“I’ll reach out to Terrius and George,” Anna interrupted. “I don’t have any real connections to the others, other than Ilmarn setting up his companies here. You’ll need to handle them, Alice.”
“Done,” Alice said.
The meeting moved onto minor affairs, as it typically did. Nathan found the regular meetings necessary, but time consuming. While he was no stranger to routine meetings, the situation seemed tenser than it really was. Nathan expected a war to break out any day now.
Reality was far more sedate, however. Nothing changed. The trees dropped their leaves. The harvest rolled in. The fall session of the Diet came and went with nothing of note happening, other than Alice playing a bigger role than ever before.
Nathan did his best to remain calm and not let his nerves show. For the first time in his life, he was actively training another Bastion. Vera looked to him for guidance. Nobles wanted his advice and assurance regarding the safety of the duchy.
It was a far cry from his days in the Far Reaches, when in service to Falmir.
Eventually, a shipment arrived that Nathan had been waiting for. He let Narime and the others know, then organized to do something he had wanted to do since getting back from the Spires.
It was time to give Ciana her first gem, and to claim Astra as his Champion.
Chapter 26
A few days later, Nathan wandered into the vault of Gharrick Pass. Although the basement was the safest location in the fortress, he needed secure storage that others could access. Only his Champions were allowed in the basement, after all. The result was a heavily warded and fortified chamber on the ground floor.
Human guards stood beside massive knight summons outside. The door glowed with runes, was locked with magic, and was built from solid steel. Pulling it open took genuine effort. An attacker couldn’t avoid the door, either. The walls, floor, and ceiling were lined with magically warded steel. Nathan had added multiple wards using ascended magic, which drew from the binding stone.
A duogem Champion might be able to break in if their abilities specialized in penetrating magical defenses. But he doubted even Astra could.
Not that he’d ask. Building this room had taken days, and he knew she would revel in destroying it if he asked her.
The vault didn’t contain much right now. Lots of filing cabinets and currency. He vaguely knew that Kuda used the room to store a variety of currencies, precious metals, and banking notes. Prying further was pointless. Nathan understood next to nothing about how the financial system worked.
As far as Nathan cared, he created some precious metals and told other people to sell them at a rate that didn’t make people want to put his head on a pike. Promissory notes, complicated lending systems, different currencies, exchange rates, and other nonsense didn’t enter into it. Nathan paid others to worry about that for him.
These days, he didn’t even create the gold or platinum that was sold. The tax revenue and financial backing from Archduke von Milgar had solidified Nathan’s position significantly.
Sen stood inside the room, packing various crystals, powders, and other magical catalysts into a crate. She placed cloth and straw between each of them as she loaded them in.
“Shouldn’t you have done this yesterday?” Nathan asked her.
“Why do we have a vault if we’re going to leave things outside all day?” she said. “Ifrit has been telling me how rare some of these things are. Like this.”
She held up a small crystal bottle, no bigger than Nathan’s thumb. Inside was a viscous green liquid that looked almost like someone had created a toxic version of honey.
“Dryad Tears,” Sen said. “Each drop can buy a house in Aleich.”
“More like a mansion,” Nathan corrected. “The faeries only export a small amount each year. Farming the dryads in Arcadia’s forests would disturb the balance, or something. I heard some nasty stories about what actually happens.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised.” Sen wrapped the bottle up in several layers of cloth, then placed it inside a bundle of straw in the crate. “How did you get half of this?”
“The Sorcerer’s Lodge is the leading magical institute in the Empire. That makes it one of the most powerful and wealthiest institutions in the world. There’s a reason they can ignore wars and politics,” he explained, leaning against a steel table.
“You say that, but they didn’t ignore you,” Sen pointed out. “And this stuff is still stupidly expensive.”
“True. But that’s because I’m offering them something valuable. Knowledge. The Lodge probably has a dozen of those bottles in storage. Giving me a whole bottle when I asked for a few drops is their way to ingratiate themselves to me.”
Or possibly, to make Nathan feel like he owed the Lodge. Harrum didn’t run the Lodge, but he was easily one of the most important sorcerers in the Empire—and arguably the world. The fact he came out to conduct binding stone research himself was an immense step for an otherwise neutral institution.
“Question,” Sen asked. “Ifrit doesn’t know the answer.”
“You can ask me anything.” He paused. “Well, almost.”
“Uh huh. Then I won’t ask if you’re banging the dark elf.” Her eyes curved with amusement. “But seriously, if the Lodge is neutral, why does the Empire back them? Shouldn’t they create their own sorcerer’s lounge, instead of relying on a bunch of cranks?”
“The Lodge has a long history,” Nathan explained.
Realizing this might take a bit, he looked around for what he wanted. A small case sat nearby, chained to the table and locked with runes. Inside were two small velvet boxes, as well as nearly a dozen other gemstones.
Nathan’s magic pulsed, and he removed the case from the table.
“I love history,” Sen chirped, rolling her eyes.
She hefted the case full of catalysts. They left the vault. The door automatically opened and closed for them. Once outside, Nathan made a beeline for the rear courtyard.
“The important part is brief. Although mages today aren’t very religious, they used to be,” he said. “Things are different when the goddess herself can be seen and heard in person just down the road.”
“Can’t imagine why that is.”
Nathan chuckled. “Supposedly, Omria used to help Bastions with their sorcery. I’ve mentioned before that she helped a Bastion cast a tenth rank spell once. If Bastions are actively learning sorcery, where will they learn it from?”
“The Lodge,” Sen said slowly.
“Yep. So mages became a major power in the world, supported by Omria, and independent of the Bastions and the Emperor. I’ve seen some texts that refer to them as her third arm, but that didn’t appear to be the common view. The Emperor and nobles ran the Empire. The Bastions protected it. The mages improved it.”
“So, why the split?” Sen asked. “Ifrit knows this part, but not why the Emperor didn’t create his own Lodge.”
“Because the original Empire split into three parts: Falmir, Trafaumh, and the Empire you know today. If the Emperor pisses off a bunch of independently wealthy and powerful mages, who have connections to many noble families, then they’ll leave,” Nathan explained. “To say nothing of the political downsides of going against a cornerstone of the country’s history. So long as the Lodge stays out of politics, everybody is their friend.”
“Except now,” she said.
“That is the risk. It’s why I’m surprised they’re backing me so strongly. If the Nationalists win, then the Lodge will suffer.”
“Good thing they won’t.”
The conversation naturally ended as they stepped outside. Several knights huddled together, chatting, while Narime and Astra stood next to each other in silence. Ciana fiddled with her uniform, her eyes wide and tail swishing back and forth wildly.
Sunstorm’s onyx still hadn’t arrived, so she wasn’t here. Nathan suspected he would need to personally chase that up.
Snow drifted off the nearby mountains. The pass
had already become too dangerous to travel through, which indicated a harsh and bitter winter was on the horizon. Sleet fell most nights. The sky was a dreary gray and the landscape similarly dull. Soon, fall would give way to winter.
The moment one of the knights spotted Nathan, the huddle broke up. The knights lined up and stood at attention, their hands banging against their chests in a salute.
Ciana joined them afterward. She smiled at Nathan as she also gave a salute.
Only Astra remained where she was, as Narime slipped behind Nathan. For now, he ignored the dark elf.
Since returning, her mood had improved. She spent time on the wireless every day, in contact with a few people from the Spires. Nathan didn’t pry, although he listened in once.
Astra said little, as was normal for her. But the women on the other side prattled on about anything and everything. They spoke rapidly, and Nathan barely understood what they were saying at times, given his poor mastery of the dark elf language.
But he silently thanked them for the time they spent talking to Astra, even if she didn’t respond much. Knowing that she was still welcomed by her people helped her adjust.
Nathan ignored her for now. He focused on the six women lined up nervously in front of him.
All but one were beastkin. Nathan knew one of them well, as she handled all of Fei’s paperwork. She had been Narime’s first pick. Her name was Kara, and she was a dog beastkin. They were rare to see in the military, as dogs didn’t have many physical advantages. Instead, they excelled at hunting and tracking.
If Nathan asked Sen to describe Kara, he’d be told about her massive tits. Fei and Kara supposedly knew each other from the academy. Privately, Nathan wondered if they bonded over their chest size. They were opposites in almost every other way. Which worked out for Kara. Supposedly, she had failed to be placed as a Champion candidate after finishing her time in the academy.
Fei had invited Kara to join up once she became captain and realized that meant doing paperwork.
The other candidates were less notable to Nathan, other than Ciana. A pair of wolf beastkin, plus a huge girl with goat horns. The human woman wore a battlemage uniform, which set her apart.
“She’s my pick,” Sen mumbled, when Nathan stared at her.
“I’m not second guessing anyone,” he said. “You, Narime, and Fei have been going through everyone for weeks. I’ve given them all trial enhancements as well. Personally, I’d prefer to wait a few more months, but…” he trailed off, biting his lip.
Civil war loomed on the horizon. If something happened over winter, he needed Champions who knew how to protect his portals. Nathan felt confident he could enhance this batch without hurting anyone. Especially with all the mental magic training he had done.
He hadn’t probed Fyre again. She visited with Anna and kept trying to sneak into his bed, despite Fei’s efforts to keep her out. But Nathan didn’t feel confident enough to go back into her mousetrap of a mind.
The women in front of him stared at him nervously. He paced in front of them, looking each in the eyes.
“All of you know why you’re here. I’ve already spoken with each of you,” he said. “After today, you will be Champions. Defenders of the Anfang Empire. I will trust you with my life, the lives of thousands of soldiers, and millions of innocents who know nothing about the horrors of the demonic portals. The power and knowledge I will give you will allow you to fight. But they are useless if you will not fight.”
He stopped at the far end, then turned around. “This is your last chance to back away. Once you become a Champion, there is no turning back. You might find a new Bastion”—he received multiple looks of disbelief—“or even retire. But you will always be a Champion. The power never leaves you. The knowledge remains in your mind. I might ask you to do things you never thought imaginable.”
A long pause. Nathan waited for anybody to move or to say something.
Naturally, they didn’t. Ciana was already a Champion, so she didn’t need to hear this. Four of the five candidates were beastkin knights. He doubted they cared about his warning. The last one was a human battlemage, and he worried about her the most. But her expression expressed only conviction.
“I’ll explain how the process works now, and what happens afterward. If you choose to leave, no one will judge you. If you want to become a Champion, I will require you to affirm it, and I will know if you’re lying. As I’ve explained before, becoming a Champion allows me into your mind. I won’t read your thoughts or deepest secrets, but I will know things about you.”
Afterward, Nathan told them about the stages of gemming, and that they needed to decide on their enhancements. They could change them, but once they chose a gem, they were locked in for life. He then explained what their responsibilities would be once they become Champions.
Finally, he walked up to each woman. One-by-one, they confirmed that they wanted to be a Champion. Nathan enhanced them. Their minds quivered at his touch, and two of them actively fought him. His extensive experience—and one subtle use of mental magic to slip past mental defenses—allowed him to finish the process without harming anyone. Although they certainly enjoyed the process, judging by their lewd gasps and moans.
“I’ve never seen someone enhance five Champions at once before,” Narime commented afterward as she gave him a mug of coffee. “It’s as inappropriate as I expected.”
Ciana stood nervously in the courtyard, being watched by everyone. The new Champions watched her in a daze, sitting on chairs in the empty outdoor dining area. Sen drew a ritual circle around the horsegirl, saving Nathan the effort of doing it himself.
It also served as good practice for her. While Sen’s training had shifted back to being a spellblade, she still needed to remember how to cast rituals and the like.
“I’ll be honest, it’s concerning that it went so well,” Nathan told Narime. “Especially when some of them only have a few weeks of preparation.”
“That says a lot about your experience, doesn’t it?”
Maybe. He disliked the alternative.
That his ascended magic allowed him to bypass a lot of natural restrictions. Did he even need to wait out the usual time for a Champion to acclimate to the binding stone? If he could control magic itself, couldn’t he gem a Champion sooner with no ill effects?
Despite the danger, Nathan suspected he would be testing his theory sooner rather than later. Duogem Champions were far more powerful than monogem Champions. If he was able to give Ciana a second gem before the civil war broke out, it would make a huge difference.
For now, he would give Ciana her first gem.
Nathan undid the lock on the case he had brought out. Then he retrieved one of the velvet cases. Inside was a diamond gemstone, far larger than anything worn in any piece of jewelry. Other gemstones often appeared unrealistic given their size and shape, but diamonds were common enough that the sheer size of Champion gemstones stood out.
There was a reason they couldn’t be purchased on the open market. To say nothing of the magical processing they needed to go through in order to be safe for use in the gemming ceremony.
Gem quality was no joke. A Champion burdened with a low quality gemstone might never be able to receive a second gem, and would always lag behind others.
As expected from Leopold, Ciana’s diamonds were nearly perfect. They were nearly colorless, and Nathan didn’t see a single blemish inside it. The shape didn’t matter, as Nathan reformed it during the gemming ceremony to fit into the collarbone—but for the record, it was rounded, with dozens of flawless flat edges cut into it. Naturally, its magical conductivity was as high as any gemstone Nathan had used.
“She’s ready,” Sen chirped as she returned. “Stop staring at the gem and stick it in her.”
“Sen,” Narime chided.
Nathan rose and walked up to Ciana. She stared up at him with wide eyes. Her breathing accelerated with each step he took. The top of her uniform had been lowered, baring her sh
oulders, collarbone, and the top of her modest bust. She’d need to get it tailored later.
“Calm down,” he gently. “Nothing will go wrong.”
“I know, but..” She gulped. “What is the ritual circle for? I don’t recognize it.”
“I need to conserve energy for Astra’s ritual,” he explained. “It’s also safer.”
Nathan didn’t usually bother with the ritual circle. It was for Bastions who needed help to focus the energy from their binding stones. He knew what he was doing.
But he wanted to be extra cautious with Ciana.
“You’re certain you want a diamond,” he confirmed.
“Yes.” Her face filled with determination.
Taking a deep breath, Nathan let go of his concerns. Ciana wanted this.
He pressed the diamond against her collarbone. It exploded with light as he channeled energy into it. Ciana’s eyes widened, but she remained silent. Her tail nearly spun 360 degrees and her eyes shot up.
Over the course of close to a minute, Nathan pushed the diamond into Ciana’s body. Tears dripped down her face. Even so, she refused to make a noise.
The first gem always hurt the most.
Afterward, she remained standing. A crooked smile crossed her lips. He placed a hand on her head and tickled the white fluff in her ears. Before she growled at him, Nathan dove into her mind to finish the ceremony.
She welcomed him into her mind. His connection to her remained strong from the enhancement, and he followed the tether.
The moment he passed the outer layer of her mental defenses, he knew something was different.
Ciana’s emotions and thoughts wrapped around him. Not aggressively, but they were simply there. They circled him. Deeper and deeper he went, and more and more of her deepest emotions and memories wrapped themselves around him.
If he wanted to, he could reach out and learn her darkest secrets. Fei had bombarded him with her desire to ride his cock for all eternity. Ciana held back and simply ensconced him in herself.
Only when he reached her core did he realize what was going on. He needed to use her emotions and thoughts to forge the gem into her mind.
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