Chapter 9: ~Three pets!~ (2/2)

“Relationship!” “~Relationship?~”

I turn with a grin while I try to burn Celestial's expression into my memory!

Then I leave the room and walk towards the kitchen. I like to cook from time to time, so I had one made for me. After I throw everything into the automatic cleaner, I turn again and head towards my basement.

Everything in my house is enchanted in one way or the other. I couldn't stand the medieval life any more. Although everything works with magic, I guess I would have a hard time to explain everything if the Inquisition from the Academy would show up.

Magical artefacts are seen with suspicion. They require extensive scientific knowledge about the world. A properly educated archmage from the academy would scream for blood after spending a little time in my house.

But I hope that it won't cause a problem if someone just takes a fast look. Sarah didn't complain about anything so far and I tried to make it look normal. She hasn't that much magic ability and never visited the Academy. So she has no idea of what's within the capabilities of a normal noble mage and what's not.

In my basement I open the heavy iron door to my laboratory. It can only be accessed if you draw the correct symbol onto the door. I chose an omega, symbolizing the end. Because the stuff behind this door will end the ignorance in this world.

Behind the door are various machines which I started working on. They are all hybrids between magical and scientific knowledge. Although I emphasized the point that everyone should be able to use them. Most of the people in my valley have no magical abilities.

But once my dabbling in forbidden knowledge becomes known to the world my subjects will have to be able to stand up and fight for themselves.

For the time being most of the artefacts here are for agricultural purposes. The biggest weakness of my principality is food. We are dependant on external sources. So I will have to introduce greenhouses. That requires an extensive glass production first, which I already instructed my employees with.

Then the machines and light-sources to create the needed environment. There are plants and animals up here which thrive despite the cold weather. Unfortunately none of them are a proper food source.

Then I will work on a fleet of fisher-boats. I am not sure but on most other worlds the cold oceans were rich with maritime life. If we could get proper access to that food source I would have one problem less.

I enter another room in my basement and close the door behind me. Then I turn towards my test subject which is chained to the wall on the other side of the room. He is gagged and starts to wriggle in his chains as he sees me.

Den informed me of his capture when i returned home.

“Dear friend. I am sorry that I couldn't talk to you earlier. You see, my men explained to me that you were lingering close to my property for a long time. Suspiciously long. So they decided to catch you for further investigations.” I grab a chair and pull it in front of the man to sit down.

By closing my eyes I begin to concentrate on his mind. But he seems to be trained in evading mind magic. So I start to probe his memories with brute force while he twitches a little in his chains.

Looks like he doesn't have much magic power...... He was sent by the Phenex Empire? I stab a little deeper and see flashes of his school life. Too deep. A little later....

*******

I am standing in a long row with other people. We are at a port and not far away are the merchant ships which will take us to our destination. The ships carry a familiar flag. A highly decorated general starts to walk up and down in front of us.

“The immortal Empress wishes for information about the main continent! Gather every detail like you have learned. We need to know their population centres, their magical knowledge, resource locations. Investigate their noble families and their abilities! Everything that's valuable for the coming w....”

*******

”AAaaahh!”

A sharp pain stabs into my mind and I fall out of my chair. What happened? Why? Ow, man! My head hurts like it's splitting apart!

I grab the chair to right myself and realize that my test subject is hanging limp in his chains. His head is bend in an awkward angle.

Did he break his own neck to avoid the interrogation! Ow! Bastard! Being in someone’s mind while he dies isn't pleasant at all.

Graah! Everything is spinning! Impossible to cast healing magic like that.

I get to my feet and touch the prisoners chest in order to feel for the elusive something which is called the soul. It's there! A fading light which always evades my grasp.

This mystery called soul. I want to decipher it! Why am I the only one who remembers his past lifes? Am I damned to wander the eternity forever alone? Why is everyone else allowed to take the easy way out while I am not!

I reach for the fading light but then it's gone completely.

“Come back you bastard!” I scream at the dead body! Suicide is cheating! Fucker!

For someone to break his own neck against those chains deliberately! Next time I have to bury them in sand.

I turn and stagger back towards the exit. Headaches! That will cause me quite some headaches! Oooh... tomorrow will be such a pain! The magical backslash of the death of a mind always has nasty side-effects.

Maybe I will stay in the bed tomorrow......

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