Rykard felt a buzz.

  It was a buzz annoying enough to not be ignored. It began in the evening, as a mild bother. Constantly, he felt as if there was a fly somewhere in his vicinity. When he described it to the twins, they said they felt nothing of the sort.

  The buzz continued. It continued and continued, growing more and more, until Rykard knew what he was feeling. He was feeling the constant, mild trickle of mana being pulled. He was standing in a vortex carpeting the world.

  The buzz kept him awake. After a day filled with all the frivolities of young love, after a day filled with the exhaustion of satisfying two elves and a vampire, he failed to sleep. Was he nervous? No. Because he knew that it couldn’t be another contender that moved this much mana.

  At the stroke of midnight, the buzzing stopped.

  Bright golden letters appeared before him.

  THE FIRST DIVINE GAME HAS BEGUN!

  The map that appeared in front of Rykard was the same as the st one he had been able to look at, but with 4 marked locations added. “One day,” he sighed, while the three women around him stirred from their individual slumber.

  “The first Divine Game? Already?” Vyra asked.

  “Divine Game?” Tena asked, her sister rubbing her eyes. That the two slept in his quarters would raise little eyebrows after the very public date they had, although they would still have to provide an expnation to the council.

  Which was a problem to be discussed ter.

  “According to what I know, Divine Games are events the gods pn throughout the years of the game,” Rykard expined. “They have decided on dates, without our knowledge, and on those dates, they spring these surprises on us. It just so happens that, this time around, it’s annoyingly timed for me.”

  “Why bother partaking in the games then?”

  “Because they provide rewards beyond the pcing of simple Hexagons.”

  As he spoke, more text appeared in the air.

  “Contestants,

  Four locations have been provided. At each of those locations, a portal stands that takes you to the grounds of our first game. These portals have been pced according to our whims and according to whom we think currently needs a leg up. No, we don’t care if you think that’s unfair. Cry more, die more!

  In this first game, the competitors shall be awarded the ability to pce a set number of Ocean Tiles. Ocean Tiles will raise the sea level within them to the frame, be filled with salt water rather than freshwater, and contain the various bounties of the oceans. They will also be surrounded by empty Coastal Tiles for colonization and exploitation of the foodstuff.

  Ocean Tiles and Coastal Tiles cannot be repced your own Hexagons afterwards. They will stand forever. As winner, you can pce them wherever you wish, be that to draw a funny shape on the map or to create strategical blockers. Be aware that a contender that owns a Hexagon bordering an Ocean or Coastal Tile is considered also owning that Ocean or Coastal TIle, unless there’s another contender also bordering it - so no boxing anyone in!

  All that compete in this game will be able to pce 3 Ocean Tiles, more going to those who do better! For this game, the contenders themselves must step through the portals. No delegates! To appease the paranoid, we guarantee no assassinations shall happen during this game!

  After the Divine Game concludes, all contestants that participate will immediately unlock the ability to pce 2 tile Hexagons from that point onward. All that did not compete will be granted this same ability a month after the game concludes.

  What game is being pyed will be revealed to you 7 days after the first contestant steps through one of the portals! That will also be when entries stop!

  Hope to see you soon!

  The Organizer.”

  Rykard inspected the map again. Each side of a Hexagon tile took about 1 day at normal walking speed, so he would need about 21 days to get to the closest marker, the one in the north. Three weeks of walking just to get there. That was exactly as long as he had been on this world for.

  There was also the inherent risk that he would not make it in time. In that case, the trip too and back would be wasted entirely.

  “Will you compete, milord?” Vyra asked, her voice conflicted for the same reason he had to think about this.

  This would take 28 days minimum, assuming he was the first one there. If he went on his own and hurried, he could certainly shave a week off that, but even then it was a huge time investment. All the contenders that opted out would have all that time to expand their realms. That was theoretically counterbanced by the provided Ocean Tiles and the ability to pce the 2 tile Hexagons sooner. Even the minimum amount of Ocean Tiles, 3, came with a great amount of nd attached thanks to the attached Coastal Tiles that would surround them.

  It was a strategical trade-off. Neither choice was necessarily wrong. Not partaking was a tad dull, and might cost him favour with the gods. Walking there was also dull. 21 days of making his way over the empty frames, living off of conjured food and water…

  He could also dey to at least wrap up this Hexagon, get the map update, then summon the next Hexagon and leave it to Miyo to ready that one to swear fealty to him on his return. If he did end up going to the Divine Game, that was likely most efficient, although it would cost 1 ? days to wait for the scouts to return. After that, he could immediately go north and send Vyra to inform Miyo about this. He could also go himself.

  The harem would understand if he went for the opportunity, but they would doubtlessly appreciate it if he came see them first.

  “What a mess,” Rykard said out loud, a smile on his face. It was a mess, but wasn’t it an interesting one? “Will I compete…?”

  The advantages and disadvantages were swiftly weighed out. Going would be risky. It would be quite risky, even, considering the time other Contestants would need to get there and the frame of time he had to catch up. However, this was going to be his world. He would not have anyone else shape it anymore than he had to suffer.

  “I’ll compete,” he therefore announced and got up. Vyra gave him a solemn nod, the twins looked up at him. “Please call the council for me,” he requested gently. “I need to inform them of this - and of the two of you coming with me.” He smiled. “I’m introducing you to the rest of my harem before I go.”

  _______________________________________________________________________

  Rykard would have preferred it if he could have accepted the fealty of the Whisperwoods in greater style. It was not everyday that he got to cim a forest filled to the brim with sexual energies and erotic elves into his blossoming realm. The reality of the situation did not allow anything like this.

  He sat in the audience chamber, surrounded by Vyra and the twins. The announcement that they would be sticking by him on a prolonged observation mission, as they jokingly called it, had gone over simply. The elves that had seen them on their date outside had started the rumour mill and the elves inside these halls already knew of Rykard’s charm.

  There was a moment of great confusion when Tena and Mena first both kissed him and then each other, the redhead aggressively initiating the contact. The council was universally confused by the sight, but said nothing about it. Any moral or personal distaste they had for the scene was neutralized by the greater situation and the arms around the twins’ waists.

  One by one, the scouts returned, painting a picture of Rykard’s honesty. There were a few points of minor offense, such as reports that he had made a deal with a demon and ensved an angel. Crifying such things swiftly put things in order and, ultimately, the council of the Whisperwoods agreed to join his realm. In a quick ritual, they drew the sigil of Tey on his forehead with sap, acknowledging him as effective head of the council. In return, he reiterated his promises of local autonomy and of the enticing world they were going to build together.

  Rykard gave them swift instructions to focus on the prosperity of the realm, distributing their wealth in herbs, meat, and other foodstuffs across New Eden. These aphrodisiacs would only further the economy of his realm, especially in the long term.

  Immediately after that, he was out the door. They travelled through the night on swift foot. Mena was the slowest of them and even she was capable of sprinting for a prolonged period, having lived a healthy life in the Whisperwoods. Sleepless, they arrived back in the Estate by the morning of the 29th of Hexa. It had now been one whole day since the Divine Game had been announced.

  “Miyo!” Rykard shouted, the moment he was in the house. The twins behind him breathed heavily, but still took the time to look around their new home with wide eyes. This kind of architecture must have been oddly rigid to them, but the artistry on dispy could not be denied.

  The king marched in the general direction of his bedroom, soon hearing the sounds of footsteps coming in his general direction. He saw Helenn’s ever-present light around the corner before his remaining haremettes came around the corner.

  Miyo, Helenn, and Hey, all three were stark naked. Under other circumstances, they would have met him on hands and knees, or at least with kisses, but they smelled the urgency in the air. “What’s the situation?” the redhead at the front asked, her tone calm, but her tails twitching with barely suppressed agitation.

  “The first Divine Game has begun,” Rykard told her. “I have to travel to a destination roughly three weeks away to participate.” The vixen’s eyes widened, just a bit. A gesture of her hand beckoned him to follow. They did not walk far, only to the next room containing a chair and a table.

  “Helenn, Hey, fetch them some refreshments,” Miyo instructed. Helenn hesitantly nodded, Hey clicked her tongue, both following the order only because there was noone else to do it for them. The ck of servant staff was shining through. “Take a moment to breath, sort your thoughts,” the levelheaded queen of Rykard’s harem had the advantage of not standing at the end of a multiple hour sprint.

  Rykard did as she recommended. Him, Vyra, and the twins put their butts in seats and just concentrated on getting their breaths to a calm pace. Once he had managed, he broke the situation down to Miyo, his resolve to participate, and his pn for what they would do in the meantime.

  “...A risk, to travel out so far, but one that I reckon many of the other contestants will take as well,” Miyo muttered ultimately and nodded several times. “We’ll set out at dawn.”

  “We can set out right now,” Rykard assured her, loading a handful of fresh fruit into his mouth.

  “You will sleep and take a bath in the morning,” Miyo decreed. “You can hasten yourself half to death on the way to the game, but I shall not see you exhaust yourself when you still have decisions to make regarding the summoning of the Hexagon. Additionally, I want to be fully informed about the development of your power before I am without you for so long.” She pulled his head against her chest. “A few hours will likely not matter to the days on the road. You can forgive your queen that much sentimentality, correct?”

  If she put it like that, he had no way but to relent.