Chapter: 13
"Kira," I called out while sitting comfortably on my throne, the faint echo of my voice lingering in the grand hall.
"Yes, my Lord?" Kira responded almost instantly, her figure emerging from the shadows, her crimson eyes glowing faintly.
"Where's Lilith?"
"Lilith has begun Lily's magic training, my Lord," Kira replied with a small bow, her nine fox tails moving gently behind her.
"I see," I mused, tapping the arm of the throne. "Kira."
"My Lord?" she asked, standing straight, her tone attentive.
"I have a task for you."
"What is it, my Lord?" she asked, a hint of curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"I need you to create a spy and assassination unit, with you at its head."
"Any restrictions, my Lord?"
"Outside of the fact that you can use every race except dragons? No."
Kira's lips curled into a faint smile. "Understood." She turned, her form dissolving into shadows, vanishing before me.
"Why do I suddenly feel bad for the people she's going to pick?" I muttered, shaking my head. "Oh well."
With a snap of my fingers, a dark oak table materialized before me, stacked high with paperwork. The responsibilities of leadership—endless documents to sign, strategies to approve, and rulings to oversee. While my new system had reduced the workload of the other lords, it hadn't spared me from this particular burden. I picked up the pen and sighed, staring at the first document.
"Why did I do this to myself?" I muttered.
"I don't envy your position, my Lord," came a female voice.
Looking up from the pile, I saw a woman with snow-white hair and piercing ice-blue eyes. Her formal attire was perfectly tailored, a long, dark jacket with silver embroidery framing her sharp, regal figure. Her pale complexion contrasted starkly with her intense gaze, giving her an otherworldly appearance.
"That's rich coming from you, Seraphine Targaryen," I said, smirking slightly.
"Apologies for my rudeness, my Lord," she replied, bowing her head slightly, though there was a hint of humor in her eyes.
"Bah, stop that. You know I don't care what you call me."
"Yes, Lord Victor," she responded, a glint of mischief flickering across her face.
I gave her a deadpan stare for a few seconds before sighing. "What did you want, Seraphine?"
"I'm here to give you the reports on the mines, Lord Victor," she said, producing a scroll from her coat.
"Go ahead," I gestured for her to continue.
Seraphine unrolled the scroll. "We have reports from all four types of mines you established: gold, iron, diamonds, and Luxium—the unique metal you embedded into Valyria. As expected, Luxium remains the most rare, though production continues steadily. The five mines for each type are functioning optimally, though some workers report that the Luxium veins are particularly difficult to extract due to the metal's resilience."
I nodded thoughtfully as she finished, making a mental note to look into improving the extraction process for the Luxium mines.
"If you don't mind, what exactly is Luxium Victor?" Seraphine said
"Now that's a secret my dear." I said
"I see."
"Is there anything else you need?" I asked.
"Yes," Seraphine continued, rolling up the scroll. "Some of the older members of the noble houses have inquired about the purpose of the massive trees made of gold and dragonstone on the far side of the peninsula."
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Tell them if they know what's good for their health and safety, they shouldn't mess with the trees. The guardians won't be pleased if anyone interferes."
Seraphine raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter further. "Very well, I'll relay the message to them. Have a good rest of your day, my Lord."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, returning to the mountain of paperwork as Seraphine left.
The Next Day
I found myself walking through a dark, twisting cave—one that led deep into the labyrinth below Valyria. The labyrinth was vast, a sprawling underground network filled with ancient creatures and mysteries. As I descended deeper into its depths, I entered a massive chamber, its size dwarfing any natural cavern. Towering within the open space were four colossal spiders, their brown and yellow bodies so large they seemed to dwarf mountains. These were Queen Taratects, surrounded by countless smaller, white ones—the lesser Taratects.
On the head of one of the Queen Taratects lay a girl who appeared no older than her early teens. She had short black hair, accented with a pure white streak in her bangs, and her skin had a light, healthy tone. Her outfit was minimal: a tube top and hot pants, with several straps around her waist and legs. Draped over her back was a striped cape, adorned with eight strips and a high fur collar.
"Ariel," I called out.
The girl opened her eyes, revealing a deep shade of red. She blinked once before vanishing in an instant, reappearing in front of me with a raised brow.
"Victor," Ariel greeted me casually, as always.
We exchanged words briefly, discussing matters of the labyrinth and its guardians before exiting the dark, winding depths. Our stroll eventually led us into a vibrant forest, where we came upon Lily and Lilith. Lily was on a break from her training, playing with King, the massive three-headed dragon that I had created and the Guardian of the gold tree. Each of King's heads had a different colored eye—blue, red, and black. His six massive wings cast a large shadow over the area, and his tail, shaped like a hammer, swung playfully as he interacted with Lily.
Nearby, a woman dressed entirely in white, her eyes closed, stood speaking with Lilith. Her nickname was Shiraori, and she had the appearance of a young albino girl, her ghostly white skin almost glowing in the daylight. Her long, silver-white hair flowed loosely, but from the neck down, she had it styled in a thick braid. Shiraori's eyes, when opened, were a striking bright ruby-red, with an unusual pattern. Her irises contained four small, arachnid pupils surrounding her human pupil in an "X" shape, giving her the appearance of having five pupils in each eye.
Her clothes, made from white, formed a one-piece dress with wide-open sleeves and a large hood that she often used to conceal herself. Her power was unmistakable, even at rest, and it radiated off her like an invisible force.
"Lilith, Shiraori," I greeted them as we entered the clearing.
Lilith looked over, smiling as Lily continued her play with King. The serene moment felt almost peaceful—an odd feeling, given the
forces I had at my disposal.
Chapter 13: end