Seems like three of The Four are only going to make a token appearance to pay their respects to Yunia. We suggested that to them since this is going to be a party full of nobles, so we're happy with their decision; it's just Samkelo who can't resist it.
Once we arrive in the garden, we have to go through a lengthy greeting session as everyone wants to suck my dick and the girls' tits, but we don't let anyone extend their time with endless chatting, so it ends in record time. It's not like there's any new nobles we need to meet, so fuck that.
Only after that, do we allow them to have a bit of free chatting, and then we call for the meal to be served. This time, we've separated the wives so we can talk to the most number of other nobles. Yunia and I get Ira "The Bloody" Saponaria and his wife on our right, and Rador Iqueza and his wife on our left. One is the big daddy that really doesn't look much like an elf while the other is a stereotypical handsome Tolkien elf pair. Ira challenged me during the Lordship Ceremony while the Iquezas were wary of starting a war with Heretic's Rest.
We're the most concerned about these two Heart Lords so we'll test their resolve.
Alissa and Osaria are together, and they get the Mendecassa sisters and also the Armoveire pair of old Root Lords. The former are the lesbian twins that fucked Osaria, and the latter are the swingers who lent me their younger milf to satisfy but also are now housing the Exiles.
Gotta keep them close for "easy access."
The other Lords really aren't that interesting. Of the Heart Lords, we have Amada Anquili and Iril Laribeiro, and one is just a bitter widow, so there's not much to talk with her, while the latter is a harem enjoyer, so I'll just talk casually to him later. Of the Root Lords none of them has anything too important for us to dedicate a wife to talk to them.
"Any news from your territories?" Yunia begins the interrogation as they're more open to her than me.
"None that are worthy to talk about," Ira replies with a politely disinterested tone.
"Things are disappointingly boring," Rador wryly hums.
Since they're being cautious, I'll just be direct. "The town is bustling with rumors about Heretic's Rest."
"Now, that's a different matter…" he answers with a more serious tone.
"Your Highness, is it wise to accept a knight from that place?" Ira instantly jumps in, surprising me with his boldness, but it's a good kind of surprised because we want them to talk.
"We'll be fair to him so the Gods shall judge him likewise," I confidently answer. This one is the straight truth.
"Wise," Ira replies, seemingly pleased, but Rador and his wife remain silent. Ira's wife, Evera, doesn't seem like she wants to participate in the conversation and mostly just follows her husband's lead.
But all of their reactions are important as they tell us everything.
We need to show that we're aware of our situation, so Yunia continues, "There will be a response to this. Luor's defection has opened a door, and now we'll begin a trade of moves."
"Their response will prompt Your Highness' response that will prompt theirs and so on…" Ira quietly explains her words to his wife and himself.
"How far will Your Highness escalate?" Rador asks, his tone perfectly neutral to not give even a little bit of information on what he wishes to hear.
"Open war is extremely undesirable, so we'll find 'alternatives,'" Yunia assuredly answers.
"They can fight on even ground, then," he immediately replies, putting just a tiny hint of emotion into his tone, so Yunia and I overanalyze the shit out of it. Our conclusion is that he finds "fighting on even ground" to be very undesirable, which is understandable, but we can't discern whether or not he saw our answer in a positive or negative way.
"Not very even as we do have way more resources and options," I reassure him.
"They have more experience and loyalty," Ira points out.
We both slowly turn our heads to him, and he immediately tenses up. It's quite the curious phrasing he used, mentioning that the Soberanos have more loyalty, but we won't punish him for it. He's speaking the truth.
"We have more faith and the Threads of Fate on our side," Yunia counters, echoing Ciel's thoughts a bit
"Why do people even try to oppose us, I wonder," I casually hum. It's a legitimate question because why the fuck would anyone oppose the one dude the Gods are giving special treatment to?
"The God of the Sun teaches them to," Ira answers, making Ciel chuckle at the double meaning. Sun teaches everyone to stand up for what's right, but also the punishment that Sun gave to Heretic's Rest tells them that even if they're opposed to a God Himself, they won't suffer extreme consequences.
"That's why you opposed us?" I quickly strike back and stare to gauge his reaction.
His wife is clearly very tense at the reminder of the Lordship Ceremony where we cut his throat and almost killed him, but he's calmer about it, though he does become more grim. "Yes. 'Conflict is inevitable, but mercy is noble, and the Wicked shall reveal themselves.' That's his teaching."
"But we're Blessed by the Gods," I argue back. Ciel would argue that someone can still fight us in the hopes of gaining a concession.
"And you can still lose it," Ira replies in an unexpected way. I feel underestimated if he really thought he could bait us into committing a Wicked act.
"The heretics aren't very pious, though," Erpente, Rador's wife, hesitantly joins in.
"Fools," Ira hums and shakes his head in disappointment.
"Fools," I repeat with a little bit of disdain.
And I feel like Ira and I share a brief moment where we understand each other.
"Yet they still have allies who are," Yunia cryptically continues. What she means is that the pious aren't guaranteed to side with us.
And the Heart Lords on both sides remain silent and nod soberly, but their lack of comment on who these "allies" may be is perfectly acceptable. If they knew anything about the Soberano heretics they'd be put under suspicion, really, so the only thing they can do is to nod sheepishly at their Sworn Lords.
Not much else of importance is said by them, perhaps because they're feeling the inquisitive pressure of our questions, or maybe they really don't have any dealings with the Soberanos after all. That's really on par for elven nobility as they run and hide at the least amount of hostility. They have an unhealthy dislike for conflict, which isn't very pious, but it is one of the reasons why the High Forest (and surrounding elven territories) have such high stability; it's just that it's not the only factor, so it's not something to be emulated by everyone.
They're lucky that they have good artisans, abundant food, and sit on a very popular trade route, so the common people have work, are well-fed, and can even get rich even though they're this xenophobic. It's a perfect combo for a stable nation, but not one for progress. They're already at risk of being overshadowed by Elaria, Mountainhome, and Lorei Laurelai, while even Gnomeria/Betoverd Bos and the Misty Low Forest have a chance to pass them if they loosen migration just a tiny bit.
But our goal is to be the sword of the elves, to be the cutting edge that transforms this place into the powerhouse of the entire world, and we'll slice open a path for these stubborn fools.
Not right now, though, as Yunia is hosting her birthday party.
--
Commoners don't really celebrate birthdays, but nobles make it a special occasion, so you could say that there's a chance this custom could grow into being like on Earth. But what can you gift to a Queen who has anything she could want? Nothing, but some people still try. Most offer heartfelt words to her, and they seem to be genuine, it's mostly the ones with more distant relationships that use physical gifts.
Still, everyone wants to have a moment with her while she also has to show a reaction as a "reward," so there's quite a big queue. Awfully boring stuff, and Lina is dreading having to go through this during her own birthday as it'll absolutely kill her little social battery having to interact with so many people, but I (evilly) prevent her from knowing (for a little while) that you can pass on doing what Yunia is doing.
Her adorably angry pout is absolutely worth it.
I don't pay much attention to things as it's just her meeting with her acquaintances from her childhood again. It's cute, though. Yunia never developed a very close relationship with any of them due to her position as the Lord's daughter, but there are lots of thirsty girls that dare feel her tits through a hug and even cop a feel of her ass. This raises eyebrows from me, but then Gify shows me her memories and I realize that this Elven Queen is a massive gay slut.
Well, elves are just super gay in general.
But I mean, she didn't really fuck them, it's just that there are a lot of "events" that were borderline, and I do mean a lot! It actually gets me hard, and I get even harder as I watch them shamelessly fondle her. I'm definitely going to fuck a couple of her acquaintances later today.
One even dares kiss her in the mouth. Just a second of tongue, but I felt it through [Bind], and I answer by grabbing the slut's ass with both hands and staring intensely into her eyes. For a second, she becomes scared of Yunia's sudden intensity, but she starts to melt submissively in the Queen's arms, so this is the sign she's perfect for the Holy Draconic Cock.
Ereia, the sexually harassing imp, straight-up sneaks a hand under Yunia's bottoms and fingers her in front of everyone while she relays her happy birthday wishes, which are purposely slowed and lengthened so the Queen can feel the pleasure better. My slut lets out a happy moan, for once appreciating the sexual assault from this impish elf because it's a show of power to be shamelessly lewd in front of everyone… and also because she's a depraved exhibitionist.
Her not-bikini bottoms gain a visible little wet patch, but she shows it off with pride.
What makes it even better is that Yunia's twin brothers are staring at the female friends with visible hunger, frozen in their seats flanking the Queen's throne, boners clearly visible in their tight elven shorts. It might be a fun time to invite them into the post-party orgy with Yunia's friends.
Then the first surprise arrives. It's Tohroo, my friend from the university back in Rabanara. She's a cute and thin wereowl who studied illusion, and we had hired her a long time ago for a very special job as she had opened a shop that sold pretty magical illusions. But now it's complete.
The brown feather-haired woman comes forward with her husband, happily holding his arm. We gifted her a brown dress of feathers as an invitation for this party, and she has chosen to expose most of her pale, slender chest. It's amazing how hot a visible clavicle and sternum can look on a woman.
But flanking her are eight of our Lordsguard. Four pairs of soldiers, each pair a different rank, gender, and race. This is because they're going to show off their helmets, which are under their arms.
Tohroo approaches the throne and bows then begins her little speech, speaking loudly for the whole party to hear, "Your Highness Yulania, I've finally finished the task you've given me, and now I hope to honor Your Highness with these helmets."
"Show them," my Queen eagerly replies.
The soldiers walk up the steps of the raised dais that leads to our throne, but they stop before the last to not put themselves at the same level as us, and then they turn around and wear their helmets. After a dramatic pause, they turn on the enchantments, and the helmets light up with an ethereal pair of black horns.
The first helmet simply glows with long black horns exactly the same as mine. Vertical and with a tasteful curve similar to that of a bull. The second helmet has a silver band in the middle that shines brightly, but only in the sunlight. The third helmet now has a silvery flame covering the horns, a very peculiar effect as you can see only the outline of the flame while the horn under it is still perfectly visible. And the fourth helmet the horns are fully silver, looking almost excessively bright.
With all the different races in our Lordsguard, they need custom helmets that fit nicely on their heads and are adapted to their ears, so it's important that the horns give the same impression no matter the design. There are also helmets for those who already have horns, and they also use an illusion to hide the wearers' horns until the enchantment is turned off.
The helmets are supposed to show the rank of the soldier at a glance, but in a war, there are times when that isn't the best idea as officers are prime assassination targets, so the horns being an enchantment that can be turned on and off is very important. And Tohroo did it masterfully.
"I give you my resounding approval," Yunia announces with a wide smile.
And every soldier in our army changes their helmets at this exact moment. We have guards spread out all over the garden party, so this attracts the attention of the guests, who coo in wonder.
But there's another surprise coming.
--
"Come forth, Whakan," Yunia commands, and the Head of our Light Planes Division obeys and stops before the steps of the dais to our thrones. "I've heard you brought a gift to me?"
The lizard-fish-hybrid-something Chimera man isn't carrying anything with him and neither is he accompanied by anyone who could be carrying something. Instead, he'll give her his gift through words… and they're mighty powerful ones.
"Your Highness Yulania, I hope to honor you today by presenting the results of our research," he announces after a bow, the eagerness in his tone making it obvious we're trying to put on a show to attract attention.
"And what is it?" she continues, not minding his lack of [Acting] at all.
He turns around and points to the sky, to a black dot that's slowly becoming larger and larger. "Witness the Final Raki, the first airplane to break the sound barrier without requiring any sort of magical armor. It uses a mere [Telekinesis] magical tool for propulsion while it survives the unbelievable pressure from its speed simply with the power of our knowledge."
The dot takes the wide shape of a plane, and it continues to grow with impressive speed, so our mages activate a huge [Wind Shield] enchantment that covers the entire party.
And Whakan's voice trembles with how excited he becomes. "Notice how… silently it approaches. You'll only hear it after it has passed… because it's literally faster than sound itself!"
Then the Raki briefly lowers as it enters the Shell just to buzz even closer to us and avoid the branches of our castle. I even see the famous white vapor cone form around the aircraft for a split second, but it's so fast that in the blink of an eye, it passes us, raising up again to not crash upon the inner side of the Shell. After a noticeable second, we hear a loud thunderclap along with the loud humming of a powerful gust of wind as dust covers the bubble protecting the party.
The crowd exclaims coos in fear and wonder as it's clear that we saw the Raki pass us before it, blowing their minds. Even for nobility, hardly anyone here knew that sound had a speed and you could fly faster than it, so you can see in their eyes as they struggle to understand what they just witnessed.
Of course, this isn't a surprise to any of us.
The mages clear the air outside of our bubble, but now the Raki is already far and only becoming smaller in our eyes. Its speed is almost incomprehensible to us, which means that it is incomprehensible to the nobles, especially because there's no [Fly] crutch to protect the plane.
With his part over, Whakan simply smiles and falls on one knee while Yunia stands up from her throne and announces with a magically commanding voice, "This was the result of research within the Ryder Royal Research Institute!" Her tone soothing the confused with her unwavering and gentle pride. "You've all witnessed the fastest airplane in our Realm, but speed isn't the only quality it has. The minimal use of magic will allow it to be built in large numbers, and our precision methods guarantee it's high quality. This is the future of aviation, and the beginning of a revolution in crafting, both brought from Earth by my beloved King Wolf!"
And they clap and cheer, hyped by her regal "Charisma." It's easy to sway the nobles with honeyed words, which is why we revealed it here and now so that she could give the speech.
But anyway, Whakan has finally done it. He found a way to break the sound barrier purely through sheer effort and perseverance. Prince Lookwlind still hasn't returned and taught math to everyone, so the researchers were working mostly on instinct, which is quite impressive. I already knew they had the talent for it seeing how quickly took upon our ideals of scientific research, but this proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Now it's time to spread our focus and actually build different planes. The Transport Airplanes Division is having more trouble progressing things since the goal is more vague because affordability is a bigger concern and it's not necessary for the airplane to break the sound barrier. They desperately need math, but at least now Whakan can give them a hand and share his experience.
The Chimera nobles are very happy and give the Head of the Division his deserved praise; most of the elven nobles are still too stunned to understand what's going on; and the rest of the nobles become alert like foxes as they understand the implications. But for the last group, there will be no room for them to plot or try to take advantage of the occasion for we'll keep Whakan protected from them.
Now that there has been some actual results, more people will try to get close to him, but that's not advantageous to either us or him as these people only want to siphon profits. We want to encourage faith and trust in us, and this won't happen if the only people building relationships with us want a piece of the pie.
Let them stew in their own greed.
Then the birthday-wishes-giving continues, but there are no more surprises.
--
--
Hall of Fame of Patrons
The patrons who support the Realms shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:
Prince PreownedFIN.
Prince UncontrolledEngie.
Lord Maurice.
Lord d3235.
Lord Leadpoison.
Lord Vitalica.
Lord Black Unicorn.
Lord School work.
Lord cc.
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