Chapter 160: Dungeons and the next steps III
🕑 Added 2024-06-17 06:02:19 +0000 UTCAuthor's Note: Say, I try to edit it in another way. Is there something very wrong or not? If not, there is no need to say :) Just trying something.
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Place: Private lounge, Wintersleep Hotel
Time: ~After Midnight
A certain mindset permeated Orbis, which made sense in most cases. This school of thought saw everyone who wasn't among the most closed ones as possible enemies in the future.
When comparing all the nobles of Mal-Gil to Moorgrel and their Knightages, there was a giant difference in how they shared their knowledge, showing how much they followed such a mindset.
In that case, Moorgrelians interacted much more openly, trying to win each other's goodwill since they were all affiliated in some way.
However, in addition to goodwill, it was also necessary to share essential knowledge among all households. As seen with the Silver-Tail Household, any troubles would also become problems for others since they all shared a border they needed to defend.
One demon-run breach was enough to ensure chaos and the death of hundreds of thousands. That was why, when Bartholomew got his title, there was a sigh of relief among all the other families, who also immediately tried to support him.
Regardless of their perceived openness, they wouldn't share every detail of their most secretive techniques with anyone but the heir. Even so, they were still very open to taking pups from every household, training them in their place, and teaching them almost every technique. It was a give-and-take that let everyone flourish, as it didn't work otherwise with so many enemies.
One great example was the Iron-Claw Household and their body enhancement, which Alexander's Grandmother took and made a hundred times more effective but also crazier. The Iron-Claw's took some of those ideas, changed them, and implemented them appropriately back into their enhancement. The cycle continued.
It was a dynamic that Alexander loved, generating goodwill from everyone, as everyone appreciated sharing ideas and techniques. As such, something akin to a small ball, turning into an exchange of ideas, sounded like a blast with him taking the first step, presenting something unique.
However, only those from Moorgrelian households understood the dynamic, like Ocilia and Aurum, who were relatively relaxed when hearing this. Funnily enough, those from central Mal-Gil were somewhat perplexed, finding him ridiculous.
Alexander understood his proposal was the same as someone telling his allies how to build their weapons, giving in their eyes away all secrets. As such, it was his idea, which he tried to defend and calm them down while his oldest retainers leaned back, enjoying the show.
"I understand you, but I will only give them the knowledge of certain mana skills and spells, nothing crazy!"
The mana skills they would receive would only be [Mana Sense], [Mana Manipulation], [Mana Absorption] and [Mana Emission]. For Ariana, though, it sounded like a crazy proposition.
"Mr. Alexander, I don't think you showing this tremendous amount of goodwill will do any good!"
"Ari is right..." Quill glared at Alexander, "...by all respect, Mr. Alexander. You are a moron."
There were far more he wouldn't give away, like [Body Overload (Mana)] for exceptionally more significant physical abilities and [Mana Seering] for dungeon exploration. Other than that, there was also [Mana Resonance] and [Mana Vibration] he barely touched, training them slowly, needing to learn how to use them correctly. Thus, he would only give them away after learning their true capabilities.
Ocilia saw him being yelled at by those two and fortunately stepped in, "I think it's fine..." She shrugged, "...you see magic as something great because of how Master uses it, but most, if not mostly, all of them will not be able to do so."
Quill carefully nodded, revising his previous stance a little, "That's true. I thought it was easy to learn and that one would only need the skill, but it's hard and takes too much time. I see it more as a great addition."
Sarah sighed, trying to help, as she had enjoyed the play more than enough, "I couldn't learn all those crazy skills Alex described and tried to teach..." She shrugged, "...for all it's worth, I guess it would be the same for others."
Alexander actually forgot those, only concentrating on the mana skills. However, besides those, there were also a significant number of additional magic skills, such as [Algorithmics], [Chanting], [Spell-Crafting], and [Multi-Casting], which he sweated blood to understand and use to the fullest. Even Ocilia, his hard-working and clever disciple, couldn't learn everything.
Ariana frowned, still unconvinced, "I... have a really bad feeling about it."
Now, it was time for Alexander to wheel out all the rational arguments after most of them had already been softened up, "Well, try to see it this way..."
His following argument was what numerous countries on Earth did when selling their war machines: They never sold the full version and would collect information from everyone else using theirs to make it better in the next iteration.
While it sounded like a stupid process for magic, it had too many variables worth observing and changing, as those were artificial, like chants. Those were still unknown paradigms for Alexander, which he had tried to study once, but the subject overwhelmed him with how much expertise one needed.
Another process he needed to figure out was constructs. All he could do to them was change the current ones into a jerry-rigg mess through trial and error. He felt more like a hillbilly moonshine brewer when he tried to dismantle them. More people trying to figure them out would quicken the process.
Therefore, he would also need something like a platform to share those ideas, and fortunately, someone far more talented than him created such a thing already.
"Thus, to collect more knowledge, I want to do what Emma was now trying to do, creating an open forum where we all can share our ideas..."
Emma was a genius. After learning magic at record speed, she also started an open letter exchange with Patricia, her sisters, and Janina to share information and try to solve their problems. Funnily enough, Alexander learned a lot from reading those, and it was easier than first thought.
They used what was called a spatial notebook as letters. These had thousands of pages while being no thicker than a hundred-page A5 notebook. They would alternately send it to each other so everyone could comment on their current questions.
Sadly, there wasn't a communication method that worked in real time. They only had the Temple talismans, which, when ripped, would send a signal to the other Guard Households, the Count, or someone else entirely to signal high distress. Something else didn't exist for now.
However, as the discussion slowly ended, those from central Mal-Gil fell in line, seeing the value in his proposition. However, they needed a lot of examples where the families shared their secrets to understand how it worked here.
After an hour or so, everyone agreed they would learn those previously mentioned mana skills, but only through the mana chamber so that they could use them like genuine mages.
What Alexander didn't expect was that learning those through their other skills was seen as a much greater privilege for anyone who wasn't interested in becoming a mage. Those only wanted to know some lifestyle spells and have the energy boost; anything more was useless.
Mana skills were far too challenging for most without integration into other skills. Training them resembled how one trained their energy, which made it a great indicator of which way to learn. If somebody had problems controlling their energy, they would need to learn those mana skills through one of their skills.
However, those were future considerations. First, Alexander wanted everyone to learn their mana skills as young as practicable. He thought it would be possible to at least have them develop a natural sense for them when starting early. Besides that, most guard households should be proficient enough to wield those without problems.
While the discussion ended slowly, with Alexander seeing the sunrise, he only now noticed an odd atmosphere around the fire-djinns and camp representatives as they listened to them.
'Should I? Fuck it.'
While he didn't want to give them those so early, time was now of the essence, and every little motivation could help them increase their success rate.
Other than that, he trusted his gut that they were trustworthy, and even Narsiz didn't smell a thing when they told about themselves other than for more critical information.
Alexander nodded at Ocilia, getting her attention, "Get someone to help you and get a chamber done for Helena and Lila..." He pointed his head toward the camp's representatives, "...they will learn those too. They will need every help they can."
Ocilia shrugged, "Got it, Master."
Alexander liked her a lot. She slowly understood that while giving mana skills was a great privilege, it wasn't as if they would become magicians overnight.
All that would happen was that they would use [Mana Sense] for scouting and [Mana Manipulation] to increase their energy output, which would be enough for the beginning.
Other than that, the more he thought about it, the more he liked it. Giving them some spells for food and water conjurement and cleaning would give Alexander and the fire-djinn sisters time to get their logistics up and running.
If one in one hundred could learn those skills, it would be a great boon, as it would massively increase their motivation.
After he said it, the camp's representatives were somewhat confused. They were listening to the conversation and knew this open secret well since everyone at the estate had become a magician. However, they didn't expect this at all.
Ocilia saw this and sighed, knowing what to do. She stood up and went to them, explaining it quietly and mostly in sign language while showing some spells. She needed to do so because everyone else seemingly disagreed with Alexander's choice.
Aurum was the most emotional, "Are you fucking insane, you moron?!"
Narsiz wasn't better, "Did Mother fry your brain the last time? How can you give those away just like that!"
While they were okay with giving those to other Knightages, this was a step too far. However, Alexander had a good argument against it. He clapped once, creating a pressured airwave to shut everyone up.
"Gotcha. I really appreciate your critique, but there is one detail you didn't consider."
Everyone looked at him confused, with only Ocilia smirking while explaining to the outsiders what they would do in the following days and that the method would be secured with a mana contract signage.
Alexander was open-minded, but not so much that his brain would fall out. The technique would stay with him and Moorgrel for now. There was another reason for teaching the fire-djinn sisters, and it was a little insidious.
Teaching Helena and Lila mana skills and spells would make them unique in their clans, and knowing that Alexander could do it would give him far more leverage when Narsiz negotiated with them.
The refugees being who they were, it was nonsensical to bargain with them for those skills. They had other problems to worry about. All he wanted from them was that they didn't discuss the method.
Alexander smiled at his retainers, sounding as condescending as he could since he couldn't mention his true intentions in front of everyone.
"I don't give a fuck about your opinion on this matter."
He genuinely wouldn't care about their opinion on this topic. All their arguments boiled down to the fact that those skills should be exclusive and earned, far from what he had envisioned. He wanted every pup to be able to use magic in ten years, creating the birthplace for magicians.
However, while he liked to shut them up, he still needed to explain himself to calm them down. First, he tried to argue for the refugees, which seemed the easiest.
"First, they are our allies now and about to risk their lives for our benefits, among other things. As such, I will support them with everything I have, and additionally..." He nodded toward the fire-djinn sisters, "...your hard work and risk will also be appreciated."
His retainers looked at him, slightly disturbed, but Alexander expected it. They all got their mana skills before even earning them without any merits. When he could grant them those, he did so immediately, and they knew it.
While it was apparent that many saw them as exclusive, Alexander always openly mentioned that he wanted to spread them, with everyone knowing it.
Even his parents had no issues with him doing it. They only wanted to hold back some specific skills, which was fine for him. As such, he ended the discussion. He wouldn't let selfishness prolong his pursuits.
However, before his dear retainers could open another can of worms and start their annoying speeches about loyalty and merit, he wanted to end the day, as everyone had their work cut out for them.
He turned to Ariana, "Come tomorrow to the estate and get a copy of the manual on how to build a mana skill chamber. Send it to the Nine-Fires, Silver-Tails, and Cold-Snouts. Tell them that it is a gift of appreciation for their..." He stopped suddenly, not knowing what to say. "...for their..." He gestured for someone else to continue.
Alexander couldn't write the truth but needed to find sincere words. Thankfully, Sarah came to his help, but not in the way he wanted.
"How about you write to the Cold-Snouts and Nine-Fires that those were such a lovely rendezvous, and you want to send gifts to the families as a goodwill gesture?"
Alexander shook his head, "Sounds..."
Yet, Narsiz interrupted him, sounding excited, "I like it! I saw those poor girls leaving, almost depressed and crying. Only because Alex was too stubborn."
Alexander rolled his eyes, "I..."
Linuel nodded, chuckling, "Tell me. Poor Patty wanted to spend more time with our little..." She smirked at him, "...heartbreaker, hehe."
He glared at Linuel, not liking that his best friend was now some love interest apparently, "Liste..."
Aurum chuckled, seeing this exchange, "Truly, I saw Quill quite depressed running through the estate, mumbling that Mr. Alexander had more game with girls than he ever will."
"Wha..."
Quill shrugged, "What can I say? I tried acting like I didn't care, and it didn't work. I wish I had the same talents and ambitions. Girls dig it."
"Yo..."
"Isn't Mr. Alexander apparently into boys?..." She looked at Narsiz, blushing slightly, "...you both seem very close, Mr. Narsiz?"
"Okay, tha..."
Narsiz chuckled, shaking his head, "I think we should stop..." He laughed out loud, looking at Alexander and how all the mana around him was built into constructs and destroyed immediately, as he wanted to burn the whole building down.
He glared at everyone. They were very casual, like a group of teens hanging out and having fun. Seeing this, he sighed in relief and smiled, knowing he wanted such an atmosphere from the beginning.
"Gotcha. Between your yapping and me almost butchering you all into little pieces, I wanted to say..." He shrugged, "I forgot, but I got another idea."
He propped his head on his fist, smiling at Sarah, "You are really gorgeous and talented, you know?"
She suddenly blushed, not knowing what to say. Everyone else was also confused at the scene. Alexander never acted in such a way, especially flirtatiously. The aura around him became much less I want to kill you to I want to kill you and make love. He still couldn't control it too well.
"You know, you were always there for me, nursing me and being lovingly patting me, would you..."
Narsiz interrupted him, seeing that Sarah was utterly confused. Her pheromones were going crazy, and she couldn't comprehend a single word, only staring at him.
"Okay, what are you trying to do? We know you have Merlin's ideals regarding blood bonding, so stop this nonsense."
Alexander sighed, apologizing to Sarah, "Sorry, I have an idea, but I don't think it will work with you being like this. I promise I will make it good however you want since it was really mean."
Sarah sighed, frowning slightly, which made Alexander wonder, but only for a moment, as the thought of incest was still something he wasn't comfortable with. There was a line that he may work toward, like cousins, but that person would need to be someone genuinely special. It was his way of trying to integrate into this culture.
Sarah interrupted his thoughts solemnly, slowly calming down, "Just tell your idea. If it is terrible, we can still decline it."
Alexander shrugged, "Fine with me..." He leaned back, gesturing his hand a circle as if in thought, "...Mom wants Janina and Sarah to get married, right?"
Sarah suddenly blushed again, heavier than before, and straightened up. Because of her more intense reaction, Alexander felt insulted, which was bizarre in its own way.
However, he continued, "I wanted to see if you could go through a ball. Since we will invite many from those Knightages and the Count's household, it would be nice to try to find someone for you two while at it."
While Alexander wasn't fond of the practice of hooking up one's puppies with practically the same family, Sarah seemed fond of it, and Janina would be, too, that he was sure.
They would also need such an event to find a suitable partner. Even though they were nice to commoners and wouldn't mistreat them, they had their own ideals and couldn't imagine being together with one, seeing them as lesser. As such, only balls and those rendezvous were left for them.
Narsiz suddenly became serious, "That's a great idea! Mother and Father concentrated only on us and cared little for you, but we surely can also find someone for you two while having this exchange!"
Linuel agreed, becoming more interested in the discussion, "Nina seemed quite interested in something more intimate."
Janina was seriously looking for a husband and even pestered Alexander about boys and how she should talk to them when they went to the greater ball in central Mal-Gil. However, asking him how to speak to boys was the same as asking a rock how it feels about the mud. He had no idea.
Sarah seemed to like the idea very much, too. She nodded continuously while Narsiz and Linuel pestered her about what she should wear and talk about, making the ball and exchange slowly a reality.
Their parents would be fine too, even agreeing to that idea. There was nothing more calming than having an estate full of horny teens who wouldn't know what to do with their pent-up energy.
His Mother would probably pat him—pat him so hard that he would get a headache, a strong one, 'She will hate me, but well.'
Alexander would use most of his maids and get more as fast as possible so he could organize it all by himself. With that, he meant to give Melina all the managerial work. In his opinion, it was a good idea now that he had exceptional [Poison Resistance].
When he was done planning, his siblings discussed romance while the outsiders listened intently to everything regarding mana skills from Ocilia.
'What should I...'
Ariana and Aurum interrupted his thoughts, sitting down beside him, "Mr. Alexander, I have written it like this. Is this fine, or should I be more eloquent? Sorry for asking. I'm still trying to copy your style."
"Tell that because of the Lord and those additional Temples; they can use a teleportation gate once or twice. I am sure we can talk about it with Green."
The meeting ended slowly, with Alexander immediately falling asleep when he touched the pillow, sleeping for a whole day as his body was too strained.
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Words: ~3300
