"You're really not going to interfere?" Devon Yu asked.

"Why should I?" Lin Hao replied with a question. "He's still doing his job perfectly. And while the job he's just taken on was only partially defined, he's filling in the gaps so far in a way that's consistent with all the storylines you laid out for the role. I didn't really intend to personify the game system as a whole, but the actual changes were surprisingly miniscule."

"I never realized that the traveling merchant was tied into so many of the underlying functions," Devon Yu murmured.

"A lot of little things that were convenient at the time, plus a lot of things that linked logically to his basic functions," Lin Hao replied with a shrug. His gaze s.h.i.+fted to another screen, where Endless Song gathered.

--

After the system announcement that mentioned the Empress, thankfully not by name, Kit wondered nervously if she should have been so quick to agree to every question the Jade Emperor had asked.

She snuck a look at his serene countenance. He released one of her hands, and took a step forward, toward the doors that led to the throne room. When she didn't immediately move with him, he stopped and waited patiently.

After a long moment, she turned and stepped forward too. He smiled at her and, together, they walked toward the wide hall that had led to this garden. The doors closed behind them, with a barely visible s.h.i.+mmer of scales.

As they approached the thin part.i.tion that covered the opening between them and the throne, she cleared her throat and said, "Empress… I didn't quite realize that you were asking me to change my path from druid."

From beyond the wall, MatchlessMinion asked, "Empress is a path?"

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Logical Heart replied.

Kit rolled her eyes, but the Jade Emperor replied calmly, "You cannot follow the G.o.d who has become your subordinate, the White Tiger could follow the path of the Empress if you wish."

"What? No, that sounds dangerous," Kit protested as she tucked in behind him instead of releasing his hand.

The Jade Emperor simply stepped wider around the thin wall, as deftly as though he'd expected that she wouldn't go around the opposite side. When she'd come in there had been a single throne, but now two stood in its place.

"What sounds dangerous?" ZipZing asked worriedly.

The Jade Emperor calmly took a seat on his throne, just as he sat in the character creation room, but Kit was too nervous and at last released his hand and stepped down to where her friends stood.

"He said that the G.o.ds are my subordinates," Kit said worriedly.

"Oh," ZipZing replied blankly. "I guess they would be? Congrats by the way."

"Yes, congratulations Kit," Ryullusion said with a crinkle to his eyes that said he was amused.

"What kind of quests do Empresses have to do?" MatchlessMinion asked.

"Ugh, we're out of time," Nao1 complained. "I'm glad you succeeded Kit! See you next time!"

"Ah, thanks," Kit replied with a confused expression. "How are you guys even here? I thought you didn't have time to play?"

"We made a little for your important day!" Saaki explained.

Kit smiled at the small red haired genie. "Thank you," she said again.

ZipZing stopped hovering in front of Kit, and zipped over to Ais.h.i.+n for a quick farewell that included his usual kiss on her miniature nose, and Kit's smile became a grin.

Kit turned to face her husband with the feeling of bubbles rising in her chest. Happy, apprehensive, relieved, she was overflowing with emotions. "What kind of quests do Empresses have to do?" she repeated the fluffy little chinchillamin's question.

The Jade Emperor smiled and said gently, "You don't 'have' to do any, but there will be a variety of quests available that will let you learn new skills appropriate to your new path. You might start with gaining the first skill?"

Kit blinked at him. It was such a calm ordinary reply, as though she'd just switched to the path of a baker or a knight. She pulled up her menus and checked to see if she already had a new quest. Her ongoing druid advancement had been replaced by a quest that said she should learn self presentation.

Kit grimaced, it sounded horrible.

--

Danika felt like the members of Underneath had barely done more than look at Kit and the Jade Emperor before leaving, but it was cool that they'd been able to able to come at all. She wondered what would happen when they logged back in, and if they would be free to wander the imperial palace.

She turned and looked at Kit and saw her expression. "What's wrong?" she questioned.

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Kit replied, "It says my first skill will be self presentation."

"That sounds like something an Empress would need," Shrubbery spoke up in a reasonable sounding tone.

MatchlessMinion snickered and asked, "Will the new Empress have to learn to walk with books balanced on her head?"

Danika repressed a smile, the idea did sound amusing, if you weren't the one who had to do it.

"How is that self presentation? It will let her hide any of her flags except red PVP, if it's the same one that a.s.sa.s.sins can learn," Logical Heart offered. "At high levels you can pretty much temporarily alter your appearance to anything you want."

Everyone turned to look at him. The little gnome blinked and asked, "What?"

"It will allow you to choose whether or not you wish to appear as the Empress," the Jade Emperor a.s.sured Kit when she turned to look at him questioningly.

Kit glanced down at herself and then glanced at her friends. "I don't look much like an Empress at the moment anyway," she pointed out.

Danika pointed at the flag above Kit's head and said, "You're wearing a label that says, 'The Jade Empress,' though."

Kit turned to her husband and asked, "If it's just a t.i.tle, then what's your name?"

Danika couldn't prevent a giggle this time. When Kit glanced at her, she explained, "You agreed to marry him without even knowing that."

Kit blushed, but the Jade Emperor replied calmly, "It isn't my t.i.tle, it is my ident.i.ty. I took possession of it when I claimed the Empire."

Danika blinked, and then exchanged glances with Logical Heart. "That…" she began, but her sentence trailed off.

"…is really impressive," Matchless Minion finished for her. He addressed the Emperor, "You're like the King of Thieves! You just stole a whole Empire!"

"I am the Emperor, the King of Thieves is under my rule," the Jade Emperor replied calmly. "All of the Kings within the Empire, all Residents and all Adventurers, are my subjects."