Logout Error: My NPCs Now Worship Me

Three weeks passed. To the outside world, the Dominion of Nexus was a quiet, consolidating power. To the insiders, it was a cold war fought with teacups and whispered reports.

Lilliana proved to be an exceptionally difficult target for the jealous Guardians. She was impeccably correct in all her actions. She never overstepped her authority, yet she wielded what she had with surgical precision. She poured over the reports Rose provided, identifying inefficiencies in supply lines and suggesting improvements with a brilliance that even Rose had to grudgingly admire. She never complained about her isolation or the constant, subtle surveillance. She simply worked, making herself more and more valuable to the administration of the new kingdom.

She managed the "harem" with the same cool detachment. When Flora sent her a "welcoming gift" of a breathtakingly beautiful but highly venomous flowering plant for her chambers, Lilliana simply thanked her profusely and had the plant placed in a sealed glass case in her study, admiring its "deadly beauty" in a way that both acknowledged the threat and turned it into a piece of art. When Spidy's shadow-agents "accidentally" left unnerving trinkets in her room, Lilliana would leave them a polite note, thanking them for their diligence in "testing her security."

She was unflappable. And it was driving the other Guardians mad. They could find no fault in her, no weakness to exploit.

Kaelus observed all of this from his throne, pleased. His gambit was paying off. Lilliana was not just a pawn; she was an active, intelligent player who was managing his mortal affairs with an icy competence that freed him to focus on grander designs. The constant flow of Divine Power from his stabilized territories had allowed him to begin construction on a massive, underground arcane forge, and his own power was growing daily within his upgraded Tomb.

The new status quo was interrupted by an urgent summons from Rose. Kaelus convened a meeting in the throne room.

"My Lord," Rose began, her usual serenity marred by a slight frown. "We have a problem. A significant one. It concerns our western border, near the Dragon's Tooth Mountains."

Gravity, who had been advocating for an expedition into those very mountains, leaned forward, her interest piqued.

"Our primary source of iron and rare metals has been the Black-Iron Mines at the foot of the mountains," Rose explained. "For generations, the Kingdom of Elysia has maintained a trade agreement with the Dwarves of the Khaz'Modan citadel, located deep within the mountain itself. We provide them with grain and lumber, they provide us with refined metals."

"And the Dwarves have broken this agreement?" Kaelus rumbled.

"Worse, my Lord. They have sealed their gates," Rose said. "Our last trade caravan arrived to find the Great Gate of Khaz'Modan shut fast. There has been no communication for over a week. Our entire supply of high-grade iron, mithril, and adamantine has been cut off. The construction of the new golem legions has ground to a halt."

Boom, the master of adamantine armor, let out a low growl. "Sealed their gates? Dwarves don't do that unless it's the end of the world. They're as stubborn as they are greedy. Something is very wrong."

"My scrying attempts have been… ineffective," Gravity admitted, a note of frustration in her voice. "The mountains are riddled with ancient runes of protection that scatter any attempt at magical observation. I can tell there is a great deal of chaotic energy within the mountain, but I cannot discern its nature."

"Then we smash the gates down!" Boom declared, slamming his warhammer into his palm. "We march in there and demand they honor their agreements!"

"A frontal assault on a dwarven citadel is a fool's errand, even for us," Blast countered, his voice sharp and logical. "Their defenses are legendary. It would be a tedious and unnecessary expenditure of resources. We must ascertain the problem first."

Kaelus listened to them debate. He could, of course, send the Warden to simply obliterate the mountain. But that would destroy the mines, the dwarves, and his precious metal supply. It was a crude solution. He needed a more delicate touch. He needed information and, potentially, a diplomatic solution.

And that's when he thought of his newest, most specialized tool.

He sent a silent, telepathic summons.

A few moments later, a [Gate] opened in the throne room, and Queen Lilliana stepped through, escorted by Sir Kaelan. It was her first time being summoned to the Great Tomb of Nexus itself. The sheer scale and oppressive power of the throne room, with its ceiling of captured galaxies and its assembly of monstrously powerful beings, would have crushed the spirit of any other mortal.

Lilliana's eyes widened for only a fraction of a second as she took it all in. Then, her composure returned. She walked forward and gave a respectful bow to the figure on the throne. The female Guardians all glared at her with varying degrees of hostility, which she calmly ignored.

"You summoned me, my Lord," she said.

"I did," Kaelus confirmed. He gestured, and a three-dimensional, magical map of the Dragon's Tooth Mountains appeared in the air between them. "The Dwarves of Khaz'Modan have sealed their gates. Our metal supply is cut off. My Guardians propose solutions ranging from smashing the gates to leveling the mountain."

Lilliana studied the map, her keen mind immediately grasping the strategic implications. "Crude solutions for a delicate problem," she stated, echoing Blast's sentiment. "Destroying your only local source of mithril to solve a trade dispute is… shortsighted."

Gravity scoffed. "And what would a human know of dwarven affairs?"

Lilliana turned her cool grey eyes on the Archmage. "I know that my family has been trading with the Khaz'Modan clan for five hundred years," she said coolly. "I know that their current King, Thrain Ironhand, values gold and honor above all else. I know he is proud, stubborn, and deeply suspicious of surface-dwellers, especially those who wield 'arcane magic'." She gave Gravity a pointed look. "Sending a being like you to negotiate would be seen as an act of war."

Gravity's eyes narrowed, but she couldn't refute the logic.

"The Dwarves would not seal their gates and cut off their own supply of food and lumber without a dire reason," Lilliana continued, turning her attention back to Kaelus. "Either they are facing an internal threat so great they have been forced into a total lockdown, or an external threat has appeared that they believe we, their surface-trading-partners, have brought upon them. Given our recent... activities... the latter is more likely."

Her analysis was swift, insightful, and perfectly logical. She had once again demonstrated her value.

"Your recommendation?" Kaelus asked.

"Smashing the gates is out of the question," she said firmly. "We need a diplomatic envoy. A small one. One that will not appear as a threat. We must go to the gates, announce our presence peacefully, and request parley. We need to understand the problem before we can solve it."

"And who would you send on this 'peaceful' mission?" Spidy purred from the side, a mocking tone in her voice. "A singing bard with a basket of fruit?"

Lilliana met the arachnid rogue's stare. "I would send someone who represents the new leadership of the Dominion, but who is also a familiar, non-threatening face to the Dwarves. Someone who can speak of contracts and trade, not magic and war."

She paused, then declared, "I will go myself."

The Guardians were stunned into silence.

"You?" Boom grunted. "A human princess? They'll laugh in your face and drop rocks on your head."

"They will not," Lilliana said with confidence. "They will see the Queen of the new Dominion, coming in person to honor her kingdom's long-standing agreements. It is a sign of respect. Thrain Ironhand will understand the language of honor. He will at least speak with me."

She then looked at Kaelus. "But I will not go alone. I will require an escort. Not an army," she added, glancing at Boom. "And not an ostentatious display of magic," she said, nodding to Gravity. "I need protection that is both subtle and absolute. A single guardian to ensure my safety should negotiations fail."

It was a brilliant political move. She was volunteering for a dangerous mission, proving her courage and utility. She was dictating the terms of the expedition, showing her strategic mind. And she was forcing Kaelus to entrust one of his precious Guardians to her, a move that would elevate her status within the court.

Kaelus considered her plan. It was sound. It was logical. And it was the option with the highest chance of success with the lowest risk to his assets.

"Very well," he declared. "Your proposal is accepted. You will be my envoy to the Dwarves of Khaz'Modan."

Lilliana gave a satisfied nod. The vipers in the court all leaned forward, wondering which of them would be chosen for this task, which of them would be forced to serve as a bodyguard to the human queen they all despised.

Kaelus's silver gaze swept over his assembled servants. His eyes lingered on Boom, then Blast, then Gravity. Finally, his gaze settled on the stoic, silent monk.

"Force," he commanded. "You will accompany Queen Lilliana. You will be her shield. Her word will be my word. But if any harm comes to her, you have my permission to turn the entire mountain into a tomb of broken stone. Is that understood?"

Force, who had yearned for a chance to prove himself, stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Perfectly, my Lord," he said, his voice a low, disciplined rumble. He was being given a mission of immense importance: to be the avatar of his master's wrath, and the protector of his master's new Queen.

Lilliana looked at the mountain of perfectly sculpted muscle and disciplined power that was Force. He was silent, powerful, and utterly loyal to Kaelus. He would not be a friend. He would not be a confidant. He would be a living weapon, held in her hand.

It was a perfect choice.

"We shall leave at dawn," she stated. The quest to the mountain had begun, and with it, the next chapter in the grand design of the Silent Sovereign.