The OP Lich is a Returnee: Omnibus 5 - Books 16-20 (Lich Returnee), page 15
Ruth Campbell was the only new student coming from outside the EAA. A British national, she was a master tailor. However, her influences were obviously from her homeland, which was a nice balance to Watabe Kazuko’s Japanese style.
Gomi Homugi was a Japanese national who had been living in the Northern Mariana Islands, and now had dual-citizenship with Japan and Risen Athelia. She was also a master metalworker, who primarily did sculpting work, but was just as artistic with the few jewelry pieces she’d made. As part of her application, she’d produced a sculpture of me, in my Lich Queen form, with full regalia, even including blue crystals in the eyes. The flattery was nice, but it was the obvious skill that got her the spot.
Alex Barker was a former American citizen from Guam, who chose to become part of Risen Athelia when the island joined the kingdom. She was also a master leatherworker, whose passion was in hand-crafted saddles, bridles, and other such gear. Of course, her main work came in the form of leather equipment, harnesses, and other such items for the kink community, who appreciated her skilled work.
Kieran Gordon was the final pick for this round of students, and he was something of an outlier. He was from Hawai’i, which was fine. He was older than some of the students, having served two tours in the US Navy before getting out to start a business as a gunsmith. That was a decade ago, and he’d been one of the first to trade in his American citizenship for an Athelian one, once the annexation went through. What interested me in him was in the possibility of expanding the possibilities of the spellgun idea, or in creating newer enchanted guns. Working with him would be a chance for me to learn a new craft, as well.
I gathered everyone in the (recently expanded) Athelian Arms building for introductions. Once that was done, I smiled at them, and said, “As my other students will tell you, there is a difference between becoming a Master of a craft, and having mastery of it. True mastery comes when you can not only create works of great skill, but pass on the knowledge to others, so that they can, in turn, spread their knowledge.
“In that vein, feel free to ask for the guidance of your senpais, if they have time. It does not matter if they are familiar with your particular type of crafting or not. Each of them knows enchanting, and each of them have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to that craft. For instance, Fani is the current queen of the shop when it comes to simplifying enchantments so that they put as little strain on the material as possible, while Eto has an eye for enchantments that require little power, but are perfectly suited for daily living, and so on. They have all worked with each other, across disciplines and styles, so they can certainly help you with your practice.
“Each of you new students were chosen because you are already accomplished masters of your field. While you may be just starting on the road to enchanting, you will be treated as the master craftsmen that you are. Outside this shop, we may all have different ranks, titles, and responsibilities. But in the shop, or when we’re in private, buchō, or ‘Boss’ is fine for me, or even Akagawa or Akagawa-san. Everyone else has a preferred name they like to be called by, and I expect you to respect that.
“That being said, I’ll bid the seniors to head back to their projects, now. For you new members, each of you have already learned to touch your mana, and begun cultivating your mana pools. Now, I will teach you the first step in magical crafting, imbuement.”
As the seniors went back to their current projects, I stepped over to the woodworking area, and selected a nice piece of white oak, roughly three centimeters in width and two meters in length, before leading the way to my personal bench in the studio. I smiled at the students as I sat down, placing the piece of wood on the workbench.
“Imbuing is the first step of magical crafting, as I said. The process is simple in theory, but takes work and practice to get right, no different from hearing about the basics of woodworking, and becoming a practiced woodworker, for example. The exact method will differ depending on your craft, and the type of work you are doing, but the basics are the same.
“For this example, I am going to be crafting a staff for a young mage. Thus, I am going to need to shape this piece, and design it accordingly. To imbue it, then, with every stroke of the knife, every pass of the plane, every touch of sandpaper, I will push some of my mana into the staff. By doing this, I alter the structure of the wood, making it more conducive to being shaped, and enchanted, while granting it greater strength, in the long run. This step is essential, as lower-tier materials will not hold up to serious use or even much enchanting without being imbued to increase their durability and strength, and higher-tier materials like dragon bones are nigh impossible to work with unless you imbue them, and get the mana inside them to work with you, instead of against you.”
As I spoke, I took a small knife, and began carving into the piece, starting at the butt end, shaping it into the form I knew I wanted it to take. With each stroke, I pushed a bit of mana into the piece. Of course, even though my eyes were on the work, I didn’t ignore my students.
“The key with imbuement is to go with a steady pace, so that you can sustain the output for the entire duration of your crafting, without either going too light or too heavy. Too light, and the imbuement will not take, or will have a subpar effect. Either way is not ideal. Too heavy, and it is like running two hundred amps of electricity through a wire only designed for fifty.
“You are going to fail. Your first time trying something new, you are bound to fail, unless you have the luck of the gods. You are all crafters, so you know this already, but it is good to be reminded of the fact, since it has been some time since you were back in a novice’s shoes. You will fail, and that is to be expected. Your task is to look at every failure, and fail less or fail differently each time thereafter.”
I paused, and switched the knife for a piece of sandpaper to start smoothing some of the edges I’d made, rounding the end of the staff slightly. All the while, I continued adding mana to it. Not much, especially given my stores, but the material could only handle so much. Materials naturally infused with magic were rare, and not nearly ready for production material, yet. Well, not wholly. I had already procured some materials from abroad that would be the perfect addition to this piece, and the other that I intended to make.
“Now, I want each of you to go to the stations that have been prepared for you. Start with something small, and simple. A horseshoe for a blacksmith, and so on. Something that you’ve made so many times that your hands know the motions without you needing to think about them, so you can give your focus to your mana, and the imbuement. You are going to fail, but, by keeping things small, and simple, it will be easier for you to figure out how and why you failed, which makes it more likely you’ll do better the next time. And there will be less wasted material, as well. Failure is part of the process, but getting your failures out of the way on cheaper material is always better than on something rarer, and more valuable. And remember, if you aren’t sure why you failed, you have myself and your senpais to ask for advice.”
The students dispersed to start implementing the lesson, and I turned my attention fully to the staff. Slowly, the design came into being. I kept the body of the staff relatively simple. The rounded end, gently sloping before turning in, to make the staff look as though it had an end-piece. From there, the piece had three ‘threads’ carved into it, looking like they were braided together as the staff slowly tapered outward from two and a half centimeters in width to just under three as it reached the top. A simple device, but one that I could easily add to with the headpiece.
I wasn’t going to skimp on this piece, or the sword I intended to make afterwards. While I wasn’t going to dip into the priceless crafting materials I still had in my storage, these weapons were going to be perfectly suited to their wielders when I was done. It was the least I could do for my disciples, after all.
Epilogue – Elsewhere
Four individuals met in a darkened room. No names were shared. Those who knew about this meeting already knew who the other attendees were. There was no need for introductions.
Each individual represented a faction of power. While they were not the nominal heads of their factions, what was decided in this chamber would be carried out. One way or another.
On an unseen signal, the political representative took a breath. “It is now the appointed time. What do we know?”
The intelligence representative spoke first. “The situation with the Indian Republic continues to be tense, but the Anomaly’s forces in the area, particularly the ones in Nepal and Bangladesh, have kept things from getting out of hand. According to our sources, the Anomaly is currently the most popular foreign leader in those countries. While India certainly has the technological edge over them, the Anomaly’s forces and proximity to other EAA nations, like China, ensure that they would lose any war, and they know it.
“The New Soviet Union has done a little saber rattling, but stopped it as soon as it started. Our sources in Moscow suggest that the Anomaly has had forces actively observing key political and military figures in the country ever since they attempted to kidnap her sister, almost five years ago, now. Current analysis suggests that they are unwilling to test how much they can get away with against her, so they’re turning their attention to the European Union and Reformed Caliphate, instead.”
“Smartest decision they’ve made since the Awakening,” the military representative laughed.
“Indeed,” the intelligence representative grinned. “As for the Caliphate, while they do border the EAA through Kazakhstan and the neighboring countries, the Anomaly’s forces on those borders ensure that things remain calm, for now. They’ve turned their attention more towards the Saharan League, which has a more secular organizing structure, rather than a theocratic one. Right now, we do not expect things to go beyond rivalry, especially since the Caliphate has lost much of its economic strength, due to shipping concerns restricting the flow of oil, and more countries shifting over to mana-based power systems.
“The European Union and Saharan League look to be expanding trade between the two groups, though the actions look to be more equitable than past interactions between Europe and Africa. The Saharan League is watching carefully for any signs of neo-colonialism, but, so far, the European nations look to be playing fair. Mostly because they recognize that the League is a strong potential ally against the Caliphate, if things turn ugly.”
The political representative nodded. “Any potential trouble spots in the region?”
The intelligence representative paused, and then said, “As always, one point of potential trouble is the New Zionist Movement. Ever since the liberation of Palestine thirty years ago, the New Zionists have been trying to claw their way back into the country. However, the Palestinians, with the Caliphate’s support, have managed to keep them from gaining traction, despite increasing terrorist actions. Assets in the area are keeping an eye on things, naturally.”
The military representative leaned forward. “What about the Americans?”
“Unfortunately, with the current president’s re-election, it looks as though the United States is going to continue its adversarial and isolationist descent. Their State Department continues to call for sanctions against Risen Athelia and the EAA, especially as Risen Athelia has occupied the remaining American territories in the Pacific, save for Alaska and the west coast of North America, and officially annexed the bases that the US abandoned, including Pearl Harbor. However, as Risen Athelia does not trade with the US, and the EAA has been focusing more on trade with India, Africa, Europe, and the Greater South Pacific Cooperative, those sanction threats are mostly toothless.”
The science representative nodded. “Thanks to the new shipping vessels, Risen Athelia now has the third largest merchant marine in the Pacific, after China and us. Outside of the GSPC, they’ve primarily been running trade to Vancouver in Canada, Manzanillo in Mexico, San Antonio in Chile, and through the Panama Canal to reach the Carribean and other South American countries. And fully one third of those ships are actually owned by the Anomaly personally, while Risen Athelia has an ownership stake in the rest.”
The political representative nodded. “And she has the income from Phantomline and other associated companies, which are still leading the field when it comes to non-CAD magical equipment.”
“Indeed,” the science representative nodded. “And while the US currently maintains its lead in the CAD market, they’ve been experiencing ‘brain drain’, as researchers have been gravitating to areas where they can work with both CADs and focus technology, while foreign students studying magic are looking more towards institutions in the EAA and EU, rather than US institutions. Combined with the isolationist attitude of the current administration, experts believe that the US will be feeling the effects for decades.”
“Mexico and Canada have been quietly strengthening their militaries,” the intelligence representative noted. “While no official statements have been made, it is obvious that they are worried about the US military action. There are reports of a military defensive pact in the works between the two countries, as well as the Caribbean League, and several countries in South America, spurred on by the administration’s public suggestions of annexing the Panama Canal for ‘national security’ reasons. While none of them could stand up to the US military individually, their combined power, especially with the Heroes of Earth involved, could be enough to check the US in any conventional military conflict.”
“Conventional meaning not using nuclear weapons,” the military representative added.
“Would the current US administration go so far?”
“Unknown,” the intelligence representative said, grimly. “The current president is a narcissist and authoritarian, who takes any challenges to his authority very personally. While it is unlikely that they would initiate a first strike with nuclear weapons, the possibility that they might use tactical weapons if a conflict begins turning against them is not as low as I would like. Especially since none of those countries possess them, so the idea of Mutually Assured Destruction is not necessarily on the table.”
The room fell into silence momentarily. Finally, the political representative spoke. “This situation is too unstable for my liking. We must find a way to ensure that the situation does not come to using weapons of mass destruction. The only question is how to go about it?”
The military representative leaned forward. “The UN General Assembly will be meeting in three months. Risen Athelia is not yet part of the UN, in part because she has no need of its protections. But if she were to join, then she would have to be afforded an opportunity to speak during the Assembly. It may give us an opening to work with some of the countries looking to corral the US.”
The political representative nodded slowly. “At the very least, we can count on the Anomaly being herself, which would undoubtedly cause a reaction from the American president. Perhaps even something that could be used to quell the current regime’s aggression. Contact our liaison, and broach the idea with her.”
Book 19 – Diplomacy
Prologue – Trade Chat
(Magical World Disharmony Server, General Chat)
UsualSuspect, manoutoftime, muon, MewTwo, Avariel, Chummer, Golddigger, CrazyCelt, Blaze, DoYouEvenLyft?, MarcoPolo, MightMakesRight, MacD, Inquisitor, OrangeQueen, Lizard, RedFox, SemiSolidSnake, BabyShark, Lichwatcher, Not_the_Face!, TheLichQueen, Scholar, Salty, Anonymous3, Anonymous4, Anonymous7, Anonymous9, WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot, DigDug, Backlog, DarkAvariel, Knocker, GrimDark, BloodForTheBloodGod, BackDat@55Up and DarkAngel are in the chat.
Not_the_Face!: My cousin in San Diego is saying that the they are finally finished fixing the ships that were damaged when the Navy pulled back from Pearl Harbor.
MacD: Wild that the pinnacle of military tech got taken down by sharks.
Salty: Magic sharks. Makes a difference.
Inquisitor: Those sharks could bite through steel. And they were smarter than normal sharks.
Scholar: According to research by Risen Athelia, something about the old-style screw propellers attracts the sharks. Nuclear and diesel engines make it worse. Except, for some reason, the sharks ignore submarines almost completely.
WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot: Old drinking buddy from when I was in the Army is a native of Athelian Samoa (was American at the time), he told me that the Athelian Royal Navy currently has a series of ‘corvette’ ships that look like the unholy fusion of age of sail and WW2 ships. Turrets with big guns, and a gundeck with actual broadsides! Steel hull but full-rigged sails. Only thing was, he said that they don’t have much in the way of anti-air defenses.
GrimDark: There has to be a reason for that approach.
TheLichQueen: There is. This isn’t a secret, or anything, but the cannons are all following design principles I came up with, allowing vehicle weapons to fire either projectiles or spells. And there is at least one mage on each ship, as well as shooters with the Warrior’s Way. The shield and armor enchantments will also stand up to modern missiles quite nicely.
Salty: Hey, LQ! Is it true that you’ve got the third largest merchant fleet in the Pacific?
TheLichQueen: Yes, just behind China and Japan. Our vessels are slower than pre-magic container ships, but they have not yet suffered an attack by Great Steel Sharks while under primary propulsion alone.
BabyShark: LQ, is it true that you’re taking all the dead in the cemeteries in Hawai’i and the other new territories and raising them as undead?
TheLichQueen: Oh, is that the nonsense they’re talking about me now? Well, the answer is no. There are wards on the existing cemeteries, to keep any of the dead from rising without permission. However, any citizen of Risen Athelia may donate their body to the legions when they die. Much like organ donors.
TheLichQueen: Of course, that only applies to law-abiding citizens. Those who commit certain offenses under Athelian law, or who attack my domain, however? I am not so merciful as to allow death to be the end of their penance.
