The miasma thing is still a mystery to me. More than 50 hours have passed since I built it, which means we should have at least one unit of miasma. In the control interface, I can’t find it anywhere.

  Since the totem has accompanied me, I ask him:

  “Have you been able to find out anything about the miasma?”

  “No, Great Sage.”

  “This is very strange...” I mutter to myself and refocus on the settlement interface.

  Settlement: Convergence. Level 1

  Influence points: 164

  Population:

  Living: 68 goblins, 8 bears.

  Undead: 62 skeletons, 43 zombies.

  Current buildings: 5

  Available buildings: 13

  Current blessings: 0

  Available blessings: 3

  Leadership

  The current buildings are the cold storage, smokehouse, forge-smithy, town hall, and tannery. The next thing I was going to build was the quarry. I pay the 20 influence points and unlock it.

  Quarry unlocked. Remaining influence points: 144.

  I notice the undead population has gone up a bit, but that doesn’t change my total influence points since they’re Ronan’s minions.

  “We’re going to make a quarry,” I tell the totem.

  “Great Sage, can you first take care of expanding the tannery’s ventilation?”

  I frown. I don’t understand.

  “Isn’t the system supposed to create it correctly once you give it the materials?”

  “Yes, but it’s designed to be outdoors and farther away from the settlement.”

  Now that he mentions it, I haven’t gone near the area where it’s located, but even in the main cave, something does smell bad.

  “Alright, I’ll go right now.”

  “Thank you very much.”

  I get to work, standing in the tannery with my breath control spell activated—I never thought it would be so useful—when Ronan and Vincent arrive. They don’t interrupt me. When I finish opening proper ventilation upward through the mountain rock above my head, I realize Gump was waiting for me.

  “Leader, Ronan and the troops have returned triumphant. They are waiting for you.”

  I’d say he’s a bit greener than normal—the stench?

  Ah... wonderful spell. Without opening my mouth, I thank him with a gesture and with another, indicate we should leave. He guides me to the main cavern.

  There, I see Ronan and Vincent standing with an orc who seems somewhat larger than the scouts we faced—not too much, though. And by the way, Vincent is as handsome as ever. I can’t help but feel my heart skip and smile like an idiot when our gazes meet.

  Back to the orc: he wears a crude iron helmet that’s open in front, showing his features. He looks like a tough guy, if only from the scars on his cheekbones and the four lower tusks protruding above his upper lip, the two on the ends more exaggerated. His torso is covered by hardened leather armor with a superimposed black iron plate that looks like an addition. He wears a single shoulder pad, oversized and loaded with bones and spikes, which I imagine he thinks is threatening. To me, however, it reminds me of photos of my grandmother in the eighties, and I have to make an effort to contain my laughter. He also wears a wide leather belt adorned with bones and what looks like a human infant’s skull. Reinforced leather greaves, boots stained with dried mud, and a short cape made from some bear skin or similar complete his outfit. He carries no weapon.

  “My lady...” Ronan greets me once I’ve approached them.

  The truth is, I’m not paying much attention to him or the orc leader, because in Vincent’s golden eyes, once the joy of seeing me again has passed, I’m seeing something I don’t like: a reminder that we need to talk, that I have a lot to explain to him.

  I smile at him, trying not to let it look like a grimace, and focus my eyes on Ronan.

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  “The orc village of the Axes and Bones tribe has surrendered without fighting. Their leader has come here to swear vassalage to you in his name and that of his entire tribe.”

  I glance at Vincent. He’s watching me with interest and a slightly raised eyebrow.

  Well, nobles swear vassalage to his father, so this can seem like the same thing even though it isn’t, right?

  I still don’t really like increasing the number of people who depend on me—the responsibility—but I think this is the path to becoming stronger against that threat. And, as I realized before, I can’t say that having more power displeases me either.

  I nod, and the orc steps forward and kneels before me. Despite the posture, he seems proud. I wonder how Ronan managed to get them to surrender without fighting.

  “I, Rankunk III, in my name and that of the Axes and Bones tribe, wish to swear vassalage to you.”

  Immediately, the notification appears. By the way, the pup isn’t around; he stayed with Grumpa in the kitchen. Both she and her daughter are delighted to feed him, as they revere him as the divine beast he is. Not like me, who gives him the stink eye, especially when he trolls me.

  Since the pup isn’t in sight, I imagine the orc has no idea who I am.

  The Iron Fist orc wishes to swear loyalty to you and become your vassal, along with the rest of his village. Do you accept?

  Iron Fist? Is that what orcs call their warrior leaders?

  “I accept your oath.”

  Congratulations, future dark lord, you have just gained your sixth vassal group.

  +507 influence points.

  507? Okay... what was it, 200 warriors? At two per warrior and possibly three for their chief? Maybe they have more than one officer worth three points. And in the settlement, elders and children.

  Congratulations, future dark lord, you have just gained 4 influence points for the actions of your vassal sergeant Ronan that led to the conquest of the Axes and Bones orc tribe.

  Oh, now they give me some. For Clearhaven, not one. In both cases I didn’t order Ronan to do anything, but in this one, since Convergence has expanded, I imagine that’s why they give me points. And since there were no deaths attributed to Ronan’s vassal soldiers, they simply give me those four points.

  A total of 655 influence points. Not bad; with this, I can give the settlement a serious boost.

  “Is everything alright, my lady?” Ronan asks me.

  I think it’s because he’s noticed the pleased smile I’m wearing.

  “Yes, thank you very much. Now we have a lot of influence points.”

  “Influence points?” Vincent asks.

  “Yes. Doesn’t your father have them in the kingdom?”

  “I don’t know. They’ve let me take a look at the pedestal’s control interface, but that’s it. I’m not an administrator.”

  “How many administrators does a kingdom have?”

  “Bianca,” he says, arching an eyebrow, “are you asking me state secrets in front of monsters?”

  “Oh, come on, Vincent… They’re all friends.”

  I glance at Rankunk III. He doesn’t seem very comfortable being in the middle of this conversation.

  I sigh.

  “Well, we need to talk. A walk?”

  “How about we leave you alone in one of the smaller caves?” the totem intervenes.

  He’s also present.

  “Thank you,” Vincent tells him.

  Gump guides us to a small cave, so small it doesn’t even seem useful as a bedroom. It’s completely empty. Some females bring a few furs for us to sit on and leave us alone. The truth is, I don’t think it’s more than nine square meters. It could be used as storage.

  “So,” I ask Vincent, “how many administrators does the kingdom’s control pedestal allow?”

  He shakes his head.

  “Bianca,” he tells me very seriously, “you have things to tell me. Considering I’ve been waiting since Ronan showed me this goblin village, that takes priority over any questions about Alverdan.”

  “You’re right.” It’s all I manage to say.

  I know I have to tell him something—or everything—but despite having thought about it during my trip, I still can’t quite see how to start.

  What if he gets angry, feels betrayed, and leaves me?

  “I was in the forest, training, when I found an injured goblin. I was going to kill it—after all, they’re experience points, and back then my level was very low. But he looked at me with his huge eyes and asked me for help. I mean, how was I going to kill him if he suddenly seemed like a human child and could speak, too? I didn’t have the heart.”

  I see Vincent’s expression and golden eyes soften a little. That gives me courage.

  “I ended up healing him and accompanying him to his home. There were more goblins there. They’d fled from the neighboring kingdom, where humans attacked their settlement.”

  And now that I think about it… did they pass through the orc village? I doubt it. There must be more paths, or some way to go around it.

  “I can understand that, Bianca. Even that you didn’t notify the army if you didn’t think they were dangerous. But from there to taking care of them all… they’re not exactly a helpless little puppy you can adopt.”

  Helpless little puppy? If he only knew…

  “Well, they had a problem with the enormous bear that ruled this territory. Yes, it’s within your kingdom, but creatures and animals ignore borders. So, with Ronan’s help, I helped them finish off the two enormous bears. And then both the female bears, with the remaining cubs, and the goblins swore vassalage to me. And they gave me influence points. Do you have those?”

  “I already told you, it doesn’t ring a bell. My brother is an administrator of the kingdom’s pedestal since he’s the future heir. I’m not. They’ve only let me see it a few times. But let’s not get off topic: what do you mean they swore vassalage to you? Did they get confused because Ronan calls you my lady and think you’re some kind of queen?”

  “No. They know I’m not any human queen.”

  “Do monsters and animals swear vassalage to just anyone? Can they even do that? And does that make you the leader of their settlement?”

  “Uh… well.”

  “My lady is a queen,” Ronan intervenes, looking straight at me.

  Ronan, what are you doing? I ask him mentally. Do you want to expose me? Because this isn’t an accident.

  I would not do that, my lady. But if Vincent truly is your chosen one—the future consort of the future demon lady—you must tell him.

  But I’m not the future demon queen. I have a magic object that can free me!

  Really? I know nothing of that. I notice his voice sounds unsettled—even hurt.

  Okay. Ronan is my friend, but he’s also the dark god’s. And the god must have told him to serve me.

  On the other hand, Vincent has been looking at me very seriously since Ronan said that thing about me being a queen.

  It’s clear Ronan wants me to tell him the truth. That he’s betting my choice of betrothed was correct. And he’s realized I’m keeping a secret from him too. I mean, it’s not like my ring of resistance was a secret; it’s simply an artifact I trust can help me resist that unwanted fate.

  What should I do?

  Well… I could say something like I can’t be a queen because Vincent isn’t going to be king.

  Or I can be honest.