Chapter Sixteen
Dearest Goddess of Death,
Our time in this world has not been spent in vain, for we are close to achieving our goals. Soon, the masses will kneel before us, and we shall rule them as matron and patron of peace. First, we must gain control, and that requires weakening the kingdom of Sorreyal from the inside-out. The king’s new weapon cannot remain in his possession. It would not aid our cause for us to stand by while someone else uses it against us.
Do not enter the palace yourself, as we do not want our identities to be known just yet, but rather, hire two candidates to do it for you. They will have to obtain the key to the treasury by infiltrating the palace staff to gain access to the treasurer, but once they acquire the key, the crystal shall be ours.
Deliver it to me immediately, and you will gain my favor in the process.
Our wills shall soon reign supreme over the masses of this world, and then we will find a way to return to Earth with our powers intact.
You must hurry, though, for the supposed God of Time shall return from the southern lands any day now. We cannot allow him to thwart our plans for world domination. He has already amassed too much power for us to face directly yet, so he must not know we are here.
Burn this letter, and watch your back.
Remember your purpose.
Your master,
The God of the Plague
Holy. Shit.
So, there were more “gods” from Earth than I’d thought.
I’d struck gold in my search for answers, and I wondered where exactly the God of the Plague was hiding while he had other people carrying out his dirty work. I had to tell the king what the evil bastard had planned, so I rushed back to the palace. My steed was eager to let loose across the paving stones, and we arrived at the golden-walled castle soon after.
I stabled my horse, and I scratched his itchy spots as quickly as I could. I marched straight to King Fred’s quarters with the scroll still clutched tightly in my hands, but none of the guards stopped me because of my higher-ranking uniform. Then I paused to knock on his door this time, and a muffled grunt bade me to enter.
I stepped inside and crossed the room to the couch where the king was lounging, and I deposited the letter into his hands. It was late at night by this point, and I was surprised the man was still awake, but I supposed being the ruler of an entire kingdom could come with some insomnia. I watched his face go from curious as he unrolled it to furious once he scanned over the contents, and finally, he looked up at me in shock.
“T-This can’t be true,” the king sputtered. “We are up against two gods working together?”
“One of them is the Goddess of Death, and the other is the God of the Plague,” I confirmed with a nod. “And they seek both of our demise. We need to remain unified to face this threat head-on, and I will figure this out just as I do everything else.”
It was hard to believe there was yet another person from Earth in this medieval fantasy world, but the more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that she’d had an American accent. She’d even used the word “cool,” which was a more modern term than the people of Sorreyal would have ever said.
“Such as the spies in my household?” the king chuckled. “You dropped everything, but it ended up being more than you bargained for.”
“No, this is the best thing that could have happened,” I countered. “Now, we know what they’re up to.”
“Well, if you think this works out in our favor,” the king said in a hesitant manner, “I am inclined to trust you.”
“Good,” I said.
“You have thwarted them, and they don’t even know it yet.” The king shook his head in awe. “You accomplished everything in a single day. How do you do it?”
“It doesn’t take me long to catch on,” I said, but I questioned whether or not I should reset to have a smoother outcome. I’d accomplished all of my goals, and tomorrow could move forward as a different day.
It was fun to create my own mini Groundhog’s Day every once in a while, though.
“I would like to reward you for your efforts here in Vallenwood,” the king continued. “I would like to formally announce your arrival back in Sorreyal by throwing you a banquet.”
“Letting everyone know the palace, and the entire realm for that matter, are protected by me once more,” I summarized with a nod of agreement. “That might be a good idea after all.”
My time for going incognito was over.
I’d learned all the answers I’d searched for, and I’d managed to help a couple of miserable people find love along the way. I truly had accomplished much for one day, and I smiled to myself as I thought about all the ways I could spice things up if I did one more run through.
Chime.
I awoke in the servants’ quarters again, and I pulled on the clothes provided to us before I lined up before Miss Gervine. I was polite and submissive every time she turned to me, but I let it slip that the baker liked her once more, and I thoroughly enjoyed her reddened face.
I accepted my role as page, updated the girls, convinced Reschain to let me deliver the king’s breakfast, and took the crystal into my possession even faster than I had previously. I already knew where Lark and Noa were going after they failed to retrieve the weapon, so I didn’t need to wait around to follow them this time.
I had time to kill before they met their fates.
I rejoined the women, but this time I was in the uniform of a royal guard, so no one questioned me pulling a kitchen maid to the side. Zenda was first, and she updated me on her quest for writing materials, and then she kissed me passionately in the shadows of a kitchen corner.
Caelia was next, and she also kissed me deeply before she prattled off what she’d learned about the other maids working in the palace kitchens. I felt the curves of her body as she briefly pressed herself against me, but then she sauntered off with a seductive twist of her hips.
I interrupted Akina last, and she reluctantly put down her baking materials to follow me into the shadows. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a rough braid, and she smiled shyly when she caught me analyzing her tendrils.
“I am learning how to braid with flour on my hands,” she explained with a wry grin. “They work very hard here. I have much respect for them.”
“I want you,” I murmured. “You look as beautiful covered in flour as you did covered in the sands of the Kotar Desert. But I’m going to wait until after the king’s feast.”
“The king is throwing a feast?” Akina’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I have heard nothing of that, and we would need to know how much food to provide. How long do we have to prepare?”
“That’s beside the point,” I laughed. “My true meaning lies in what happens after the feast. I will take you back to one of these lavish bedrooms, and I will claim you from head to toe.”
Akina shivered with delight at my words, and she opened her mouth to respond, but only a squeak emerged, so I kissed her parted lips passionately. A promise was a promise, and I was a man of my word.
Then I continued on with my day, but I still managed to fuck Caelia in the pantry after we’d watched Miss Gervine and Dael hook up. I was having the time of my life, but the entire time, I could feel the presence of the dark crystal in my hip pouch.
It wanted me to use it.
The thought sent a shiver down my spine, and I decided I’d have to stash it somewhere so I didn’t have to carry such evil around with me. I would head back to Bastianville the next chance I had and hide it somewhere safe. The less people who knew about it, the better, so I wondered who I could trust with the knowledge of its location.
I made a mental note to experiment in the future, and I refocused on having a perfect day in the life of a servant.
Once the sun went down, however, I began to get anxious to complete the final part of my day. I’d have to get my hands on the letter from the God of the Plague again in order to convince the king about the plot to weaken him from the inside-out. Maybe then he would seize control of his city, and Vallenwood could prosper once more.
I waited until well after dark, but then I made my way on foot to the inn. I remembered the path perfectly, and I found Lark and Noa already in the alleyway.
This was the last time I would see them alive if I didn’t do something to prevent their deaths, and I couldn’t stand back and do nothing while the Goddess of Death plunged daggers in their chests. I didn’t want to fight her again until I had more information to work with, though, so sending the two men away before they threw the rocks was the best approach.
“Stop!” I called out as I trotted out of the shadows, and Lark paused with the pebble raised in his hand. “That’s a quick way to end up dead.”
“Who are you?” Lark asked.
“Wait, aren’t you one of the servants we were hired with?” Noa asked after he’d gotten a good look at my face.
“Listen, if you continue with what you were going to do, then you will die.” I fixed Lark with a hard stare. “The Goddess of Death is going to kill you because you don’t have the stone with you.”
“H-H-How did you know about that?” Noa gasped out, but Lark silenced him with a slash of his hand.
“What do you mean she is going to kill us?” Lark questioned with a worried glance at his companion. “Both of us?”
“Dead as a doorknob.” I nodded. “Both of you.”
“Why are you telling us this?” the brown-haired man asked me in a suspicious tone. “Do you not risk your life in doing so?”
“Don’t worry about me.” I smirked. “Let’s just say I can’t stand by and watch you die again.”
The two men exchanged a long glance, but then Lark dropped the pebble in his hand to the ground.
“I don’t want you to die,” he said to Noa, and he cast a worried glance around at the alleyway. “We should get out of town. Now.”
“That’s a good idea,” I said. “Go to Bastianville. Tell them Bash sent you, and you will be well taken care of. But don’t even think about trying a robbery there. My men are more likely to kill you than arrest you.”
That wasn’t a hundred percent true, but judging by the glint of fear in the men’s eyes, my little lie would hopefully be enough to deter them from a continued life of crime.
The two men darted off into the darkness, and I hoped I would see them again, alive and well. It was up to them now, though, and I had other things to worry about.
Namely, getting the letter from the God of the Plague.
The room was unoccupied, so I hurried inside and up the stairs, and I melted the lock as quickly as I could before I stepped inside and grabbed the scroll case. I was heading outside a moment later, and I opened the case as I walked back through the city.
I headed straight to the king’s quarters once more, and I handed him the letter, but this time his reaction didn’t surprise me in the slightest. He announced the idea of throwing a feast again, and this time I made a few suggestions. We would have a parade through town to let everyone know I was back, and all the prisoners of the local jails would be released so their cases could be reviewed.
Everyone deserved a second chance.
At long last, I went to the servants’ quarters to fetch my women. We’d accomplished our quest, so we would sleep on silk sheets that night. Miss Gervine did not make an appearance, and I could only assume she and Dael were well-occupied with one another.
I explained everything to the women, and they followed me to the lavish bedroom the king had provided us with. The difference between our newly-appointed quarters and the servants’ sleeping chamber was like night and day, and the three women smiled gratefully.
“This is what palace life is like on the other side?” Akina twirled around the room as she took in the vaulted ceilings covered in rich paints. “There’s so much space for one family.”
“At least the bed should fit all of us,” Zenda said as she eyed the king-sized bed. “Lots of room for everyone.”
We all jumped onto the mattress to try it out, but my tired limbs instantly cried out for sleep the moment I was situated comfortably. My women were cuddled up to each side of me, and their gentle breaths synchronized into a rhythmic pattern.
Fuck, I was lucky.
It felt great to use my powers to discover secret plots against the realm, and I slept peacefully knowing I would continue to thwart any attempts to weaken me or my allies.
I awoke late in the morning the next day, and I made a new save point as I yawned and stretched. Time could move forward again since I’d accomplished everything I’d set out to do the previous day and then some. I hadn’t anticipated finding out the God of the Plague’s plans, or learning there was yet another immortal in this medieval fantasy world.
Were we all from Earth?
The God of the Purge had mentioned Hitler, and only someone from Earth would understand that reference.
How many immortals were there?
The Goddess of Death and the God of the Plague made four that I knew of, but only the three of us still stood. How many of us would survive the clash that was surely coming?
I had more questions than answers, but I had a feeling I would find out all the answers eventually. I just needed to keep going, keep digging. Time was on my side, and I could handle anything this other god and goddess could throw at me.
I got dressed in richly-colored navy robes I found hanging in the closet, and then I roused the three women still asleep on the king-sized bed. They blinked back sleep and stared up at me with love in their eyes, but it wasn’t long before all four of us were dressed and ready to go.
We decided to go to the throne room after we ate our breakfast, and I had a newfound appreciation for the serving staff who brought in the food and took away the dirty dishes. They ate after us, and their day started so much earlier.
“So, what is in store for us next?” Caelia asked over breakfast. “Any surprises we should be aware of?”
“The king will probably throw a feast in my honor,” I said with a shrug. “And I’ve discovered the plans of our true enemy, the God of the Plague. Plus, there’s going to be a parade!”
“Wait, wait,” Zenda said as she narrowed her eyes. “Tell us more about the God of the Plague.”
I quickly caught them up on everything I’d accomplished the night before, and I described the massive stock of weapons the Goddess of Death had stored in her room. I hesitated to mention the dark crystal, and I wondered if its negative energy was permeating my thoughts.
I needed to separate myself from the stone before the end of the day, and then I could focus on enjoying the feast with my women.
“I need to blip back to Bastianville real quick,” I said after we’d finished discussing the new threat to Sorreyal. “I need to check on everyone, and I have an errand to run in town.”
“Alright,” Zenda said. “What shall we do while you’re gone?”
“Relax and enjoy the royal treatment,” I said. “Wander the halls and look at the art. Peruse the library. Whatever suits your fancy.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Caelia breathed as her eyes sparkled with delight. “The exact opposite of yesterday.”
“Indeed,” I chuckled.
I stood back and winked before I performed the gestures required to fast travel, and the world faded in front of me to be replaced with the interior of my castle in Bastianville.
Mahini stood in front of me with a finger raised to her lips with a sleeping Sorena in her arms.
I flashed her an apologetic smile before I placed a warm kiss on her cheek, but I couldn’t help notice how much bigger her stomach had gotten since I’d last seen her. My next child would be arriving sooner than I’d expected, and I was suddenly inundated with imaginings of our mixed genes.
“I can’t wait ‘til our baby is born,” I whispered. “I’m sorry to drop in, but there’s something I have to do.”
“I understand, husband,” Mahini murmured, and she flashed me a rare smile before she headed in the direction of the nursery.
I went through the hallways of my castle to the treasure room, and I used my key to open the lock on the door. I kept all my material wealth inside, and I had the only key. There was the lance King Fred had given me to defeat Smiguel, my previous sets of armor and unused weapons, chests full of gold, and baskets of sparkling jewelry and gems.
It would be cool if I could put some sort of magical barrier around my treasure room to protect it from things like flame spells being used on the lock.
I put the idea away to think about later, and I worked on pulling up one of the wooden floorboards inside my treasure room. Once I had revealed a small opening, I pulled out the black crystal from my hip pouch.
The void of light greeting my eyes sent a chill down my spine, and I slid it inside the crevice an instant later. Then I replaced the board and pounded it back in until it looked like all of the other ones, and I cast one last glance around the room at the lavish display of wealth before I blipped back to Vallenwood.
The girls weren’t in the room when I returned to my last location, so I went out in search of them to see what they’d gotten up to. Once I found them, I spent the next few hours enjoying the palace with them.
Akina was back in the kitchens, but this time she was instructing the bakers in ways to tweak their recipes. She showed me some of her ideas, and I had to admit, her versions tasted a lot better.
It was good to see the shy warrior woman coming out of her shell. Now that she wasn’t fighting for survival in the brutal desert, she could cultivate her own interests and hobbies, and I couldn’t be happier to see her blossom.
Zenda was nose-deep in a book in the library, but I wouldn’t have expected anything else. I tilted my head to read the vertical title, and I chuckled as the words “Sorreyalian History” flashed before my eyes.
Caelia was relaxing in the solarium where chaise lounges were scattered throughout the glass-ceilinged room full of plants, and I joined her in a sunbath for a while before I got bored and sleepy.
We all agreed it was time to take a nap after the day’s activities, but the moment we got comfortable, a knock came at the door. I answered it a moment later, and a servant bade us to come to the throne room.
It was time for the parade.
We’d all cleaned ourselves up and tidied our hair before we made our way to the giant hall, and I nodded to the guards as we passed by. I knew how hard their jobs were, too, and I found myself with a newfound respect for their hard work.
“I can’t wait to see the city,” Akina breathed as we approached the double doors leading into the throne room.
“I can’t wait to get you alone,” I murmured back with a flirtatious wink.
Akina’s cheeks reddened, but she didn’t say anything, and we stepped inside the room full of people a moment later. The crowd split to let us pass, and I was reminded of the difference between the treatment peasants received. Once we were finely dressed like nobles, we were treated with the respect we deserved.
I inclined my head to the king once we reached the dais, and he stood up from the throne to meet me on the steps.
“Sir Sebastian, the Archduke of Sorreyal, Bane of Pirates in the Eastern Ocean, Uniter of the Kotar Desert, and God of Time, has returned to our land once more!” the king called out in a loud voice, but then he clasped my forearm warmly. “Welcome home, Great One.”
I bowed my head, but then I turned and waved at the crowd. The room lit up in a resounding cheer, so I motioned for silence before I spoke.
“I have traveled all across this world, and I have challenged evil at every step of the way,” I said in a loud, clear voice. “Let it be known throughout the realm that Sorreyal is under my protection. I will not stand by while threats remain, and any who stand against the king shall also face my wrath.”
A hushed silence met my words, and then we filed out of the throne room toward the courtyard where we got into open-aired carriages. We rode through the streets of Vallenwood while waving at the peasants and other residents of the city, but I couldn’t help noticing the messy state of the lanes between the buildings. Refuse and excrement littered the paving stones on both sides of us, and I wrinkled my nose as the odors assaulted my nostrils.
I forced myself to resume my poker face, though, and we rode the rest of the way through the town without my calm demeanor shifting at all. I waved until my arm hurt, and I plastered a broad smile on my face for all to see. I hoped the message I’d given would reach the God of the Plague, and his helper, the Goddess of Death. I wanted them to know that I would stop at nothing to protect this realm, even if that included ending their immortal lives.
We returned to the palace to enjoy the feast, and colorful lights were strung up over all the bushes in the courtyard. Candles lined the steps leading into the palace, and a general celebratory air met us at the threshold. My spirits were instantly lifted, and I was reminded once more of the differences between a noble’s and a peasant’s lives.
I set a new save point as we entered the vast dining hall, and then I took the seat at the head of the table at the king’s command. I was the guest of honor, so everyone else claimed seats on either side of me. King Fred sat to my right, and the other nobles left an empty chair between them and the ruler of Sorreyal. My women occupied the chairs to the left of me, and I smiled warmly at them as they settled into their seats.
Ozmand, Penelope, and Sir Cristoff sat in the remaining seats, and all three of their eyes were locked on me. I imagined their awe at my sudden appearance in the midst, and I resisted the urge to chuckle every time I looked their way.
The God of Time strikes again.
We wined and dined for hours, and I told stories about my exploits to the enjoyment of everyone present. Soon, my women and the other nobles began to request certain tales, and I always obliged. We revisited the fight against Smiguel, my interactions with the griffons, and the countless other monsters I’d defeated, and after the feast, we all danced and sang out drunken tunes as the sun set through the windows. I showed each of my three women a good time by giving them a turn on the dance floor, and soon, we were all gasping for breath in our chairs.
Akina blushed every time I even glanced at her, and she practically floated across the floor while we moved to the music. I hadn’t forgotten my promise, and the closer we got to the end of the night, the more the thought occupied the front part of my thoughts.
“It’s getting late.” The former desert warrior leaned close and whispered in my ear while we twirled between the other nobles.
“I haven’t forgotten,” I chuckled.
“We could go now,” she suggested as she glanced around the room. “Everyone else is still enjoying themselves.”
“Let’s go,” I said, and I turned on my heels to drag her toward the hallway.
The two of us rushed back to the bedroom the king had provided us with, and my heart thudded faster and faster with each step we took.
I was one lucky god.
Not only had I figured out the secrets of my enemies, protected the realm from harmful magic, and brought two freaks together, but I had three amazing women eager to share my bed with me.
Akina didn’t know what was coming for her.
I’d claim her for myself over and over again.
Now that I’d thwarted my enemies, the God of Time was already entering God of Sex mode.
I would have fun all night long before I reset and did it all over again.
And tomorrow, I would figure out how to deal with these other gods once and for all.
End of Book 12