Chapter 596 (1/2)

They settled in a small tea house in the largest border town in the Spriggit branch. Around them, Spriggits talked quietly with White Hunters and a strange lizardman style creature that seemed to be some descendant of the monster race that was rather populous in the area. The server didn’t bat an eye at either of their appearances, although there weren’t any real humans in the area. They were too large to be spriggit, and too… harmless looking to be descended from the monster race.

It was with some chagrin that Randidly realized they likely looked most like some of the smooth-skinned Aether Thralls that the Creature had used to invade. As was the usual occurrence, Randidly had grown caught up in other things and had lost touch with a lot of what went on within his Soul Skill. But it seemed that it was largely peaceful, aside from the usual power struggles over land.

“It’s been about 250 years in here, although I slept for most of it,” Lucretia said quietly, watching him with some amusement. “They wouldn’t recognize us really… you know, in the religious sect, the Progenitor and the Great Mother are now just distant figures, behind the savior that let them weather the great Reckoning where the land split and the World Tree Yggdrasil grew to protect the people from the Deepness. There is quite a bit of disagreement over the Savior’s race.”

Randidly raised his eyebrows. “Are they talking about Tziech?”

Shrugging, Lucretia said, “Well, in part. But there is also a good case that they are speaking of the Thief. They talk of how the savior fought his way to the Architect on the Deepness and slew them. Then the savior returned and lead the people into an era of prosperity in the midst of great adversity. Oh, and the Rock Golems still believe their own version, where their emperor descended and gave his two weapons to a ‘prophet’ and that is why the war was won…”

Thinking of something, Randidly looked at Lucretia. “Is the Thief-?”

“She died. She fell in love and hung up her cloak and dagger. She worked on a farm for 40 years after she left the seat of power of the Spriggit’s. She lived to see her great-grandchildren. Actually, that’s why I brought you here. Our server is one. His name is Zeke. Spelled differently, but-”

As if on cue, the young man showed up at their table, a smile on his face. “Welcome! Are you ready to order?”

But when Randidly looked at him, even with his special vision, he could only see a sliver of this boy’s namesake and great-grandmother. All people are shaped by context. This Zeke had never struggled. To think the blood of those who had sacrificed themselves for Randidly would turn out like this...

It was hard to handle the strange dissatisfaction that he felt looking at him, but Randidly was as polite as possible. After they had tea, both sat a little straighter. It was time for business.

“We have been connected… for several months of real time, but it feels much much longer than that,” Lucretia seemed to admit while wincing. “But… if my understanding of our situation is correct, I am able to leave when you return to Cohort 5. I will leave at that time.”

Randidly looked at Lucretia. She looked back, strands of her lilac hair falling around her face.

That was that, he supposed.

They discussed the details and parted with an understanding that she would bear no ill will towards him for what he had done. To Randidly’s surprise, he believed her. Or perhaps he simply wanted to. Either way, he didn’t want to consider the fact they might need to fight. It would be difficult on multiple levels, not the least of which was that Lucretia knew basically every trick he had.

When he arrived back at the farming compound, de facto Erickson Steel headquarters, there were documents to sign and decisions to make. Tatiana and Dinesh were still out training her up to fighting shape, so Randidly promoted both of them without waiting for their consent. Then he went down to talk to Gregory and Sonya who reported on the progress of the dozen steelworkers that were starting to work in the furnaces in the caverns he had hollowed out. Most seemed to prefer the open air above while the forged. It made them feel less like they were warping into dwarves.

These were built mostly by accident when Randidly underestimated how much the tract of land weighed. And because he overestimated the structural integrity of the walls. He didn’t have any real training in construction but thought that the amount of ground he had destroyed with Earthquake gave him enough knowledge to eyeball it. It hadn’t worked out, and a portion had caved in.

So now Randidly had to talk with an architect or the young woman with bright pink hair that passed for one at Tatiana’s compound. Luckily, Randidly could have roots stick directly up from the spots that marked the edges of the underground caverns so they could see what areas were above the place they had planned to install the furnaces.

It turned out quite a bit of the farm and furnace was above that area. So Randidly had to decide whether to shift the furnaces, which they had just finished bringing gas and air lines down to help with the lightning process and ventilation. But then Randidly had a vision of his company being built in a large crater made up of slowly descending circles of stone. And at the center…