Chapter 18

Note: Thanks to Alex for beta reading this!

I rode down the tunnel to Astovin on my undead horse. With me rode Halia and Ms. Trueno, with Maya clinging to my back insisting that the horses could double up. Garnet tagged along, flying behind us and easily able to keep up with the stampede.

Maya held me tight as we rode through the tunnel. The undead horses were making travel faster, but the clatter made my ears ring. Perhaps I could change the surface of the tunnel floor from stone. Hard-packed dirt, maybe. That had to be softer. Or carpet.

Could I make carpet that long? Carpet was more expensive. And it was the throw rugs, not the sort of thick, fibrous carpet that you would find in a house in our world. The dirt maybe. I could make my dungeon out of hat material.

It was something to consider.

We soon reached the ring that surrounded Astovin, following the wall that engulfed the city. We passed that and reached the central hub, the “basement” to my administrative building. I liked that idea. The five buildings that were officially a part of my dungeon. I could move them anywhere in the network, evacuating the Astovinians to safety.

I never wanted them to suffer like they had in the past.

We dismounted our horses. Ms. Trueno looked around curiously. This was her first trip to Astovin. It was why I brought her along. My teacher needed to see the world and interact with its people. She had to get up to speed on the sort of threats that would face us.

We headed up the stairs. I took them two at a time. Since this central building was almost like my governmental building for the city, there was a meeting room where Feya was hosting the delegates from the halfling refugees.

I stepped into the room in my gray robe, my three monster girl companions, and my paladin behind me. At a table, Feya sat at the head. She rose with grace, her butterfly wings fluttering behind her. She smiled at me.

There were five halflings around the table. They all looked so short, like children, but they weren’t. Four of them were elderly, their faces wrinkled by age. They looked haggard and in shock, their dark-brown skin having a dull, waxy sheen to it. The fifth was young. Very young. She looked around eighteen or twenty. She had red hair that she wore in a thick, red braid. Her emerald eyes fixed on me as she stood up on her chair to even come close to looking at me. She wore a blue robe trimmed in red that was travel-stained, a copper medallion around her neck with the glyphs for Fire and Ice on them.

“She’s a mage, Lord Leo,” Halia whispered.

Excitement shot through me. I had been wanting to find a mage. I had hoped to discover how Meskalamdug had built those teleportation circles we found in his dungeon. If I had those, I wouldn’t need to ride undead horses to get to Astovin. I could get here in a flash.

“Greetings,” I said, stepping forward. “I’m Leo, and I understand your city has been conquered by a dungeon builder?”

“A villain named Sulanga Stormfury,” the young halfling mage hissed. “He conquered us. We few managed to escape.”

“And you came here?” I asked, moving to the head of the table that Feya had vacated. “I’m surprised you would flee one dungeon builder for another, Miss...?”

“My apologies,” the mage said. “I’m Kassie. I’ll let one of the elders speak.”

“We’re here because of you,” muttered an old woman. “Speak to him. You believe in him.”

A surge of hope shot through me. “You ... believe in me?”

Kassie faced me. “I’ve heard stories of you from the dwarves. The ones you liberated from the Twins. They say that you spared their lives after they were forced to attack your dungeon. That you could have killed them but did all you could to spare them and set them free. Then you never once demanded they serve you.”

“Lord Leo doesn’t demand that anyone serves him,” Halia said. “On Lady Sherida’s shining light, I say that to be true. My village of Astovin chose to serve him willingly after he defended us.”

I tried not to smile. It raised my spirits to know that my deeds were spreading. “Those dwarves were not my enemy. They were slaves. They had no choice in attacking me. It would make me a despicable man to harm them.”

Kassie nodded. She glanced at the elders. “See. A despicable man. He’s not like Sulanga. He’s what we need.” The halfling shot her gaze back to me. Her green eyes were so startling in their brightness. “Lord Leo, I beg of you, save my people. Sulanga Stormfury has conquered our city. He’s enslaved our people like the Twins did the dwarves. Help us like you helped them.”

“Of course my big bro will,” said Garnet. “He’s an amazing dungeon builder.”

To my shock, she didn’t mention anything about me being a ‘Dark Lord’ or anything. Like Garnet understood that wouldn’t look good for my image.

“Leo was my student,” Ms. Trueno said. “He is a good and earnest young man. I promise you, that he will not let you down.”

“Yeah,” said Maya. “He’s kinda noble that way.”

“So you’ll save my people?” Kassie asked, staring at me.

“Of course,” I said without hesitation. This was what I wanted. To be seen as an alternative to the rogue dungeon builders. To set myself apart and to stand up against them. “I will do all in my power to save your people and put a stop to this menace. Conquering a city? That can’t be allowed to stand.”

“Thank you.” Kassie hopped down from her chair, ran around the table, and stood before me. She was so short, coming only to my waist. She thrust out her hands and took both of mine. “Thank you so much, Lord Leo.”

“Lord Leo,” said Valuna, one of my rock elementals. They guarded the north gate into Astovin. “Siwang has arrived. Shall I let him in?”

“Escort him to the administrative building,” I said. I smiled down at Kassie. “We’re going to save your people. Another ally has just arrived. Another dungeon builder that I hope will stand with us.”

“Another?” She swallowed.

“He’s new,” I said. “I am mentoring him. Make sure he doesn’t fall into the same pit traps that can afflict so many of us.”

Kassie chewed on her lower lip. “Okay, Lord Leo.”

I could see doubt creeping into her eyes. I would make sure that she didn’t have any reason to doubt my commitment. This was important. Winning over these halflings, being someone they believed could be the answer to their problem, was important to me. I had to make this work.

I would make this work.

Sulanga Stormfury would not last.

“Feya, do we have any maps of ... What is your city called?” I glanced down at Kassie.

“Sharithin.” She swallowed. “I have brought a map of the city.” She motioned to one of the elders.

“Then let’s start studying it and making plans,” Halia said. “We’ll need to know where the enemy is positioned and how best to go about liberating your city.”

“We’re not sure where they’re located,” Kassie said. “We barely escaped with our lives.”

“That’s fine,” Halia said. “We’ll start scouting it to get a better idea. Still, it’ll help if we can see it. We can start to figure out something.”

“Right, right,” said Kassie.

As the map was unfurled, Siwang was led in by Valuna. The rock elemental bowed and withdrew. Siwang had his mother with him, the wraith standing by her son, her pale body looking lush and gorgeous today. The intimacy between them was obvious.

Kassie swallowed at the sight of another dungeon builder.

“Halflings?” Siwang asked. “What is going on? I thought you had found the Thunder Shrine.”

“And then something else happened,” I said, moving up to him. “A dungeon builder named Sulanga Stormfury has attacked their city. We’re going to liberate it.”

Siwang’s face paled. He swallowed and ran a hand through his black hair. “You’re going to fight another dungeon builder, Leo?”

“Of course. That’s what we have to do, Siwang.” I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “We have to be protectors of the innocent. We have to stand up to those dungeon builders that cross the line. We have to defeat them and show the world we’re not them. It’s the only way we’re ever going to have peace with them.”

“You mean, fight another dungeon builder?” gasped Siwang. “We could die if we do that.”

“We could,” I said, squeezing his shoulder. “But we have to make a stand. It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be dangerous. But it’ll be two on one.”

“I’m not all that powerful, Leo,” Siwang said, shuffling his feet and looking down.

“Like I said in the message, I’ve found the Thunder Shrine. You will get another companion and more monster girls. You’ll be even stronger. So let’s work together and show the world that we’re not like this cock-sucker Sulanga. That we’re not despots that conquer. That we’re here to help. That we’re not this world’s enemy.

“We’re its allies. A check against the dungeon builders who go rogue. Who think their power makes them tyrants that can do what they want. They’re wrong, and we’re going to prove it.”

Ms. Trueno clapped. Not mockingly. She had this huge smile on her lips, nodding in pride. Her copper-scaled boobs jiggled. I smiled back at her, glad that I brought my teacher to this world. She was so supportive.

“You really believe that you’re here to stop the dungeon builders that conquer us?” Kassie asked, looking up at me. “That you’re here to truly put an end to their cruelties and atrocities.”

“I do,” I said. “It’s the only way that there can be peace. We have to stop hating each other and see that each other are just people. With hopes. Dreams. And flaws. I’m not perfect, but I’m not going to be a monster. Fuck that. I lucked out and survived my early stages as a dungeon builder, and now I’m in a position to do something to make this world better. I’m taking it.”

Kassie swallowed. “I’m glad. We really need you.”

Halia knelt by Kassie. “You know, I am looking for adventurers to serve Leo.”

“What?” Kassie asked, her head snapping over to her.

“Adventurers that go out into the world to challenge the bad dungeon builders,” Halia continued. “The Lady of Light has blessed me when I swore myself to Leo. I have begun gathering and training others who see that he’s a great man who will change this world. I can teach how to fight, but I can’t teach magic. I need others who are seasoned.”

“You think I’m an adventurer?” asked Kassie.

“I do,” said Halia. She flicked her eyes up and down her. “That’s how you escaped with them, right? You have experience fighting monster girls.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kassie said. “An adventurer who fights for a dungeon builder.”

“And takes out the bad ones,” said Halia. “That’s my dream. Lord Leo is a great man. He showed that to me, and I think you’re seeing it. You can say no. He’ll still help your people, but I would be honored to have a fierce Halfling mage on our side.”

Kassie glanced at my monster girls. “Will I have to be like them?” She arched her eyebrows suggestively. “I know that more than a few dungeon builders like their harems.”

“Oh, my big bro is horny even for a dungeon builder,” said Garnet, her wings fluttering. My little sister winked at me. “It’s why we all love him so much.”

“That we do,” said Feya. “I served the Twins originally, and I am much happier in Leo’s harem than my pig of a husband’s.”

“You don’t have to be his lover,” said Halia. “You just have to protect him. In fact, if you serve him, you can help us fight to retake your city.”

“I do want that,” said Kassie. She glanced back at me, a considering look on her face.

I knelt before her to look her in the eyes. I would love to have a mage in service to me. Find what was up with those teleportation circles. But I could never force her to join. “I would love to have you serving me, but I pledge to you that I will save your people.”

“You really protect people, don’t you,” Kassie said. “I saw the villagers. They’re guarded by your monster girls but are happy. I even saw some of the women talking with a pair of goblins. They were laughing. Telling jokes.”