An Arcanist's Citadel 7

A/N: since I completed all of those chapters that was supposed to be spread throughout the week in just two days, I decided to do one more chapter.

-VB-

An Arcanist’s Citadel

Chapter 7

-VB-

Despite the fact that they came in force with a warship along with an attached Alliance spook, the Catholic Church … didn’t do anything. I wasn’t sure what they were doing, but my “friends” across the colony told me that these “exorcists” rummaged about the colony doing odd things like taking readings at nothing. 

But I knew what they were doing. They were taking readings of the ghosts and soul fragments I left around.

I didn’t think anyone in this universe had the ability to detect and see souls, never mind manipulate them. After all, I came here expecting a sci-fi universe, but apparently, my Professor Haywire Tinkertech didn’t work so cleanly. 

That was fine with me. 

It was one thing for people to fear me because they didn’t know what to do against me, but it’s another type of fear entirely when they can see exactly what I can do. 

But my ability to manipulate souls was one of my lesser abilities, if one with wider applications and which can reach higher limits with enough time, material, and preparation. 

Like, let’s say, a decade working on barriers and then a thousand plus “willing” victims.

I still made exotic bombs on occasion, created power armors with Tecton’s Tinker power, and probably was close to reaching the peak of my Arcane Magic. 

… I really neglected the latter two during my time in Karakura Town. The only ones I didn’t neglect to expand upon during my time there was Haywire and Bakuda’s Tinkertech as well as my Servant’s defenses. 

Speaking of whom…

“You came back fast,” I told the man as he stepped off of his private destroyer warship. Men and women, all of whom were capable soldiers, lined the red carpet that came rolling down the stairs.

Hidemasa Jin, or known in his first life as “Qin Shi Huang,” the first emperor of China, humphed. 

The long raven-haired pretty boy-man harrumphed as he looked around. “Where are my nieces and nephews?” he asked me instead. “They will appreciate their uncle more than their dad.”

I snorted. “They’re inside. Come on,” I said as I invited him in. I noticed Hide gesturing for his soldiers to relax and take five. 

When I first arrived in the Mass Effect universe, I knew that Hidemasa was, eh, unnecessary. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I knew that I would not have someone better at defending a location than he would, but I was even better at it with my “offensive defense.” 

The Korean Peninsula had to learn that, unfortunately, despite having never harmed me. Do not Rest in Peace, North Korea. You deserved to disappear under half a dozen black hole bombs. Sorry to the innocents but if you lived in North Korea, then you were dead people walking anyway. 

Anyways, where was I? 

Right, Hidemasa. 

So after arriving in this universe, I basically let him off the leash. Told him to do whatever he wanted to do as long as he maintained his strongest barrier over my family. 

So he did. 

The conqueror went and founded a new state. 

Even named it “Qin” after his old empire. 

He was very successful, and his state was one of the few major powers among human states that hasn’t joined the Systems Alliance to this day. It helped that Qin sat at the edge of human worlds and reasonably far from the Mass Relay network for the Systems Alliance to spend time and effort convincing them to join. 

But he had a lot of eezo, the knowledge on how to use and work mana into technology, and the leadership, political, and governance experience that no human alive could match. 

It’s why despite the fact that his state, which consisted of five star systems and seven planets in total, was only fifteen years old, it was a major power, eclipsing most one-world states like Titan.

Suffice to say, he was very charismatic. 

Then he also snapped his fingers. 

Two maids, one in medieval East Asian palace maid outfit and the other in Victorian era maid outfit, stepped forward from among his retinue, and carried with them boxes.

“I’ve also brought gifts.”

I rolled my eyes. “None of those are drugs, right?”

“Dresses for Hana, Amy, and Nora. The latest digital art station for Vicky. Video games for Nara and Sai. And a tank for Sora.”

“No tank.”

“Sora will be upset.”

“He can be upset all he wants. No tanks in the house.”

“Says the man who makes black hole bombs by color.”

“Oi,” I hissed at him. “I’m the man of the house. I can do that. Sora can have all the military gear he wants when he gets his own house.”

“I somehow doubt you’ll let him. You might not be nosy with society, but you are definitely nosy with your children.”

“That’s how parents work, Hide!” 

“Of course, we do. My own little princes and princesses need constant observation and supervision.”

“... Did you bring any of them with you for me to spoil?”

“You? Spoil them? Master, you are too poor for them to be spoiled by you.”

“Do you let them have all of the candy they want?”

“...”

“Well, Uncle Alan definitely will,” I laughed as I opened the door to the house. 

And the kids rushed out to meet their uncle.