In the weeks that followed, Stheno and Euryale made themselves very at home—exploring the tower, the Nether Realm, and even the town. They especially seemed to enjoy messing with the minions.
In fact, I was currently sitting in my throne, listening to Gnarl give me a report on all the mischief they'd been up to. He stood stiffly at the foot of the steps, his hands folded behind his back, voice laced with equal parts exasperation and amusement.
"Well," Gnarl began with a gravelly sigh, "a few days after the ladies arrived… they tied a Blue Minion to an oversized fishing rod and suspended him over a magma pit—pretending they were going to drop him in."
He rubbed his bony chin, muttering, "And when they got bored… they just left him there."
I blinked slowly, already regretting asking.
"A couple days later," Gnarl continued, his crooked mouth twitching, "they made poor Giblet build them a catapult. When he was finished… they tied him to a rock and launched him across the Netherworld."
He paused dramatically.
"He's fine, by the way… but now he keeps saying he wants to go again."
I sighed through my nose.
"Oh, and then they forced Flambe to make them one of everything on the menu," he said, raising a brow. "Then they made Gash eat it all… until he exploded."
Gnarl crossed his arms.
"Hell, even I'm not safe," he grumbled, glaring to the side. "They keep calling me 'Little Gnarl,' and tripping me when they pass me on the stairs."
Then I leaned forward slightly, rubbing my temples. "So… you want me to make them stop?"
Gnarl straightened up and looked at me like I'd gone mad. "Make them stop? Hell no! This is the most fun we've had in ages!"
He cackled softly, shoulders shaking with amusement. "The ladies have started a massive prank war among all us minions! We're having a blast!"
I let out a long, slow sigh. "At least you're all enjoying yourselves…"
I leaned back into the throne, resting my chin on my hand. "Other than that, we only have—at most—a week and a few days left to prepare. What's our troop count?"
Gnarl clasped his hands again and cleared his throat dutifully. "We currently have: one thousand Browns, one thousand Reds, one thousand Greens, and one thousand Blues. Seven hundred ShadowKhan and five hundred Direwolves."
He gave a slight nod. "If we include yourself and the two ladies, that brings us to two thousand, two hundred and three available forces."
I nodded slowly, thoughtful. "Yes… that should be sufficient. I doubt our losses will be significant—especially since we can bring back any minions who fall."
Then I narrowed my eyes slightly. "Also… did Grubby and Giblet complete that thing we discussed?"
Gnarl scratched his head, brow furrowing. "Yes, Lord… but we're all very confused about why you wanted it."
I gave him a cryptic smile, one hand resting on the arm of my throne as I said softly, "You'll see in time, Gnarl."
Meanwhile in the capital — 3 weeks ago
Emperor Jircniv POV
"That's the report, Your Majesty," my secretary Loune said, bowing respectfully as he handed over the scroll.
I exhaled sharply through my nose and leaned back in my throne, fingers steepled as I narrowed my eyes.
"So… an unknown force has built a city just north of my capital, and they're flying an unknown banner," I said, my voice cool and deliberate. "And they are—without a doubt—hostile?"
Loune straightened his posture and nodded solemnly. "Yes, sire. We don't know their numbers or capabilities, but according to the surviving hunter, it's full of mysterious monsters he's never seen before. They dispatched his friends in the blink of an eye... and only let him live as a warning."
I frowned, swirling the wine in my goblet slowly as I considered his words. My gaze drifted to the large window overlooking the horizon.
"Send the workers," I said after a long pause, my voice low and measured. "We don't know what we're dealing with, and the mountains make it too difficult to deploy the army on short notice."
I took a sip of my wine, my tone turning cold and pragmatic. "Plus… I'd rather not waste our forces in the event that our neighbors decide to take advantage of the situation."
Loune bowed again, his tone brisk and respectful. "Yes, sire. Right away." He turned and swiftly left to carry out my orders.
Alone in the silence of the chamber, I stared out the window once more. The crimson light of sunset cast long shadows across the palace floor as I slowly swirled the wine in my glass.
"I wonder what we'll find there..." I murmured to myself, a sharp edge of curiosity laced with disdain in my voice.
Then my eyes narrowed, and a faint smirk touched my lips.
"No matter. Even if the workers fail…" I said with a dry chuckle, "I'll just send my armies to crush them when I have the time."
Three weeks later:
Arche POV
It's been one week since we received the order to investigate an unknown city teeming with monsters, and we're finally on the way. The Emperor didn't spare any expense for this—he dispatched all the workers, gave us supplies, and is even offering a hefty reward, plus bonuses for any valuables we find.
I'm currently riding in a cart with my party, Foresight. As our leader Hekkeran went over our strategy, his voice calm but firm, I sat quietly beside him, my hands folded in my lap. I was barely paying attention.
I was too excited about finally getting enough money to get me and my sisters away from our parents. That thought alone made my heart ache and flutter all at once. I stared out over the path ahead, the distant shape of the unknown city just barely visible on the horizon.
Something tells me… life is finally about to improve.
One week later
Nihil – POV
I was sitting on the throne, with Stheno and Euryale lounging lazily on the throne arms on either side of me, looking utterly relaxed and pleased with themselves. We were listening as Gnarl shuffled forward and gave his report from the Shadowkhan.
"Sire, it appears that your scheme has paid off," he said with a twisted little grin. "The Empire has indeed dispatched people to either investigate or exterminate us. They're about a day's travel away."
I leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing with anticipation. "Good. All right, girls. Let's go. We have preparations to make."
Stheno let out a delicate yawn, her lips curling into a wicked smile as she slowly stretched. "Finally. I was getting bored... the prank war was fun, but I need some exercise~."
Euryale stretched languidly, giving her sister a sly glance. "Me too. Hey, Stheno~! Wanna see who can take down more enemies?"
Stheno chuckled, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear as she smirked. "That would be fun, Euryale. But according to Master, there won't be many to go around... So how about a contest of creativity instead?"
Euryale's violet eyes gleamed with interest. "Ooh, that sounds fun!"
Gnarl raised an inquisitive brow, his crooked grin widening. "Where are we headed, sire?"
I rose from the throne, a sly smirk playing on my lips. "To the fortress."
Gnarl blinked. "But… we don't have a fortress."
I smiled even wider. "We do. Allow me to show you."
Without another word, I opened a gate and led everyone through it. We emerged ten miles from the city, standing in a wide clearing.
Gnarl squinted around and muttered, "I wondered why you had Grubby put a gate in the middle of nowhere…"
Stheno scanned the area, her arms crossed beneath her chest, a mild pout on her lips. "Master, I don't see a fortress…"
After walking a few feet ahead, I stopped and pointed straight down. "It's right here."
The three of them leaned in and looked down. What they saw looked like a large, highly detailed model of a massive stone fortress. It had tall, thick walls made entirely of quarried stone, reinforced and plated with black steel and polished ebony. The buildings inside the walls shared the same heavy armor-like design. Watchtowers stood vigilant at each corner, and a towering command center loomed above the rest, overlooking everything. Even the miniature ballistae lining the walls were meticulously crafted, complete with tiny ebony bolts.
The whole structure had a firm foundation and was clearly rooted to the ground.
Euryale frowned, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Is this a prank…?"
Gnarl scratched his head and frowned. "Yes, Lord, I agree with the lady. Are you joking?"
I let out a laugh, confident and amused. "Just watch."
Reaching into my robes, I pulled out a pair of golden chopsticks and held them aloft.
"Changing Chopsticks."
The chopsticks glowed with golden light, and then—so did the "model." The ground trembled slightly as the tiny structure pulsed and expanded, growing in a radiant flash until it became a massive, fortress-city spanning over five miles in each direction.
Stheno and Euryale's eyes sparkled with delight as they gasped and immediately ran inside, laughing and exploring the sprawling stronghold with childlike glee.
Gnarl cackled, nodding in approval. "Now I understand! You didn't have Grubby and Giblet build models… You had them build a tiny fortress using real materials! That's terribly clever, Lord."
I nodded with pride. "Yes. And it's efficient. They didn't use many materials to make this, and it only took them a day to build. After that, I just needed to make it grow to full size."
"Gnarl," I added, turning toward him, "go get Gash and Giblet and have them form some squads. Then come back here."
Gnarl bowed, his hunch tightening slightly as he turned. "Right away, Lord."
"Oh, and before I forget," I said, casually, "you should probably let Quaver out of the dungeon."
Gnarl paused mid-step, his eyes widening. "Oh… damn. I forgot. It's been months. Looks like I need to go see Mortis later."
And with that, he turned and shuffled off, mumbling under his breath.
I made my way to the command center and sat at the head of the large conference table, saying, "Now's as good a time as any. I'll pull the Gacha first—spells. Today's results:"
1. Fire Enchantment
2. Bound Sword
3. Pull of the Abyss (Dragon Age 2)
4. Transmute (Skyrim)
5. Maximise – allows caster to push a spell beyond its limits at the cost of more mana (D&D)
"Okay, not a bad haul this time. Now for this month's spawning pit."
1. Basilisk Spawning Pit (Harry Potter) – Cost 100 mana
"Even if I can control those, I should limit how many I summon."
"Finally, the items:"
1. Blade of Woe (Skyrim)
2. Falcon's Eye (Xiaolin Showdown)
3. Third Arm Sash (Xiaolin Showdown)
4. 100 Cups of Ramen
5. Tower Addition 2 of 9 – Grand Library
6. Tower Addition 3 of 9 – Herb Fields
7. 10 Boogie Bombs (Fortnite)
8. Gravity Hammer (Halo)
9. 10 Health Potions
10. 10 Mana Potions
Looking over my items, I said, "I'm pretty sure I'm gonna destroy the other side—just call it a hunch."