Surviving The Myriad Worlds (A Multiplanar LitRPG)

"One moment."

Pauwna reached into her bag and there was a familiar thrum. She tilted the bag towards him so that Dante could see the egg-shaped warding device they had used while on the ship. He sighed, disappointed.

This espionage stuff is getting exhausting.

"We aren't just here to have a good time are we?" He asked wearily.

"Afraid not. Take heart, this will be brief and then we can get back to enjoying ourselves. There is not much more to be done at this point."

"You make it sound like we are heading into battle."

Pauwna gave him a fatalistic smile. "Not too bad a comparison really. To nobles, politics is a battlefield, and losing could mean a fate worse than death. The Eternal Empress has been known to make examples of dissidents like me."

She laughed at the look on his face.

"Don't worry yourself about it, you are too valuable to suffer such a fate for long. At least I would be a sweet memory for you."

Is this gallows humor? I can't say I care much for it.

"I am curious, you said 'Eternal Empress earlier'. Just how old is she?"

"Ah, so I did. Do not call her that outside of this ward. She hates the title. To answer your question, no one really knows save for her. As old as the Empire at least. Perhaps about one thousand years."

Over a thousand years? The hell? I guess I have confirmation that these powers can increase your lifespan. I wonder how old Ahzi is? Or Pauwna for that matter? Is it taboo to ask a woman's age here?

"Anyways, to the point." Pauwna leaned forward, growing serious. "Once inside the palace, we can't talk like this."

"Why not? Won't that device shield us?" Dante asked, gesturing towards the bag with his chin.

"Likely not, it would break before bending. More importantly, it would be detected. As well made as these concealment wards are, we are entering perhaps the most secure location in the civilized world. It would be highly suspicious for people like us to have this. Believe me, we don't want to attract any attention."

"Agreed," Dante said, thinking of his many secrets and his resulting misfortunes. "Though I am afraid it's already too late for that."

"That's actually why we are talking. You will attract attention, no avoiding that."

Dante had been afraid of that.

"It's how I look, isn't it?"

Dante had quickly been inured to drawing attention. It was his hair that first drew gazes, followed by his eyes, then his face. Given he was the only human in the world, it was to be expected.

Unless there were other transmigrators.

It was a possibility that had always been in the back of his mind. There had been other souls present in the in-between, so it would make sense. However, Ahzi's acknowledgment that she had seen no one like him made that seem unlikely.

Pauwna nodded. "You are partially right. You will be an object of curiosity for many, but that will fade in time. What is more concerning is that we've become part of the First Princess's entourage. As long as we hold that position, we are a part of their games. Whether we want it or not."

Dante had not considered that angle.

More powerful eyes on me. Wonderful.

"My advice would be to play dumb and be loyal. Miss any subtext or hidden messages. Be obtuse. Refuse to do anything without the First Princess's approval. Once they realize you are the same as any grunt, they will leave you alone."

"Play dumb, huh? I can do that."

"Of that, I have no doubt."

"... Hey! A bit more hesitation would have been nice!"

They laughed together until they were interrupted by a new voice. "Looks like you two are having fun here!" Said Slanni, winking before putting down their drinks.

"Thanks," said Pauwna. She hummed appreciatively after tasting her drink. "The ale is as good as I remember. Keep them coming."

Dante waited for the barmaid to leave before simply asking, "Does she know?"

Pauwna raised a finger as she proceeded to drain the tankard in front of his disbelieving eyes. This was no small container either, nearly a small casket on its own. It was a side of her he hadn't seen yet. He hadn't thought she was one to go so wild.

Still, she is going to get drunk fast if she keeps going like that.

"She knows a little. Enough to know that I am no ordinary Naula and that I am not the most loyal. More than that would put both of us at risk."

Dante tried his own Ale and made a small noise of appreciation. Pauwna was right, it was very good. Though sweeter than he was used to and had a hint of something nutty. That sweetness seemed to be something of a theme with Sūnsian food in his experience.

"One last thing. Do not speak unless you are spoken to. It could offend and invite trouble besides. Decorum should be covered by the tutor the First Princess will provide."

Dante shook his head and took a long draught from his tankard. He was beginning to develop a headache. People were complicated.

Slanni slipped in, almost as if she waiting, to deposit a new tankard next to the first. Pauwna immediately started on it and Dante resisted the urge to say something.

Now that I am thinking about it, I finished a good part of my ale and barely feel a buzz. Is leveling making it harder to get drunk? I bet constitution is to blame. Mine is twice as high as a regular person's.

"Do you have any family?"

Dante blinked at the unexpected question. They had talked about his homeland in general terms, but Pauwna had never dug deeper. What had brought this change of heart?

"Only one that matters. My sister, Sophia. She was my guiding light when I lost my way. I wouldn't be half the man I am today if not for her. I don't deserve a sister like you."

"Don't say that." Pauwna lay a gentle hand on his arm. "I can't speak to the man you were, but the current Dante saved my life multiple times over. Not only mine either. If your sister assisted you, then I would like to meet her myself someday."

Dante returned her smile with a bittersweet one of his own. Such a thing was impossible of course. They were worlds apart from his sister and he had no guarantee he could bring Pauwna or even himself. Much less is she would want such a thing if she knew what it entailed. Still, he also wanted it. Which reminded him.

"We did not part well. She likely thinks I died a painful death in the accident that brought me here. By the time I make it back to her, she might be over me."

"Trust me, Dante, you never get over family"

Dante reached his hand up and placed it over hers, allowing himself to find comfort in her words without rejecting them. They stayed like that for several, long moments before Pauwna drew away.

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"And the rest of your family?"

That brought a scowl to his lips. "Not present. My father died when I was young and my mother … never quite got over it. She voluntarily surrendered us to the state a few months after the accident, effectively making us orphans."

"I am sorry that I asked. I didn't know the memories were so painful for you."

"It's fine. It was a long time ago." Dante took a long drink to hide the lump in his throat, finishing his tankard. He noticed that a second had been placed beside the first. When had that happened? "If you don't mind me asking, why the sudden curiosity?"

"I ask everyone close to me. I have no parents, so I am curious about what it is like. Besides, I simply wanted to know more about you."

Something about that last statement caught his attention.

"You have no parents? You mean that you were separated from them at birth?"

"I suppose I didn't get into it when last we talked. I meant what I said. Naula is created nigh entirely from magic, full-grown. Technically, some of the rituals components include the … ingredients of life, but they are consumed by the spell."

She says the most horrifying things as if they were normal. Given the circumstances of her birth, it is incredible that she turned out so well.

"I am sorry," he said simply, finding no other words.

"For what? I have thousands of brothers and sisters, far more than any other being. In that regard, I am fortunate."

After that, they started talking about lighter things — having their fill of existential questions. Pauwna told him more of her childhood in the under city. Of the released Naula, who occupied part of the undercity and Pauwna's place in the resulting gang.

"To be blunt, I hurt people," she told him, alcohol beginning to slur her words. A concerning number of tankards next to her. "A lot of them. Our group produced nothing. No goods, no services except for terror. We were leaches on the undercity and I was the maw that drew the blood. When people refused to pay our tithe, I would make them regret it."

"What changed?" Asked Dante. He was starting his third tankard and was feeling a pleasant buzz. He was relieved that he still could get drunk. However, it seemed like that would get harder as he ranked up.

"My heart. Becoming slum lords did my race no favors. Relationships turned … mercenary and we slowly lost love for each other."

Pauwna's voice became halting as she struggled to find words.

"I longed for something more and I found it in those we exploited. On the bruised back of a father shielding a daughter as I ripped their house apart, in the eyes of a mob defending their home, and in the words of a healer tending to my victims. They were more … pitiable."

Her voice regained surety and regained it's rhythm.

"After that, I found myself overlooking things more and more. I gave more time for debtors to pay. Sometimes, I would let our enemies skip town. Before long I found myself paying debts. It was a slow process but, eventually, I gained the trust of the community and became one of them. Most of my brethren saw this as a betrayal, though some followed me. More than I thought. It turned out I was not the only one that felt that way. An intergang of sorts occurred and I found myself on the winning side. The rest is history."

"Wow," said Dante, who had found himself entranced. "That is incredible. Heroic even."

At those words, Dante was treated to a never-before-seen sight. Embarrassment painted itself across Pauwnas cheeks in scarlet and she cleared her throat. "Well, I don't know about that. It was the right thing to do and I had the power to do it. Enough about me! Tell me something about you!"

"What do you want to know exactly?"

"Something you are proud of. And no, your sister does not count. I've heard enough about her for one night."

Dante froze.

Something I am proud of? I am not sure that I can top her story. Not even close. Although …

"I don't think I've ever gone into it with you but, as you guessed, I was a thief for a good part of my early life. The thing is, I didn't have a reason to be. I was a kid in the foster home system and it was likely that we would get adopted. Hell, my sister did get adopted but I was considered such a bad influence that they didn't take me. I was in prison at the time so that certainly did not help. If I had kept on the straight and narrow, which would have been the easier option, my life would have been fine."

Dante grimaced. He hated remembering that time. It had been nothing but a series of dumb of mistakes.

"The thing is, I was just so angry. At the world, for letting my dad die. My mom for abandoning us. At my foster home roommates for their coldness. I began acting out, hanging with the wrong crowd. I started stealing small things and discovered something shameful. I really liked it."

Even now, Dante couldn't help but feel some small, twisted sense of nostalgia. Which was immediately followed by a wave of guilt. He shook his head, clearing such thoughts and then continued.

"It escalated. I went for bigger targets. Fell in with other criminals and started going after houses. It was my job to case the place and break in. I was good at it. It's not an exaggeration to say I could almost any lock back home. But I am getting sidetracked. Needless to say, it did not end well. The important thing is that I got to get to know a kid named Ethan during that time. Ethan was a kid who had nothing and who joined a gang we associated with. The thing was, Ethan was smart. Really smart. He could have been so much more. We got to know each other pretty well and he was one of the few people I kept in contact with after I left that life behind."

Dante stopped for a moment, surprised at the melancholy that flooded through him. He missed that kid. He had given Dante hope that he could eventually become a net positive influence on the world.

"Ethan, seeing how well I was doing, asked me for help. He had no one else. And I did, letting him live with me and I took care of his living cost. Helped him apply to GED programs … that is, I helped him acquire an education and he got a decent job as a result of it. Managed to move out and get his own place. Mind you, all of this was pretty close to the teleportation accident, so I have no idea how he is doing now, but hopefully well."

Dante fell silent, feeling silently embarrassed that was the story he had picked. In comparison to Pauwna, it felt almost quaint. But it was what he had.

"How far you have climbed since then. I wish I had your drive."

Dante's eyebrows climbed. "What do you mean? You defied your entire race! How is that any less than what I described?"

"I mean, I didn't consciously decide to do all of that. I followed my gut. Though it was hard in the beginning, I had plenty of support to change my people. You, on the other hand, made a conscious change with only the help of one other."

"I don't see it. I still think yours is more incredible."

"Lets agree to disagree on that one. Please remember to give yourself more credit."

Much later and after two more tankards of ale, Dante was starting to feel it. He was hovering at the place between a happy buzz and nasuea. Pauwna was something of a mess. Her stack of tankards had grown a level and Dante was pretty sure that amount of alcohol could kill a few grown men. A rare moment of quiet had descended between them and Slanni made her move.

"That's it, I am cutting both of you off." Slanni stood next to their table, fixing them with an unamused look. The tavern was empty, its normal patrons having left long ago. "Either you grab a room here or I kick you out."

Pauwna squinted at her friend, the words taking a moment to register before she pouted. "C'mon! Just one more?"

"You've had far too much already. Choose."

"Spoilsport. Fine, we will take a room." Said Pauwna, slapping a handful of coins on the table which creaked under the force. Slanni separated the coins into two piles and then pushed the larger one back to Pauwna.

"See her safely to her room, will ya?" Said Slanni, turning to Dante and throwing him a heavy key. "I don't want another hole in our wall."

"Wait just a moment —" But Slanni had already turned and entered the kitchen before his alcohol-addled brain caught up. The lock clicked a second later and Dante sighed.

The two of us are in a room together. Behind a locked door. I am not sure what Slanni is thinking, leaving her friend with an unknown man.

Pauwna stood and started heading for the stairs, swaying dangerously. Dante caught up to her and slipped one of her arms over his shoulder. He grunted as he steadied her, finding his strength almost insufficient.

Didn't Slanni say something about her accidentally putting a hole through a wall? And that the table made when she slammed it. On second thought, perhaps Slanni had good judgment.

They managed to get onto the second level and Dante found the room with the same symbol as the key. Unlocking the door, he revealed a room that could be better described as a broom closet with how small it was. The majority of the space was taken up by a solid bed with a straw mattress, desk, and chair.

Dante helped Pauwna over to the bed, grunting as her weight was taken off his shoulders. She was far heavier than appeared, not that he would ever tell her that. He hesitated on the bed's edge, conflicted on where he was going to sleep. Before he could think much, Pauwna's arm pulled him close and he found himself leaning over her.

She looked up at him, cheeks flushed red and lips slightly parted. Her hair had spilled out around her in a midnight wave and his gaze went lower to find that her shirt had come slightly undone, hinting as to the curves beneath. His breath caught and desire rose in a roaring wave.

She might be the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.

Dante was transfixed by her eyes, which looked up at him, half-lidded. Slowly, they closed. She leaned up and —

He stopped the kiss with his hand.

Her eyes fluttered open and the confusion and hurt in them pained him. But this was the right choice. "I want you," he said sincerely and the hurt lessened, though the confusion grew. "Believe me, I do. But not like this."

Understanding flooded through those orbs and Pauwna let a disappointed sigh. She gave him a small nod, then released him. Dante pulled back until he was sitting on the edge of the bed and looked away, thinking of a better way to explain his feelings. By the time he turned back, she was already asleep.

It would probably be better to wait until the morning anyway.

Dante tugged the blanket up, which had grown disheveled, making sure it covered all of her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He stood up and then frowned at the ground beside the bed. Perhaps, if he turned on his side, he would be able to fit.

Well, nothing else to do about it. I am not sure I would trust myself if I stayed on that bed.