While I probably won’t use the barriers that the book talks about, it will give me ideas to improve those barriers. Not that I plan to go upgrading the enchantments anytime soon, I have other things to do first. Just as Zamart and I are about to finish eating, Lin and Bella enter the room.

  Lin says “Ash! Why didn’t you tell me when you arrived?!”

  “You were busy and it would have been rude to interrupt.”

  Bella blushes a little when she hears that, but she still sits down at the table next to Zamart. Lin comes over and gives me a long kiss before sitting down next to me. As soon as the two of them are seated, sprites come in bearing trays of food for the two of them and another serving for me.

  Lin says “So, is this just a normal visit or did you need something?”

  “I am heading to the southern empire to establish a permanent gate and wanted to see if you want to come with me. Also, quite a few of the summoned have decided they want to return to Earth. So you will need to take a break from your reading to go assist them. However, I also wanted to ask Bella if she would be willing to give them some tattoos before they return.”

  Bella says “Sure!”

  “Great. That should help improve their survival chances. We will need to create some new tattoos, but I already have the enchantments planned out.”

  Lin says “Survival chances? I didn’t think that your world was that dangerous?”

  Bella says “It isn’t. Why do they need tattoos to survive?”

  “For normal people it isn’t very dangerous, but for those who are different it is another story. Those returning are going to have to be very, very careful or they are going to end up either killed and dissected or used as lab rats.”

  Bella says “Oh! That’s what you meant. Is it really that big of a deal?”

  “If they lose everything that they gained here, then no. But if they keep their abilities and the stats gained from classes, then yes. It will be a huge deal because they are likely beyond what can be considered a normal human. That would make them very valuable to governments and corporations that are working on supersoldier projects. Not to mention, the governments wouldn’t want them telling others that there are other worlds out there.”

  Lin says “So, it isn’t the world that worries you, it is the humans of your old world?”

  “Yes, very much so.”

  Bella says “When you put it that way, I completely agree. If nothing else, they would be locked up to keep them from causing a disturbance. What kind of tattoos did you plan for me to give them to help?”

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  “Ideally, I want to create an enchantment that will generate mana even in an area void of mana, but I doubt it will work. Failing that, tattoos that can store mana will be the next best bet. I am fairly sure Earth doesn’t have mana, so they will only have what they can take with them.”

  Lin says “I will do my best to help you develop the enchantments. Is there anything more than that that I can do?”

  “You will probably need to help Bella with the tattoos. We are talking about multiple tattoos on a group of people. I also wanted to ask, Bella, would you be willing to train some more people to be tattoo artists?”

  Bella says “Sure, I can do that, but can I ask why? Am I not doing enough tattoos?”

  “It’s not that. I want to give tattoos to the army, but I didn’t think you would want to do tens of thousands of tattoos all on your own.”

  Bella says “You are right, that would be a little much for just me and Lin. At least for us to do in a short amount of time.”

  “Oh, that reminds me. Are you going to want to go back with the others? Or have you decided to stay here?”

  Bella smiles at Lin and says “I will be staying here. Even if this is a dream, it is one that I don’t ever want to wake up from.”

  “That’s good. I am glad that you found happiness.”

  Lin smiles at both of us and says “We all make each other happy. We are lucky that we all managed to meet each other. Especially when you consider that we are from two different worlds. I sometimes wonder if either of you think differently of me since I am a native of this primitive world.”

  “Not me. If anything I think better of you for not being from our world. Our world is corrupt and a lot of the people in it are too.”

  Bella says “I have never even thought about it to be honest. All I know is that I am extremely happy that you summoned me to this world, if this isn’t a dream. If it is a dream I am going to murder whoever wakes me up.”

  That makes all of us laugh, including Zamart who has just been sitting to the side listening. He has finished eating, but he hasn’t left yet, probably due to his curiosity. Not that I have any room to judge anyone about their curiosity considering how bad mine is.

  “So, getting back on topic, I take it you don’t mind training some people for the army?”

  Bella says “No, not at all. Who should I pick from?”

  “Anyone who has the artistic talent needed and is willing. All they need is to have mana to run the tattoo gun, so beastmen who have gone through the process and any of the humans will work.”

  Bella says “Alright, I can work with that. How many do we need to train?”

  “I will need a lot, but you only need to train a couple if you can get them to the point that they can train others. I will be making more tattoo guns as soon as I have a spare minute. I will also move the castle to the trade city once the gate is up and running.”

  Bella says “Okay, I will start looking for potential students.”

  Lin says “Good! I miss the kids! I don’t know what you have been doing with them, but they haven’t visited in a while.”

  “Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you about the elemental planes.”

  Lin gives me an impatient look so I quickly start telling her about visiting the elemental planes. Then I explain how I built gates to them and then figured out how to make connections for training areas. I also tell her about how the connections upgraded the level of the castle and got me in trouble.

  Next I tell her about the situation in the empire and my current plans for the army. I also describe the battle that we just went through in the north of the empire and the results. This finally clues her in to why I asked her about barriers and how it all worked out, since I didn’t give her much information at the time.