Alone I would be an absolutely horrible ruler, but with my wives I might not be so bad. As much as I hate to admit it, it is a good thing that I have a lot of wives, they have a lot to make up for. Even now, I may not have enough wives to make up for all of my shortcomings, but I’ll never admit that to them.

  I will admit that watching Mercy work makes me appreciate her all the more. She isn’t really aiming to get anything, she is just improving relations with the other kingdoms. The fact that she is doing so just through talking is pretty impressive and really sexy.

  At this point, I can’t wait for dinner to be over so I can take her to our room and show her how impressed I am. Unfortunately, I have to wait because the discussion continues even after dinner is finished. However, Mercy is making decent progress in building relations with the other kingdoms, so I stay quiet.

  None of them are anywhere near my empire, but having good relations with them can’t hurt. They are Amn’s allies, so there is a chance that this could help him at some point. If nothing else, Shiro seems to be learning a lot from watching how Mercy deals with them.

  To be honest, I am learning a lot too, but I will never have the patience to actually use it. I will just stick to what I am good at, being grouchy and intimidating. Everything else I will just leave to my wives to handle, they will do it better anyway.

  The conversation finally winds down and I am able to take Mercy to our room. I both show her and tell her how awesome I think she is and I don’t stop until she passes out. Once she is asleep, I open a soulscape to spend time with my wives and my kids.

  After that, I open another to spend some time with the goddesses and then a third. I attempt to invite Everburn to my soulscape, but he instead drags me into his soulscape. I appear on the normal mountain top next to a red dragon that is about the same size as me.

  Everburn says “So, what trouble have you gotten into this time?”

  “No trouble. I just had some questions about the battlefield.”

  Everburn says “So you already visited it?”

  “Yes, a couple of times. I didn’t stay long, but I hunted some beasts and met another dragon named Storm. She also advised me that I was too weak to be there.”

  Everburn says “You are lucky that she didn’t just eat you.”

  “She also told me that.”

  Everburn says “So, it takes two dragons telling you something for you to listen?”

  “Apparently. At least I plan to delay my return for a while. I will go back once I am somewhat stronger.”

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  Everburn says “That is at least progress. I knew it would be futile to try and stop you until you had seen some of it. Now that you have, I hope you will be far more careful. So, what questions do you have?”

  “Well, I saw the plains and know they stretch out to the edge. I also saw the hills, but that is all. Can you tell me about the rest of the terrain of the battlefield?”

  Everburn says “Is this to satisfy your curiosity so you can delay returning?”

  “It’s a little scary that you know me so well.”

  Everburn says “In that case, think of the battlefield as a great big disk. The outermost layer is the plains where everyone first arrives. The next is a vast ring of hills where those of middle strength reside. After that is a vast ring of mountains where stronger beings fight each other. Finally you have a massive valley where those of the greatest strength battle. In the center of that valley lies the ruins of a vast city. Those ruins are where the gods battle.”

  “There are gods who visit the battlefield?”

  Everburn says “Yes, but mostly weaker ones. Those who have lost their positions or have no followers left. They search the ruins for things that can empower them so they can continue surviving.”

  “So, if you went there fully, you could kill those gods?”

  Everburn says “Yes, I could, if I could make it to them. I would most likely be swarmed and taken down before I could get that far. Any dragon fully entering the battlefield would be targeted by every other being. Our bodies are just way too valuable. Even sworn enemies would work together to bring down a dragon.”

  “How much would that apply to me?”

  Everburn says “It wouldn’t since you aren’t entering physically. You are far more likely to be targeted by those who trade in soul slaves.”

  “Yes, Storm said the same. Honestly, it just makes me tempted to go use myself as bait and slaughter the slavers.”

  Everburn says “That would not be wise. Do not judge the strength of others based on this world. This world, due to the low mana, is far weaker than normal worlds. In the battlefield, you will encounter souls from much more advanced worlds.”

  “I know it is foolish, but that makes me even more tempted. I have not had a decent challenge in a while. Don’t worry, just because I am tempted does not mean I am stupid enough to actually do it.”

  Everburn says “In other words, you want to but are afraid of what your mates would do when they found out.”

  “Pretty much. So, what is with those ruins? Who built the city?”

  Everburn says “I don’t know and I don’t think anyone does. The oldest records I have seen show them as ruins. It may have been created that way.”

  “Any idea who made the battlefield, or when?”

  Everburn says “Sorry, not a clue. Even when my grandfather was born the battlefield already existed.”

  “If they are that old, shouldn’t the ruins already have been completely looted? Do gods still fight there?”

  Everburn says “It should have been, but it isn’t. Some say that the ruins just create treasures for the gods to fight over. I can’t tell you for sure since I haven’t been to the ruins myself.”

  “Speaking of, do you have a portion of yourself in the battlefield?”

  Everburn says “Of course I do. Part of me has a hunting ground in the hills near the mountains. I don’t just depend on growing older to increase my strength.”

  “Does that mean that you are stronger than Storm?”

  Everburn says “Without meeting her I have no way to tell. It may just be that I am more willing to take risks than she is. I have lost that portion of myself and had to recover from it a few times, but that makes me more willing to take risks. Dragons live a long time and that can lead to us having very different personalities. Don’t ever assume that a dragon is going to act in a way you expect.”