grievances and small-time corruption that had plagued his lands, nothing big.
As was expected, some of the most influential nobles and Gazel gave speeches that weren't even remotely disguised as ass-kissing, which Momonga left in the background while using most of his attention to integrate the void into death lightning to have not only a flashy attack but one that would strike undeniable fear. The spell was made in preparation to deal with the three unclaimed primordials, as there were very few things that horrified beings like demons, and he needed to horrify them in kind. After all, like the true dragons, they were just reborn if their cores got crushed, ready to strike again whenever they saw fit.
After the official matters were over, Gazel led Momonga and his consorts into his private castle wing for a special treat. From what Momonga guessed, the treat likely was some sort of alcohol, as the dwarven king had lamented that Tempest was taking over as the place for not only the best food but rare and exclusive spirits too. A rare method of entertainment and enjoyment for the perpetually-stressed king.
Once the doors behind them closed and all the servants were left outside, Gazel's demeanor changed to a more casual one.
"You are going to love this, Momonga. A forgotten storage unit with brandy that was made during my grandfather's reign was found while renovating one of the historical sites. Considering the grapes and the methods used are lost to history, these bottles are priceless." Gazel proudly presented a crate with discolored bottles, their markings all but faded to time, placing the crate on the table with six seats.
The leisure area was an open balcony-type space with a small pond and large lamps that imitated natural daylight. Momonga noted that the air was as fresh as if they stood outside, guessing that some sort of air-cleaning magic technology was used for air circulation, which was a problem in the mostly underground city, especially with its industry.
"It would serve you well to remember your stature, Gazel. You are addressing the supreme ruler of Tempest, dwarf." Albedo reminded him as her hand drifted to her blade.
"Albedo, it's fine. We're in an informal setting now, there's no need for formalities. Besides, Gazel was our first ally in this world, so for that alone, he should get more leeway." Momonga hurriedly stopped his consort's attempts at enforcing strict etiquette to have a more relaxed meeting. "You could take an example from Shion."
The oni woman had used the opportunity and sneaked closer to the table while everyone was distracted, canceling her immunities and taking a decent gulp from one of the bottles, waving it in the air.
"Wow, this stuff is great! Packs quite a punch," She commented with a hiccup, her cheeks reddening already, taking Gazel by surprise. "I think I can replicate it with that aging device."
"How did she… wait what do you mean aging device?" the dwarven king scratched his head.
"The temporal accelerator was classified. You should have checked if Gazel is permitted to know before blabbering," Shalltear scolded Shion, claws extending and shrieking for blood, only to retrieve them with a glare from her husband.
"Right, sorry," Shion lowered her head and did another hiccup, being as adorable as possible, which usually worked great against Shalltear.
"No matter. You do have a point though. With your skill, you could replicate this beverage with enough analysis." Shalltear, unlike her more crass peer, took a glass and delicately poured the brandy before taking a small sip. "Mmm, indeed, this could be worth the effort. It rivals even father's investments."
"I'm sure you two can make a deal with Gazel on the recreation of the drink and the distribution rights. It is his find and the credit should go to dwarves." Momonga came to the Dwarven King's rescue, who looked like the two women were devouring his own flesh.
"An excellent suggestion, my beloved. The fact that this drink comes from long-forgotten vaults of Dwargon, overseen by King Gazel, would only increase its price." Shaltear nodded, taking another sip as she placed down the bottle.
"So Tempest has a device that can age alcohol?" Gazel asked again as he filled glasses for himself, Momonga, Albedo, and Rubedo, handing them out while the group settled in their seats. In addition to the brandy, there were platters with fruit, pastries, and fish, also rare foods either gathered from Dwargon's mountaintops or prepared by Dwargon's finest chefs.
"Among other things. I trust you will not reveal this information to anyone else," Momonga replied.
"Of course. It comes as no surprise that Tempest's research department is ahead of our joint research. Speaking of which, is there even a point to the joint research anymore?" Gazel questioned as he downed the shot glass in one go and put it on the table, savoring the taste, swiftly refilling the container.
"The joint research can still serve as a public distraction. Temporal technology is not researched in the Tempest department, but in Nazarick's innermost labs. Even there, only a handful within Nazarick know of them, with most just assuming the labs are making weapons." Momonga followed suit, drinking the entire brandy glass in one go, absorbing its contents directly since he was, as usual, in his skeletal form. It did have a splendid taste, one of the best he had enjoyed since coming to this world.
"I see. Makes sense. In that case, I look forward to working with Shalltear and Shion on replicating not only this brandy but also a few other beverages basically lost to time." Gazel downed another glass and glanced around confused. "Does anyone else see…" He pointed in a random direction.
Momonga looked at the empty space, confused. None of his skills picked up anything, though he did note that Shion's God skill was active. His consort, keeping up with her usual shenanigans, was already basically wasted and swinging side to side while holding a bottle like a baby and humming a lullaby. How she managed to get drunk in less than five minutes was a mystery best left unanswered.
What exactly Shion was doing was unclear, but Momonga didn't feel any hostility or ill intent from her and by all means, his consort was in a very good mood.
"Flying Polyps, oh you can see them?" Shion inquired, perking up.
"I saw something… what are they?" Gazel inquired with a slight shudder. His usual stoic demeanor was nowhere to be found, lost in an instant. " I see them all the time. Comes with my skill. They are constantly slipping in through cracks and messing about. Strange little things. Oooh, there's a bigger one." She pointed at an empty space near the balcony rails.
'Hmm…I need to see.' Momonga deactivated some of his defenses and let Shion's skill affect him. Instantly the room was filled with near-indescribable things just floating about. Strange colors, impossible geometry, just popping in and out of existence. There was a faint beautifully haunting melody playing somewhere in the background, only adding to the unsettling ambience.
'Is she seeing this all the time?' Momonga wondered. Shion was the one representing madness among the trio, and in a sense, her seeing all this weirdness came with the territory. This made him curious about what would happen if Shion fully unleashed her skill upon people who were unable to resist an ultimate skill like Gazel. Though this curiosity was best answered without losing a competent and experienced governor he himself looked up to.
"Hey! Are you messing with us!?" Shalltear shrieked, no doubt seeing some strange visions as her resistances were turned off to feel the intoxicating effect of the alcohol.
"What…? I'm not doing anything." Shion tried to hide behind the bottle.
"Is she making these creatures?" Gazel asked.
"It's part of Shion's skill. And she once again is losing control." Albedo replied with an exasperated sigh. Momonga could easily guess his head consort hadn't turned off her defenses, sharing some of his paranoid nature and always being on guard, even though Rubedo was present and ready to act as a shield, likely also seeing them.
"Turn your damn skill off before Gazel goes insane!" Shalltear snatched the bottle out of Shion's hands, hissing in her face.
"But…"
"Turn on resistances!"
"Fine… buzzkill," Shion mumbled. As she sobered up with her resistances and passive healing, removing the intoxication, the strange visions disappeared as well.
Gazel just sat there, seemingly a step away from losing his mind. Momonga couldn't help but pity the man. He was far too used to the shenanigans of his consorts and they, for the most part, behaved in public. Unfortunately, the King of Dwargon had planned an informal gathering and had now paid the price for it. Even worse for him, he had already agreed to work with them on recreating the ancient brandy.
Momonga resolved to see if he could assign Gazel at least some sort of skill or skill combination to help the dwarf defend against ultimate skills.
Editing by aidan_lo.
Proofreading by mfkz_rocker, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, Omnax, Alassandro, fvvck, clagan, aidan_lo, and CakeEight.
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