As everyone put themselves to work, the days blurred until they beca weeks, the weeks beca months. Spring passed and we entered sumr. But trouble would always ambush us at every back alley of life.
Winter barged into my room as I was busy trying to figure out what maneuvers I should take with the Myrmidon Perk.
"Get that stupid doll horse of yours to stop pestering !" She demanded, clearly flustered.
"What's wrong, child?" I asked with a soft smile. I tried not to laugh inside at the haughty elven Queen's disheveled outlook. She even had dirt stains at the hem of her posh dress. I waved my hand just for show and cleaned her clothes with {House Magic}. "Sit down, have so juice. What's going on?"
I led her to the sitting area and made her sit on the couch before pouring her a glass of berry juice. I crouched in front of her on a huge pillow made for centaurs to be at eye-level with humanoid guests.
She sighed, "Thanks, grandmother."
Slumping on the chair, she proceeded to rant on how Stephano was overbearing and kept forcing her to do nial tasks beneath her station, like tilling soil, or binding wild hay. It seems putting the rancher chieftain in charge was a good idea.
"So, why don't you want to do farm work?"
"I'm a QUEEN!" The elf shouted.
I spoke calmly, "So am I. I've been Royalty in all three continents of this bleeding world, and you don't see skimping on getting down on the dirt if the job calls for it."
"You can't be serious!" She whined.
"Sovereign leeches drain life from their host!" I recited a video ga quote back at her with a solemn voice. In Fulgen elvish, it could also an "Vampire Kings suck the lifeblood from their ho." Their language was heavily based on context. I knew she understood both ways.
The Season Queens were the result of Sariandi's terrible parenting skills. The forr Archmagister and last survivor of the council was a bookworm. A geek, a nerd that was dragged into politics because she was deed too powerful and respected while still being gullible and easily manipulated to not be transford into a figurehead.
So instead of spoiling them like any adoptive grandmother would (I guess), I had the job of knocking them from their high cloud and making them worldly.
"What that proverb ans, is that a Sovereign that takes more than they give to the country will end up killing the nation. What happened to Pekothas? Once the 'Invincible King' saw the chink in his armor, he freaked out and promoted infanticide. Were he truly soone that led from the front, instead of cowardly hiding behind the statue of my mother, his nation would've succeeded.
"You are going back down there, Winter. You'll kneel in the dirt. You'll carve the soil with your fingernails. When your day is over, you'll take a bath and everything will wash behind you. Except that you'll have added more to the world today than you did in the last century."
"That's preposterous!"
"Prove wrong. Tell of your greatest achievents in the last century. The long-lasting ones. Those that will be rembered for centuries to co."
"I... need so ti to think."
"Citing how many dozens of daughters you and your sisters had is not going to cut it. The four of you did so little to educate them that it was a blessing they didn't take after you."
She stood up and asked, angry, "Is this how you see us? Baby-making machines? Is it that why you had Spring marry that ho--"
I cut her out sharply. "Watch your language, Queen Winter. You were about to beco the human that called an elf a 'knife-ear' inside the Ho-Tree."
"Still, why did you force her?" She asked with an implied accusation.
"Did I?" I raised an eyebrow. "She seed quite curious at what lied underneath his codpiece. And it's not like she was a blushing maiden anyway. How many daughters did she have? Twelve? Twenty? More or less than you?"
Winter blushed. When she said nothing, I continued.
"Enantinos will die in a couple of centuries and then she'll be free to go back. With a lot of stories to entertain her guests at the endless tea party the four of you host on the Ho-Tree."
"I see..." She mumbled.
"Well, now that you are properly hydrated and have sothing to occupy that pretty head of yours, bo gack to work. No slacking. You'll thank in a thousand years."
I figuratively kicked her out of my room, wishing I could literally kick her.
I had a ton of Abilities and Perks to pick.
Baker [82 / 134]
Rich Yeast: Your leavened dough yields (Proficiency/5)% more portions without reducing the item value.Titillating bread: Your baked creations have (Proficiency/5)% more flavor.Moisture Retention: Increase the shelf life of your products and hydration provided by (Proficiency/5)%.Mold Protection: Increase the shelf life of your products by (Proficiency/3)%.
Enchanter[252 / 259]:
Enchant Food: You can place single-use enchantnts and spells in edible consumables.Sacrifice Health II: Spend HP instead of Exp at a ratio of (200 - Proficiency/9):1.Sacrifice Health III: Spend HP instead of Exp at a ratio of (200 - Proficiency/8):1.
Alchemist[ 232 / 284] :
Property Prospection II: You have a (Proficiency/18)% chance to find new properties in rare or new ingredients. You can only inspect a single item type once.Property Prospection III: You have a (Proficiency/16)% ...Property Prospection IV: ... (Proficiency/14)% ...Property Prospection V: ... (Proficiency/12)% ...
This tale has been pilfered from . If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Appraiser [166]:
Discern Class: You get so information about the target's active Path.
Blades [197 / 254]
Passive Parry: Add (Proficiency/5)% to evasion rate. If you fail to dodge, you can try to parry.Active Parry: Add (Proficiency/5) to your Dexterity checks when you attempt to parry.Riposte I: If you parry a blow, you can attack imdiately with a damage penalty equal to (100 - Proficiency/5)%
Rank 3 Species:
Improved Flight (rare): Increase your flight speed by (20 Dexterity)% and reduce your stall limit by 15%.Feather deflection (rare): 2 Strength and Dexterity. You can use your wings and feathers to block and parry attacks as if they were hands.Ground Repulsion (very rare): When you take off, you accelerate to your maximum upward speed instantly. When you land, you do not crash. Reduce falling damage by 60%.
The Perks:
Very Fast (unique): Double all movent rates. Double again when burrowing or swimming.Landstalker (combined): Increase your land movent rate by (20 Dexterity)%.Improved Flight (rare): Increase your flight speed by (20 Dexterity)% and reduce your stall limit by 15%.Water Jet (very rare): Spend (100 *X) MP / second to multiply your movent rate underwater by (X 1). Reduce the base cost from 100 to 20 in water elental form.
Were combined into:
Supre Alacrity (combined): 5 Dexterity and Mind. 40% evasion. Multiply all movent rates by 4. Your reflexes are twice as fast. You cannot be staggered. Reduce all stun effects by 50%.
Rank 3 Class:
Wing Shield (very rare): Your wings instinctively move to defend against attacks. Reduce damage dealt with your wings and feathers by 75%.Berserker Rage VII: Attribute bonus 14.Lucky Barbarian: Your rage bonus adds to Luck.
Level 134
Strength: 24 114 (138) / 86 - Dexterity: 43 69 (112) / 86 - Endurance: 30 91 (121) / 86
Mind: 20 41 (61) / 86 - Willpower: 31 55 (86) / 86 - Charisma: 66 13 (79) / 86
Magic: 21 33 (54) / 86
Ego: 66 32 (98) / 86 - Luck: 20 22 (42) / 86 - Soul: 35 22 (57) / 86
HP 122.200.465 (583.799 HP/s)
Energy 41.909.458 (27.849 E/min)
Only after dumping the points in Dexterity did I realize that I was two points away from gaining the {Pinnacle of the Ego}.
The elves and centaurs reached a common ground fast. I think it is because both mortal species had traces of fairy blood. We expanded south and west, the elves planning and growing wood to make hos, and the centaurs doing the heavy lifting with their barbaric strength.
Winter didn't complain about her tasks anymore. Autumn followed her sister's example and dedicated herself to work on growing the palace and houses for the centaurs.
I road around the entrance to the peninsula, hunting roving bands of barbarians. The vastness of the plains made setting a chokepoint a task worthy of the Ming dynasty. I found another centaur herd that quickly accepted my invitation. We now had more than a thousand centaurs living with us.
To lead by example, I joined Winter's crew in preparing the land and growing crops. I needed so centaurs to cast away their prejudice and pick up farming and crafting Classes. You can't build a kingdom where everyone was a barbarian. And I didn't want to keep all the centaurs as warriors and adopt other species for these occupations. That was a surefire way to get castes and turn the warriors into bullies.
Not that they weren't already bullies. Everyone in these plains was a bully. And a coward at the sa ti. I still rember the gathered herds running away from the human mind-benders, leaving the slower ones behind. I didn't want that and it would take a generation or two to revert that ntality.
I needed to impart on them the idea that craftsn should strive for perfection in their craft and they should be treated as masters. Revered, even. Like the dwarves or elves do with their blacksmiths and artists.
The buildings were growing at a good pace. Yes, when you hire elven engineers, they are grown, not built. Our territory was free of dangerous monster nests and our crops were ready.
Right when the first harvest was about to start, I gathered everyone.
"Today, with our first harvest, we truly beco a nation. No longer we will wander the plains aimlessly. We will conquer the plains! Make it a place worth living in for anyone willing to embrace our dream, be they centaur, elf, orc, or even a goblin or a human!"
I kept speaking and enticing the minds of those in attendance. I spoke of our needs, on how we had to rely on the kind assistance of our elven allies because we centaurs lacked the expert crafters and artists the elves raised for thousands of years. I let Autumn speak for a while on how important it is to preserve culture, be it martial techniques or arts and crafts.
"From today and forevermore, this city will be called Cyria And this nation, Aquilonia. This city is not mine but it belongs to all of us willing to follow the rules of this new nation."
"Cyria! Aquilonia!" The centaurs and elves, the vast majority, shouted. "Long live Queen Snowdrop!"
I couldn't think of a more fitting na for a barbarian city or kingdom.
The festivities went on for three days.
I added our city to my maps and to other copies I would distribute across the world.
After the feast, I gathered the priests I wanted to bring into my city. From Laconia, so from Galbarar's Sun faction. From the Abode of War, the ogre, and Galatea. From Fulgen, so priests of Yznera. And after so guidance, a half-goblin, half-harpy priest of Bit.
Yes, the Sea Urchin god of Monsters would have a cathedral on the "Abbey Square", to much chagrin of the other priests. He was key to my plan to create a unique succession for my country.
With everything in place, I finally completed my Quest.
QUEST COMPLETE.
You have a territory populated by mostly centaurs. You have a code of laws and rule over the city. You erected a mighty church to Queltphion, although he expected to be alone.
You gained the Occupational title: Unicorn Queen.
Your Species gained an upgrade. You are now a Winged Unicorn Centaur (unique). You gained 3 points on all Attributes.
Your Class gained an upgrade. You are now a Unicorn Gladiator (unique). Your class bonus increased by 5 on all physical and ntal Attributes.
You gained the Perk:
Centaur Royalty (ultra-rare): You are a trueborn mber of Royalty. mbers of your race react more favorably to you. mbers of other races, if aware of your status, can shift their reaction favorably (more likely) or worsen it (less likely). You gain 2 base HP per level. If you are fighting on the air or on plains, hills, or forest terrains barehanded or with a spear or bow, you gain 50% accuracy and evasion.
You gained the Perk:
Avatar of War (ultra-rare): When you are in combat with at least 50 units on either side, you gain 10 on all physical Attributes and 5 on all others.
You gained the Perk:
Pinnacle of Ego (ultra-rare) Your sense of self is absolute. You are immune to any effect that manipulates your mory or takes over your control over your own mind.
I bet this would remove the mory block anyway. Why not check? "System would the {Pinnacle of Ego} Perk restore my mories?"
ACKNOWLEDGED. Affirmative.
Too bad I wouldn't get to keep it to my next life. At least I knew I could burn those {Pinnacle of...} Perks to empower {Self-Sacrifice} without any regrets.
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