Leo still didn’t have a palace after two years on Toth, almost all of which had beenspent building up Star Port. The old palace had been demolished to make way for the growth of Ygg-drasil. Also to eventually form the core of a new, interdimensional marketplace.

  He was secretly glad, as a palace felt ostentatious. Leo knew he would need one eventually. To impress visitors that expected it if nothing else. Still, it felt like the last thing he should be working on, not a priority item.

  But the old admiralty building on Elgin isle, where the government had previously met, had also been demolished to give the island over to the dragons. So the government had moved into a large mansion near the docks in district one and refurbished the home, including making a grand dining hall into the new formal meeting room for the heads of the government.

  Previously, it had been just a few people meeting, but Leo’s government had grown. Now, when he wanted an ‘all-hands’ meeting, he had to invite a lot of people.

  His ministers now numbered six, and he had given official titles to them. He also had three representatives from the outlying duchies and a representative for House Orsini in its capacity as a governing house of Steelport.

  His prime minister was George Orsini, who was clearly dying. They hadn’t found any Entropy and Body mages with enough power to cure his cancer, so he was quite sick—his skin was pale and spotted, his hands trembled, he coughed constantly, and he could barely move.

  George ‘opened’ the meeting by asking, “Why have you assembled us, your Highness?”

  Leo stared at them all for a moment, eyes lingering on Lily. She was his minister of magic, but was also the only one that knew what he was about to decree. Her hands were clasped in her lap, and she sat stiff in the chair that surrounded the magical omnieye table that was the centerpiece of the meeting room for the government.

  “Before I talk, I’d like everyone to take a quick stock of the empire—I know it hasn’t changed much, but just as a baseline.”

  Ten hands reached out and touched the table, and Leo followed suit. A large chart sprang up in his mind—he knew that anyone else touching the table and focusing was seeing the same.

  Leo grimaced at the tax level. He had really wanted to keep his country no tax for a while, to get it growing fast, but the need to support city guards and the new courthouses had forced him to put some taxes in. It wasn’t much, but it was more than he had wanted at this point in his nation’s growth.

  “Remember, it’s not totally accurate,” George said, then coughed into a handkerchief. After a moment he continued. “The Ice Pines district, through the gate, isn’t represented.”

  Leo nodded. The omnieye table was accurate within its limitations, but it did have them. It couldn’t overcome magic that hid things, like Eclipse—so a major thief ring could theoretically be driving crime far higher and Leo wouldn’t know if they used anti-divination magic. It also couldn’t work across dimensions. Until Leo or Neha managed to learn to create Travel items, Leo had no way to include his extra-dimensional realms, which would quickly render the omnieye table of limited use. He hoped he would be able to get that soon.

  “Before I continue to the reason I called, may I get an update please?”

  Val, Leo’s general and George’s daughter, ran her hand across her close-shaved metallic copper hair, the only obvious mark of her half-elf heritage. “Well, all military operations in Ice Pines are over. We have captured all enemy temple stones and eliminated all , and occupied all enemy villages. The arthic have willingly joined us as the victors, since their own religion worshipped strength. The Havi Imperium hasn’t attacked, so despite some trade issues, it seems we’re in the clear from a likely combat standpoint.”

  George cut in. “The temple stones were a huge coup, and the fact you were able to pay off the debts to House Cavendil and Lily with one, and make true temples with the others was also a massive benefit. The war paid for itself and then some. But the realm…”

  George hesitated, but Lezali, the ice flower elf representative of Rezendria Sower spoke up hesitantly. “It won’t amount to much for your kingdom, will it?”

  George shook his head and wrung his hands a bit. “No. Too cold, too little growing space. The fur trade, and the higher concentration of magical resources, will be a huge boon for a while—but with so much better land all around us, I think Ice Pines will always be a provider of specialty resources more than anything. It has helped us greatly, from the progenitor that joined to the temple stones, but it’ll be one of the slowest growing regions I suspect.”

  Molly, the beautiful wood elf priestess of Iluvin Eturia, spoke. “Speaking of temple stones gained… With the stone the Church of Kellen bought from you, the one you donated to The Keeper, and the stone that was donated to the temple of the goddess of kindness by Ty, we’re up to five true temples. Two of weaker gods, two of stronger ones—and one medium one that only makes the tree grow faster. Having four true temples that add auras for your people is benefitting your realm hugely, however.”

  Leo nodded—the magical modifiers having a center of a god’s power provided was huge.

  Molly continued. “I’ve heard rumors that Livesti, goddess of luck, is possibly going to be investing a temple stone here as well, but nothing official has come of it.”

  It had only been a year since Leo had opened his first gate, and he understood that most temples served huge populations. Still, Leo had thought they would have more full temples by now. He had a portal to other dimensions, and Iluvin Eturia and Asnandi had been extremely excited to see him open the gates. But his only true temples so far were ones he had personally earned.

  He hoped that would change soon.

  After the brief pause, George spoke again. “Overall, we’re quite rich for a society of our size. The remaining gold from the sale of the stone netted us another thousand people, along with about three-hundred and fifty more farms and a smattering of businesses. Most settled in Wheat Town or District One, of course. Green Apple Grove is pretty much full and Ice Pines isn’t ideal for high elves.”

  “Or wood elves,” Molly cut in, shuddering dramatically and flipping her green hair back.

  George dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Or wood elves. Regardless, we’re growing, and quite well. Thanks to the dungeons, levels grow, and thanks to the true temples, the nodes magic, and your aura, Your Highness, we have an extremely productive agricultural base. Most elves have become free farmers or large agribusiness owners, with a few expert craftsman and adventurers thrown in. The few humans here are almost entirely involved in trade, and between them and the rabbit-kin warren, dominate it. I’m not sure if you care, or what we would do about it, but while we don’t have a class divide here in Star Port, we’re starting to develop an occupation divide, with elves as land owners and farmers and others as traders.”

  Leo frowned. He didn’t want a divide like that, but… “Let’s try and solve it unofficially, please. Encourage and lend money privately to elves that might want to engage in trade, and others that might want to farm. But the official policy of the government shall always remain race blind.”

  George nodded. “In other business…”

  Leo waited through discussions. The duchy of Cliff Pass was flourishing, about five hundred dwarves that had been trapped outside having returned, and a few deep elves having made their way to Stonehaven, the city beneath the mountain. Additionally, the trading settlements in the pass itself had grown. The Duchy of Hywyl Pools was also growing. It had an actual, if small, tourist business and was doing okay as a supplier of rare magical plants and animals. The Duchy of Icebreaker Bay, in Ice Pines, was ramping up to becoming a rare materials supply location as well, with Fur and magical crystals coming through in return for food and experts to raise the base living in the region. Everything was going well…

  Finally, Leo cleared his throat. “So, the reason I called you here is because of opening of the gate. The three trees—oddly non-specific ones at the moment—have almost connected. I think that’s when the gate will form.”

  A few people around the gate nodded, and most were watching him closely.

  “I had a small amount of control over it last time, so I may be able to direct the gate formation to a degree… but only to a degree I think.”

  “What can you decide between?” Lady Ruenna Elkevi ap Veltear asked, staring at him intensely with yellow eyes. She was Zir’s—the duke of Cliff Pass’s—mother. She had the same dusky gray skin and white hair that he did, but she wore it on a feminine frame any high elf in Star Port would be proud of.

  “I’m not sure. Last time I was reaching blindly, and got a sense of cold and familiarity—I assume from the elves. That’s it.”

  “That tells us… almost nothing,” Lady Ruenna said, frowning.

  Leo shrugged. She wasn’t wrong, but Leo had no idea how to improve things.

  “Well… perhaps a warmer location, but also one that is familiar, if you can,” George said, the coughed before continuing. “I’d like a place we can expand more easily into, assuming, of course, it’s not occupied by people that are friendly—or at least not homicidal.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Everyone’s eyes turned toward Ygg’drasil, even though they couldn’t see it.

  It’s interesting, in an abstract way. As long as Ygg’drasil grows, we’ll never have true stability, as ‘new geography’ will always be a thing. I wonder if that’s good, or bad, in the long run.

  I guess we’ll find out.

  “Well, the reason I called everyone here, truly, is that I want to formally announce that Minister of Magic Lily will be viceroy while I’m gone—and she’ll specifically have the authority to spend royal treasury holdings—”

  “What Royal treasury?” George asked acerbically.

  Leo ignored that “—to create a university for Star Port. She’ll be mostly spending her own gold, but I otherwise her to borrow as well.”

  Everyone nodded, and no one looked in the least bit surprised.

  Leo raised an eyebrow. “Everyone is okay with this?”

  George coughed again and dabbed at his mouth with his handkerchief. Before he could recover enough to speak, Molly cut in. “Lily is soon to be your Queen, educated, and technicallyt still a duchess. I assumed it would be her from the beginning. I’m barely sure why we’re talking about it.”

  Well, alright then. Chalk another one up to being easy.

  Leo gave a slight smile. “Well, I hope everything we’ll go great and Lily won’t even be needed, it’s good to see everyone is on board.”

  “Of course.”