Chương 86: Chapter 85 -Primordial.

Ah, this issue. The shrieking things, the giant worm, yup its this.

"He brought back research from Vathrial, his records indicated that it is almost certainly a primordial, albeit a lesser one and dormant." Noah concluded.

"A primordial? What in Kronan is a primordial?" Aldric's mouth rolled over the word, getting a feel for it.

"A monster from the elder days, Oswin said it came from a period called the "Eldrosian", there isn't much for details, but suffice to say as long as it's asleep and beneath us it should not pose much of a problem. But we shouldn't go digging into any of its tunnels, either" Noah clasped his hands together.

"I've already warned Delita, Aldric, keep a tight grip on mining operations, if you breach a tunnel, seal it off immediately. You will want a contingency to seal the entire mine if you need to."

"It's that bad? I'll prepare something right away" he nodded vigorously.

"Hahaha, you Myrravalans are weird folks, a mighty awful problem you found here. I doubt little old Mistvale has such issues" Simon leaned back and let out a hearty laugh, picking up his axe, he slammed it down into the table, sending wood chips flying. That's true, if Mistvale wasn't such a hard island I would consider investing in another township there. Well maybe in the future.

"Anything else before we adjourn?" Noah asked with a visible effort to ignore Simon. Nythera nodded and moved to stand up. Lance was faster.

"We need to decide the Karaveth issue, once and for all. Damien is gone, but Myrraval cannot take another damned war. We need to strike and end it all while the iron's still hot" Lance's fist landed on the table, cracking wood. I've never seen him angry before. This is new. Simon held back laughter, but giggles escaped. A vein pulsed on Felix's forehead "Do you have something to say Simon?"

He waved Felix off, like shooing a cat "Nothing at all, just practicing my act, the kiddos love it" Simon hoisted his axe up into the air and let it spin on his palm. Brilliantly done Simon, a force of chaos on the council is something I can use.

"Lance, I agree, we must end the Karaveth matter, too many people lost, ships burned, houses torched to the ground" Nythera nodded gravely.

"Aye, far, far too many young lives were cut short, they flew off to join Kronan too soon" Lance grieved. Felix piped up "Given our Queen has no more domain slots, we need to find someone to go with her who can claim the core. If we can take the core of Karaveth, there will be no further need for war." That is not the angle I expected. Take the core? I suppose it would stop conflict but… I don't think they will like that. It makes use little better than Damien, tyrannical conquerors.

Aldric smirked "It is best not to have a town that can stab us in the back. Your majesty, if you cannot claim the core, allow us to find someone-" Nythera shot up to her feet and slammed both hands down on the table.

"I can claim the core, my authority level has been promoted to Baron. Here, take a look" Nythera threw up the population settlement for all to see. Myrraval Settlement Populations: Grandport: 2, 070 Halsbury: 313 Amplewoods: 207 Rustreach: 756 Waketown: 162 Mistvale Settlement Populations: Fogtown: 1, 656 I am not really sure how it does these calculations, it seems to just lump all the farmers and tiny hamlets into the nearest town, or are they excluded? No idea. Don't care.

"The new powers of Baron allow me to break it down further by profession categories as well, but moving on from that, I can set the dungeon taxes now as well. I propose the rate be set to 5%, with potential for tax-back in return for completing bounty boards on wild fluxspawn" Nythera's eyes darted along the table, searching for a reaction.

"5%? They won't like that, but giving them a way to have those taxes "forgiven" could spur on the hunting. I wouldn't be surprised if the interior is cleared in a week" Noah chuckled.

"With the new dungeon, the delvers are raking in so many sparks it's causing economic problems. Halsbury stands with the tax" Ollie spoke up.

"5% is low enough to go mostly unnoticed, just a few sparks off the top and it's handled by the system so no one can deceive it…." Lance seemed to be deep in thought. Simon appeared to be sleeping.

"With no objections, I will set the rate to 5%" Nythera watched carefully before pushing it up.

"Every spark we give in a taxback is another three we don't need to spend on guards for Waketown or another five we don't have to spend reinforcing city walls, do it" Lance nodded.

"Now that I have crossed into Baron, I probably won't be promoting ranks again for some time, but with an additional slot open, I shall go claim Karaveth as soon as the ship is ready" Nythera sat back down. I must not become the tyrant that Damien was, but I can't allow a knife to stay poised at our backs either.

"Just wait a moment Milady, you already have two domains, they just fought a war to kill you. You've been nothing short of a great lord for Myrraval, but I am a tad apprehensive of one person claiming all three inhabited islands" Felix cut in.

"Damn it Felix, most of the migrants already call her "The mother" and the temple of Veymur has thrown their full backing behind her, have you heard Loren lately? Something happened, I don't know what, but the point is the people love her. If another lord pops up, one of ours or not, people will call for war" Lance's voice carried an edge of restraint. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Simon was completely knocked out.

Wow, he's actually snoring, I'm kinda jealous he can sleep so well in a place like this. Damn you Simon. Aldric snickered "What, you got someone better, Felix? Felix, Lord of Karaveth sure has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" Aldric's faux smile dropped "Be content with Amplewoods, plenty enough and growing rapidly." Felix bristled with anger "Look here, our Queen just led us on a monster hunting spree, a dozen good men died.

She already has two cores, no reason to risk another Damien" as soon as the words left his mouth Felix looked regretful "now wait, I didn't mean that our Queen is anything like that bastard." Am I really that bad? I guess I am selfish, asking all those men to sacrifice themselves to slay monsters, so I can what? Go to a new place? Am I becoming another Damien, some tyrant? Nythera could feel anger and confusion rising up from within. NO, I am no Damien and I better make that real fucking clear.

"Look here" Nythera's fist slammed into the table "I am the only one around here with yield benefit skills, you want to know why I should be lord? Take a good fucking look." Nythera shoved skill after skill before the council. High Administrator (lvl 16) (2/4 tokens) Controlled domain crop, lumber and ore yields increase by 1. 5% per level. Increase all yields by 2%. Flux regen decreases by 0. 5% per level. Manufactorium (lvl 5) (0/2 tokens) Domain mines produce +1% ore per level.

In-Domain Artillery and shells are manufactured at +1% speed per level. Lord of Fire (lvl 2) (0/2 tokens) Forges within your domain work 1% faster per level. Dungeon currency is increased by 1% per level. Greater Blessing of Veymur Gain all XP at an accelerated rate. Your domain gains +5% to all yields.

"Go on, take a good close look and tell me anyone else is nearly as qualified as I am. Just being part of my domain gives a flat 7% to every single yield. Crops get a far bigger yield than that, as does ore and lumber. Show me anyone else worthy." Nythera's challenge stood. Not one objection was raised. I wonder, how does yield boost from lumber even work? Does the tree just… get bigger? After we cut it down? Do the rocks we mine get bigger?

"Trust me and these islands will prosper beyond anything they have ever seen before. Is it not already true? Myrraval stands to become the forefront of the entire sea. The interior development is progressing, where none had existed before. We have flying ships. The killing of that monster was selfish, but it had purpose as well. Just wait and see." Nythera spoke slowly, ensuring they hung on every word. Felix leaned back "Fine, I raise no more objections" he spat with a grumble.

"Yup, support of the gods, can't do much about that" Ollie tore off a huge chunk of jerky, but he was quickly running out.

"Speaking of that, what did we get from killing it? I've heard the stories, a huge green monster from the pits of Hel, but why did we go kill it?" Noah coughed.

"Well, you see, you remember that path to Vathrial we found some time back, that Leo now traverses daily?" she asked. Noah nodded, Ollie sat up, eyes attentive.

"Well I suspect this goes to yet another world."

"Are you certain missy? That's an awful bold claim" Simon's eyes were sharp, watching for a reaction.

"We found it, Nythera actually spoke to some of the locals there" Rowen confirmed. Nythera hesitated, "I've traveled across Vathrial, from the center all the way to Greymere, and in all my years I have never encountered a single language that sounded anything like it." Well at this point, we might as well tell them everything. A little fear might be good for them.

"Furthermore, we found a city, a large city sitting right at the entrance to the path." Noah's eyes widened "Are they blazing insane? Everyone knows not to build on the Edge." he pulled his chair back and rubbed his temples in frustration. Lance's face bore a pensive look "Good damn way to get pushed right off.

Tales of villages being shove off the Edge by an earthmancer are as common as varn cattle tipping stories""My old man always said it was bad luck to build near the Edge" Aldric's eyebrows were creased in frustration. Simon observed them all with casual indifference.

"So what if it is 'nother world, what are we gonna do with it?" Ollie looked displeased to find his hands empty of jerky. Are you joking? IT'S ANOTHER WORLD. These blasted country hicks. Nythera pulled out her entire reserve of politeness and smiled "A new world could offer a plethora of new technologies, resources, advanced tools, larger markets, and artifacts. Furthermore, knowing what is close to your borders is a matter of security, if they become able to reach us eventually, we should know who they are.

Perhaps they will build a bridge to the wakepath waters? We don't know, but we won't stay blind for long." The mayors all appeared pensive, even Simon seemed to be mulling it over. He was the first to break the silence. All the mayor's eyes snapped to Simon as he began "New world or not, as long as you can get us better axes, Fogtown is all for it. But keep the little migrant ships to Greymere, bringing in different people with a different language will only cause problems."

"Is the flux-seas, some kind of nexus between worlds?" Aldric's voice came as a whisper that everyone heard. Is Aldric actually kinda smart? I was also thinking that. Point for Aldric.

"Vathrial is the world, the circular world on a pillar of stone, in a sea of infinite mist, does this? Could this? No" Aldric struggled to articulate it. Breathing in deeply, he spoke with renewed confidence "Does this mean the mist is filled with other worlds? Another Vathrial? Many of them?" Aldric's belief in his own words collapsed as he spoke. Nythera nodded "I've reached the same conclusion, there are at least two other paths we have yet to explore as well, that could easily be four separate worlds.

And Myrraval is in the middle. Shall we explore the flux-seas and these worlds the paths take us to, or bury our heads in the dirt and wait until problems come to us?" her eyes dart around gauging reactions.

"Make no mistake, if we wait, the problems will come to us" Nythera added. Felix is upset about something earlier, but he seems onboard, Lance seems fine with it, Noah too, and Aldric is a little too mystified. Ok good, resolved. Thump Simon's axe smacked into the wall behind Nythera "Go for it." Noah laughed "As long as I get another flying ship, I'll support wherever you want to go. Don't go bringing an army back on your heels though." In the end, people are simple, they all want money, tokens, or flying ships.

And I have flying ships. And money. And tokens. Cheers for bribery! She struggled to contain the gleeful smile trying to break out. The meeting adjourned after half an hour of debate over varn cattle stock allocations and grazing rights between Grandport and Amplewoods.

High Administrator (lvl 16 > 18) (2/4 tokens) Manufactorium (lvl 5 > 7) (0/2 tokens) Lord of Fire (lvl 2 > 6) (0/2 tokens) Gains are slowing down on High Administrator, but the jump in the other two is nice, must be from the new forge and mine in Waketown. Might be time for some tokens here soon. I'm free! At last. She shoved open the doors and took a deep breath of fresh air. Lance's hand landed on her shoulder "We buried the bodies we could recover, was it worth it?" he asked.

"Yes, I think it was" she looked at him without a hint of doubt. I'll make sure of that. Lance smiled "Go rile up some trouble, or new ships, lots of new flying ships" he made way, presumably back up to the Mancer's Union.