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the city grows with each little community within
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“I offer apology. The fault is mine, for not informing your leader of this kind of trouble when she decided to make arrangements for construction from here and not the palace, where any contract for hiring workers would have included arrangements for their protection. Though I am happy your people are unhurt.”

“The state of open violence is most unpleasant, I think that you agree. I would rather see the tyrant disband all protection brotherhoods and enforce order with his personal guard, yet many peoples refuse.”

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"She's not very happy right now and I won't have you making it worse. We might need more evidence of the actual benefits to be had here at this rate."

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“I take it a group of warriors, with three hero-level fighters, ready for either attack or defense actions as needed… would not help?”

Gestures towards the larger vehicle which is presumably carrying them. 

“As for benefits to staying here—“ a happy chirp, he likes this part, “We are one of the few cities compatible with the three pillars of utopia: material needs and free movement between worlds and an end to forced labor. Additional wonders: Healing is plentiful and sickness is scarce. The Great Library is open for all to learn. Peoples in conflict may ask to be moved to another part of the city, enemies do not have to be neighbors as they do elsewhere. Our colonies founded on other worlds grow and prosper.”

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Her arms are still crossed! She's mad!

"As I said, a bit late for that. A lack of forced labor is a high-minded ideal. One that to all reports is not necessarily put in place in practice. Clearly it's not all sunshine and daffodils."

She relaxes a bit. 

"Our whole party has expressed an interest in the library. And healing? I'm capable of that. It's undirected and fully general, a transfer of life force. It can even restore the freshly dead, should they be mostly intact... But it's fairly ruinous in magical cost. I'd love to know more about yours."

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“We have many peoples and organizations with healing skills and powers, which work in different ways. I will tell you of the three greatest.”

”The Errant Knights of Life Instead of Death are the most common, they are many and wander the city. All of them train in nonmagical first aid for standard humanoids, and most can also help more complicated types. They also all know a very simple spell to stabilize the injured so they do not quickly die. All are pacifists, and sacrosanct so none attack them. He shows their symbol, to recognize if it’s ever needed. 

“The Cathedral of Restoring Radiance is home to a living sun and her children. The light there can restore and mend, even as far as the mostly dead. This is offered freely to all who visit, and the underground transportation system makes it easy to visit.”

“Last is the Most Ancient Sisterhood of Biomancers and Fleshcrafters. Their arts are secret but I have seen the results: the broken made whole, the old made young, and even strange ailments cured. Unlike the others two, they profit. But on holidays, some of  those who need their help but cannot pay are chosen by lot to be healed.”

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"How reassuring. Thankfully our little scuffle was resolved without any overt violence and hopefully will stay that way. I'm sure Weiss wouldn't appreciate any untimely reveal of our capabilities. She holds our key, which is a thing of great significance as I understand it, but I trust her with it- I merely worry that the responsibility will cause her stress." Pout.

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“I am happy to hear that violence was unnecessarily, and share your hopes. I am sad to hear of distress to Weiss, perhaps the responsibilities do not suit her.”

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This is the part where he pauses and the air fills with implications. 

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“So what should I call you?”

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"I'm Megi. Team mom... As far as that goes."

The small fox hiding behind her legs peeks out and barks approvingly.

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Entirely distracted from setting up implications and propagandizing. Much higher priority concern has appeared. 

“Oh? And who is this?”

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"That's Mati. She doesn't shift humanoid often, like I have. Mati, dear, you're going to be nice, right?"

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Yip! Nod! Tail wag!

 

(There has been a moment of silent communication between these two kitsunes; This kind of response is that of one who sees something cute. And the Minister has only seen Weiss's fox form, most likely- A far larger beast than most! So he might actually think Mati is a small child, not a Kitsune of some decades, full grown. Obviously, they can't pass up such a deniable prank.)

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The minister is definitely looking at Mati the way one would look at a small child. 

“Oh. Hello Mati!” A friendly wave of his wing. 

“I did not know you had already brought your hatchlings to the city. Megi, if you consider it appropriate, I wish to offer Mati a gift of a sphere, or lessons in languages and writings, or an object that creates colorful images. Whichever of those is suitable for the capabilities of the current stage.”

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Try not to laugh.

"Oh, that's really not necessary. I think a toy ball would be most fun for her but it's- We don't hatch, you know?"

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“I used a figure of speech. I know mammal types do it in a different way. But we do not need to dwell on the specifics.” 
He ruffles his feathers. 

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Ahhhh she can't keep doing it. She laughs.

"No, no- Mati is essentially mature. She hasn't had her dream so she can't transform but that will come any year now- Oh, say something, Mati."

"Fiiiine," she yowlbarks. "I wasn't Born either, you know. I coalesced from the ether like everyone else!"

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“Oh. That sounds more sensible, no offense meant to genuine mammal types.”

At that point, he breaks and starts laughing, a chirpy singsongy sound. “You have gotten the better of me! And will receive no toy ball at all. As a mature being, you will instead receive a particular dull magazine on the topic of economics.”

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"Maybe it will manage to be interesting somehow."

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“Perhaps. I will also need to send someone to learn how to write in your language and translate it. Otherwise it will be entirely uninteresting.”

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"Oh, Tessa will love to do that, to produce a decent translation both ways. I'm not entirely sure where she got off to, though."

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“I am happy to hear that, and hope this Tessa and my linguistrix get along.”

He recombobates himself and returns to friendly but official posture. “My distraction aside. While I am here, are there any other questions to ask or requests to make of my ministry? We are still working on a meeting regarding the last request, setting up a mausoleum.”

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"I'm not entirely sure... Useful technologies or magics? Opportunities for trade with our source world? I think there was some question whether anyone else could use the passage Weiss found. It was a strange experience even for someone used to the Spirit World. It felt like walking on a narrow bridge over a yawning pit."

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“I can send explorers to brave the spirit path, if your people permit. I can also direct a representative of your people to the Ministry of Otherworldly Trading. They are in charge of exploitation of dimensional pathways and making sure the profits of such trade are rightly distributed.”

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