The human side of the pavilion had chairs and shade and servants to fan the delegates—including a small fan the size of a playing card for an elf. I suppose a full-size one might have blown him away. None of them tried to hide their disgust as my own group approached, which included Armstrong, a dozen secretive service members armed with rifles and plate carriers, a canoneer, two Ifrit, three orcs, and a dozen random other goblins whose curiosity could not be assuaged. And Dame Redfang, the landed dragon.

I was a little surprised to see the humans sweating so. While I knew Lanclova must have a tropical climate, it hadn't ever felt sweltering to my goblin body outside of the salt flats. I waited while my own attendants arranged chairs and a small table before climbing up into a temporary throne that put my eye level just above that of the diplomats opposite me—a fact which they noticed instantly. I was, after all, an emperor. It said so in my job description.

As I took my seat, I took the time to examine the humans before me. As with the mage, they were subtly different. Something in the space of the eyes, the color of the blood under their skin, it all rubbed me the wrong way.

System, these aren't actually humans, are they?

<These humans share a 99.4% physical trait overlap with your previous body.>

Does that include 99.4% similar DNA/RNA?

No answer. So I was right. They might have been Rava's equivalent to a human, but they weren't my humans.

Why didn't you reincarnate me as something that had 99.4% physical trait overlap? Why a goblin?

Again, the System didn't answer. But it didn't need to, I already had a theory. I was critical to its self-rescue scheme in conjunction with the Midnighters. If I had been born again as a human prince, I would have lacked access to the Goblin Tech Tree that allowed for such rapid advancement. Even with the foreknowledge of my previous life and the influence of a duchy, it would have taken slow-moving human society years longer to reach a similar point—years System might not have. Being a goblin king granted me both access to the tech tree and an unyielding work force. Which told me one thing: System probably didn't have years to wait.

I waited, watching the delegation with my arms crossed, until the human in charge finally broke the silence.

"I suppose we ought get this farce underway. I had come to demand the return of our landed dragon, but I see now that she is free." He raised his voice. "Dame Redfang, return to the rookery at once."

"I cannot," said Redfang.

"I'm afraid Dame Redfang is held by bonds stronger than rope or chain," I said.

The other dragon tensed at the wording, lifting his serpentine neck to look at what I assumed was his underling. A subtle question and answer passed between them.

"Ah, so you can speak," the diplomat hissed.

"So can you," I said, shifting in my seat and feigning surprise. "Between the Ifrit paladins and the dragon mages, I was beginning to think every human was either a tongueless mute or an autistic savant. But you seem to have forgotten to give your own name, in any case. I'm Apollo."

To my surprise, the elf belted out a high-pitched chipmunk laugh and said something to the human in his own tongue that cause the human to go a bit red in the face and grit his teeth. So, the elves were equal opportunity jerks. Admittedly, that made me hate them a tiny bit less.

"Why offer name to insult by speaking to an invalid lackey? Do your masters fear meeting face to face?"

"I have no master," I said. "So, I could say the same of your prince."

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"His highness does not debase himself by treating with lying vermin making outlandish claims."

One of the delegate's attendants leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. I assumed it was something like Rufus' ability to tell the truth from fiction, from the way the delegate's brow pinched together.

Might as well assuage doubts. I looked up. "System, share the details of our little organizational structure, if you would be so kind."

The eyes of the human delegation glazed over as System granted them a glimpse into the empire that included the Flock, the Ifrit exiles, Ringo's tribe—and me, sitting at the top of the pyramid with the job title of Goblin Emperor.

The delegate tried to appear unphased, but underneath it, he was rattled. The elf merely sat back and considered. Finally, the delegate ground out a proper introduction between clenched teeth. Talking to a goblin really was like pulling fingernails for him. "I'm Count Karlo of Harcowl Bay. With me are Sir Gyrfax, landed dragon of Habbe, and the high druid, Keb.

"Much better," I said. "Now, you've all been quite rude sending javeline and druids and dragons uninvited to cause problems for my tribe. While I'm focused entirely on scientific advancement, you're trying to start a ruckus I've got no interest in. Despite all your misplaced aggression and fear mongering, my goal is to be left alone to the interior of Lanclova. Heck, I'd even welcome trade and commerce. The Ifrit and the humans at the southern coast are already trading for our products."

The dragon knight, Gyrfax spoke for the first time. "Trade, is it? Peace? Fine ideals, yet you still hold one of our own hostage."

"True enough," I said. "She said she's entitled to ransom, so let's negotiate. At least one of you is civilized enough to take these talks seriously instead of just offering insults." I nodded to the dragon. "I'll trade her for getting my boosters back—those metal tubes. They were never supposed to fall in your territory to begin with."

"This is all you wish?" asked the knight. "Not gold or silver, but hollow metal?"

I nodded again. "Dame Redfang can fill you in on why, later—as well as why peace is absolutely in your best interest." I glanced at the delegate and the elf. "I have a feeling trying to explain it myself would fall on deaf ears."

"Those pillars killed a senior wizard and four dragon tenders!" spat Karlo.

"That was an unfortunate accident," I said. Though, admittedly, I didn't much regret taking out the wizard that had tried to lightning strike us out of the sky. "Like I said, those were never meant to come anywhere near the city. And you can ask your truth-tester if you don't believe me."

The attendant started to lean forward, but the head of the delegation waved them off.

The elf, Keb, said something I couldn't understand, and the dragon knight followed up. "He speaks the truth. What use have we for empty metal shells too soft to be forged into shield or sword? What are they weighed against a landed knight of Habbe?"

The delegate shifted uneasily, face growing darker. "This whole mess is preposterous. Entertaining the very idea…" he glared at Redfang. "How could you allow yourself to be captured?"

I just grinned. "The real question is why did I let the rest of the knights get away?"

The human sputtered, but the elf guffawed and the dragon knight puffed a column of smoke from his nose. "It is true you bested one of our most skilled fighters—no mean feat," he said. "And only the Midnighters shadowed our retreat. But that does not make you mightier than the knight corps or our mages. You seem to think yourself capable of anything, little goblin king."

"Oh, I'm full of surprises. Hot today, isn't it?" I asked. I leaned back and whistled. One of my goblins came up, hefting a chest overhead, followed by three others carting a table and a smaller chest. They set the table up and pulled a glassware cup from the first chest, then squirted in water from a skin. Lastly, they opened up the chest and scooped a healthy serving of ice into the glass. The delegate stared, sweating, at the glass of ice water you could have gotten in any kitchen in the US—an impossible luxury in Lanclova. But compressors and heat exchangers opened up a world of possibilities in Rava.

I picked up my glass and slurped loudly. "You've heard my terms." I rattled the ice in the glass. "I'm more than comfortable waiting for you to discuss them. Take them back to the prince if you need approval. Take all the time you need."

Karlo looked at the ice in my glass and licked his lips. While his attendants fanned him, sweat still beaded on his face.

"Perhaps, count, we should retire to discuss these terms," suggested Gyrfax.

Karlo nodded and seemed to come back to himself temporarily. "What? Oh, yes, perhaps that is prudent."

The count got to his feet and shuffled off, muttering. The elf turned his mount and trotted away, while Gyrfax stood and stretched. He was larger than Redfang, darker and higher-level, too.

"I request leave to speak with your captive charge, o' king," said the dragon knight. "I would like to ensure her wellbeing and honorable treatment before I offer my counsel to the prince."

"By all means," I said, gesturing to the dragon at my side who, thus far, had been every bit the picture of chivalry. The two of them trotted off a short distance to confer in private. I had no doubt she was currently telling her boss about the rockets and other technology she saw. Hopefully Gyrfax had as much sense as his underling. I turned to Armstrong. "Let's settle in. I think we're going to be here a while."

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