9

Here you go, new chapter! I'd apologize for the delay but I did say that work will be absolutely mad until the end of the year.

Also, thank you all to the favs and follows and especially the reviews - you'll notice I heeded some of your advice

Anyway, onwards!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

The most direct road from Denerim towards Orlais is actually quite busy even in these troubled times. The refugees know better by now but that only allows the merchants to travel quicker. Those men and women, often even caravans that pooled their resources to hire guards to defend them from darkspawn or run-of-the-mill bandits, seek to trade not only with the neighboring Orlais but also the dwarves. The 'main' entrance to the kingdom down below is very close to both the border and the coast. Pity though, that outsiders could not enter until the dispute of which dwarf sits on the throne is resolved.

Luckily, that is no longer a concern. And we all know what that means – the Wardens sorted things out and got the promise of dwarven support against the Blight. And that in turn means the Wardens are on their way out. And that is exactly why I'm currently on said road from Denerim to Orlais.

Naturally I could've flown along the mountains and marveled at my newest territory that once bore the name of Edgehall Arling. Or close enough, I still didn't get the notification of conquest and the exp and gacha for it to cinch it. Anyway, I was around there recently growing my warding trees so that would've been boring. And I needed to go to Denerim to get something anyway. Several somethings actually. Five to be completely and utterly precise.

You see, with my blacksmithing efforts as well as my nicely growing Sky-Chosen Class, I got only five, five!, Stat points away from getting my Vitality Perk at five hundred. Ok, there was some (quite a bit) Stat stealing involved but in my defense Howe employs some real bastards. Not bright bastards, but Strong and full of Vitality.

Needless to say that I did not leave the capital without my shiny new Perk. Which, if I were completely honest, isn't that shiny. The Perk [Enduring] newly gives me immunity to status effects such as stun, stagger and poison. It's good, but not great. I kinda had higher hopes for reaching a freaking 500 in VIT.

Still, reaching my goal did contribute quite a bit to my current good mood. I'd even dare say exultant mood. Everything is going really well and now, the Wardens are finally out to play.

Rather than risk Hedwig I sent a summon bird to track the Wardens, fully expecting them to go south to Redcliffe now that all their treaties have been utilized. And with them being wanted people, not to use a road at all but rather avoid them. Best thing for them would be to travel along Lake Calenhad, or take boat. But I definitely plan to intercept them before they get there, I waited too long to talk to them again and I will be denied no longer. And with Teleportation in my arsenal, I won't be.

While I wait for the Main Characters to go off-road I contact Haku with a thought to pass along – now that the dwarves are not falling apart anymore we should get in contact with them for trade. Maybe approach them for lyrium. So far we got the magical substance by combining work with fun and ambushing the shipments meant for the Chantry. It was a good assignment for Margit's squad and it caused quite a lot of trouble within the Chantry. After all, they are the biggest customer, with both mages and templars needing the stuff. Not to the point of riots, of course, but enough to drive the price way up. The less money church has, the better in my opinion. And the discontent may yet come, we just need to keep it up.

Speaking of the Chantry and its sisters, Leliana sort of spotted my stalker bird. Hm, since the dumbasses are still on the road, maybe I can have a little fun.

With a mental command my rather pretty bird swoops down gracefully and gets itself perched on the red-head's shoulder. Her eyes are sharp but she smiles widely and immediately tries to pet him. Being a summon and under my control, I let her. Leliana cooes.

"Wow, he's really friendly" Alistair says brightly, immediately reaching for the bird as well, "Strange for a non-messenger bird. Or any bird, really."

Morrigan rolls her eyes "That's because he's magical, you dimwit."

The bastard prince jerks his hand away before he could touch the feathers "Wha?"

"He does feel magical," Amell nods, "And I think you're wrong about it not being a messenger bird, Alistair."

Said animal puffs up and in a very human manner he points a wing towards the forest.

"Well, I'll be..." Alistair hums, peering in the indicated direction with slight suspicion.

"You surface people are touched in the head" the new addition to the warden party, the dwarf Oghren, gapes at the scene. Then he shrugs and takes the excuse to take a swig from his flask. I have no idea what he has there but I can smell it even through my summon.

"He probably belongs to that heathen down south" Wynne scowled.

Well, that's rude. With a mental flex of my power the bird screeches loudly and goes right for the old mage. Morrigan sniggers but it is Leliana that calms the bird back down, rescuing it from Wynne's ire. That stupid bint actually wanted to blast the poor guy with magic!

That's it, she dies. Never liked her anyway. No one harms me or mine, even though they are a simple magical construct. And accidents happen during a war. I'm already killing Sten, so I might as well have her join him.

"Let's just follow the bird, hm?" Zevran proposed, "We should really go through the woods anyway, we are still hunted. I very much doubt that our sour fellow Loghain has forgotten about the Wardens."

Finally someone with sense!

"Agreed" Amell nods.

"Bye bye sunlight. Damp dark woods, here we come" Alistair sighed dramatically, getting a small fond smile from the young mage.

Oho? Was something there? A warden x warden romance? Good for you. Though I sincerely hope you don't have any queenly aspirations, in that case bad for you. Very bad.

My bird gently tugs Leliana's hair, the bard chuckling and obediently veering to the right. Alistair sighs once more as he follows the rest of the party into the forest. I am honestly surprised that Sten has stayed silent so far but rather pleased. I have no desire to hear him speak, enough that Wynne has. Right now she decided that silent treatment and pointed glaring is the way to go, but I doubt it will hold for long.

I don't leave the warden party hanging for long, I choose a nice thick and clean branch to sit on and let them find me.

The bird I summoned rubbed its soft head on Leliana's cheek making her giggle, and with a peppy chirp it dissipated. Alistair and Amell were looking at the bird, the others though locked their eyes with me.

Morrigan preempted Wynne and spoke first "The bird is a nice spell, but why not just come as a bird yourself?"

I chuckle at the subtle taunt "Because I have yet to try what you have shared with me. Things have been quite busy and unfortunately they took precedence over my studies."

"Humph" was the mocking reply.

"What about you? Tried any undead repelling wards?"

"Naturally" the witch smirked.

"They made resting in the Deep Roads actually restful" Alistair chimed in.

"Yes, our thanks" Zevran gave a small bow and a charming grin.

I shrugged but was inwardly quite pleased "Thank Morrigan, she is the one to have cast them. And learned them so quickly."

Morrigan's eyes flicked to me, interrupting her glaring at the two men, and gave me the smallest of nods. Amell also nodded at me and smiled at the dark-haired witch "We already have thanked her. A lot, actually. Alistair wasn't wrong that our expedition in the Deep Roads would have been so much harder without the wards. Rest… was hard to come by."

"The Deep Roads are dark indeed" Zevran agreed, his usual humor a bit brittle.

"My crazy ex definitely did not help with that" Ogren chimed in bitterly.

"Enough prattling" Sten interjected sternly, "We have a mission to accomplish, do we not, Warden?"

Amell sighed "Yes, we do. However Lady Fia here has not only agreed to provide us with troops against the Blight, she may also have some news on what has happened here on the surface while we have been languishing in the dark."

"Yes, tell us, how has Ferelden fared during your invasion?" Wynne asked in her grating voice. At least her preachy tone was not there, just hostility.

"It has fared very well," I reply in a happy tone, "Me, queen Anora and Arl Bryland, along with some other nobles, have formed a loose coalition to fight both Loghain and the darkspawn."

"Queen Anora?" Leliana arches an eyebrow.

"What about Arl Eamon?" Alistair asks about his former guardian.

I shrug quite deliberately "He was indisposed for a long time and he stayed more or less silent after he got better. In fact, he is keeping a rather low profile, perhaps in the hope of not attracting Loghain's attention."

"That's not like him" the royal bastard frowns, "He clearly said he would be rallying the nobles against Loghain. Plus he is the one to have his army mostly intact, not having been at Ostagar."

"He did have to recall his men who were sent out searching for the Urn to cure him first. And perhaps he was waiting for you to come out from the Deep Roads before making any overt moves" I shrug again, very much not admitting that I helped this sentiment along a little. And only a little, surprisingly. I too thought the old man would be more proactive. Then again, he had to work to clean the mess his son had made and regain some standing with his own people. He did reach out to other nobles but it was very tentative. The responses were of course mostly positive but Arl Bryland didn't bring him into the fold yet, not wanting his leadership to be usurped. Bryland is a straight shooter while Eamon is a politician. With an Orlesian wife. He is respected, to be sure, but not that popular. Of course I hadn't helped in that regard, nudging the nobles to leave him in the dark for now. I simply didn't want the Theirin bastard on the throne idea to gain any traction.

"That would make sense" Amell hums noncommittally and looked at her fellow warden and said bastard.

Leliana too is not exactly convinced "If he plans to rally the nobles around you then it would indeed make sense that he waits to see you actually survived the Deep Roads. Then again, I expect that while he has made no overt moves, he was not idle."

"Yeah" Alistair says with a slightly bitter tone. Then his eyes widen and he looks at me "Not that I have any ambitions in that direction. I am quite happy being a Grey Warden. More than happy. Especially now."

The two wardens, and presumed lovers, look at each other and share a smile. Morrigan rolls her eyes while Leliana appears rather delighted at the romance unfolding.

Wynne on the other hand appears completely disapproving "We should get going to Arl Eamon, he should have some more information for us. With those we can start planning. We cannot allow Ferelden to be overrun. Not by darkspawn, not by anyone."

Zevran chuckled at her pointed glare in my direction "My, my, Wynne, how deliciously determined. And very militant."

Before another argument could break out, Amell again exerted her quiet, soothing yet very firm, presence, making her party calm down. I take the opportunity to speak in the new silence "Allow me to walk with you a short while. We are going in the same direction after all and I do have some more information about Loghain and Howe."

"Yes, we have heard quite a lot about Howe while we were in Denerim" Leliana nodded, "Loghain's right hand it seems."

"Quite right" I nod, "Though who is using who is hard to tell."

"Oh?" the former bard prompts so sweetly and innocently curious that I really have to admire her. I definitely want her in my employ. A great spy, and given a few more years, a masterful one.

I grin at her, making sure she knows I was not fooled, and start regaling the Grey Warden party with a slightly edited summary of Loghain's winter activities. About Anora's de facto imprisonment, Howe's slaving operation, the assassins, the silence of the palace as all servants live in fear of the two men who seized the country, of the disappearing of dissenters, of the hostages Howe tortured in his dungeon and the Chantry's complete neutrality in the brewing civil war. I also don't forget to mention Loghain going bonkers, sending his men to harass all the people, trying to find the traitorous scum that took his daughter. Not that him losing her is common knowledge. No sir, he has kept a lid on it, glaring and threatening all servants and soldiers. That said, the Resistance soldiers and servants knew, and all kept mum. So far. Howe will no doubt find someone to bribe for info soon enough.

As I said, a short summary.

I can clearly see that some things I am not believed. Sucks for them because I have not lied. And Loghain really did go off the deep end it seems, and Howe is a sadist with a thirst for power. Eamon will confirm my words. And if not him, Anora and the Resistance will.

And that is precisely what I tell them, that they can easily verify my words. Leliana, Zevran and Morrigan nod at that, clearly of a mind that I would not be making such bold claims if they could be easily disproven. Alistair and Wynne are clearly skeptical while Amell seems trying to keep an open mind. Sten, of course, does not care either way, as does Oghren who seems more intent on getting drunk than anything else.

"Can I ask about my former colleagues?" Zevran speaks up when nobody else does, all of them digesting the information.

I arch an eyebrow "Yes, but I'm not sure why. They tried assassinating me, they did not succeed. They won't be trying again. Well, at least the two fellows in question. There is not much else to tell."

"Ah" Zevran smiles at me, "Just curious who was sent. You see, I am hunted by them as well."

I give the Antivan elf the description of the two assassins who are still in my dungeons, not that I mention that, and I take a peek into Zevran's mind. Just to check if he has any nefarious intentions, like revenge for his fallen friends or something. But there was no need to worry, his only real concern is for his own skin.

Speaking of own skin…

"Morrigan, we left Flemeth's hut alone, so if you wish to stop by at any time, you're quite welcome" I nod towards the chasind woman, "She has not put wards around per se but it still feels like foreign territory to me."

"Does it now?" Morrigan's amber eyes narrowed, "I might take a look. After we deal with the archdemon, of course."

I smile at her "You'll always be welcome in the Dominion. Please do stop by Ostagar though, I'd love to discuss more magic with you."

"We'll see" the witch smirked.

"The invitation to Ostagar, and my workshop, is an open one. I think you'd be quite impressed with the wards there - I have gone all-out, especially security-wise" I mirror her smug look, trying to entice her with what practically amounted to sanctuary and/or teaching her to make her own. The hint was clear enough, I think.

The look I get for this is intrigued and not a little suspicious. Still, Morrigan simply nods and I leave it at that. The others too watched this little interaction with varying degrees of interest but that doesn't really interest me. Leliana is one of the sharpest gazes and it is to her that my gaze goes onto next.

My [Telepathy] is always almost-passively running, and the former bard is interesting. It is heartening to see that Leliana is truly the Origins one, the open-minded and welcoming albeit suspicious and determined Leliana rather than the bitter and disillusioned spy-master of Inquisition. As such her belief in the Maker is… malleable. She did say in various dialogues in the game that she sees god is the life, in the nature, in the very shape of the world, not what rigid scripture of the Chant of Light makes of it.

Leliana's opinion on the Avvar, now Alamarri, the Lady of the Skies and myself is still very much not set and she is open to see divinity in my/our actions. Great, especially since I plan on exploiting her prophetic dream that made her travel with the wardens and leave the cloister. Divert her belief in the Chantry's teaching onto me. The Maker and the Lady of the Skies can be near synonymous after all, you just have to tell the story right.

Which I fully intend to do. Her dreams after coming out of the Dark Roads have to be terrible, add to that she has plenty more to have nightmares about, so why not… ease her burden a bit. I shall visit her dreams and help, a prophecy once more, only this time to make her see that her place after the Archdemon is defeated is with me, not the Chantry. It will take some time since I want to be subtle, this is not something that can be rushed. Plus, I will actually help her with the nightmares. My good deed of the day.

Days even. Well, nights to be completely precise. But for that I need a good way to stay in touch, and track them. Hm, it appears I was hasty in dissipating my summon…

With a grand circular gesture the bird from before flies once more and I direct him to Leliana. I smile at the obvious look of delight "Here, he will serve as a messenger between me and your party."

Amell smiles at the bird "Good idea, we can coordinate forces against the Blight once the Archdemon deigns us with his presence."

Alistair sighs heavily "Wanna bet that he will show up when we're in the middle of deposing Loghain?"

"I don't take fool's bets" Zevran chuckles, Oghren belching loudly in agreement.

"Me either," I grin.

"Gambling is…" both Sten and Wynne start speaking at the same time, in nearly identical tones of scorn, but Amell talks over them.

"We are en route to Redcliffe, to see Alr Eamon," the mage ignored her two stuck up companions, "Our presence will surely spur him further into action against Loghain. We will mention he should contact Arl Byland and that Anora is on our side."

I chuckle "She is on her side but yes, her aims coincide with ours. Her leading the resistance is a secret for now, one tenuously held, but feel free to tell it to the Arl. I predict that is shall cease to be a secret soon enough anyway, with how many people are in the know. Anyway, we are coordinating with them separately so save the messenger for Blight-related issues. Or personal correspondence." I chuckle and wink exaggeratedly.

Alistair huffs good-naturally while the other warden simply smiles. With that I wave at the party, a special nod to Morrigan and a smile to Leliana, because why not, and I turn to fly off. I hear an overly-elaborate good-bye from Zevran, making it clear the Wardens consider this talk over as well, so I take off without any qualms.

And once I'm far enough, I simply teleport home.

As I walk to my office, showing my face to my people in the meantime, I hum cheerfully and wonder if Morrigan will inform them that I could probably spy through the bird on them, which I totally can, or not. Could be interesting.

Guess I'll see tonight, my first venture into Leliana's dreams.

There are some instances where you just can't help it and have to do that evil laugh. You know which one, right, the one deep and encompassing and maniacal. Like so.

"MweheehehaHAHAHAHAHA!"

Maniacal is spot on

I ignore System, it will not ruin my moment. You see, I took a skip into BokuHero again and acquired two more Skills derived from quirks – [Black Hole] and [Brainwash]. And let me tell you, it was way easier than the acquisition trip from before. It just required some stalking and then it was just a smash and grab. No playing around this time.

[Brainwash] is nice and all, but I have my Mind Mage so that fills just a niche role. BUT. The [Black Hole] is magnificent. Well and truly magnificent. Naturally I took it straight to the dungeon, unwilling to risk my new city. At first the impact of my new attack was small, both radius and force merely passable, but now…

Once more I peer down from my summoned wyvern and admire the space that once was an entire, if smallish, block of houses. Before I leveled it of course. Yep, this is good.

"MweheehehaHAHAHAHAHA!"

Weirdo

And this is just level 50! And without any boosts from items or armor. Simply splendid.

A facsimile of Hawks shoots towards me but I incinerate him in short order. This is exactly why I took my training into the Hero dungeon, it's just no threat to me and I can try things in peace. And I also chose it for irony's sake, of course. Right now my go-to dungeon is the elven one, Arlathan, that I got for finishing my DA world quest before I chose to continue. The dungeon is great farming, and since I still haven't found the boss it has goodies for me, but it's not suitable for something like this.

My wyvern and I move further over the city and once more I point a finger towards a suitable target "[Black Hole]." More to the left [Black Hole]. [Black Hole]. [Black Hole].

[Black Hole]'s level has increased by one!

[Black Hole]. [Black Hole]. [Black Hole]. [Black Hole].

I'm not finishing before the whole dungeon looks positively apocalyptic. This will be an essential Skill, I can already tell it is the most powerful one I have so far so I need this leveled up to max. This is also to see how far I can push it. To my great dismay I can't fiddle with it at all, the force and the radius are set, growing with every level. It's mass destruction or nothing. Bummer. But it's still a splendid Skill, you just cannot care about the collateral damage.

BUT. I might be able to solve that, if my [Sin of Greed] permits me. And I get enough Credits for it as I can actually buy [Skill Upgrades] in the Shop. All of them costing an arm and a leg, but nothing like legendary-tiered, or even rare-tiered, Items or Perks. There are things like increased range or damage, decreased Mana cost, or interesting things like adding various status effects, but I have my eye on [Variability]. In the case of Black Hole I could trade radius for force and vice versa, depending on how it suits me at the moment. It is the thought of a super-powered micro black hole that made me check the prices on those upgrades again. Upgrading is nice, but since it is so costly, it really should be reserved for something special, something I can't get some other way. I think Black Hole qualifies.

But we'll see, there is still work to be done on it and it's not like I can afford it right now. At least it is well and good that I haven't really thought about upgrading any other Skill so I can save up for this one.

One such Skill that I definitely do not think of upgrading is the one I stole from Sir Nighteye. Just as with [Black Hole], [Brainwash] and [Phase], I put a little time into leveling [Foresight]. It's not bad but good that I wasn't hyped for it or anything. It has three big flaws, four if you count it that it cannot be activated back to back, and the plus side is kinda lacking anyway. The flaws are that I can't use it on my Servants, something I found out almost immediately. That sucks a bit since they are the people I trust most and will be with me for a long time. Guess their future, and mine along with it, is far too unpredictable. The second flaw is that its activation is very visible and the effect not instant. Meaning I could be freezing in the middle of a battle for a moment, something that can have very lethal consequences if handled incorrectly. Then again, this was always more an out-of-combat ability anyway. The third flaw is that the Skill costs a shitload of mana. Sure, that is not a concern these days but it is still a downside.

All in all I find it better to coast on my own and in an emergency use the Dagger of Time rather than scheming about who and when I use this one precious ability on. Still, that doesn't mean I won't use it at all – Leliana is a good target. I want her to join my side so taking a peek into the future to check is not bad. I would use it on Morrigan too but I feel she could sense it being used on her. So better not risk it.

Speaking of Leliana, my foray into her mind was quite fruitful. I think. Time will tell, plus I need more face-time with her. Still, I know for a fact that her faith, unshaken, is not tied to the Chantry itself and that I loosened those ties further. Now I need her not to hear from Dorothea, her saviour and possible future Divine, or else all my effort would have been for naught. I need her firmly at my side before I allow the contact between the two old friends. I need to show her my 'chosen status' in person, and I need to give her a purpose – once I do that, she will be mine. Leliana is stubborn once she has decided. Also, sentiment always played a part in her decision-making and I definitely plan to use sentiment as well. She is very pretty indeed…

So much to do, so many places to be… After a calm winter I feel like now I don't have nearly enough time. Which is fun of course but stuff like leveling [Black Hole] is important but taking way too much time.

Perhaps… Hmmm.

Of course. I'm an idiot. Time in a Dungeon passes normally but not in a different Universe. The current Universe is paused while I merrily live in another. I still need BokuHero but Highschool of the Dead can burn for all I care…

Plus I could take all my Servants, a lot of hands that could carry resources. And Karasuba could vent some on zombies though I think she'll find them boring.

Yes, that is the plan. The Dungeons, even new-ish Arlathan can wait, I will level a bit in zombie land. Ugh, and here I swore never to return. But at least this time I won't have to talk to myself to keep sane.

Ehm, ehm

Or System, of course. Sorry.

That's better

Still, my Servants and some wyverns to act as pack mules? Or just let them mark good spots for loot and I collect it via Inventory or straight put it into Skyhold reconstruction? Yeah, that might be better. I won't let some poor wyvern carry stone around when I can just plain loot a quarry.

With that decided I once more look over the devastation that [Black Hole] wrought and let the Dungeon shatter around me, de-summoning my ride as well.

I call all my Servants to my side, letting them know that it is not urgent and they should finish whatever they are doing before they meet me. Getting back the a-okay from all of them, I lean on the edge of my desk and contemplate my little expedition. Haku can take care of the 'shopping' part, as always, but I too have to have a plan. After all, this is no Dungeon that regenerates on command. If I am to train [Black Hole] it should be somewhere with little resources. And people, not that there are many survivors over there. Still, they are some and I would kinda feel bad just obliterating them. It would serve little purpose and I do have some lines left. Pointless slaughter being one of them. Emphasis on pointless, as history proved, I don't really have problem with slaughter.

Karasuba is the first of my Servants to appear, shaking me out of my thoughts. She smirks when she realizes she caught me unaware "So, ashikabi-sama, where are we going and will there be blood?"

I shake my head at the one-track mind of the sekirei "Yes, although that blood will be stale."

"Tell me more" the silver-haired woman-like alien practically purrs and drapes herself over my shoulders and back.

"Zombies" I reply as I enjoy the warmth, "I will tell the rest once we all gather."

"Pah, zombies are boring. No finesse, no intelligence, no tactics," Karasuba huffs in displeasure but still nuzzles my neck, "But if my ashikabi commands… But she better command me to do something more fun in the future."

"Our war with Loghain is imminent, the one with the Chantry and Orlais will follow soon enough. Plus, I think I will do a Universe jump soon. I'm sure to find enemies aplenty over there."

Karasuba grins "That does sound marvelous, I look forward to painting a whole universe red."

I make a mental note to really think through which universe will be next and whether to bring my Servants along. Guess I'll decide once I see my next selection. I was toying with the idea of some solo gaming for a little while… Not like with the zombies, no way, just without a following. Perhaps make some new friends along the way.

A knock on the door signalizes Haku answering my call. Despite the ninja greeting both of us with a small bow, Karasuba does not stop in her semi-fondling. I guess she has been 'training' with my soldiers before she came here, she usually is only like this after a decent-enough fight. I wonder who did give her such a workout.

As if summoned by that thought Margit joins us, a rough bloody scrape taking up a whole side of her face. I sigh, those two…

"My lady" Margit intones, bowing to me, pointedly ignoring the sekirei behind me. Karasuba just snickers and licks my neck possessively. Predictably, the red-head bristles.

"Enough posturing," I sigh, "I have an errand for us to run."

"Among zombies?" Karasuba hums.

"Yes, in the Highschool of the Dead universe" I nod, "I will hop over and summon you there. I want to train something, something really destructive, while you gather as much resources as you can. Anything you think will be of use but I actually need also a lot of raw resources. Stone, wood, metals of all kinds. It is time to repair Skyhold and over there we can go wild. Rob the universe blind."

Haku chuckles delicately "We certainly know how to do that. Still, how are we to carry everything?"

"Anchor-wards – a beacon to let me know where to go. Smaller stuff you carry onto a pile and I'll pick it up. Or tag a quarry with it, lumber stockpiles, anything that catches your eye. I want Skyhold up and running but I'm sure we can find use for practically everything. Either we sell it or store it for the future. Haku will take lead on this, he knows what we need."

"As you command, Fia-sama"

"Yes, my Lady"

"Guess I can do that, but I'm going to try my had at local zombies first"

Margit bristles at the insubordination but I don't mind, having expected it "That's fine. But leaving human survivors would be the decent thing to do."

"Decent? Karasuba?" the red-headed Servant growls in disbelief.

"I trust your judgment"

"You do?" all three of my Servants question in unison.

I shrug "You ready?"

Suddenly I feel like an idiot for asking, after all, I go fist and then I do the summoning ritual on the other side. I won't be wrenching them out of here, it should be much kinder.

We'll see, off I go!

X

[Black Hole]'s level has increased by one!

Max Level reached!

I allow myself a little cheer. The Gobi desert, and plenty of other less hospitable places, won't ever look the same but my self-imposed mission is complete. Hallelujah! And the time that took it more than validated my choice of doing this outside Dragon Age. Not to mention my loot. I already made several trips to my beacons and Servants, a small break from wrecking landscapes. Already I have enough to complete most of the repair of my Hub, and even furnishing it as Haku thought to get me some more luxurious items as well.

Can't wait to see Skyhold now that the repairs are underway. I bought a lot but I still need more stone. But hey, at least my fortress will now look like, well, a fortress. The outer wall is ready, as are the normal walls. I have a prison, the start of a garden, barracks, guest rooms… lots of stuff, as I said. And my room, office and throne room will be finally looking all proper.

Might do a trophy hall as well, you know, to commemorate the various Universes I beat? I do like collectibles in games, and getting a dungeon as a parting reward is well and good but I like something more decorative. And all in one place. So… since I'm already here, what do I bring back from Highschool of the Dead? A zombie head would be gruesome, ugly and not that unique…

Hmm.

Hmmmm.

"Fia-sama, perhaps you could make your way to camp?" Haku's voice interrupts my thoughts and makes me frown – while we do have a camp, both training and resource collection really took a while, we didn't really have a standing appointment there.

"Alright," I answer, "Anything I should know?"

"This is better seen than heard"

"Alright…"

More baffled than ever I take one last look around me, in case of surprise loot, and teleport to the camp's coordinates.

What greets me is all three of my Servants, Margit and Haku looking at a smug Karasuba with varying degrees of disapproval. The reason being the woman, teen?, thrown over her shoulder – it really is hard to say just from the hanging ass.

"Karasuba?" I ask, utterly confused.

"Ashikabi-sama" the alien grin widens, making me work for it.

I sigh "Who have you got there, and why?"

Karasuba takes the girl, I can say that now, from her shoulder and lets her body thud onto the concrete floor. I can only gape as I recognize Busujima Saeko, one of the protagonists of the anime that shaped this world. It's Luck, has to be. How else Karasuba could get into the vicinity of one of the five important people here.

"So," Karasuba starts, "Remember how you said that we should take anything that catches our eye? This girl here caught my eye, I wanna make her my apprentice."

I rub my brow – it is true that Saeko would be perfect for that, bloodthirsty sociopath swordswoman that she is, but I can't really kidnap anyone from a different universe without them being a Servant. Right?

You can, actually

But it's going to be pricy…

"No, no, no, no, don't tell me. Credits?"

Yep, it's a feature in the Shop. And it's a one-time use. You have to pay for each person you want to bring over, and for each trip

But hey, at least the price stays constant, it doesn't go up with each use

I gulp and open the Shop. System is nice enough to find the appropriate Item in the long long list. I gulp again when I read the price tag. I exit the Shop and glare at Karasuba.

"What?" the silver-haired beauty cocks her head.

"Credits" I grind out.

"Ooooh" Karasuba nods in understanding, "That sucks. Sooo, is that a no? Because she is a good fighter, for a human. And pretty, if a little young. I promise I'll take care of her, feed and water her, take her on walks."

"Humans are not pets" Margit growls. Karasuba snorts.

Before the old song and dance of those to arguing can start, I turn to Haku "Your thoughts?"

The ninja shrugs, somehow managing to make the motion elegant, "If she caught Karasuba's eye then she must be good indeed. We can use any fighter of that caliber with us. Besides, this is an inhospitable place for anyone. Then again, she might now want to leave."

"Who cares about that" Karasuba snorts dismissively, "This is a shithole, she'll be grateful. Either immediately or in time."

"Probably true" Haku agrees rather easily, "But ultimately it is your choice, it is your Credits after all."

"Pretty please" Karasuba whines mockingly but with underlying genuine plea.

Well, if it came to that…

I frown and glare at my Servant "She'll be your apprentice, your responsibility. She is not a toy to be thrown away once you get bored."

"Scout's honor" the alien grins.

"Since when you're a scout" Margit scoffs, "Are you sure, my Lady? Leaving this poor girl to this fiend?"

Well, from what I remember from the anime, they are both as bad as each other… Nearly. Saeko was not as strong as Karasuba to ignore social constrains so she played along, mostly.

"I'll talk to her" I sigh, my heart already hurting from the imminent loss of Credits, "Karasuba, you stay. Margit, Haku, it seems I'm in need of even more stuff. I better recover the loss of Credits right here and now. Resources are great, but converting money is faster, so please focus on that. It should be easier to carry too."

"Cash then?" Haku hums, "We can do that. It's everywhere since there was no real use for it besides making a fire. How much do you need?"

I reopen the Shop and my heart shudders "Just don't stop until I tell you. We're going to be here a while."

"We already planned that, the cash venture too" Margit reminds me.

"I know, I'm just grumpy from the loss of Credits" I sigh.

Karasuba puts an arm over my shoulders "But you'll gain another minion! I'll bring her up to snuff. And she'll be way better than the dog's little squad combined."

"Hey! My squad's good!" Margit bristles.

"Just go" I make a shooing motion, "Get my treasure, currency doesn't matter. Just suck this world dry, we have time."

"Yes, my Lady" Margit salutes and with one last glare to Karasuba she ports away. Haku does the same a moment later after a small bow.

"We wake her up then?" Karasuba saunters back to the girl.

"How did you even put her to sleep?"

"Good old-fashioned whack on the head"

"Awesome" I sigh and fire up my only healing spell. I really, really, should look into acquiring more. Or maybe a passive healing ward? That actually sounds wicked useful, how come I didn't already make one? Oh well, I'll put that on my list. We're going to be here for some time anyway…

As [Heal] works, I muse on Saeko joining my ranks. Equipment-wise mostly, Karasuba will handle the rest. Knowing Saeko, she will respect that more. My devices like invisibility and teleport I will hold back, for once Saeko will have proven herself, but flight can come sooner. But mostly, she will need a sword and some armor.

Something light but sturdy for the latter, meant for agility, and for the former… Hm, she is trained with a katana so the type of sword is clear. As for material and forging, my newly mastered Valyrian steel method will work. Yep, I cracked that nut wide open. I'm currently taking a break from Blacksmith before I tackle dragon bone as a material. I don't have much of it, only the Anduin drops, but I can farm the Dungeon for them. And it lets me train another tier of material, Tier 4. I'm pretty proud of my progress there.

"Wha-" the zombie hunter under my hands stirs.

Right, its recruitment time.

The mood in the room is somber. Serious and quiet. And cold, despite two fireplaces crackling away along one of the walls. But that might be just the people meeting here dragging the mood, and the metaphorical temperature, down. But I guess when discussing a civil war it is warranted, especially if the other side has a war hero, and a close relative to one of the resistance members. A close friend to some of the others. Well, before he turned despot that is.

This little war meeting is held in South Reach, the oh-so-cleverly named capital of South Reach, having been chosen for being further from Denerim, and Loghain, than Dragon's Peak where most of the other meetings took place.

It is also different in one other key aspect – we are actually discussing battle strategy. Not troops, not supplies, not politics, an actual plan of attack. Not an immediate one, mind you, but we're getting ever close to battle.

Not a moment too soon - news that Anora is opposing her father and is heading the noble revolt finally got out. Regent Loghain is beyond incensed, practically foaming at the mouth if rumors are to be believed, and is blaming the Wardens, Orleisans, and amusingly me as well. One out of three, not bad.

Taking this rightly as a prelude to war, Loghain's soldiers are mustering for a fight. And not just those in Denerim, but everywhere. Notably in his native Gwaren. That Gwaren that almost-neighbors my lands. I say almost because the vast expanse of the Brecilian Forest is between us and only the famed Brecilian Passage is a good avenue to march troops on. Infantry might try to cross the forest, despite that being a completely harebrained idea, but that is not an option for Loghain's rather famous cavalry. Not to mention siege weaponry he would need if he truly wanted a go at Ostagar. As such, the Brecilian passage is his only option. Of course he could try to circle around with ships but that is quite impossible too – mountains and swamps and other hard terrain – better chance it in the passage. Needless to say, I'm prepared for either option. And now that Edgehall Arling is mine and warded, my troops returned south, now ready to respond to any threat.

And I do expect my territory to be another field of battle. He'll want to attack the rebelling Fereldan Lords from the south in a flanking maneuver, thinking me and my barbarians to be easy pickings. I'm sure of that.

But that leaves the question of where, and exactly when, the Archdemon will show up. Will it be in Denerim as it did in canon? Or will he switch it to somewhere else? Guess we'll see, I don't have any way to check or predict his movements. Or maybe I could try using [Foresight]? On my soldiers? No, better my generals, those should have the info first.

Good plan, I like it! Will do that as soon as I return home. Sure, I could use it on the Arls and Banns here but the Skill takes up too much time, I would look like an idiot here. Better to wait.

Speaking of Skills, I got a new one via the gacha I got from 'acquiring' Edgehall Arling. I probably won't hold that territory for too long, I will probably exchange it with Ferelden for something more south, like Gwaren, but a conquest is a conquest. Especially since it is a quest and I get exp, class exp and gacha out of it.

[Wisp Wall] is cute Skill, might save my hide one day. A nigh-impenetrable but temporary wall, or so the description promises. That said, a lot of unknowns. Nigh-impenetrable? Temporary? All that needs testing. And leveling, of course. Might even come in handy against the Archdemon, though I'd prefer this war to be fought purely with soldiers. It'll be good practice, good exp. I will be there to shock and awe but the bulk of the work will be up to the troops. They need to earn that victory, it will help morale and bond them all together. That will be needed when we'll go against the Chantry and Orlais.

"…and then Lady Fia and her men can attack…"

So far bonding is going rather well. Using my people as simple fodder was something I nixed right in the beginning and the fat noble idiot that brought it up got quite a verbal lashing from me. Backed with all of my 569 CHA. It probably says something about me that I enjoy the fact he's shivering even now. But at least he's quiet, he really is quite an idiot and his lisping voice doesn't help. The noble clearly isn't a favorite since taking him down a peg got me some positive feedback through Mind Mage.

Positive feedback is great actually, that might turn to respect and sometimes even further, to belief. The important lords are mostly in the second stage, too politically savvy and Ferelden-worshipping to go further. Their men are a whole another story though. The two young nobles I rescued from Howe's torturers, Oswyn and Irminic, spread the world and their belief, making one in four Fereldans I met around here believe I am somehow connected to Andraste and the Maker.

Needless to say it was, and is, a shower of Class exp. It really contributed to my Level 84 of Sky-Chosen – to be honest I hadn't expected it to be so hard since I breezed through all the other Classes. But I guess it helps train my patience, I got too used to immediate results. Still, I'm looking forward to choosing a new Class soon.

Not that my patience isn't strained with waiting on Levels, classic Levels I mean. I scraped up one more, putting me at 31, but that feels really really low. But I guess the system was built so that you had a long way to go and many Universes to explore. I wonder if there is a max level or not… Well, I'm definitely aiming for that 100 either way. It's going to take ages but I guess I have time. Immortality is in the Shop after all, and that is if I don't get it some other way. Like sucking up the souls of ancient elven gods.

Anyway, another level meant another gacha, which makes the wait hurt less. A Skill this time. It's not a bad one but it's more out of combat stuff. Which is cool, I have plenty of fighting Skills anyway. And I have not much tracking ability so it will come in handy – so, this [Tagging] apparently lets me tag one target and I will be able to 'feel' its location. Cool. Especially since it's bound to get better over time, maybe to a max of three? Four? Five? We'll see. The downside though is that I can only tag one target in total (so far), no matter the universe. But at least the Tag doesn't wear off by jumping.

One thing though – how the hell do I level this? Hm, so a Tag disappears either by manual 'untag' for which you need to be close to the target or by the target dying. So perhaps I could tag just some rando and then kill? Rinse and repeat? Could be. Definitely worth a try. Then maybe I could Tag Flemeth? If I come close to her again some time. That should ping her horcruxes too, right? That would help immensely with my new main quest. And my own little quest for divinity.

Ok, I take everything back, this Skills has the potential of being fucking great! Awesome. Nice roll.

"And the Grey Wardens?" Arl Byland turns to me, making me focus again.

I give a succinct report about their journey to Redcliffe, their intention to stop by Soldier's Peak sometime soon, and what they said about Arl Eamon. Predictably, that name sparks yet another discussion, one we had several times already. Arguing about the Arl was a favorite. This time though, I do participate in it, thinking it is time to bring him on board. After all, the Wardens are back on the surface, Anora is leading the resistance, the lords have already forged bonds with her (making Alistair a little less attractive an option that it might've been before) and we are already discussing the actual plan of attack. We do need his men. And his voice at the Landsmeet – if it will come to the canon one, but I mainly mean the one that will validate Anora as queen.

Bryland agrees with contacting Eamon, volunteering himself, and Anora, to write the missive. Yep, a clear power move. Bryland's star was on the rise, Eamon's just the opposite – not being part of this council, the orleisan wife, his son being a hidden mage… Definitely not looking good for him without the bid for the crown through Alistair and him not being the one to rally the nobles against Loghain as it was in the game.

Never liked Eamon in Origins anyway, and seeing him in person did not raise my opinion of him. Bryland I like better, less politician more general. That said, he isn't a slouch in that department either. Him and Anora are a good team, if he wasn't already married he would definitely seek to make that team more official. As such, Anora is probably in a position that she can choose her new husband by herself which I know she has no intention of doing any time soon. It will be interesting to see how that will play out.

We do have a little date, ok just a meeting, after this one, so I could ask about her plan in that area. The personal meeting is great, both politically and for me personally, but that also means I have to stick around until the end of this planning session. I had intended to leave early, knowing that at some point people just repeat themselves or get into uninteresting issues for me.

I do so hope either meeting will not drag into the evening, I have someplace to be actually - funnily enough, a wedding. Since I am the one officiating it, it would be great if I could actually be there to do it. In person. It's a pretty important event, being the first interracial wedding in Ostagar. At least to my knowledge. Quite a funny situation actually – so this Avvar hunter knocked up an elf scout and Shianni, despite the man being quite amenable to marrying, practically marched him at arrow point to proposing. Quite publically too. Hilarious.

Maybe I could invite Anora along? Nah, her absence would cause a panic. Pity though. If I had the Lords here more 'managed' with Mind Mage it would be possible but I guess it was a silly idea anyway. Same with Alfastanna, flirting with her is fun but I didn't let her know about teleporting so she's out too.

Plus I have enough women for the night, I guess – and by that I mostly mean my planned excursion into Leliana's mind and dream. I actually go every other night now. First I was cautious, not sure if Morrigan would notice or mention, but now it's a habit. Naturally I don't do any big stuff there, I have done that only twice so far, mostly playing up the 'vision' she got that made her join the Wardens in the first place. I'm practically highjacking that 'vision' and making it about me and my Dominion.

Also, being the nice gal that I am, I have eased her sleep. Leliana already had pretty horrible dreams before the excursion to the Deep Roads, mainly about her period of captivity in Orlais, but now her ordeal under the hands of the chevaliers was enhanced with the existence of broodmothers and darkspawn in general. It was quite horrifying and I did not like seeing it, not one bit. On the other hand, my 'healing light' could save her from all that and thus further my agenda. This last few days her dreams ended in happier fashions, full of birds, snow, beautiful mountainous landscapes and light. And of course that mostly-dead rose bush from her vision was blooming at my Dominion-occupied Ostagar.

I think that is enough symbolism, after all I am not subtle in them. It should work at least insofar that she will come visit me in Ostagar. Then I can nudge her all the way, let her know her destiny lies with me and the Dominion. I should also be around when, or if, revered mother Dorothea contacts her. She is the only one that could sway her away from me. At least to my game knowledge, I will have to check thoroughly with Mind Mage once the former bard comes along.

I wonder how much Leliana's absence from the Chantry will change things. Will Dorothea even manage to become Divine without her? When did that even happen – I know the games like the back of my hand, plenty of lore too, but the timeline? All those novels muddle that, adding content that I never read but was canon. After Origin happenings are over I will definitely have to sit down and assess what is going on in the wider world and how it will affect me.

BUT that is in the far future – I still plan on wrapping up Origins, put my affairs in order and then choose another different Universe. Dragon Age is my Hub, and I definitely plan on remaking Thedas, but a vacation, a true return-to-gaming vacation, is in order.

Kinda looking forward to that, I feel like I only have to do the final quest culminating in the last boss battle. That I have everything lined up here. But that is not true, events are in motion and I have plenty to do. Still, can't help a feeling.

"What is your opinion, can you do it, Lady Fia?" queen Anora draws me into the conversation again.

I suppress a sigh, hating the circular manner of the conversation. I already answered that, dammit! But no, I have to put my most diplomatic face on and repeat myself. The joys of high-level meetings…

"Again"

The purplette charged and was literally smacked aside.

"Again"

The words weren't really needed as the purplette was already in motion. It didn't help.

"Again, faster!"

…

"I said faster!"

As Busujima Saeko once again hits the dirt, blood spraying from the shallow but long cut on her thigh, I have to wonder if fanservice is transferable from one Universe to another. Highschool of the Dead is the fanservice anime – boobs as a perch for a sniper rifle anyone? – while Dragon Age is not. Yet here we are, Saeko still in her anime Japanese highschool uniform mini-skirt… Ok, now I see that this is my fault. Fair enough. Question withdrawn.

I actually do have armor ready for her but Karasuba said the girl had to earn it first. The sekirei being the girl's master I deferred to her judgment. Though the words 'judgment' and 'Karasuba' seldom go together outside the context of 'no' or 'absence of'. Saeko's get-up has garnered quite a few raised eyebrows, as did her status as apprentice to my psychotic alien, but nothing that would cause an issue. When I took a peek into the minds of the people of Ostagar I found different variations of 'god works in mysterious ways', so I think we're good. That said, I think that this is enough Servants, or pseudo-Servants, for a while. The level of weird is already high and we all require some time to get used to each other.

"Oh for fuck's sake, girl!"

Sighing I wave off one young healer that Karasuba dragged over to keep an eye on her human charge and I go revive the girl myself.

"Stay still" I order when Saeko proves herself as tough a warrior as her anime made her to be and tries to rise to fight again, "You have a better chance of getting close to her with your leg working."

Karasuba snorts at that "Better, sure, but still almost zero. What did I tell you time and time again, girl? Stay focused! You are pissed at me and frustrated that you can't land a hit, but you can't let it show in your swordsmanship. Cold focused fury! You were doing better before, where has that gone?"

"How about taking her in the field for a while" I propose, poor girl has been stuck with Karasuba at Ostagar this whole time, "See this world a little and fight against different people."

"She has already proven she can kill zombies, darkspawn are more of the same" the silver-haired woman waves it off.

Saeko's grip on her sword tightens, clearly she heard about the creatures from the people around here. Disgust and eagerness to fight both swelling inside her in equal measure. She really is a delightful little sociopath. Or is it psychopath, I get them confused.

"How about Tevinter? Bust up a few slaving operations?"

"Killing slavers?" both Karasuba and Saeko reply in an almost identical intrigued and longing tones. Those two… Despite the expenditure I'm really glad I could bring this master/student duo together.

I smirk "Just one teleport away… And a disguise – I don't need an open war with Tevinter right now."

"We can do that" Karasuba grins widely, "Some killing will do the girl good."

I sigh – that really does sound bad. But hey, I don't judge. Plus Karasuba is probably right, the girl needs to let loose a little. Constantly losing against the sekirei is probably not fun and she needs to vent. She still harbors quite a bit of resentment over the kidnapping, she was quite happy in the zombie apocalypse. Plenty of things to kill, lots of blood, no judgment and a sort-of-boyfriend. But hey, she can have all this too plus luxuries like warded sleep and showers. And the opportunity to hone her swordsmanship – Mind Mage clearly showed that was a big point in our favor despite her not showing it outwardly. But Karasuba will drag that out. I'm comfortable in leaving the bloodthirsty student in her care.

"Have fun" I smile at the duo, "And do give Saeko some temporary armor along a disguise."

"Yeah, yeah" Karasuba nods, already towing her apprentice away.

I chuckle. A small hoot above me seems to agree as Hedwig smoothly lands on my shoulder. I caress her feathers and Hedwig hoots again, this time in contentment.

"Those two, heh?"

Hoot.

"Let's check things with Shianni. I might want to visit a dungeon after all this talk and I need to see everything is prepared"

Hoot.

Since war is fast approaching, and final preparations are being made, it is only logical to finish plundering the bonus Dungeon I have received for completing the world quest of Dragon Age. I would not deprive myself of the gacha and the assorted loot of the elven Dungeon, especially since I plan to leave DA for a little while once Anora is in power and the Alamarri Dominion is acknowledged. I am looking forward to crushing the Chantry and spreading my influence, but that can wait a little. I deserve a vacation after all this building, governing and paperwork. One high point though is the fact that this is essentially a dictatorship and not a democracy, so no whining along that lines. My people have freedoms but on my terms, and their customs', but no constitution or voting and all that stuff. I shudder, that would be horrible.

And any and all gods bless Shianni for taking most of that paperwork and talking-to-people burden away from me. She's an amazing administrator, good head on her shoulders, good with people too. She has practically taken up the position of Ostagar's mayor, respected not by just her elven community but by all. She definitely is someone that I feel comfortable leaving in charge at home while I go gallivanting around the continent smashing armies and doing other fun stuff.

A quick check with my favorite elf only reinforces the feeling – Shianni has all well in hand, Rila and her army is on alert, Haku is scouting out some Chantry-related stuff for me. Everything is as is should be.

Personal time – here I come!

I have already taken some forays into the Dungeon version of the fabled elven Arlathan but still every time I get here it takes my breath away. It truly is beautiful. Such a clean and resplendent city, the marble and greenery combined in such a refined yet natural way, the high of towers and floating elements, the magic all around. Truly, beautiful. It is almost sad to wreck it each time I visit. But hey, the Dungeon occupants always attack me, duh, so not really my fault. I'm just a poor little invader that wants to take their riches and trade kills for exp. Woe is me.

"Intruder!" an elf soldier shouts, alerting his brethren. All of them in light but enchanted armor with polished helmets and wickedly sharp glaives. Those foot soldiers don't use magic but already their lieutenants can. Fun. And surprisingly not that easy. An adequate workout, really.

And I really like their glaives actually, really nice aesthetic. I already have something similar in mind for my next forging. Not really planning to use it but it will be interesting to make.

Speaking of interesting make, Arlathan has traps. Loads of them. The first time I got here I was a bit too cocky and got herded into one and the troops took advantage of it. A surprisingly large amount of HP got taken from me in a mere few seconds. I actually contemplated using the Dagger of Time. But that is a last resort, I got out on my own and felt all the prouder for it. Then I took my shame out on all elves around and a lot of the architecture. So yeah, the Dungeon is not easy but as long as I am careful, nothing can stand in my way. That said, I have yet to confront the boss. Or even see the boss. He's hiding somewhere and I wasn't really going for him. But today, with the main thing of DA Origins just around the corner, I think I will.

Rewards, here I come!

This dungeon delve wasn't just to finally reach the boss and reap the rewards but I also fully intended to use it to grind my Class. I am just so tired of it! It gives awesome Stats but it passed the good balance time/reward a long time ago. I'm looking forward to picking something new, and maybe something completely different. Like not fantasy – perhaps I could go more sci-fi this time, or something more modern, something to complement my next Universe. I mean, at least one option will be like that for sure, right?

Not that being the shining beacon of light that decimates all foes has lost its appeal, because it hasn't. As the fake dungeon elves can attest to.

And their city too – I am very thorough in looking for the boss and once I cleared an area I just bomb it with [Black Hole]. Arlathan isn't very pretty after that. Oh well, never liked the traps as a decoration choice anyway. They do give me some nice ideas for wards though.

Speaking of decorations, this map has a lot of those portal mirrors, eluvians. I have so far avoided them since I wanted to be methodical with clearing the dungeon but it soon becames clear that the boss is hiding behind one. Most mirrors just port onto another part of the map as I thought but some port into entirely new areas. Ok, not areas, more like rooms. Cool mechanic, especially since there is some loot there. Nothing exciting but I can melt the armor and weapons for material. And then finally…

To my surprise the boss of the dungeon is 'The Regent Lord'. Not king, not one of the gods of the elvhen pantheon, but just Regent Lord. Humph. I feel cheated. But I guess he is cool enough - long silvery blond hair, steely stare out of his lone glowy green eye, the other covered by a plain eye-patch. His massive sword also warranted an honorable mention. He looked not at all as I expected but hey, Observe says he is the boss.

The Regent Lord has minions but those are more easily dispatched then the mermaids were but he also has some cool automated defenses and yet more traps. But I have their number by now. Boss elf man is good though. He has some serious resistances and good ol' melee works best. That and the telekinetic stuff. It feels good go back to one's roots. And using elven guardsmen to smash elven rangers is hilarious. Less hilarious is the Regent Lord using his massive blade to calmly bisect the bodies of his subordinates when I throw them at him.

Our dance is soon over, it was just matter of whittling down his absurd HP. And mana, he was using some kind of magical shield to supplement his defense. Then I only mop up his minions which stopped coming aaaaand done. My exp and rewards for clearing the Dungeon, please.

The notification pops up and I smile "Thank you, darling."

np

So, what did I get. Oh, interesting… New thing! A [Dungeon Expansion] apparently, so next time I play the Arlathan dungeon I get... new content? Perhaps a new boss with new rewards? Oh my, I just got horny. Sin of Greed is really branching out.

Hm, I'll pop out to the real world to see if I have time and I might delve again, I need all the rewards. Speaking of which, apart from the new thing I also got a crafting bundle, which could be cool, another race change, to [Elf] predictably, which could be really cool in a different universe. Actually, that one needs a read – there are a lot of types of elves throughout the Universes, I want to know how System knows which one to do. Or will it be DA elves by default?

It will depend on what Universe you are in. The Elf will adapt to the perception of the local race

And if the Universe doesn't have elves apart of me?

Eh

Might let you choose

But only from the elves you already met

"Did you think up that on the spot?"

Seems like a good solution

"A nerf-ed solution more like"

It happens

I shrug, it's not like I had a certain type of elf I wanted. Though Lord of the Rings, the true elf archetype, would probably be best. No Witcher bullshit with their small teeth and stuff. I want to be beautiful.

And immortal. Wait…

Nope

Of course not.

Anyway, next to last reward is a new Class option – [Knight Enchanter]. Could be nice, I'll have to see at Class change next time. Probably won't choose it for a while but I do like having options.

Last but not least, I got a gacha like usual. I set it to spin immediately.

Item acquired

Silver Eyes (RWBY)

gain powers against the Creatures of the Grim and other dark manifestations

Complete and utter trash. Fuck. Unless darkspawn and zombies qualify.

Close, but no

Well, that means I'm doing the dungeon again, for sure now. It might be harder and take more time and whatever, but I want my good stuff!

It should work against demons though

Better but I'm not changing my eyes for that. But thanks for the explanation.

Silver eyes could be pretty…

I chuckle "I'll try them on in front of a mirror later then. And I have to say I do like that eyes work Naruto style here, you change them like light bulbs."

It's efficient

"Illogical but efficient"

Logic? I don't even know her

I snorted before laughing in full.

"So it begins" I say heavily as I look out of the large window of my office that allows me to see the training grounds as well as much land beyond my walls. It is raining heavily, so it is perfect. Pity nobody will get the quote here…

"Yes" Rila nods resolutely, and rather eagerly, "The fighters are ready, no low-lander will best us."

I nod in acknowledgement and signalize to Haku to start his report, me only having told my war council that Loghain is soon to move. All of them are quite eager to sink their blades into the Regent's soldiers. And that goes for my own Fereldans as well – Shianni is practically giddy, a few of the apostates are eager to flex their muscles, and even the 'normal' citizens volunteered to fight the despot that denied them food and shelter, not to mention left them to the mercy of darkspawn.

"Gwaren's troops are currently being sorted into three categories," started the ninja, "One group will of course stay to protect their territory, one will reinforce Denerim as Loghain will advance with the troops he has there to fight the rebel lords, and the last group means to rush through the Brecilian Passage."

"Not going to happen" one of my Avvar chiefs snorts.

"Agreed" his Chasind neighbor nods. Both men looking at each other, metaphorically patting themselves on the back, puffing their chests out as if the enemy was already in the dirt.

Rila wasn't impressed "Continue with your report, spy."

She really hadn't taken to the ninja. Rila simply abhors his profession and makes it nigh impossible to respect him. She does think him capable, maybe even loyal, but she does not like him at all. Since it doesn't really do any harm, and Haku does not care, I didn't meddle with it. Plus sometimes it is even amusing.

Haku inclines his head in thanks to the woman, who predictably frowns, and picks up where he left off "So far both marching groups are amassing near the town of Backalt and think they all are sent north by the path near the Waking Sea. Only the commanders know the true plan."

"So they intend to trick us?" the Chasind from before frowns at the big map laid on the table.

"Typical" Shianni shrugs.

"It's smarter than it looks, he intends to use his cavalry for this" I counter mildly. Though not that smart, very very risky indeed. He's banking on his speed and us being undisciplined barbarians.

"Indeed, he is" Haku continues, "Once preparations are complete, most of his reserve cavalry will enter the Brecilian Passage and in all haste make their way across."

"Does this Loghain not expect opposition?" Rila frowns, trying to work out the trick.

"He does, but he is sure our line can be smashed with the heavy cavalry charge. The plan is to leave Ostagar, or any fortress, alone for now – simply get through us, preferably killing whoever he can along the way, and then veer north to attack the Arl Bryland's army from behind"

"Also he might think we're not prepared for him yet" I smirk, "Our people were in Edgehall Arling not long ago and Loghain did his best to be circumspect. He does know about the fortress built on the mouth of the Passage – he did send a lot of scouts into the Brecilian Forest and Passage and we were bound to have overlooked some when we captured them – but since he just intends to kill and pass, this time anyway, he might think we don't have enough people there and not enough time to send reinforcements."

"It's risky" Rila hummed, still staring at the map.

"Very risky" Haku agrees. I'm pretty sure he's just enjoying the glare today.

"Bah, risky for him" one of the brash Avvar-Chasind duo speaks up again, "We'll punish that, punish that bloody."

His 'bro' isn't far behind "Aye! For the glory of the Lady of the Skies!"

Shianni rolls her eyes "That's all well and good, but should not an actual plan be discussed? It is hundreds of men in heavy plate sitting atop a warhorse that is armored too. I saw those guys back in Denerim, they aren't easy pickings."

"What would a low-lander…"

"Shianni is right," Rila interrupts, "I haven't trained the fighters for months on end just to have them die pointlessly. Plate armor is hard to get through and their horses will have speed. We will need to slow them down or get the fighters off the horses entirely. Traps?"

I smile at her in approval "The vanguard is already digging."

"Enemy scouts?"

"Everyone is on high alert," I nod, "The Dalish group has really proven its worth here – they really do know the forest better than anyone."

"I shall prepare for a march" Rila announces, "We will be ready no later than the day after tomorrow. Morning. But I think we need more augurs for this."

"A fireball will knock a knight right on his shiny metal ass" Shianni comments in deep satisfaction.

"Or outright boil them in their armor" another Avvar, the augur representative, speaks up.

I nod "Yes, magic support will be critical here. Once the knights are on the ground, they can be dealt with far more easily. Augurs, and other mages, will play crowd control?"

The aged augur nods solemnly "Agreed. I will gather my people, we can be ready before Rila and the army."

I smile "That would be excellent, I would prefer you be there to support the vanguard as soon as possible."

"It shall be done, we'll depart as soon as we can"

Shianni wiggles in her seat a little bit, a clear sign of discomfort "How many mages do we even have?"

The augur glances at me and then replies with a small shrug "Quite a few, mostly healers. While those will come with as well, most of the combat oriented ones are low-landers. Healing the dream-slain has almost doubled our numbers."

Oh yes, the some of the former tranquil really had an axe to grind with... well, everybody. Some though were fearful of their power or too swallowed in Chantry dogma – the first were helped by the augurs who showed them their techniques and traditions on magic, the second category had to be put down. They were manic, aggressive and the Avvar chiefs recommended it. It wasn't a huge loss, only five people, and it garnered me some very positive feedback. Not just with my barbarians but also my Ferelden population – they saw it as me being both fair and strict on mages, that I was protecting them from those that would try do them harm with magic. Oh, and one mage I executed because he was a monster, so there was truth in their words.

Also, fun fact, I had absolutely no demon possessions in the Dominion – that sure made the chantry-bred peasants talk. And with Mind Mage doubt the Chantry's words that only the templars can make them safe from magic which needed to be suppressed at all times. That said, nobody really was a fan of magic, but they did start to trust them a little bit more, knowing there was a system in place even though it lacked templars. The utter confidence of the Avvar and Chasind in their magical folk helped a lot in that regard.

"Speaking of magic," Rila looks up from the map which she took to studying again, "Will you be joining the fight?"

I hum and then shake my head "I trust you to handle it. I will go over there shortly, to look at the traps and talk to the vanguard commander, but I'll leave you to it. That said, both Karasuba and her apprentice, as well as Margit and her squad, have expressed interest in going. I'll be dropping them off at the fort."

The oh-so-cleverly named Woodfort. Because it was grown by mokuton and it was a fort. That is what you get when you don't name shit yourself.

Rila nods in satisfaction "Good, this will be a fine fight."

That might be but I definitely plan on doing some work from the shadows. After all, I worked hard to get this army and I don't intend to lose it. My 'blessing' is a given, a few wards here and there, my new healing ward back at the fort… And, oh yeah, I better mention this.

"I'd also like some prisoners if that will be possible" I add, "Perhaps don't finish everyone off and carry their injured to be healed. Some might have be useful yet. Also, horses. Same story, we could use them."

That doesn't go over all that well, most of my darling barbarians grumbling about it, but ultimately Rila agrees for all of them. Look over the battlefield later and heal who is left is not that big a hardship, I'd think. I don't expect too many knights captured this way but even a few would be handy. Either to give them back to Ferelden once Loghain is gone to build some more goodwill or some might even grow to like it here or some might want to spread the word just how wonderful I am and how we should all be friends.

I do already have a fair number of scouts that Loghain has sent my way – those too are currently under lock and key, awaiting their former master to be out of the picture. Same story there, most will be used to spread positive word about me. I already have a ward tree working on precisely that.

Propaganda aside, I will need every soldier and warrior once the Blight is over and the vultures begin circling. With Ferelden looking weak after the both darkspawn and civil war, and the Chantry giving a good excuse, Orlais will not wait long to come in force. Even the Fereldans who fanatically fight by Loghain and hate my guts will forgo any kind of revenge upon me and instead focus on the age old enemy. Hm, I will have to contain the gleeful 'we told you so' they'll want to spout. Will have to spin it that it was Loghain's fault since he weakened the land. Ah well, problems for the future.

Now it is time to concentrate on the blitz that should end even quicker than the regent anticipates. Loghain's men will definitely not pass through the Brecilian.

You. shall. not. pass! Heh.

Notes:

A little shorter than usual but honestly... I was just happy to have produced something depite work being murder.

Anyway, Dragon Age will wrap up next chapter, I think. I already have the Universe in mind but I always accept recommendations for the next spot to go to.

Also, fun fact, adding Saeko to DA was done at a complete whim. I only dropped Sofia and her servants to HotD and Karasuba did the rest on her own… Greedy little bird.