“Looks like we won’t be able to catch even a small break after taking over.” Asterios rubbed his temples with a wry chuckle and glanced at the three Committee members. “Oh, well. We aren’t yet perfectly familiar with everything so we would appreciate your guidance.”
Ulyssen made a short bow. “But of course, My Lord. We will take care of everything ourselves. Formalities have to be kept, though, and we need to consult the more pressing matters with our overseer, meaning you. And, I personally think it’s only natural to bring up matters concerning your relatives.”
“Yeah, and we’ll do our best to help wherever we can too.” Asterios nodded. “But, before we jump to the issues at hand, do you mind if I just bring one of my friends here? I think their insight and experience in such dealings could prove useful.”
“Please, go on, My Lord. If you trust them, we don’t have a reason not to. We’ll wait for your return and prepare for the meeting,” the elf man replied.
“It won’t take long,” Tina added with a smile, quickly realizing who Asterios meant. “We’ll help you with any documents or such in the meanwhile, right?”
Miria and Selene nodded and walked ahead alongside her after they all left a peck on Ast’s cheeks. With a warm smile, he waved at them and soon plunged into the floor, swallowed by a deep and ominous shadow. Umbra transported Asterios to the royal castle as fast as he could and they soon resurfaced in front of the door leading to the king’s dining hall, taking just a few short minutes to get there.
Knowing well that both Silvia and Welrond were inside, Asterios knocked on it lightly. The king’s voice answered almost immediately and urged him inside. After he did so, the man spotted and recognized him in a flash.
“It’s nice to see you again, young man. Here to join us for breakfast? You are always welcome.” Welrond gestured at the fully set long table with a wide smile.
Asterios made a polite bow towards the man and his daughter before shaking his head lightly.
“I appreciate the offer, Your Majesty, but we’ve already eaten not that long ago at our own castle. I apologize for intruding on your morning. I only wanted to ask if Silvia would like to accompany us today too. We might spend most of the time taking care of boring administrative matters and learning the ropes of managing a town, though.”
Welrond let out a soft grunt as he nodded and glanced at his daughter. “Well? What do you say?”
Silvia showed a faint smile and cleaned her soft lips with a stylish napkin. “I would love to join you, of course. I think I could offer some valuable guidance on the matter. I wasn’t able to provide much for the team recently.”
“That’s not true and you know it, Silvia.” Asterios waved his hand dismissively. “You’ve been a huge help all the time. Plus, it’s not like there’s some quota of usefulness or anything. You are or were part of the party so I didn’t want to leave you out of everything.”
“I’d like to think that I still am if that’s an option,” she answered as they glanced at each other.
“I’ll wait outside for you to finish, then.”
“There’s no need,” the king interrupted. “We were just finishing, isn’t that right?”
Silvia nodded and began standing up. “Let me just grab my uniform and we can go. Would you prefer to wait in the lounge or come with me so that we can move right away?”
Asterios glanced at her father and noticed the smirk on the man’s face. The king was clearly waiting for his answer. He considered picking the lounge but it felt like that would make him look as if he was trying to distance himself from the princess, which seemed unnecessary.
“Whichever you would prefer. I don’t mind following you if that’s alright.” He decided to give a more open answer.
“Alright. If you’ll excuse us now, Father.” Silvia glanced at the man and he smiled back at her.
“Go on and have fun. And if there are any issues in Glimmervale, just let me know and we’ll see what can be done,” he answered and took a big sip of what looked like tea.
“Hopefully, two big families moving in at the same time won’t cause too many of them.” Asterios chuckled as Silvia walked his way. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Please, enjoy the rest of your morning.”
He opened the door for the princess, receiving a gentle smile in response, and left after Silvia. She led them through the castle hallways and they continued to walk in relative silence. Just as Silvia had mentioned, she wasn’t yet in her usual adventuring gear but only some casual clothes. She wore a simple and comfortable white shirt on top and tight black pants as her bottoms, with her hair tied up in a single ponytail.
Shortly before they reached her living chambers, a maid trotted to them from the side.
“Princess! You are early! I haven't yet prepared your clothes! Please, give me just a moment!”
Silvia waved her hand at the woman. “It’s okay, Camille. I’m only getting my armor and we’ll be leaving. You don’t need to cut your break short. In fact, I don’t think I’ll be home early again so you can take it easy today.”
They reached the door and Asterios held it open for her after making sure that it was alright and receiving a small nod of confirmation. The maid scanned his figure with squinted eyes while he could only smile wryly. It wasn’t hard to imagine that the princess didn’t have many male guests this close to her bedroom.
“Are you not coming in?”
Or inside as the woman’s eyes widened at her mistress’s casual question.
Asterios made a polite nod at the maid and joined Silvia inside, closing the door behind him. The sight of a spacious and beautiful chamber greeted him. Somehow, he could easily tell that it was Silvia’s. Crimson shades and dark mahogany dominated the palette of colors. But, the most striking feature was the number of bookcases and cabinets filled with texts, obviously.
Without a word, Silvia continued walking towards a big wardrobe and began unpinning her shirt.
“Wouldn’t you rather have me wait outside?” Asterios asked with a note of surprise.
She stopped her actions and glanced at him over her shoulder. “You’ve already seen all of me, haven’t you? Back there in the bath? What’s the point?”
“Well, sure, that’s true, but those were quite special circumstances. We are now in your personal chambers and you are still a beautiful noble lady who is going to change so I think it’s only proper to give you some privacy, no?”
A barely discernible tinge of rosiness tinted Silvia’s cheeks as they looked at each other. She glanced down at her shirt and pondered for a moment.
“I might need some help putting on the chestplate. Camille usually does it for me and I’ve already told her that she can return to her break. Unless that makes you uncomfortable, of course, then I apologize for dragging you in without considering your feelings.”
Asterios shook his head with a chuckle. “No, I’m fine. As weird as it sounds, I’ve got to see a lot of Miria, Selene, and Tina already so it’s nothing, really. Just let me know what I can do for you and it will be my pleasure to assist you.”
“The chestplate is in the wardrobe next to this one. You could take it out while I change if that’s okay with you.”
They nodded at each other and Silvia returned her attention to the buttons. Asterios reached her side just as she was done with the last one and slid the shirt off her shoulders, revealing her slim stomach and chest covered by a simple white bra. He tried not to stare too much and opened the mentioned wardrobe.
The armor he already knew so well was set on a cushion and he brought it out, examining the metal chestplate in more detail. To some extent, it felt like a shield without the part allowing someone to actually hold it. It was also lighter than he would have thought but he knew from experience how tough it was.
As he admired the masterfully crafted piece of armor, Silvia jumped into the dark set of pants. He caught her removing her bra so Asterios tactfully turned slightly more to the side until he heard the rustle of cloth brushing against her soft skin. She had pulled something akin to a protective corset with a bottom like a long shirt over her head and was just fastening a few belts to make it cling tighter to her figure.
With that ready, Silvia grabbed her coat and put it on with a swish, turning towards Asterios. He knew it was his turn so he brought the armor closer to her chest while she guided his hands to the proper positions before taking the chestplate from him and holding it herself. Asterios quickly moved around to attach it to the coat wherever he saw what he figured out were mana-sensitive magnetic connections, and fastened the few belts going inside it around Silvia’s torso.
After he was done, she gave it a few strong tugs, spun around, made a few quick motions, and nodded to herself.
“Thank you, it’s perfect. I have my staff in the ring so we can go now.” She smiled faintly at Asterios.
“Great. Are you leaving your hair like that?” he asked, pointing at her ponytail.
“Ah. Right. Would you mind?”
He shook his head and moved behind the princess, pulling out clips and pins which held her hairstyle in place. Silvia’s vibrant scarlet hair flowed down a moment later, creating a mesmerizing sight as the red threads swirled around the inner, orange ones. He combed through them gently to help them spread evenly and joined Silvia by her side.
“Thank you again.” She nodded politely while putting on her gloves. “I don’t think I forgot anything else, did I?”
“We will see soon, I guess.” Asterios chuckled and held out a hand towards her.
Silvia took it and they plunged into the darkness together. He held the princess’s hand the entire time they spent in the ominous nothingness to reassure her senses a little and she very much appreciated having an anchor for her thoughts and focus.
Soon, they emerged back in the circular meeting room. Danny was currently checking something on the round table and jumped a little when they showed up.
“Oh. Princess. How can we be of assistance to you today?” the human man asked with a respectful bow.
“I’m just accompanying Asterios, nothing more. Please, treat me as one of his party members,” she replied with a polite nod.
“That’s a quite unexpected friend you have brought in, My Lord.” Ulyssen chuckled as he walked into the chamber with the girls behind him. “Very well. Shall we get to it?”
Esotvi quickly jogged out of her office and joined them too. “I’m here! Now we can.”
“Are Merfinna, Ted, and Keenu not going to attend?” Asterios asked after moving his gaze over all the current participants.
“Merfinna checks the fields personally each morning so she won’t be here for another hour or two but I don’t think we need to bother her with our current predicament,” Danny replied. “Ted is most likely running drills in the garrison. Keenu’s input could be valuable but we should be fine with just us three. I’m not sure what he is up to today. He always finds something to do at some building.”
“We don’t really gather all at once unless there’s something really important or related to all our fields to discuss,” Ulyssen added. “And right now, our main topic revolves around trade, logistics, and administration so everyone important is already here.”
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Asterios nodded. “Alright. So, to not waste your time unnecessarily, are there any problems with the requests we have received? Let’s start with housing since I think it’s the most important. Hestizos and Nobelles will need a place to stay first before the former can think about setting up shops or whatever.”
Danny leaned onto the round table and spread a bunch of document holders over its surface.
“We have a few vacant mansions which they could rent or purchase, depending on their wishes. Unfortunately, they aren’t anything grand. Glimmervale is still a small town and we didn’t build many of them as we haven't really expected noble families to suddenly show up unannounced so I hope that what we have will be up to their standards.”
Tina stepped forward and opened one of the leather folders. Silvia glanced at Asterios and he nodded at her. The princess soon joined the blue-haired girl and they checked the documents together.
“I don’t think my grandparents will be disappointed with anything, honestly,” Asterios commented in the meanwhile. “Knowing Mom, she will talk everyone into constructing their own mansion shortly after they establish a stable presence on the market.”
Miria giggled quietly. “I can see Miss Kindra doing that.”
Asterios chuckled too and scratched behind her adorable ear. “So, this might be way ahead, but we do have space for one more, right?”
Ulyssen rubbed his chin. “We’ll ask Keenu for details but I’m pretty sure that’s certain. He will gladly assist them in picking the spot and taking care of all the technicalities if it isn't. Danny?”
“Just as you said. I can think of a few fitting places that we could suggest. The earlier, the better actually, so that we can reserve the spot just to be safe that nothing else is raised there. Most are in the housing districts but I’m pretty sure there should be some in the mercantile ones too, right, Esotvi?”
The dwarf woman ran back to the table after she had snuck away during the talks and jumped onto a small stool to get a better angle on the flat surface. She slammed a sizable scroll onto it and unrolled the parchment, revealing a detailed administrative map of the parts of the town under her jurisdiction.
“Here, here, and… heeeeere—ugh… Thank you.” She pointed at two unobstructed spots in the schematics and couldn’t reach the last one so Ulyssen set a miniature flagpost there for her. “Depends on how much space they would need and if the noise from the main square would bother them. Right next to it is a sizable strip of greenery that isn’t anything special. No one would mind a beautiful mansion there. And the spot could sell for a great price considering the location. Uh, if that’s alright, of course.”
She sent Asterios an uncertain gaze and he chuckled. “I’m not going to abuse my newly gained position to get anyone anything half-free. Whatever they negotiate, it’s up to them. The more they pay, the better for us, right? But, let me warn you, not even kings can handle her. It won’t be easy to sell high.”
Esotvi grinned. “A challenge. I like those. We’ll see who comes out on top in the end. I just don’t want to end up on the bottom of the moat after I bleed the lord’s relatives dry.”
“As long as you play fair, you have nothing to worry about,” Asterios reassured her. “Well, more like legal, actually. I bet there are many ways to play unfair and my mother would clearly know them all.”
“I think I know which one my parents will take,” Tina finally said after raising her face from the documents.
Danny and Ulyssen peered at the folder she kept her hand on.
“Why exactly that one?” the former asked. “I’m pretty sure that’s the oldest one. It doesn’t mean that it’s in bad shape but it will clearly need renovations much sooner than the others.”
“Simple.” Tina giggled. “It’s the closest to the castle.”
Selene snickered softly. “Right. The moment either Miss Kindra or Lady Luna notices that detail, everything else won’t be of any importance.”
“The family heads might have different opinions and suggestions, no?” Ulyssen glanced at the girls.
A very quiet and ladylike giggle reached their ears and they saw the princess with a gentle smile.
“I don’t think they have much say in that regard,” Silvia commented and everyone on Ast’s side chuckled openly too.
She had been there when Asterios and Tina announced taking over Glimmervale and knew as well as them who really held the reins in the Nobelle family. It wasn’t that hard to guess the situation in the Hestizo Household as Silvia had met Ast’s mom a few times and wasn’t unaware of her feats, which meant that his mother had to be a similarly great woman too.
The Committee members weren’t as knowledgeable so they could only stare at the laughing group with mild confusion and curiosity. No one felt like probing for more information on such powerful and well-known families, though.
“So, I guess there’s that.” Asterios glanced over the table. “What about Hestizos inserting themselves into the market here? That’s your field, right, Esotvi?”
The dwarf woman nodded and stood straight on her stool. “That depends purely on their intentions. I won’t tolerate any disruptions or undermining. That said, having the legendary merchant household settle down here could be a big thing for Glimmervale. What do you think about this situation, My Lord?”
“I know for sure that Mom and Grandparents are anything but greedy and egotistical. I’ve only taken a peek into their businesses but they all felt fair and respectable. Knowing her, she’s already coming up with ways to make the town thrive just because I own it now.”
Tina trotted to his side and took Ast’s hand into hers with a warm smile. “I can vouch for that. Miss Kindra offered us so many gifts and proposals of cooperation in their ventures after my parents gave us their blessings. She’s a good person, and a good merchant, of course. She can think of ways to profit herself without hurting others.”
Silvia joined their side. “You have my word too, and my father’s. He can’t stop praising Miss Kindra. She really made an impression on him during their negotiations. Even though from the perspective of an outsider it might look like she is one of those sly and conniving traders, she always keeps everyone’s good interest in mind.”
Esotvi swallowed her saliva loudly and paled a little. “T-The talk about kings wasn’t just like… proverbial?”
Asterios chuckled. “Her current body count is two. Good luck.”
“We should pitch Miss Kindra against King Zegion next and see what happens!” Miria giggled adorably under Ast’s caresses. “He is quite different from the others!”
“I don’t think there’s any deal we could reach with the ruler of the demons,” Selene commented with a smirk.
“I hope so. I would rather not ruin every single kingdom I visit.” Asterios shook his head with a wry smile. “Anyway, assuming that they would want to construct a warehouse or two, open up a shop or two, set up other things for business, and help the town grow, is there anything you would need from us?”
The dwarf woman quickly recollected herself and scratched her head. “If they really are so cooperative then I don’t think so. We should be able to handle this on our own. I will naturally report all the dealings to you, My Lord, as I always do. I feel like the upcoming weeks are going to be something.”
Ulyssen clasped his hands to catch everyone’s attention. “Alright. I think that’s all for the two major topics. Since they are going to reach us most likely today, we should get in touch with Keenu and let him know to examine and prepare the mansions before that happens.”
“We can deliver the message,” Tina suggested. “If there are no more pressing matters, there’s no real reason for us to take more of your time and we need to familiarize ourselves with the town a little more anyway.”
Asterios nodded. “I agree.”
“If so, then we are grateful for your presence during this meeting, My Lord, My Lady, Princess. I hope you have a great day.” Ulyssen bowed and the other two followed suit.
After bidding farewell to the Committee, Asterios and the girls headed out. No one had any idea where Keenu could specifically be, so they decided just to walk around and ask the people. The members seemed very close to the townsfolk so someone should have seen the man.
After about half an hour, they finally were pointed in the right direction and found him near the farms with Merfinna. They inspected one of the barns together and talked to the farmers about expanding it. Asterios and the crew gave them a rundown of the meeting and went with Keenu to the mansion they were sure their parents would pick.
The man offered to prepare all of them just in case but they insisted on the one and he relented in the end. They inspected it together, gaining even more confidence in their prediction. The residence was a beautiful, three-story, U-shaped mansion with a small fountain in the front yard. It had more than enough space to house two small families.
Keenu shooed them away from the manual labor, telling everyone that his boys would take care of everything, so Asterios didn’t argue and they walked away back to the center of the town.
“So, what do we do now, Master?” Miria asked as she nibbled on a meat skewer Asterios had gotten for her.
“We have some time before they arrive. We could go around more and meet people or visit shops and such, or we could maybe help Grea move in already if you are up for boring moving boxes,” Asterios replied, glancing at Tina and Silvia specifically since he knew his familiars would do anything he asked.
“I think that’s a good idea.” Tina smiled softly. “Where to?”
“The castle. Its dungeons, to be precise. I’ve seen plenty of space down there for their labs and workshops. It would be nice having them around at least for the time we’ll spend here.”
“I don’t mind helping out even though I’m not that strong physically,” Silvia added. “And I don’t think I can pass through your gates, right?”
Selene chuckled softly and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We beastfolk will do the heavy lifting while you two arrange everything. I’m sure Bryn will be interested in joining too.”
A dark crimson gate rose from the ground and the Valkyrie walked into their realm with a dazzling smile.
“With pleasure. I haven’t been of much help lately, spending a lot of time amongst my people. I can’t abuse our master’s kindness so much. I appreciate the consideration but you should call for me more no matter how small the request would seem.”
“Let’s get to it, then.” Asterios smiled back at her and nodded. “It shouldn’t take long with all of us present. Umbra?”
~Ready whenever you are, Master.~
Miria opened her own portal and all four girls walked through it, leaving only Asterios and Silvia back in his world. They joined their hands together again and headed back to Rosewind.
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