The morning arrived with that kind of aggressive optimism only nature can muster, which meant the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Renn was being kicked in the ribs by a purple cat.
"Ouch! What the..." He woke with a start and found Valeria in her feline form standing on his chest, her golden eyes looking at him with an expression that clearly communicated: get up, you're embarrassing yourself.
"Good morning to you too," Renn muttered, sitting up and making Valeria jump off with an annoyed flick of her tail. "What time is it?"
"Early," Valeria said. Her melodious voice somehow managed to sound critical despite coming from a cat. "Devon and his team will arrive in two hours."
Renn blinked, still half asleep. "Two hours? The message said noon."
"They arrived early. Probably to establish terms before you are fully awake and coherent."
"That is... actually manipulative."
"It is basic strategy, Substitute Lord. They want a psychological advantage."
"Well, they're wrong. I am never fully coherent."
Renn stepped out of his tent, stretching until several vertebrae cracked in sequence. His swamp territory looked exactly as depressing as yesterday: greenish water, rotting trees, and an ambient smell of decay, but at least it was his depressing swamp.
Princess Lysandra was already awake, of course, sitting on her favorite flat rock near the troop tower with the regal bearing of someone who had never experienced a bad morning in her life. She watched Renn stumble with the patient disapproval of royalty watching a peasant.
"Your Highness," said Valeria, approaching Lysandra and giving a small bow. "Good morning."
Lysandra meowed, a sound Renn had learned meant something like: obviously it is good, I am awake.
"Her Highness asks if you are prepared for today's negotiations," Valeria translated, although Renn was pretty sure Lysandra hadn't said anything that specific.
"I'm as prepared as anyone can be when improvising on the fly," Renn said, splashing cold water from his canteen onto his face. The shock helped wake him up. "I reviewed the contract last night. System enforcement means they can't cheat without penalties, right?"
"Correct. The System oversees all contracted resource exchanges. Deviation from agreed terms results in automatic penalties: deduction of contribution points, reputation damage, and in severe cases, temporary power reduction."
"So they'd be stupid to try anything."
"Stupid or confident they won't get caught." Valeria's tail twitched. "There are... creative interpretations of contract terms that technically comply while violating the spirit."
"Of course there are." Renn put on his least mud-stained shirt, which was still quite stained, and checked his bracelet. The iron deposit marker glowed on his territorial map like a beacon of hope and potential disaster. "Alright. What's the game plan?"
"Maintain authority without aggression. Remember: this is your territory, your resource. They need your permission to be here."
"But they are all higher level than me."
"Level is not authority. Confidence is authority."
Valeria jumped off her rock and, in a flash of golden light, transformed into her humanoid form.
Renn had seen this transformation several times, but it never failed to be distracting. One moment, adorable purple cat. The next, extremely attractive woman in crystalline armor that somehow managed to be both protective and revealing, with dark purple hair moving in a nonexistent breeze and golden eyes that could probably catalog forty-seven ways to kill someone just by looking at them.
"Ready for your mercenary act?" Renn asked.
Valeria adjusted one of her armor pauldrons, which glowed faintly with inner light. "I am always ready. Are you ready to act like someone who can afford my rates?"
"I'm going to fake confidence until it becomes real."
"That is... actually a valid strategy."
"I know. I'm surprising myself too."
Princess Lysandra meowed, a sound clearly communicating approval mixed with don't screw it up.
"Her Highness believes in you," Valeria translated. "In her own way."
"I'll take what I can get."
They didn't have to wait long. Forty-five minutes later, still early, still manipulative, three figures emerged from the tree line at the northern edge of Renn's territory, followed by a small retinue of summons that immediately made Renn's two troops look inadequate in comparison.
Devon Ironforge led the group, his expensive gear catching the morning light in a way that screamed I have money and I want you to know it. Behind him walked Marcus Steelheart, whose expression suggested he was already judging everything he saw, and Kara Swiftblade, who at least had the decency to look professionally neutral.
Their summons were more impressive than their attitudes: two kobolds in real armor, not the cheap stuff, carrying mining equipment with practiced efficiency, and a golem that had to be Uncommon level at minimum, its stone body etched with glowing runes pulsing with constant power.
"Lord Blackwood!" Devon called out with a fake cheer that made Renn's teeth itch. "Beautiful morning for resource extraction, isn't it?"
"Devon. Marcus. Kara." Renn nodded to each in turn, keeping his voice steady. "You're early."
"The early bird gets the worm, as they say." Devon's smile was all teeth, no warmth. "We thought we'd get a head start on the setup. Hope you don't mind."
I definitely mind, but saying so makes me look petty.
"As long as we are all clear on the terms," Renn said instead, pulling up his bracelet and displaying the contract holographically. "Fifty-five percent for me, forty-five percent split between the three of you, plus five percent of your sales revenue paid to me within thirty days of the transaction."
"All clearly documented," Devon nodded, though his smile tightened slightly. Apparently, he had hoped Renn wouldn't immediately bring up the exact terms. "We are all professionals here."
Marcus, meanwhile, wasn't even pretending to pay attention to the conversation. His eyes were fixed on Valeria, who stood slightly behind and to the right of Renn in her standard guard-mercenary position, face professionally neutral, hands clasped behind her back in a military rest stance.
"I don't think we were introduced properly yesterday," Marcus said, taking a step toward Valeria. "Marcus Steelheart. It's a pleasure to meet someone of your... caliber."
Valeria's expression didn't change. "I am aware of your name. You mentioned it yesterday."
"And yours?"
"It wasn't mentioned for a reason."
"Mysterious. I like that." Marcus smiled. "But surely we can be friendly? We'll be working together today."
"You will be working near me. That is not the same thing."
Devon cleared his throat loudly, clearly annoyed that Marcus had gotten distracted. "Perhaps we should start? The deposit won't mine itself, and daylight is valuable."
"Of course." Valeria stepped back smoothly, returning to her position. "My employer and I will supervise to ensure contract compliance."
"Supervise," Marcus repeated, his smile faltering slightly. "Don't trust us?"
"I don't trust anyone," Valeria said simply. "That is why I am still alive."
Kara, who had been silent until now, let out a short laugh. "I like her. She's practical."
"Thank you."
"Don't encourage her," Marcus muttered.
The walk to the iron deposit took fifteen minutes, which Devon spent making small talk clearly designed to extract information about Renn's financial situation and how exactly a level two Lord could afford to hire a mercenary who radiated the kind of competence that usually cost serious money.
"So," Devon said with studied casualness, "how long have you had your... security consultant on the payroll?"
"That is confidential," Renn replied, using the same tone Valeria had taught him: polite but firm.
"Of course, of course. Professional discretion and all that." Devon nodded as if that made perfect sense, but his eyes were calculating. "It's rare to see such high-quality independent contractors in territorial disputes. Usually, they are hired by the major alliances."
"I am hired by whoever meets my fee," Valeria interrupted smoothly. "Affiliation is irrelevant."
"And your fee is...?"
"Also confidential."
Marcus, who had been walking slightly too close to Valeria for the last five minutes, chose that moment to press further. "Come on. We're all professionals here. Surely you can give us a ballpark figure? I might be interested in hiring you for some operations myself."
Valeria turned her head slightly, her golden eyes fixing on Marcus with an intensity that actually made him take a step back. "My current contract is exclusive. And even if it weren't, I choose my employers based on factors beyond payment."
"Like what?"
"Competence. Integrity. Whether they treat me like a person instead of a commodity." She paused. "You wouldn't qualify."
The silence that followed was beautiful. Devon coughed to hide a laugh. Kara wasn't even trying to hide her smile. Marcus's face went through several interesting color changes before settling on an aggressive shade of red.
"I was just asking," he said stiffly.
"And I was just answering."
Renn kept his expression neutral, but internally he was celebrating. That is my fake and terrifyingly competent mercenary.
They reached the deposit without further incident. The dark vein of swamp iron jutted out of the rocky ground at an angle, metal-veined stone glinting dully in the filtered sunlight. It looked exactly as valuable as Renn had hoped.
"Alright," Devon said, all business now. "Let's get this moving. Brute," he pointed to the golem, "position yourself here. Kobolds, prep the scales. Marcus, Kara, standard extraction formation."
The team moved with practiced efficiency that made it clear they had done this before, probably many times. The golem positioned itself at the base of the deposit, its massive stone hands flexing in preparation. The two kobolds set up a large scale connected to a holographic interface that would automatically log weights and feed data to the System for contract enforcement.
"Standard procedure," Devon explained, though his tone suggested he was really explaining for Renn's benefit, likely expecting him not to understand how extraction worked. "Brute breaks off chunks, kobolds weigh and sort, System logs everything. Completely transparent."
"Good," Renn said. "Transparency is exactly what I want."
"Of course." Devon's smile was back, but thinner. "Shall we begin?"
The extraction process was genuinely fascinating to watch. Brute the golem moved with surprising delicacy for something made of animated stone, striking the iron vein with controlled force that fractured the metal-laced rock without pulverizing it. Every chunk that came loose was immediately caught by the kobolds, whose names were apparently Snix and Grax according to Kara, and hustled to the scale.
The holographic interface displayed weights in real-time, automatically calculating the split: 55% marked in green for Renn, 45% marked in blue for the extraction team. Every few minutes, a system notification chimed, officially logging the accrued amounts.
[SWAMP IRON MINED: 23 kg] [BLACKWOOD SHARE: 12.65 kg] [TEAM SHARE: 10.35 kg]
Renn watched the numbers tick up with something approaching glee. Real resources. Real value. This was actually working.
"Not bad for your first commercial pull," Kara commented, standing beside him while Marcus and Devon supervised the kobolds. "Picked a good spot. Quality looks solid."
"Thanks. I think so." Renn looked at her. "Can I ask you something?"
"Depends on the question."
"Why are you being nice to me? Marcus obviously thinks I'm a joke, and Devon is only here because contracts force honesty. But you are... different."
Kara was quiet for a moment, watching Brute crack another section of the vein. "I'm from the East Alliance," she said finally. "Same one that kicked you out. And I've seen how they treat Lords who get left behind. It's not pretty. Efficient, maybe, but not pretty."
"So you feel sorry for me?"
"No." She looked directly at him. "I respect that you're still trying. A lot of Lords in your position would have quit. Gone back to Earth, abandoned their territory, accepted failure. You're still here, still fighting. That takes guts."
Renn didn't know what to say to that. "I... thanks?"
"Don't thank me. Just don't screw it up. You've got something here. Don't let Marcus's bullshit or Devon's schemes take it from you."
Before Renn could reply, the ground shook.
It was subtle at first, just a vibration that could have been Brute hitting the vein particularly hard. But then it came again, stronger, and this time it was accompanied by a sound: a chattering, clicking noise that echoed from multiple directions at once.
Valeria's head snapped up. "Everyone stop."
Devon frowned. "We're in the middle of..."
"STOP. NOW."
The authority in Valeria's voice was absolute. Even Brute froze mid-swing.
The shaking intensified. The chattering got louder.
Renn's bracelet beeped with an urgent tone.
[TERRITORIAL ALERT] [HOSTILE ENTITIES DETECTED] [BEAST PACK APPROACHING FROM MULTIPLE VECTORS] [ESTIMATED COUNT: 20-25] [THREAT LEVEL: COMMON TO UNCOMMON] [SPECIES: SWAMP GOBLINS]
"Oh, come on," Renn muttered. "Seriously?"
"Goblins?" Marcus drew his sword and scanned the tree line. "Here? They usually don't come this far into the disputed swamp."
"The extraction," Kara said, her own blade already in hand. "Brute's vibrations, the smell of fresh iron. We basically rang the dinner bell."
The first goblin burst from the trees to their left: a hunched, greenish creature about four feet tall with yellowed fangs, carrying a crude spear made of sharpened bone. Its eyes locked onto the iron deposit with unmistakable hunger.
Then its friends appeared.
They came from three directions at once, left, right, and center, swarming out of the swamp with the kind of timing that suggested this wasn't their first raid. Renn counted quickly: twenty-three visible, probably more in reserve.
[SWAMP GOBLIN - COMMON LEVEL] [POWER: 90 pts each] [KNOWN FOR: Pack tactics, crude weapons, surprising resilience]
[GOBLIN SHAMAN - UNCOMMON LEVEL] [POWER: 200 pts] [KNOWN FOR: Basic magic, commanding goblin packs]
"There's a Shaman," Devon said, pointing to a slightly larger goblin in the rear wearing what looked like a necklace made of teeth and bones. "That explains the coordination."
"Can your golem handle them?" Renn asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. Twenty-three goblins at 90 points each meant over two thousand total combat power, plus another two hundred for the shaman. Against his 12 points, that was... terrible math.
"Brute can handle a few," Devon said, clearly running the same numbers, "but not all of them. Not if they swarm."
"My kobolds are workers, not fighters," Kara added. "They'll defend themselves, but they aren't equipped for this."
All eyes turned to Valeria.
She stood perfectly still, hands now loose at her sides instead of clasped behind her back. Her golden eyes tracked the goblins with the kind of focus that reminded Renn of a cat watching birds, if the cat could disintegrate the birds with a thought.
"Well," Marcus said, his earlier bravado notably absent, "I guess we'll see if your mercenary is worth what he's paying her."
Valeria didn't look at him. "Lord Blackwood. Do I have permission to engage?"
"Are you asking for permission?"
"This is your territory..." She trailed off diplomatically.
"Please, engage," Renn said quickly. "Full permission to do whatever you need to do."
"Understood." Valeria took a single step forward, and somehow that one movement changed everything about her presence. The professional-guard-mercenary persona vanished, replaced by something that made the air feel heavier. "Stay behind me and you won't be harmed. Step in front of me, and I won't be responsible for collateral damage."
"Confident," Marcus muttered, though he took a step back.
The goblin shaman raised his staff, really just a stick with a skull tied to it, and shrieked something in their chattering language.
The goblins charged.
Valeria moved.
What happened next would later be described by Marcus as "the most casually terrifying thing I've ever witnessed," by Devon as "a masterclass in efficient violence," and by Kara as "why you shouldn't piss off people you don't understand."
Renn would simply describe it later as "Valeria being Valeria."
She simply made a gesture.
Her right hand traced a small arc in the air, almost lazy.
The five goblins charging from the left simply ceased to exist. One moment they were there, spears raised, mouths open in battle cries. The next moment, they were gone, replaced by five small piles of light particle dust.
The remaining goblins faltered, their primitive brains trying to process what they had just witnessed.
Valeria tilted her head slightly, as if considering which group to address next.
"Holy shit," Marcus whispered.
Seven goblins on the right flank decided discretion was the better part of valor and turned to run.
Valeria's left hand made a simple pushing motion.
A wave of crystalline energy, barely visible, more like a distortion in the air than an actual attack, swept across the clearing. The fleeing goblins were caught mid-stride. They simply... stopped. Frozen in place like statues, encased in transparent purple crystal.
"She's... not even trying," Devon said, his voice caught between awe and terror.
The goblin shaman, seeing his pack decimated in seconds, made a tactical decision that suggested more intelligence than his appearance implied: he turned and ran, abandoning his remaining warriors without hesitation.
Valeria's golden eyes tracked him for a moment.
"The Shaman is fleeing," she said calmly. "Do you want him eliminated, Lord Blackwood?"
Renn, who had been standing mouth agape for the last thirty seconds, managed to form words. "I... yes? I guess. Is it necessary?"
"Shamans remember. If he survives, he will return with more warriors, better prepared. Removing the chain of command prevents future raids."
"Then... yes. Eliminate him."
"As you wish."
Valeria snapped her fingers.
The fleeing shaman, now a good fifty meters away and moving fast, suddenly stopped in mid-stride as if he had run into an invisible wall. He hung there for a moment, suspended in the air, before purple crystal began to spread across his body like frost on a window. In three seconds, he was a statue. In five, he was dust.
The remaining goblins, about six of them smart enough not to charge immediately, dropped their weapons and fled in the opposite direction.
Valeria watched them go without moving. "Letting a few survive spreads the word. Future raiders will avoid this territory."
"That is... that is strategic," Renn managed.
"Yes."
The entire battle had lasted less than a minute.
Brute the golem stood exactly where he had been when it started, his stone face as expressionless as ever. The two kobolds had hidden behind the scale and were now peeking out cautiously. Devon, Marcus, and Kara were all staring at Valeria with expressions ranging from shock to respect to barely concealed fear.
Marcus finally found his voice. "What... what are you?"
Valeria turned to face them, her expression returning to its previous professional neutrality. "I am what Lord Blackwood hired me to be: protection."
"Protection," Marcus repeated. "You just wiped out sixteen goblins without breaking a sweat. Without even moving from your spot."
"Sixteen, counting the Shaman. And efficiency is part of my service."
"How much is he paying you?" The question burst out of Marcus as if he couldn't help it. "Seriously. How much?"
"Our agreement is confidential."
"There is no way he can afford..."
"Marcus," Kara interrupted him sharply. "Drop it."
"But..."
"Drop it. Now." She said every word clearly, her expression making it clear it wasn't a suggestion.
Marcus's mouth snapped shut, though he continued to stare at Valeria with an expression Renn couldn't quite identify. Admiration? Fear? Interest?
Probably all three, which was going to be a problem.
Devon, meanwhile, had recovered his business composure. "Well. That was... enlightening. Shall we continue extraction? The goblins are dealt with, and we are losing daylight."
"Continue?" Renn said. "Shouldn't we worry about more attacks?"
"Your mercenary is right," Devon pointed to the fleeing goblins, now barely visible in the distance. "They will spread the word. We are probably safe for the rest of the day. Besides," he smiled, though it was noticeably more respectful than before, "I doubt anything less than a minor dragon would be stupid enough to attack while she is here."
"Accurate assessment," Valeria nodded.
They resumed work, though the atmosphere had changed completely. Where before Devon had been subtly condescending and Marcus openly dismissive, now both Lords were noticeably careful about how they moved around Renn's camp. They didn't bark orders. They asked if positions were acceptable. When Snix the kobold accidentally bumped into Renn while carrying a particularly heavy chunk of iron, Devon immediately apologized for his summon's clumsiness.
Kara noticed it too. She stood next to Renn during a lull in the extraction, her voice low enough that the others couldn't hear.
"They're afraid of you now."
"They're afraid of Valeria," Renn corrected.
"Same thing. You are her employer. That gives you protection by association." She watched Devon position himself very carefully so as not to be between Renn and Valeria. "It's actually pretty smart. Whether you can actually afford her long-term or not, right now the appearance of having that kind of backing is almost as valuable as actually having it."
"Until someone asks me to call my bluff."
"Then you better hope they don't. Or hope your mercenary is loyal enough to stick around even if you can't pay."
Renn looked at Valeria, standing in her neutral guard stance, seemingly unaffected by having casually deleted sixteen hostile creatures. "I think loyalty might be more complicated than money in this case."
"Complicated how?"
"Just... complicated."
The extraction continued through the afternoon without further incident. Brute worked steadily, Snix and Grax processed chunks with efficient coordination, and the numbers kept ticking up on the holographic interface.
[SWAMP IRON MINED: 156 kg] [BLACKWOOD SHARE: 85.8 kg] [TEAM SHARE: 70.2 kg]
By the time the sun started its descent, they had cleared the accessible portion of the vein. There was more iron deeper in the rock face, but extracting it would require specialized equipment and probably explosives none of them had brought.
"We can come back for the rest another day," Devon suggested, reviewing the final totals. "Or you could hire specialists to dig deeper. Though that would eat into your profit margin."
Renn studied the numbers, doing mental math. 85.8 kilograms at 50 resource points per kilogram meant 4,290 points, an absolutely massive amount compared to the nothing he'd had a week ago. Plus the five percent from the team's sales, which would be another 175 points or so.
"I'll consider it," Renn said, trying to sound like someone who made these kinds of decisions regularly. "For now, let's finalize what we have."
Devon pulled up the contract interface. "Final extraction: 187 kilograms total. Agreed split: 55/45, giving you 102.85 kilograms, us 84.15 kilograms. System has logged everything. Team sales will process within seven days, your five percent cut will transfer to your account within thirty days as specified. Sound correct?"
Renn checked his own interface, verifying the numbers matched. Everything looked right: no missing kilos, no creative accounting, no attempts to screw him over.
"Looks good. I accept finalization."
"Me too." Devon pressed his thumb to the holographic contract. Marcus and Kara did the same. Renn added his own confirmation.
[CONTRACT FULFILLED] [ALL PARTIES CONFIRMED] [RESOURCES TRANSFERRED TO RESPECTIVE ACCOUNTS] [TRANSACTION COMPLETE]
The iron appeared in Renn's dimensional storage, a feature he had just accessed at level three, limited to ten slots but incredibly useful. An entire slot was now filled with a glowing indicator: [SWAMP IRON: 102.85 kg].
"Pleasure doing business," Devon said, extending a hand. The condescension from this morning was entirely gone, replaced by something that might be respect. "Assuming no one raids your storage before you can sell or use it."
"I'll manage." Renn shook the offered hand.
"I'm sure you will. With that kind of security," Devon nodded toward Valeria, "you're probably safer than most Lords twice your level."
Marcus had been notably quiet during the wrap-up. Now, as they prepared to leave, he approached Valeria one last time.
"My offer still stands," he said. "If you ever want different employment, more resources, better contracts... I can provide all that."
Valeria looked at him with those unreadable golden eyes. "I am satisfied with my current arrangement."
"He's level three. How long can his resources last?"
"Longer than you think. And Lord Blackwood's level is irrelevant to my decision."
"Then what is relevant?"
Valeria was silent for a moment, her gaze flicking to where Renn was helping Kara fold up the portable scale, unnecessary labor for a Lord, but Renn had never been good at standing around while others worked.
"I already said it, he treats me like a person, not a commodity," she said finally, echoing her earlier words. "Not like a weapon to be deployed, but as someone whose opinion matters. That is rarer than you might think, especially among Lords who consider themselves important."
Marcus stiffened. "I would treat you with respect."
"You would treat me like a valuable tool. There is a difference." She turned away, clearly ending the conversation. "Safe travels, Lord Steelheart. Try not to die doing something stupid."
As the extraction team packed up their gear and prepared to teleport back to their respective territories, Kara stopped by Renn one last time.
"You did good today," she said. "No drama, no cheating attempts, just clean business. That's actually pretty rare."
"Thanks. You too. For being decent, I mean."
She smiled. "Keep that mercenary happy. Whatever you're paying her, she's worth it."
"I'll try my best."
They left in sequence: Devon first with his summons, then Marcus with one last longing look at Valeria, finally Kara with a casual wave.
Silence settled over the extraction site.
Renn stood there, staring at his bracelet interface where over four thousand resource points now glowed in his account. Real money. Real resources. Real progress.
"Shit," he said quietly. "We actually did it."
Valeria, who had maintained her humanoid form all day, finally allowed herself a small smile. "Yes, Substitute Lord. You really did it."
"Negotiated a fair contract, defended my territorial rights, and came out ahead."
"You did."
"Am I... competent?"
"Don't let it go to your head."
Renn laughed, the sound coming out slightly hysterical. "Marcus is going to tell everyone about you. About what you can do."
"Probably. Though I suspect his version will be exaggerated."
"You deleted sixteen goblins in under a minute without moving."
"So perhaps not exaggerated."
Princess Lysandra, who had spent the entire afternoon napping on her rock and judging everyone from a safe distance, finally deigned to approach. She looked at the now-empty extraction site, then at Renn, then meowed.
"Her Highness is pleased," Valeria translated. "You showed appropriate firmness for a Lord."
"High praise."
"From Her Highness, it is."
They walked back to camp as the sun continued its descent, painting the swamp in shades of orange and gold that almost made it look beautiful. Renn's bracelet chimed with a message notification.
[NEW MESSAGE - LILY THORNWHISPER]
He opened it.
Heard there was goblin activity near your sector Are you okay? Please tell me you didn't try to fight them alone
Renn smiled and typed a reply.
I'm fine Had help with the goblins Also successfully completed my first major resource extraction 4,290 resource points in one day
The reply came fast.
RENN THAT'S AMAZING I'm so proud of you! 😭💕
Thanks Feels weird to succeed at something
Get used to it, dummy This is just the start
Renn put his bracelet away, feeling a warmth spreading through his chest that had nothing to do with the sunset and everything to do with Lily's support.
"Good news?" Valeria asked.
"The best kind. From a friend."
"Miss Thornwhisper, I presume?"
"How did you know?"
"You smile differently when it is her." Valeria's tone was neutral, but there might have been the slightest hint of amusement. "It is obvious."
"That obvious?"
"Very."
They reached the camp. Renn's tent looked even more pathetic next to the growing number of resource markers on his territorial map. He would need to upgrade eventually, build actual structures instead of living in canvas and hoping it didn't rain.
But that was a future problem. Tonight, he had over four thousand resource points, a contract paying dividends, a mercenary who had proven her worth beyond doubt, and a boss who had meowed her approval.
Not bad for someone who had lost a fight to a raccoon six months ago.
Not bad at all.
LATE THAT NIGHT
Renn sat by a small fire, reviewing his resource allocation options on his bracelet. With 4,290 points available if he sold the material, plus the monthly allowance of 5,000 from Lysandra, he now had options.
Valeria had reverted to feline form and was grooming herself nearby with that meticulous attention to detail cats seemed to consider a spiritual practice. Princess Lysandra was curled up in Renn's lap, purring softly as he absentmindedly scratched behind her ears.
"Could upgrade the territorial barrier," Renn said aloud, speaking to both cats but mostly thinking out loud. "Make it harder for things to encroach. Or invest in proper buildings. Or save it all for the quarterly quota."
Lysandra meowed without opening her eyes.
"Her Highness suggests diversification," Valeria translated. "Some for defense, some for infrastructure, some kept in reserve for emergencies."
"That is... actually very practical advice."
Another meow, this one with a clear tone of: obviously, I am royalty, I know about resource management.
"Right. Of course." Renn continued his planning, feeling something he hadn't experienced in two years: real hope for the future.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. Marcus would spread the word about Valeria's capabilities. Questions about Renn's finances would multiply. Eventually, someone would figure out the numbers didn't quite add up.
But tonight, sitting by the fire with two cats who happened to be dimensional entities of absurd power, Renn allowed himself to simply be happy.
He was a Lord with resources, allies, and real prospects.
For someone who had been the laughingstock of the academy just a few days ago, that felt pretty good.