Trapped in Another World With No Magicnity
Chapter 174: The Determined Princesses of the Fievegal

Everything was going according to plan, with the landing of the airship outside of Fort Peony going smoothly. The Fievegal’s dignitaries were greeted by Fort Peony’s officers as proper ambassadors, even though the irony is that the airship had to fly past Castle Northwall to land on the west side of Fort Peony, where the Fievegal has better security.

With them, Grand Premier Kalegrynten chose to ride the airship and escort/accompany the Fievegal to the meeting once the messengers from Castle Northwall confirm the status of preparations for their arrival.

It was all going too well, apparently, which is why one little monkey wrench had to throw itself into the works.

The shuttle has only just touched down carrying Hekate, Doephluev, Thymeria, Heralesse, Erimaya, and Gold, as well as two more surprise guests.

And, Daniel is simultaneously worried sick and furious, though panicked is the best way to describe the combination.

He is already running towards the shuttle before the ramp has even fully lowered, and Hekate bounces out when it’s halfway down. “Daniel! I knew you missed me!”

“Sorry! Not now!” retorts Daniel unusually bluntly to his fox-eared closest companion. Her ears droop, but he doesn’t have time to worry about her.

The mechanic rips the door to the cargo hold open, which is similar to a bus’s side cargo boxes, and he begins yanking the bags and crates out of the way.

As soon as he spots two little tufts of dark brown hair with large, droopy and pointy ears on the sides of their heads, he exclaims in English, “Jesus Christ…!” He forces the crate further out of the way, and the noise causes the two little bodies to twitch and squirm, clearly clinging to life and startled, but unable to move enough to hide or cry out.

Once she can see them in Daniel’s arms as he scoops the two out of their hiding place, Hekate’s ears and tail drop, and her face turns pale. “I-Is… Is that…? H-How!? D-Daniel! I… I didn’t-!?”

“I know!” snaps Daniel as he quickly drops out of the cargohold carrying two small, shivering goblin girls. “I’m sorry… I heard about it from Xyreko just a minute ago. Please,”

Hekate is already digging in her magic bag, finding a blanket, and she runs to Daniel as the others come jogging as well. “The Gremlins!?” cries out Gold.

Hekate wraps herself, Daniel, and the two princesses in the blanket, and she immediately begins casting the warming spell she learned from Vaergraes during the exploration of the former Dragon’s Keep, also known as Shialvolgarro’s Hoard. Specifically, when they were exploring Reignleif’s private haven.

“Daniel, I’m so sorry… I had no idea… I never thought…”

Daniel keeps nudging the girls, trying to wake them up. Jieka is the first one to open her eyes, and she murmurs, “P-Pa…pa…?”

All at once, Daniel can feel a quenching in his soul. His anger is quickly being replaced by relief, but that’s only one of them. “Yes, Jieka. I’m here.”

She manages to smile, but murmurs wearily, “Papa… Jieka… cold… T-Tek…ten… too…”

“I know, we’ll warm you up. Just rest. Papa’s got you.”

She does as she’s told, relaxing in his arms and laying her tiny head against his chest. Only once that he can think of has Daniel felt this helpless, and at the moment, it feels like he’s holding the most fragile things in the world.

“How did you let this happen?” scolds Ryuogriar, directed at Gold.

“Me!?” panics the gold dragon. “You think I let this happen!? I love the gremlins! I would NEVER let them do that!”

Just before a full-fledged blame-game and fight can break out, Daniel growls in an icy tone, “Enough… Please… If blame needs to be spread around… I’m to blame…”

“Daniel?” asks Doephluev, ready to defend him. But, before anyone can try to reassure him, he adds, “No, I’m serious. They’re sharper than any of us were ready for. And,... I’m not around enough… This is my fault as much as anyone else’s.” He takes a deep breath, hugging both girls to his chest. He can finally feel another tiny hand grip his shirt, and Tekten’s soft voice mumbles, “Papa… smell nice…”

Finally, the last flames of Daniel’s fear and anger subside to the cooling waters of relief, and he kisses her forehead. “Tekten… I’m glad you’re okay. Rest, sweet baby.”

“Papa… no leave…” whimpers the tiny goblin.

“I’m not going anywhere. Just sleep.”

She smiles, falling asleep as well. The mechanic asks softly, “Mukoris… Do any of you have any milk readily available? Preferably at my body temperature.”

Without a word, Reignleif and Geirahoel quickly withdraw bottles from their own magic bags, stealthily being held by Magnir and Roeta, while Ryuogriar kneels with Daniel and Hekate to pet the tiny princesses’ heads. “What will you do?” asks Ryuogriar. “We’ll need to depart for the Peace Summit soon.”

“We’ll stay on schedule,” replies Daniel as Ryuogriar takes the bottle from Reignleif, and Hekate receives the one from Geirahoel. The two women carefully provide the bottles to the goblins, who show the traits of both infants their actual ages and toddlers crossing into adolescence. They latch onto the bottles instinctively, clinging to them and suckling on their own, even in their sleep. Daniel is even more relieved that they have the energy to drink. The milk from the Dragons is extremely rich, and it’s packed with magical energy as well. It’s unconfirmed whether or not it has the same effects on anyone else as it did for Daniel prior to the curse, but it still can make it easy for anyone who drinks it to recover. Especially because they don’t have any of Shek’s milk readily available.

“What about… these two?” asks Hekate, making sure she’s careful not to let too much milk out at a time.

The unorthodox Emperor sighs. “I need and want to lecture them until the sun goes down and put the fear of God in them… I know that’s the right thing to do, but…” He dips his head, trying to hide his eyes. He goes quiet, and Hekate smiles at Ryuogriar. The feldrok girl uses her free left hand to dab his eyes with a handkerchief, and he chokes up, managing to nod. “Th-Thanks…”

“If need be, Mukori,” replies the eldest Dragon present other than Neith. “As one of their Stepmothers, I shall take on the burden of carrying the tone, as long as you agree to show that you support my words. I fear the Princesses may not listen if you do not at least show that you must teach them.”

Daniel nods. “I just want them to recover first. That’s all…” He takes a deep breath, hugging them both firmly once more. “My reckless little princesses. I can’t fight the sky, so… please… Please be okay…”

Erimaya asks nervously, “C-... Can I ask what happened? Th-The shuttle didn’t hurt us?”

“The shuttle flies higher than the dragons did when you rode on Ryuo,” replies Geirahoel, taking the conversation seriously given the situation. “The air is very cold the higher you go, and the shuttle’s are heated and pressurized to stay comfortable. The cargo hold is not.”

Vaergraes confirms, “Even those who ride wyverns, myself included, generally don’t fly very high on the wyverns, as it gets more difficult to breathe for rider and wyvern, and the temperature can drop quite a lot. Even for mountain dwellers like the Uhl’tall.”

“I see… Daniel, I’m sorry this happened… If there’s anything I can do…”

Daniel shakes his head, taking a breath. “No. Everyone, I’m sorry for the chaos. I’ll stay with the princesses until we’re ready to leave, so please continue readying everything. For those of you who need to change, please take your time. The trucks will be able to reach the main fortress in about an hour and a half, so we have time to prepare.

Grand Duchess Aramellianna steps up. “Yes. Hekate, Doephluev, Thymeria, and Gold; I have dresses prepared for all four of you. Please accompany my ladies-in-waiting to Fort Peony’s administrative building. They have lent us the conference room as a changing area. Sirs Magnir and Neith, if I hear even a whisper of you peeking on any of the ladies changing, I will immediately petition the Emperor for one of your ‘ancestral stones’, which I will display in the lounge of the airship for all to see.”

Magnir looks confused, while Roeta snickers playfully. “Our… what?” asks the blue dragon in human form.

Neith mumbles, “She intends to castrate us.”

Magnir turns pale, and the Grand Duchess smirks. “Only partially, Sir Neith. I’d never partake in making the dragons extinct.”

“Don’t worry, your Grace,” replies Roeta playfully. “If need be, I can distract Magnir for the time being. I can’t speak for Sir Neith, though.” She hugs her Mukori’s arm, winking playfully, in spite of it being a bit unprofessional. They’re not trained knights, though. They’re dragons loyal to a cause and granted titles thanks to that loyalty.

The grey dragon rolls his eyes. Aramellianna adds equally playfully, though with the standard ‘Aramellianna’ tone, “I will be going last, so if you must be distracted, Sir Neith, I will keep you entertained.”

This prompts a few chuckles, and Yanidere whines, “Mother! Could you not say things that could be misunderstood?”

“Why not?” retorts the Grand Duchess regally. “The nobles of Mornistae regularly insisted on my remarriage and to continue trying for a male heir.” This is an obvious jab at Heralesse, who is nearby observing events. She twitches, but averts her gaze to avoid provoking the Grand Duchess into continuing her verbal onslaught.

Instead, the mature brunette continues, “Sir Neith may not have been born and raised a nobleman, but I believe I can petition for him to receive a formal title. He is recognized by the Emperor as a brother.” She smiles at Daniel, asking, “Isn’t that right, my Emperor?”

Daniel is still a little dazed by discovering his eldest daughters tucked away in a cargo bay, half frozen and barely able to regain consciousness for a moment.

But, he replies, “Of course… Do you have a rank or title you want?” It’s clear he’s not really present for what he’s saying, but no one disagrees.

Geirahoel simply blurts out just before the grey knight can respond, “Onii-chan is the most suitable title for him, is it not?”

There’s an awkward pause. Some of Daniel’s companions have learned what it means essentially the same way he did; watching certain animes on his phone. Wenlianna cocks her head, a little surprised at hearing it so openly from Geirahoel of all people.

Neith bows his head, “I accept this title, your Grace, though I don’t know if it’s an appropriate rank.”

This gets a few chuckles, particularly from those same people.

“Now now,” urges Gwenesphia. “Before everyone gets distracted, we have to unload the shuttle and get the trucks ready, don’t we?”

“Leave that to my servants,” instructs Aramellianna, whose staff is already half-way through transitioning the cargo from the shuttle before anyone even realized it.

“We need to get cleaned and dressed,” remarks the Grand Duchess. “Yanidere, lead the way. I’ll speak with the Emperor briefly before joining you.”

“Yes, Mother. Please follow me. It’ll be time consuming, but everything should be ready to go.”

As the others depart, leaving the three Dragon Empresses, Erimaya, Heralesse, Doephluev, Hekate, Aramellianna, Gold, and Thymeria with Daniel and the Princesses, Thymeria asks, “Daniel, did you say we’re using trucks?”

“Yes,” replies the mechanic, still focused mainly on the little girls in his arms.

“Not the shuttles?” asks the Uhl’tall priestess.

“No. The trucks will be safer and allow us to bring the Stalvaltan Guard,” explains Hekate in his place. “Most of our shuttles are split between our active military operations right now. Plus, if we have to ditch one, it won't be as costly to us in the long run.”

“Don’t worry,” adds Aramellianna for reassurance. “I oversaw the designs and construction of the cabins for the ones we'll be riding in. We'll all be quite comfortable.”

“I see. I’m looking forward to it,” replies Thymeria with a polite bow. She departs to join the group in getting ready, while Daniel murmurs, “Thank you, Hekate, Mukori.”

“Of course,” replies the eldest dragon warmly. She pets Jieka’s head gently, replying softly, “I may only be a stepmother at the moment, but these are my precious daughters, because they are yours. If you need a break, I will happily hold them.”

“Me too!” exclaims Hekate. “I’m their, or, I will be their stepmother, too, so I’m happy to hold them and take care of them.”

The others agree, including Gold, who replies, “If they had no one else, the Gremlins would be mine. Little cuties.” She crouches down and tickles Tekten’s cheek. This is enough to prompt the second-born Princess of the Fievegal to mumble and open her eyes, and her big lager-brown eyes drift around briefly before looking up at Daniel. “D-Daddy?”

Daniel smiles. “Yes, Tekten.”

“Daddy stay?”

“I am. But, Tekten,... What you did is very dangerous.”

Her eyes water at hearing his tone, and the mechanic shifts her up with his arm cradling her to kiss the top of her head. She immediately latches onto his neck and begins crying noisily.

“Daniel, if I may, the negotiation may be able to progress without you, if you’d like to stay with the Princesses at the airship,” offers Aramellianna.

Daniel replies quietly, finally standing up with help from Hekate and Ryuogriar, who support his biceps, “I’m afraid I have to be there among anyone else. Rikuto came to confront me as much as to establish peace.”

“Why can’t we just bring the princesses?” asks Hekate, gently petting Tekten’s back to try to help calm the half-goblin girl. 

Daniel can feel the little girl’s grip tighten a little on his neck. She definitely heard it amidst her own sobs, and she agrees.

Aramellianna replies, “It’s a peace summit that will have nobles from all over the continent, as well as the King of Mornistae and the Empress of the Grand Zenkon Empire present, with their own entourages as well. It’s not a place for children.”

Everyone is quiet as they listen to Tekten for a moment longer, and Geirahoel finally speaks up. “They are the First and Second Princesses of the Fievegal. Since when has the Fievegal done things the usual way?” She adds, “They may have no need to be there, nor little to learn at their current age, but they have every right to be there, yes?”

The Grand Duchess is quiet as she thinks. She knows she can give Geirahoel an honest opinion, but she wouldn’t normally consider it. Jieka and Tekten aren’t even a whole year old yet, but they have a much higher initial intelligence than a human one year old due to their fast growth rate as half-goblins. They’re not completely self-sufficient, but they’re capable of simple conversations and usually listen to instructions. If she had to guess, they compare most directly to three year olds; capable of being calm and well-behaved, but also prone to becoming fussy and anxious if they’re still for too long.

That said, the only reason Tekten is crying presently, in spite of being the quieter of the two half-sisters, is that she is upset by everything that just happened. She might be too exhausted in combination with relieved to simply be with Daniel, making it possible she can sit through the summit without becoming a distraction.

“This is a difficult situation for me to fully advise on,” replies the brunette finally. “The Princesses are capable of being well-behaved, so they would be fine sitting quietly. They will likely be bored or frightened depending on how the tone shifts. But,...” Tekten looks at her with watering eyes, as if waiting for the final word.

The Grand Duchess sighs when she makes eye contact with such a pleading gaze. “The Princesses risked their lives to be here with you, your Majesty. I shall speak to my attendants.”

“I have no objections,” replies Heralesse. “For whatever that’s worth.”

Gold teases, “That’s because you’re hoping Daniel will be distracted and make foolish agreements on our part.” The teenage Queen twitching confirms this is the blonde’s ulterior motive, but she honestly doesn’t have any objections either way.

The golden dragon adds, “I’ll not be participating in the summit, so I’ll wait on standby if the Gremlins need to be sent out of the summit hall. Have your attendants bring them to me. How does that sound, Tekten? You’ll come with Auntie Gold if you need anything, right?”

“Stay with Daddy,” insists the sniffling goblin, clinging to Daniel’s neck.

“You have to promise to behave, alright? Daddy is very upset that you snuck onto the shuttle instead of telling Hekate or anyone else that you were there.”

Tekten nods. “I sit quietly with Daddy. Pweeze stay.”

Daniel nods quietly. “Alright.” He kisses her temple, and she finally smiles, still sniffling a little. But, her mood improves.

“We’ll have to make dresses for them,” adds Erimaya. “But, there isn’t much time…”

“Leave it to me,” replies Doephluev. She snaps her fingers, and the dresses the Princesses are wearing seem to change shape, becoming elegant and dazzling dresses with the appearance of the finest silk. “It should be a convincing enough illusion. Same as Hekate tried to use on you, my Love.”

“Hey!” whines Hekate.

Daniel snorts as he resists a laugh, and Hekate kicks his shin. “Don’t laugh!”

“Daddy! Tekten pretty?”

“Yes. Very pretty.”

“Also,” adds Gold. “I brought what you requested. There’s plenty, so we can perfect them.”

Daniel nods. “Thank you, Lady Gold. I’m impressed you played along.”

She grins deviously. “The moment I knew I lost our little bet, I had no choice but to carry it through.” She pokes his chest, saying confidently, “I still expect you to bring your real power to our battle, Harbinger.”

The Earthling laughs, nodding in agreement. “I’ll do my best.”

Aramellianna clears her throat when there’s a moment of pause. “Daniel, may I have a word in private?”

“Is it something that we should not hear?” asks Ryuogriar, implying the Empresses specifically.

“It is entirely a personal matter for me, so I would ask for your understanding, your Grace. If pressed, I will refrain for today.”

“Is it something the Princesses shouldn’t hear?” asks Daniel gently.

“Preferably not, just in case.”

“We need to get them ready,” states Reignleif, finally speaking up. She reaches for Tekten, adding, “Tekten, please come with me so I can make you even prettier. I’ll also give you some treats.”

“T-Tweats?” murmurs the goblin princess. She visibly deliberates, and the others chuckle. Gold teases Daniel, “Uh-oh, Daniel. You better be careful. Your princesses are easily bribed.”

Seeming to realize this tease is about her, Tekten clings to Daniel again. “T-Tekten stay with Daddy…”

Daniel gingerly hands a sleeping Jieka to Ryuogriar, who cradles her affectionately and snugly. He then moves Tekten to his front so he can make eye contact with her. “Tekten, Daddy is going to be right here with Grandmother Aramellianna. I won’t leave without you. So, go enjoy Mother Reina’s treats, and we’ll join you in just a few minutes.”

The goblin princess thinks for a moment, and she finally asks cutely, “Pwomise?”

“Yes, I promise.” He gently rubs his nose to hers, and she giggles, hugging his cheeks. “In exchange for being a good girl, I’ll send Lucy with you alright. Lucy, will you go with Tekten and protect her?”

The elemental, who idly hovers around wherever Daniel is, perks up and grins. She gestures at herself in surprise, nodding agreeably.

“Alright, then I’m trusting Tekten to all of you.” Daniel takes the scarf off, wrapping it on Tekten. It’s very big on her, but she hugs it and relaxes as she embraces Daniel’s warmth and familiar scent.

“Now then, don’t ever sneak off again, alright? Tell someone, and they’ll make me come back to you, alright?”

Tekten nods sheepishly. It’s probably too late to fully discipline either of them, but Daniel will try to repeat it so that they hopefully associate his warning with what they did.

The mechanic then hands over his second-eldest child to Reignleif, who holds her high on her chest similar to Daniel was. “We’ll be in the changing area if you need anything, Mukori.”

“Thank you, Mukoris.”

“Remember this moment, Mukori,” warns Ryuogriar with a lascivious edge to her voice and a seductive smirk. “You have a large number of people expecting you to come home safely. And, you’re about to have even more.” She rubs her round belly.

He chuckles and nods. “Yes, yes. Let me know when Jieka wakes up.”

“Of course. Excuse us.” Ryuogriar leads the group away, leaving Daniel alone with Aramellianna.

The Grand Duchess waits until everyone is out of earshot, and she murmurs quietly, “You noticed, didn’t you?”

“Thymeria?” asks Daniel quietly.

“Yes. I was unsure, but your suspicions seem to be well placed.”

“Air superiority shifted warfare almost instantly on Earth. The vessel I served on was the modern version of the extension of that; bring your air superiority to where your enemies are. It’s far more valuable than a carriage that doesn’t require livestock, even if that’s a leap forward. It would also be a significantly easier means of killing all or some of us ‘in an accident’ or ‘malfunction.”

“It’s strange. I didn’t detect a trace of maliciousness from her.”

“I wasn’t certain before today, but I’m more sure now. Her confidence comes from her ability to alter perceptions of the people who look at her.” He looks at Aramellianna. “She was a nervous wreck.”

“What? Sh-She was?”

Daniel nods once. “I haven’t seen her since I started looking for it, and since the curse took effect. But, now that I’m back to having no magic again, I saw her for what she really is. Something has gone wrong. Something is beyond her control or expectations, and she’s trying to find ways around it.”

“I… didn’t get that at all.”

“If she was actively projecting a lot of magic, or distorting minds, we’d catch her instantly. If she can mask her own presence subtly, she can get away with a lot more.” Daniel looks at his own hand, flexing his fingers a few times. “Doephluev’s illusion spell can be detected magically, but against me, it’s effective because I can’t detect it at all. If Hekate had been more convincing, I probably would have fallen for it.” He then looks at the Grand Duchess, admitting, “I liked Thymeria well enough, but I want her to be the culprit because it proves Aoloan is innocent… I think…”

“If… I were to be carrying anti-magic material, would I have seen through it?”

“I’m not sure. I think so, but it’s still subtle. And, we still have no hard evidence. Vaergraes is likely heavily invested, so convincing her will be very challenging.”

Aramellianna thinks for a moment. “Yes, the Lady Vaergraes is wise to match her years, but mistrusting family is another story.”

There’s a moment of quiet between them, and the Grand Duchess suddenly asks, “You… don’t think…”

“That would be convenient… Probably too convenient…” replies Daniel quietly, knowing what she means. If they weren’t actually related, it would be easier to do something. This is going to be troublesome no matter what we do.

The brunette Stalvaltan matron takes a breath and exhales. “I think I need another drink.”

Daniel chuckles. “If we do that, we’ll definitely be late for the summit.”

She grumbles, “You’re right…”

Daniel awkwardly remarks, since it’s not completely his business, “Neith might accept, you know.”

“Hmm?” hums the Grand Duchess with her head cocked. She realizes just as quickly, which Daniel is thankful for. “Oh! That.” She smirks playfully at Daniel, looking up at him because of their height differences.

“What’s wrong, Daniel? Did it make you jealous?”

Daniel laughs awkwardly, replying quietly, “As if I’m in a position to remark on that…”

“Had I not struck a deal that was plenty advantageous to me, I might have asked for your permission to use Sir Neith for my plan. He does make for a convenient cover as it stands, does he not?”

Daniel nods in agreement. “He should probably be told he’s being used, though.”

“In time. Probably around the time that you let me keep my promise to get him a noble title.” She winks at Daniel, and he can’t help but scoff at the bluntness.

“I am genuinely glad we’re not enemies, Aramellianna.”

She gives him a deviously toothy grin. “As am I. You’re significantly easier to manipulate than most, so long as my intentions are good, yes?”

Daniel smirks, unable to completely refute. As long as he believes the people he cares about are acting in good faith or for the benefit of his friends and family, he caves pretty easily to their requests.

“Now then,” remarks the Grand Duchess as she starts to walk away. “Please excuse me while I go get changed as well. I am looking forward to seeing the fruits of Lady’ Gold’s efforts.” She adds over her shoulder, “Oh, and I intend to inform my head lady in waiting. She’s trustworthy, and I’d stake my life on it. Otherwise, it’ll be more difficult to keep the truth hidden.”

“I trust your judgement, as always. I’ll go find Neith and Magnir. I imagine Hekate and Geirahoel will have my own outfit chosen for me soon enough.”

“Yes. Assuming her Greatness has no objections, Geirahoel has already shown me the outfit you are to wear, and it is quite fetching. Of course, a second one has been made for Sir Helbeit to act as your body double for travel. Though, now seeing it in action, if… her Grace(?), Lady Doephluev can use her magic once more…”

“Good idea. Though, it’s unlikely to work on you-know-who either way.”

“No, but it might draw out anyone else who doesn’t know better.”

“All the more reason we should expect it not to work…” Daniel thinks for a moment.

“Regardless, I am not immune to your magic, your Grace, so I will leave you to your thoughts.” Aramellianna waves her hand and continues on her way.

Right… Good call. Plausible deniability. And, mind-reading won’t work.

Daniel suddenly has the idea thanks to her possibly leading him to it intentionally, or coincidentally doing so.

I see… If we convince them to expect a body-double, which Thymeria and Aoloan could easily see through, they won’t see through a second one so easily. But, who can I enlist so quickly without warning?

Realizing the answer is rather easy thanks to his ‘cheat power’, Daniel withdraws his helmet, speaking into it, “Xyreko, when you get a chance, I need your help at my location.”

“I am here,” replies the golem from beside him, startling him a little.

“First, thanks for telling me about the Princesses. I’m still sick thinking about…”

“You don’t need to thank me, Daniel,” replies the motherly golem gently. “The Princesses are my prospective future masters. Or daughters. Either way, I wish for their safety and long, long lives.”

Daniel takes a moment to steady himself, having regained his composure in front of everyone else, but only because he was able to successfully put the whole thing out of his mind temporarily. The ‘what-if’s’ still plague his mind. He’s relieved Jieka and Tekten are both alright, but it’s clear that he needs to figure out the best way to accomplish everything he needs to accomplish while considering their feelings. He has grown close to them, and they are clearly attached to him, such that they were ready to scheme a half-baked plan to find him by following Hekate and the others, but with enough ‘presence of mind’ to hide, knowing they would be prevented from doing so if anyone knew.

“I do have a request from Ryukana and her friend,” adds Xyreko, “But the urgency is reliant on actors currently coordinating with Rikuto, so we will need to move with caution.”

Daniel’s mind already starts to chew through possibilities from Xyreko’s incomplete information. She adds, “Please, tell me what you need first, Daniel.”

“Right… I need a body double that can fool someone that can detect magic on short notice. Sorry I’m asking like this.”

“Not at all. It will be difficult to accomplish with illusion magic, and there isn’t time to try to make a fully biological-seeming replica of you, nor do I have readily available spells other than trying a sort of summoning spell…”

“Summoning?” asks Daniel.

“Yes, it would be a lengthy explanation on exactly how it works, but that would be the easiest method at my disposal…”

Go ahead, Daniel, remarks a woman’s voice in the back of Daniel’s mind.

Kaeralegier? thinks Daniel to himself.

Who else, Dummy? No one else can communicate with you telepathically. At least, no one you know as of now.

True… But, ‘go ahead’ with what?

Ugh… With asking me, you fool.

Asking you?

The mechanic is confused, and Xyreko can tell he’s having a strange ‘series of thoughts’ because of his expressions. “Daniel?” asks the golem.

“Sorry. Uh… Kaeralegier, are you able to help us?”

“Why of course!” responds the sword-bound goddess’s voice chipperly, audible to both of them. “As long as she can provide a golem that uses an illusion spell that focuses on realism, I can hide its magic. The problem is, the golem won’t be able to draw me, and you won’t have me.”

“Couldn’t you just protect Daniel, then?”

“No. Whatever attack will be launched, we want it to be targeted at Daniel. But, even if he knows it’s coming, when, how, and by whom are still mysteries, so it’d be almost impossible to protect him.”

“Chances are good it’ll happen just before or as we’re arriving at Northwall in order to try to frame it as a political assassination by Rikuto’s side in hopes that we’d continue the war. Very nearly that exact scenario started a major war on Earth.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to defend against it. As a hidden knight, you’ll be able to determine what the attack is, where it comes from, and respond quickly. And, me and our sacrificial knight will take the attack, allowing chaos as everyone believes you’ve been assassinated for a brief moment.”

Daniel jokes, “Let’s hope they miss. If we don’t tell the ladies, I don’t know if I’ll survive their reactions.”

“I’ll have the golem continue moving,” replies Xyreko. “They’ll swarm you, but quickly learn the truth.”

Daniel nods. “That’ll have to do. Their reaction being genuine will add sincerity.”

“Let me just say, that if you can capture the assassin before a shot is fired, so to speak, that will be ideal to killing him.”

“I’ll leave that part to you, Xyreko.”

She nods with a grin. “I have just the thing. Or rather, Hekate, Wenlianna, Doephluev, Reina, and Geira have just the thing.”

“I’ll leave it to you.” Daniel feels content for a moment. He’s nervous about the next few hours, since an attack is almost certain in order to prevent the war from ending. Since Sundenelle is planning on being present, it’s reasonable to believe that the long-term war on the continent can be fizzled out by removing the primary powers. The remnants of the Demon Covenant/Hegemony have been scattered, and though there will undoubtedly be pockets of resistance continuing to try to keep the fight going, they pose a much smaller risk than the eastern kingdoms continuing if they band together and launch an offensive. The Citadel’s mana pool has greatly been reduced, but they can remain stable as long as he minimizes reliance on its magic functions as he has been.

“Ah, and before I forget, what is it that Ryukana needed?” asks Daniel.

“Yes, allow me to explain.”

Xyreko relays the situation to Daniel.

As she said, it’s a delicate position, because, according to the information provided by Ryukana’s ‘friend’, Grand Prince Yaulander captured the newest otherworlder, Zuzia. And, apparently, he’s currently at Mornistae’s castle, even as Rikuto headed for Northwall for the summit.

While Daniel is fine with Yaulander being absent from the summit, it’s also a problem that he is working with Rikuto. Especially because Rikuto is pursuing firearms at the very least, and he has the void artillery.

The Emperor of the Fievegal will have to move forward and do his best to find the right answers as carefully as he can. There is a plan in place, but as always, he knows that no plan survives contact with the enemy.

***