Fae sat in her living room, enjoying time simply chatting with her mothers. It had been fascinating to hear how their experience had differed from her own, how their perceptions had dramatically shifted despite only having been converted for less than an hour. It was yet another testament to how strong conversion was and why some gods were going to such lengths to try and circumvent it.

  Just as they were in the middle of talking about it, however, they were interrupted by a knock on the front door. “I’ll get it.” Fae said, standing up from the couch and hurrying over to the door. She opened it, then stepped back in surprise as Queen Lia was revealed.

  “Fae, how are you doing?” Lia asked warmly.

  “Q-Queen Lia, you surprised me.” Fae said. “My mothers and I have been doing great, did you come in to check up on them?”

  “Sort of.” Lia replied. “Are you streaming right now?”

  “I’m not.” Fae said. “Would you like me to start up the stream?”

  Lia shook her head. “No, it’s probably better that people hear about this when we have an official statement ready. Would it be alright if I came in and talked with you?”

  When an official statement was ready? That wording made her uneasy, but Fae was burning with curiosity and she had no reason to refuse Lia anyway, so she nodded and stepped to the side a bit. “Come in. Would you like it if my mothers left or is it fine if they hear this?”

  “It’s fine if they hear. In fact, that’s ideal for us.” Lia confirmed, stepping into the house and closing the door behind her.

  “Um, my moms are in the living room, shall we talk there?” Fae asked.

  Lia nodded and made for the living room, where Fae’s mothers were waiting anxiously. “Let’s see…Ayla and Elora, right? I think this is our first time speaking since your conversions.”

  Fae took a seat next to her mothers as Ayla began to talk. “Y-yes, my Queen.” She said nervously.

  “No need to be like that.” Lia chuckled. “Just call me Lia. It’d feel weird if I’m on a first name basis with Fae but not her mothers.”

  “So…may I ask the reason for your visit?” Fae ventured. “You mentioned it’s only sort of to check up on us.”

  “Yes. I did want to come check on you, Ayla and Elora, but…more importantly, I want to talk about World Saviors.”

  Fae and her mothers froze. That…was not a name that Lia should know, but here she was asking about it anyway. Clearly something big had happened, but what? Either the Swarm had decided to press into Yasato now, which seemed completely out of character, or something had occurred that would give the gods supporting the Swarm permission to spill the beans.

  “This is because of us, isn’t it?” Elora asked, just as the possibility had started to occur to Fae.

  “Yes.” Lia said. “The gods opposing us chose to study your mental states in exchange for us getting to know about World Saviors. Before we continue, though, let me assure you that I’m not in any way upset at you, and even if I didn’t think we were going to come out ahead in this exchange, which I do, I’d make the same choices.

  “I’ll be honest, knowing about World Saviors in and of itself isn’t a huge deal. Really, it gives us some insight into what we’ll be up against and allows Amelia time to prepare some countermeasures, but that alone isn’t a huge deal. What is apparently a bigger deal, however, is that it gives us full permission to use the ‘internet’. I wanted your opinions on that.”

  Fae stared at Lia. “They…made a choice that would give you internet access?” She asked, dumbfounded. “Are they that confident that World Saviors will succeed? Or…do they just think you won’t be gutsy enough to go there to browse the internet?”

  “So, I take it you see this as incredibly important as well?” Lia asked. “And we’ll come back to that confidence later, but I want to talk about the internet thing first.”

  “I speak for all three of us when I say that we do.” Ayla said. “While Elora and I haven’t browsed Yasato’s internet, if it’s anything like Lim’s, then even just what is publicly available will be enough to spark a dramatic leap forward in your technology, which will further narrow the gap between the Swarm and other planes.”

  Lia nodded. “I thought so.” She said. “Do you think it’s worth the risk of going to Yasato?”

  “Depends on how hospitable Izumi’s parents are to us.” Fae said. “If they allow you into their house to use the computer, then it’s worth it. Otherwise, it gets a lot more complicated, but it’s still absolutely worth thinking about.”

  “Then…I have another option.” Lia said slowly. “I can’t be too specific, but I have something the gods want.” She said. “For your purposes, you can think of it kind of like a mine, and I hold the production rights. The gods want what that mine produces, and the God of Commerce is willing to trade his services with me for the products of that mine. There is a potential that he would be able to give me something that would allow me to access Yasato’s internet from here, but it would cost about half of what I currently have stored. Is that a worthwhile investment, you think?”

  “Absolutely.” Fae replied. “There’s no question about it. Or…actually, what else can you get with whatever you’re selling him?”

  “Almost anything.” Lia replied. “Whether or not it’s cost-effective is another matter.”

  “How much time would it take to recoup this loss?” Ayla asked.

  “A couple of months, give or take a couple of weeks.” Lia replied. “Production isn’t static, it’s a complicated thing.”

  “I suppose if it was simple, then the gods wouldn’t desire it.” Fae mused. “What sort of comparable purchases could be made with that?”

  “The other thing I was thinking about was a streaming setup like yours.” Lia said. “That would cost about the same probably. We’ll get to that later, but other than that…well, this is on the large side of things, and the only comparable thing I can give it to is that I could use that much to buy handcrafted facilities from the God of Commerce. For sure I know I can get things like forges, restaurants, hot springs…I can also probably get stuff like mines or farms, too.”

  “Wait a second, that’s huge.” Fae said. “Part of the issue with modernizing this world is the lack of infrastructure. Even if you had access to all of the innovations from a world like mine, you wouldn’t be able to instantly replicate it. Or…maybe Amelia could, I can’t dismiss her capabilities outright, but a lot of what we make is only possible because of inventions we’ve made before. But…you could just buy a facility that can produce that sort of stuff…”

  A thoughtful look crossed Lia’s face. “Huh, I hadn’t thought about it like that. I’ll have to ask and see how much it would cost.”

  “Back on track…yeah I think it’s worth it for sure.” Fae said. “The guarantee of being able to access that information safely is enormous.”

  “I agree.” Elora said. “Though we should probably give you some internet safety tips before you’re just let loose, just in case.”

  “That makes three of us, then.” Ayla agreed. “But…you mentioned something about streaming?”

  Lia nodded. “Yeah. I figured that if the other gods were trying to make us out to be monsters and an existential threat to existence, then showing that we’re people and that we’re at least trying to be as gentle as possible would be the best countermeasure. Sort of like what Fae’s doing, except instead of showing ‘daily life’ scenes it would be more on the military side. Fae, what are your thoughts on it?”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Fae tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I think it’s worth a shot, so long as you’re fine with the information leakages that come with broadcasting military operations.”

  “Rose and I are.” Lia said. “We’re currently operating in a way that simply won’t be viable on other planes, and a significant portion of our operation occurs telepathically, so it’s still going to be pretty hard for viewers to piece together some of the more critical things. And, of course, we wouldn’t broadcast military operations when there’s a chance of people we’re currently fighting seeing. Um…do you think people would watch?”

  “Of course they would.” Fae replied. “You don’t even have to be entertaining, just being who you are and doing what you’re doing would draw an enormous crowd, at least when anything remotely exciting’s happening.”

  “I see.” Lia replied. “I’ll probably go for it, then. If it’s not too much to ask, would you mind showing me the ropes?”

  “I’d be happy to.” Fae replied. “And…actually, once you do get internet access, would you be okay if I introduce you to a few of my friends? They’d love to talk with you and it’d help get the word out about your streams. Fair warning, they might ask some hard questions, though.”

  “I’m fine with that.” Lia replied. “I’ve had to answer hard questions from the gods themselves, I can handle some regular people.”

  “I’ll wait here until you have the streaming equipment.” Fae said. “Would you like me to let people know that you plan to start streaming?”

  Lia thought on that for a moment. “If it’s alright with you, would you mind teaching me some things about streaming while you’re streaming? It’d get the word out and I can practice with your chat, at least a little bit.”

  “I can handle that. Still, I should probably give you some private lessons first, though. You’re not familiar with the culture and I want to prepare you for some of what you might experience.”

  “That’s probably wise.” Lia said. “I wouldn’t want to make a faux pas.”

  “I’m not worried about you making a faux pas, it’s the chat’s behavior I’m worried about.” Fae chuckled. “People are…less inhibited on the internet.”

  Lia frowned. “Is that some property of the technology?”

  “It’s the anonymity of it.” Elora said. “You’ll see what I mean when you actually start browsing the internet, but most people don’t use their real names on there. That layer of separation between themselves and whoever they’re talking to is enough to make them act in ways they wouldn’t act face to face.”

  “Oh.” Lia said. “That sounds…chaotic.”

  “It can be.” Elora replied.

  There was an awkward pause before Lia spoke again. “Um…let’s see…what else…”

  “I believe you mentioned something about the gods’ confidence in World Saviors?” Fae prompted.

  “Oh, yeah, that. Well, it seems that one of our biggest supporters, the God of War, actually invested in World Saviors because he was that confident it would benefit the Swarm long-term. And the other gods are confident too, but I’m more inclined to trust his judgement on the matter than I am to trust theirs.”

  “Isn’t one of the selling points of the Swarm ending war?” Ayla pointed out.

  “He knows the horrors of war more than anyone and only keeps the position to minimize the damage war causes. He’s more in support of the Swarm than anyone save the God of Commerce. He even takes time out of his day to train me a couple of times a week, we’ve talked about it at length during those sessions. He’s positively ecstatic about shifting his focus to more ‘wholesome’ things like fighting monsters.”

  It took Fae a moment to process the ramifications of what Lia had just said. “Wait, he’s personally training you?”

  “Yes, but don’t let others know; he’s fine with certain people in the Swarm knowing, but doesn’t want his allegiances leaked to the broader public just yet. He’s going to do so when the time is right.”

  “How much did that cost you?” Fae asked, awe creeping into her tone.

  “Nothing.” Lia replied. “Just as long as I use whatever he teaches to end this war faster, then that’s all the payment he wants. He really dislikes war.”

  “Well, if I wasn’t convinced that World Saviors would fail before, I am now.” Fae replied, slouching back in her chair. “I almost feel bad for the Players, they have no idea what they’re up against.”

  “Don’t get complacent.” Lia warned. “There are still too many variables to be remotely close to considering our position secure, and any one mistake could mean the end. We may believe we have the advantage, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe.”

  “Right, sorry.” Fae said.

  “Nothing to be sorry about, it’s an understandable reaction.” Lia replied, giving Fae a smile.

  “Thanks.” Fae said, smiling back at Lia. “I have to ask, though, does knowing about World Saviors change the timing of your plans at all? Are you going to speed things up and launch the invasion of Yasato early instead of taking a couple of years?”

  “We haven’t really discussed it yet, but I don’t think so.” Lia said. “There’s no point if we can’t actually work on improving our people’s lives, and even though we may be treating this as one continuous war…the people deserve at least a bit of rest. Even if they’re not on the battlefield themselves, war makes people worry. And…besides, it’s not like we’ll be stagnant; we’ll be implementing these new technologies.”

  “That’s true, that’s true.” Fae said.

  “Well…that’s all I wanted to talk about that on that subject.” Lia said slowly. “Ayla, Elora, what was it like, going back to your original bodies after being converted?”

  “Very strange.” Elora said. “It was like…well…like I was missing body parts. I kept expecting to feel my wings and tail, and I would freak out when they were gone. And seeing Ayla felt like seeing her from a lifetime ago; it was like the default way I think of her is how she is now.”

  “And I felt something similar about Fae.” Ayla added. “In fact, when I think about her as a kid, I can almost picture her as a griffinkin girl. It’s quite strange, I’ve never actually seen what she would look like younger, but the image is remarkably clear nonetheless.”

  “Interesting.” Lia mused. “Anything else of note?”

  “We weren’t sure if our attitudes towards the Swarm were any different.” Elora said. “We felt more positive, but we weren’t sure if that was a result of our good experience here or mental changes carrying over. Either way, the effect isn’t pronounced enough to make people immediately defect if they log out as soon as they are converted and don’t log back in.

  “Though…they might well feel somewhat uncomfortable in their own skin afterwards, it’s hard to say. We’re curious to see what it’ll be like when we log out next, but now that we know that it’s being used against us…I feel much less inclined to log out now.”

  “As do I.” Elora said. “I’m of half a mind to log out and make the transfer permanent now, Fae’s stream or no. Now that you’ll have internet access, being without Fae’s stream for a couple of months isn’t a big deal, we’ll be able to see them again soon.”

  “That’s true, actually.” Ayla said. “Perhaps we should do it now?”

  “I’d wait.” Lia advised. “Nothing’s final yet. I’ll tell you once I actually have the device, then you can do it.”

  “How long will that be, you think?” Elora asked. “If possible, I’d like to be logged out as little as possible, and we’re forced to log off once every twenty-four hours.”

  “I have to wait for the God of Commerce to get back to me, but he said it’d only be an hour or two.” Lia replied. “There’s a chance I’ll have to save up for another week, but I can probably get an advance. And no, that wouldn’t have any negative consequences, the two of us have a very good working relationship and this isn’t a big deal. I’ll let you know after I finish dinner.”

  “Are we keeping you?” Ayla asked anxiously.

  “I’m the one that came to you.” Lia laughed. “So, no, you’re not keeping me. Dinner isn’t for at least half an hour. I’m the one who should be worried taking your time. That being said, I’ve talked about everything I wanted to talk about, is there anything I can do for you while I’m here?”

  “I don’t think so.” Fae said. “I’ll put together a primer for streaming and talk to some of my friends to prepare for tomorrow.”

  “You don’t need to go that far.” Lia replied. “I’m not planning to be super serious about it, it’s just going to be a side thing to show people we’re not monsters.”

  “It’s more about getting all my thoughts down on paper. I’ve never really had to explain certain parts of internet culture to someone who’s not familiar with the internet, so I want to make sure I don’t miss anything important. It’s not a problem, really.”

  “Well, if you say so.” Lia said. “But, for real, is there anything I can do? Don’t hold back because you feel you’re putting me out or anything.”

  Fae’s mothers shared a glance. “No, I think we’re fine for now.” Ayla said. “We’re still settling in, so we’re not totally sure of our wants yet. We did want books, but we’ve been given to understand that there’s a library, so that won’t be a problem, I think.”

  “Yes, it’s on the work floor right now, but we’re considering making a floor dedicated to leisure facilities, so it’ll probably get moved there at some point.”

  “Oh?” Elora said. “What kind of leisure activities?”

  “You know, playgrounds for children, gardens to walk through, studios to paint or sculpt in, the library, that sort of thing.”

  “Would a swimming pool be possible?” Elora asked. “The two of us do like to swim.”

  Lia frowned. “I think Connie mentioned those before, when we were in the hot spring, but I never asked what they were. So…uh, what are they?”

  “I suppose swimming probably isn’t seen as a recreational activity here like it is on our world…” Elora said. “Basically, it’s a cultivated body of water, kept at a pleasant temperature for people to swim and play in. Some people use them for exercise, some people like to just play in the water…we can show you pictures once you have internet access.”

  “Please do.” Lia replied. “I’m intrigued.”

  “But, yes, we’re comfortable for now.” Elora said. “We’ll let you know if we think of anything.”

  “In that case, it was a pleasure talking with you all.” Lia said, standing up and giving them all a smile. “I’ll come back in a few hours to let you know about the internet thing, so I’ll talk to you then, okay?”

  Fae and her mothers said their goodbyes, and Lia left. Shortly after, Fae excused herself, grabbed a sheet of paper, sat down, and began to think. This was a unique situation, and she wanted to be sure she was prepared.