Chapter 55: Mechanic and Princess Reunited

Chapter 55: Mechanic and Princess Reunited

Daniel is joined by his entire group of companions outside of the Citadel in an open portion of the field; Hekate, Ryuogriar, Reignleif, Geirahoel, Aoloan, Treia, Gwenesphia, Shek, Skloe, Vaergraes, Thymeria, Illianna, Xyreko, and even Ryukana, the goddess. He worked with Xyreko's golems to set up a nice outdoor pavilion to afford them some shelter from the sun, but still provide the fresh air of the outdoors as he sets up the various new weapons he intends to test. Each one has a slightly different design, based on the mechanism of the element that is used. The fire weapon looks like a wide pipe with a rifle grip, while the water weapon has a sort of hour-glass shape, but stretched long-ways. The ice weapon has a screw-like shape, and the air cannon looks like a trumpet with a strange cap over the end. Daniel and Hekate stage the weapons on a firing bench with a concrete barrier around and behind it. He already had Xyreko's golems test fire the weapons in a sealed environment to make sure the weapons themselves were safe to use, and now is the test to see how they work with a person.

That said, the one he keeps in its case for now is the one he calls a 'rail gun' which uses the lightning crystal.

Vaergraes hovers a little ways behind Daniel and Hekate as they work, remarking gently, “I'm a little surprised, Daniel. I expect you to keep your designs secret.”

“I trust everyone here well enough. You all know my desire is to protect us, and if possible, the world from danger.”RêAd lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only

She nods in agreement. “True.”

“Want to try it out?” asks Daniel as he gestures at the fire weapon.

Vaergraes is surprised, but Hekate pounces in between them. “Nuh-uh! I'm first! I'm Empress and Daniel's wife. I get to go first.”

The others chuckled, and Daniel ruffles her hair, which earns him a glare. “Yes, but everyone else can try them if they want later, right?”

She huffs. “Of course. Our allies and family should be able to protect themselves.”

“Then, go ahead. Remember how to hold the rifle?”

Hekate nods, her big ears perked upright. Daniel doesn’t forget to withdraw safety glasses and earmuffs he made to fit Hekate, even as she bounces excitedly to the bench. She takes position, and she begins aiming the fire weapon as Daniel puts her safety gear on her. He then warns, “Everyone, I don’t think this will be as loud as the rifle, but please remain behind the barrier during firing.”

The members of the group nod together. The dragons are seated with their eggs on comfortable lounge chairs, while Gwenesphia and Treia stand at the corners of the concrete barrier. Shek, Skloe, and Aoloan serve cookies and milk to everyone, less interested in the weapons other than to be part of the group.

Ryukana approaches Daniel, and Hekate watches her suspiciously. “My Lady Goddess,” states Daniel as he bows briefly.

She smirks. “That’s not necessary, Daniel.” She then looks at the various weapons. “You modeled these after the cannon that knocked Reignleif out of the sky?”

Daniel nods. “It relies on the diamond magic crystals, and it dumps a lot of magic power all at once. But, it should prove to be able to stop virtually anything on a relatively small scale. I don’t know what else is out there, but if it can grow stronger by hurting Hekate,...”

Ryukana nods, and Hekate remains quiet. They both know the outcome.

“I could advance the mass production of weapons of this world instead, but given what the Devourer was, I want to make sure we’re prepared.”

Ryukana nods. “I don’t object to the creation of these weapons. Having said that, do be sure not to abuse your position.”

Daniel bows. “I don’t care about power. I only want the people I care about to be safe.”

She smiles, returning to the group to sit next to Ryuogriar, who bows her head politely. Though she behaves like a normal person -if regal and noble-, Ryukana is still a goddess, who can alter the very fabric of the world if she needs to. Daniel doesn’t really care, but he shows her respect. It’s the others -those who know who she is- that show her even more reverence.

Daniel peeks around the barrier, saying as he puts his own safety equipment on. “Ready?”

Everyone nods, checking the others around them. No one objects.

He nods and turns back around, leaning over Hekate and putting his hand on her shoulder. She grins up at him, and he explains loudly to compensate for her earmuffs, “Keep the stock braced sturdy, and don’t lift the hooks over the bench edge. Let the weapon do what it wants.”

She nods. “I remember your pistol,” replies Hekate loudly.

“Whenever you’re ready.”

Xyreko, who is merely represented by a golem, stands on Hekate’s other side. “The third target from the left should provide the best target for fire, Lady Hekate.”

“Thank you!” shouts Hekate, not used to wearing earmuffs. She adjusts her shoulders a little, aiming the weapon, but careful to keep the hooks at the end of the barrel anchored in case the recoil is too much for her. She aims carefully, trying to demonstrate a high level of proficiency with her first shot.

“Firing!” She pulls the trigger, and a puff of fire bursts from the barrel, causing Daniel and Hekate to both flinch. It’s definitely more dramatic looking than they expected, but sure enough, it sends a fireball through the air, which glows a purple-blue color, as it’s not burning a fuel in the way normal fire does, and is sustained by magic primarily.

It hits near the target, bursting a blast of fire like an action movie, and Hekate laughs with giddy guffaws. When some of the fire reaches the target, it bursts in a flare of its own, obviously made to go up quickly.

Daniel asks, “How was it?” It was certainly quieter than his rifle, and it seemed like the recoil was a fair bit lower, even though it projected the fireball quite far.

Hekate nods, grinning up at him. “It was so easy! Did you see!? I hit it!”

Daniel chuckles and pets her head, this time it makes her happy, and her tail sweeps back and forth. “Good work Hekate. Of course, the fireball exploding helped.”

“Then this one is perfect for me! I don’t have to be a good shot! Heeheehee!”

Daniel smirks at her.

He lets Hekate, Gwenesphia, Treia, and Illianna take turns firing the other weapons, which go similarly, but with their specific elements. Because it’s firing a ball of magic flavored with an element of nature, it delivers the elemental magic in a sort of explosion once it reaches its max range. The design of the barrel of the weapon mainly helps focus the element into the magic blend.

Geirahoel approaches Daniel when the others are talking excitedly about the weapons they just used with Shek, Skloe, and Aoloan as well.

“Daniel...?”

“Yes?” asks Daniel gently.

“What if... others use these weapons?”

He nods softly in understanding. “That’s always a risk. But, I want us to be strongest if we can to ensure we can defend ourselves. I don’t think any of these will be instantly lethal to dragons, with the exception of the one in the case. But, I won’t rest until Xyreko and I find a way to protect against it, as well.”

She takes his hand gently, leaning against him for a moment. “Daniel...” She whispers. “C-... Can I make a request?”

“Of course.”

“Th-... The contract...” She trails off.

Daniel gently grips her hand firmly to reassure her, and she looks up at him. “I’ll ask Xyreko to undo it for you three. You should be able to defend yourselves.”

She leans her head against his shoulder, hiding her face. “I... I want you... to trust us... And... I don’t want to hurt you...”

“I know you won’t, and I do trust you. The contract was quick and dirty that worked for the time with minimal consequences. But, you want to be able to defend as well, right?”

She nods against his arm. “I know... you left circumstances for protecting our children, but... I... What if...?”

“‘What if’ indeed. We’ll do it right after this.” He leans close to her ear, whispering softly, “But, if you have the impulse to do something aggressive, please come to me first if you can.”

She looks at him and nods, and he kisses her temple, extracting himself gently to test the rail gun.

Daniel says warmly, “Alright, last but not least, this one won’t fire magic like the others... I hope. It’s what my world called a ‘rail gun’. It’s one of the strongest small arms for soldiers that I know how to make, at least in a rough fashion. So, it’s imperative that everyone stay behind both the concrete and magic barrier, just in case. Alright?”

Everyone but Hekate nods. She follows Daniel, and when he turns to object, she glares up at him. He hesitates, and then with a sigh, simply continues back to the firing bench.

Hekate plops down in his lap. “You’re a wise man, Darling.”

“I couldn’t stop you if I wanted to, but thankfully, you can defend yourself in ways that I can’t.” She nods proudly in response.

They both put their protective gear on, and Hekate gets comfortable in his lap while Daniel pulls the weapon out. He flips two separate safety switches, and then he withdraws the iron slug from the case. He loads it into the weapon, and then locks the weapon closed.

He takes aim, and Hekate leans forward to allow him to lean as well. She gives a thumbs up, and Daniel gives her a thumbs up in return.

He aims at the giant iron golem backed by a boulder that Xyreko gave him permission to use as a target.

Daniel pulls the trigger, and it almost seems like smoke alone bursts from the barrel, but the air distorts as thunder claps, and Hekate jumps in Daniel’s lap. The slug was little more than a piece of iron about the size of a pencil eraser.

“Y-You’re alive! A-... And... You’re a... knight?”

Daniel chuckles. “Nothing that formal, your highness. We’re all mostly just friends...”

“*Cough* Lovers *cough*!” calls out Ryuogriar from her perch, and Daniel shoots her a smirk, but he finishes his thought.

“...who came into control of the Citadel. For formality, Hekate is the Empress.”

“And, Daniel is my Emperor,” adds Hekate proudly, leaning against him for a hug.

Erimaya glances back and forth between them, speechless. Daniel knows how it looks. The Citadel is probably one of the largest castles in the world, if not the largest, and it’s obviously built for dragons -to anyone who doesn’t know that it was actually built for feldroks-. To ‘happen across’ such a gigantic castle, repel a modest -if insufficient- military force with relative ease, and form an alliance with dragons when he himself has no magic sounds like a complete work of fiction.

Erimaya’s eyes begin to water, and suddenly, she hugs Daniel, sobbing as Hekate backs away a step to allow it. The knight whispers, “Princess...!”

Ignoring the armored protector, she whimpers and chokes out, “D-Daniel! I’m sorry for everything! I couldn’t stop them! I couldn’t undo it! I tried, I swear! And...”

Daniel gently hugs her, replying gently, “Shhh, Princess, it’s alright. Everything’s alright. I’m sorry you were worried all this time. There wasn’t any correspondence at all, so I figured I was forgotten, so I walked my own path.”

“NO! That’s not true!” He’s still kneeling, which makes him a little shorter than her, and she backs away, still holding his shoulders as she looks into his eyes with tears still trickling down her cheeks as she sniffles. “You saved my life... I owe you everything, and they treated you like that... I... Please forgive me and the Kingdom of Mornistae. Please don’t seek revenge.”

“That was never a thought in my mind, your Highness. In fact, there’s a saying that was around for a long time in my world. ‘The best revenge is to live your best life.’ Whether I want revenge or not, I’m living a life that makes me happy, here, with all of them. So, there’s no need to worry. We won’t attack Mornistae. We’ll only defend.”

She twitches, realizing that she has heard about the attempts to retrieve him by force. “Y-You don’t... hold a grudge? But, why not tell the soldiers that came for you?”

“I tried to convince them I was dead so they’d stop looking. You have to understand, your Highness. I brought weapons into this world that shouldn’t exist yet. God willing, they never come to existence, but I would be shocked if they never come to be. That said, it’s far too early for them, but I needed them to survive.”

“You saved my life at your own expense, and you didn’t use these weapons on me or my family... Daniel, you don’t have to explain.”

“He didn’t just save a little girl from drowning,” adds Ryuogriar as she approaches gracefully, followed by the other two dragons, all three carrying their eggs. “He defeated the Devourer, a creature that was growing like a plague and devouring this entire continent.”

Erimaya looks at her, glancing briefly at the horns, tail, and finally, the egg, but she says nothing, likely to avoid offending anyone. “The Devourer, you say? I... I’ve never...” She suddenly glances at the three dragons, then Daniel, and finally at Hekate. She backs away from Daniel, bowing to Hekate. “Your Grace! Please forgive me. My emotions got the better of me.”

Hekate snickers deviously. “Heeheeheeheeeee. Fear not, dear Princess. I am far from angry. In fact, I have a different offer for you. As you can see, I am a gracious Empress and wife.” “Not a wife...” interjects Daniel, but she ignores him. “In order to keep my Darling truly invested in protecting this world, this castle, and me and my family, I have permitted him to build a harem.”

Ryuogriar retorts playfully, “I don’t recall asking for your permission, your ‘Greatness’.”

Hekate points at the dragon woman with a feistiness in her tone. “But I’ve allowed it all the same! And, I put up with your insolence!”

“Insolence? I have lived dozens of times longer than you have been alive.” She looks up, clearly instigating Hekate when she adds, “I often fantasize about what might’ve been had Daniel conquered the Citadel and we dragons without you.” She cups her cheek with a suddenly dreamy expression. “Ahhh, yes. We would be wed already...”

Hekate pounces, but Daniel catches her, and she lets him be her hold-back guy. “Let me at her, Daniel! I’m gonna chew her face off! I’m gonna file my teeth on her horns! Don’t stop me!” She swings her arms at Ryuogriar, who doesn’t budge, while also kicking her feet while Daniel suspends her partially.

Then, Daniel sets her down and releases her, and she stares at him blankly. “What are you doing?”

“I’m letting you at her.”

Hekate gapes like a fish for a moment. “You’re not supposed to listen!”

Ryuogriar teases, “Oh? Do you actually mean me no harm, your Greatness?” She pets her egg, completely unconcerned with the threat Hekate poses.

Hekate glances at Daniel, and then at Ryuogriar, and then at Erimaya. She crosses her arms, facing Erimaya. “It’s impolite to fight in front of guests, Ryuo.”

Ryuogriar chuckles, while Geirahoel scoffs and rolls her eyes.

Hekate murmurs, “Where was I...? Oh! Right! So, my offer to you, Princess Erimaya, second Princess of the Kingdom of Mornistae, is if you want, you can be one of Daniel’s mistresses.”

The knight huffs, “What!? You can’t be...” Hekate glares at him, and he instantly flinches. She radiates magical power, but she can disguise it when she’s behaving normally. Just shifting her mood can make her far more intimidating than her small size would normally cause, just as she felt with the Feral Feldrok.

Hekate resumes smiling, looking at Erimaya again. “Your knight’s right, of course. You’re a big important princess, Daniel is a traitor to your kingdom even though he did everything he could to make them stronger.” The young feldrok empress shrugs in a somewhat sarcastic fashion. “He's a commoner emperor and I'm a former slave empress. I like the approach dragons take. If we're all happy together, then that's the best."

Erimaya listens, but she doesn’t speak right away. Because of what happened and the investigation that followed, her betrothal was withdrawn. And, she refused to participate in any matchmaking after what they did.

Daniel kneels to be closer to her level again. "Princess, before Hekate says anything else, let me just clarify. There is no debt. There are no hard feelings. We'll see you home safely today, since I can't imagine you were allowed to come all this way. Am I right?"

She fidgets, mumbling something as quietly as she can.

He chuckles. "Let me correct myself. I know you are here without permission or blessings from your parents, let alone Rikuto and Heralesse."

She looks away from him.

"Princess, I believe Hekate believes what she's saying, and honestly, I'm a believer, too. I am happy. Didn't think this would be my thing, but we have fun together, we eat together..."

"Save the world together," adds Ryuogriar.

"Read together," adds Reignleif softly.

"Defend our home together," chimes in Geirahoel.

"Play together," states Hekate happily. Daniel’s thankful no one is directing hostility at Erimaya, but he's trying gently not to sell the lifestyle to a princess who is still important to her family lineage, especially while she's so young.

To curtail them from continuing, Daniel redirects. "Princess, we all came together because we had very little or nothing to lose, and now we have each other. You still have quite a bit to lose, not least of which is your rank, possibly your family if they were to cut ties, and any friends you have in the east. Don’t think too hard. You’re going home. And, while I don’t feel the need for one, I accept your apology. Thank you for making the trip out here. If you could, please pass these sentiments to everyone else.”

Hekate adds, “The Fievegal has no enemies right now. We’re only trying to settle in and defend ourselves. The troops we captured will be returned to the east later this week.”

Erimaya nods as she listens to Hekate, and then looks at everyone around her. It’s beginning to sink in that Daniel really is surrounded by a strange group, but none of whom are hostile. She knew the risk coming this far. And, she knows the people in this room alone could destroy a kingdom, if not the entire alliance.

She looks up at Daniel with a pleading expression. “Daniel -no-, Emperor Daniel...”

“Please don’t be so formal with me.”

She takes a breath and smiles. “Very well, but only if you refer to me by name as well.”

Daniel hesitates for a moment, but he nods. “If that’s what you want, Erimaya.”

She grins, glancing at Hekate to make sure she’s not crossing any lines. Hekate is content, simply standing proudly.

Erimaya adds brightly as she points at Daniel. “Daniel, you promised to take responsibility for what you did. So, you have to stay friends with me. And, if no one else will have me, you have to accept me when I’m of marrying age.”

Daniel chuckles in exasperation, and Hekate cackles in amusement. However, she turns fiery when she points at Erimaya. “I’ll allow you to be a mistress. But, don’t forget, I’m his first and favorite wife.”

Erimaya smiles at Hekate. “I will accept you as first, your Grace. But, with respect, Daniel will choose his favorite.”

“Erimaya, have you ever played the Hekate game?” asks Daniel.

The rest of his companions, including Hekate, laugh as Erimaya glances around innocently. She blushes, squeaking, “W-What’s the Hekate game?”

Hekate puts her arm around Erimaya’s shoulders like a long-time friend. “Allow me to explain, my dear Princess Erimaya...”

***