Chapter Three-Hundred Twelve

    The way Olander holds the protection belt reminds me of a few little facts, and a few options I have, too. Teemo nods at the budding idea and speaks up for me.

    “So, are you sending that belt off to the king, too? The Boss knows how nasty lifedrinking can be, but he doesn’t know how wide-spread it is. Is it a big concern when delving elsewhere?”

    Olander takes a few seconds to weigh the answer, with the others giving him time to think without their input, before he responds. “I probably should send the belt with my report. Not many dungeons make much use of it, but past a certain level, it does become a lot more common.”

    “Then how about, instead of giving up your hard-won loot, you send them a sample with some notes from Honey and Thing?”

    Olander blinks a few times as he processes that. “Would that be alright?”

    Teemo smirks and nods. “It’s the Boss’ idea to do just that. It’s not for free, though.”

    Olander’s look steels. “What do I need to do?”

    “Tell the King’s best nerds to come visit if they want a better explanation than the sample and notes. The Boss has a Lecture Hall room that he didn’t think he’d ever have a reason to use, but he’s getting enough scions with big brains that he figures they might like to try their appendages at teaching.”

    Olander’s resolve is stopped in its tracks at the offer, though most of the others around smile, more used to how I tend to do things. “That’s it? And he’d use a Lecture Hall for that? It’s usually for training denizens or imparting knowledge to dwellers.”

    Teemo nods. “He’d be happy to share. Just make sure the nerds know their tuition costs will involve them doing a bit of delving. No free rides here.”

    Olander snorts at that and nods. “I think the King might find his greatest minds fighting each other to come.”

    “I’ll certainly be attending,” speaks up Staiven, with Rhonda looking eager as well. Tula looks interested, too, but I don’t think she’s as eager to delve as the others just yet. She does seem to have something to say, though.

    “Would followers of the Great Mother Laermali be allowed to attend, too?”

    Teemo shrugs. “If they come to learn, sure. I hope we won’t be stepping on your toes with that, Rhonda?” he asks the goblin with a wink, who is quick to shake her head.

    “It’s no problem! I want to learn as much as you have to offer, too, so I can’t complain about Tula or anyone else trying to get the information from you instead!”

    Old Staiven smirks at his young apprentice. “Maybe you’ll be able to give a guest lecture or two of your own. You’ll probably be easier to understand than most of the scions.”

    Teemo’s look sours for a moment, before a few ideas of mine make him brighten back up. “I’m not looking forward to trying to translate for everyone, but Boss has a couple ideas to fix that.”

    “How?” comes the obvious reply from most gathered.

    A complex? I chew on the idea as my scions do the same, with Coda seeming to be the first to ask a question. “He asks where we would put it,” translates Teemo.

    Hmm. Expanding is an option, but that’d probably bring another invader to deal with, and doesn’t guarantee the space would be good for something like that. If I use space we already have... it’d have to be in the Forest of Four Seasons somewhere. Could the trunk of the tree handle being hollowed out enough for something like that?

    Teemo relays my question, and I don’t need a translation to see Coda and Poppy both look nervous about that idea. “They say it might work, but it’d take a lot of reinforcing.”

    Let’s not then. I really don’t want the tree to crack in half with the first strong breeze. What about in the roots?

    This time, my scions look thoughtful before answering. “It’d be difficult to get started, but should be doable. Roots naturally like to coil around big rocks and stuff for stability. Poppy says the tree will probably bore into the bedrock, but she can’t know exactly what it’ll do before you use the expansion to grow it.”

    I nod to myself about that and consider the options. We can’t really start just yet, but if Poppy can help guide the roots to encourage it to leave large voids between the roots, we should be able to plan out modularly. Hopefully the area under the forest won’t be quite so dense with tunnels and such. In fact... we should get the rockslides to survey the area. I’d hate to learn the whole expansion is over a sinkhole, but I’d hate it even more to find out only when the tree falls in.

    Teemo nods at that and turns to Leo. “Leo, get the rockslides and wyrms to survey under the forest, especially where the tree will be going. If we are going to set up a complex down there, it’d be good to know there’s nothing already sitting in the space.”

    Leo wuffs in acknowledgement before Teemo continues. “Coda, draw up some preliminary designs, but nothing too detailed. We can’t plan that surely until it’s grown. Poppy, can you encourage the tree to have roots that spread out, giving us room to build between them?”

    She nods with her frontmost flower, and Teemo nods as well. “Then I think that’s a good enough plan for the moment. Anyone have anything to add?”

    Most of the scions indicate no, but Zorro and Goldilocks look like they want to say something. “Go ahead, you two. If you have a need, or think you see a problem, speak up.”

    They share a glance before Zorro makes fox noises. Teemo waits for him to finish before smiling. “The cost won’t be an issue. We can put in work to reduce it, and Boss still has a good wad of mana from the Maw to spend, too. Don’t worry, he’s not going to starve himself.”

    Zorro still looks worried, so I pat the bond with him, and with Goldilocks for good measure. I’m glad you’re thinking about me, but you don’t need to worry about this, bud. I can still feel concern through the bond, but at least not as much. He’ll just have to wait and see.

    “Alright, anyone have any other business? Anything to ask for or make sure the Boss knows about?”

    Thing, Honey, and Queen all vie for Teemo’s attention, and he chuckles as he listens. “They’re talking over each other, but all three of them are looking forward to using the Lecture Hall once you designate it. For now, one of the rooms in the manor would probably be the easiest place to put it.”

    My three scholarly scions put on their best begging poses. I don’t know how Honey and Queen manage to make puppy eyes with compound lenses, but they manage. Even Thing gets it on it with plucking and doodling a finger through Tiny’s fuzz like a kid sitting in the grass who wants something, but doesn’t want to actually ask.

    Fine. Fine! I’ll designate it! You three will have to share for now, though. I think the Sanctum will make a good lecture hall proper once we move. I spend the money and turn a room that I think was a study into a lecture hall, though it looks more like a cramped classroom right now with a handful of small desks and a new chipped chalkboard on the wall.

    The three celebrate while Teemo laughs. “Now don’t forget about the notes Olander needs, too!” They all three nod before they start communicating amongst themselves, and Teemo leaves them to it.

    “Alright, anything else?”