Aghanim's Rubick Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

“The issue is energy retention.” I pointed out, looking over the plans, “This would need up to create a system that allows us to constantly add more Magic into the system at regular intervals, to keep the wards stable.”

“That would only be a problem outside of Claszureme itself.” Hanako nodded along with my statement, “Inside the city boundaries, we could use the ambient Magicules to power the ward. If you were not so good at withholding your Power, my Lord, You could power this array merely with your passive aura.”

“That’s true.” I hummed, staring at the ward that her new Barrier Corps had designed, it’s function to regulate Magic levels in the air as well as deter the spawning and movement of non-sapient Monsters into the bounds it protected, “This design is incredibly efficient, compared to the barriers we have been studying together.”

“Yes.” She blushed, “I refined the energy required thanks to your help. Your insights were very helpful.”

“I’m glad.” I smiled at her, causing her blush to intensify, “You are certain that this barrier is ready to be set up over the city?”

“...Yes.” She spoke after some silent thought, “We will start with a single district, most likely the Markets. Humans have been filtering in to explore and trade and reducing the effect of Magicule Poisoning on them is a priority. If the barrier is successful, we will start expanding it. The modular design and additions have worked perfectly with our small scale tests, but we will be careful to ensure that there are no surprises or failures.”

“I trust you.” I stated matter-of-factly, “Once the barrier is stable and expanded over the entire city, I would like to add some of my own alterations to it, but that is something to consider in the future. If this goes well, I would say that you have earned a reward.”

She tensed, eyes searching around my features. The kiss we had shared before the culling of the Orcs hung between us, an unspoken spectre that had hung over all our interactions from that point. She had made her position on the matter clear and was merely waiting for me to do the same, but it was something that I was having issues coming to terms with.

Regardless of the fact that I am not in my body, the one that I have been most used to when it came to romantic engagements, there existed a stark power divide between us. I was her King, her Ruler, her Namer and Master. All at once. It would not be completely out of the question to say that to the Monsters that made up Claszureme, my feats and actions had ingrained a form of worship that was not too different from religious.

I was merely a middling streamer in my past life, not anyone famous or powerful. I made enough to look after myself, but that was it. DOTA had pretty much consumed my life, the audio-books that I listened to while playing giving me rather broad general knowledge, but aside from that, my greatest achievements were within a video game.

That awkwardness, the unfamiliarity with socializing with others, especially from a position of authority and responsibility… It confused me. That was why I mostly defaulted to treating my subordinates, such as Susuru and Lucifer, as teammates from Dota. The ribbing and joking seemed to have been enough to build a rapport, but what Hanako wanted was different.

It was… closer. More personal. Something I couldn’t just compartmentalize and deal with from a distance. It was something that had been on my mind a lot, leading to some uncomfortable revelations about myself and how I treated those around me.

I was treating this like an obligation, which to be fair, it was. However, it meant I was doing everything, from setting up my country, to dealing with my allies, to even socializing with my subordinates, like they were items on a checklist. Preforming the task required and moving onto the next one, in the most efficient way, not pausing or appreciating what my actions meant for the feelings of those around me.

My new nature had made it all too easy. Merely look at the current situation, choose the most efficient thing to do at the time. Rinse. Repeat.

Realising this, I was struck with a strange question. I was acting aloof, distant, not at all attached. The only moments I showed any excitement or personal investment was when I had the chance to fight a new enemy or learn a new form of magic. With that in mind, how did Hanako grow attracted to me? Power was certainly part of it and explained Lucifer’s fascination with me, but that did not explain all Hanako’s actions.

So I did something that I found difficult, in both my lives.

I empathised.

I put myself in her shoes and thought about how my actions might have appeared from her perspective.

An incredibly powerful and knowledgeable mage appeared out of nowhere, saved her home and didn’t ask for anything in return. Then, when she offered to sell herself to gain that mage’s protections for her village, he refused to take advantage of her and stayed to protect the village anyway.

Then, he agreed to fight the strongest monster she had ever encountered, despite frequently making his desire to travel beyond the village known. Before he did so, she kissed him, but he hasn’t mentioned it or brought it up since.

She must be feeling quite the cocktail of emotions, gratitude, attraction, mortification, insecurity. I haven’t made the situation any better by my dithering, I knew. But still, it wasn’t something that I could merely get over quickly.

Funnily enough, watching Lucifer with her subordinates was what actually made it click for me. She was ancient, according to her, even older than the world we stood on. Regardless of the veracity of that claim, It was unlikely that should I succeed in my goals that I would be dying of old age, or anything else for that matter, any time soon.

On top of that, the gap in power between me and everyone else was not going to remain static. The more I discovered and understood about Magic and it’s functions in this world, the wider it will grow. If I managed to crack the Skills system like how I wanted to, I wouldn’t merely have their loyalty and control over their lives, I would have the very basis of their powers in the palm of my hand.

Meaning, there were only two paths in front of me. I either pulled back completely, left behind Claszureme and eschewed all connections, due to the inevitable power imbalance. Or I accepted the reality for what it was and tried my best to make my relationships work as they were.

What did I want?

Magic intrigued me. Every discovery, every time I bent a small portion of reality to my whims using the laws that made up the world around me, I felt a deep, intense, soul soothing satisfaction. It was a rush like nothing else I could compare it to. The joy of understanding, of a puzzle coming to completion through nothing but my own understanding, it was an incomparable high.

But it wasn’t worth abandoning the people I had come to know to pursue it to the ends of the earth. Without even realising it, I had become fond of Claszureme and everyone within it. Hanako’s earnestness, Oda’s intense desire to prove himself, Shingen’s devotion to his people, Hattori’s desire to keep everyone safe, Lanaya’s competitiveness, Susuru’s attempts to make this into the city of his dreams, Lucifer’s devotion to me personally...

Even the average populace, those that I didn’t name directly or interact with much. They smiled so freely when they saw me, trusted in my ability to keep them safe so deeply, it was a humbling thing to reflect upon.

They deserved a King who actually cared.

It was past time I stepped up.

“A reward?” Hanako asked, slowly, “What exactly… Would that be?”

“something I prize above most else, Hanako.” I smiled spreading my arms grandly, “Knowledge. You asked me a question, before I faced the Orc Lord. Not with words, but through your actions. Your reward shall be my answer.”

Her pink eyes flashed with determination, “In that case, The whole city shall be covered before you know it.”

I shook my head, laughing, “No, be thorough. Be safe. There would be no point if you hurt yourself.”

She blushed, “Yes, My Lord.”

---ARARAR---

“Oh-ho-ho!~” The large Majin chuckled merrily, “Right through here, Lord Phobio.”

The Beastman narrowed his eyes, the gloom of the cave in front of them foreboding, wrong. He was no spellcaster or barrier expert, but even he could tell there was something deeply off with the energy surrounding this area. His every instinct screamed it at him.

“And you are sure this plan will work?” He questioned Footman, doubt lacing his voice.

“As sure as I am of anything. This plan will work flawlessly!” The clown responded, amusement flowing from his tone, “Charybdis requires a sacrifice to reform it’s body. However, it’s spirit must overcome that of it’s host in order to control it’s actions. That is why most of the sacrifices that have been lured to it’s resting place before have been killed before it attempted to reform itself. With you arriving here willingly, you will be able to battle it for control, allowing you to take it’s power for your own.”

“You expect me to simply win against a disaster class monster?” Phobio deadpanned.

“You will not be fighting physically, my Lord. This will me a mental and spiritual battle. I cannot speak for you, however.” The Pierrot bowed, asking, “Do you think your loyalty to Lord Carrion is strong enough to overcome a mindless beast?”

Phobio scowled, “My loyalty to my Lord is beyond question. Very well, Footman. Thank you for your assistance.”

“No, no, thank you, Lord Phobio. Rubick is a danger to us all, without you I don’t know what we would have done!” Footman raised his palms humbly, “There is still some time to prepare, if you would like?”

“No.” The Beastman straightened his shoulders, resolving himself, “I Shall do this now, without fear. It is what Lord Carrion would expect of me.”

“Too true, my Lord. Serve him faithfully!” With Footman’s encouragement, the Beastman started to walk into the cave.

His feline eyes should have assisted him in seeing through this gloom, but that was not the case. AS his sense of sight left him, he put one hand on the wall to his left, using it to guide him along, not stopping. Footman was right, Rubick was dangerous, much too dangerous to leave alive. He needed to destroy him, for all their sakes.

He was just thankful that his squad had been allowed to leave, to return to Eurazania, to bring word of what was occurring here to Lord Carrion. Thankfully, it should all be over by the time they arrived, but still, at least they were out of danger. It was a weight off of his mind.

As we walked, he started to feel it. The blood lust, the rage, the slowly building tide of energy building up behind his temples. He stumbled, as it throbbed, but recovered himself quickly. He would not be beaten here, he was the trusted servant of Lord Carrion. He would prove his Lord’s faith in him to be rightly placed.

So preoccupied by the battle taking place in his psyche was he, that he wasn’t even able to realise that the scent of blood was filling the cave. Nor did he see the bodies that the blood was flowing from.

---ARARAR---

“That was so sad. He was so easy to trick!” A young voice called, as emerging from the cave was Footman’s partner, Tear.

The larger Majin didn’t reply immediately, staring after the brave Beastketeer he had just sent to his death. He tilted his head, playing the conversations that he had with the doomed man before finally answering the smallest of their group.

“Don’t be too harsh, Tear. Faith and loyalty can make us do silly things. After all, is that not why we are here?” He shrugged, “At least with ‘Lord Phobio’s’ sacrifice, Clayman will be safe from his own mistake.”

“You’re too right, Footman! Where would he be without us? The thought is enough to make me cry!” She exclaimed, bringing her covered hands to her mask, pretending to sob into them.

Footman’s eyes caught the red around the edges of the garments, asking, “Did they give you any trouble Tear? Did any of them manage to escape?”

“Of course not!” She threw both her hands out in indignation, “How could you even ask that? We barely even started towards Eurazania before I struck, they never expected a thing!”

“Good, good. With their corpses, Charybdis has ample resources to make itself and it’s children.” Footman nodded.

“Poor Phobio, ordering his men to their deaths like that. It would be so sad, but Clayman is more important.” Tear brought one of the stained sleeves to her mouth, tilting her head, “It’s been a while, he should have arrived by now. Do you think he sniffed out something?”

“Maybe… Lets wai-” Footman’s response was swallowed as the ground shook, a deep, threatening roar splitting the night with deafening ferocity.

“That’s our cue! Lets leave the stage, Footman!” Tear exclaimed, before taking off into the Forest.

“Right you are, Tear!” Footman followed after her just as swiftly.

---ARARAR---

Far away, there lay a barren, harsh land. With sparse brush and dark, rocky cliffs, only the most hardy of peoples could have made this place home. Of course, such people would have a leader, one who was strong and resilient enough to represent them.

Said leader’s eyes snapped open, blue shining in the dare of her spare, utilitarian bedroom.

Normally, she was happy to sleep the entire night away, content to merely laze about as she wished. However, she was awoken by a pressing feeling, a bone deep certainty. It was serious, a feeling that couldn’t be denied.

It was something familiar to her, having felt it many times before in her life. This was an emergency, something that required immediate action. She flipped to her feet, wings popping out of her back as she prepared to fly off and rectify this dire situation, only to pause.

Indecision warred on her features, before she made her choice and resolved herself, bursting out of the window and flying off into the distance at incredible speeds.

Her grumbling tummy agreed with her decision, as she flew to Claszureme.

After all, Rubick’s food was much tastier.

Surely Milim’s new friend wouldn’t turn her away when she was hungry, right?