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"I am simply happy to be of service." Smiling, Aspen went on to detail everything that had happened in Eldrian\'s absence. He still wished to grow stronger, but he was coming to accept he would not be of much help in battle.

Brazan was in the same situation, only Tjan was constantly on the field of battle. Though his being there was less often to fight and more often to act as an intermediary between the locals and the Chosen.

As for the report Eldrian was going through, the biggest points were: the number of cannons they had received from the dwarves, the reopening of the mines of Dvemoj and their haul, the production of the vertical farms, including a detailed analysis of the construction cost, maintenance, and upkeep.

"As for implementing magical plants into the farms, we found that rank 1 plants grow normally, with only a slight increase on the mana drain. However, rank 2 consumes far more mana and the upkeep cost isn\'t realistic."

"Right, that makes sense." Nodding, Eldrian asked a bit about the estate itself. Having last left some cash for Aspen to use to hire servants and maintain the place. When he had arrived, Eldrian had noted the expanded gardens and number of people moving to and fro.

"We\'ve hired only the most trustworthy individuals to work on the estate and have expanded the garden to include several rare plants..."

After finishing their meeting, Eldrian asked Aspen to prepare a group of adventurers and builders, stating he wanted to go on an expedition to reclaim a long-lost mine. Leaving the location a secret for now, as he was certain Aspen would be hesitant if he knew their target was the forsaken caverns.

Afterward, Eldrian enjoyed a stroll through the garden and found a delightful spot where he meditated for a bit. Wishing to talk with Ziraili and confirm a few things and also ask some of the burning questions he had.

\'Can we talk?\' He asked, sending the message while envisioning its recipient. As he always did when trying to contact the gods. He still did not know how it worked, but it did.

—

"Thanks for coming," Eldrian said as soon as the familiar wisp appeared in his mind space, taking the form of an ethereal woman. "Not sure if these count as refreshments, but I thought we could try them."

Indicating for Ziraili to take a seat, Eldrian joined her and served some tea. Made from the plants growing near the valley where Two had set up his home. There were also some sweats, but they were simply conjured by will, rather than made within his soul.

Taking a sip, Ziraili smiled. Eldrian assumed she was enjoying the tea. The cookies and cakes, however, she scrutinized. "I see you\'ve decided to experiment with things."

"I was curious if it would work. Why, is something wrong?"

"Not wrong, but... lacking. The tea is refreshing, made from spring water and local leaves. It exists." Picking up one of the cookies, she held it up and inspected it as she said, "These, however, are simply imaginary."

"I don\'t quite follow. Isn\'t everything here a form of imagination?" As Eldrian saw it, this was all in his mind—or soul, if you prefer. But the fact remained, nothing here existed in physical form.

"You\'re not wrong, but there more to it..." Looking around, she asked, "Where\'s Two?"

"I wanted to talk with you privately, but he should be somewhere."

"Oh?"

"It\'s not that I want to hide things from him. It\'s just..." Faltering, Eldrian turned red in embarrassment. "Last time you two talked, and I felt completely left out. So I wanted to catch up first."

"Oh, well, alright. Then shall we start?" Ziraili asked, ignoring the refreshments besides the tea, which she continued to sip at with a small smile.

"I think that would be best. I have more time available, so I hope to get answers to many questions that have been plaguing me for an eternity."

"I will answer best I can."

"Then let\'s start with the simple ones. What is the punishment for breaking the rules of Fort Phoenix?"

"Your ability to use magic becomes restricted. Anyone below Tier 7 won\'t be able to use a single spell, while for those above, the cost will be exponentially what it usually is."

"Wow." Eldrian was stunned. It wasn\'t too strict a punishment, it wouldn\'t kill anyone for simple infractions. But it would make it near impossible for them to revolt or fight back.

"However, this only holds for those who accepted the terms. An invasion force, for example, won\'t be hampered as such. However, their locations will be shown by red pillars of light. You can also give certain privileged to certain people. For example, to soldiers, you can give an alternate set of rules or certain benefits—at a cost."

"I see. I assume I need to be in the fort to manage it?"

"Indeed. And with time, you will learn that there is much benefit to being the owner of a fort. However..."

"It all comes at a cost, yeah. Right, next one, what is a familiar?"

"Ah, I assume you are asking because of Little Phoenix?"

"You know of the firebird?"

"Of course, it was quite a surprise when you created it. Familiars are simply put, living spells. They are created when someone in possession of an aura mixes their aura\'s power with a spell of Tier 7 or higher, which mimics a living creature."

"As such, familiars are normally limited to people who have reached Tier 7 and have an aura. You skipped the hardest prerequisite by taking over a spell from a Tier 7 mage."

"Huh, so it was just random luck?" Eldrian asked.

"Yes."

"Is it actually a living thing?"

"Depends on your definition of life. It has no soul, if that is what you are asking."

"Do animals have souls?"

"Yes."

"Bacteria?"

"No."

\'So, I can\'t use the scientific definition of life. As that includes bacteria, or rather, does owning a soul become the new requirement?\'

"When you say they have souls, what does that mean?" Knowing that souls weren\'t simple things, differing from person to person, and likely animal to animal, Eldrian wondered what the definition for it actually was according to the AI.

"Simply put, they have the capacity to use magic."

"Which means?" Eldrian asked, thinking of it in the fact that they must have a will. After all, to use mana one needed mageia—which was focused willpower.

"They have a lifeforce."

\'Right, so they have a will. Gotcha.\'

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