Benoit arrived with Mikaela's group to the town and found it had changed quite a lot in just the month since he had been gone.

  New building projects were starting. There were scaffolds and men working on clearing the forest. Something large loomed in the air, yet all the people looked uneasy rather than enthusiastic.

  Not a good first impression, Benoit thought. It looked like the people were slaving away for some noble's vanity project.

  He turned to Mikaela but found her eyes gleaming.

  "Amazing. Do you feel it?" Mikaela asked her second-in-command, who was walking beside her.

  "Feel what?" he replied.

  Benoit also wondered what Mikaela was talking about.

  "The disgusting feeling that is always present back in our homeworld. The oppressive feeling of being pushed into the ground, the stifling air. None of it is here." Mikaela continued.

  Now that Benoit thought about it, he had felt it when he had just arrived, yet he soon forgot about the observation as Oran had shot an arrow to scare him.

  Mikaela's men all took deep breaths; some even closed their eyes to try to feel the change she was talking about.

  Soon they all realized she was correct.

  "New recruits, or enemies?" A voice asked from somewhere in the deep green of the forest they had just come from.

  "New recruits, hopefully." Benoit answered honestly, as he recognized the voice of Oran. Not even could find Oran in a forest, as it was truly a hunter's domain.

  Mikaela and her men reached for their hidden weapons automatically, but as the figure of Oran appeared from thin air, they all soon relaxed.

  Oran was smiling, yet his eyes never truly left Mikaela. He could tell the difference between prey and predator, and so he was still vigilant.

  "Do you want to introduce them to the king or the god?" Oran asked with a joking tone.

  The color on Mikaela's face suddenly turned paler at the mention of a god. Benoit cursed inwardly.

  "Mikaela, he talks of our benefactor. He is not a god, but he does provide food and help in many different ways. Some have taken to calling him a "god," but he is a living creature."

  Mikaela, not truly satisfied with the answer, replied:

  "Then show me." Her eyes were defiant, and she was challenging Benoit. Benoit figured she'd turn tail and run if he did not introduce her to Mafu.

  But then Oran said something ridiculous.

  "Well, you can't meet the King. He was invited to a dragon's nest by a dragon yesterday and left this morning. But Mafu is always here, so feel free." Oran, still holding his bow, was now pointing them towards the town.

  "A dragon?!" Both Benoit and Mikaela blurted out at the same time.

  Dragons were beings that did not meddle in mortal affairs. They were present in Dolorans' world as well, although they were rarely seen. It was said that to kill a dragon, the entire world should be ready to die in flames.

  That was the hardship of fighting a dragon.

  Benoit knew that dragons lived in the eastern mountain range of the valley, yet he had only seen one flying high up in the sky once since he had entered this world.

  Oran laughed a deep, raspy laugh. It was characteristic of orcs, a sort of laugh that started in the throat.

  "It was quite the shock when it arrived. I bet that if I were a hundred levels higher, my arrows would still bounce off that dragon without it even noticing."

  Benoit now understood the uneasiness of the people. Why start building something as big as this if they had to move? Who was to say the dragons would not attack them if they stayed?

  As far as Benoit knew, the orcs had never had any contact with the dragons. The dwarves had said nothing of it as well when they planned their new iron mines along the eastern mountains.

  While everyone was busy thinking about this topic, they arrived at the town's gates. They were let in after a few words and went to where Mafu was.

  Mafu's central mushroom, the one that people often talked to even though Mafu could talk to them telepathically throughout the territory, had a new building erected around it.

  It was made of both stone and wood, and it was an audience all.

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  There was no door, and as they entered the large decorative archway, Benoit wondered how they had managed to make this in a month.

  The inside was that of a cathedral of sorts. It was not as spacious as the cathedrals Benoit had seen in the old world, and the furnishings were simple.

  Mafu's main mushroom was located at where the altar would be in a cathedral. On the sides, stone pillars held up an arched roof.

  The windows were arched as well, although they all had wooden panels instead of the stained glass windows usually found in cathedrals.

  Mikaela and her men had fallen silent as they entered the audience hall, but as they walked up, they were also frantically looking around to spot any threats around them.

  Mikaela's eyes fell upon the large mushroom, with its cap shifting in red as if flames were licking the surface of it. It had a thick stem, white as snow, which seemed unfitting to the dark red cap.

  Mikaela looked at Benoit with a look that said, "What am I supposed to do?"

  Then, Mafu spoke to them. Unlike holding back the effect like Mafu usually did, he did not block any of what came over the mental link.

  Benoit tasted the dirt of the forest, felt the smell of rotting plants, and heard the chittering of insects as if they were next to him. Benoit had experienced mental intrusion from Taressa before, so he managed to stand on his own feet.

  The rest of the group fell to their knees, except for Benoit and Oran.

  "Welcome, visitors from another world. I am Mafu."

  Benoit smiled slightly at Mikaela and the others. They looked as if they were going to be sick, but Mafu had already started removing some of his influence over the mental link.

  Soon, Mikaela raised her head and spoke out loud.

  "T-thank you, I am Mikaela. I own and run businesses among the western cities, both in the shade and in the light."

  Benoit felt Mafu's mind slightly touch on his, and he saw images of the meeting with Mikaela in Doloran's world flash before his eyes. He did not resist the intrusion, knowing it would only cause pain.

  "Ah. An information broker, an owner of gambling dens, and an organizer of illegal activities. You seem... useful." Mafu had removed nearly all of the influence from his telepathy. But his voice was another thing.

  Since Benoit had known him, Mafu had always had a scary voice. It sounded like what Benoit thought an earth elemental would sound like if it could speak. If that earth elemental was also diseased. Somehow.

  "Yes, have you already talked to Benoit?" Mikaela asked.

  "I looked in his mind," Mafu said.

  Mikaela's face paled again. Reading minds was a rare ability, and she was not sure she could hide any information she wanted.

  Mafu saw the change in Mikaela and added.

  "I will not look in your mind should you not agree to it. I am the one asking for help to get new citizens. Reading minds is reserved for when I have to."

  Mikaela relaxed, but Benoit inwardly felt slighted. He had his mind read when he arrived. But then he calmly sorted it out in his mind.

  He had been a stranger, an assassin, coming to this world without any warning. Mikaela had been recommended by him, so she, of course, was not the same as when he had arrived.

  "What is it that you wish for us to do exactly? And more importantly, for what price?" Mikaela asked.

  Mafu laughed, an uncomfortable sound when transferred over the link. At least, Benoit thought that was a laugh.

  "A businesswoman. This makes it easier. I will guarantee the people living in the Amanita kingdom food, a place to live, and work to be done. I will endeavor to give access to luxuries and facilities that will enrich those people's lives." Mafu waited for the words to sink in for a second and then continued:

  "But as you know, nothing comes for free. I have little need for gold or trinkets; I am not a human and thus do not have the same desires. I wish to spread. Grow. I wish to cover the world with my mycelium network. I need the help of people to do this."

  Mikaela looked troubled. As she was thinking over what Mafu had said, the hall had fallen silent.

  "But, in that case, we would not know the deal we signed. Say you wish for us to enter a war; we would have to offer up our lives? While we would pay quite a bit to live a safe life free of fear and poverty, paying with our lives would make that moot."

  "You are right; I cannot give you what I require of you, as it might change in a year or two. However, I can say I will not require anyone to fight an offensive war. Defensive wars, of course, are another matter. If we are invaded, everyone must protect their home. My goals are aligned with people."

  Mikaela had now sat down on one of the benches present in front of the mushroom. She was focused.

  "You say your goals are aligned with people. But what if the people revolt? What if they start burning your... network? No one is entirely benevolent."

  "If they burn me, it means I have failed. Although burning specifically would be entirely ineffective. My territory, the Amanita kingdom, only has beneficial effects for those who consider it a home. To be honest, even now, you could kill me easily. I have little fighting power. My power lies in a supporting role."

  "You say 'your territory,' but I have heard mention of a king as well. Who is the real ruler?"

  "My skills allow me to select a king. I have selected King Jod. He will rule the people, make laws, and govern the land. I will of course have opinions to give, as I am linked to his mind through the king selection. But as long as the people are content and healthy, I truly have no wish to govern people."

  Mikaela thought for a while, and then she chuckled a slight bit.

  "I see why some call you 'God.'" This is what all the kings claim. That the heavens chose them to rule."

  "I do not know about the heavens, but I am more of a 'ground' type being." Mafu answered in jest.

  "So, last question, what would I and my men do specifically?" Mikaela seemed to have relaxed quite a bit during the talk.

  "I abhor slavery. It is one of the rules I will have a say in. No slavery will be allowed in the Amanita kingdom. Yet it also provides an opportunity. That opportunity is for you and your men to free slaves, people living in slums, and other outcasts of society. Lead them here."

  "Most outcasts, slum dwellers, and slaves aren't great workers, you know?"

  "Of course. Would you want to work while starving and whipped? Here they will be my people and cared for as any of my people are. I implore you to visit with the people here, go to the bathing facility, and ask them how they feel about this town and kingdom."

  "You will treat them as full citizens?" Mikaela asked in a shocked tone.

  "Why not? Are they different from you or any other person?"

  This caused another silence to fall over the hall.

  "Sorry. No, they aren't. I was raised as a child of a baron. I thought I had cast off any teachings I had from then, but apparently I have not." Mikaela took a deep breath and then continued.

  "Very well, I and my men will join you. I will request you build us a few houses for us to live in and a headquarters in this world. And provide all the necessary funding and equipment, but we will help you with finding slaves, slum dwellers, and outcasts who wish to leave Doloran's world."