Chapter 41: 37 – Kingdom of Demihumans

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"King Alto was found dead a week ago. Autopsy revealed it was a slow acting poison that did him in. We believe Miracella gave him the poison under the pretext of a sleeping tonic."

I don't even need to act shocked. I'm dumbstruck by the insinuation that this is Mira's fault.

"I… I don't understand. Why would she do something like that?" 

Headmaster Anora's eyes narrow to mere slits. She may be gauging the authenticity of my astonishment, or maybe she's trying to see past me and into the room.

"That's what I intend to find out. I need you to keep your eyes peeled for her. If you see Miracella, notify me immediately but don't let her know we're after her."

The same compassionate instructor is no longer there. Her voice is ruthless, cold even. I know Mira is innocent. Why would the Headmaster brand her as a criminal?

"Ellori," the Headmaster whispers my name with sympathy. "I know you two were good friends, but she isn't the same witch anymore."

Neither are you, Headmaster.

I'm seeing her so differently now. All those times I spent studying in her office, discussing the intricacies of runic spells, debating philosophy on witchcraft— all stained. 

Anger boils up within me. I want to scream at her for ruining Mira's life, but letting that show would forfeit my own deception.

I raise my head to answer her. "I understand, Headmaster Anora. I won't let this bog me down; the covenant comes first."

"Good girl. I suppose I should let you know at the very least— a seat has opened up within the Council of Kings. I'm being considered as a candidate."

"You are... what?"

If only I could see my reflection; I probably wouldn't recognize how pale I became.

A witch on the Council of Kings is unheard of. This isn't because they aren't allowed, there are no rules explicitly stating that one cannot be a member. It's just that the council was created specifically to combat the potential threat of witchcraft.

"I was surprised, too. It seems my role as a mere custodian is being elevated." The Headmaster's expression softens. "You should be glad. Times are changing, Ellori. Witches are too embedded into human civilization to be ignored."

"D-Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for you! I mean… you'd think after the Crimson Wars the council would still be wary of us."

The war was the darkest point in witchcraft's history. We're taught with uncompromising discipline that magic is a tool to serve mankind, not enslave it. Many within the covenant rebuke this as propaganda behind closed doors, claiming that it is the council using witches to enslave mankind. Chief among them is Headmaster Anora.

She jolts up, and I hear something from the other end get kicked.

"They are wary. A majority vote is needed for me to acquire the seat, but I'm blocked by two members. Which is where you come in."

"Me? What could a witch in the middle of nowhere do?"

"Find Eudora and Miracella. Capture one of them. It will give me the clout I need to secure the remaining votes."

Once again, the callous side of her that I've only just seen today comes out again. She really is just using us as a stepping stone.

"In the meantime I'll try and see where charisma takes me. Good luck, Ellori."

Her image vanishes along with the fog.

Mira ascends from the baths deep in thought. Of all people, this affects her the most. She just lost her entire life to one selfish woman's ambitions. And if the surveillance spell on our familiars is real, Mira will never be able to rest.

I go over to her and take her hands. "We'll find a way through this. For now, let's hide our familiars—"

"No. Then the hag will know we're on to her."

"Then what will you do?" I ask, knowing full well what Mira intends to do.

She always looks after me whether I like it or not. So while she's here, her very presence is a threat to my wellbeing. 

Mira lets go of my hands to stroke my hair. Her touch is always so tender. I can even fall asleep just standing here beside her.

"I will disappear into the wilds and act the part of a rogue. There must be another way to remove her eyes from our familiars without killing them. I intend to find out."

She speaks with a confidence I wish I had. That's the Mira I knew from the Academy. That, and her weak side. She can't hide her trembling hand that's perched on my head. I have to let her know I can take care of myself, too.

"In the meantime, I'll figure out this whole soul stone business."

Mira grins. "I expect nothing less of my junior! One more thing you should know: Eudora is apparently in search of a particular soul stone. It was to be delivered to her by centaurs."

There could be only one— 

"The one I brought back from Shallowglade."

Mira nods, and then pulls me in for a kiss. It's a long one. I don't know how long it's been until I open my eyes and see that she's already gone.

***

I've been laying in bed ever since Mira left, wondering if she's eating well. It has only been a few hours, and I'm already so worried.

I shouldn't stay cooped up in the house forever. There's two tribes of demihumans and a trio of harpies I need to look after.

A knock on my door kicks me back into gear. I hurry to the door and find Ana on the other side.

"Hey, El. I was hoping you can help us with a little problem?" Ana's thumb and index finger are millimeters apart, but I know too well a little means anything but small.

As soon as we get to the little problem, of course it turns out to be a big problem. About a dozen orcs are standing in a deep trench with muddy water up to their knees.

Roga and the other orcs put their hands together to apologize. "We just wanted to divert the stream so we can get some fresh water."

"Well, you succeeded in getting mud baths." I say, unimpressed that they potentially destroyed an ecosystem doing so.

"Well, not that us hogs mind!" Clem belches a laugh, but shuts up when he sees me glaring at him. "S-Sorry…"

The nearest water source is a tad far. I can see why they wanted to pool water to a closer location for convenience. 

Fortunately for them, I'm a witch.

"For now, plug up the hole you dug into the stream. We wouldn't want the wildlife downstream to suffer because of a mistake."

"Yes, ma'am!" Clem gathers a large group of orcs to head east.

I turn to the remaining orcs. "I need stones. Large stones to be chiseled into a rectangular shape. Oh! And also clay. Lots of clay."

Our best solution is to create an underwater cistern. Rain won't be sufficient enough to provide all of them with water, so it will need to be supplemented by something else. 

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"Hmmm… if Mira was here, what would she do…"

The orcs weren't wrong in trying to divert the stream. Instead of physically diverting it, I could use magic to transport a steady supply of water here.

They complete my tasks in record time. The water from the stream has stopped flowing, and we have five cart sized mounds of stones. Unfortunately, due to their excessive strength, many of the stones have been shattered beyond use.

"I should've known better than to tell orcs to whack at something." 

I have them start expanding the trench they dug into a wider and deeper  pool. Eventually, the kobolds pitch in since they also needed a source of water. I redirected their efforts to chiseling stones and, much to my surprise, their dexterity was perfect for the role.

All of the stones come back in almost perfect rectangles, and we're able to layer them into the cistern for base, fill the gaps in with clay, and finally build a wooden cover over the water tank.

While they get to work on that, I fetch two magic crystals from the underground garden. One is set under a bunch of stones at the stream to prevent it from flowing away, and the other inside the cistern. 

Thanks to my knowledge on runic inscriptions, I etch a minor teleportation spell into each crystal so that they can interact with each other. The downside is that the cistern will occasionally get some unwanted debris, but at least it is beginning to fill with water.

Another pair of magic crystals are needed to account for overflow. I embed one crystal near the top of the tank that would teleport water back to the stream if it ever fills to that height. 

The orcs and kobolds, and even the human women, marvel at my magical creation that would've only earned me a C-grade at best by the Academy.

With the completion of the cistern, their water problem is solved. I only need to keep an eye out on replacing the crystals every few weeks. As long as I have a steady supply growing thanks to Miuna, we won't be running out anytime soon.

Ana and Liz tackle hugs me. "That's amazing, El! Thank you so much! I had no idea witches were so talented in construction, too."

I'm embarrassed by their affectionate way of showing thanks, but I return the embrace nonetheless. Their warmth reminds me of Mira, and it's pleasant to know I'll have their company.

"This is the least I can do on short notice." I try to be humble, but even I can't help grinning at my handiwork.

Clem and Kati also give their thanks on behalf of their people by offering me gifts of food and leathers. 

"In that case, this is the least we can do to thank ya."

"Savior always kind. Thank you, thank you!"

Their happiness gives me the motivation to keep going even though Mira is gone. I'm confident we'll see each other again. When she finally returns, she'll see the great work I've been doing here.

My nose begins to tickle, and my eyes begin to water.

Damn it. I'm not going to cry in front of them.

I shake it off and am reminded of Flora's seed. Kati lights up with a smile when I pull it out from my pocket.

"That is guardian's seed!"

"It is." I confirm. "She wanted me to plant it. Shall we?"

I follow Kati to the center of his new settlement. It's beset adjacent to the edge of the northern clearing and Shallowglade residents' cabins. The kobolds have mostly made themselves at home. Many of them live in tents, and it was only a matter of taking them down and raising them back up.

With the eyes of kobolds and orcs burning into my back, I push the seed into the soil. 

"I wonder…"

I reach for a growth enhance serum and pour the entirety of the vial into the ground where the seed is resting. Immediately a sapling emerges from the ground, but its growth ends there. I suppose the rest is up to time.

As soon as I get up, the orcs and kobolds drop to their knees. The human women have also done the same.

"Savior Ellori, not just a savior. Like a queen!" Kati exclaims.

"Wait a minute—"

Clem raises a fist and pounds his chest. "For Queen Ellori!"

Even the harpy sisters join the cheering, drawn in by the commotion echoing across the forest.

"No— wait, stop! I'm not— I can't be… oh, my goodness…"

I can't stop their chanting. Even after I return to my great hollow, I can still hear their muffled celebrations in my name. I'm flattered, but it's bad for me if King Marcus finds out. It's already bad enough that I'm letting demihumans build a settlement so close to their border.

"Whew… I haven't even had time to process everything." I empty all the stuff from my satchel onto the table. "And I need to go over all the stuff I collected."

I fill the kettle with water and cast an igni spell to heat it up.

 Gurk returns from playing with his orc and kobold friends. He's spending a lot less time around me now that he has other demihumans to interact with.

"Kobolds and orcs really nice. Gurk wants to help make them comfortable after they lost home!"

He's certainly doing a lot more work than he thinks. If it weren't for him acting as a social bridge for the orcs and kobolds, the two demihuman tribes might have come to blows.

The kettle whistles to completion while I'm still in the process of putting away my royal gifts. "Gurk can you grab that and pour me a cup? One teaspoon of sugar and honey, please!"

"Yes, Mistress!"

Harpy feathers for elixirs of flight. Manticore claws for elixirs of strength. Wyvern fangs for antidotes. 

"We fetched a lot more alchemical reagents than I thought." I muse happily to myself.

Gurk hands me a cup. The piping hot liquid slides down my throat with ease. It's nothing compared to the burning sensation from swallowing a soul stone.

I still need to figure out what it's done to me. The fact that I survived is a miracle. 

"Eudora… why did you save me?"

It occurs to me after taking another sip that the tea isn't sweet. Instead, there is a hint of spiciness which shouldn't be there. Did Gurk accidentally add ground pepper?

I get my answer as soon as I turn around. Miuna's secretions— the bottle's lid is open and there is a spoon beside it.

My body warms up, heart racing like I'd just run a marathon. Certain parts of my skin becomes extra sensitive— namely my breasts and crotch.

I'm getting hornier than I ever thought possible.

"Mistress?"

Gurk lays a hand on my shoulder, but I can't think straight anymore.

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