Debauchery Worlds 41

Commissioned by Southmonk

Debauchery Worlds

Chapter 41

-VB-

A2

Theramore, Kalimdor

2981.10.08

To his surprise, Jaina herself, the ruler of Theramore, decided to grant them audience within an hour of their admittance to the city. 

It probably had something to do with their claim and the giant honking machine. 

An Urbanmech was not the worst mech. A2 would even go so far as to say that when it came to availability and urban warfare, it was an alright mech. But against a medieval society like Azerothian armies, an Urbanmech was a machine god of war. This particular model was UM-M10, which was Marris company’s own standarized modification to urbanmechs, not a production line. It had one large laser and one small laser, which meant it was horrible when it came to heat management… or it should if it didn’t have Tinkered heat sinks that were half as heavy with the same heat capacity. Oh, and instead of the usual 32 kilometers per hour that most Urbanmechs were limited to, our UM-M10 could march at an even 40. 

But that was enough to light the most advanced ships - water or air - on fire, burn through castle walls with ease, and smash through any amassed army on the field. The only ones capable of fighting an Urbanmech would be dragons, giant qirajis, some powerful mages, and not much else. 

Not a lot of things could fire off burning lasers while moving at a constant 40 kph and tank enough firepower to detonate a fort. 

That was literally the definition of a dragon if one excluded lizard and flying as characteristics. 

Oi, pay attention.

5A3’s mental call made A2 blink rapidly before focusing back on the real world. He and the others walked behind a footsoldier who’d been sent to guide them to the top of the magic tower that Theramore’s ruler was using as a combined command and administrative center for now. 

And speaking of Theramore, it was a very barebones city right now. The docks were barely finished, there was only one fort-barrack, and maybe two civilian buildings. There were more under construction, but it was clear to A2 and the others that Theramore had finished establishing itself but that was a far cry from being a prosperous city-state. 

When he climbed the last set of winding stairs up to the top floor of the tower, he found himself looking at a scene that stole his breath away. Numerous bookshelves, mages using magic, and then there was the ruler herself. 

And boy oh boy, she was sexy.

Jaina turned, looking away from the window that was facing where A2 had parked the Urbanmech. The afternoon sunlight hit her face just right to give her the sexy and mysterious shade, extentuating her features without casting everything else in the shadow. She had thinner lips and lower nose bridge than her media depiction, but that didn’t take away from the fact that she was beautiful.

… Shit, he was getting horny.

The guard stood still before Jaina gestured for them to approach, and then he stepped aside, allowing A2 and his clone cohort to approach her. 

A2 stepped forward until he was at a respectable distance away at around three arms’ length away from her, and bowed. The other clones copied him.

“We greet the ruler of Theramore, Jaina Proudmoore.”

“... Rise, strangers.” They did. But that was all they did. “You will not remove your helmet?” 

A2 hesitated. “Before we do, I must ask you to take into consideration that we are not from your world,” he began, doing his best to explain himself. After he said that, he removed his helmet and so did the other clones.

Jaina’s eyes widened. “You are … triplets?”

“No,” he shook his head. “We are the same person.” This, he and the other two clones said at the same time. 

“... I see. If you are not lying, then you truly are a stranger on a strange world.”

“Yes,” he replied. “Though we have watched this world for some time.”

“Then why come to me?” she asked. “If you know the circumstances of this world, then you also know that we are refugees fleeing the disasters of the Eastern Kingdoms.”

“It is exactly because you are refugees that we came to you,” A2 replied. “Anyone else would be thinking too much about meaningless politics and trying to gain every scrap of advantage over us, up to and including assassination of one of us if it meant they could steal our armor.”

Jaina nodded slowly. “And what do you think that this group of refugees can provide you with?” she asked. “We have little that we can offer travelers from afar.”

“Ah, but you underestimate your value, Lady Proudmoore,” he replied. “You are the ruler of a new polity that requires imported goods and a place to export to. Unlike your compatriots across the ocean, you are stable and fully capable of negotiating in good faith unlike, let’s say, what remains of Alterac or the paranoid and isolationist Gilneas.”

The corners of her lips twitched. 

“Then what do you think you can offer us?”

“Well, food for one,” A2 replied bluntly. “Food is probably very hard to come by, reliably, in a swamp like this, no? We can offer all kinds of grains and meats. If you need high grade iron for your arms, we can provide those too. And if you wish for warmachines like the one outside… we can arrange that, too.”

Jaina seemed to consider his offer seriously. “And what can we offer you?”

“We were hoping that you would allow us to set up an embassy in your city. Along with this, we also hope that you will be amenable to send someone to teach us magic. We may be capable of it, but we are … lacking in education.”

She raised an eyebrow. “If you are lacking in magic, then how did you come to this world?”

“With technology, Lady Proudmoore. There comes a point in both magic and technology where the division between the two blurs as you can see outside.”

She glanced at the Urbanmech. “So I see.” She pondered on her answer before shaking her head. 

Wait, no? She was going to say no already -?

“This is the kind of discussion that will take weeks to conclude, not something we can sign a contract on a whim. Let us reconvene tomorrow.”

“If that is your wish, Lady Proudmoore,” A2 bowed again.

It looked like he had his foot in the door for now. 

---

Jaina Proudmoore 

Year 21 (2981 BT)

Jaina watched the trio of same-faced men with the same mana signature leave the tower before turning to her chamberlain and advisor. 

“What do you think about them?” she asked.

“They weren’t lying when they talked,” her advisor, Aegwynn, hummed. “Maybe this will be a good thing for your new kingdom.”

Jaina frowned. “I don’t want to be come a queen.”

“What you want and what you need to do are two different things, Jaina. You know this already.”

She glared at her advisor before huffing. “You think I should treat with them?”

“If only to know who these newcomers are, yes. Their claims are …”

“... It worries you.”

“Yes.”

Because all other otherworlders were either demons or orcs, neither of which turned out to be friendly. 

“What I am worried about is their willingness to part with their warmachine,” Jaina spoke up after a while. “The way they offered it themselves instead of me asking for it speaks of an ability to make more of those with ease.”

“Or maybe they will sell one to you at such a mark up that they may as well have robbed you.”

“Maybe that, too.”