“Alright. The hour of the meeting is getting closer. I should probably make my way back to the castle.” Asterios took one more look at the spacious cavern. “Keep up the great work. This is turning into something truly amazing. Honestly, it’s even a little sad that not many will get to witness this place. It almost feels like a waste. But, when someone does, I bet the legends about what they see will drive others to try even harder.”
“That is certainly true, Master.” Kori nodded softly. “We were also planning a different kind of activity in case not enough adventurers venture this far.”
“And that is?” His curiosity was piqued, so he decided to stay a moment longer and listen.
Umbra let out a mysterious chuckle. “The idea is to introduce a rotating set of challenges, like a curated path through the dungeon, which consists of hand-picked trials and fights. The contenders would approach these in teams and receive scores based on factors such as completion time, injuries sustained, and so on. A leaderboard would be posted publicly, and the top scorers would be invited to a special raid upon the Core.”
“I can see the vision.” Asterios stroked his chin.
“Naturally, it’s going to be a different experience from reaching this place the rightful way, but it would guarantee that the beauty of our dungeon doesn’t remain buried forever. Of course, it would be wise to wait until we are done properly setting up this chamber before doing such a thing. We still have quite some work on our hands,” the Lord of Shadows continued. “Still, think of my suggestion as another variant of an entertaining tournament. A thrilling show. Perhaps we could even showcase it to an audience through the crystal screens as we did with the recent festivities.”
“The possibilities feel truly endless when I think about it.” Asterios snickered under his breath. “You are incredible, Kori.”
“I wouldn’t be able to develop this way without my senior’s advice and your support, Master.” The misty maid bowed low. “If not for your intervention, this place would be no different from any other wild dungeon, spewing monsters and trying to conquer everything in its vicinity.”
He stepped closer to pat her shadowy head. “I’m glad we were able to de-escalate the conflict and form this partnership. I look forward to your growth and everything that comes with it.”
With that, he politely inclined his head to the others and plunged into his own shadow. Glimmervale’s main keep was his destination, and one of the neat hallways greeted him after he resurfaced out of sight so as not to spook any servants. Then, already aware of the presence of a few individuals, he headed for the strategy room.
Arriving at his goal, he didn’t even have to stop, and the door opened in front of him, held by one of his beloved mates. He shared a smile with the vulpine lady and walked into the chamber. All of his mates were present, including Tia, who had just materialized herself with his shadows, the closest she could get to imitating a body.
There was one additional guest who captured his attention.
“How are you doing, Gwen?” Asterios gave Tina’s sister a light hug.
“Tired, but fine.” The tall girl reciprocated the gesture. “You must be wondering why I’m here. Mother sent me as a representative. I’ll do my best to fill in the blanks with the information our agents gathered in the recent weeks.”
“Sorry about that. Your mother must be pushing her subordinates hard this close to the Clash of Forges.” He smirked apologetically. “But, we need your talents, so I hope you continue to aid us.”
“It is what we do.” She shrugged while stepping back. “It’s an exhausting field that involves a lot of meticulous documentation, but it’s worth every second of it. I might not be as strong as my prodigious sister, but I can help keep her and our family safe through my own means.”
Tina snorted next to her. “Who is the prodigy here when you are the one inheriting a massive undercover organization while all I’m doing is staying glued to Ast’s side and leeching off his might to increase my personal strength?”
“I’m still not used to you speaking your mind this openly.” Gwen rested her fists on her waist and shook her head, making everyone chuckle.
“The truth is, you are both something else.” Asterios patted their arms, peering into their blue eyes with honesty.
Both sisters sported a fair blush at his compliment, though the shorter one turned noticeably more red. Tina’s tongue might have grown bolder, but she was still the same gentle and passionate girl in her heart. Being acknowledged by her beloved made her flutter inside every single time.
After the short exchange, they gathered around the long oval planning table positioned in the middle of the room. Right now, it was empty, prepared to host all the materials related to their meeting. And judging by how thick the packet of papers held by Gwen was, there was quite a lot.
“So, are we kicking things off or waiting on someone else?” Grea cocked her hip, her tail smacking the air.
“One more person will be joining us here and out there during the operation,” Asterios replied. “Their prowess and abilities shall prove useful for the upcoming challenges.”
“She’s late.” The demon woman scoffed, crossing her arms under her chest. “Even I made it on time.”
“Now, now. There’s no need to belittle our new friend when you are aware of her circumstances,” he rebuked her. “I would rather she takes her time assuring it’s safe to come here rather than risk endangering not only herself but also us. Don’t you agree?”
His crimson-skinned mate scrunched her nose but nodded nevertheless.
“Speaking of which, how is your training together progressing?” Silvia inquired.
“Good, I’d like to think. We had another small breakthrough today. Noir is smart, much smarter than me, picking up on my advice in mere moments. Not to mention her overwhelming experience in draconic things. She’ll master realm-tearing in no time, and I will be the one learning about it from her when she soon surpasses me.” Asterios grinned excitedly.
“Didn’t you say you were going to teach her after she became an Aide, Master?” Bryn scratched her cheek. “What changed?”
“She’s growing on him, what else?” Grea nudged the Valkyrie with her elbow, waggling her brows suggestively. “Bet he has something growing on her too.”
Ignoring the mischievous comment, Asterios rested his palms atop the table. “Well, she kind of already is, though she doesn’t know that yet.”
The improper atmosphere evaporated as the ladies blinked at each other in confusion.
“What does that mean, Master?” Miria’s forehead furrowed deeply as she tried to understand his cryptic words.
“Do you recall how this whole draconic subordination system works?” he asked.
Althea cleared her throat. “It functions on submission and devotion. A Slave is someone who has fully resigned or dedicated themselves to serving their master, often out of fear or similar emotions. A Servant is someone who is able to find genuine respect towards their master, which isn’t purely forced. An Aide forms when they willingly adore and worship their master, ready to do nearly anything for them out of their own volition. And then, we have Mates, which is self-explanatory.”
“That said, it isn’t an absolute rule,” Tia chimed in, wagging her finger at them. “We all know how True Dragons are. Their cruelty can break many minds. Plus, these descriptions are nowhere near perfect, and in reality, they encompass much more.”
“Still, this means Noir has mentally reached a state which allows her to be an Aide, but why isn’t she one if that’s what Master is alluding to?” The panthergirl groaned adorably as she racked her brain.
“It’s not exactly a one-sided connection, is it?” Asterios chuckled, seeing her cute efforts.
“Ah!” Grea smacked her fist into her palm. “It’s like my case! I’ve always been hot for you, but I didn’t move up the ladder until you acknowledged your feelings for me, which were blocked by all that student-teacher and respect shit!”
A collective oooh traveled through the air.
“Correct.” He applauded them playfully. “As the host of this bond, I have more influence over it. What Grea mentioned was subconscious, but this can be done deliberately too. Just imagine a typical True Dragon building up their entourage and not having control over the ranks, suddenly seeing one of their Slaves jump up to Aide or even Mate as the master’s affection unintentionally grows. That individual would become a laughingstock in their community, most likely, since it’s something difficult to hide.”
“Okay, so you seem to be throttling the bond so that Noir doesn’t rank up even though she could, and thus you started teaching her, since she met the conditions,” Tina noted. “The question remains the same. Why?”
“The short version being—it’s too fast.” Asterios took a deep breath. “She is a proud female from a strong lineage. And while she is now slightly less combative than she was at the start, we all know her initial stance on me and everything. I don’t want her to come to a conclusion that I’m allowing this out of pity or something like that. It’s a difficult topic. But, as a True Dragon myself, I think I’m starting to understand.”
Everyone contemplated his words quietly for a while.
“I think you are right about this.” Althea finally broke it first. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple guide on how to handle True Dragons. And each case might be its own. But I’m glad you are starting to understand that excessive kindness might be as much of a poison as harshness. I believe in you.”
The other ladies agreed with her instantly, directing reassuring words at Asterios and trying to cheer him up. Amidst that, a crimson gate opened at a free spot by the table, and the person in question strolled into the chamber, huffing in irritation.
Noir paused when she noticed that all the heads were turned her way, everyone staring at her weirdly.
“What?” She sneered. “Wanna go?”
A soft chuckle escaped them, making her even more confused and agitated.
“Ignore them.” Asterios waved it off. “They are just teasing me as usual. Everything okay on the other side?”
“It’s a mess, but that’s nothing new. Just my mother being a pain in the ass, as usual.” The Dragon girl released a low growl. “She’s become even more vigilant since I stood up to her. I’ve been trying to shake her off for hours before she got bored, otherwise I wouldn’t be late. So… Sorry.”
The apology came out visibly strained while Noir avoided looking at Asterios, but it was still a surprising development for her to do so in public. Even the girls couldn’t help but glance at her once more, which caused her lip to twitch dangerously, making them hastily turn away. They didn’t want to antagonize their new ally too much. Especially knowing that she was warming up to Asterios, and by proxy, to them.
“I appreciate it, but you don’t need to apologize. We are aware of the troubles you face.” Asterios nodded at her. “I’m happy you managed to slip away to join us. Let’s begin, then, before more trouble finds you. Gwen, would you like to start?”
The younger Nobelle lady fixed her glasses and stepped closer. “Everything seems to be on the right path to success. Though I have to admit, there was a moment when we worried it all might come to naught.”
“Did something happen?” Silvia queried.
“Due to the last attack and the prospect of the terrorists going even further, there were talks of skipping this Clash of Forges. The ruling clan wanted to focus on weeding out the insurgents during the time before the date of the next event. But, as you imagine, that suggestion was met with a huge backlash. The other households accused them of unlawfully usurping the throne and threatened them with rebellion. Thus, the plan was abandoned,” Gwen explained.
“Thank gods.” Tina massaged her forehead. “Who knows what would be the state of their nation after or during that conflict. Maybe even the thing we seek would be at risk.”
“I agree.” Her sister smiled warmly. “But, this also means the Rubytongs have been pumping all they have into additional security and the pursuit of the resistance. It will be even harder to infiltrate the place. Considering that their opponents are most likely going to escalate too, things are getting too sophisticated to predict.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Noir said with a dangerous smirk. “Those pests are all under my thumb. Let them try to do something stupid. They will suddenly notice a few of them disappearing in mysterious circumstances.”
“Good work getting them,” Asterios complimented her. “Do we know where they are hiding?”
“It will be easier to show you.” She summoned a big roll of some kind of material.
As the mystery scroll unfurled atop the table, it became clear that it was made of a tanned leather belonging to some mystical beast. The more spiritually-attuned members of Ast’s family were able to feel the thick aura emanating from this object. It looked unremarkable at a first glance, its surface smooth and bright, but they knew it was no ordinary hide.
Noir bit her thumb and pressed it to the edge of the sheet. It lit up with violet light, lines and shapes being drawn on its surface. Bit by bit, the patterns filled up almost the entire scroll, leaving only a finger of empty space near the edges. Some additional runes riddled the sides, mostly above the spot where the Dragon girl joined her blood with the leather.
“Is this… a map?” Selene squinted her eyes as the illumination lessened to a comfortable level.
“What else?” Noir snorted. “While searching for the resistance, I mapped out almost the whole mountain. From edge to edge, every street, building, and underground tunnel. The sigils on the side change the displayed level when you touch them, so it’s easy to navigate in a vertical plane. It’s also responsive to touch. Accumulate mana in your fingers, press them to the map, and you can change the position, magnify or reduce the scale, and so on. I can also make it so others than me can use it while we are out there in the field, helping us navigate the city.”
“Impressive.” Asterios didn’t hide his astonishment. “This is beyond what I expected. You’ve outdone yourself, Noir. All I told you was to locate the rebels. Seriously, this is insane.”
“If I’m doing something, I’m doing it right.” A barely noticeable curl arrived at the edges of her lips before it disappeared as her jaw tightened. “However, I haven’t completed it… alone. Your shadowy familiar assisted me in gathering the data. He investigated the inside of most buildings while I took care of the outside and the underground. And also…”
She paused hesitantly, her gaze rising from the document and locking on something else beside the table. Everyone noticed how Grea strolled towards her with a massive grin on her face, turning out to be who Noir was glaring at. When the rowdy demon stopped next to her and tried to throw an arm over her shoulders, a loud reverberating growl echoed through the room.
Grea yanked her arm back innocently and cleared her throat. “Yours truly was part of the project too. Granted, all the hard work has been done by my grumpy friend over here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make it even better. Now, witness my power!”
She slammed her palm onto the map, then pressed two fingers to her closed Third Eye, closing her normal eyes too. Asterios was the first one to sense the immense gust of spiritual energy that suddenly burst out of her head. The air became thick with mana, unable to be missed by anyone. Ominous black patterns spread outwards from the center of Grea’s forehead as her Third Eye began moving behind its lids.
Slowly but with confidence, she dragged her hand over the magical sketches. The girls gasped as the map changed wherever she passed. Yellow and red dots appeared in great numbers, as if she were uncovering them from beneath a thick layer of ancient ash. And they moved, jiggled, and passed through the lines at all times. Her fingers froze at a certain spot, and more points appeared in waves from that position.
“Are those perhaps… people?” Miria’s ear flicked with realization.
Noir raised an impressed brow at her, then turned to Asterios. “The yellow dots are. As for the red ones, they belong to artificial spiritual sources. Meaning golems, automatons, and such. Your demon mate is capable of powerful scrying magic that penetrates nearly every material I know of, including most enchanted and strengthened ones. It’s like she throws her eye up in the sky and peers through the walls.”
A memory resurfaced in the minds of those who had been part of the expedition into the Nethernight Realm. The giant eye in the sky had been Grea’s, they knew that already. It seemed like there was more to it than they had thought. The evolution it had gone through thanks to Ast’s progress must be immense. It was no wonder she was so ecstatic about it when they had met her during their return.
“She is scanning for signatures at this very moment. You won’t be able to converse with her, but she hears us and can adjust her vision accordingly. It’s technically possible to cover the entire map since her field of vision is similar to that of a real eye, but such strain causes considerable migraines. Thus, she uses her palm to direct her sight towards the desired area. As long as she keeps her attention around the spot she’s touching, we can observe the signatures in real time,” Noir shared the inner workings of the technique.
“What about this part here?” Tia hummed charmingly, pointing at a section with no lines, and Grea swiped her palm over it. “The number of dots there is very low too.”
“That’s the side of the mountain into which the city is built. What you are pointing at is the main keep. It’s different from everything outside. There’s powerful energy inside that disrupts the scrying. And it must be really powerful to do that.” Noir’s lips thinned. “I decided it wasn’t worth it to map it out just yet and risk discovery. In the end, the plan isn’t to break in there but to gain access through the winning clan, right?”
“Yes. Thank you for being considerate of it.” Asterios smiled at her. “Better not to poke the beehive when it’s already anxious. And Grea, that’s enough. Save your strength for when we need it.”
Acknowledging his request, his naughty scholar withdrew her technique, and all the dots blinked out of existence. A shuddering breath escaped her throat as she took her finger off her Third Eye. When the black markings receded, she suffered a powerful shiver, her knees buckling, but Noir stepped in to begrudgingly support her waist, a scowl painting her face.
As much as she hated to show it, it was obvious she was starting to care.
“Thank you…” Grea directed wholeheartedly honest words of appreciation at her, regaining her composure. “This shit feels awful… I have ants in my brain now… Ugh…”
Asterios walked up to them and switched with the Dragon girl, resting the scarlet-skinned lady against his chest.
“No surprise. Something this powerful has to have some drawbacks. Don’t overstrain yourself just to boast, got it?” He stole a tender peck from her lips. “Both of you contributed greatly to our cause. I’m worried less and less about this operation the more you show me.”
Noir shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. “As I said, I was just doing my job, following orders.”
Grea giggled into Ast’s ear. The look she gave him spoke volumes. Her collaborator might be downplaying her efforts a tiny bit.
“That’s still worthy of being recognized.” Asterios inclined his head her way. “So, if you don’t mind, let’s discuss what you and Gwen learned. I want to be as prepared as possible before we make the next move.”
Tina’s bookish sister moved closer and spread the papers she was holding over the free space of the conference table. From there, she began speaking, recounting all the information and rumors they had managed to gather since the last meeting. Noir added her own discoveries and thoughts into it while the others listened in full focus. Even Grea didn’t seem interested in her usual sneaky and inappropriate antics for the time being, showing just how seriously she was taking her new stance on life.
And so, the scheme to deal with the dwarves was coming along very nicely.
They had no idea what was about to hit them.