The Leeches Keep Multiplying
I'd left the orc tribe in charge of Zenbe and headed straight back to Kara. I was a bit uneasy, but Ulbar really had nothing fun to do, so I couldn't stick around any longer.
Standing at the Kara portal tower, I scratched my nose bridge while eyeing Hubeo, who was trailing right behind me like a lost puppy. If it was just for reporting, I should've gone straight from Bram to the Yosrahim Empire, but he'd chased after me anyway.
A friend I'd normally shake off, but lately I had no idea what was up with him.
"Hey, buddy. Aren't you going home?"
"I've still got stuff to do."
"What?"
"I need to see what decisions Kara Kingdom makes next. Things have changed a lot now that Grollmog's gone, right?"
I clapped a hand on Hubeo's shoulder.
"Kara's policies won't change. We'll stick firmly to the conditional three-nation alliance."
"You never know. The power balance has shifted back toward our empire, so Kara might think differently."
"Then once Kara makes a decision, you head home, right?"
Hubeo rolled his eyes.
"Well, at least until graduation."
"Ah, so you'll stick around for your girlfriend's graduation?"
"It's not about a girlfriend. I'm just fulfilling my duty as an imperial noble academy professor."
"How about fulfilling that duty right now? You gotta go teach those kids."
"But I have duties as an envoy too."
I snapped irritably.
"Not anymore, I said."
"We can make some. You could be a liaison, or negotiate other stuff."
"There's zilch. Worry all you want; it's locked tight."
"Then how about reestablishing diplomatic ties between our empire and Kara on a more advanced level? Upgrading the consulate to an embassy would boost exchanges positively, no?"
"Sending an ambassador is your side's job, not ours. We've already sent ours. Your empire's just too proud to send a consul."
"Oh?"
"Yeah."
"Nothing else? Like a new trade deal, or tech cooperation agreement?"
I let out a deep sigh.
"Sigh~. That scared to go home?"
Hubeo made a miserable face.
"It's not that I hate it; I just can't. If I go home, they drag me straight to the wedding. The family's already set the date."
"When?"
"Six days before graduation."
"So you're gonna hold out till then somehow?"
"Yeah."
He looked pathetic. First running away from home to dodge marriage, now trying to meddle in national affairs. Sure, friends go to Gangnam together, but Hubeo was starting to look way too much like me.
"What after that? Honestly, the family could just postpone the wedding date."
Hubeo's eyes drifted to one side.
"Dunno. What should I do?"
"Confess to the girl you like first. Do it at graduation."
"No way. Great-grandpa would flip."
"Then just close your eyes and marry her. Your fiancée's pretty, right? That's enough."
Hubeo jeered at me.
"Yan. That's your problem. You don't get human emotions. Hearts don't flip that easy."
"I don't know about that stuff. What I do know is, wherever you are or whatever you're doing right now, it ain't helping shit. You don't wanna marry 'cause of the girl you like. But confessing? Too embarrassed. You're screwed either way."
"I know. I just need time. Time to decide."
"You've had plenty. You've just wasted it doing nothing."
"Hey, what then? Can't defy great-grandpa, can't marry a girl I don't love."
I thumped my chest in frustration. Was there ever such an indecisive guy? Trying to have it all, no wonder the math didn't add up.
Through my friend Hubeo, I realized something: indecisiveness might be the chronic disease of the greedy. Wanting this and that, can't choose.
"Gah!"
Suddenly, Hubeo yelped in terror and fell on his ass.
"What now?"
Trembling, Hubeo pointed across the portal tower's observation deck.
"Th-there... a ghost."
"Ghost? For real?"
"Look."
I stared stiffly in the direction he pointed. Sure enough, beyond the railing, a black-haired woman stood. Outside the railing was a sheer drop of dozens of meters. If a woman was out there, either ghost or Armida sis.
I relaxed and bellowed.
"Sis! What're you doing?!"
Armida sis, looking sullen, floated over with a chilling voice.
"Little bro. I'm bored."
"Ah, again?"
Landing in front of me, Armida sis grumbled.
"The kids won't play with me. Shura's just sword training, Padilla's all state affairs."
"Arieta's there."
"She's glued to Shura doing archery."
"Then train yourself, sis. No law says you can't."
Armida sis pouted.
"I'm busy with missions."
"Sheesh. Busy people got time to be bored?"
"Anyway, bored. For three months without you, I just watched the shop alone. No customers even."
That was serious—not the electronics, the no customers. Sure, I had money, but it wouldn't last. Gotta build my ultimate defense base on Jores Island soon, plus entertainment and miscellaneous draining cash. To avoid poverty later, stockpile while I can.
"Yeah? Guess I gotta drum up some business."
"Little bro! I'm bored, I said."
"Ah, I'll play later. Right now, gotta talk business with Padilla after my trip."
Armida sis puffed her cheeks.
"Little bro. This how you treat me?"
I shoved Hubeo's back.
"Play with him then. Hubeo's job-hunting. Good chance to spy on Kara's Mind Master, right? You can do it."
"Uh..."
Armida sis eyed Hubeo up and down, then turned away sharply.
"I hate indecisive kids. Annoying."
"Ah, come on. Why?"
"Bored."
"I got urgent stuff with Padilla."
"Then I'll come too."
Double leeches now. No clue how to shake sis and this guy. Time to spray some fly killer soon.
"Fine. Follow. But wait outside during talk."
"Okay."
As I descended the portal tower, they tailed me.
On the stairs, Armida sis chattered.
"But little bro, rumors true? You really hit Mind Master?"
"That news reached here already?"
"Yeah. Big buzz. Little bro's a Mind Master."
I fake-sighed and shook my head. Orcs knew how to read moods subtly.
"Ah, told 'em to zip it, but they blabbed anyway. Sneaky-mouthed orcs."
"Anyway, that rumor got me ostracized. Kids said they'd level up before you came back, ignored me for training. Ugh, brutal."
I gave Armida sis a weird look.
"Yeah? Then sis, train for real. I'll watch."
Armida sis looked dumbfounded.
"Huh? Little bro, forgot who I am? I'm Armida."
"Whatever, gotta do it. Mess up, and humans might beat you soon."
"Me? By humans?"
"Yeah."
"Ridiculous. What kinda lame joke?"
I scolded her.
"Sis. Heard Grollmog's gone?"
"Yeah."
"Orc gramps went into seclusion for Soul Master. Cloud Grandpa vanished last year too—same deal. Even you can't beat a Soul Master."
Armida sis waved dismissively.
"Pfft. Nonsense. Humans becoming Soul Master? Only three Valkyries got it: Prosia, Nemisona, Sabondia."
I cut her off quick.
"Crazy?"
"Why?"
I glanced at Hubeo behind.
"Him."
Armida sis glared murderously at Hubeo.
"Hear that?"
"No, ma'am. I've been so wrapped in worries lately, other talk doesn't register. What'd you say?"
"Good if not."
Hubeo turned away whistling. He heard, obviously.
But no biggie. Hubeo knew about other Valkyries but kept mum out of sheer cowardice.
Word of my arrival at Kara palace spread, and Padilla rushed in. Spotting me, she hugged tight. Three months apart had her emotional.
"Master. No troubles?"
I peeled her off.
"Nah. Came back fine."
"Good. And... Mind Master now?"
"Yeah. Did it."
Padilla beamed excitedly.
"Such a feat."
"Feat my ass. Our family's bloodline's top-tier. Gotta hit this as a swordsman."
I subtly bragged. Our house blood didn't bow to anyone. Dad's continent-famous grand vizier, brother Yozef's once-in-centuries genius, me decent with sword.
Pretty solid lineage.
"Then Sharl too?"
Padilla's focus shifted to son Sharl, as expected. Lately, I felt second to him. Not bottom like a dog, but still miffed.
I switched topics.
"Anyway, business time. Lots to cover."
"Yes. Tell me."
"Crisis averted for now. Grollmog left instructions, so orcs won't attack anywhere soon."
Padilla's face lit up.
"Kara safe now?"
Kara was safe anyway. I just stirred crisis for me, for this world.
"Not yet."
"Pardon?"
"Orcs haven't disbanded army. That 300,000 still threatens Kara."
"But Zenbe's proxy Great Chieftain, right? He won't attack us."
"Sure, war odds dropped big. But even as Great Chieftain, Zenbe can't decide solo. Sentiment toward Kara's just that—duty as chieftain's separate."
"Ah, true."
Padilla nodded easily. Even as queen, she couldn't whimsy policies.
"Anyway, can't relax. We gotta prevent war. Never drop guard. Got it?"
"Yes."
"So I sealed trade deal with orcs for amity."
Padilla stared straight.
"Full trade with orc tribe now?"
"More. They're building trade routes and org, so volume skyrockets. Stock extra 50,000 tons grain."
"Already bought 200,000 more."
I gawked.
"200,000? Why?"
"Population booming. Hit 3.6 million."
"Immigrants again?"
"Yes."
I rubbed forehead.
3.4 million just yesterday, now +200k. Kara's rich, but growth too steep.
Bad. Holes food security. Other nations embargo grain, Kara starves bad.
Can't stop though.
Most immigrants from central-east Great Desert. Blocking them means dooming them to apocalypse later.
Kara needs labor to grow anyway. Solve by ramping our food production.
"Jores Island dev status?"
"Cleared half-ish monsters. Walls and city core just started."
"Farmland?"
"Plan 120,000 tons grain this year. Steady clearing, more next."
"Throw massive labor next year, hit at least 500,000 tons."
Padilla hesitated, then nodded.
"Okay. I'll try."
"Import 300,000 more tons harvest season, stockpile. Who knows."
"Got it."
Big stuff done. Final question.
"Oh. Mana truck dev?"
"Near done. Prototyping and testing."
"Fast progress."
"Rushed, so swapped chassis from armored mana car in dev."
Fine however. Need mana trucks for orc trade boom. Handcarts can't handle volume.
Thought rails in Ulbar, but nixed—big flaw.
Orcs nomadic hunters in small tribes. Need mobility; fixed rail stations don't fit.
"Mass produce once done. Mana trucks urgent."
"Yes. I'll push."
Oh, another urgent. I grabbed Padilla's wrist, headed bed.
"Master?"
"Time for number two. More royal heirs, better."
I shoved her roughly onto bed. Three months dry. After orc she-bears in Ulbar, even wife looked hot.