Chapter 569: The Showdown with Yuinafal

  Kai was nervous, even though waiting on elites had become mundane to him.

  He supposed that fact should have astonished him on its own: the Frontier elites, the pinnacles of the continent who he had idealized since childhood, were serving as transportation. Thanks to Gunjin, they were as prompt as possible given their work, and few others could summon them like that.

  This time he was waiting for Handelrey, however, and that was different. She wasn't the first elite he'd seen, but she had been one of those who teleported himself and Zae Zin Nim away from the abyss, saving their lives. Not only had she witnessed the gods over the Frontier, she had been one of the only ones to consider their strength as comprehensible, even if she had been as outclassed as everyone else. All of that led to Kai feeling a strange sort of connection despite the fact that they'd spoken very little.

  And now, in order to deal with the Yuinafal problem, he was going to risk burning that connection.

  Soon she arrived, stepping through a stone portal archway, and Kai turned to her with a nod. She was the same woman he remembered, in fact it didn't look like she'd aged a day since the last incursion. Based on all his experience now, he guessed that was due to biological immortality, her body simply not running down. Her wild hair, which extended in all directions under her control, was something he still couldn't explain.

  "I understand that you have a serious issue to discuss," she said without greeting.

  "I'm just concerned about elites potentially working against one another," Kai said. "To survive the incursion, it's essential that we all work tog-"

  "I know the speech. This is about your issue with Yuinafal, isn't it?"

  Kai was taken aback to hear it put that way and, even though it was generally accurate, he took a mental step back and reconsidered Handelrey. He didn't seriously think that she would attack him, and his best guess was that he'd be stronger, but now he considered the possibility that she was on Yuinafal's side. Had he really turned that many elites against them that even the old guard was skeptical?

  "You just keep trying to pierce my shroud," Handelrey said with a rueful smile. "Fine, I'll let you see. Happy?"

  <

  Name: Handelrey Orgoron

  Total Power: 886

  Earthborn: Twiceshaken (299)

  Waterborn: Twicedrowned (299)

  Physique: E-9 (107)

  Soul Level: 9 (81)

  Hybrid Essence: Living Jungle (+100)

  >

  His glimpse of her soul was about what he expected: 886 Power in the range of the other top elites. The most shocking thing was that she somehow had both Earthborn and Waterborn powers, which he'd never seen before, and thought should have been impossible. Omilaena would want to know, but he might have bigger problems.

  "I'm impressed by those shrouds," he said to buy time. "Is that something they teach at the Frontier?"

  "Yes, but it's far lower priority than phases." Handelrey shook her head slowly. "Your strength is downright absurd, so it's nice to know we still have an edge in a few ways. Phases, shrouds, and spiritual sight, at least."

  Given Omilaena's discoveries, that last one might not be true anymore, but Kai wasn't trying to compete, so he took a different approach: "It's strange, but they barely even bother with many of those skills on other continents. For example, on Cloudspire a lot of people seem to just gauge cultivation stage."

  "So others have observed. We aren't sure if they just don't need to bother with the details, or if the more energy-rich environment makes it harder to distinguish clearly. Most shrouds on Rosemount are less advanced because their energy mixes together, for example."

  "I hope we don't come off as trying to throw our strength around." Kai smiled ruefully. "And I realize this might make us seem arrogant, but I was hoping we might help the elites. It's almost impossible to reach D-rank Physique on Deadwaste, but my wife has gotten very adept at helping people over the edge. That could be a significant boost for everyone."

  Handelrey folded her arms across her chest. "Kai Clanless, are you trying to bribe me?"

  "What?" Kai had been considering a lot of factors, but not that, and was thrown for a moment. "Do you mean against Yuinafal? Would you really make a decision based on who could benefit you more?"

  "Everything is ultimately based on what will help us survive."

  "Well, I wasn't offering it contingent on anything except you thinking it was a good idea. All of this has been-"

  "I know." Handelrey dropped her flat stare and smiled wearily. "Not everyone agrees, but I, for one, believe in your sincerity. The problem is that sincere mistakes can still cost people's lives, and given your strength, it's easier for you to make mistakes."

  "Then, about Yuinafal..."

  "You both have our support, and this rivalry is getting to be a hindrance. Come with me and let's just have this out." She turned and stepped toward the archway, which lit up in a swirl of mana again. Handelrey didn't hesitate at all, so she was already gone to places unknown.

  Kai paused a moment, considering the potential for an ambush, but this was his best opportunity. He braced himself and stepped through, trying to be ready for anything.

  Somehow, he wasn't ready for a mostly empty plain and the rings of metal ahead. He'd stepped out of an alcove on the elite structures near the arena for the mortal phase trials - it was empty now, and the rings were still, but he remembered that mysterious dark metal.

  There was one other person present: Yuinafal stood beside the arena, arms folded sourly. As soon as he sensed Kai, he dropped into a combat-ready position, so startled that for a moment Kai wondered if he had been ambushed. Handelrey calmly walked in between them and Kai realized that she must have intercepted requests from both of them and arranged this. Ambushed them both, effectively.

  "Guess there's no choice," Yuinafal said, rolling his shoulders, revealing muscles underneath his robes. "Hello again, Kai."

  "I feel like we've barely been introduced." Kai walked out to stand opposite him, cracking his neck in both directions. "But somehow we keep getting in each other's way."

  They stood in silence, staring at one another. The dark metal arena gleamed beside them.

  "No more feuding." Handelrey walked up beside them, her hair tightening down into a single column at her back. "It's fine for elites to disagree, even to work in opposite directions, but there has to be a limit or we'll sabotage one another. The two of you are creating factions, so that has to end."

  "Then we'll end it," Yuinafal said.

  "How does this work?" Kai gestured toward the motionless rings. "Can this be operated by just a few people?"

  "What?" The stare down was broken by a truly baffled look from Yuinafal, followed by incredulity. "Did you seriously think that we'd solve our problems by beating each other up? This isn't Cloudspire."

  "Hey, you're the one who attacked me before, and you seemed pretty eager then."

  "Enough!" Handelrey drew their attention and then shook her head sharply. "We're not here to rehash past issues, about phase trials or Irun. What matters is the next incursion, which I apparently need to remind you is imminent. Kai Clanless: what are you attempting to do in Krysal?"

  Still a little embarrassed about his false assumption, Kai gestured vaguely. "I just want Krysal to avoid destroying itself. There are a lot of radical factions undermining them... I'm hoping to find a way for the Krysali to deal with it themselves, instead of forcing things again."

  "As well you should," Yuinafal snapped. "Elites are supposed to be neutral. Organizing cooperation between so many factions across the continent requires it. But you overthrew the crystallier system and now you're unquestionably meddling, making winners and losers in Krysal."

  "I freely admit that, but how can you say that when you were manipulating the riot?"

  "I was trying to find the cause!" Yuinafal's voice rose slightly and he took a deep breath before continuing with greater control. "There's a powerful nativist faction that's trying to turn Krysal against its allies. Before today, I wasn't sure if you were unaware of them, or maybe even supporting them."

  "Of course not." Kai sighed and tried to take a step back. "Alright, I'll take you at your word and say I made an assumption. Did you make some about me in Krysal, or do you still hate everything I've been doing after seeing it up close?"

  Yuinafal didn't answer, going very still. Kai's instincts warned him and he almost moved, but he forced himself to remain still - he just focused on maintaining a speed phase if it became necessary. The two men locked gazes for several long seconds, then Yuinafal groaned.

  "I admit," he said, "even if I dislike your methods, you seem sincere. You honestly beat me in Irun, and I don't just mean in power."

  "We didn't mean to throw out your methods," Kai offered as an olive branch, but Yuinafal waved it aside.

  "That idea of doing everything via metallic pools was perfect for Irun. After you won, I made a chakra pool, or at least I tried. They're still going to use it for some warriors, but the comparison just made it clear that your methods are better."

  "If you believe we were working for the good of Irun... then can you believe the same about Krysal?"

  "I believe in your sincerity, not your efficacy." Yuinafal returned to a more familiar glare, though it had lost some of its edge. "I still think the way you're acting is wildly reckless. Handelrey didn't know everything about this operation you plan, but what I heard sounds like an absurd overreach, and one that's likely to blow back on us."

  Handelrey herself had been silent up to this point, but now spoke. "Kai, why don't you tell us a little more about what you had in mind?"

  And so, after only a brief consideration of double-crosses, Kai explained what they had in mind, from how they would lure in both radical factions to the treasures they would offer Krysal. The other two listened carefully, not immediately opposed, and he began to hope this might turn out better than he expected. Once he was done, Yuinafal shook his head again.

  "You've planned out so many details, but it still strikes me as a bad plan. No matter how many people the nativists or reactionaries send, you'll only eliminate a fraction of them."

  "They aren't a faction that can be eliminated," Kai argued, "because they have many partial supporters, and others who are sympathetic. But if we can implicate their leaders in trying to steal from Krysal, it will strike a blow to their reputations. We need the people of Krysal to believe in unity."

  "Unity enforced by your manipulations."

  "We're not wiping them out on their own. We're giving Krainuun a gift of resources and advising him about potential threats. This has his approval, and once it's done, I believe the majority of Krysali will approve as well."

  "Provided that it works." Yuinafal still looked irritable, but he stepped back and looked aside. "Handelrey?"

  "We might request some changes," she said, "but we'll let the plan move forward. However, you absolutely can't take action yourself - you really are too directly involved in Krysal. Whether or not this works, and whether or not it actually stabilize politics in Krysal, will be a major part of how we decide what role you should have going forward."

  "Deal," Kai said, grinning with more confidence than he felt.

  So they turned away from the arena, which sat silent and unused. Yuinafal walked with him - he was clearly far from a friend, yet Kai believed in his honesty, so they were truly on the same side. Depending on how all of this went, they might even work together.

  Except that the operation wouldn't be based on his own strength, it would depend on everything that he had set into motion. Kai glanced at the arena over his shoulder, thinking that it would have been a lot easier to just fight it out.

  Chapter 570: Watching the Operation

  Three of them in a row, all nervous, all cultivating, all waiting. Kai took a deep breath and tried to focus.

  There was nothing else they could do while they waited for the operation to begin. Early on Omilaena had suggested that their triple cultivation become "triple cultivation" but Kai was too anxious to be aroused, Zae Zin Nim had locked in mentally, and Omilaena had given up.

  They hadn't been involved in the early stages, but at least those had been relatively secure and simple. Kai and the others had prepared the gift of treasures, allegedly from Cloudspire, and set it to be delivered via ship at Yulthens harbor. The Crystallier Cooperative was going to go accept it, for the good of all Krysal, but the nativist and reactionary factions had been leaked information about what was about to happen - or at least part of it.

  That was where Kai's anxiety started. He wasn't an expert in spycraft, so he'd left the details to native Krysali, but that left him nervous. What if they were too clumsy and the factions suspected it was a trap? What if they managed to turn it on them and the entire business was an embarrassment for Krainuun and the Cooperative?

  If he was honest with himself, it was too late for such worries to make any difference. He'd done the best he could to set everything up and at this stage he was just waiting for the results, so he should calm his mind and focus on cultivation. But he wasn't being honest with himself and thus felt like he should be out there himself, taking action.

  "So..." Omilaena drawled out the word. "What are you two doing? Is it cultivating? How exciting."

  "I am surprised it took you this long." Zae Zin Nim responded calmly, without so much as a twitched eyebrow. "Usually you stop cultivating and start complaining much sooner."

  "Yeah, well, usually I like my thoughts and so blanking my mind is just boring. But given what we're waiting on, it's good to take my mind off things."

  "Cultivation does not require a purely blank mind," Zae Zin Nim advised. "You could also try thinking about a single absorbing subject."

  "Alright, now I'm imagining you naked."

  "That is not what I meant."

  "I don't know, I'm very absorbed. Mmm, how naughty of you! And oh my, who's this?"

  "You are not assisting me in my path to Sky Soul." Even with her eyes closed, Zae Zin Nim managed to scowl precisely in Omilaena's direction. "A wife should assist her spouse in their cultivation."

  "See how the old traditionalism rears its ugly head!" Without breaking her cultivation, Omilaena clutched at her heart. "You struggled against such wifely bonds, but as soon as it benefits you, you consign your own wife to a fate of being an eternal helpmeet!"

  "I will report this to our husband and then you'll be sorry."

  For his part, Kai just struggled to keep his smile under control and actually cultivate. The banter had thoroughly distracted him from his anxious thoughts, which he was sure was the purpose. Omilaena was good at choosing her moment, though he guessed that she really was bored too. Zae Zin Nim could wait forever, he had a moderate amount of patience, and Omilaena went about five minutes before poisoning someone for fun.

  Honestly, though, he should probably view this waiting as practice for the incursion. He would be able to act then, but only in one place at once in a war that had a thousand fronts. Ultimately, he was going to need to trust others to keep themselves alive while he fought his own battles.

  "It's begun."

  The quiet voice cut through Omilaena and Zae Zin Nim's continued squabbling. All cultivation was forgotten as they turned to see Krainuun standing at the door to their room. He hid stress well, but Kai could see how tense he was as he stepped inside. This sort of scheme that involved multiple factions was a major risk for him, and if things went wrong, he wouldn't be able to simply leave Krysal like they could.

  "What happened?" Omilaena asked, all business.

  "I don't know, as there are no reports for a clandestine operation. I can only tell you that the recording crystal placed within the shipment has started broadcasting." Krainuun stepped forward and placed a communications crystal on a nearby table, his hand only shaking a little. Kai leapt to his feet and found a chair, placing it behind the old man so that he had a place to sit by the time the crystal showed an image.

  At first it was just a square and it looked like nothing to Kai, then he realized that he was actually seeing the edges of a box and part of a ceiling. He couldn't sense any power through the crystal, but he could hear shouts and fighting. A body fell across the open box, completely obscuring their view.

  "They took the bait." Zae Zin Nim had closed in behind Krainuun, watching closely.

  "And they did not do so nonviolently," Krainuun said heavily. "The deaths that occur during this step are on our hands."

  Kai had hoped that this wouldn't happen, but not really expected the theft would occur without blood. They had chosen an unaligned mercantile group with decent guards, hoping that they would fight off the attackers enough that they only took the treasures and ran. Apparently that had been too much to hope for.

  The body was pulled away and, from the sound, tossed aside. Their view of the ceiling was replaced by a man and a woman, wearing clandestine clothing, but without any scars that would mark them as ex-slaves. They smiled and reached in, grasping the recording crystal along with many others, and for a time the view was a chaotic jumble of movement.

  "Those are former crystalliers," Omilaena said. "I recognize them from the list of reactionaries. The bait is good and taken."

  "Where are they headed?" Kai asked. "I thought I recognized a street, but then they leapt into some sort of alley..."

  "That is a maintenance causeway in Yulthens." Krainuun's voice was calm even though he increasingly leaned forward in his chair. "Presumably they hope to avoid pursuit and guards, cutting into the less organized quarters of the city. That is a mistake."

  "Why a mistake?" Zae Zin Nim asked.

  "They likely assume that the Crystallier Cooperative or other merchants will be their opponents. But ex-slave factions will be more familiar with this portion of the city and have more allies there."

  For several tense minutes, this prediction didn't come true, and Kai began to worry the thieves would make their way out of Yulthens. During the rush, he caught a glimpse of a half a dozen former crystalliers who were looking over their loot with great pleasure while still running. They reached a vehicle and leapt inside, and the communications crystal fell at a bad angle. Kai could only imagine that the ship was rising, soon to join the others and slip out of Yulthens, but he was completely blind...

  Until he saw the explosion.

  It tore through the ship and Kai instinctively used a speed phase, watching the crystal tumble about. Something had exploded through the ship, scattering the crystalliers and their treasure. As the crystal spun, Kai caught glimpses of Omilaena's pills shining like pearls in the air, as well as the armor that Zae Zin Nim had received from the elites.

  Now they were raining over Yulthens... and being seized. Dark forms clashed with the crystalliers and battle was joined. Without being able to see the souls involved, Kai could still tell that they were using Physique and acid cultivation, and though their ambush had been fierce, the attackers had the worse end of the fighting.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  And it didn't matter, because they used their superior numbers to snatch the treasures instead of winning the battle. Soon the communications crystal was racing through the streets again, taken by the ex-slaves to their own hiding place. As it tumbled about among the treasures, they finally caught a glimpse of a few faces.

  "Those are reactionaries, right?" Kai asked.

  "Suspected ones," Krainuun said. "I had honestly hoped that the intelligence was false, but if they are taking part in this operation..."

  The image was complete chaos through the streets of Yulthens. Even though Kai had lost track of the battle, his heart was in his throat. They had judged that using a fake shipment would be too risky, so they really had put all the treasures under guard. If either faction made off with them, they'd just given their enemies a significant gift.

  "Stop right there!"

  Most of the voices through the crystal had been low and professional, but the interruption was loud and brash. It was hard to see, but the thieves holding the treasures slowed uncertainly. They were being stopped by... a random citizen? The man was an ex-slave with moderate Physique from the mines, but likely no training. He'd be cut to pieces by either faction's warriors, but he didn't quail as they advanced on him.

  "Stop in the name of Yulthens!"

  When Kai heard the loud cry, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. A large crystal flashed across their view, decapitating the main thief. Most others wouldn't have seen anything, but Kai recognized the crystal armor of one of Krainuun's enforcers.

  The battle didn't last long once they arrived - these new enforcers had been decent to start with and then received the best Omilaena could do, so they were more than a match for the thieves. They took down both factions, even keeping most of them alive after the initial surprise attack. It seemed they also saved the life of the random do-gooder citizen, who gawked at their crystalline bodies.

  As the guards closed in, the communications crystal was placed inside a case and stopped transmitting. Krainuun finally slumped back in his chair, less with relief and more like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The stress drained out of him, but it seemed to leave exhaustion.

  "You see?" Omilaena said. "Nothing to worry about. The enforcers aren't Cragrila, but they're pretty good."

  "I couldn't track all of the treasures," Zae Zin Nim said disapprovingly. "The armor was definitely there at the end, but I can't be sure about the pills. Some pieces of the shipment may still have made their way to the extremist factions. We should have used more crystals."

  Kai understood her feeling, and wished they could have tracked the operation better, but that option had already been dismissed during the planning. Their ability to watch was incidental to the true purpose: broadcasting the location of the treasure. Fortunately, the crystal enforcers had been able to pinpoint the thieves and stop them before they escaped the city.

  As they accepted that their operation had worked, at least mostly, the stress fell away. Omilaena manifested a glass of wine for Krainuun, which seemed to fortify him. By the time he needed to leave, he was looking much better.

  Ostensibly Krainuun knew nothing about this operation and would soon learn of it from the various forces of the city. Since he had worked underneath the merchants' noses for years, Kai trusted in the man's acting ability. It might take him a while, but Krainuun would accept all the reports and make sure that this turned out exactly as they needed.

  In the end, he didn't need to do much: within hours, Kai was hearing the news from all corners of the city. The ex-crystalliers had very nearly gotten away with their clandestine theft, but the attack from the nativists had led to a violent confrontation over the city. After multiple attacks from cultivators, the people of Yulthens were both fearful of and used to such fights, so there had been multiple witnesses.

  They had seen ex-crystalliers and ex-slaves fighting each other... and they had seen Krainuun's enforcers arrive. That alone might have been open to interpretation, but soon enough everyone began to hear about the Crystallier Cooperative and the treasures that had almost been stolen. Maggle and others were out there, without all the information, knowing just enough to make sure that everyone knew the truth... or at least the important parts of the truth.

  Kai had expected not to hear from Krainuun until that evening at the earliest, since the administrator would have official duties to perform. Honestly, he was looking forward to just spending the time with his wives, since he was finally past the operation. But to his surprise, Krainuun called for them directly, stating that it was urgent.

  When they arrived in the office, Krainuun was alone at his small desk. "The operation was successful," he said. "Two extremist factions have played their hand and been very publicly accused."

  "How much did we lose?" Zae Zin Nim asked.

  "One of the crystalline pills is unaccounted for, potentially taken or destroyed in the battle. The gemstone, armor, and all the rest were recovered unharmed. They have been placed with the Crystallier Cooperative, under better security this time, and it has been made public knowledge that they will be distributed evenly."

  "Nothing to it." Omilaena pretended to dust off her hands. "I told you."

  "This may have undercut our opponents, but I fear the situation is not so simple." Krainuun folded his hands together and leaned against them wearily. "One of the merchants incriminated in the reactionary faction was a major player in trade between Krysal and Irun. He intends to fight the charge in court."

  "And he'll lose, right? Please tell me you aren't making us wait around for that."

  "No. But he has ceased all trade, killing a small but critical trade partnership." Krainuun's eyes flickered up to them. "Irunian merchants are displeased, and they demanded to treat with you personally. I don't know the exact reason, but I fear I must request that you go. I can handle the majority of the political fallout, just not this."

  Kai nodded as he accepted the strange result. Always from one fire to another.

  Chapter 571: An Unexpected Meeting with Irunians

  "I still think that was too fast," Zae Zin Nim said. "The merchant has been arrested and within hours has collapsed his deal?"

  "I'd be more worried about the Irunian side." Omilaena sat back as if relaxed, but she was puffing smoke regularly. "That's a quick and aggressive response for anyone, much less them."

  "You just remade Irun, shouldn't they be indebted to you?"

  "Their leadership, maybe, but we have no idea who these merchants are."

  While his wives discussed the upcoming meeting, Kai was reading over a scroll of background information that Krainuun had given him. They both made good points, but he was stuck on something else: why would Irun demand the three of them? Unless they had inside information about the operation - which would suggest blackmail - that was a strange choice.

  One possibility was that they thought Kai was making decisions based on feelings and could be deceived in a technical negotiation, so he was trying to brush up on the trade between the two nations. Krysal and Irun were on opposite sides of the Frontier wasteland, so their only trade was low volume, high value goods. It seemed that Krysal shipped rock in return for metals, which were uncommon with all its crystal mines.

  "The easiest, though worst, explanation would be that they know that we set up the Krysali factions," Omilaena pointed out. "If that's true, it puts us in an awkward position, but the bigger problem is how they found out."

  "Could it be Yuinafal?" Zae Zin Nim turned to Kai with a frown. "I know you said that he seemed friendly, but couldn't he undercut us in both Krysal and Irun this way?"

  Kai could only shake his head. "I admit it's possible, but if I'm any judge of character at all, I don't think he'd turn right around and betray us."

  "You are good at judging virtue, not vice. We should remain on guard."

  As much as he hoped she was wrong, Kai had to admit that his wife had a point. Until they knew just what was going on with the Irunians and this trade deal, it was best to remain cautious. He preferred to think about this as a real deal, because if it was a setup, then he had an even bigger headache on his hands just when he thought he had a strong alliance with the elites.

  There was only time to go over the basic terms and their goals again before they were summoned to the meeting. Tense as Kai was, he realized as they went to stand together that he should be grateful that his wives had taken on the cause. Once they might have scorned to get involved with local politics, but now they had his back.

  On the other side of the teleportation portal, the elite left them in front of a neutral gray Irunian building. The three glanced at one another, then headed inside to meet their unknown counterparts. Despite his gut feeling, Kai wondered if he would see a smug Yuinafal having sold them out.

  Instead, the only people waiting for them were Tusquo and Quinta Agyama.

  For several heartbeats, both sides said nothing, as if recalibrating. Kai looked for potential pitfalls, like illusions or traps or others observing. The only thing that stood out was that Quinta's hair had changed color from Irunian black to silver, and her eyes had changed as well. Tusquo looked only mildly concerned and made certain to meet his gaze and smile.

  Kai smiled on instinct, but his wives had very different reactions: Zae Zin Nim's face became a mask, while Omilaena threw up her hands.

  "I don't suppose you killed the real representatives?" Omilaena asked.

  "We are the representatives," Tusquo said. "We apologize for the subterfuge, but we thought it would be best to push the meeting early, to make arrangements before others got involved."

  Quinta nodded as she joined in. "The deal with Krysal is an old one, built based on our previous weak position. This seemed a good opportunity to renegotiate."

  "Except we don't intend to come to the table aggressively. We can work out something that benefits both nations, can't we? I thought that would be simple... did we cause you some worry?"

  "A little," Kai said mildly. Zae Zin Nim huffed while Omilaena rolled her eyes and grinned as she accepted the absurdity of the situation.

  "Apologies." Quinta gave them an Irunian bow, then rose to address all three. "The actual negotiations should be trivial, but meanwhile we wanted to invite you to dinner. I had meant to do this earlier, as an apology for my behavior, but you were overbooked before now."

  "What problem did you have with us?" Omilaena asked.

  "I was troubled by your... unusual marriage. Such a thing struck me as very inappropriate, and I judged you based on assumptions. But when Omilaena was injured..." Quinta's hard expression cracked and she lowered her eyes. "I saw true commitment and depth of feeling, which shamed me. Your relationship may be strange to me, but it is clearly strong. That is why I arranged to take this problem off your hands, and why I would like to invite you to our home."

  "We're actually not far away," Tusquo said. "Unless you want to stay here and have a long trade negotiation?"

  That turned out to be no question at all, so they headed out and stepped aboard a gray Irunian vessel. They would have been able to fly faster on their own, but it was nice to relax for once, after sprinting between Krysali city states. Plus, his body was finally catching up to the events and accepting that this wouldn't be a tense encounter after all.

  "I'm glad this worked out," Tusquo told them. "We have wanted other couples to have dinner with, but that is difficult here due to Irunian politics. If it's alright with you, we'd like to have more couples' dinners in the future?"

  "And what precisely do those involve?" Zae Zin Nim asked. She paused as Omilaena whispered in her ear, then scowled. "Liar."

  "It only means dinner, I assure you. But for people like us, our life experiences are somewhat separated from others by everything we have experienced."

  The conversation on the flight over was a little awkward, but Kai thought that everyone was warming up. He and Tusquo had always gotten along, and Quinta was getting over her need to apologize. Once Zae Zin Nim decided she approved of what was happening, the atmosphere got a little warmer.

  Arriving at the Agyamas' home served to break up the awkward small talk and they headed in, through the garden to the dining room that they'd never properly used. The table was covered in Irunian plates and utensils - steel, of course - and Tusquo showed them to their seats while Quinta disappeared into another room.

  It seemed like the table was set a bit like a negotiation after all: Kai and his wives on one side, Tusquo and Quinta on the other. As they were sitting down, Kai noted that there was a small place set to one side, but no small seat for their daughter.

  "For reasons of secrecy, no one is taking care of Ruotu," Tusquo told them. "She remains shy, so she may eat later. But if she does decide..."

  He trailed off as Ruotu slipped around the corner and walked toward them, then surprised everyone by climbing up into Zae Zin Nim's lap. The girl seemed quite happy to be sitting there, while Zae Zin Nim looked paralyzed. She managed to recover by fussing with the girl's hair, which was in disarray.

  "When did this happen?" Omilaena asked with great amusement.

  "She just decided it," Zae Zin Nim hissed back.

  "Zae has pretty hair," Ruotu announced, then frowned at Omilaena. "You're scary."

  "I don't think I'm so scary." Omilaena flickered some metal around her fingers and formed a shining bronze hair ornament, which Ruotu grasped in both hands and stared at.

  Meanwhile, Quinta returned bearing several platters of food. When she saw the others with Ruotu, she smiled and briefly looked more maternal than Kai had ever seen her. Then she set down the platters and urged them to begin.

  The meal turned out to be a traditional Irunian feast, which included slabs of meat to make any Goralian happy. They also had anvil-shaped bread and various vegetables cut in the shapes of swords, which was so on the nose that Kai wasn't sure anyone would believe it. Everything had been put together more artfully than he had expected, and he had to admit that it was good.

  "This is excellent," Kai said between chewing, then glanced at Quinta. "You did all this?"

  "Except for the bread, yes." She inclined her head slightly. "Cooking, like gardening, is one of the Irunian feminine arts."

  "And you... have embraced those?" Zae Zin Nim was eating much more cautiously, and now stopped to peer at Quinta.

  "What else could I do? You already know about my lineage, and even if it failed to produce new power for Irun, I was still pushed to be an exemplar of Irunian femininity..."

  It turned out that Quinta and Zae Zin Nim had more in common than anyone would have expected, and even though Kai wasn't involved in that discussion, he was glad to see them apparently getting along. Ruotu didn't say anything but seemed very interested whenever hair was involved. Just when Kai was beginning to think the whole dinner would be conversation about "feminine arts", Omilaena spoke up.

  "Not to commit a faux pas," she said, "but I am dying to know what you did with your Physique."

  "Ah. That is also because of you." Quinta bowed politely and at the same time lowered her shroud, so Kai got a better look at her soul.

  <

  Name: Quinta Agyama of Irun

  Total Power: 640

  Silversteel Physique: E-0 (350)

  Souliron Essence: 9 (93)

  Soul Level: 6 (36)

  Path of Steel: Truesteel 3 (161)

  >

  She now had something called a "Silversteel Physique", which was a new one to him. At E-0 it granted 350 Power, which suggested it was in the same category as other advanced Physiques like the Blackblood, though it was a bit weaker. Combined with something called Souliron Essence and the Path of Steel, Quinta had a surprising 640 Power.

  "I was far weaker a few weeks ago," she explained, "just another Irunian dead end. But when I underwent the transformation process in the pools, I received a considerable benefit."

  "Not surprised," Omilaena said. "I didn't want to promise, but since I based some of my work on your genetics, I guessed it was possible."

  "Well, I must thank you. This is the first time in my life that I have been more powerful than my husband, and I feel it is entirely unearned."

  "Not at all." Tusquo put his hand over hers and smiled. "You spent years working on yourself that are only bearing fruit now."

  "Perhaps, but you will soon advance as well."

  They weren't making eyes at one another, but Kai got the feeling this was an Irunian public display of affection. Omilaena subtly rolled her eyes in his direction, while Zae Zin Nim was watching the couple with more concern.

  "Does this mean that the Irunian authorities will expect you to have more children?" she asked.

  Quinta nodded. "Yes, but this accords with our own plans. We hope to expand our family after this incursion."

  While they spoke, Omilaena caught Kai's eyes and gave the subtlest of smirks. He mouthed "Don't" and she flashed just a sliver of teeth. Part of him expected her to completely ruin the conversation, but he realized that ultimately he trusted her to read the room.

  "It will be many years in the future," Omilaena said, "but I would like to examine your family. There are disagreements about how much a person's training can affect their children, including those who argue that no level of power truly changes the blood."

  "There are similar arguments in Irun," Quinta agreed. "As a matter of fact, my own ancestors had significant debates on that subject..."

  Remarkably, even that topic didn't turn awkward. They actually had a great dinner, a mix of casual conversation, politics, and everything they had in common as warriors. Zae Zin Nim stopped treating Ruotu like an imprisonment device and even had the girl giggling by the end. Kai enjoyed finally getting to talk to Tusquo again, and realized how much he'd missed this.

  At some point they sat down to hash out a new trade agreement, but Kai barely remembered that part.

  Chapter 572: Final Priorities in Krysal

  Compared to the climactic end to their time in Irun, their trial period in Krysal practically drifted to its conclusion. For a few days Kai had been tense, expecting some additional fallout from their scheme, but for once everything went according to plan: both reactionary and nativist factions were massively weakened and the treasures ended up with the Crystalliers Cooperative.

  They were distributed across various cities according to a political calculus that Kai was very happy to let Krainuun handle. What he understood was that all significant factions with the good of Krysal in mind received something, and hopefully they would cooperate more in the future. The crystalline armor, symbol of crystalliers past, was given to a former slave, while a group of acid cultivators formally bestowed the Brightwind gemstone on a reformed crystallier.

  All nice and equal, in theory. Kai sat with Krainuun, sharing a glass of wine and worrying that it wasn't that simple.

  "Of all the men I have ever met," Krainuun said, "you may be the least willing to accept a victory."

  "I was happy after the revolution." Kai took a sip from his glass and barely tasted it. "Maybe that was for the best, but it sowed a lot of the consequences we're dealing with now. If we really created unity in Krysal, we did it through a clandestine operation... have we just sown more seeds for the future? Will future generations find out and condemn us?"

  "I don't believe so."

  The simple answer, especially from a man like Krainuun, threw Kai off his morose train of thought.

  "Without question, there are negative consequences," Krainuun continued calmly. "I regret that some guards lost their lives. But fundamentally, radical factions chose to attack a shipment meant for the good of Krysal. We didn't lie about any of that, they simply showed their true priorities."

  "I suppose you would know." Kai raised his glass in salute. "Here's to one victory, then. What's next? There are still a lot of factions, so what can be done about them?"

  "I think this may be enough for now, actually."

  "Really? I know the deadline is coming up, but that's just for the elites judging our work. We probably still have time before the incursion, and I'd be happy to spend it in Krysal."

  "I'm aware, but the time for such dramatic actions may have passed." Krainuun set aside his mostly full glass and folded his hands across his lap. "There are still some very radical factions, including one most inclined to violence, but we have come this far via peaceful methods. I think, even if we knew the exact identities of the radicals, it would be the wrong move to target them."

  "I suppose I'll defer to your judgment. I just hope they don't decide to try to kill crystalliers during the incursion."

  "Even the most radical would not be quite that foolish, I don't think. No, if they are contemplating anything like that, it would likely be in the wake of the incursion. So Krysal may most need you again after the monsters pass."

  Kai winced as he considered that possibility. He had been looking forward to taking on the incursion directly and hopefully squashing it, preventing all the lingering monsters and other troubles that had plagued the continent after last time. Unfortunately, he had to plan for the possibility that, even if all his battles went perfectly, the aftermath could be just as ugly.

  "I may or may not have a personal gift for you as thanks," Krainuun said.

  "What?" Kai looked at him strangely. "You're going to have to be more specific."

  "I understand that you have been on the lookout for monsters of considerable strength, which are becoming a rare commodity in this day and age. Indeed, that has always been one of your priorities."

  "Heh, that was actually one of the first things I asked you to do, back when you were pretending to be a servant."

  "And now I am glad to do the same willingly." Krainuun pushed a sheet of paper across the table toward him. "I thought you would want to know that golden dragons have been sighted off the coast. It is, regrettably, almost certain that they will not land in the desert and there will be no dragon chase. However, if you were to take the Clanless and chase them..."

  Kai grabbed the sheet of paper with both hands, his wine forgotten, and skimmed the text before looking at the map. He still remembered the golden dragon so clearly, refusing to give him a blessing and instead trying to burn him alive. Back then he'd pledged to eat the dragon, and he might have gained the strength to do it.

  This really was an incredible gift... but as Kai considered, he understood why Krainuun had equivocated.

  The trouble was that the golden dragons had been sighted deep into the ocean, and only once. If Kai chased them, not only would he monopolize the Clanless for an unknown period of time, it wasn't even guaranteed that he would find the dragons. Between his speed and his ability to sniff out sacred beasts, he thought that he could probably track them down eventually, and under normal circumstances, that would be incredibly valuable essence.

  Except this wasn't normal circumstances: the incursion was likely to be in a month, and it could be even sooner.

  "I'm thankful, but..." Kai sighed and set down the paper. "I shouldn't. The chance that it would take too long, that the incursion would come early... I can't risk it. Even with everything we've tried to build, our strategy needs me there."

  "It is, of course, your choice," Krainuun said, but he gave him a slight nod that Kai thought was respectful. "It is believed that the dragons nest in some other location and only migrate past. Have you ever heard of the golden dragons during your travels?"

  "There are dragons in Cloudspire, but I think they're a different type."

  "A pity. Still, they must have some sort of flight path, so perhaps if they do not return, you can locate them during the break between incursions."

  They lapsed into silence and Kai tried not to stare at the paper. So far, he hadn't needed to make many decisions that limited his power, but of course there were concessions. If he didn't care about his home continent at all, he and his wives could have gone to Lostwreck or the Blood Current or some other mythical place to push themselves even harder.

  Returning to Deadwaste had granted them many other things, of course, including substantial new understanding of Physique. Even if it hadn't, though, Kai decided that it was worth it. He turned over the paper on the golden dragons so he wouldn't have to look at it.

  "I understand that you have some trouble with claims of illegitimate children," Krainuun said abruptly.

  "Not you too." Kai groaned, more as a joke than anything, but it was true that he didn't like to think about it. "I wish I could shut it down, but if I make an announcement denying all claims, that will look suspicious."

  "And you don't want to take any actions that would encourage more claims."

  "Right, plus I feel bad for them. A few of the women are just crooks trying to make some coin off their kids, but some of the others... maybe they're confused, maybe they're just doing what they can for their children."

  "That may be the wrong way to think about this." Krainuun leaned forward, regarding him thoughtfully. "You don't want to legitimatize any of the claims, you just want to help due to an abstract sense of altruism."

  "Right," Kai agreed, "but if I-"

  "It seems to me there is a logical conclusion: you simply need to help in a way that does not encourage future claims."

  That was easy to say, but not really a solution, so Kai was irritated for a second before he started to consider it. Setting aside the emotional element, these were just mothers who wanted a better life for their children. Kai had already spent lots of time and money helping his students after they got unlucky, and he'd thrown plenty of resources at other Krysali already. Thinking about it that way, perhaps there really was a good option in there.

  "What do children need?" Kai asked. "Sorry, bad question. I mean, I'm not buying anyone qi crystals or I'd be recreating crystalliers. Does Krysal really have training programs anymore?"

  "Not as many as we might want," Krainuun answered, smiling again. "Some schools run by nobles have shuttered, and the new ones starting up are limited. Whether children want to be scholars, merchants, or hunters, they do need an education."

  "So... we set up something like a school, free for select students. We let the honest claimants join, but we also invite a bunch of others in need. Enough that others don't think they need to lie about me fathering their children, they can just ask to join. Do you have other children who could use a school?"

  "Far more than I can manage, sadly."

  "Then could this really happen?" Kai sat forward, looking over all the papers and considering the details. "You need money, obviously, but I have money. Probably best not to involve any factions, make this a neutral place. We'd need people to manage the school..."

  Krainuun gave him another small smile. "I think I might be able to find someone."

  So they discussed the details, starting with Kai setting up an endowment fund worth a million Goralian Eagles. He was actually running through all the money he'd earned on Cloudspire, but what worth was gold if he didn't spend it? Given his current strength, it would be easy to make more, and many of the things he needed now couldn't be purchased with coin.

  As they discussed the other details of founding a school, Kai kept coming back to that figure of one million. Almost eight years ago, when his future in Goralia had been dead, he'd considered rumors that in the Krysal City States, you could buy nobility for a million Eagles. How strange that he had basically destroyed that nobility and here he was, handing over that sum of money to Krysal for entirely different reasons.

  Yet it was fitting, going full circle in a way that he hadn't even realized he needed. His childhood had been radically altered by Gunjin Granfian taking him in. For a time he had been bitter about being rejected, but Kai accepted that he was fortunate to receive all of that training.

  Now he was founding an orphanage of his own, even if it would include more than orphans. He couldn't afford to spend much time there, not when he already had his students and there were so many other things to draw his time. But he hoped that it would make a difference for all the others who came after him.

  "Thanks for helping with all of this," Kai said once they had the basics sorted out.

  "You just handed me a million Eagles," Krainuun said, "I should be thanking you."

  "No, truly. I feel that I should take responsibility in a direct way, but I'm going to be throwing this on you again. I know I should stay, but most likely something will come up again..."

  "Hasn't it already?"

  "What now?" Kai glanced across the table. "This isn't another Irunian thing, is it?"

  "Not at all." Krainuun steepled his fingers and regarded him over them. "Wasn't the basis of your agreement with the Frontier elites that your work in Irun and Krysal would be evaluated? I may not be privy to such details, but it seems to me that you have done well, and in that case, you will begin working with them more directly. I imagine they might be busy these days."

  Kai had been so distracted by his priorities, not to mention problems like Yuinafal and the radical factions, that he hadn't even really been thinking about that. He was one of the Frontier elites for real now... he didn't know what all that meant, but it definitely included even greater responsibility as the incursion rolled toward them.