Reborn in a Dating Sim: Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game! Book 2

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Ten

The sight of the harbor came into view. The difference between the Ancient Dragon Kingdom and that of the Lunar Sol Kingdom were on display. Where Airships were absolutely still a thing here Copper could see other advancements that the Lunar Sol Kingdom simply didn’t have. Those advancements included what looked like cable cars that ran from harbor to different points in the entrance city itself. The grandioseness of the city was on display, but it wasn’t the opulence that he’d come to notice with the Lunar Sol Kingdom.

This was more of a display of technological advancement, and of refinement. That in and of itself was saying something since they were just at the harbor. He wondered exactly what it would be like the moment they moved further into the city itself. Which, from his understanding as transfer students they would be attending the Ancient Dragon Kingdom University. There, they would continue their lessons, but also be given the chance to expand their horizons in the sense of learning about a new culture.

Although Copper’s true objective was still to find and locate Grogar’s Bell. From what Queen Chrysalis had told him the bell had belonged to an ancient demon lord, but not just a normal demon lord. No, from what she had said Grogar was one of the most powerful, and he was defeated by the old humans. They had done so by removing his bell, and ensuring that he couldn’t access its power. Without that his reign of terror could never fully be realized.

“I hope that the stupid bell has the power that Chrysalis said that it does,” he said, mostly to himself, as he looked at the dock they were moving toward, “The last thing we need is to deal with finding an article of junk that has no power at all.”

“My Captain,” Artemis said as she neared him, a small bundle in her arms, “I have some information on Grogar’s Bell, and Queen Chrysalis was technically correct in that it was separating it from Grogar that allowed his defeat. In truth, it was with his defeat that the old humans decided to fully concentrate on their technological advancements. After all, those were exactly what allowed them to defeat him,” she said as she gently rocked the bundle, “Perhaps, if they hadn’t been so focused on purely technology they could have won against the new humans.”

He grinned at her, “Which would also mean the world that currently exists wouldn’t exist anymore,” he replied as he looked at their child, “Is she alright?”

Artemis gave a rare smile as she looked at the little bundle, “She is fine,” she replied after a moment, “she was a little premature, but she seems developed enough to be fine. Although, if I am completely honest I am uncertain of what to do with the emotions that I feel. I am torn. I am loyal to you, and I want to serve only you, but at the same time I want to ensure her survival. Not only that, but it is my wish to ensure that she is able to have her heart’s desires.”

He grinned at her, “From what I’ve heard that’s part of being a parent,” he replied as he watched the tiny hand move up from the bundle itself, “Still, I think that she’s going to grow up strong, and be more than capable. Just like her mother.”

Artemis grinned, “You flatter me,” she replied before she looked back at the bundle, “She will be strong, although I fear that she will never be as powerful as I am. The differences between us are very present. Under all of the biological I am still very much synthetic. My skeleton isn’t bone, but instead it is a hyper-dense alloy that is able to withstand intense pressure, heat, and even energy blasts. Athena, my darling little Athena, will never be more than flesh and bone. Still, I care for her deeply, and I want to make sure that she is strong enough to survive.”

He grinned, “She will be,” he replied, his voice confident, “She comes from good stock, so it would be impossible for her to be anything other than strong,” he stated as moved closer, and he offered to take her. With that offer Artemis gently moved the bundle from herself to him. He looked at the small bundle as two soft brown eyes opened and looked into his own eyes. They seemed to linger there with a sort of hidden intelligence that was difficult to explain.

She reached up toward him, and he lowered his face so that her little hands could feel his cheeks. The little digits that touched him seemed to explore the feeling of his skin, trying to understand the differences between itself and the thing it was touching. He watched as the little one seemed so curious about him, about the world, and he knew that before long she would be crawling all over. In truth, it would likely be happening while they were here as transfer students. Not that he minded that in the slightest. It would be interesting to keep up with her. And it would be fun to watch her grow. Of course, his wanting to watch her grow came with the fact that he wanted to ensure that she had the chance to grow up.

His original mission for being here came back to him. He was a father, absolutely, and that meant that he had to protect his child, no children, from danger. Part of that danger was something that he understood was more or less of his own making. Granted, from what he discovered there really wasn’t a way of truly dealing with the lich. Since he could reconstitute himself into a younger form. It meant that even destroying his body would be a stopgap at best.

It would take something with more power than he had, and that came back to why he was here. He took another look at the harbor, and he watched as the ship finished docking. When it did he watched as a long gangplank was extended from the dock to the ship. Part of him was surprised, or was until he saw what looked like an official walking up the gangplank. The official was holding a clipboard, and from his expression he was already taking notice of the entire ship.

“Hmmm,” he said, as he looked over the design of the ship itself, “It’s functional, but at the same time I can see that extravagance was used. Honestly, why you nobles from the Lunar Sol Kingdom decide to decorate your ships like homes instead of the weapons they are I will never understand. Still, You’ve officially docked with in the Empire of the Ancient Dragon. I request that you do not call it a Kingdom. We have an Emperor not a bloody king,” he stated, his voice sounding overly hoity-toity, “Now, you may not be aware, but the moment you docked you fell under our laws. As such, I am here to check and ensure that your ship meets the requirements for our airships. If it does not then you will be fined, and your ship will be locked in port until the adjustments are made.”

Copper looked at him as he stepped onto the dock, “Hmmm, odd, normally the Lunar Sol Kingdom ships don’t have rubber padding on the deck. It’s honestly only the most sensible thing to do. Anytime that you are flying around places that may have storms it makes the most sense to ensure that everything is protected.”

He shook his head, “Well, no matter, there is no write up for that, let’s see,” he said as he walked toward the door leading to the bridge. He grabbed the handle, expecting the door to swing out, but instead it slid into the wall, “Odd,” he replied, as it did, “Again, normally the doors swing open, and all too often they are on half barrel hinges. Dangerous as they come. A maneuver that causes the airship to flip on its side, or even upside down for a short period can cause the door to come off if it is just the slightest bit open.”

Cooper watched as he moved from place to place, each time he did it appeared that he was more and more confused. Each check was seemingly coming up with nothing for him to write up. He could see the man getting more and more irritated. He knew what was going on. The man likely had been able to write up ships legally for ages, and now there was nothing for him to write them up for. He was going to have to praise Artemis for her amazing work and craftsmanship on the airship itself.

Slowly, the inspection drew to a close, and the man shook his head, “Well, there is no fines that I can apply,” he said, his voice firm, “May I have the name of the person docking?”

He looked at him, “Viscount Copper Plum Bit,” he replied, his voice even, “I’m a transfer student for the next semester or so.”

The man’s eyes widened, “Wait, Copper Plum Bit… Were, did you…” he said as he looked at his notes, “Oh, oh my, “Sir, Earl Bit, I truly apologize for boarding you and doing my inspection. I didn’t know that the man responsible for defeating King Sombra was here already,” he said as he bowed, “I… Please, forgive my rudeness, and please allow me the chance to truly apologize for my actions.”

He shook his head at him, “Look, I’m not here to start trouble. I am honestly here for school, and I’d like the chance to check out some of the labyrinths that reside here in the Ancient Dragon… Errr, Empire,” he said as he looked at him, “Other than that I plan on being just a student, and what did you mean by Earl?”

The man studied him, “Oh, I suppose that you haven’t been informed as of yet, please, as my way of apologizing for my actions,” he replied as he bowed slightly, “I received a letter before your arrival, and it stated that you were promoted to the status of Earl after the defeat of King Sombra. Additionally, I was informed that you are officially in the Lunar Sol upper third ranking for nobility. I do, wholeheartedly, apologize for my actions again.”

He shook his head, “Again, I’m fine with it, but I’m not thrilled to learn that I’m already an Earl. He watched as Diamond Tiara walked out, “Although, at least it makes things a bit easier,” he replied, “Okay, thank you for letting me know, and thank you for your apology. There is no reason to continue to apologize. We honestly just want to ensure we’re able to find our dorm rooms for the semester.”

The man smiled brightly, “Allow me to say that the Empire of the Ancient Dragon has done more than simply acquire you dorm rooms. You have been assigned a visitor house. I will have an escort car come and take you there immediately, additionally, I will have members of my own crew ensure that your luggage is handled and transferred without issue,” he stated, his chest puffed out in pride, “You have my word, that you, those with you, and your luggage will arrive safely.”

He nodded, “Ummm, thanks,” he replied, “So, an escort car?”

The answer was something that resembled a stretch Rolls Royce Phantom II. It pulled up close, and he could hear the gentle roar of the engine. It was a sound that he didn’t realize how much he missed. The gentle purring of it reminded him of his previous life, of the sounds of the city where he’d lived. The sounds of engines outside as cars started and went about their days. The driver was exposed to the air, but he stepped out of the car after a moment. He seemed to do a quick once over, and then he walked toward the back and opened the door, “Please, enter,” he stated, “There is more than enough room for all of you. You will find that the Escort Car is simply bigger on the inside.”

Copper stepped into the Escort Car itself, and instantly he could see that there was far more room than there should have been. It was too wide, too long, and even too tall to be the same car. He shook his head, made his way a seat, and watched as the others all climbed into the car as well. Artemis seemed astounded as well, and he could see that Monika was completely surprised. Both Applebloom and Diamond Tiara seemed impressed, but it was Sunset Shimmer that finally put some context on what was going on.

“Huh,” she said as she looked around the inside of the Escort Car for a moment, “The spell matrix that was used seems to be self feeding. It’s caught in something of an infinite loop. I’d bet that that it senses the number of occupants, creates the adjustments needed, and from there it simply applies the altered space inside. It’s an incredible bit of work. I’d bet that whoever applied the enchantments likely is a master, or at least is at this type of enchantments.”

Copper looked at her, and he understood that it was magic, which was usually a go to in explanation, but he had never actually expected to get a real explanation, “Sunset, could you recreate this?”

She studied it for a bit, “Not this well,” she admitted after a minute, “I mean, after a lot, and I mean a lot, of trial and error sure I could create something like this, but not right away. The best that I could do, with what I have seen here, is to give a few extra inches, or maybe an extra foot, in any given direction in a room. Even that might be pushing it,” she said as she looked around, “It’d likely take me a year or two of studying the slight nuances that they obviously already learned to recreate exactly what they’ve done here. Even then I’m not sure that it would be as refined as this.”

Copper nodded, and he noticed something else. From outside the sound of the car was welcoming, and it was something that he’d missed, but inside it was more or less like one of the airships. He really didn’t hear a sound. He didn’t feel anything, and it wasn’t even like the car itself was moving. He knew better than to just open the door, so instead he found the window itself. He looked around, and to his surprise there was a small crank. Memories of older cars that existed in his old life came to him, and he tried it.

For a moment there was nothing, and then the window beside him slowly began to roll down. He looked out to see that they were somewhere completely different from the port. It didn't feel like they were moving, at all, but he could clearly see that they were traveling, and it wasn’t at a snail's pace either. The car itself seemed to be clearly moving at a decent click, and it was making what he could only assume was excellent time. He felt another face beside him, and he looked to see Monika who was looking outside beside him, “Darling, it appears to be a shopping district, maybe we can come here later, please?”

There was absolutely no way that he was going to deny them the chance of coming and checking out the shopping in the Ancient Dragon Empire. Even in his thoughts he wanted to call it a Kingdom. As he recalled one of his first friends had informed him that it was actually an Empire, but so much of the Lunar Sol Kingdom called it a Kingdom that he’d just started to refer to it as the same. Now it was going to be a difficult habit to break. Not that he would continue to do it. He knew that doing so wouldn’t be right to those that didn’t purposefully set out to offend him. Instead he would just make sure that he tried to refer to it as an Empire from this point on. The only time that he wouldn’t would be when someone was specifically attempting to piss him off.

He felt more faces beside him, and he gently inched back as his other wives to be began to look out the door. He took Athena from Artemis and held his daughter as she looked out at the scenery that was passing them by. Looking at the little bundle in his arms he couldn’t help but feel proud of the fact that he’d helped to create something so perfect. She was practically perfect, and she was his. He wanted to protect her, and part of him wondered if this experience would be a benefit to her. Granted, there was a reason for it, but maybe being here would help her development.

He wondered if since she was still developing if perhaps her having the chance to experience new things would help her become a stronger person. If maybe she would be able to see things through a better world view, and her own view wouldn’t be so stilted. There was nothing wrong with Gold Bit. His father was an incredible man, but there wa no denying that Gold Bit’s own world view really didn’t go past his own domain. Oh, he forced himself to see more of the world when it concerned his children, but otherwise he really didn’t see past the confines of his own domain.

It was both reassuring and slightly depressing. It meant that for all of the great traits that his father had he would never be someone that would easily see a foreign person’s point of view. It would be something that he struggled with, and that was sad to him. It was because that meant that he would ultimately always believe that there was no reason for any uprising. Copper wasn’t going to deny that there were a good many of individuals, and nations, out there that simply seemed evil. King Sombra, the Lich, was a prime example. His nation was by far an evil and corrupt one. It didn’t mean that all of the people there were, but it had been because of King Sombra.

Maybe that would change, but he didn’t know. As it was now, the Lunar Sol Kingdom was preparing to explore the Kingdom of Nouch and do what they could to assimilate it into the Lunar Sol Kingdom itself. He knew the reasons, but there was no denying that a good part of it was because the Luna Sol Kingdom wanted the extra land. They needed the extra fertile soil, and this was a good of a reason as any to claim it. Even King Consort Baked Bean, whom he considered to be a good and just ruler, would do things that could be considered questionable in order to help his people.

The difference was that King Consort Baked Bean wasn’t also actively attempting to overthrow other nations. The war had come to them, and it had been stopped by them, so at this point it had ended, and the Lunar Sol Kingdom had won. There was nothing else to it. Copper was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize that the scenery outside had stopped changing, and it wasn’t until the door opened that he realized they’d stopped. He let his wives to be get out ahead of him, and in truth he enjoyed watching as they did. Then he carefully got out with Athena. There before them was a large mansion, and what looked like an expansive yard, “Welcome to your new home,” the driver said, “I hope that you enjoy your stay.”