“How can we be sure of that?” the teacher snapped.
“There’s the door. You can leave if you want. You can’t reveal anything about Alva, but you can do whatever else you want. This is the way things are. Accept it or leave.”
“Rugrat, what about the council? Are they elected?” Kanoa asked.
“In a way. The council manage everything. They are leaders in their own fields of study. They have held their position for four years. Other than the leader of the military, they can be elected and changed in different circumstances. At the end of the four years, those who have the greatest ability within the department can appeal to their fellows; those with the most votes get the position. Each council member fights for their department and works with the other council members to advance Alva as a whole,” Rugrat rattled off.
Over the next few hours, Rugrat and the people from Earth talked over the systems in place in Alva and their subsidiaries. He held nothing back.
Kanoa watched it all. Really, the Ten Realms was nothing like Earth. What they were used to was gone, but there were still a lot of people trying to hold on to that. Those who were too rigid would collapse. The people of Alva were pleased with the system, if not overjoyed. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but they were immigrants to this land. If they wanted to become Alvans, they would need to wholly embrace what Alva was. Thinking of it like a company, that made more sense, and having people with the highest ability and the support of others reminded him of the ranking system in the military. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked.
Rugrat led the group out of the compound. He hoped to recruit some of them to help with the development of military hardware. There was a war coming, and he wanted to be ready for it.
Instead of recruiting people, it was turning into some damn political debate.
Rugrat headed to the workshop to find two people waiting there.
“Kanoa? Badowska?” Rugrat asked.
“So, I hear you have some space in your military. I might be older, but these old bones got a new lease of life in the Ten Realms,” Kanoa said.
“You don’t have any tanks or mechanized forces. Can you say you are army without a tank?” Badowska said. His thick Russian accent and partial English made it hard to fully understand him.
“You sure? If you want to help, you need to become citizens,” Rugrat said.
“We haven’t been sitting on our asses this whole time. We have been out and in the middle of the Alvans. They aren’t fanatics or idiots; they know what Alva is and are more than happy to put their full strength behind it. You’ve not only created a safe place.; you’ve created a powerful community. Sure, we could keep running and berate you for not having a democratic society.”
Badowska grunted in derision.
“But this system works, and it’s clear to me that although you aren’t the best lord, you are an honest one and someone I’d trust watching my ass,” Kanoa said.
Badowska shrugged. “As long as you not wearing American flag booty shorts, da?”
“It’ll grow on you.”
“I do not want booty shorts growing on me.”
19
Rise of the Beast Mountain Range
Lord Aditya returned to his office.
“How was the envoy from the Marcella kingdom?” Evernight asked.
“They wanted better trading terms. I put them in contact with some traders who might interest them and kept them personally invested with some extra trinkets.” Aditya sat down.
He looked out of the window at the large complex that was being built within the latest round of expanding walls around the city.
“The sect hasn’t finished construction, but Consortium Leader Quan has already filled the teaching positions. The Adventurer’s Guild is also building out a branch within the city. The auction will be starting in a few hours.” Evernight stood.
“How about things beyond our borders?” Aditya watched as she walked toward his desk.
“The same as they were this morning. We shall see how people’s attitudes are after the auction.” Evernight smiled. “Before that, don’t you want to learn about your real masters?”
“What are you hiding?” Aditya watched her suspiciously.
“Come on, you have a meeting before the auction.” Evernight pulled him out of his chair and led him to the secret ladder.
Aditya’s hands grew clammy. “We’re really going to see them?”
“Of course. Come on.” Evernight dropped down the ladder first.
Aditya swallowed and then followed after her.
They reached the bottom of the ladder, and the bookcase above rotated back into place.
After some twists and turns, they reached a room with different connecting tunnels. A city interface was placed against one wall. On the other side of the room was a teleportation array.
“Okay, your oaths are all good, so we won’t need to do that again.” Evernight waved him over to the teleportation array.
He gritted his teeth and balled his fists, stepping over.
Evernight activated the formation. In a flash of light, they appeared in a bright area.
Aditya looked around with hooded eyes against the sudden light. He adjusted quickly, seeing the odd guards and the defenses. His body shook; it felt as if he was soaked in a warm bath.
This mana density! Training in here for one day would be like training for a month in the First Realm. No, three months!
Evernight was well known and greeted a few people.
When they stepped out of the defenses around the teleportation facilities, Aditya saw Alva Dungeon spread out in front of him.
Even the people on the street were stronger than him, and there was high-Journeyman-level gear for sale in the market—in large batches.
They passed a group of police officers who nodded to them and a group of soldiers marching through.
Aditya had thought his own forces were impressive, but they were just imitations of the regular soldiers.
He was burning up. He had been fed hints and information for so long but had never seen the power behind him. Now that he saw it, he was even more stunned than he had expected.
They reached a large, round building in the middle of the city. It was covered in formations, and a pillar of light shot into the skies above.
It pierced through the blue “sky” and spread through formations to a ceiling of mana stones. Aditya shuddered at the casual display of so much wealth.
There were mana stones growing on the roof! On the roof! Are we underground?
He had been so focused on what was around him that he hadn’t looked up.
“Come on, Aditya!” Evernight teased as she pulled him into the building. They passed some guards, who watched them both. They headed up past offices.
“The dungeon core used to be just a single building. But with the expansion of the city, the buildings were pushed back, and we created a new, larger building around the dungeon core, adding in offices and meeting rooms.”
She guided them in farther and stood straighter.
Aditya did as well.
“Someone can make you act official? Looks like they are really powerful,” Aditya joked.
She shot him a look, pressing her lips together to force down the smile.
They reached another door with guards and opened it. To the left side of the room, there was a massive cylinder that went from floor to ceiling. The room was one section of the cylinder. There were formations all over the place; inside the cylinder was the pillar of light. It branched out through several formations and headed through the building, back down into the ground. It captured Aditya’s attention before he saw Evernight bowing to the two occupants of the room.
Aditya glanced at the two men who wore simple but comfortable clothes. Both had short haircuts and sported freshly shaved faces.
They gave off a feeling of quiet, controlled power.
Off to the side, there was a wolf with wings that seemed to be made of flames, and he
nipped at a large, lizard-looking creature that dodged his attack and bit back.
Aditya bowed with Evernight.
“Lords Erik and Rugrat, this is Aditya, the leader of King’s Hill, its associated alliance, and Vermire,” Evernight said. “Aditya, these are Lords Erik and Rugrat, celebrated soldiers of Alva, the saviors of Alva Village, and the creators of Alva, Vuzgal, and all associated guilds, academies, and subsidiaries.”
“It is my honor to meet with you,” Aditya said.
“How is the leg doing?” Erik said.
“Uh, it is fine,” Aditya said.
“Don’t need to talk into the floor there,” Rugrat said.
Aditya looked up at Erik, who had stood and was walking toward him. He put his hand on Aditya’s shoulder and used a spell.
“Y-you are the one who healed me?” Aditya said, seeing Erik up close again.
“It healed fine. Your Body Cultivation is progressing well.” Erik pulled out a pill and gave it to Aditya. “Go to the healing house and have them watch over you as you take this. It will suck, but it will allow you to temper your organs.” Erik used another spell.
Aditya felt his body rejuvenate. He operated just like the healers in the healing house. I was healed by the lord of all this? Was he like the people in the healing houses or were they like him, mimicking his methods?
“Try to get up and walk more often. Your back is getting bad,” Erik warned.
“Yes, thank you, Lord Erik.” Aditya’s breathing was harsh and strained.
“You did Body Cultivation. I guess I should do mana, huh?” Rugrat touched the bracelet on his wrist. Each of the pieces was actually a storage ring.
Aditya shuddered. Storage items were rare in the First Realm, but Rugrat had enough to create a bracelet! Elders and powerful figures in sects had several storage rings. It wasn’t until the Second Realm that the middle class got them. In the Third Realm, nearly everyone had storage rings.
Rugrat walked over as he examined his bracelet. He pulled out a book and scroll. He pressed the scroll against the book, and with a flash of mana, words appeared on the scroll, and he put the book away.
He took out a salve and passed it and the scroll to Aditya. “These should help you out. Ask the people at the healing house to apply it for you. Should open some of your mana gates and increase your rate of absorption. The scroll is based on what I have learned about Mana Cultivation. Do you have Organic Scan or a way to look inside your body?”
“No, I don’t,” Aditya said.
“Erik?”
“One sec.” Erik checked his storage rings and pulled out a book. He tossed it to Rugrat.
Rugrat passed it to Aditya. “Here is a technique book on the spell. That should work. Also, here is a formation necklace to help you if you are attacked.”
“And here are some pills to help you recover from grave injuries.” Erik walked over with the pills.
“Do you have a sound transmission device?” Rugrat asked.
“I do,” Aditya said.
“Good. If you need help, there will always be someone to answer.”
“What are your plans for the future of King’s Hill?” Erik asked.
“My first plan is to grow the power of the sect and the army, which will create security for the outposts and bring everything under one control. With the sect, we will get the people on our side and draw in more from the surrounding areas to support us, sending their children over to train and become stronger. The younger generation will have a favorable outlook on the Beast Mountain Range since it is the place where they learned and transformed from children into adults.
“Unlike the kingdoms, outpost leaders in the Beast Mountain Range gained their positions by being great and powerful leaders, instead of politicians. Their own personal strength and backing isn’t small. Most of them have come to our side, and those will follow. They all crave position and power. Giving them places within the sect allows them both”
“How many of the outpost leaders have come over to your side? Come on, let’s sit.” Erik moved the conversation to the seats.
“We have most of the outpost leaders; I would say four-fifths of them at this point. Some are holding out for better terms or positions.” Aditya sat.
“So, through giving the people and the outpost lords more opportunities, it makes them united,” Rugrat said.
“Yes. At that time, we will create our own region. We announce that Beast Mountain Range is our domain; we say that we are allied against the beasts overrunning the surrounding area. If we unite people in words, it is easier for them to unite in reality. King’s Hill will become the capital. All the guards will become Beast Mountain Range guards. We will boast a strong sect that’s open to people from across the lands and focused on learning how to fight alone and in groups and training healers and crafters. People are excited about the Adventurer’s Guild showing interest in the area. It would be a clear path to the higher realms. Proving yourself in the sect could lead to a higher and greater position. Even if not, you could become a great crafter because there are rare materials in the Beast Mountain Range one can buy for cheap to train with. Healers would be advanced as there are always wounded people. They would be learned and tested. On the surface, that is.” Aditya smiled as Erik and Rugrat’s gaze sharpened.
“Under the surface, while people are training, we are picking out those from across the Beast Mountain Range who show promise through different competitions and avenues. These people are recruited to your force. On the surface, they are Beast Mountain Range people, the sons and daughters of powerful nobles. In reality, they are your loyal people. With time, we will gain control over these surrounding kingdoms and groups, or at least nurture an even greater embedded intelligence network across the First Realm.” Aditya smiled as he saw the surprise in Erik and Rugrat’s eyes as they smiled.
“You have been working hard,” Erik praised.
“He’s getting as sneaky as the intelligence department head,” Rugrat said to Erik. He grinned at Aditya, who felt a new energy in his veins with their praise.
“So, that happens internally. What about externally?” Evernight prompted.
“Trade,” Aditya said, gaining everyone’s attention. “Trade is the basis of all agreements. If we can trade with others, we draw them closer. If they fight us, they might gain something in the end, but they will lose any possible revenues of trade. We planned the auction to happen as soon as possible to bring the attention of the kingdoms to us.
“The groups closest to us are coveting our outposts. They have multiple borders with other groups, so we have been focusing on these other groups for trade. What will possible enemies nearby think when they know our good friend is standing at their backdoor? What if we have three friends along different borders? We’ve used ourselves as bait with the Zatan Confederation—but didn’t they suffer a miserable defeat? With this in mind, freely selling to everyone, even our greatest enemies, will hide their swords for now. If we show we are docile and open for trade, they will come and will think twice about attacking us, as other nations reliant on our trades will attack them to keep their trade routes open. We shift the focus outward to other troubles instead of the Beast Mountain Range,, and we stay hidden and safe in plain sight.”
“A constantly neutral force on the surface while we move affairs around under the surface,” Evernight said.
“Over time, that weight will increase, or maybe as people see one feather, they don’t notice the smaller feathers you have spread around. You’re using the auction as a smoke screen to bring in trade interest as fast as possible with goods that you know the surrounding kingdoms’ elites will have to fight over,” Erik said.
“Yes, my lord.” Aditya bowed his head slightly.
“Damn—plans in the future and in the present. Aditya, I am glad you’re on our side,” Rugrat said.
“Our relationship was an unsteady one when it started,” Erik said.
Aditya winced and bobbed his head.
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“You have proved that although you are a schemer, you aren’t malicious. People in the outposts are safer. There are more jobs. You have spread healing houses to the outposts, created schools of crafting from what you have. While you have talked about the secondary reasons of the sect, the primary one is that you hope to help the people in the Beast Mountain Range and the surrounding areas succeed. They also line up with your secondary objectives nicely.”
“So, Phillips Aditya, would you like to become a citizen of Alva?” Rugrat pulled out a medallion and slid it over the table in front of Aditya.
Aditya glanced at the simple medallion. He heard his heart in his ears; he felt anxious, afraid, and excited. The medallion and what it represented were not simple. He had worked for years for Alva without knowing it. Now, he could become one of them.
For the first time in a long time, he felt that he belonged somewhere. When he was in the worst positions, they were there to support him. Even just now, Lord Erik and Lord Rugrat had taken the time to check on him. Hadn’t Lord Erik repaired and healed his leg?
He felt a door closing behind him, on his hunting party, his friends who had abandoned him in the First Realm. It was time to move past that anger and on to something more—a new future, a new possibility.
His fingers curled around the medallion, the edges of the metal firm in his hand. “If you’ll have me,” he said in a hoarse voice.
“Phillips Aditya, please stand,” Erik said.
Erik and Rugrat stood in front of Aditya.
“Please raise your right hand and repeat after me: I, Phillips Aditya,” Erik paused waiting for Aditya.
“I, Phillips Aditya.”
“Of my own volition, swear upon the Ten Realms.”
Again, Aditya repeated Erik’s words.
The oath passed in a blur, and he stood straight and proud.
“And to follow the orders of the Dungeon Masters Erik and Rugrat as long as their orders are reasonable,” Aditya said, finishing the last of the oath.
Sixth Realm Part 2: A litRPG Fantasy series (The Ten Realms Book 7) Page 21