*99 years after the Air Nomad Genocide. Roku. Omashu*
Somehow, without fanfare or ceremony, my rear end found itself planted on the throne of the city-state. My ascension didn't disrupt the bureaucratic machine, especially with Bumi always lurking nearby.
All the most critical matters in Ba Sing Se had already been resolved, so Lao didn't need my help at the moment. Besides, his entire massive guard had relocated from Gaoling to the capital, bringing Poppy with them. This rapid turn of events seriously alarmed the residents of Gaoling Province. Everyone understood that the Flying Boar family would focus its attention on the capital. It was far from certain that there'd be time or energy left for their homeland. Only Lao's public promise—that he'd never forget Gaoling—calmed the people.
"I didn't bring Flopsy here for nothing!" Toph proudly patted her chest. "Saved you a whole two hours!"
"Why didn't I think of this sooner?" Bumi shook his head with genuine sadness.
"Yeah… good job, Toph," I managed to smile. "They were just scared of Flopsy!" The massive animal had sent them scurrying away, forgetting the questions they'd wanted to discuss with me. It didn't solve problems—it just piled them up!
Bumi and Toph loved lounging in the throne room, amusing themselves at my expense and that of the petitioners. Honestly, I was even grateful to them—many of the visitors had minor issues that other officials could handle. But to build a reputation, I had to engage with the people.
Jun was probably in on it too… It wasn't in her nature to pay so much attention to strangers. Yet, standing near me, she didn't hesitate to shoot each newcomer her signature scornful, haughty glance.
"Lord Roku, the city model is ready," said one of my advisors, whose stoic face endured all the antics around us. Working with Bumi had seasoned him well.
I didn't replace anyone—the entire apparatus ran like clockwork and was loyal to the city. I didn't expect anything less, given that Bumi himself possessed seismicsense, infallibly detecting lies in people.
The city model was needed for a fuller understanding of the postal system. Soon, it would be modified to better serve the citizens. My idea for transporting people had been well-received, and for months now, people had been requesting new routes.
The project had piqued the interest of scholars from both Earth Kingdom universities. The newly established Earth University had already attracted considerable attention, gaining many new students in just a few months.
Entering one of the palace rooms, I saw a scaled-down version of Omashu, occupying nearly the entire sizable space. Several young men were bustling around it.
"This part of the city is already overburdened," one of them said, pointing to a line. "We should relocate it!"
"This district houses a full ten percent of the city—such congestion is necessary," an intellectual-looking man shook his head. The first speaker, with his sun-darkened skin and visible muscles, seemed more like a country boy.
The intellectual was from the Ba Sing Se University, where only the wealthy could afford to study. The "country boy" was a new student at the Gaoling University. Yes, he still lacked some foundational knowledge, but his enthusiasm and drive outshone everyone else there.
Lao allows anyone to enter the University by passing a logic and wit test. Free education interested many, but within a week, most realized that thinking was harder than tilling the land. Only true talents remain in the halls of higher learning, ready to devote themselves entirely to science.
Many of them cared little for politics or military conflicts, having no idols in those fields. But the Mechanist had become a significant figure for them. Due to his nature, he'd likely never understand…
We didn't interrupt their work, only ensuring there were no major disagreements. Another issue was the shortage of earthbenders for the routes. The plan was to add many new transport lines, each requiring at least three earthbenders. The city simply didn't have enough guards traditionally assigned to the postal system.
To solve this, we decided to make the rides paid. The fee was minimal, but over a day, it added up to a substantial sum, enough to pay applicants from the public. This freed up many earthbending guards to focus on their primary duties and reduced unemployment. This socio-economic issue had long been a serious problem, as Omashu was surrounded by barren mountains, making it impossible to establish self-sufficiency. Most provisions had to be bought from nearby, more fertile provinces. The city itself showed signs of overpopulation, with fierce competition even for the lowest-paying jobs. These issues needed addressing before it was too late.
Monthly and yearly travel passes had already been devised, and enough earthbenders had been found. All that remained was to finalize the system and build the new lines.
*The next day. The small dining hall in the Palace of Omashu.*
A strange atmosphere had hung over the dinner table for several minutes. Behind the friendly smiles of the girls and women sat something more.
"This boar is delicious," I said, awkwardly chuckling, trying to ease the tension.
"You're in trouble, buddy," Bumi whispered beside me��the only one enjoying the situation.
An hour ago, Shizuka and Suyuki had arrived in the city. Shizuka had finally found a suitable replacement for herself. A group of earthbenders, Lao's people, had come to the island wanting to settle there.
Jun and Shizuka were sizing each other up. Even if they claimed they were ready to share their man, there'd inevitably be friction at first. Especially since they both knew I had many more women, simply distributed among my bodies.
"Roku said you're a skilled earthbender… How about a friendly sparring match?" Suyuki asked Toph with a sweet smile.
"I'm game!" Toph agreed immediately.
And there they go…
That day, I had to exhaust both women to the point of near collapse, just to keep foolish thoughts from their minds. The match between the girls still happened. Though Toph won, Suyuki wasn't far behind. Shizuka's daughter was physically more trained and demonstrated excellent skill in weaving Avatar Kyoshi's techniques into her fighting style. Toph, as a more seasoned earthbender, had years of living in tune with the earth.
It was harder navigating between the two young rivals without neglecting either. I hoped to turn their budding rivalry into a more friendly direction, as had happened with Yui and Katara.
*Capital of the Fire Nation. Wan's Estate.*
I don't know what exactly happened, but the slow-burning war of the past years suddenly began to escalate.
Ozai and the Fire Sages, like chess players with no time to think, started exchanging pieces… Things took a bad turn when, along with pawns, elephants, horses, and rooks began to fall.
Ozai unilaterally ordered me to stay by Azula's side at all times, acting as a shield to protect one of the throne's claimants from assassins.
Maybe it's my chi blocking losing effectiveness. It's hard not to notice the Fire Lord showing slightly more emotion, especially negative ones. His time is running out, forcing him to act more fiercely. By my estimate, the situation will heat up for another year to a year and a half before full-scale war erupts. For now, both factions still operate covertly—well, at least they try. Ozai doesn't want unrest among the people, and the Sages aren't eager to stir up waves they can't control. After all, the current Fire Lord has proven his competence as a ruler, reviving many sectors and creating a strong middle class that could follow him in overthrowing the spiritual authority.
Old Man Jian has managed to get closer to Ozai. According to his data, the Sages control about twenty-five percent of the military forces. This significant number is compounded by their forces being concentrated mainly on the archipelago, while most of Ozai's forces are stationed at the borders with the Earth Kingdom. Neither side is ready for the final moves.
"Master Wan, at least pretend you're with us!" Azula puffed out her cheeks, stopping her attack on me.
"Sorry, sorry," I said, smiling slightly guiltily, "Now I'm definitely here. Let's continue."
Tilting my head slightly, I dodged a sharp throwing knife. Apparently, my head movement had been calculated by Mai, as the sunlight reflected off the blade's surface, briefly blinding me. I immediately felt a wave of heat from my left side. Azula was right there. Two rolls helped me avoid the princess's attack.
"Great teamwork!" I praised them silently. Before completing the second roll, I felt a faint gust of wind… Ty Lee was already ready to strike with her foot. "Where are you aiming?!" Instinctively covering a certain area with my hands, I managed to interrupt their attack series.
Credit where it's due—the three of them complement each other perfectly. Mai handles long and mid-range attacks, Ty Lee appears exactly when needed. Azula acts as heavy artillery, serving as both the main firepower and support. All the girls have well-trained bodies and aren't far behind Ty Lee in flexibility.
"Alright, that's it for today," the heavily breathing, red-faced girls could only weakly nod—they had no strength left. It was time for me to head to the cellar; soon it would be time to "feed" the golden egg. With its increased size, it no longer fit in the Palace, so it had been moved to my house, where earthbending had created a secret lower floor.
Honestly, I thought the dragon hatchling would emerge this year, but it seems I'll have to wait longer. I so wanted to confront the Sages on a golden dragon. I'd already imagined my future image in every detail… Long hair flowing in the wind, a confident yet stern gaze from golden eyes. A man of extraordinary beauty, standing tall on the mighty Lord of the Skies, ready to unleash wrath upon his enemies. Apparently, too many xianxia novels from my past life still influence me…
*Somewhere between the Fire Nation colonies and the Earth Kingdom territory.*
"Any news?" a grim man in Fire Nation uniform asked. His companion had just received a letter delivered by a dragon hawk.
"They said to disappear into Earth Kingdom territory and wait. They'll contact us soon," the soldier read quickly. "What do we do, Captain?" he asked, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"Are you eager to attack a well-fortified Earth Kingdom base with our forces?" the captain replied, giving his subordinate a puzzled look. The soldier realized he'd asked something foolish. "Clearly, a power struggle is happening at the top, since even we're feeling the ripples��" the captain thought.
An hour ago, a general had stormed their base, ordering their unit to capture the nearest earthbender base. At first, everyone thought it was a bad joke—who in their right mind would attack a fortress housing, by rough estimates, up to a thousand soldiers, half of them earthbenders?
The captain tried to dispute the order, challenging the general to an Agni Kai. Losing the fight left them no choice but to execute the insane command. If they resisted, the general was ready to declare them traitors on the spot.
They were lucky one of the privates had a dragon hawk, which they used during the journey to contact another base controlled by a general from Ozai's faction.
"If they find us, it's best to surrender immediately," the captain thought. At least they'd end up in prison with a chance to return home. The new Earth King had proven absolute control over all the nation's structures, making infiltration much harder. Many spies had long been out of contact…
Numerous similar incidents had been occurring for days. Both sides sought to weaken the other as much as possible. And as always, ordinary people suffered most—those with families, dreams, and hopes…