>>1829719
here

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>>1829749
Hi hi

***

Lyann helpos Zoe dress up and brush her hair. There's something heat-warming about seeing her act like a older sister, holding a hair pin in her mouth as she gently brushes Zoe's snow-white hair-

"Ah, brother, can I stay for a bit longer?"
"I promised mom I'd take you back for breakfast."
"...okay."

"Oh that's right. Mako, I need to take Zoe back, can I meet with you afterwards."
"Alright. Then, please go to the hall of law when you come back."
"Will do."

We kiss Mako softly, and take Zoe back to mom. Lyann got her a change of clothes, so she's carrying her previous day's clothes in her [Item box]

By the way, alquian Zoe is cute. The clothes are mostly white cotton cloth and silk, so it goes really well with her skin tone and hair. It gives up a pure white bride-like feeling.

We emerge on a tree at the manor's garden, and go in to find that grandfather left early, and uncle Wolfric is having breakfast together with the family.

"Eldric, Zoe, good morning." - he greets us - "Did you have breakfast yet?"
"Good morning uncle. No, not yet."
"then have a seat."

Mom greets us and Zoe, then remarks on how cute Zoe looks.

Breakfast is quite nice, with mostly local products, since uncle wanted our siblings to try local things while they had the chance. They seem to have fallen in love with the local pastry types, in fact.

Well, we don't have cream-filler pastry in Albion since it needs cream and we don't have a regular source of milk in any of the dungeons.

>Let's volunteer our pets' milk for the family breakfast
>Somehow... our pets milk would be sort of wrong?
>Other

>>1829719
Here

>>1829770
>>Let's volunteer our pets' milk for the family breakfast

I think our cowgirls would want there milk to be useful.

>>1829770
>Let's volunteer our pets' milk for the family breakfast

>>1829770
>Let's volunteer our pets' milk for the family breakfast
But not tell any one what it is

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>>1829944
>>1829851
>>>Let's volunteer our pets' milk for the family breakfast

Alright, let's contribute with milk to the family table, then.

Ah, but for now, we need to [Treestride] everyone back home, and then go back to Mako in the south.

"Is everyone ready?"
"Almost." - answeres Ellie as she finishes fixing our little brother's shirts

...is not as if we're taking a trip on a rockitship or anything like that though, we're just [Treestriding] everyone ourselves so, is that really neccessary?

Anyway, once we thank uncle for his hospitality, we take our family home.

Dad was already home when we came back. together with uncle Dandare. Eh, looks like they came back early and had quite the breakfast, uh?

Well, I guess its a rare chance to have the house to themselves.

After bidding goodbye to our family, we [Treestride] once more to the south, and emerge on the peach tree in Mako's room.

Right, we said we would plant this in the garden, ah, but maybe we should go meet Mako right away.

>Lets plant it
>Let's go to Mako
>Other

>>1829968
>>Lets plant it

>>1829968
>>Lets plant it

>>1829968
>Other
Have Crema and Mocha plant it for us while we go to meet Mako.

>>1829968
switch me>>1830054
to support >>1830069

>>1830069
sure

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>>1830101
>>1830089
>>1830069
>Have Crema and Mocha plant it for us while we go to meet Mako.

We call out our aurochkins, and ask them to plant the peach tree in the garden.

"Ah, yes!" - Moccha looks rather happy about it. Looks like she has a green thumb

Lyann and Aritsu are both gone already... if we peek into the harem room, Tanis is lazing about, x spread on top of her bed while enjoying the morning sunshine.

"Did Aritsu or Lyann say where they were going?"
"Not to me." - she answers with a sleepy voice without looking up at us
"Thanks."

Well, we could locate Lyann using her collar, but its not really urgent. Plus it would just tell us her status and general direction, not where she is exactly, anyway.

For now, we dress in the local style, and go outside to find someone who can guide us to the Hall of Law... I assume its a senate of sorts?

Indeed, we find a guard and ask him for directions. He excuses himself from his group (they patrol in groups of three) and accompanies us where we wish to go.

Its a library full of racks. A massive one.

Ah, after a few walls of racks, we find Mako sitting at the head of a large table while the shadows hold armfulls of scrolls. There's more on top of the table, and Mako is reading one right now.

"Eldric, you came to help." - she says
"...yes. What can I help with?"

It seems she wants us to help evaluate some trade agreements, visit a rogue province and find out what it will take to lure them back into the country, and help her organize a schooling system like the one we got started in Mantequira.

Uh... what should we start with...

>Schools
>Rogue province
>Trade
>Kiss Mako, then something else
>Other

>>1830253
>Rogue province
>Other: call up some of the local Shadows to tell us about the province so we can get a better idea of what we're dealing with (and so we can check the sexy ninjas)

>>1830253
>>Kiss Mako, then something else
>Rogue province

>>1830269
>>1830259

"Hm." - we cross our arms and look up at the roof
"?" - Mako looks at us, then up at the roof

We look at her to find her still trying to find what was that on the roof.

Grabbing her by surprise, we pull her into a kiss.

"Ah! E-Eld-hmmm...!"

Yup, kiss Mako is always the right answer.

She's so soft and cuddly. She's sure grown up nicely, hasn't she?

As we reach up to grope her a little bit, we keep kissing her while pulling her against us.

"Eldric, you're silly...!" - she says while apple red.
"Its your fault because you're cute."
"Uuuh..."

Alright, let's check the map on the desk.

"So, where is it?"
"Are we done kissing now?"
"No! We'll continue later."
"...okay."
"good girl." -clears throat- "Where's that province?"
"Here"

She points at an archipelago on the east. It looks as if a bunch of cracks had torn apart the land there.

"It says its a swamp region."
"Yes."

It produces mostly luxury products such as spices and rare foodstuff, both from the regional foodgeons and its local monsters.

Is it politically important, then? Letting a province go would set a bad example, after all.

>Let's go with a small military force and pacify the area
>Let's go on our own
>Other

>>1830393
>Other: Let's find the Vizier and the Spymaster/Shadow Leader so that we can get intel and context on the province before we go.

>>1830409
Supporting

>>1830393
supporting >>1830409

>>1830498
>>1830473
>>1830409
>>Other: Let's find the Vizier and the Spymaster/Shadow Leader so that we can get intel and context on the province before we go.

Anyone rememberes the name of the new vizir?

***

"I'll talk to the vizir and learn what I can about the place before I go."
"Thank you, Eldric." - replies Mako - "Ah, can you let go now?"
"Nope." - we keep cuddling and kissing her for a little bit more.

Well, let's look for the vizir and try to learn as much as we can about the region before we go.

(lets stop here for now. I promise to write more during the week)

>>1830506
I was hoping someone would look up and remind me the name of the young vizir but lets just call him vizir, I guess.


***

We meet with the young vizir, finding him supervising a building site in the docks.

Now that the protectorate has liften the trade bans, ships are coming from all over, to the point where the brand new and massive docks the previous vizir envisioned would replace the old ones, simply do not suffice anymore, and so, the old ones are being repaired and updated for the time being.

Well, Alquia has plenty of specific goods of all types that the world markets had been starving for during the trade ban, so now the merchants are in a rush to be the first ones to supply those goods. It should calm down to manageable levels in a couple of months.

Hopefully.

"Ah, the minister of the left, how, how can I assist you?" - he greets us politely without closing the blueprints on the work bench in front of him.

>The empress
>Mako
>Her highness

...asked me to supervise the return of a rogue province into the empire, so I wished to consult you about the region's customs, its people and products, politics and the like.

"I see... is it the northeastern region or the southeastern region?"
"South, I believe. The swamp region?"
"Understood. I can explain to you what I know, or have some books delivered to you, which would you prefer?"

>Explain
>Books

>>1834840
Give me a bit, I'm still updating the cast list to include people from Alquia.

>>1834840
>Her highness
>Explain
>Other: have the books delivered to me later as well.

>>1834840
supporting >>1834887

>>1834840
The young Vizier's name is Wasi al Sadiq

1. Construct a Language Square at Hive Heven (and at the other Hives) so that the Hegemony can Parley with the Jungle Faeries and make them into Vassals. Also let’s the Hegemony Parley with other Honey Faerie hives and make them into Vassals.

2. Getting the succubus tribe in New Hope, Eldric's hometown, to begin producing high-quality glass test tubes, flasks, and beakers so that he can put his chemical engineering knowledge to use.
>Succubus Tribe has been brought to New Hope; still need to be taught how to make glassware.

5. Progress on creating the linked journals between the Northern Coalition's centers of learning and the Heavenly Empire's think tank, to speed up research.

6. Linda's progress in creating XCOM's research and development division.

8. The infodump on the Silverspire Forest.

11. Speak with Honoria about getting bricks that can be used in glass-making furnaces.

12. Check in with the hive that's growing in New Hope, and see their progress and if they need anything.

13. Ask Tanis about the unique spelltricks she knows, and learn them from her. Reward her with lots of love.

14. Give a house in New Hope to Nina so that she and her sisters are no longer Monsters but a Civilized Race, and help out the Harpies who are still in the wild.

15. Check in with Dusk and see how the maid training of Aurora and Kiyana is going.

16. Investigate the smuggler in the Eopolis Warehouse District that’s using our warehouses to smuggle in Alquian goods.

17. Raise the Slave levels (currently 80) of the Alquian Shadows so that they can become Scions

18. Make Linked Journals for the Miel Hegemony, so that Miel can stay in touch with her Hives wherever she goes.

19. Construct a series of Administrative Golems that will handle administrative functions for Miel so that she can take some time off (be kidnapped by Eldric to go on romantic adventures together).

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>>1834954
>>1834946
>>1834887

"The region of the southeast... well, it's known that way, but its actually to the northeast from here, its just that there's a even further north region. It would be simpler to say that both western regions are, if not in the middle of an armed rebellion, in the middle of a independence movement after the death of the former empress."
"Right, she passed without keaving any heirs."
"Indeed. However, those who have tasted the power over their people won't so easily give it up, even with a valid successor to the throne now in power."
"I understand."
"As for their customs, they're not that different from ours, but they are much more trade oriented. Rather than training their own army, they hire mercenaries, and with few cities, they have adopted a mostly nomadic lifestyle... ah, that's misleading. They live in the back of enormous beasts, large enough to carry small neighborhoods on their backs."
"I see. Well, maybe I will try to appeal to them with the greatness of the new global markets, then."
"If you feel that is best."

>Suggestions?

>>1835299
Ask how loyal the populations are to the Imperial lineage; even if the people in power want to keep it, if the people want to serve under an Empress again, then we can appeal to them directly.

Also ask if there are any representatives or merchant houses from those provinces here in the capital that we can question.

>>1835014
Oh, Item 20: Get Sikya to merge her mana turbine engines with the Rock-It Ships to get faster flying ships. After the first prototypes are finished, our shipyards can take over and she can move to other projects.

I wonder what kind of reputation Eldric has among the servants of his Island Manor and Mantequira Manor.

>>1835014
17a. Get the Alquian Shadows better equipment, like the Cursed Amulets that stop aging that Ami and Mai use.

>>1836529
y not use that for the emps
so they can rule forever

>>1836702
Because they already have their own.

What, you thought Ren's tacky Golden Throne was purely ceremonial?

>>1835366
That seems likea good idea

***

"Of course the population is loyal to the imperial bloodline, but... no it would be more accurate to say they were." - says the young vizir - "After all, their leaders have convinced them that the lineage has ended and there are no rightful heirs. They were not wrong, either. Who would have expected the old empire to send one? If you hope to earn the trust of the population, maybe a tour by her higness herself would be the easiest and fastest solution?"

>I will talk to her about it
>She asked me to handle it, so I will look for another way
>Other

>>1838827
>She asked me to handle it, so I will look for another way
>Other: A royal tour of the Empire to let the people know that an Empress rules over them again is a good idea. Order Wasi to begin preparations for a royal tour of all provinces to start once Mako has been crowned. Send a formal request to the Admiral of the task force that brought Mako here to be a part of the tour.
A rock-it ship task force descending from the sky with their Empress at the helm will be a powerful image for the people.

>Other: Orders for Wasi and the Admiral
1. coordinate and prepare for a tour of the Alquian provinces to show the people that Mako is in charge. Make sure that messengers give each provincial capital and major town enough advance notice.
2. Turn over all secret research projects that the Alquian military was working on; there was that one Alquian secret research lab that Eldric had taken, surely Alquia must have more.
3. Arrange for a meeting with major merchants and trading houses from the western regions. They probably already realize that there is an Empress again, but we need to make sure that they send messages back to their home offices to knock off any independence activities before military action gets taken.

>>1838827
supporting >>1838937

>>1838937
sure

>>1839881
>>1839807
>>1838937

"Indeed, the people will love to see the young empress." - Wasi nods as he thinks about it- "And about the military projects... I would need an order from her majesty, first."
"I am sure that will be easy enough. I will send it to you this evening."
"Please deliver it in person so I can hand the documents to you myself. Or if you'd prefer, I can go pick it up this evening?"

>Hand it ourselves
>Have him pick it up
>Other

>>1841244
>Hand it ourselves
Mako should be told about any projects as well.

>>1841268
Supporting

>>1841639
>>1841268

We find Mako in the audience room, listening to the citizen's worries and troubles, much like how Ren does at Mantequira.

Ah, we probably shouldn't get in the way. Some of these people have had to wait for a little over a decade for a new empress to grant audience, after all...

>They can wait five minutes while we get her signature on the permit
>Lets wait until she's done
>Other

>>1847582
>Lets wait until she's done

>>1847582
>Other
Motion for one of the Shadows to get the signature from Mako when she has a chance, while we work on other things.

>>1847582
supporting >>1847615

>>1847613
Considering how long it usually takes Ren, this is probably going to take most of the day.

>>1847615
Other things being meeting with trade representatives of the rebel province.

We also need to expand the Miel Hegemony to Alquia.
That will mean another Princess; better get married to Miel, get the Blessing, and have the wall and bed restraints prepared.

Well, since she's busy, let's do our own thing in the meanwhile, and see how the succubuss are doing. We already showed them how to craft glass, so let's see if they caught on it.

Also, for now, let's fetch Mai or Ami and explain what we need from Mako in the meanwhile... now where should we look for them...?

>Just call out for them gently around the back of Mako's throne. There's a courtain and a little space there. Looks like a shadow-oriented space
>Let's look for a secret double roof
>Other

>>1847717
>Let's look for a secret double roof
The bedroom and harem had hidden roof tunnels, so maybe the throne room is the same.

>>1847717
>>Let's look for a secret double roof

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>>1847753
>>1847735
>>Let's look for a secret double roof

As we climb up behind the room, we find a hatch, and once we pop our head inside, we find two redheads and seven lilae-haired girls lying down inside.

"Oh, so this is where the cute girls hide at?"
"Eldric, what is it?" - asks Ami
"Teacher, can you get Mako to sign me a permit for secret documents? I need to go elsewhere for a while, so I'll pick it up when I come back."
"Ah, sure."

We go down and close the lid. Then open it up and poke our head in again.

"Did you forget something?"
"No, I just wanted to take another look at you before I do."

Now we quickly dodge before we get hit with a throwing knife. Jee, Ami sure is easy to embarrass, isn't she? It's fine if she closes her legs and covers her buttom with her hand, that's cute, but why did she had to be the violent-when-embarrassed type?

Well, for now, let's go to New Hope and see how things are progressing over there.

>Let's go by ourselves
>Let's take X along with us (suggestions?)
>Other

>>1847759
>Let's take X along with us (suggestions?)
Kianna and Aurora. Our Pets, of course.

>>1847759
>>1847770
And Honoria. We need bricks and glassmaking tools from her kingdom.

>>1847759
seconding >>1847770
and >>1847771

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>>1847777
>>1847771
>>1847770

Didnt we leave Kianna and Aurora doing maid training? Or was it at the town? Either way, I was under the impression they werent with us at the moment.-

***

We head to Albion and talk with Honoria about going to New Hope with us, and about letting us hire some craftsmwn who can build furnaces and the like for the succubuss, and while she says she is too busy to go with us, she will happily recommend us to the craftsmnen guild.

Well, that's something. Hopefully the introduction letter from the princess will help us out with that.

Ah, while we're here, let's pick up Aurora and Kiriani from Kya's place and have them tag along.

Indeed, when we knock at the orphanage, Aurora opens the door while dressed in a very cute and conservative (by succubus standards) maid outfit with a frilly skirt, apron and head piece.

"Ah, Master, good day. If you are looking for lady Kya, she should be in the second floor with the older kids. She is teaching them magical theory on the weekends." - she greets us politely as she bows slightly with both hands on her lap, looking down before straightening back up and stepping back to invite us in with a cutesy gesture.

>Could you call for her, please?
>Actually I came looking for you and Kiriani
>Other

>>1847903
>Didnt we leave Kianna and Aurora doing maid training
Yes, they're with Dusk, getting maid training.

>Other: Could you please call for Dusk?
I'd like to ask her how Aurora and Kiani are progressing with their training.

>>1847903
supporting >>1847924

>>1847924
Supporting
We should also say hi to Kya

>>1848601
going to make a new thread now.

Question: Do we want to add Aurora, Kiriani and/or Kya to our harem? Or are they just going to be friends?

New thread here
>>1849210