I woke up in the night. Alastia was sitting nearby, staring thoughtfully into the void.
"Oh, you're awake," she said quietly. "I didn't want to wake you."
"So, how do you like the mountain?" I asked, stretching.
"It's a good mountain," she smiled faintly. "And the residents here are nice. Nobody wants war, all races live in peace. It's a good place, Zen."
She stayed silent for a bit, and then added a little louder:
"Alright, let's go. We need to move everyone here."
I stood up and took Alastia by the hand. Pop! And we were back in the Sultanate. While Alastia went to wake everyone up and gather them, I just sat on the sand and waited. Soon Aurora appeared. I waved to her amicably, but she only squinted suspiciously and, the entire time we waited for the others, literally drilled me with her gaze.
About a hundred people gathered. They lined up in a wide circle. At that moment, I heard a familiar meow.
"Oh, Shish! Holy crap, he's gotten huge!"
True, at heart he remained the exact same kitten. He took a running jump at me, digging his claws into my skin, and deftly clambered up to my neck.
"Ow, ow, ow! That hurts!"
Shish rubbed against the back of my head contentedly and began to purr loudly.
When everyone was ready, I focused. POP!
We found ourselves at the foot of Mount Slick. First things first, I intercepted Shish and started healing him so the poor guy wouldn't suffer from the transfer, but as for the rest... Everyone was hit with severe teleportation sickness. People fell to their knees and began vomiting mercilessly.
"Eww! Just not on me!" I immediately jumped aside. Alastia didn't wait around for "gifts" either and moved further away.
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Aurora recovered faster than anyone else. She stood up, took a fighting stance, and looked at me resolutely:
"I want to test my powers. Just defend yourself!"
She sharply thrust her fist forward. A long tongue of fire burst from her hand, but honestly, it was rather weak. I was standing ten meters away, and the flame barely reached my feet. Then she formed a fireball and launched it at me. The projectile touched my clothes and simply went poof quietly, not even leaving a scorch mark.
Aurora bit her lip, looking at the result.
"Is that it?" I asked.
She stepped closer, looking very puzzled. "Strange... I've already surpassed Trioro in this..."
"Uhhh?" I raised my index finger to the sky. A dense, humming fireball instantly swirled around it. "PEW!"
With a whistle, it shot off my finger and rushed upward. When the charge reached the peak of the mountain, a deafening KABOOM rang out! The sky lit up with the brightest flashes, blossoming like a giant firework.
"Cool, right?" I smiled at her.
Aurora didn't answer. She silently turned around and walked away.
Damn, probably forgot to praise her, flashed through my head.
"YOU DID GREAT!" I yelled after her, hoping she heard.
As for me, I felt that my wakefulness limit for the day was exhausted, and went to sleep.
The next morning, Zorgh unceremoniously woke me up.
"My lord, wake up! Please!"
"Huh? What? Council again?" I pressed closer against the cold stone, not wanting to open my eyes. "Why do you even need me there? You handle all the issues perfectly well on your own."
But Zorgh was adamant. He declared that I am officially on the council, which means my presence is mandatory. Ultimately, I simply floated after him, levitating a couple of centimeters off the floor and continuing to watch my dreams on the go.
We entered the meeting hall. The same faces again, the same old men. I "landed" in my chair, never bothering to assume a vertical position. But then Zorgh announced the agenda, and the issue was a genuinely serious one.
The problem lay in growing inequality. Those who had come to Mount Slick first had managed to monopolize the best resources. Their lineages were becoming increasingly influential and wealthy, gradually turning into a true bourgeoisie. And although slavery was strictly forbidden here, the concentration of power in the hands of a handful of rich folks was already starting to create problems.
I cracked open one scarlet eye. The issue really was a tough one. Justice is a delicate thing.
I swept my gaze over those present. It seemed this topic wasn't to the council's taste at all. The elders fidgeted in their seats, started hiding their eyes, or nervously shuffling papers. Well, of course—they themselves were surely closely tied to those very rich families that were being discussed.
It became clear that there wouldn't be a simple solution here. Either I come up with something right now, or Mount Slick will turn into an ordinary kingdom with a bunch of disgruntled poor folks and gluttonous lords.