Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 65: A Quiet Moment's Drive

Daniel was met with exactly what he expected upon return to the Citadel. Hekate scolded him, just as the three dragon empresses had, and Wenlianna, Treia, and Gwenesphia expressed their worries as well. Vaergraes admits that he made a practical choice, and that she heard of Choul, the dragon known as the Grey Outcast, since he never got along with the Red Lord or his fellow dragons.

Now, Daniel is hiding out in the hangar, where he's working on a ground-based all-terrain vehicle. Xyreko's production facilities made the majority of the vehicle and parts from designs on Daniel's phone, but because he had to modify for magic crystals to serve as a battery for an electric motor, he has to experiment and work through the principles. Xyreko is a fast learner, but she's doing her own experiments to understand the electrical principles Daniel walked her through.

He's mainly killing time and getting some space after taking a verbal and emotional thrashing from his family.

Of course, as always, that very thought makes him happy. He doesn't like that he worries them, but it's profoundly different having someone to come home to than his life on Earth, where he returned home night after night alone.

Daniel files a thin metal cowling from the engine compartment, working to make it fit better and give better airflow across the motor. He hasn't even been able to drive it yet, thanks to the motor overheating almost immediately. He underestimated how much airflow he'd need to allow in the engine compartment, and allowed it to be more compact with excess tubing and hoses present. But, each additional inch of tubing is an air restriction, which he's cut most of them to proper lengths, and now he's touching up metal.

"My Lord?" asks a male voice.

Daniel looks up from his work. He stands up, saying, "Ah, Choul. Did you need me for something?"

"No, my Lord. I was just trying to ensure that I am available to serve you."

Daniel scoffs lightly. Geirahoel didn't let any time be wasted in getting Choul contracted, and Daniel was only barely able to get her to agree to contract the grey dragon to Daniel alone. He'll need to try to catch Ryuogriar alone and see if she can learn why Geirahoel hates him so passionately, since he finds it difficult to believe that she's so upset that Choul put Daniel in danger.

"I appreciate the dedication, Choul, but you don't have to take it so seriously. If you want to go back to wandering the world, or trying to establish your own family, or basically anything you want, I don't mind."

"I appreciate that, my lord. As I said, though, my life is otherwise without a concrete purpose now that I dedicated so long to revenge."

"Alright. How about a murky purpose, then? Shouldn't you be wanting to flirt with the lady dragons who don't like me? For the immediate future, we could use more dragons in the world. Though, we do need to establish some farmland and livestock around the Citadel, which means we need villagers." Daniel sighs. He wants nothing to do with leadership, but he is one of the rulers of the Citadel, meaning he has responsibility, especially since he agreed to let people move into the surrounding areas. If he wants to keep burning through the Citadel's stockpile of mana, he'll need to also draw an income. Thankfully, he can make the 'mana donations' his form of taxes, at least until a more stable society is established under the Fievegal.

"Say the word, my Liege, and I shall round up all of the slaves you-..."

"No. There will be no slaves in the Fievegal. None. Even you and the other dragons with your contracts aren't slaves. I will endeavor to never give you an order you can't refuse. If I can't convince who I need to cooperate and can't drive them away, then I will execute them if and when that proves to be the only option. But, where I come from, disagreeable speech is a right. And, so is not being a slave. 'Freedom' was dubious at times, but outright slavery was considered a moral abomination."