A treasure hunt? Hector's mind went to thoughts of buried pirate treasure and Indiana Jones searching for archaeological relics. How was he becoming mixed up in something like this? It made no sense whatsoever. Maybe Dorian had strangled Hector to death back at the farm and this was all some sort of wild dream caused by synapses misfiring as he died.

Dorian laughed. "I think you broke him, Lord Zara."

"Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the concept of a treasure hunt?"

Hector shrugged. "I don't know if my concept is the same as yours, Lord Zara."

"Have you heard of the nation of Stein?"

The name tickled some memory. "Uh, I think I bought resources from there in the past."

Zara waved away his answer. "Stein is a small country between Amarat and Zing. There isn't much to recommend the nation. Its climate and soil are inferior. It has no access to the sea. The strong beasts have been over-hunted. There was only ever one resource worth speaking of in the dreary nation. They possessed the recipe for what is known as the Mother Elixir. This level ten elixir propped up the nation of Stein by making its royal family too powerful to depose.

"Do you know what that means? A lord such as myself has no true resources. My soul is level ten and my body peak nine. There are no readily available foods or elixirs to push forward my advancement. Everything I consume contains a lower density than my soul. Eating actually decreases my energy reserves since my body must enhance the nutrients before they can become part of my flesh. If I had the Mother Elixir, I could once more advance through the consumption of resources. For myself and everyone else at higher levels, this elixir is a miracle matched only by a handful of things in the entire world of Tian.

"Nine years ago, the Lord Annihilator set his sights on the Mother Elixir. He killed the royal family and claimed the kingship of Stein. The assembly of lords attempted to absorb Stein into Amarat, but Annihilator cut ties with his birth nation instead. Owing to the reputation of Annihilator as the premier warrior of Amarat, his belligerent treason has gone unpunished.

"Everyone assumed the Lord Annihilator would soon become the world's next level eleven. Yet he did not. And the rumors began to fly. Just a few months past, the Emperor of Zing proclaimed a treasure hunt for the recipe of the elixir. No one knows what intelligence suggested to the Emperor that it still exists, but something has convinced him it can still be had. The reward for bringing him the means of producing the elixir is exceedingly generous.

"Yet to enter Stein as a level eight or above is an affront to the Lord Annihilator. He assumes any such person to be a thief intent on taking what is his. They are promptly killed for their troubles." Lord Zara placed both of her palms on the table and leaned forward. "I obviously cannot go to Stein to seek out the recipe for the Mother Elixir. Nor can I send anyone of real power to do so, lest I permanently deprive myself of their service.

"Many powers from Amarat and Zing are sending level six and level seven followers to search instead. Annihilator does not have the time to wantonly slaughter every minor presence in his kingdom. Unfortunately for all involved, the ambitious treasure hunters have taken to killing each other. Though the prevailing opinion is that they are merely eliminating competition, I suspect the lawless climate has let free more nefarious motivations."

Lord Zara slowly leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "You probably think my father quite a barbaric figure. You have no concept of what the man was before my mother civilized him. He has bragged on many occasions to his children of the horrid things he did as a young man growing up on the streets. Long before he was the Lord General, Thrakkar Shaocheth was a thug who killed without remorse and consumed the cores of other humans. That is a violation of one of the greatest stigmas in our society and a crime that carries a mandatory death sentence."

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Hector wanted to call out the hypocrisy of a society that celebrated platinum plasma elixirs, but chose to exercise his ability to not stick his foot in his mouth. He merely nodded in a mimicry of mild-mannered agreement of the point being made.

"I suspect the dead treasure hunters are missing their cores. So while you serve as my agent in Stein, Hector, you must beware of absolutely everyone you encounter. Should you involve yourself in the illegal harvest of cores, do not reveal your actions to anyone. I won't ask and you won't volunteer anything on the subject."

"I'm not going to treat human beings as resources," Hector snapped.

Lord Zara frowned at his interruption. "No one is certain of the specifics of how the Mother Elixir is created, other than the fact that the process involves tea. Stein has no domestic tea production, so many have taken to tracking tea imports in the hope that someone is still brewing the elixir. Others are searching places that once belonged to the royal family in search of written records or alchemical equipment. The current palace is of course too dangerous, but you might consider seeking out their historical properties if you can locate them."

There was no use pretending he wasn't going to cooperate with them, much as Hector would like to protest. Still, he felt like he deserved a chance to express his distaste. "What was your plan for coercing my cooperation if I didn't arrive with a convenient hostage?"

Lord Zara's thin lips quirked into a grin. "Bribery. That is still on the table, Hector. The nation of Zing hosts a monthly auction that is the envy of the world. Even gaining access to the auction house can be a challenge to any but the most powerful. Yet the person who delivers the treasure to the Emperor will receive a lifetime entry token. That is on top of the thousand platinum coin reward.

"If you provide me the Mother Elixir, Hector, you may travel to the National Auction House of Zing with me and I will allow you to place bids using fifty of the platinum coins. You will walk away with more rare resources than you ever imagined possible. You have both positive and negative incentives to succeed in your mission."

Five percent of the reward money didn't seem like a fair cut at first glance. However, Hector knew a dreamer of his level should feel honored to receive any consideration. They must think highly of him. Probably more so than he actually rated. "I'm surprised the Lord General had anything good to say about me."

Zara laughed. "Most people misunderstand my father. He doesn't place a premium on etiquette. His recollection of events was that you manipulated Conflagration and Kevin into splitting the Coalition Army, then insulted him to his face. All as a level four who somehow managed to hold together a transit sphere long enough to travel the multiverse. It's often hard to know in advance what will amuse my father and what will enrage him. I suspect you were very close to the line between a good and bad outcome."

Hector grunted. "And now you expect a miracle out of me."

There was a glance between Zara and Dorian. The man shrugged, causing Zara to sigh. "We expect… unconventional solutions. That will be the end of that discussion. Use whatever means you think appropriate and we will not ask you for details."

"How illuminating." Hector caught himself and hurriedly added an honorific. "Lord Zara."

The lord looked him up and down critically. "You may overestimate how much latitude your appearance grants you." Her tone suggested she made a grudgingly admission.

"My appearance?" Hector noticed Dorian face-palming. Zara herself seemed oblivious to everything. She only stood and gestured for them to follow her. They moved to a nearby office where the lord retrieved an elaborate, hand drawn map labeled 'Stein'.

"I have been to the town of Rags in the past, so I will drop you off in country and immediately depart. You will need to distance yourself from that location quickly in case anyone in the vicinity comes to investigate. We have traditional Stein garb for your disguise, but you will not pass any degree of close scrutiny. The people of Stein typically speak some amount of Amaratti, which will let you communicate with them, but you not speaking their tongue will mark you as a treasure hunter. Familiarize yourself with that map."

Hector studied the territory as Zara left them. The land of Stein certainly had a lot of elevation changes. There were mountains and valleys and rivers anywhere he looked. The small cities and towns were isolated from each other by a plethora of terrain features. He suspected the mission thrust upon him would involve a lot of flying to get anywhere.

Lord Zara returned with a wool shirt, leather trousers held up by buckled suspenders, and a flat-topped hat. "These should fit you. Strip down."

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