“… and the ark research is going fairly well, but it’s eating a ton of resources,” Talal said.

“How long can we keep it going by relying on reserves?” Leon asked.

“Six months, then we’re going to have to start restricting some projects if we don’t get more funding.”

“Hmm,” Leon hummed as he sat back to think.

He and Talal were in one of his back courtyards going over some last-minute business he had with his branch of Heaven’s Eye, making sure that all of his ducks were in a row before he ventured back north.  He was planning on a fairly long trip, even if he was going to be moving quickly, and had to ensure that his house was in order before leaving.

Fortunately, Talal had proven his worth as an administrator more than Leon could’ve ever hoped for, and he was more than comfortable leaving the branch in his capable hands until he returned.

‘Not like it would make much difference as things are anyway…’ Leon thought with some amusement.  He still made most of the big decisions, but a lot of the admin work he’d delegated to Talal or to other assistants.

His household affairs were mostly handled by Elise, too, and Valeria—and now Nestor—were more than able to keep an eye on his personal projects while he was gone.  He just had to make sure his priorities were known and kept while he was away, leading to this meeting with Talal.  He was due to leave for the north in a matter of days, so this would be the last meeting he could have with his Vice-Chief.

“If it comes down to it,” Leon said, “restrict our golem research’s funding.”

“Antiochos won’t like that,” Talal murmured.

“We can placate him with other things, as well as his other researchers.  But arks, Lances, and our floral communications are to be prioritized.  Trim fat where you see fit.”  Thanks to Tikos, Leon had quite a few lotuses of the sort that had allowed him to easily communicate with the tree sprite over thousands of miles.  He’d given a few of them to his subordinates to study and try to replicate, but so far there hadn’t been much progress.  Tikos could still communicate through them fine, but his researchers were still barely beginning to understand how the lotuses worked, let alone how to make something with similar capabilities.  It would be a long time before the current method of long-distance communication, the highly expensive comm stones, might be replaced.

“What about Valentina’s projects?”

“She’s making do with few resources as it is and isn’t bothering us for more.  I see no reason to restrict what little she’s already getting.”

“Understood.”

“Anti-magic, as well, can be restricted, if need be.”

“Is that wise?”

Leon smiled, his attention briefly turning southward.  The Sky Devils already had antimagic, as far as he was aware, and it was far more advanced than what he or Heaven’s Eye had.  While it wasn’t yet clear if he could win them over, especially given the continued hostilities in the south, he was comfortable at least putting further research into antimagic on hold, at least for the time being.

“I want it, but other things are to be prioritized,” Leon replied.  “Following those cuts, if more needs to be brought down, our astronomy and xenobiologists can spend some time twiddling their thumbs.  But only if need be.”

“Understood,” Talal repeated, scrawling Leon’s directives down in a notebook.

Leon was about to continue when one of his servants came out into the courtyard, looking quite apologetic for interrupting.  However, the look in his eyes kept Leon from feeling too annoyed: a mixture of fear and anxiety that told him someone of great importance wanted to interject.

Sure enough, the servant informed Leon that both the Lord Protector and the Grand Druid were requesting his presence.  So, Leon cut his meeting with Talal off a little early, telling the man that he trusted him to use his own judgment so long as Leon’s priorities were kept.

And so, Leon soon found himself in one of his more private lounges with Anastasios and the Grand Druid, him in an armchair while they shared a sofa, sitting close enough that if he didn’t already know they were fond of each other, he would’ve started to suspect such was the case.

“So, how are you two doing?” Leon asked as the door shut and his robust privacy wards kicked in.

“Thinking about you,” Anastasios replied.

“Really?  Or were you thinking about what I can give you?” Leon wondered with a cheeky smile.

“Are those two things different?” the Grand Druid asked.  “I, for one, look forward to the day when you marry my granddaughter.”

“You might be waiting a long time for that,” Leon replied.  “How is Cassandra, by the way?  She’s clearly been busy if you weren’t able to drag her down to my party.”

“That girl, honestly,” the Grand Druid muttered, her tone turning a little more critical, though still remaining soft.  “Such a perfect opportunity to take you for herself, and she instead spends it working.”

“If her work means that much to her, what’s the problem?” Leon asked, his words coming flavored with light criticism.

The Grand Druid shrugged and didn’t answer that particular question, but explained, “She found something out east, beyond the lands of the Sentinels.  Nothing magical, but some evidence of an ancient civilization that she was excited to see.”

“That does sound exciting,” Leon said, impressed.

“Indeed,” Anastasios agreed.  “Not much remains of the time before your Clan, Leon, so the fact that she’s found anything at all is remarkable.”

Leon smiled a little bitterly, not only picking up on the slight but also remembering the Serpentine Isles.  He couldn’t help but wonder just what Cassandra might’ve found if it predated his Clan’s arrival, yet apparently wasn’t magical.

“Better to let her have her fancies,” the Grand Druid said a little dismissively before turning her attention back to Leon.  “But what we’re here to discuss today is you, Leon.  More specifically, what you have planned coming up soon.”

Anastasios added, “Yes, Leon, it’s no secret in your home that you’re preparing to leave, though we don’t know where.  Would it not be safer to consult with the two of us about where you’re going, and for how long before you go?”

Leon smiled, but he wasn’t going to be baited so easily.  How long he would be gone for, though, wasn’t that big of an ask, especially since he was counting on their support for his house while he was gone.

“I’ll be back hopefully within the month,” he explained.  “More than that, I’ll not say.  Private business, you see.”

“Mmhmm, ‘private business’, you say?” the Grand Druid asked.  “And just after inquiring after my granddaughter, eh?  Should I be encouraged?”

“You should be however you should be,” Leon replied noncommittally.  “In the meantime, you two ought to feel more than welcome to continue enjoying my hospitality.  Though I may be gone, you’re still welcome in my home.”

“Is that your way of asking us to keep an eye on your family while you’re absent, Leon?” Anastasios asked, arching an eyebrow and smiling slyly.

“It’s my way of saying that you’re welcome in my home while I’m gone,” Leon repeated with pointed emphasis.

“It’s good that we’re welcome,” the Grand Druid said, “because your ascension does leave us with some growing problems.”

“Oh?” Leon responded, though he wasn’t too surprised that they had some problems with his growing power.

“Not with us, so don’t worry about that, Leon,” the Lord Protector was quick to add.  “At least not directly.  I was meaning to bring this up with you ever since your party, so our meeting today is for the best.  We can get this out of the way.

“Leon, you should take heed of your position.  Heaven’s Eye’s power is limited, and our watch isn’t perfect, strong as it is.  Your recent ascension to the ninth-tier does have many people concerned, worried that you might be following the path of your ancestors.  Many people still think you an enemy, and want us to not only pull our support, but to actively deal with you permanently before you can grow stronger.  These people might be growing bolder or more desperate as you grow stronger.”

“I figured such would happen,” Leon bemoaned, his tone mostly even though coming with a hint of weariness.  “Honestly, if they could just leave me alone, I’d more than happy to do the same for them.”

“That’s what we’re emphasizing to our subordinates,” the Grand Druid replied.  “The aid you’ve been giving us, in turn, has been greatly helping to keep their nerves calm.”

“Yes, adding a few old arks to your fleets and a couple small armies of golems are sure to do that,” Leon quipped.

“Our countrymen are not who you should be worried about, though,” Anastasios continued.  “We can keep our people in line.  It’s other people who ought to keep you worried.”

“The Keeper?” Leon asked.  Heaven’s Eye had done much to disentangle itself from the Sentinels, but the Sentinels were already a rather spartan people, so, relatively speaking, they weren’t losing too much business there.  Rather, it was the rerouted trade routes that were the bigger hassle, having to arc around Sentinel land where able that were the headache.  The Sentinel economy had certainly taken a hit, but Leon had no doubt that the Keeper didn’t care at all.

“He’s our biggest concern,” the Grand Druid said.  “He’s certainly been keeping an eye on you, but so far hasn’t made any moves against you or us in these past few years.  Still, if you’re leaving our immediate ability to protect you, then that might change.  We can stay here and protect your home and family if that is your desire, but that would leave you potentially alone with the Keeper, if he should make a move.”

Leon gave them a mysterious smile.  “I have some measures to protect myself against him, but I appreciate and understand your concern.  If I run into any trouble, I have no problem with just running away.  Even if that’s not a good plan, leaving is still a risk I’m willing to take.”

“What you’re after is just that important, is it?” Anastasios asked.

Leon just continued to smile at him.

“Very well, very well, keep your secrets.  Just watch yourself out there, Leon.  I don’t want to learn that the Keeper or some other powerful enemy you might have painted a mountain with your blood or something.”

“I would hate to hear that, too,” Leon retorted, somewhat sarcastically.

“You just come back, young man!” the Grand Druid ordered him.  “If you die, Cassandra would be devastated!  She’s been asking about you, you know!”

“Would she be happy that you said that?”

It was the Grand Druid’s turn to smile at him and not reply.

“Your concerns are appreciated.  But I’ll be leaving in just a few days.  In the meantime, please continue to enjoy my family’s hospitality.”  Leon’s tone indicated their meeting was done, unless they had anything more to say.  So, after a quick reiteration of their warnings, Anastasios and the Grand Druid allowed the meeting to end.

Leon was happy that they gave him the warnings, though he didn’t start thinking they were too concerned about his well-being, personally.  Regardless, he took their warning seriously, though he didn’t alter his plans.  The Keeper was powerful, much more so than he was, but he’d expanded on a few of his tricks in the past few years.  He would be surprised indeed if any potential enemies were able to follow him when he finally left.

“Ah, one last thing,” Anastasios said, pulling Leon out of his thoughts just as the Lord Protector was about to leave, “would you be willing to arrange a meeting between myself and some of your retainers?”

“Make that both of us!” the Grand Druid added.

Leon raised an eyebrow and, now feeling a little more on guard, asked, “Which ones?”

“The inhuman ones,” Anastasios said.  “And the demon.  I would love to speak with them for a while, get their perspective.”

“Especially that tree sprite,” the Grand Druid whispered, looking almost hungry.  “The way those creatures use nature magic is incredible.  I’ve always been jealous that they were able to use it so naturally where humans are unable.”

Leon smiled, understanding the request, but not taking too much comfort in it.  “I’ll ask them.  Being inhuman, of course, they have little respect for your titles, but your power is another matter.  This might have to wait until I return, though.”

“That’s all we ask,” Anastasios said, finally leaving departing with one last nod of his head, followed closely by the Grand Druid.

Leon sighed.  [You hear that, demon?]

[I did,] Xaphan grumbled.  [You’re not leaving me behind, that’s for damn sure.  I suppose it’s natural, though; it was inevitable that the pathetic humans of your plane finally started to recognize my majesty and sought an audience.  Shame that it comes just as I was getting used to the quiet down in here again.]

[So… do you want to talk to them or not?  I think they’d accept if you refused, though they’d hardly be happy…]

[Yes, I’ll meet with these human supplicants, Leon.  Don’t lose your little human head over it.]

Leon scowled, but put it out of his mind for the time being.  For now, he had to return to preparing his journey back north.  It was nerve-wracking, seeking something so powerful as to be called a ‘Universe Fragment’, but the Iron Needle was one of the artifacts that made his Clan as powerful as it was.  With some luck, it would help Leon to match those old glories.  He just had to go and get it.

‘No small ask at all.  Nope, just gotta go and get this semi-sentient thing of unparalleled power and bend it to my will.  Easy.  Like picking up some bread from the baker on my way home.  Easy.’

---

“… but really, no one wants to send any messages back to the Bull Kingdom?” Leon asked his ladies, astonished at their negative responses.  This was to be their last night together for a little while as he was to leave for the north the following morning.

“No,” Valeria simply responded, whereas Elise had a more eloquent answer, one which she’d been repeating several times in the face of Leon’s continued disbelief.

“Who would we send a message to, husband?” Leon’s fire-haired wife asked.

“You uncle?” Leon responded.

“Mother and I speak with Uncle Ajax regularly,” Elise dismissively replied.  “As a Tower Lord, he’s in constant contact with Mother, and I get to sit in on some of those chats.”

“Yes, but not even a more personal letter or something?” Leon asked.

“No,” Valeria repeated.  “There’s no one left there who I would want to message.”

“Really?  No friends?”

“How many friends do you still have there, husband?” Elise asked.

Leon frowned, briefly thinking of those he’d met during his time at the Bull Kingdom’s Knight Academy.  He’d not thought about Charles, Henry, or Alain in a long time, and he wondered what a reunion between him and them might even look like.  He was a ninth-tier mage, now, and their relationship would never be as it was.  He learned that emphatically enough when he’d met them before leaving the Bull Kingdom for the Empires, when he’d been eighth-tier.  He’d said his goodbyes then, and their relationship then had already been so strained that all of them knew that that was the last time they’d speak.

“I suppose I could speak with the King, August, and some of the Paladins,” Leon said with a frown.

“But no one else to seek out, isn’t that right?” Elise asked.

“There’s Minerva at the Bull’s Horns!” Leon insisted.  “And Torfinn with the Brown Bears!”

“Have fun, then Leon,” Elise said as she kissed him on the cheek.

Leon sighed.  “All right, then.  Last chance!”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing my mother again,” Maia quietly whispered aloud, and the rest of them went silent.  “I can go on my own, though,” she added before Leon could offer anything.  “She doesn’t live in a place for outsiders.”

“So be it,” Leon said with a shrug as he looked at Maia.  She didn’t seem to be sparing him much attention with her nose buried in a book, and with his eyes on her, he didn’t notice Elise creeping up on him from behind until she’d already tossed him onto their bed.

He barely had time to register what had just happened before Elise was crawling on top of him, a predatory look in her eyes as she slid a hand beneath his shirt and ran her fingers along his abs.

“You didn’t think you were going to leave here without giving us our due, were you?” she whispered sultrily.  At the same time, Leon heard Maia slam her book shut and then felt her approach, heat and desire coming through their connection.

Leon grinned, grabbed Elise’s waist, and easily lifted her off of him.  She yelped in surprise as he tossed her down on the bed beside him and immediately reversed their positions from a moment before.  But before he could launch his offensive, his hands already performing recon on his wife’s chest, Maia surged in and slammed her lips against his.

Elise moaned in arousal as Leon’s fingers sank into her breasts, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in closer.  Maia followed him down, their lips not parting until her head was almost pressed into Elise’s face.  She darted out just in time and began to physically peel her clothes off instead of simply pulling them into her soul realm.

Leon took a moment to appreciate the sight, but as he was about to turn his attention back to Elise beneath him, he paused, then rose up a bit.  He looked over his shoulder at Valeria, who was watching them with something that looked like indecision wracking her gorgeous features.

When she noticed him looking at her, her cheeks flushed crimson, but she didn’t look away.  Leon smiled invitingly, but he already knew what she was going to sa—

“Can I…” she hesitantly began.  “Can I… watch?”

Leon smiled in surprise and glee.  There was only one answer in his mind, and it was the only answer he could possibly give.

Beneath him, Elise sprang up as far as his body would allow.

“You can do that, and more, if you want,” she said.

Valeria bit her lip as she stared back at Leon, and slowly nodded.  “I’m… not going to participate.  But… I…”

“It’s fine,” Leon said as she trailed off.  “You won’t be left out.  You’ll have as much, or as little, as you want.”

Valeria smiled with embarrassment and took a seat.  She kept her legs shut tightly together, but Leon noticed her hands resting on her thighs.  “… Keep going…” she whispered as she undid the top button of her pants.

Leon smiled, then turned back to Elise.  He wasn’t going to see any of them for a while—a couple of weeks, at least.  And it seemed that this was going to be a goodbye to remember, a sentiment that Elise and Maia seemed to agree with as they began to tear Leon’s clothes off, all while Valeria watched, her sapphire eyes not missing a single detail.

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