15
Lizzie was injured but alive. She was quickly healed by Bella and became a wreck when she saw her grandson. I had whispered to Tink that I had plans for her if she was alive. So she consoled the old woman. Ainzach left to put the city together and we stayed with the old alchemist.
"What was he like?" I ask as the woman runs out of steam.
"He was good!" She cries. "He was everything good in this world. He was the only one who understood me. The only one more obsessed with research then me. He was talented too and a hard worker. He had a village girl he liked, too scared to ask her out."
"I would have liked to know him. We should send a letter to the girl. She was probably hoping he would gather his courage. If he was as good as you say you might have to write several." I say sadly to the hurt woman.
"He shouldn't have even been here. He was supposed to go visit that girl and gather herbs. His normal adventure party he highers had moved. If they stayed he would have been in Carne." She says mad that fate was cruel.
"Carne? Carne village?" I ask.
"Yes my lord. Do you know it?" She asks wiping her eyes and looking at me.
"Aye. Bella and I saved them from an evil nobles machinations. There is no way the girl he liked was Enri Emmot?" I ask looking deep in thought.
"She is. He would talk about her all the time. Is she okay?" Lizzie asks hoping there was not one more reason to cry.
"I saved her. Of course it's her she was the only truly impressive one there. Lizzie, I think tragedy and fate have brought us together." I say sounding far away.
"What do you mean my lord?" She says confused.
"Lizzie, I may not look it but I am far far older than you. One thing these long years of life have taught me is how to read coincidence and see fate. I have thought to replicate a potion from my home land here on across the sea. You being an alchemist is coincidence. I first interacted with Enri Emmot when I came to this kingdom. You know this seemingly random farm girl. The center of events today that required my power to stop was your grandson. Leading me to follow the guild master when I simply could have gone rest. This is too much. Are you in agreement? Is fate drawing me to you and you back? I need service and you need purpose." I reach into Tink's bag and pull out a red low tier healing potion. "This is the potion I was hoping to recreate."
"Blood of gods!" She says taking the potion from my hands. "How could fate be so cruel!? On my child's death you bring me our combined ambition. An example of what he dreamed to create."
"I have always known fate to be cruel. It is why I am here and so many of my friends are not. I will be cruel as well for fate has demanded such. Lizzie Bareare, do you accept the burden to complete your grandson's life work to honor his memory with this task? Know that if you accept you will be mine. My empire will take you into service never to leave, for having access to secrets we can not share." I say with gravitas and an aura flare.
She looks at her grandson straightening his hair and holding his chin. "For you my boy. I will. You have my soul. I only wish you let me end this life when my work is complete."
"I, Emperor Quake Ooal Gown of the Nazarick Empire accept your oath and conditions. When your work is done I will grant you this wish if you still desire it. We will honor you and your grandson as great alchemists in service to the Empire." I say placing my hand on her shoulder. "Bella preserve Nfirea with magic, we will bury him in Carne when you move there. This city is not conducive to secrecy. I will hire adventurers to help you move and pack. Also as someone soon to have vast secrets at her disposal you will need security. Hanzo." Bella casts [Nature's Preservation] and the body is wrapped in a beautiful vine and flower casket.
The ninja that killed her son kneels at my feet. "This is Lizzie Bareare, you will guard her from harm staying hidden unless she is in danger. If she needs to report progress or problems she can call on you. You will keep sensitive materials like this potion when she is not working on them. Lizzie this is Hanzo one of my empire's elite ninjas. He will be your protector but know his priority is saving you from harm not others." I say setting the rules of their relationship.
"Yes my Emperor." Hanzo says.
"I understand." She says quietly.
Bella says to the old woman. "This is the power and decisiveness of our Emperor. He is why we have grown so great."
"I will get you into contact with my daughter Chiron. It is not nepotism when I say she is our empire's best alchemist. Take care of yourself Lizzie your work is not yet done." I say turning to the Hanzo. "Make sure she eats everyday and sleeps when she needs it. I understand the dedication to your research but to see the mission to the end you must survive." I walk out shortly after and we head to the manor.
"When I report to Natasha she is going to cream her pants." She cackles.
"Oh she will?" I ask pretty sure why.
"This is the first time I have seen a bit of the web she always talks about." She sighs. "Every piece moved impeccably. No resource wasted. The showmanship to better build your reputation. Having the guild master with us the entire time. I am in awe. Plus a member of the black scripture captured. From the farm girl to the grandma all of it." She shudders. "If you weren't my daddy you'd be scary."
"This is what it takes. Now let's bring our prisoner for re-education. I want to be there when you tell Nat." I say dragging the girl through a gate.
After I leave Nabe with Clementine, I make my way to the 9th to see Katy still there. "Katy what did you put on Mila's list?" I ask as I approached.
"I said something to do with singing Mr Quake." She says with a smile.
"Are you one of the ones wanting to start a band?" To her nod I say. "Well go to the library and search your name in your free time. When I made you I was inspired by a song. I named you after the singer."
Her eyes go wide at that. "Yes Lord Quake!"
"Now that doesn't feel like I gave you something. You all can go to the library at any point and research things you wish including music. Oh here how about this." I say pulling a voice recording device out. It was a cash shop item that Buku used all the time to leave her voice in objects like the watch that was given to Aura. Like every other cash shop item I had a lot of copies. "With this you can record your music and play it back."
"Really?! Thank you Mr Quake! I can't wait to tell the girls!" She says hopping up and giving me a peck on the cheek.
"No problem, now I'm going to go relax. Let me know if something urgent happens." I say walking into my room. I spend the evening with Nat and Bella who take turns trying to wear me out.
In the morning after my routine, I was in the manor while the swords of darkness were telling me about what happened last night. Apparently any noble who left the city wasn't allowed back in by an angry mob. They were told to go tell the king they abandoned their people. The house hold guards were told to kill their way in but they threw down their swords and joined the crowd. Now those nobles have a long dangerous road back to the capital.
"Your majesty we took turns last night going to the graveyard." Peter says softly. "When I saw the two dragons all I wanted to do was run. You though, is it true you killed them both in a single blow?"
"Its called a double kill headshot noob." Says Bella out of no where.
"Bella where did you hear that?" I ask bewildered.
"Lord Hero-Hero had said it when talking to lord Ulbert. Did I say it wrong?" She asks with a confused face.
"Hahaha no you are not wrong and that does sound like something he would say! But yes Peter its true, though I must say my skills are particularly potent against undead. I've spent years in a place not too dissimilar to the Katze plains. Though it was much more dangerous there. I have developed a particular set of skills that make me a nightmare for people like necromancers." I say relaxing into my chair again after a hearty laugh.
"Ah so it was a bad match-up for them?" Dyne said with a more understanding nod.
"Still a bad match up wouldn't cover not one but 2 skeletal dragons!" Said the ranger.
The conversation continued for a bit when I decided to have them prepare for us leaving the city. I had them tell the guild master to send teams to help Lizzie move. I had the mages guild master told he had a few hours left with the crystal. I told them we were heading north to Carne briefly then south to the Dragon Kingdom. We would be going through the Katze plains to make it to the Dragon Kingdom. With the plan set the adventurers ran off to get ready.
Bella and I walked through the city getting cheers and praises for saving them. I was kissing babies and patting backs of those who said they fought. I thanked people for their service and encouraged them to stand up and defend themselves in trying times. I put coins in the hands of children and received small token gifts. They ranged from fresh baked bread to woven bracelets. Bella rode the elemental horse next to me as I walked waving at the crowd and occasionally curing people who asked.
We made a slow parade to the city gates and were met with the Swords of Darkness. They had horses for themselves and were waiting with Theo looking sad but satisfied. "I hope the research went well Theo thank you for your hospitality."
"It was my pleasure your eminence! I wish you would stay longer. I have another letter for you as introduction I feel the last one didn't encompass the thanks I have completely. I also have sent some mages to Re-Estize explaining your rescue of the city and the defeat of Clementine." He says gingerly handing me the crystal then the letter.
"Thank you, Theo Rakheshir. I'm sure that will make my travels simpler. And thank you Pluton Ainzach, for keeping my stay hassle-free."
They both bowed. Infront of me was Lizzie Bareare, she was on her cart with her grandsons casket covered in the back. "I have Pluton working on selling my house and packing and shipping everything to Carne my Emperor." She says with a hard look at the back of her cart.
"Very well lets depart I am interested in the changes Carne would have made in the time we have been gone." I say hopping up behind Tinker Bell and sending the horse into a trot out the gates.
We are waved goodbye like conquering heroes. A slow stroll down the road on horseback taking in the beauty of nature. We cruise along the road able to go at a decent pace due to all being mounted. The road to Carne holds close to the forest ogres and goblins try to ambush us at one point but I draw my bow. Sending a rain of arrows ending most of the lives of the would be attackers. I catch and grab an ogre as Bella corrals the others with a spell.
"Listen to me." I say to the giant creature trying to crawl away in fear.
"No kill me!" It cries out.
"I will not kill you if you serve me." I say to the stupid and smelly creature. "Will you all accept to follow the strong?"
All of them cower and bow at this. "We follow red man." One of them says.
"Good, you will not eat humans. And will follow the orders of the one I put in charge of you." 4 ogres and 7 goblins are left. "Collect anything you want from the fallen and get ready to march." I say motioning them to follow the retinue.
The swords of darkness approaches me obviously having some issues with the new travel companions. "Your eminence I'm not sure taking them with us will be a good idea." Peter says.
"They seem to be hungry refugees to me. Should I not give my children a chance to be of service?" I ask the adventurers and the alchemist.
"Your children?" Lukrut asks dumbfounded.
"You speak to the All Father. All are his children. Their race matters not just their willingness to serve the greater good of his people. My lord rules all with a gentle hand and righteous heart." Bella says with the authority of a Queen.
"From the smallest of the fairy folk to the largest of giants all are welcome in my empire. For merit is all that matters. Open your minds children and cast aside your bigotry. You will see the value they may hold when put to good work." I say magnanimously.
"But what if they attack? Uh your eminence?" Lukrut asks again.
"Then they will be made an example of so the other children do not make the same mistake." I say as the monsters fall in line and follow us.
We make camp sometime later and I walk into the forest and come back with 3 deer ten minutes later. Dragging them back to the camp I make give one to the swords but tell them to wait. I make the monsters sit and I start to butcher the first deer. I have the ranger start a fire for me, and cook a large piece for myself. The monsters watch on scared and hungry. I eat the piece myself then give the rest and the other deer to them.
They feast not bothering to cook the other parts the swords and Lizzie watching in disgust. Lizzie asks. "My Emperor what was that about?"
"Tribal cultures are alot like wolves. The alpha or leader of the pack eats first and the rest have the scraps. I just showed them I am their superior and they respect me more for it. With full bellies they will be more prone to follow orders and will understand the hierarchy. No words were necessary, just understanding. The alpha decides who eats and how much."
"So they think you lead their tribe now?" Dyne asks.
"Though they do not know the word Emperor yet. By accepting the food they agree to my rule." I say succinctly.