It took seven days before we were finally ready to leave.
While Titania directed Mana expansion from the laboratory and construction golems prepared for the lamias' arrival, the lamias themselves spent those seven days preparing to abandon the only home most of them had ever known.
There was little to pack.
Living for generations inside the forest had taught them to survive with only what they truly needed.
Bundles of sun-dried meat.
Dried fruit.
Medicinal herbs.
Stone tools.
Wooden bowls.
Animal pelts.
Bundles of woven cloth.
Their carts were little more than wooden frames mounted on solid wheels, pulled by several of the stronger elder lamias taking turns. There were no treasures, no furniture worth bringing, no ornaments beyond those each lamia wore on her own body.
The cave that had sheltered them for over a century would soon become another abandoned ruin swallowed by the forest.
During those seven days, I had also become familiar with their way of life.
Yaksha, unexpectedly, became popular.
At first every guard watched him as if he were a monster wearing metal skin.
He certainly looked like one.
Eight powerful arms.
A body carved for battle.
The dried blood of the six-armed bear still stained portions of his armor despite repeated washing, and insect fluids had seeped into scratches left from countless hunts.
Yet appearances slowly became meaningless.
Every morning he joined the patrols without complaint.
He never ordered them around.
Never boasted.
He simply asked,
"What is today's objective?"
If danger appeared, he intercepted it first.
If heavy prey needed carrying, he carried it.
If younger lamias stumbled during training, he quietly corrected their stance before stepping away again.
His respect toward me also influenced them.
Every instruction began with,
"Awaiting your orders, my lord."
Every report ended with,
"Mission completed, my lord."
The lamias quickly realized that despite his frightening appearance, he never acted without permission.
The stories spread astonishingly fast.
One patrol claimed Yaksha had fought an entire pack of wolves barehanded like he has a morning exercise.
Another insisted he had wrestled the alpha to the ground without receiving a single bite.
The hunting parties exaggerated even more.
One afternoon he borrowed 3 spear from a lamia hunter after she complained that birds were difficult to catch.
Then threw it simultaneously
The spears pierced a fish beneath the river's surface ,the second one striking a bird taking flight after being startled by the splash. then the last one into the undergrowth where an unfortunate rabbit happened to be running precisely.
Three animals at the same time
The hunters talked about it for two days.
Yaksha simply returned the spear.
"Thank you for lending me your weapon."
That only made the story more unbelievable.
By the end of the week the younger lamias no longer hid behind their older sisters whenever Yaksha approached.
Some even waved.
Yaksha, after asking Titania what to do in such a situation, awkwardly waved back.
...
The morning of departure finally arrived.
The queen emerged from her chamber wearing the same crescent-shaped tusk tiara.
Her clothing remained simple, made from leather and animal pelts, but she had cleaned it carefully for the journey.
Eleven and Twelve stood beside her.
The rest of the lamias gradually assembled behind them.
I stood beside Yaksha at the front of the caravan.
The queen looked back one final time toward the cave entrance.
No words.
Only silence.
After nearly a minute she smiled faintly.
"Let's go."
No ceremony.
No farewell speech.
The caravan slowly left the underground settlement.
The younger lamias looked around nervously.
Some had never ventured this far beyond the hunting grounds surrounding their home.
Others looked excited instead.
Everything was new.
Everything was unknown.
I walked beside the queen while Yaksha marched silently on my opposite side.
The caravan moved carefully through the forest.
After nearly half a day we reached the place where I had first encountered the escort party.
The queen suddenly stopped.
"Husband"
"What is it?"
She slowly pointed ahead.
"...Was that always there?"
I looked forward.
Even though I had expected Titania to prepare a route, the result still surprised me.
A broad road stretched through the forest as far as the eye could see.
The soil had been compressed until it became almost as smooth as stone.
Not a single root remained exposed.
Bushes.
Shrubs.
Dead trees.
Large rocks.
Everything had been removed.
Rows upon rows of stone golems stood kneeling on both sides of the road.
Every one resembled an armored knight carved from polished granite.
Their surfaces were so smooth that sunlight reflected from them.
The line continued into the distance until it disappeared between the trees.
I opened a communication channel.
"Titania."
"Yes, Doctor?"
"...Don't you think this is a little excessive?"
A brief pause.
"I calculated a forty-one percent increase in migration speed."
"...That wasn't the point."
"The road width also allows simultaneous two-way traffic should emergency evacuation become necessary."
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Titania."
"Yes?"
"When the migration is finished..."
"...restore everything."
"Affirmative."
"I don't want a permanent road cutting through the forest."
"The ecosystem should recover naturally once the vegetation is replaced."
"And I definitely don't want a trail leading directly back to the laboratory."
"Understood."
Satisfied, I closed the channel. This is always a problem with AI they lackcommon sense.
Beside me the queen let out a long whistle.
"Fweee..."
She walked over and slapped my shoulder with enough force to make the artificial skin register it.
"My husband is quite something."
I looked at her.
She ignored me completely.
Instead she turned dramatically toward the hundreds of lamias behind us.
"My daughters!"
Every lamia immediately looked toward their queen.
She spread both arms proudly toward the road.
"Behold!"
"My husband..."
She glanced at me.
"...No."
She corrected herself with an exaggerated cough.
"Your father has welcomed us with his wisdom and resourcefulness!"
She pointed down the road.
"He prepared this path for us before we even arrived."
"So don't disgrace me."
"Where are your manners when someone offers such kindness?"
Three hundred voices answered together.
"Thank you, Father!"
The forest echoed with their voices.
I unconsciously released a tired breath.
Leading a research team had been simple.
Leading three hundred people was something else entirely.
People expected speeches.
Confidence.
Charisma.
I possessed none of those things.
I was an introverted researcher who preferred spending days arguing with data instead of humans.
Yet if I truly intended to become the god of a new civilization...
Then perhaps this was another skill I would have to learn.
I looked across the sea of expectant faces.
Many smiled nervously.
Others watched with childish curiosity.
Some looked hopeful.
Every one of them was waiting for my reply.
I finally smiled.
"You're welcome."
A brief pause.
"Her daughters are also my daughters as well."
I turned toward the road.
"Come."
"Let's go home."
A quiet cheer rose from the younger lamias.
The caravan began moving.
The compressed road made an astonishing difference.
Instead of stumbling over roots and weaving between dense undergrowth, the carts rolled smoothly forward.
The children no longer struggled to keep pace.
Even the injuries lamias could travel comfortably.
As the caravan advanced, something else happened behind us.
Each golem standing along the roadside rose after the last cart had passed.
Working silently, they loosened the compacted soil, replanted preserved vegetation, replaced rocks, and restored the forest almost exactly as it had been before.
Within minutes the road vanished behind us.
By the time the final golems finished their work, there would be almost no evidence that hundreds of people had ever passed through.
The queen looked back in amazement.
"They're... putting it back."
"I told them to."
"...Why?"
"I don't want to scar the forest."
"And I don't want anyone following us home."
She nodded thoughtfully.
"...You're kinder than you pretend to be."
I didn't answer.
Suddenly Yaksha stopped walking.
His head tilted upward.
"Hostile aerial lifeform detected, my lord."
I followed his gaze.
High above us, something enormous circled the clearing.
A giant bird.
Its wingspan easily exceeded six meters.
It had probably been watching the caravan for several minutes, waiting for an opportunity.
The younger lamias never noticed.
The bird folded its wings.
It dove.
Straight toward the rear carts where the smallest children were gathered.
Before anyone could react—
A mid-rank wind spirit materialized high above the caravan.
Invisible blades compressed the surrounding air.
The giant bird never reached us.
Its neck separated cleanly from its body.
The corpse continued falling.
An earth spirit answered immediately.
by Seeping mana into the soil then create a link to each other like a polymere to glue the soil together then mold it to shape and reduce water content to harden it result in a massive stone spikes erupted from the ground.
The bird screw upon them before it could strike the caravan.
A heartbeat later an undine flowed over the carcass condensing water to washing away blood from opened wound, then adjust viscosity to defeathers, and go inside to clean the entrails.
Finally, a salamander emerged beneath it. using mana to electrolysis water to get hydrogen before combust it
Flames wrapped around the cleaned meat.
The smell of roasting bird drifted across the forest.
The entire sequence lasted less than ten seconds.
The caravan stopped.
Every lamia stared in stunned silence.
The queen slowly looked at me.
"...Husband."
"Yes?"
"...Did all of that just happen?"
"It did."
She blinked several times.
"But..."
"I never saw you give an order."
I smiled slightly.
"I didn't have to."
The glowing spirits quietly disintegrate to the surrounding forest.
"Within sufficient Mana density, everything around us becomes part of my domain."
I raised my hand.
Countless tiny particles shimmered through the air like invisible dust catching sunlight.
"The spirits already know their priorities."
"Protect."
"Recover."
"Preserve resources."
"They only require my general intent."
The queen looked around at the drifting Mana particles for the first time.
Then frowned.
"...Husband."
"What?"
"...I suddenly realized..."
She slowly flexed her fingers.
"My shoulders stopped hurting."
"My tail isn't sore anymore."
"I've been walking all day..."
"...Why am I not tired?"
I nodded.
"You've finally noticed."
The surrounding Mana had become dense enough to affect every living creature within it.
"Mana continuously supports its host."
"It improves blood circulation."
"Suppresses unnecessary inflammation."
"Relaxes overworked muscles."
"Assists minor tissue repair."
"It works on countless tiny details simultaneously."
She blinked.
"So..."
"We're already receiving treatment?"
"Constantly."
She looked down at her own hands in amazement.
Then toward her daughters.
Most of them had begun smiling without understanding why.
The younger ones were still running around despite walking for hours.
I smiled.
"Later."
"I'll have Titania teach you on how to command Mana through spirit interfaces."
The queen nodded absentmindedly.
Then suddenly froze.
"...Titania?"
I already knew what expression was coming.
She slowly turned toward me.
"Husband..."
"Isn't Titania a woman's name?"
The question caught me completely off guard.
"...Yes."
The queen narrowed her eyes.
"Oberon and Titania..."
She folded her arms.
"The Fairy King and Fairy Queen."
A dangerous misunderstanding was forming.
She looked at me accusingly.
"So..."
"I'm only your mistress now?"
The lamias walking nearby all turned to look at us.
I could almost feel Eleven and Twelve sighing behind their mother.
"It's not what you're thinking."
"Oh?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"So you're telling me there isn't another woman waiting for you at home?"
"There is."
She gasped dramatically.
"I knew it!"
Before she could continue weaving another absurd conclusion, I interrupted.
"Titania isn't human."
The queen blinked.
"...She's not?"
"No."
"Then what is she?"
"My laboratory AI."
She tilted her head.
"...AI?"
"Artificial intelligence."
"A machine."
"I created her before the world ended."
The queen's expression softened slightly.
"So she's..."
"My assistant."
I nodded.
"The laboratory couldn't function without her."
I briefly explained Titania's role.
How she managed the laboratory while I conducted research.
How she supervised manufacturing, maintenance, energy production, and logistics.
How she had protected my consciousness after my biological body died.
I also told her about the cloned children living at the laboratory.
The ones Titania had helped raise after I awakened within the data center.
By the time I finished, the queen nodded thoughtfully.
"Huu..."
"So she's basically your assistant."
"That's one way to describe it."
She crossed her arms.
"I'll still keep an eye on her."
"...Why?"
She smiled proudly.
"I'm your wife."
It sounded so matter-of-fact that I simply gave up arguing.
Instead of continuing the conversation, she suddenly turned toward the caravan.
"My daughters!"
Three hundred pairs of eyes immediately looked toward her.
She pointed at me with obvious pride.
"Don't worry!"
"Your father is a god-like being."
"He commands the forces of nature."
She stretched both arms outward.
"Even now we're receiving his blessing."
"Can't you feel it?"
"The tiredness."
"The aching."
"It's all disappearing."
The lamias looked at one another.
Several nodded.
One younger lamia flexed her tail in surprise.
"It really doesn't hurt anymore..."
Another blinked repeatedly.
"My back stopped aching."
The queen nodded triumphantly as though she had personally accomplished it.
The younger lamias immediately became excited.
Whispers spread throughout the caravan.
The queen, meanwhile, had already wandered toward the roasted bird.
With Eleven's help she pulled one of the large drumsticks free.
Steam rose from the meat.
She blew on it once before taking a generous bite.
"Hmm..."
She chewed thoughtfully.
The entire caravan watched.
After several moments she nodded.
"Needs seasoning."
She took another bite anyway.
"But it's juicy."
"And wonderfully chewy."
She smiled brightly.
"Come on."
"Who wants to try?"
Several younger lamias cautiously approached.
Eleven divided the meat into smaller portions before handing them around.
Soon smiles began appearing everywhere.
Watching them, I found myself quietly impressed.
During the past week I had learned much about their society.
Calling it a kingdom wasn't entirely accurate.
It was closer to a sisterhood.
Everyone hunted.
Everyone gathered.
Everyone crafted.
Everyone guarded one another.
The stronger helped carry the weaker.
The experienced taught the inexperienced.
Competition certainly existed.
The best hunters received the finest trophies.
Larger dwellings.
Greater recognition.
A horn from a giant beast.
A tusk.
An unusually large fang.
Each decoration represented achievement.
But the queen carefully prevented that competition from becoming hostility.
Those who struggled with hunting were reassigned.
Crafting.
Cooking.
Gathering herbs.
Caring for children.
No one was mocked.
No one was abandoned.
Without males there was no competition for mates.
Without noble families there was no struggle for succession.
Every lamia looked almost identical.
The only obvious differences were experience and personal achievements.
Simple.
Efficient.
Remarkably stable.
I couldn't help admiring what the queen had built despite knowing almost nothing about governing.
...
By evening we had covered a distance that would normally have required several days.
The prepared road changed everything.
Without it, guiding more than three hundred lamias through dense forest would have taken at least three days under ideal circumstances.
More likely longer.
And almost certainly with casualties.
Instead, we had crossed more than half the journey in a single day.
When the sun finally disappeared behind the towering trees, I decided to make camp.
"Everyone stop here."
The caravan gradually halted.
Before anyone could begin preparing a campsite, I summoned several earth spirits.
The ground trembled.
A circular wall of packed earth slowly rose around the entire caravan.
It stood several meters high.
Wide enough for the stone golems to patrol along its crest.
Yaksha immediately began assigning patrol positions.
Without waiting for instructions, the golems climbed onto the rampart and spread themselves evenly around the perimeter.
Above us, Mana gathered once more.
Countless particles assembled into transparent sheets.
Layer after layer.
Each one only a few millimeters thick.
Each one composed of silica aerogel.
The lightweight structures gradually formed overlapping domes covering the entire camp.
Unlike ordinary roofs, they required no pillars.
Their edges rested directly upon the earthen rampart.
Almost invisible beneath the evening sky, the multiple layers created a protective shell against anything descending from above and their porous nature make it great insulation.
Several lamias looked upward in amazement.
The youngest reached toward the semi-transparent ceiling but found only empty air beyond it.
"It's there," I explained.
"You simply can't see it very well."
One curious lamia gently threw a small pebble upward.
It bounced off the dome before falling back into her hands.
Excited laughter immediately spread through the camp.
Some began testing different spots.
The dome remained unmoved.
When several older lamias started collecting firewood, I stopped them.
"No campfires tonight."
They looked puzzled.
Instead, I released several Mana crystals from my backpack.
The crystals floated around the camp before blooming into gentle white lights.
The darkness retreated instantly.
The illumination was softer than torchlight.
Brighter.
Cleaner.
No smoke.
No soot.
At the same time, thermoelectric units quietly assembled themselves beneath the soil around the campsite.
Heat flowed naturally.
The humid night air gradually became comfortable.
Water condensed into several wooden containers placed near the center of the camp.
A gentle current continuously circulated fresh air beneath the dome.
The entire campsite transformed into a warm, dry shelter.
The queen slowly turned in place.
"...Husband."
"Yes?"
"I don't think I can ever go back after this."
I smiled.
"I wasn't planning on sending you back."
The evening passed peacefully.
After dinner, one by one, the lamias curled together beneath blankets and animal pelts.
Within an hour, the camp became almost completely silent.
Only the occasional footsteps of a stone golem echoed from the ramparts.
Yaksha remained beside me, silently observing the forest beyond the barrier.
In the distance, the enormous Mana tree rose above the mountain.
Even from here its crown reached beyond the surrounding canopy.
It looked almost like another mountain growing into the heavens.
"Doctor."
I looked down.
The queen was climbing the earthen rampart toward us.
"When are you coming down to sleep with me?"
Yaksha glanced at me.
I looked back at him.
"You may stand down."
"Understood, my lord."
He bowed respectfully before leaving us alone.
The queen sat beside me on the rampart.
She looked toward the glowing Mana tree.
Then rested her head lightly against my shoulder.
"You know..."
"I don't actually need sleep," I said.
"I know."
She smiled faintly.
"But after a week..."
She hugged my arm gently.
"It became a habit."
"I miss your warm when you're not beside me."
I laughed softly.
"I don't remember installing body heat simulation into this synthetic skin."
She closed her eyes.
"I'm cold-blooded."
"So cool feels comfortable."
Neither of us spoke for several minutes.
The forest remained unusually peaceful.
Finally she broke the silence.
"...Doctor."
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry."
I turned toward her.
"For all of this."
She looked toward the sleeping camp below.
"For throwing this burden onto you."
I slowly shook my head.
"It's my responsibility."
She looked at me in confusion.
"Responsibility for what?"
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"You gave humanity hope."
Her voice became firm.
"The people who turned your work into a weapon are responsible."
She looked up at the stars.
"Knowledge itself isn't evil."
"Einstein wasn't responsible for every nuclear bomb."
"Just as you aren't responsible for Pandora."
"The ones who chose to use your work that way are the ones at fault."
I remained silent.
Looking at the stars above.
Thinking about the satellites that might still orbit the planet.
The abandoned stations drifting endlessly through space.
Then I quietly spoke.
"That's why..."
"This time..."
"I'll become the one making the rules."
"I've had enough watching others twist my work for greed."
"If I'm going to build another civilization..."
"It will be under my rules."
The queen smiled softly.
"So that's your determination."
"I'm impressed again... Doctor."
She hesitated.
Then looked away.
"I just stopped calling you my husband."
I smiled slightly.
"I noticed."
She lowered her head.
"I forced that title onto you."
"I used your kindness."
"I'm... a little ashamed."
I looked at her.
"Did I ever say I disliked it?"
Her head snapped back toward me.
"...What?"
She stared at me as if she had misheard.
"...Really?"
She looked down at her own tail.
"I'm a snake..."
"I enjoy your company."
I smiled.
"I spent my entire life buried in research."
"I never had time for relationships."
"When I died..."
"One of my biggest regrets was that I never allowed myself to love anyone."
I chuckled quietly.
"So..."
"I don't mind having a wife ... or two"
I paused.
She immediately puffed up her cheeks.
"A wife or two?"
"I knew it!"
"You're talking about that assistant!"
"That sneaky woman is trying to steal my husband!"
Despite her words, she was smiling again.
Using the excuse, she quietly wrapped the end of her tail around my waist.
I laughed.
"I said it just in case. No one know the future"
The queen rested her head against my shoulder once more.
Neither of us spoke again.
Together we watched the Mana tree sway gently beneath the countless stars, waiting for the sunrise that would bring us one step closer to our new home.
The night passed quietly.
No monsters challenged the camp.
No giant birds dared descend through the layered aerogel domes
Even the nocturnal insects avoided the area, discourage by the unusually high rampart
Only the golems continued their silent patrol atop the earthen rampart.
Every few minutes one of them would pass beneath us before another took its place, maintaining an unbroken watch throughout the night.
I remained seated until dawn.
There was no need for sleep.
Instead, part of my consciousness stayed inside my synthetic body while the rest returned to the laboratory.
...
"Construction report."
Titania immediately projected several holographic windows before me.
"The first residential district is ninety-two percent complete."
Rows of newly constructed houses appeared on the display.
Each had been redesigned after analyzing lamia skeletal structure and movement.
The entrances were wider.
The floors gently sloped instead of using stairs.
Sleeping platforms were circular rather than rectangular, allowing a coiled tail to rest comfortably.
"Water?"
"Deep well completed."
"Sewage?"
"Primary treatment system operational."
"Electricity?"
"Mana crystal grid available"
I nodded.
It wasn't enough to simply rescue them.
If they became completely dependent upon me, then I would merely be replacing one fragile system with another.
They needed the means to sustain themselves.
One step at a time.
"Titania."
"Yes?"
"Prepare classrooms."
There was a short pause.
"For children?"
"For everyone."
"Very well."
"I'll prepare teaching materials."
...
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the forest.
The queen stirred slightly beside me.
She slowly opened her eyes before looking around in confusion.
"...Morning already?"
"It is."
She blinked several times.
Then looked up at me.
"Were you here all night?"
"I was."
"You didn't move?"
"I don't need much rest."
She smiled faintly.
"...Thank you."
"For what?"
"For letting me sleep."
There was no teasing in her voice this time.
Only gratitude.
Below us, the camp gradually came to life.
The younger lamias stretched lazily before beginning to prepare breakfast.
Several hunters inspected the roasted bird left from yesterday.
Others collected condensed water that had accumulated overnight inside the wooden containers.
One younger lamia lifted a bucket.
"...It's clean."
Another sniffed it.
"It doesn't smell like the cave water."
The queen smiled proudly.
"My Husband made it."
Instantly dozens of curious eyes turned toward me again.
I suddenly understood why Titania usually preferred machines over people.
Machines asked fewer questions.
After breakfast, the caravan resumed its journey.
The forest gradually became less familiar.
The trees grew taller.
The undergrowth thinner.
Several lamias stopped walking.
One of the younger girls pointed ahead.
"...Look."
Everyone raised their heads.
Far beyond the trees stood something impossible.
A single trunk.
Wider than a castle.
Its branches disappeared above the clouds.
The enormous Mana tree dominated the horizon like a pillar connecting earth and heaven.
Even from kilometers away it inspired silence.
The queen unconsciously slowed.
"...Husband."
"Yes?"
"...That's your tree?"
"It is."
She stared for a long time.
"I thought it was a mountain."
"It almost is."
The younger lamias began whispering excitedly.
"...Can trees really grow that tall?"
"...Does it reach the sky?"
"...Can birds live up there?"
The queen looked at me.
"...How?"
I smiled.
"It'll be easier to explain once we arrive."
She nodded slowly, unable to take her eyes off the colossal tree.
For the first time since leaving the cave, anticipation spread through the caravan faster than anxiety.
Home was finally within sight.