The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

When Theon and Irene teleported away with the wounded woman, Amber felt everyone's gaze focusing on her. She simply waved her hand and one of the slimes went to fetch the wagons so they could move these people safely to Everlight. Just like that, with a wave of her hand, a level 65, otherwise insanely powerful monster was doing what she wanted. A few months ago, she was hiding and foraging in the forest. People like these villagers would usually throw her out of their settlements, only occasionally hiring her for temporary work. Now they were at her mercy and they knew this.

Theon told her once that power corrupts, that she had to keep that in mind, and right now she finally understood what he had meant.

When she looked at the people who surrounded her, she saw their misery; she felt their desperation, and she saw the pieces of evidence of the harsh life outside. They were a part of the world she abandoned. She turned her gaze toward the enormous gatehouse leading outside of Avalon and a cold shiver crossed her back. She didn’t want to take even one step outside of the gate. She discovered, right here and now, while looking at the falling snow, that she was more afraid of the world outside than she ever was afraid of Theon. She started wondering when exactly had she started to feel so detached from her previous life. But deep down in her heart and soul, she was still the same person.

"My Lady? If I may ask a question?" It was Nadi, and she sounded a little nervous.

"I'm listening." Amber faintly smiled and opened her palm to catch a falling snowflake.

"Had I really saved you? How is that possible?"

"When you saved me, I was just an ordinary person that had run away from their past. We met not so far away from here, in a town called Direglen." Amber looked at the woman, who finally started to recall something. "You gave me a loaf of bread back then, which most probably saved my life."

"But... That girl... And you... Aren't you a scion of this Dungeon?" Nadi covered her mouth. "Forgive me, my Lady!"

"Haha... No Miss Nadi, I'm not a scion. Don't worry." That amused Amber. "I have changed so much even I barely recognize my face in the mirror. But it was me back then, Miss Nadi. I'm the same Half-Elf woman you saved from starvation."

Amber saw horse wagons approaching them and smiled happily, as it was already getting late. There were just six of them, but it was enough to take them all to Everlight. She looked at Sebastian and that was enough for him to bow to her and start supervising the entire moving operation. When everyone was loaded into the wagons, the skeleton guards left for Everlight, leaving her behind. She stood, watching the falling snow, wondering how she had survived in the wild for so long.

"My Lady?" Sebastian's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Who am I, Sebastian?" she asked, looking at the night sky.

"You are Amber va'Theon, the Queen of Avalon. You are, my Lady, the one I will serve forever," he responded without a shadow of a doubt. "But you are also mortal and you can't respawn as we can. That's why even the lowest denizen will put themselves in harm's way just to protect you, my Queen. You, Queen Amber, and now Queen Irene are very important to us scions and all other Avalon denizens."

"But why? I'm just a mortal, as you said."

"No Queen Amber. You are much more. I dare to say that your mere presence was the spark that created Avalon."

She looked inquisitively at Sebastian and tilted her head. Theon told her about that many times as well; that her presence and what she told him had influenced many of his actions at the beginning. She knew that she was a special person for Theon in multiple meanings of that word, however, she wasn't sure about her feelings. She told him that she loved him, but that was not entirely true.

She was charmed by Theon, his manners and the philosophy of his life, and despite the knowledge about who or what he was, she never regretted the choice she made. Amber enjoyed his attention. She longed for his presence and waited every night to fall asleep in his arms. He never lied to her, never hid important things from her. She knew that she could trust him. He told her about his previous world and life, including everything he remembered about his family and the doubts he had.

Amber knew that he needed time to find himself in his new reality, but she was no better. He allowed time for her as well, since he had the willpower required to defy the World's Words. Maybe for the time being, maybe for far longer than she thought possible. But he gave her and himself the time they needed for true feelings to be born. Amber thought about her own emotions for a moment and sighed slightly.

"Let's go, Sebastian," Amber said and vanished from the field, which already was pristine, as if no one was ever there.

•••

Nadi sat in a big and comfortable wagon holding her baby. The rocking motion made her eyes droop, as she was very tired. John, who was sitting right next to her, moved his face closer to her.

"I'm so sorry Nadi. We didn't know the dungeon was this powerful. To think it has a scion who can shred winter monsters is just terrifying. I don't know where they are taking us." She heard his nervous voice but just kissed his cheek.

"Everything will be alright, hun! We are safe. I can feel it."

"But..."

"The Queen of Avalon said she's indebted to me for saving her life." Nadi smiled.

"How is that even possible? Isn't she just another scion of this Dungeon?" John looked at her in surprise.

"She told me she isn't. Remember when almost a year ago I gave old bread to that red-head girl with that ugly scar on the side of her face? When we were in Direglen?"

"I remember... I wanted to use that bread for fish bait." He frowned, still a bit angry about that.

"It's her. That bread you would have thrown into the water and just maybe caught one or two small fish was the reason she survived."

"You're joking, right? There is no way that ugly girl from back there was that absolute beauty we just saw..." he said and hissed, waiting for an angry remark from his wife, but she started laughing instead.

"Haha. I had exactly the same thoughts. But there was no reason for her to say that if it wasn’t true." She started feeling hope they will survive, that her baby will live.

•••

They heard the thudding noise of wagons moving through the drawbridge and they saw lights on the streets outside. They arrived at the town square and left the wagons, which, as soon as the last person exited, moved away from the square. Queen Amber was standing in the middle of the square, near a Dwarf and an Orc. Behind her was standing the same butler as earlier. The Queen warmly smiled and turned to the two men.

"I want to welcome you to the town of Everlight. The King of Avalon gave this safe zone to the exceptional individuals whose leaders you see before you. People of Gorn! You are allowed to live in Everlight for the duration of the winter. It's late now and you all are tired," she said, looking at some children that had already fallen asleep and were held by their parents. "Town Mayor Lord Sigismund Ironhand and Guild Master Uvar Knys will show you a place where you may stay for this night. Tomorrow, they will help you with other matters."

Her melodic and captivating voice enchanted the listeners. They would have listened to her voice forever, but as soon as she reminded them how exhausted they were, most of them started hiding yawns in embarrassment. Nadi and John wanted to go with everyone, but they heard someone calling them.

"Miss Nadi and Mister John, please, follow me," the Queen's butler called, and they followed him, a little nervous.

They went towards a different street than the rest of their village members. After a few dozen meters from the square near one of the main roads, they stopped in front of a two-story tall building with an empty shop on the ground floor. The butler opened its door and asked them to move inside. They entered the small hall with two doors, the right one most likely leading to the shop area and one straight in front of them where the butler was showing the way. There was a bigger hall behind the door, which was open on the left side, with three doors on its right. They continued to follow the butler, who had turned left. In astonishment, Nadi and John gazed around the large room they found themselves in, which contained a table adjacent to an incredible kitchen. However, what truly took their breath away was that the Queen herself was waiting for them.

"I welcome you three to Avalon." Queen Amber smiled at them warmly. "No matter if your people wish or must leave Avalon, you and your family are always welcome. Miss Nadi, I can't thank you enough for saving me back then. Now I have the power to repay you and hopefully save and maybe even change your life for the better as well. Please, accept this building as your home in Avalon. Your family can live comfortably here and you can even open a shop if you wish."

Nadi paled when she heard what the Queen just told her and started crying. She bowed as politely as she could.

"I don't know what to say. My Queen, we are so thankful..."

"You don't have to be. I will sleep much better knowing that the person who saved me is safe. I promised to repay my debt to you, but I never found you in Direglen again. However, now you are here. And you are safe in Avalon! You can roam the streets without fear or lie on the grass in the park while children play cheerfully and safely in the playground." She smiled one more time. "I hope that you will love this place as much as I do. Miss Nadi, I know you are a tailor, so why not make use of this place and open a shop? I will ask our master seamstress to teach you if you wish to learn more. And you, mister John, you are a warrior. Tomorrow you can register at the Adventurers’ Guild, where you will be welcomed with open arms."

They looked at each other, uncertain if they were in a walking dream or not, as they were incredibly tired and worried that they could collapse any minute now. The Queen, however, just nodded at the butler and towards them.

"I know you are tired, but I had to tell you this personally. I hope we can talk freely after you rest. Sebastian will show you the basics around here. Good night," she said to Nadi and John, who barely managed a bow. They offered her their thanks, but when they raised their heads, she was already gone.

"Miss Nadi and Mister John. My name is Sebastian and I'm scion of the Righteous Dungeon." The butler elegantly bowed his head towards them. "Please follow me."

He quickly showed them how to turn on and off the light and helped them to climb upstairs because Nadi was very weak.

"This is the bathroom. You can use hot and cold water by turning these two valves," he said, opening the doors right in front of the stairs, showing them the valves he just mentioned.

They just managed to nod when he explained to them how the toilet and shower worked. After the bathroom, he opened another door, and they saw an amazing bedroom with a proper bed in it. There was even a crib nearby. They looked at each other with pale faces, overwhelmed by the generosity of the Queen who gave them this home. The butler opened the wooden wardrobe and took out some clothes, which he placed on the bed.

"This is the main bedroom. Everything that's in this building belongs to you. I will leave you here instructions on how to use many things in your home, but for now, you must take a rest. You have had a very stressful day." He left a few strange scrolls on the dresser for them. "Now I will take my leave. Welcome to Avalon and have a good night."

They watched him speechless as he walked down the stairs before hearing him close the door. Nadi, still pale, looked at her husband, who had laughed abruptly.

"What's wrong with you, John?" she frowned at him.

"Nadi, do you know that you made the greatest deal in history?" He was still laughing, but Nadi now could tell how stressed and nervous he was. "You traded old bread for our new life in this place."

She started laughing as well, which finally woke up their child. She started crying, which brought her parents back to reality.

•••

Amber felt much better now. She was happy to finally repay that sole woman who had helped her and hadn't wanted anything in return. She was humming a happy tune when she teleported back to the Palace, seeing Theon sitting in his armchair. After taking a few steps, she was so happy she hopped on his lap without even taking off her coat before she kissed him on the cheek. Then she saw his serious face and remembered that poor, wounded woman.

"Something bad happened?" She asked and looked at Irene, who was sitting on the other side of the room reading a book. "You managed to save that woman?"

"We saved that woman. But it turned out she is a Kitsune." She felt Theon's hand holding her at her waist, making her lean into his chest.

"But isn't every Kitsune an evil person?" Amber, with surprise, discovered she was very calm, despite the bad fame Kitsunes had.

"Stella is convinced that’s not true. Irene also checked her alignment and told me that woman is not evil." Theon sighed. "I ordered her to be moved to the Palace where she can't cause much damage, anyway. She was still unconscious when we closed her in the room on the first floor. Four of the highest-level slime maids and four fairies are watching her."

Amber tilted her head and listened to Theon's heartbeat. For a long moment, she was sitting in silence, but sighed and stood up to take off her coat. She threw it at the empty chair and fixed her dress. Then she returned to her place on Theon's lap, where she threw her legs over the arm of the armchair.

"Then I don't think this is a problem. I never met any Kitsune and I seriously doubt you have met any as well, Irene." She replied and started to braid her long hair on her finger playfully. "We can at least listen to her. Maybe she will just thank us and go away?"

"We will see." Theon was a bit absent-minded. He was staring just outside the window with an empty gaze, like he was reflecting upon something.

"I have heard that name before," he said. "I told you that in my previous life, we had fantasy stories about Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Dragons, and all other kinds of races or creatures that are normal here. But what bothers me is the fact that Kitsune, that very word, comes from one of the languages from there."

"So you think that Kitsunes came from your old world?"

"No! Hmm... I don't know. I'm more likely to think someone from Japan, one of the countries in my old world, was summoned here. Then that individual saw a Fox-tailed person, called them Kitsune, and somehow influenced you all." Theon rested his head on his hand while speaking and he smiled a bit. "There is no reason other than an improbable coincidence that Irene's race is called Elf. You are Half-Elf and Knys is an Orc. Which really rules out such a coincidence in the first place. What’s most likely happening here is that the World’s System uses names I'm familiar with for the people and creatures of this world."

"Sounds logical." Irene said, flipping the page in her book.

Amber shrugged and rested her head on Theon's chest. She doesn't understand why Theon was bothered by something like that, but she didn't press that subject. His concerns sometimes made no sense and she couldn't decide if that was because he was a dungeon core, or because he remembered something about his previous life. She was in a great mood and didn't want to get dragged down by Theon and Irene's gloomy moods. She looked at Irene, who was reading a book near the table, so focused she almost ignored everything and everyone.

"Irene, are you mad at something?" Amber stretched over Theon's lap, purring with pleasure, before she finally stood up. She walked towards the bathroom but slowed her pace near Irene to peek in her book.

"Mad...? No!" Irene started laughing, seeing Amber's face. "Theon gave me this incredible book. Now I think I will perform much better at being a healer than ever before. It changes everything!"

Amber went near her and looked at what Irene was reading. The more she read, however, the more confused she was. The book was incredibly detailed with pictures and diagrams in it, but for Amber, it was a little disturbing.

"The circulatory system?" She read the chapter title aloud.

"Yes, this shows everything in your body and why blood flows, all veins... Everything! That's incredible!" Irene replied excitedly.

"Oh... I see..." Amber decided to fall back.

"This will change everything about my healing magic! Knowing this, I will fully use all my power now!" Irene declared with a happy voice before yawning.

"I'm going to take a shower and I'm going to sleep," Amber declared with a smile that also changed into a yawn. "Revolutionizing your magic is great, but remember that tomorrow Stella wants to start new training. I would rather not risk training while still tired."

•••

I looked at Amber and Irene, who decided to go to sleep. I was sitting on the chair thinking about the future. The situation was tragic. My current mana income was just one hundred thousand mana per month, while my upkeep cost me exactly one million. I have two and a half million mana in my vault, so the future looked grim. Irene told me the winter danger would last about four months. Then, despite the still remaining snow, the winter beasts would fall back and people would once again resume their normal lives. Which sucked since I would need more mana faster.

I was taking a shower when my Ladies finished and went to bed as well. They both felt more and more comfortable with... Well with me. I think I have come to terms with my new life as well. Partly because I know there was no going back for me, and partly because the System distorted the world around me and my way of thinking as well. And even if the World System was passive, I wouldn't be able to resist Amber and Irene's charms forever. I'm once again a young guy, after all. And if you, Eriar, keep putting your fingers in this bowl... Well… Thank you, I guess?

When I switched to the RTS mode, I sighed loudly. The only thing I could think of was to send my eagles to scan the area and survey all slavers' camps around. This at least would help make the area safer for the future and hopefully allow me to survive long enough to see this predicted future. Fortunately, I managed to track down the location of the nearby camps, and some looked like they were stocked to survive the winter. In each was a sizable force of slavers, so hitting just one of these camps might be enough to give me enough mana to survive. But I would not waste the opportunity that winter presented; I would hit as many of them as possible.

I will not pretend to have any remorse or doubts on this matter, and I don't care about any bullshit excuses they may have. Slavers in this shape and form are easily in the top three worst things in this world. As soon as Ian and Flower Girls returned, I would send Galahad with the company to enslave the slavers. This idea gave me a certain sense of satisfaction and I promised myself to interrogate the slavers' leaders immediately this time. Good thing that Stella and Galahad had interrogation skills.

Hmmm...

Why do I receive mana all the time? It was not in huge amounts, but it was constant. I checked the sources and, with surprise, I noticed it was coming from Everlight. The mana flow rate was fluctuating and when I looked around to see what was going on, I couldn't locate any single source. It was almost like the entire town was producing mana, but why? I opened all descriptions of buildings and read them carefully, and yet there was nothing to... And then it hit me. The people of Everlight generate mana with their actions. Not only during the exploration of the dungeon but also during their everyday life. Everything they did gave me a small amount of mana and if I focused, I could also feel their happiness. Which was a nice touch, I must admit.

I felt like one of my eagles demanded my attention, so I focused on it and listened. It was much different from talking with my scions as I didn't hear it speaking, but it was like having an impression that it spoke to me. The eagle brought me news from Ian's expedition that everything was all right. They managed to tame six buffalo, but Ian wanted to tame a few more before they returned. Nothing had attacked them and they all stayed together for the night. Ian planned to return tomorrow before nightfall. I waited for a few seconds, but that was it. It was a relief that nothing attacked them so far.

I sent the eagle back to tell them they did well and ordered them to return as soon as possible. I looked at the hotel building in town where Gorn’s refugees were and sighed sadly one more time. An army that was supposed to protect these people robbed them of their winter supplies, leaving them to die in one of the most horrible ways imaginable. I shook my head. Should I be really surprised? Such things happened back in my previous world as well.

Wait a minute...

If Gorn was basically raided by the Cridian army, then what about the other villages? I prepared messages with a simple question: Does your village have enough food to survive? I sent my eagles to the five other villages from which people had dared to finish their quests on my grounds. Hopefully, they would figure out a way to send information back. In case they don't, I would simply bring them here.

More people meant more mana for me, and as a bonus, they would survive.