It didn’t take long, as after a few days past, we managed to rescue the people held captive and finished taking care of the pirates. Some came to be tried, hoping to survive another day, while others had gone down fighting. The Duke’s forces were handling the processing of both, ensuring the captives were sent home and the pirates were prepared for transport to the Flameheart domain’s capital planet. I, along with Alexander, Duke Bartholomew, and Oliva were meeting with the Viscount who seemed to let the pirates just reside in his domain. However, I don’t believe I needed much more proof, as his main planet seemed to be poorly defended. With the others on the bridge of my commanding ship, I mentioned, “I think they were forced. Look at their fleet, it’s a mess. Wait, are these ships battle scared?” It made sense, maybe the pirates were raiding the domain every so often. Duke Bartholomew said, “Hm, I wouldn’t take it at face value, it could be a show.” I shook my head, “This makes you seem weak, not just to pirates, but to other nobles and your people. This wouldn’t fly for long under normal situations.”

  Alexander spoke, “I asked about their ships, seems like the pirates have been on them constantly, they barely have any craft still at peak function anymore.” Olivia replied, “Most of the crews aren’t even properly trained… it’s a mess in there.” I looked to the planet, my concerns rose, “Merlin.” Merlin, who had prepared a body for this situation, approached, “Sir?” I asked, “Can you prepare care packages? If they’re this bad with their ships, I can’t even fathom what the people are suffering from.” Merlin replied, “I understand, I’ll check our stockpiles for food and medical supplies, should I get construction materials prepared as well?” I nodded, “Of course, infrastructure needs to return, or else nothing changes.” Merlin got to work, Duke Bartholomew said, “You’re a saint, young Aurelian. I doubt many in your situation would do this for people he has no connection with.” I shook my head, “It’s not about being a saint or not… I saw the horrors that came from Providence first hand… all the blood on my hands due to overconfidence. I won’t let people suffer when I can easily handle it myself.” I shouted to Merlin, “Merlin, make use of the warp gate if we get clearance, we need to ensure supplies arrive immediately.”

  Merlin replied, “Understood sir, working swiftly.” It wasn’t long before someone said, “We’ve gotten clearance to land, beginning descent.” As we descended, I made sure to mention, “Be weary, we aren’t sure of the Viscount’s allegiance. While we’ll be guarded, it won’t be clear until we get the full story. Joan, be ready for anything.” Joan bowed, “Understood, sir. We have every precaution prepared.” Duke Bartholomew asked, “You know, I never seen a knight like her, where did you find her?” Joan replied, “Knight in training, I returned to defend the domain once I heard it was under threat. Though, for the time being, I’d rather keep my upbringing a secret.” Duke Bartholomew nodded, “I understand, I’ll put in a good word with your academy, though. Your skills, along with those with you, put some of my own men to shame.” I mentioned, “There’s no need for that, Duke Bartholomew. Joan is more of a “prove our skills” individual, isn’t that right, Joan.” Joan replied, “That is true sir, actions speak louder than words after all.” As we descended, casual conversation filled the bridge, overall relaxing us before we needed to be stiff. It was nice, especially since it let us know just a little bit more about each other.

  ~~~

  When we disembarked from the ship, I realized we landed right next to the mansion, which had clearly seen better days. The Viscount, someone who seemed dangerously skinny, said, “Duke Bartholomew, it’s an honor to meet you.” As he shook the Duke’s hand, he looked to me, “You must be Viscount Flameheart, you have no idea how much the loss of your father hurt us. Tell me, did you ever find the one who killed him?” I nodded, shaking his hand, “He’s been captured, he’s going to be taken to trial on father’s planet, justice will be served.” I could tell he seemed visibly relieved, “Thank you, Goldtooth was a scourge we just couldn’t fight against. Maybe now we can rebuild.” I asked, “How much money do you even receive?” The Viscount shook his head, “We take enough for the essentials, but we lack the means to revitalize the planet.” I said, “I have materials, foodstuffs, and medicine being prepared. If you’d like, I can get some people to work on bringing your domain’s vitality back.” The viscount, his face clearly showing his shock, “But… don’t you find us at least a little suspicious since the pirates resided within my domain?” I motioned to his body, “You’re malnourished, it shows you’re willing to help others before yourself. If you were obese in this situation, I’d be more skeptical.”

  The viscount seemed to break down, his voice quivering, “Please, send aid to my people, they’ve held out for so long.” I nodded, “I’ll do it immediately then.” I spoke, clearly, “Activate the warp gate, prioritize food and medicine first, make sure it’s easy for malnourished individuals to eat too.” It didn’t take long for the warp gate to appear, seems like they were waiting on me to open it, but had it charged long before we landed. The viscount, unknowing of a warp gate, fell to the ground, “What in the world is that!?” I lifted him from the ground, “A warp gate, what would’ve took a few weeks will happen in a few hours. You’re people will be cared for.” Merlin, oddly enough, came to the Viscount with bread and soup, “Viscount, you’re vitals are quite precarious, eat.” He shook his head, “I cannot, my people are starving, I cannot eat unless they do.” Merlin retorted, “If you fall ill, your people will grow worried and stressed, making it harder for them to recover. Focus on your health for the moment, then you can worry about others.” The Viscount, hesitant, took the soup, “Thank you, just make sure my people are well fed.” Joan leaned into my ear, “The oni have checked their databases, there have been no recent deletions of information, and all evidence points to being essentially held hostage.”

  I nodded, whispering back, “Then be at ease, we’ll remain for while to keep the peace, then we head to father’s capital. I… I want to visit mom and dad’s graves.” Joan replied, “Understood, sir. On that note, it seems the Count who’s taken temporary leadership says he’s awaiting your arrival.” With that, I realized I may have angered him if I pushed off his messages. Though, with things as they were, I truly couldn’t make time for a visit, even if I wished to do so. I sighed, “I better be ready to apologize then, not like I was easy to converse with a decade ago.” Suddenly, I was swept up in busy work and noble duties, and I wasn’t even done with the first leg of my training yet… at least officially. I don’t know what my future holds, but I needed to finally begin planning further than a few years out. Things change on a dime, but I need something of a long term goal to focus on, even if that thing is impossible right now. I shook my head, I needed to focus on the now, “Joan, get the knights and get us ready to help with handing out food. Get some to work with the medical personnel to ensure they remain safe.” Joan nodded, “Understood sir.” I was going to help, I was originally from Earth after all, and the best way to say we were there for them is to actively be there.

  ~~~

  After a few days, and everything was properly established, we used the warp gate to head to father’s capital planet. Looking over the planet, I spoke with a familiarity, “It’s been half a century since I’ve been here… dad was alive then, now he isn’t… I wonder how much has changed.” Duke Bartholomew, who I hadn’t noticed entered the room I was in as I looked to the planet, said, “Change is normal, good and bad, but it’s up to you on how to take advantage of it.” After jumping a little, I turned to him, “This change… it’s not one I seek to “take advantage” of… I have to realize that I no longer have the guiding hand of my parents to guide me, and this visit will only cement it.” Duke Bartholomew nodded, “That is true, there is never a worse time in life than knowing you’ll no longer have your parents around. They are more than your guidance, but your role models, who you strive to make proud. Though, even then, you can still strive to make them proud, as I know they’re watching over you from the afterlife.” As he looked to dad’s planet, he nodded, “A great man, his legacy hasn’t died, it only shifted.”

  I looked to him, curious, “You knew my father?” Duke Bartholomew chuckled, “Knew him? I watched him shine like a shooting star while I was stagnating as a Count. His speeches when things grew hard were that of legend, it was as if fate had carved him a path made just for him.” After a moment, he said, “I wish I had the chance to meet him, even as he was just a Count, he was someone many of us who were inspired by him wished to meet. Hm, did I trick you into believing I met him?” I nodded, sighing, “I thought you did, I wanted to know even a little more about him since I never really asked.” Duke Bartholomew has a hint of sadness in his eyes, “I see… I guess I understand you in that way.” I raised a brow, “How so?” Duke Bartholomew looked into the expanse of space, “Long before your father was born, I had grown up understanding Avalon was at war. One of our neighboring interstellar nations declared war on us for reasons I believe were more ideological than the claimed issues they had with us. I had grown up under my father’s protection, but during the final days of the war, he passed on allowing his soldiers to escape and survive.”

  His voice held no hostility to this, nor sadness, rather, it was as if he was speaking in a means to impart knowledge upon me, “At first, I hated the fact he threw everything away for them, that he gave his life and I could never see him again. I even had the guts to go to the men who survived and let my father die, but when I heard the stories of his bravery from them, and many others who served under him at some point, I realized that what he did was the most selfless action one could take.” He put one of his hands on my shoulder, “It made me understand that because I was a noble, I had not just the honor, but the duty to ensure others came back alive, even if I were to lose my own in the process. That wasn’t all, I understood I had the duty to make the people of my domain as happy as possible, all in the memory of the men and women who gave their lives to ensure the Avalon Empire continued to live free. While we don’t exactly forgive the ones who started that war, we hold no ill will to the people who were forced to fight for the sake of their home. In a way, the war with Providence seems to be similar, there will be those who seek to fight to survive and protect their home. Mercy is a gift to those who only wish to protect, not to take.”

  With a gentle pat on my back, Duke Bartholomew walked to the door, “Take the time to reflect on what I said. While I understand you’re confused, lost in life, just know you can always take the time to ask for help and weigh your options. Don’t hate people for the sake of hating them, understand that we’re human, and we fight for our own reasons.” As he stepped out, I looked into the expanse of space, “Take time to reflect, ask for help and weigh my options… Hm, not a bad idea.” I was lost, that much was certain, but I couldn’t remain lost forever. I understand that I can’t do this alone, and more than that, I know I have people who I can ask for help. Joan, Elen, Edward, Alexander, Olivia, even Duke Bartholomew, I know they’ll help me if I only ask, even if it’s only a small chat. It was weird, was I finally choosing to open up again after everything that happened? Well, maybe I wasn’t opening up fully, but it’s a start.

  ~~~

  When I arrived at dad’s mansion, I realized parts of it were being repaired or rebuilt, likely as the domain had recovered enough for the mansion to finally receive the touchup it needed. Though, I suddenly heard footsteps rushing towards me, and when I turned to see who it was, I was wrapped firmly in familial love, “Aurelian, you idiot, don’t you understand how much you scared me?! You were quiet outside of official channels for a decade, then you contact us and say you captured the man who killed our parents, are you insane!?” I knew she was upset, but I could tell Ruby missed me immensely, so I made sure to hug her back, “I know… it’s been hard on me, but I won’t stop now.” I made sure to look her in the eyes, “Don’t worry, my ambitions are still here, even if they’re subdued right now.” A feminine voice spoke up, “Viscount Aurelian Stella Flameheart, I expect you have a valid reason to ignoring my summons, yes?” When I looked over, this individual radiated authority. Her hair was more of a rose color than Ruby’s crimson, and her eyes were a sharp emerald green.

  She was, in estimation, the age of dad, but her figure didn’t seem lacking in any department. I asked, mostly as I was unsure of who this was, “I apologize, but who are you? I’ve been busy for some time, so I haven’t exactly had the leisure to sit and read every message that came my way.” The woman sighed, “I am Countess Rose Stella Rosinca, your father, through his will, asked me to assess the domain and see who should become the next head. I have, however, taken temporary control over the domain that isn’t under direct control of his children. Now, may I ask why you were… busy enough to not even speak with me before you went to training?” I sighed, “I would explain, but there was a lot, Merlin.” Merlin was quick to send her a list of what happened, she was acting all high and mighty, but her face slowly shifted from what was likely an authoritative anger to shocked understanding. I decided to speak, “We lost so many people that recovery took longer, not to mention when we restored a portion of the military we sorted to active defensive measures by liberating the nearby planets that were taken over by pirates. We couldn’t take any chances, which also meant we had to send resources to those planets as their nobility were unfortunately killed in the chaos.”

  After she finished, she began speaking in a calmer tone, “I understand, adding emotional trauma, you were unable to take much else into consideration. Let me apologize for my rudeness.” I shook my head, “Your reasoning was sound with the information you had; you need not apologize. Instead, I have something akin to a gift.” A sheet of mug shots was sent to her, which her eyes widened, “The pirate that killed my patents, Goldtooth, is among the captured. As much as I want to tear him apart myself, I’m letting him be tried in a court of law on the planet he stole so much from.” I felt a hand grab mine, interlocking their fingers with my own, Olivia seemed worried. I took a breath, realizing I was likely somewhat angered by the fact he wasn’t cold six feet under, before continuing, “Make sure he gets what he deserves, I don’t want to see him gain the chance to break free and bring more chaos to our domain anymore.” Countess Rosina nodded, “I understand… would you like me to tell you where your parents are buried?” I nodded, “I would like that.” Once I learned where they were buried, I walked with Olivia and Alexander to see them, it was the least I could do since I finally managed to visit.

  ~~~

  I watched Aurelian walk to his parents, Duke Bartholomew asking, “Are you sure you should remain here?” I nodded, “He can handle himself, not to mention he has his friends with him, I believe he should have some time to properly grieve the losses he’s experienced without his title weighing on his back. He’s been Baron Flameheart, now Viscount Flameheart, but no one has given him the time to be Aurelian Flameheart in quite a while. His friends will help him, even if he doesn’t believe they are his friends.” I looked to Countess Rosina, “In this regard, I’d like to ensure the pirates are processed immediately, it’ll alleviate some of his ongoing stress once they’re delt with.” Countess Rosina nodded, “I will do so, I doubt anyone wants them to not be tried at this moment.” After a moment, she asked, “How is the domain now? While I hear rumors, I cannot confirm how it’s doing without data.” I processed the question, then said, “It increased by six planets, as the Empire has deemed him worthy to assume control of the planets that lacked noble oversight. Along with our now capital planet, they have shown amazing recovery, as life has returned to a form of normalcy for everyone. In fact, colonization seems feasible once again now that this has occurred.”

  After I sent the information, Countess Rosina seemed surprised, “Goodness, this recovery is better than I expected, the new planets even show a boom afterwards.” I bowed, “We aim to please.” Once I returned to a standing position, a new voice entered my receptors, “Where’s my youngest brother? I haven’t met him yet, and I believe it’s due time for a meeting.” When I turned back, I noticed the individual was wearing a rather gaudy set of clothes, more fashion than function. Eyes like fire and hair of a similar color, this individual seemed to carry authority as knights flanked him. Ruby said, “Oh, you likely don’t know his name, but this is Leo, our oldest brother.” Leo noticed Ruby and explained, “Ah, Ruby, it’s good to see you. Have you reconsidered the proposition I mentioned previously?” Ruby was quick to respond, “I have, and I won’t be doing it, what you’re proposing leaves me to pay up if you fail to do so, and I know your track record.” The data checks out from what Aurelian mentioned, he seems to not understand certain aspects of what it means to be a noble. Leo looked to me, then said, “Who’s this? I don’t believe he should be here.” I did the bare minimum of a bow as a sign of “respect”, “My name is Merlin, I serve Viscount Aurelian. As much as your knights are allowed to remain, I am as well.”

  Leo snickered, “Hm, you don’t seem very special. Either way, let my little brother know I want to meet him, just know I’ll speak with him no matter what. Let’s go.” Leo walked past us, and for once, I was glad Lady Joan wasn’t here, she might have challenged Leo to a duel out of the disrespect he has for everyone else. Countess Rosina stated, “I can’t believe someone like him was born of Count Flameheart, he and Viscount Aurelian are vastly different people.” I raised a brow, “Why did you refer to Count William as Count Flameheart, yet Aurelian as Viscount Aurelian?” Ruby replied, “While the triplets and I are Barons, Leo and Aurelian are Viscounts, it’s to not mix the two up when one of the same family name carries the same title.” I nodded, “Understood, I’ll keep that in mind.” I looked back to Countess Rosina, “If I may, you mentioned you were discussing who becomes the next family head, how does Aurelian fit into your… process?” From what I know, Aurelian has shown no sign of seeking his father’s place, rather, he seems content with his still rapidly growing domain.

  Countess Rosina put a hand to her chin, “To be honest, I’m not sure. He managed to not only repel Providence, but took the fight to them, and pirates by extension. His technological advancements, including the space elevator and orbital ring, are some of the greatest achievements of our time. Not to forget the fact his economy is the best I’ve ever seen. My issue comes with his drive, willpower even. From what I know about him, he seemed to change after her repelled Providence, and it leaves me wondering how he’d lead in an emotionally compromised state.” Duke Bartholomew nodded, “I can understand your concerns, while he seems better, thanks to Viscount Alexander and Baroness Olivia, he’s still struggling in my eyes.” While I may not understand emotions to their fullest, I can identify that he isn’t better, even with his emotional responses returning. This, while seemingly a blessing, could become a problem. He’s still processing his life, and being a reincarnate is making this exceptionally harder on him, my hope being that his friends could act akin to an anchor to hold him in place during this tumultuous time in his life.

  I decided to mention my thoughts, “While I understand the desire one can have for a higher position, Aurelian has made no such claims since his father’s passing. If anything, I doubt he has the desire to grow outside the natural bounds of his current path… perhaps akin to what his father had once done.” Duke Bartholomew nodded, “I can agree, he never once mentioned the entirety of his father’s domain, just his own whenever he conversed with everyone in his own domain.” Ruby spoke up, “I wish for my nomination to go to Aurelian.” Countess Rosina seemed surprised, “You’re willing to forgo the chance to become the next head of the Flameheart family? That isn’t like you.” Ruby put her hand to her heart, “I’ve been a merchant for years, passing my noble training, and yet he managed to beat me in every aspect before he even began his training. More than that, he understands his people, look at the people he appointed to leadership positions on the planets, they’re all people that a majority of the population know and trust. While he has people watching them, it’s understandable since Providence has a firm grip on a large swath of the Empire and beyond. He knows exactly what can grow our domain, far more than me, the triplets, and especially Leo.” She was serious, her eyes had determination burning within them, “I’d rather serve Aurelian than myself, because I feel like he can lead our domain to the future in every aspect.”

  Duke Bartholomew chuckled a little, “Such honesty, I’ve never seen someone so touched by another that they’d willingly let them take a higher position.” Ruby spoke, “Because before Providence came, he was ensuring that everyone was doing well, from young to old. He gave them the knowledge to settle and make their lives their own, made jobs for those who sought them, and built homes for those who had none to live. It may not be his goal, but he claims it’s the beginning of his path to what he desires. In all honesty, I want to see just where his plans take us, as it’ll bring prosperity with it.” Countess Rosina, intrigued, said, “Interesting, I may need to observe his domain and see how people think about him, though I doubt he sees himself as you see him.” Ruby smiled, as if it was her achievement, “I’ve seen his growth ever since before the space elevator was even a thought, I know my little brother better than anyone else.” While I wanted to say something, I don’t think she’d take it well if it were spoken from me, so I held my tongue.

  I believed pleasantries were finished, so I began to where I searched up the proper prison for Goldtooth, “I shall head over and finish the process of transfer for the pirates, Joan, could I have some knight candidates there to ensure nothing happens to our VIP?” Joan nodded, “I’ll send my best, I won’t let Goldtooth circumvent justice.” Something was telling me this had to go like this, I wasn’t sure what in my programing was telling me this, but it was almost like this could cause a change if not done properly. Joan sent me a list of candidates, along with some Oni, and I activated those I sought to guard the holding cells before the trial. Duke Bartholomew said, “Just so you know, Aurelian has surpassed my expectations with his training, so long as he doesn’t kill Goldtooth, he passes and can continue to the next round of training.” I made a note of it within my systems, “Understood, I’ll be sure to pass it on when I see him next.” I was alerted that Aurelian had arrived at his parents graves, seems he made a stop to pick up something, but I knew what he was going to do. Maybe this can bring him some solace, hopefully this can begin his recovery to who I knew he was, but I also feared this could go the other way. I could only hope that he didn’t spiral from here, as I didn’t want to watch the one I respected so much to fall.

  ~~~

  I stood before my parent’s graves, in my hand was a particular brand of wine and three glasses. After I sat a glass on each headstone, keeping one in my hand, I poured a drink for the three of us. Once I sat the bottle down, I held my glass up, struggling to find the words I wanted to say. After a moment, I just decided to say what came to mind, “I know some parents take their kids out to drink when they come of age, so I went out and got a drink for us, your favorite… I hope.” After a moment, I couldn’t keep my composure as tears began to stream from my eyes, “I did it, mom, dad, I got the one who killed you. As much as I wanted to kill him, I brought him here for justice… but it doesn’t change the fact you’re both gone from my life.” The pain was unbearable now that I was facing it, why did this have to happen to us? What was to gain from killing them? I didn’t want to think about it right now, so I slammed the wine down my throat, the feeling unlike anything I ever drank as I nearly coughed it back up. I said, coughing a little as some nearly went down my airways, “So that’s what the store owner meant about carbonation.” Since I came, I usually ignored the alcoholic drinks, mostly as a drunk pilot or engineer can be unpredictable. I mean, I once had an engineer finish a long standing project drunk and didn’t know how he did it when he sobered up, not good for me since I’m both.

  Olivia came and began to help me, “Are you ok? The store owner did warn you.” I nodded, cleaning myself off with a little magic, “I’m fine, honest.” It would take a while, but I’d get used to carbonation eventually. When I refocused, I said, “Oh, right… I made some… friends I think.” I motioned to Olivia, “This is Olivia Silverlight, and the one over there is Alexander Lancaster, they say they’re my friends, even if I’m uncertain about it all.” Olivia bowed to the headstones, “It’s nice to meet you both.” I could see Alexander doing a similar bow, but he remained a distance away since he wanted to give me space. I finished my glass, despite my previous issue with it, then poured their drinks on their graves, “Drink up, because one’s first drink is a one time thing.” While I wasn’t sure if pouring a drink on one’s grave was a sign of respect or not in this universe, I didn’t care, it was how I wanted to do it, and no one could stop me. After that, I just sat between the headstones and began to talk about how life has been since that day, hoping that they were listening to me from the afterlife, at least a little bit proud of me and my continued efforts to keep going. Olivia sat with me, just listening, and Alexander stood and watched as I just kept going. While my training had gone by pretty fast, I just wanted to talk with them, so I spoke about as much as I could remember.

  Time felt fast during the training, when could I move on Providence, why do I have to learn this, why do I have to be here? My mind was filled with other thoughts for a long time, yet sitting here, it felt long, like I never wanted to leave. For once since that day a decade ago, I felt at peace. There was no Providence, there was no war, no Goldtooth, just me, my two friends, and my parents. Time ticked, and with Alexander and Olivia, we recalled our meeting, their nonstop efforts to befriend me, and I felt like I was ready to at least consider returning their offers of friendship. Even in that hospital bed, I knew humans were social beings, it’s why I sought some connection in SGO, yet I was trying to push them away in my second, and likely final, chance at life. I couldn’t ignore the bonds I’d need to establish to ensure not just our safety against Providence, not just to ensure we can remain strong afterwards, but to fight the enemy that nearly wiped us from the universe. That enemy is far into the future, enough so that I couldn’t consider facing them until any signs of their return become prominent. Providence, however, are our current enemies, and until they fall, we can’t focus too much anywhere else. For now, I have to worry about the home front, especially since we need to sift through what we have on Providence.

  ~~~

  A few days passed; I made sure to work on affairs for the planets since the time has finally come for colonization. After a certain point, we couldn’t keep stuffing the planet with homes, factories, or farms, and with how some planets were wrecked beyond compare, the empire was sending refugees to people it could trust, I was somehow in their trustworthy list. Of course, we were running the strictest checks we could to ensure no spies got through, which let us catch some, but we knew some could’ve gotten through. Either way, as birthrates rose, people were going to need homes, and what we had wasn’t going to cut it. With colonization, repairs, and supplies being shifted, I had to ensure it was handled for a while since I wanted to be there as Goldtooth and the pirates received their sentences, which was going to be soon. Thankfully, Countess Rosina let me take my old room for the time being so I had some privacy while I worked as it also let her know whenever I was in. Merlin stood by my side, mostly as Edward was still working on things at home, since leaders needed to be molded to their best before they could be deployed, not to mention at home cleanliness.

  As I was finishing my work, ensuring even the supply lines were established, the door opened without any knocking. I spoke, not looking up as I was nearly done with my calculations, “Who enters without at least the common curtesy of a knock?” Before they said anything, I had my work taken from my hands, “Understand your place, little brother, show some respect to your betters.” As I was mid calculations, suddenly getting ripped out of it meant I lost track of everything I was just counting. I sighed, “First, respect is earned, not given. Second, most nobles give the respect of allowing one to finish what they’re doing, which you didn’t. Third, based on Merlin’s account of you, you must be Leo, my older brother.” I looked to him, his outfit was as gaudy as Merlin claimed, and it didn’t even seem to be the same one he saw from what I could tell. I continued, “We’re both of the same family, not to mention both Viscounts, I see no need to give you respect considering your actions.” Merlin was swift in retaking my paperwork before Leo looked at any of it, “These aren’t yours, I advise not touching them again.” Leo attempted to retake them, but Merlin was able to keep them out of his grasp. After a sigh, he said, “Can someone take these?”

  In a moment, the paperwork on my desk and in Merlin’s hand vanished, the Oni were close as always. I motioned to the chair I had set up for occasions like this, “Sit, you clearly want to say something.” Leo threw himself into the chair, propping his feet up on my desk with a smirk, “You don’t seem to understand, the domain is mine in everything but name only, be lucky you haven’t been… cut off from your planets yet.” Not a surprise, he is the first son, so he likely has a decent chunk of backing in father’s domain. Though I can state one thing, I wouldn’t let him take my planets, I swore to protect them, and I can’t sense the same from him, “I wouldn’t count on it, we aren’t running by succession based on age, it’s based on merit. I wouldn’t be so… arrogant when things may not go your way.” While I haven’t really weighed in on the whole succession issue, I doubt Countess Rosina would let me drop out willingly, especially after all I’ve done to reach this point. I pushed his feet off my desk, “Besides, based on attitude and action, you could use some… noble education. In my eyes, it seems like none of it stuck like it should’ve.”

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  Leo scoffed, tried to kick his feet back up, but I made sure to stop him. Once he recollected himself, he said, “Why should we act “prim and proper”? We’re nobles, our command is absolute, so, when I say I’ll lead this domain, I will. Merit means nothing if it isn’t backed up by strength, and last I checked, your fleet is nothing, wiped out by Providence. If anything, your help were the ones who delt the damage, not you.” I raised a brow, “Last I checked, my forces are doing fine. Unlike many others, our recovery was swift, as we had the finances and infrastructure to ensure the recovery was possible.” While this information seemed obvious, it seemed like he didn’t know. Either that, or he was feigning ignorance, not like I could tell since this was my first meeting with him. I waved him off, “If you’re here to taunt me, leave. Unlike you, I have work to attend to.” Leo scoffed, “I don’t have to leave, you’re beneath me, and always will be.” I sighed, calling Joan, “Joan, come remove Leo for me.” Leo replied, despite the fact that Joan was on the way, “Even if your knights come, they won’t remove me, I’m higher on the totem of power than you.”

  Joan entered, then sighed, “You again, no matter, I’ll handle it sir.” Joan grabbed Leo by the arm, Leo’s protests filled the room, “Hey! Release me at once! You have no power to remove me!” Joan threw him out of the room, “You’re not the one I serve, I serve Viscount Aurelian Stella Flameheart, and you will never be above him in my eyes.” Joan shut the door, locking it to prevent reentry as Leo slammed on the door. My work was swiftly placed back on my desk, I spoke, “Thank you Oni, Joan, you helped me greatly.” I returned to work, Joan asking with concern, “Your brother seems… pushy. Almost like he’s trying to make a point.” I replied, “He wants me to back down from the succession “feud” so he can claim the domain as his own. While he seeks the domain, I won’t back down, but I won’t try to force it either. While double my domain’s revenue is good, I’d have to double every expenditure in the process, along with military forces. I can handle it, but I’d have to slowly make it happen to ensure cohesion, doing it all at once would crush the domain’s functionality for a while.”

  Succession this, I deserve the domain that, it doesn’t matter to me right now. Providence may be an issue, but it wasn’t end of the universe level, and I don’t know how I can ensure the planets remain safe from the enemy. I’ll do what must be done, but until the domain’s next head is chosen, I’ll be focusing on what I need to do to ensure the future is properly prepared for. I looked to the ceiling, my work finished, then said, “We need to prepare.” Merlin and Joan seemed confused, Joan asking, “How so?” I looked back to them, “In my… rage? Depression? I don’t know what it was, but I’ve been ignoring the true issues that are to come. The enemy we lost to is still out there, likely watching us for some unknown reason, and we can’t stall on this anymore. Merlin, do we know what happened to most of the population of our world? From what we can tell, there’s far too little that survived based on sheer headcount.” Merlin said, “I was curious too, Joan said she didn’t know, so I asked others what was ongoing. This led us to this individual, a dwarf.” A profile came up, but they weren’t someone I knew, “What did they say?” Merlin said, “Most didn’t take to bunkers, rather, they took to the stars.”

  I looked to him, confused, “They took to space? Wouldn’t they get killed?” Merlin shook his head, “I asked that as well, but he said most ships went “beyond habitable space”. Based on what I can infer, they went into interstellar space, frozen as those in bunkers were.” I grew concerned, interstellar space was, in every sense of the word, nothing. No ships chose to travel there willingly, and those that did were never heard from again. I asked, “Can we even communicate with them, even if they are out there?” Merlin replied, “Yes, it seems we developed a plan, all we need to do is establish a stellar communications array to send out the call.” While it was on the list, it wasn’t a priority since we weren’t trying to contact the whole galaxy at the moment. I then realized something, “You stated most ships were in interstellar space, did some not enter interstellar space?” Merlin shrugged, “The dwarf claimed some dwarves have been using FTL to remain out of the eye of other nations, but even they cannot confirm if they’re still alive considering the circumstances.”

  I sighed, “Good grief, another massive project so soon?” I had to consider where this was going to be, mostly as this would be a space project, as it needed to either orbit a planet or be built on an orbital ring. The ring at our capital was ill suited for it, especially since it wasn’t a military installation, but rather a commercial ring. While building another one would be faster, since we had those with experience building one this time, I wasn’t sure if that was the route I wanted to take. The forge world, while a candidate for an orbital ring, wouldn’t be as efficient with one than without one. I sighed, all we could do for the sake of the array’s safety was build it near the forge world, its secrecy would allow us to call our kin home from the darkness of space. I decided to command it, “Begin construction of the array near the forge world, it’s time to call our people home. Once possible, we’ll attempt to contact those in FTL and tell them to return home.” Joan smiled, “Yes sir!” As she went to leave, she paused, “He’s still out there, isn’t he?” Merlin nodded, “Indeed, I’d advise waiting until he leaves.” I sighed; our future was going to be a strange one.

  ~~~

  The time had finally come, and since I had been an inadvertent witness to the video of my parent’s beheading, and attacks by the pirates not once but thrice, I was to give a testimony. I had already recorded my testimony, mostly as we weren’t sure how Goldtooth was going to act if I appeared before him in court, but Olivia didn’t seem to know that as she rubbed my head. I asked, “Not that I dislike it, but why are you rubbing my head? It’s confusing me.” Olivia replied, “You’re going to testify against Goldtooth, you’re likely nervous and stressed since you’ve been working until now, so I’m trying to ease your mind.” While I was adequately confused, I decided to just let it happen, since she wouldn’t listen to anything I said, “Alright, I won’t stop you.” While I was nervous with how this was going to play out, her rubbing felt oddly familiar, so I didn’t exactly want her to stop as I considered why this felt as such. Though, the testimonies would likely take most of the day, as testimonies came from the survivors of several incidents over the years. Though, several video testimonies came in at the end before my own, and they seemed to be nobles from the territories Goldtooth had attacked over the years.

  There was one thing I liked about this, though, was watching the pirates squirm as they knew their verdict was likely going to be strict. Now, as nobles sent, or live recorded, their testimonies, the nail was in many of their coffins. Then, my own appeared on screen, Olivia stopped rubbing my head, “Goldtooth, not only had you sent men to my domain three times, but you kidnaped those you could and massacred others. Though your worst crime was the murder of my mother and father, the two people who desired the safety and freedom of those who chose to reside within their domain. I don’t need to explain what I saw, as I have the evidence to prove it, one from a spider drone of my own making.” Before the court, the video of my parent’s blatant execution was shown, censored for the sake of children watching with their parents, of course. Once the video finished, I reappeared on screen, “To be honest with you, Goldtooth, if I had my way back in your former fortress, you wouldn’t have seen the next dawn. Though I want to make clear that I won’t make judgement arbitrarily, that is why you’re here, undergoing a proper trial.”

  After I took a breath, my voice rang true, “Members of the jury and court, I won’t make a declaration of the outcome I seek, rather, I shall let justice run it’s proper course. So, with that, I leave his verdict in your capable hands. Whatever outcome you reach, I shall accept it. As my testimony was last, and I don’t seek to recap everything I know the many souls who testified before me have said, you may begin the next stage of the trial.” As my face disappeared, the judge spoke, “The jury may begin deliberations.” Olivia pulled my cheek, “You never told me you recorded your testimony.” I tapped her hand, “You likely wouldn’t have listened, especially considering Goldtooth being in the topic of the trial. On that note, please release my cheek.” Olivia, after a moment, sighed and let my poor cheek go, “You’re right, I likely wouldn’t have listened, you’ve had me concerned since the fortress you know.” I nodded, “I know, which was why I was willing to let you do it.” When I looked to Olivia, she seemed a little embarrassed, but I knew it was likely out of the fact she rubbed my head for a reason I had already taken care of. For now, all we could do was wait.

  ~~~

  Around a week or two later, we were back in Duke Bartholomew’s domain, we were to graduate from his training upon soon, so a party was to be thrown for families to meet. Goldtooth, according to what I know, was given the death penalty, and will be executed before the month is out. I, despite wanting to see him dead, didn’t want to watch the life leave his eyes. Justice was running its course, and that was all I needed. The reason the verdict took so long was deliberations weren’t just against Goldtooth, but the many pirates we brought back with us, many of them had committed murder, though some had yet to commit the crimes that the other senior pirates had committed. Back in the Duke’s domain, I decided to forget about it for now, as Olivia, Alexander, and I prepared for our three way “duel” before the other noble families. Alexander asked, “You ready for your speech? It’s not something we talked about.” Since I was the best in the group we trained in, I was akin to a valedictorian, which meant I had to give a speech. I nodded, “I have something thought up, so I want you to use magic when I do, it isn’t exactly a secret anymore.” Olivia sighed, “Alright, don’t blame us if you get swamped later.” Alexander chuckled, “As if he won’t, I’m certain our parents are going to be among the group anyway.”

  As we made our way out, I said, “Your parents will be the only two I want to speak with, the rest of them can forget it. If their children didn’t try, I won’t bother working with their parents.” Merit holds true, and I can tell that the providence ones didn’t care, but the ones who were under their foot, they blindly listened them until I caused damage to Providence itself. I can’t trust those who didn’t even try to fight back, it could be a trick for Providence to sneak a spy into the… alliance? Well, rough issues could be handled later, I just wanted to get this party and duel through so I can return home and work on the domain in person before the next leg of my training. More than that, I planned to get Olivia’s forces ironed out before working on Alexander’s forces, if we can get their militaries to a better capacity, then the war will be better off. Merlin stopped us for a moment, “Sir, it seems those under Goldtooth’s pirates are asking for your protection as they rebuild. As you advised, they’re working on restoring their economy, but that will leave them defenseless outside the ships they have active.” Now, the individuals stuck being beaten down by the pirates were another story. As much as I declined those here, I wanted to build a force of trustworthy souls, so by ensuring their revival would mean they owed me a favor or something of the sort.

  I replied, “Send some ships there, just a few, since we can use the warp gate if we need to send a force over. I believe that will ease their concerns, yes?” Merlin nodded, “I did inquire, and they agreed that would work perfectly if you agreed. Your domain remains safe, and should issues arise, help can be immediately sent. I’ll prepare volunteers immediately.” Alexander said, “You’re getting good at this, surprisingly good, what’s your secret?” I replied, “Video games honestly, used to play some before the whole Providence thing kicks off. They were quite realistic to my surprise, played out war sims with some… shockingly good graphics.” While this was true, most of my experience came from SGO, so I wasn’t really lying here. Before the door were real blades, the blade I was gifted from Lily being among them. I lifted the blade, recalling her smile from that day, “Soon, we’re getting there Lily, just keep watching.” Reaper wasn’t there, but I knew he’d eventually come to finish the job, and I wasn’t going to back down now. When I looked back, I noticed Alexander and Oliva shown worry or sadness, but I shook my head, “It’s fine, let’s make this the best ending the Duke could ever ask for.” I put Lily’s headband on my head, letting David know from wherever he was that I wasn’t giving up here.

  ~~~

  The duels were, as expected, average. Some seemed fake, others didn’t, but I could easily tell those who where someone from Providence fought someone who wasn’t the Providence member always won by some means. Those what weren’t apart of Providence showed some skill, one even used one of Alexander’s swings to get the upper hand on his opponent, leading me to realizing that we were becoming something of an influence for some of them. Soon, the Duke took to the arena, his voice crisp, “Now, with the duels out of the way, I wish to show our top nobility of this batch of young nobles. We have Alexander Astra Lancaster, Olivia Astra Silverlight, and the best student who shined above the rest, Aurelian Stella Flameheart, the man who led us in the battle against a band of dangerous pirates led by the notorious Goldtooth!” As we walked out, it was a strange feeling, those who detested pirates clapped on both sides, but some didn’t, which was oddly confusing since one would prefer to uphold their image. It didn’t matter, we couldn’t be harmed here, especially with my own forces running security in some areas to show we mean business. Duke Bartholomew passed me the thing that was essentially the mic, and after a breath to steel my resolve, I spoke.

  “Coming into this training, I wondered why I had to do this, especially since I had just lost three of the most important people in my life. Even when I noticed bullying going on among the other students, I only acted out of the memory of those I lost, not for any reason within my own heart. Though, because of that action, I met those who called themselves my friends, who remained by my side despite all my attempts to push them away. Through thick and thin, they did all they could to get me to at least accept them, and now, I can say I’m able to do so. But enough talk, I believe it’s time for the reason you’re here, and that’s to see what we can do with the blade.” I turned to Alexander and Olivia, I spoke into the mic one last time before Duke Bartholomew took it from my hands, “Go all out, magic and all.” Duke Bartholomew was quick to take the mic and retreat into the stands. My own soldiers rushed out and held their hands out, barriers of magic forming to protect the stands, surprising the crowd of nobles and servants alike. Wind coated Olivia’s rapier, so much like Lily used to do, as Alexander’s water seemed to be the opposite of my own blaze. But I hadn’t used my magic yet, holding the blade to my forehead, and by extension, my headband, “Just watch, Lily, my flames haven’t gone out yet.”

  I pulled the blade from my forehead, and as I did, fire wreathed my sword, one that was far stronger than the one I used in our duels before now. I wasn’t at peak condition mentally, but it shown my growth in understanding everything, the crowd, Providence members included, screamed their surprise as we got into position. Duke Bartholomew, from the safety of the stands, said, “On my mark. Begin!” As soon as he said that, I pushed out all other thoughts, sounds, and feelings aside what I needed for the duel, all three of us clashing blades in the second after the word begin was shouted. In the clash, I could feel it, all three of us were excited, we wanted to see what we could do in a proper duel, and I finally understood what it meant for swordsmen to understand the feelings of other in battle. As we pulled back our blades, I realized Olivia and Alexander chose to target me first, but I wasn’t going to back down easily. I brough my sword to Alexander first, using enough mana to knock his sword back before blocking Olivia’s strike, our passion causing our respective magics to flare up.

  I shouted, “Come on, don’t hold back, not even for a second!” Alexander seemed to strike that challenged as Olivia quickly shifted to deflect Alexander’s next strike, “You’re on, Aurelian!” Olivia shouted, “You boys and your strength, I won’t back down either!” As Olivia backed up to gain some space, I chased behind Alexander as we both attempted to make a solid hit on the other. Though, while we were using real blades, I managed to impart the method dulling our blades with mana, which means we’d be smacking each other akin to wooden blades. Though, for us, we’d likely kill someone like that due to our sheer magical strength, so I also imparted the means to protect their bodies with mana, so we only had to worry about some bruising at worst. Alexander realized he was pinned and shifted his focus to me, blocking my horizontal slash, Olivia tried to gain the upper hand with a stabbing attack on Alexander, but he seemed swift enough to at least divert her blade. Metal on metal rang out, each strike we managed to connect always seemed to be either blocked or deflected, but we always seemed to catch the other by surprise. Though, somewhere along the line, we began to have fun pushing each other to the limit. It was as if they were pulling me up, and I couldn’t help but want to hopefully do the same with them in my own way.

  I pushed those thoughts out, if I daydreamed, I’d lose this duel quickly. I quickly diverted my blade to Olivia’s Alexander seemed to think similarly as he was doing the same, but Olivia blocked us with what seemed like ease, “Fantastic Olivia! Now, show us some offense!” With strength enhanced by mana, Olivia pushed us back with a single swing, leaping to try and bring me down. For one thing, Olivia had me beat in speed, which made blocking difficult and deflecting a nightmare as her rapier flew at me rapidly. As I could adapt if this were a regular duel, with Alexander coming in from the side, I couldn’t properly shift to handle both well, leaving me on the defensive whenever they both tried to strike me. I made a mental note to train on sudden changes in style to better combat different enemies, then increased my flames to push the two back. Fire, while powerful, also had drawbacks, as the heat affected me too. While I could protect myself from the fire, the heat was beginning to make me sweat with all this action, meaning I had to start switching it up before I overheated.

  As they leapt back, I let the flames decrease and watched as their movements slowed down, jolts of lighting covering my body. With power in my step, I shot for Alexander, unsure if Olivia could handle the raw power I was putting into my strike. As I brought my blade down, Alexander managed to block the hit, initially that is. He soon flew back, smacking into the magic wall, but showing surprise as he marveled at how unhurt he was. As I blocked Olivia’s next strike, I said, “The magic is two way Alexander! Stops magic, but also cushions anyone thrown on it!” Alexander smirked, “Don’t be so cocky!” While the lightning magic was strong, it also had a more direct time limit than the fire did, mostly as I didn’t have perfect control over it long term due to the neurological issues that came from overuse. However, before he reached me, our magic riding high, Duke Bartholomew shouted, “Enough!” I let my lighting dissipate, the feeling odd since my body had to acclimate to that along with the end of the battle. Duke Bartholomew approached us, “With that stupendous duel, I say we let these brilliant children relax with a party to celebrate their achievements. Children, while we head to the venue, go ahead and clean yourselves up as you wish!”

  As we began to head to our room, Alexander asked, “How did you learn lightning magic? I didn’t even think that was possible.” While I knew a lot of magic, I couldn’t say how I learned of it, but I can state how I learned it, “Trial and error really, though the drawbacks are terrible, it could fry my nerves if I don’t get more proficient in it.” Olivia smacked me, “So you chose to use it in a duel!? What if you hurt yourself!?” I waved my hand, “I have my ways; besides, I know my limits before that ever happens. Just know it’s usually an emergency measure; I just didn’t want to lose the duel.” After a few more punches, she said, “Never do that again, I can’t stand the fact you put yourself in danger like this, even more when it wasn’t even life or death in the first place.” I put an arm up to block her punches, “I understand, I won’t do that again, I plan to get better in other magics so I won’t have to rely on it.” Back in SGO, I was pretty well versed in all magic types, mostly as I needed to do so to uphold my capabilities in testing the more personal units. I wasn’t sure if that would uphold completely here, but I had it in me to learn as much magic as I can, my life was slowly beginning to depend on it so I don’t get lazy in my attacks anymore.

  Alexander patted Olivia on the back, which stopped her bout of punches, “Olivia, I’m sure he understands, he’s the one who managed to keep us on our toes as allies after all.” Olivia seemed upset, “I know… but what if he gets hurt beyond repair? I… I just couldn’t handle it if he did.” I wasn’t sure why she felt like this, was this what it meant for friends to care about the others well-being? While I was with Lily for so long, I wasn’t really all to certain about the wider parts of friendship, mostly as when it happened, we were too focused on the concept of surviving rather than who got injured. Looking to the ceiling, I said, “When have I ever truly thought of someone else properly, and not through some childish means or eyes covered in loss?” It was an honest question, and even now, my past was still confusing my decision on declaring them my friends wholeheartedly. I knew I could trust them, hell, they even fought on the front lines with me, so why couldn’t I find it in me to truly accept them. Looking to them, maybe to see if I could see the reason, but I saw Lily standing behind them like it was normal. Even hallucinating her made me feel… strange. I knew my feelings for her persisted, even after she died, but making a new friend almost seemed like I was moving on from the past.

  I asked, “I haven’t forgotten, but can I at least try to… live?” I could tell Alexander and Olivia were confused, but I just looked to Lily, her face shifted to a smile as she nodded. As she disappeared, I realized that despite everything, she was also holding me back to an extent. I feared her fate would become someone else’s, and I didn’t even want to entertain the concept. Though, as if this gave me the clarity to at least try, even if I feared I would alter their fates. I felt tears begin to stream down my face, my soul feeling just a little lighter, “Thank you, Lily.” Alexander was quick to ask, “Did you…” I nodded, “Yeah, I saw her again, it gave me some clarity I didn’t even know I needed.” I put a hand on both of their shoulders, “I’m… willing to try the whole friend thing now, I think I just needed Lily to tell me that.” Alexander sighed, but he was quick to smile, “Sometimes we just need a little push, good to know you were thinking about what we said back then.” Olivia smiled and hugged me, “Finally! I can’t wait to tell mom and dad!” It was strange, but in the end, it just seemed right. The past was what made us who we are, but I couldn’t let it keep me locked up, I was finally taking to the future in my own way.

  ~~~

  The party was, well, a party. I wasn’t enjoying it since everyone and their mothers, in a more literal sense, were swarming me and asking every question they had. Duke Bartholomew managed to keep me clear so I could commit to the plan I had for afterwards, I wanted the three families who helped me gathered afterwards for a meeting of sorts, we had to plan for emergencies. This meeting came to be as the Silverlights, Lancasters, and Bartholomews all gathered aboard my ship for the best level of safety and informational security. While Duke Bartholomew was the head, he brought in his son, who seemed adamant in ensuring he could be a proper hand in the matter. Viscount Lancaster and his wife seemed to be looking me up and down, likely sizing me up, that or Joan since she was here until the situation was deemed cleaned up by Duke Bartholomew, as ordered by her current superiors. Baron Silverlight seemed nervous, he was the only one who came, but they were likely working on a plethora of things since I entered the picture for them. After confirming with Merlin that all who were meant to be here were present, I stood up and spoke, “Duke Bartholomew, Viscount and Viscountess Lancaster, and Baron Silverlight, I’m honored you could meet with me today.”

  While the Duke was a normal sight for me, I did at least get approving nods from the Lancasters and Silverlight, “As you all know, our war with Providence has only just begun, however, I can ensure not only will your military be able to withstand any future assaults, but your people will prosper as well.” Viscountess Lancaster seemed unconvinced, “How would you do that? I understand your military capabilities, we’ve reviewed the battle reports, but how will our people thrive?” I nodded, “An understandable question.” I looked to Alexander for a moment, and he seemed a little embarrassed, which was uncommon. I pushed a button, and my capital appeared on screen, though it was when I arrived, “This was my capital planet before my father told me to do as I saw fit. It was established, though that was mostly it.” Another push, and the now thriving planet shown, getting a look of surprise from Baron Silverlight and the Lancasters. I spoke, “In the span of roughly forty years, I managed to build a space elevator and orbital ring… though the attack by Providence caused more harm than anything else I could’ve predicted.” I could tell they understood my pain, even remembering that day brings the pain back, but I couldn’t focus on that.

  Since then, I managed to take in several planets that had lost their nobility, and they now thrive as well.” With each additional planet, I made sure their prosperity was clear, “Since I need all of you in top shape, I’ll be sharing some secrets of mine with you all to ensure your people are able to reach their best.” Baron Silverlight spoke, “In all honesty, I don’t believe I can accept that.” I was confused, this would allow his planet to thrive, even giving him a better predicted time for colonization. I asked, “Why is that?” He stood up, dabbing some sweat off his head, “You already helped us very much after you told us how to best run our planet. If we accept any more help, it’ll be akin to taking advantage of you.” I blinked a few times, then chuckled a little, “Baron Silverlight, that’s exactly what I want you to do.” I realized I had everyone confused, except for Joan, she merely said, “Here he goes.” She knew what I was about to do, and it was how I began my first sales as a mech engineer. I spoke, “You see, when you break into a new market, it’s hard to gain a reputation against all the other big corporations, but if I tell you about it, giving you a discount, people will begin to use my product.”

  I showed the ships I made for Baron Silverlight, “I assume you know these ships, yes? These were made within my territory; no external groups were at play here.” Baron Silverlight said, stunned, “They weren’t made by a weapons factory!?” I scratched my head, “They call them weapons factories? Hm, noted.” Viscount Lancaster said, “I highly doubt you never heard of a weapons factory.” Alexander, however, seemed pale, “Father, I know Aurelian like the back of my hand, he isn’t joking.” This suddenly set their understanding, even Duke Bartholomew was surprised, maybe my statements of “making these ships myself” weren’t clear enough. I shrugged, “Well, that’s minor, the whole point is that anything I make will be leagues above anything the existing market has, especially in ships and mechs.” I threw my hands out, “The best way to make yourself known is by word of mouth, so by disseminating our product, people begin to talk about it. You and your people get technology beyond box, and I can get my name out there, circulating among the economy, a win-win situation for all of us.” Duke Bartholomew’s son said, in either shock or awe, “I… I can’t tell if you’re insane or genius.” I smirked, “Can’t I be both? To be genius, one must be a little insane to consider the possibilities.”

  I motioned back to everyone, “All of you, I plan to accelerate your growth rapidly, enough to say you may go beyond every previously held concept you’ve had for your lives. You want at least rise one rank in nobility? Try two or three while you’re at it. Cleanse your domain from piracy? You’ll be helping your neighbors achieve the same result. Stopping poverty? Well, that’s more of a “the line always moves” sort of thing, but poverty won’t hold the same meaning anymore by the time we’re half way through my plans for our futures.” With a simple push, I showed the planet of the pirates we had just eliminated, “We won’t be stopping with singular planets in our goal to push back Providence, we’ll push them out of the Empire and beyond! I may not be the most charismatic, but I can tell you all one thing, our might will be unstoppable in paving the path for not only our own futures, but the futures of generations to come!” As I sat down at the table, smiling to each of the three families, “So, my only question is, are you with me?” The silence wasn’t long before Duke Bartholomew spoke, “The Bartholomews will back you every step of the way, Viscount Flameheart. You brought us all this far, and I want to see just how far you can take us.”

  Baron Silverlight, after looking to his daughter, looked back and said, “The Silverlights back you as well, you showed us your good faith, so we’ll return that faith here and now.” Looking to the Lancasters, Viscount Lancaster asked, “Is what you said true? Will your ambitions really take us that far into the future?” I smirked, “Believe me, this future was achieved once before, long before we were even specs in fate’s grand design, I merely seek to return the universe to that place, one where all can live a life they so choose to take. If you wish for safety, I’ll assign some of my best men to protect you. Don’t worry, I can vouch for their strength, you won’t even know anyone attempted a strike on your life with them around.” Viscount Lancaster closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, then opened his eyes with a serious look, “The Lancasters will support you, I can see the tides of the universe shifting, and they’re pointing to you.” I was mentally overjoyed, though I remained serious, “That’s perfect, we can begin discussing this over lunch at my domain.” This managed to get Baron Silverlight and the Lancasters confused, the Duke’s son was confused, but he was smiling since he knew what I meant by this.

  In a moment, we shook to a stop, unbeknownst to them, I had taken the liberty to work with their men to secretly bring them to my domain for a slice of life we have here. I rose, “So, I know Duke Bartholomew, Alexander, and Olivia have seen this place in a state of battle preparation, but I know no one here hasn’t seen the orbital ring populated with everyone from all walks of life. With that, let me show you a slice of life for the people of my domain.” I led them out of the room, confused, but once we stepped of the ship, knights and guards alike were waiting as we entered one of the many docks for ships of the orbital ring. Once we reached the door to the main section of the ring, I turned and faced them, “For the sake of our future today, and since my pockets are able to do so, today’s events will be paid for by myself. So, head out and have some fun!” As I said that, the doors opened, and the sounds of trade, fun, and people enjoying the sights and sounds of the orbital ring. I noticed everyone was surprised; Duke Bartholomew and my friends were blown away for a different reason.

  I said, “In battle, it can hold its own, but its real purpose is to allow trade without ever having to go planet side! Food from all over the Empire can be found here, along with recreational activities lost to time! Go out, have fun, and see the future I seek to bring to your domains!” I may have repeated what I said before, but this was to reinforce what I wanted them to do. I watched as each of them broke off to do other things as a family, Joan standing by my side as my new allies slipped into the crowd like normal people, “You’re changing the lives of so many people, doesn’t that make you feel excited?” Her words suddenly struck something within me, when I thought this was a game, I never really felt much from it. But now, seeing this, the reality of it all was finally beginning to seep in. Looking to the stars, I could only imagine how my rebirth into this universe would change the course of history. I smiled, reaching up towards the literal and metaphorical stars that lay above me, “I can’t stop now, with our plans in motion, we’ll protect the universe this time. We won’t let our enemies win.” I clenched my fist, symbolizing my desire to grab the future with my own hands, “So let’s show everyone what we of the old era can do.”