Warp Gates

Late one evening, Will sat in his office thinking. After gaining Amphitrite, he quickly added another city within ten years. Petrol was a small oil field in the Rhaziesian desert, about 30 kilometers from Wolf Fang Fort.

He recruited 100 Rhaziesian men and their families who knew the area to lead him there. Using [Radar], it didn't take Will long until he reached pay dirt.

The ground was so full of oil that it seeped out the ground. It was a beautiful sight, seeing all that black gold, just sitting there waiting for someone who knew what to do with it.

Within a week, Will built the drill, drum, and rig, and oil line that led to the cost, where his boats should ship it home to Duress.

In Duress, it would be transformed into the truck parts and from there it would be shipped to Gadreel where the trucks, and cars now, were assembled.

Gadreel benefited from the cheap importation of raw materials, not just from the Rhaziesian desert, but also from the warring lords on the southern continent.

The lords deforested and stripped mined their lands to purchase arms and armor in Amphitrite. It wasn't long until Amphitrite became the most popular trading city on the southern continent.

The city was awash in raw materials. Raw materials that were sent home to Gadreel turned into goods and sent back to Amphitrite; where the same lords that traded the raw material would purchase the imported goods.

To Will's astonishment, Amphitrite had turned into a pseudo-colony for Fermion.

And the cheap oil, minerals, timber, crops, iron, leather, and wool were all imported by Will's ships, and traveled by trucks, trains, and airships from Duress and to Gadreel, and the exports traveled in reverse.

It was a virtuous cycle that saw Gadreel's wealth explode and paid for the city's renovation 100 times over.

After Gadreel's renovation, it was now the largest city in the Kingdom of Fermion. The Gadreel was so large, the residents and visitors jokingly referred to different sections as cities.

Fashion Row, Central City, Industrial Park, Financial Square, Valley A&M Academy, and Royal Academy, and each neighborhood had its own name.

The Royal Academy moved to Fermion after years centuries of being in Yorkshire. For decades the academy had needed repair.

When it was time to decide whether to repair or relocate, King Roland debated whether to move the Royal Academy Tirana the new royal capital or keep it in Yorkshire the old royal capital.

When the capital move southward so Yorkshire became a small northern farm town, with empty luxurious noble mansions, and a newly refurbished, rarely used castle.

Will hadn't been to his manor in Yorkshire in decades. If not for the Royal Academy, professors, and laborers he'd close down his businesses.

However, what King Roland, Francis II, nor Will anticipated was the strong opposition from the northern region, which didn't want to lose any more commerce and or political power.

The northern lords, in the Whitby's Duchy, were the most fervent to speak out at what they saw as the king's betrayal.

When the king moved south, the northern lords saw the act as a betrayal. Now Francis II's eldest son was the only Whitby in the northern Duchy.

The northern lords encouraged the other "True Fermions" to oppose the Royal Academy's relocation to former Albania.

Will was just as surprised by noble protest, as the king. Neither the king, Francis II, nor Will predicted this fight, or something as mundane as moving the Royal Academy to the new Royal Capital of Fermion.

However, what was clear is the kingdom was still divided along Fermion and Albania lines.

Ultimately it was decided the Royal Academy would move to Gadreel. Friendship Valley technically belonged to "True Fermion," and provided a central location.

The new Royal Academy was built in the recently expanded Noble District. Like, Valley A&M Academy, Will built the new Royal Academy. But the two schools couldn't have been more different. An academy for mundane noble teenagers required a haughty ambiance and opulence designs.

With the Royal Academy now in Gadreel, Will relocated Jesper from Yorkshire.

With the kingdom's north and south rivalry, Will felt this was the appropriate time to expand his entertainment business sector with a new game…football.

Will invited several wealthy old friends to start a football league. The Fermion Primer League as it was called consisted of eight teams: Gadreel Phoenixes F.C., Tirana Griffins F.C., Rohm Unicorns F.C., Guidon Knights F.C., Yorkshire United, Durres Marines F.C., Vlore Shivers F.C., and Ballard Bulls F.C.

It wasn't long until stadiums were packed. Fanatics packed stands routing their favorite team to victory or drowning their team's loss in a local pub.

The game was an instant obsession in the Great Eastern Empire and soon exploded in popularity. This led to Will owning a separate, imperial football club, the F.C. Amphitrite United.

If football was fanaticism in the Kingdom of Fermion, it became a religion in Great Eastern Empire. Where Fermion had 8 teams, the empire had 80 teams. Every city in the empire wanted its football club.

It became so unwieldy, Will was called in to organize the Imperial Football League. Will create 4 leagues with 20 teams. Will was fairly confident when owners learned the actual cost to manage a football club, many would fold.

Next, Will declared every team in a league would each other twice, once home and away.

Victories were worth three points, draws were worth a single point, and losses were worth zero points.

The club with the most points at the end of the season became the champion and the two teams at the bottom were relegated to the league below, while the top two teams were promoted to a higher league. The system was clear, equitable, and easy for fans and players to understand.

F.C. Amphitrite United rallied his Imperial and Song residents and gave Amphitrite a common identity, not separated by a river or two sovereignties.

Will's four cities of Gadreel, Lezhe, Amphitrite, and Petrol all flourished. But as they did, so did sea piracy. Will's ships were numerous and filled with desirable goods.

Villages on the southern continent took to piracy to survive. They realized Will would rather pay a ransom on a seized vessel than summon the imperial navy.

The pirates learned two piracy had a high cost to the business. Will's ships were protected by the imperial and Orca Clan. And if pirates were caught by either, dead was the only outcome.

Yet, piracy was becoming a strain on his business, especially his oil business. The Rhaziesian Empire Navy was a scintilla of ships they purchased from Will.

Will knew the easiest method to trade goods would be through Warp Gates. Warp gates warp space by bridging two geographical locations synchronously.

The problem with warp gates is that once they're built, whoever knew the password can enter your fief, army, and all.

Will needed to do something, piracy was becoming so normalized, his ship crews began counting the delays into the delivery route.

Making up his mind, Will ordered the basalt from the Dwarven capital, Dhan Kolduhr. Basalt was the best, mined from deep earth or volcanoes. Warp Gates made out of basalt could withstand several decades is heavy use.

While Will worked on the Warp Gates, Nisha would come to visit from the Spirit Realm. He enjoyed hearing her stories of the Shadow Panther region, visiting Archimedes, and her frequent travel to the Leopard Clan.

Will missed having Nisha around him all the time, but he understood she was busy like him. But he still enjoyed curling up and resting with his head against Nisha's warm fur while taking a nap.

Still, Will and Nisha were like best friends who would have a good banter after not seeing each other for weeks. They were the best of friends, whether Nisha was in her leopard or human form. No matter the form, Nisha would still take long naps and was just as deadly.

When the last supply wagon of basalt arrived, Will finished the Warp Gate, channeled his magic into the runes on the Warp Gate

and watched as Amphitrite came into view.

The basalt rectangular stone blocks were assembled into an octagonal gate that was nearly 4 meters tall and 4 meters wide. Wide enough for any caravan to pass through unencumbered.

"Tell me how you expect to explain sudden knowledge in runes?" Nisha laughed.

Normally, this would be a job for Rupert. But he was deep in research and knowing runes.

"Technically this was not cheating…I didn't use my divine power, just my divine knowledge.

After all, I've learned a lot from Rupert and read several runes books. It's just that none of it made sense until my divinity was restored," Will whispered to Nisha, who was still laughing at his weak explanations

"There's no way you remain hidden. You'll get caught sooner or later," Nisha laughed.

"Do you know how many planets we gods oversee? Billions. The chances that god or goddess is watching a human at any one time is minuscule," Will explained.

"Common let's go, I want you to give me a tour of Amphitrite," Nisha said as she pulled Will through the portal.

When they step across people, must have thought Will and Nisha teleported. Upon seeing his silver hair, and green eyes, the giant Shadow Leopard began bowing and greeting him.

"Come on let's find a warehouse we can connect the gate in Gadreel," Will said.

Walking along the wharf, it didn't take them long to find one of his warehouses. Due to the piracy, the warehouse was sadly bare.

"Wait here while I build the second Warp Gate," Will said as he built a second octagonal gate.

"Why don't you build more? You could connect Gadreel to Lezhe, Duress, and Annapolis," Nisha wondered.

"Absolutely not! Warp Gapes are dangerous, not to mention if I did what you said I'd lose money.

A part of Lezhe's attractiveness is its isolation, limited housing, expensive cost, and high transportation cost. Wealthy customers come to Lezhe precisely because it's a luxury getaway.

That's what separates it from the beaches in Vlore and Duress. If building a Warp Gate, Lezhe would lose its rarity.

A Warp Gate would be bad for business between Duress and Guidon. Sure, imports would get there faster, and transportation costs might slightly decrease.

But my trucks and airships pick up and drop off goods on the way to Gadreel and the same goes on the return travel Duress.

But what I love is people seeing my trucks, trains, and airships traveling across the kingdom.

And that keeps my company in the front of my customers' minds, that kind of free advertising is worth more than a slight decrease in transportation.

And neither the kingdom nor the emperor would agree to have such a military loophole in their capital. Diplomatically it's best not to mention it," Will explained.

Will gave Nisha a tour of Amphitrite, took her to a football game, and to see the lighthouse. After touring the city for hours, they returned to Gadreel and talked until late into the evening. Will and Nisha remained the best of friends for eternity.