“Excuse me? Just like that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Our Device has allowed the Gods to keep us informed about the state of their matters. Over the centuries, this has allowed us to form a general idea. Which is also why we spend so much effort to keep the Demigods out of our borders.”

  Alaster was intrigued, “You have a way to keep the Demigods out?”

  King Heradon tossed his head from side to side, “Kinda? We just have a way to detect them within our borders and can make it very difficult for them to move around. Essentially, they can still enter and do pretty much anything they want, we have just made it too much effort to do so. They pretty much leave us alone. Something that is a double-edged sword.”

  “In what way?”

  “Well, the Demigods take it upon themselves to protect the continent from various matters, much too varied to explain. It can be anything from Dimensional Rifts to Eldrich beings, to Dungeons, to dragons migrating.

  However, since the Demigods do not enter our borders, we must take care of such matters ourselves.”

  Alaster nodded to himself, causing the Minion he was possessing to do the same, “What do you mean by Zalar will now follow me?”

  “The Gods have instructed us to do so, and while we do not like the Demigods for being a bit too self-serving, the Gods themselves, so far, have only put Humanity first. So, we take their suggestions seriously.

  However, before I pledge any troops to your cause, I need a few answers.”

  “I will try to answer honestly.”

  “First, do you have any intentions to destroy the world or cause the deaths of vast amounts of Human, Elf, or Dwarf life?”

  “No more than necessary, if they stay out of my way, I have no desire to kill them. Though I will not hesitate to remove them if they don’t stay out of my way.”

  The King tilted his head once more, something Alaster associated with the King thinking to himself.

  “Fair enough. Second, what are your intentions? What are your plans?”

  “The same as they have always been since I was a small child. Protect my family.”

  “And that has required you so gather such power?”

  “When the threats have continued to grow, so too, must I.”

  “What is the overall threat, and what is the most current threat?”

  “Do I have your word that none of this will be repeated and that you will not interfere?”

  “So long as it does not endanger the people of Zalar, I swear of my Mana Root.”

  Pledging one’s own Magic and their ability to use it. The most trustworthy oath.

  “Very good, now you?” Alaster turned to the Counselor.

  “My life is bound to the King’s word.”

  “No offence to your King, but I do not know him. Nor do I know you.”

  “Alright then. On my Magic Root, I swear not to repeat of anything that has occurred in this hut in any form of language, spoken, written, or signed.”

  “Good, then I will explain myself properly. I believe for the first time actually.”

  Alaster conjured two chairs out of bone, motioning for the Counselor to sit while he sat in the other. King Heradon also sat back down on the couch.

  “When I was a boy, I was a typical child. Running around, laughing, playing with friends. That sort of thing.”

  “Ooh! I love backstories!” King Heradon cried out like a giddy child.

  “Your highness?”

  “Yes Mr.Stranger?”

  “Kindly shut up and let me talk.”

  The King merely smiled.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “Anyway, my family, my father, mother, and younger sister, lived in a remote village of Lissura. None of us were particularly special, that is, until my sister turned ten and her Special Constitution was revealed. That very night, cloaked people broke into our home, killing my parents, stringing them up like puppets, and kidnapped my sister.”

  “Where were you at this time?” The Counselor asked.

  “That night was also the Planting Festival of my village; I was out playing with friends. My sister was tired from the excitement of both the Festival and her Constitution, so my parents took her home first. I returned home just as the Assassins were leaving through a Portal Scroll of some kind.”

  “That matches the style of Lissurian Assassins.” The King muttered.

  “Something that I, as a child did not know. Regardless, the local Lord had branded my family heretics, forcing me to flee before the Knights could come. I spent several days in the wilderness as I attempted to cross the border into the Independent Lands.”

  “How old were you at this time?”

  “Twelve.”

  “Twelve?” The Counselor could not believe it. A small child braving not only the elements, but also the Monsters.

  “I spent some time in Onigas, serving as a bodyguard to the Lord’s daughter. More as a last-ditch human shield as well as friend to the girl. However, on the night of my Fifteenth, the Assassins somehow found me and attacked. While the Lord’s Guards held them off, I was sent away, eventually finding my way to Sicon as I learned my Class.”

  “I made a friend, forming a two person Hunting Party, and gained some levels. But we were separated after a few months by a Monster attack. I then spent the next several years bouncing around from settlement to Dungeon, spending most of my time in the wilderness, surrounded only by my Undead.

  I was always a quiet child, but I figure that my loneliness played a role in my desire for intelligent Undead.

  As I grew in power, I gained the attention of Ebris due to my Class and the way I was advancing it, which in turn gained the attention of the Demigods and even a few wondering Masters. Particularly two Masters. One who taught me Physical Strength, and the other who taught me Magical Strength. The second Master found me someone who could teach me Strategy, but this man wanted to test me first.

  One of these tests involved rescuing Onigas from an ongoing Siege.”

  “That was you?” The King asked.

  “Yep, pretty rude too. The man kicked me out of a flying carriage from several hundred feet up.

  Anyway, I saved Onigas, said hello to a few friends, and went to Galmore. Spent some time there learning. Made some friends. Now I am back in Lissura, serving as diplomat to the Independent Alliance.”

  “So, you are Lord Ashborn?”

  “That is the name I have given myself, yes.”

  “Fascinating.” The King muttered to himself.

  He knew that the man before him, or rather the Minion he was possessing, was not telling the whole truth. Nothing in that story explained just how he had become so powerful to summon countless thousands of Undead throughout the Continent.

  But he did not care. If Ebris, God of the Dead was saying that this man was critical to the survival of the world, then Zalar would assist him.

  “What about your sister?” Counselor Rylock asked, ever the family man.

  “That’s why I am in Lissura. Duke Redmond himself has adopted her, making her believe that our parents had sent her away to the Academy during the night and eventually dying to a plague, myself included.”

  “She does not know you are her brother?”

  “No,” Alaster shook his skeletal head.

  “Then who?”

  “To her, I am a foreign diplomat who just so happened to be friends to her parents. I knew I would not be able to act completely uncaring towards her, so I fabricated a story that would make sense, both to her, and to the other Nobility.”

  “So now that you have found her, what are you going to do?”

  “That is tricky. You see, she genuinely cares for the Duke. She does not know it was he who ordered the death of our parents. And even worse, the Duke’s son, completely independent from any political scheme or order, has begun to court her.”

  “Uggh, drama.” The King groaned.

  “My thoughts exactly.” Rylock agreed, consumed by his own thoughts.

  “At first, I had planned to simply go in, scope out the situation, murder everyone responsible for the death of my parents, rescue my sister, and vanish. Now, there is a lot of baggage I have to sort through. Made worse by a thousand different factors, most recent of which is the Crown Prince having declared his desire to wed her, despite having never met her!”

  “That sounds annoying.”

  Alaster groaned, leaning back in the bony chair, “I would much rather prefer just killing everyone in my way, but no, that would cause even more problems. Before, I had no desire to even encounter the Royal Family, but now it seems more likely that I will have to kill them.”

  “Yeah, that would definitely cause more problems.” The King chuckled.

  “I don’t even know why I am telling you this. I don’t know you.”

  “Oh, I also have a Special Constitution,” The King explained, “It just makes people more trusting of me, nothing great. I doubt you would have told me anything if my Counselor and I had not pledged secrecy.”

  Alaster sat up, “So in all that, how does Ebris think you can help?”

  “Well, why are you sending your Undead throughout the Continent?”

  “To grow stronger. If I do have to fight the Golden Thousand of Lissura, I would prefer to do so as a Master.”

  Counselor Rylock spiraled into a coughing fit while King Heradon sat straight with wide eyes.

  “You mean to tell me, that you are capable of all this, and you are still only an Expert?”

  “Yes.” Alaster said bluntly.

  “Just imagine how powerful he will be when his strength is multiplied by a Masterhood.” Heradon muttered to himself as Rylock controlled his coughing.

  “Lord Ashborn, as you are right now, if you consolidated your power, you could already contend against the Golden Thousand. Certainly not enough to defeat them, but enough to put up a solid fight. I am sure if you were smart about it, you could create a situation where you did not have to fight them all at once either.

  You know this. What other threat are you preparing for?”

  Alaster sighed, thinking for a moment, “You claim to know the Demigods better than most, even other Royalty. Do you really think they would allow someone as powerful as I to grow even more?”

  “Doubtful.”

  “Yes, unfortunately, my sister’s Special Body Constitution is capable of making her vastly more powerful than I, if allowed to grow. I know for a fact that once they discover what she is capable of, they will come to kill her.”

  The King’s mouth fell open, “You…plan to fight those who hold the seed to divinity?”

  “No! Of course not!”

  The King and Counselor let out a collective sigh of relief.

  “I plan to kill them.”

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