The winter was officially over when the snow began to melt in earnest, filling our rivers with icy torrents that flowed toward the south—just as we would do soon enough. The air carried a particular bite to it, the remains of the cold, always the last to leave.

In the heart of my underground facility, the workers began putting everything to the test, churning out tractors that would not be sent to the fields or Atuvia but would be loaded onto trains and brought down to Cerna. To Mirian. She would use them to carry the supplies of her own recruited army and also to give them her own artillery. I wanted to win, after all. Along the train lines, a different set of carriages was being loaded with supplies for my army, and even though we would surprise Ishillia by crossing over via the Camelot, once we were on the ground, they would come along with Mirian, joining up with us after we crushed the first line of Ishillia.

After we destroyed our little jailee… Then, we would head straight to the Capital. If it falls, a new age will begin for everybody.

At the gates of the Pass, my elite soldiers, encased in our newest Mark II armor, were marching in perfect synchronization, training, and going through the base jumping exercises so there wouldn’t be any errors when it was time to do for real. According to Oleg’s report, their morale was high, accidents were kept to a minimum, and by now, everyone in my army wore a blood tattoo. Our medics were taught and given templates that they had to only wrap around the soldiers’ arms and apply the monster blood, following the cutouts. Besides them, my mechs were likewise being prepared and armed. The Lion, Princess, Rook, and the newest Knight of mine, the Valiant, were all ready and armed.

We were preparing them for transfer. They would be hoisted under the Camelot, using anti-gravity formations to remove their weight and carry them over to the other side. We already had some tests, and we could easily pick them up and carry them; what remained now was to do some live tests by dropping them down. In theory, there shouldn’t be any issue… but theories were that. Theories.

Anyway, we still had time, and I was still working on overseeing my budding Air Force. The promising first batch of pilots were chosen by Oleg, and now I was teaching them and taking them on flights up in the air before letting them try it for themselves. My biggest hurdle was not teaching them because that part went easily. What was giving me a headache was coming up with the design of how to connect them to the Camelot.

That part… was tricky, but I had ideas—just nothing concrete yet. To let my brain rest and air out a little, I decided to come over to the Pass, watch my men train, and let my thoughts rest for a brief moment, reminiscing about where I came from and where I was now. It helped a lot. From the castle walls, I watched the preparations unfold when I heard steps coming my way, and it was Merlin who carried his staff with him, something that made me smile as I watched him get close.

“It’s time,” he muttered, his voice surprisingly excited. “The snow is melting… And we will soon begin the biggest campaign this world has ever seen, one that will shake the world.”

“You think?” I asked as I inclined my head, a faint smile playing on my lips.

“Of course! The Emperor of Ishillia won’t know what hit him. It will be glorious!”

“Heh, I do hope so!” I chuckled while turning, slapping Merlin’s shoulder. “Speaking of Ishillia, how’s our guest?”

“Kaelis? He is still stubborn as a mule, but he also remains shaken,” he replied, shrugging. “He knows Avalon is more than a threat. He just hasn’t admitted it out loud yet.”

“Make him see,” I ordered. “He maybe needs a personal experience. Give him a showcase. He must see what we’re capable of.”

“Understood.” Merlin nodded, already forming a plan. “He’ll see.”

…

….

……

Kaelis had grown accustomed to the stillness of his cell, but the sound of boots approaching down the corridor broke that silence, still making him flinch. The door to his holding area creaked open, and two soldiers entered, their armor pristine as always, but this time, their helmets hung from their belts instead of wearing them.

“Get up,” one barked, his blue eyes looking at him without any emotion.

“…” Kaelis hesitated at first, his cuffs rattling on his arms and legs as he pushed himself up from his cot. “Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll see,” the other soldier replied curtly, opening his cell’s door and pulling Kaelis forward. The shackles around his wrists and ankles made every step a struggle, blocking his magic and giving him the feeling he wasn’t himself since he woke up with them. To his surprise, they weren’t taking him into a bloody dungeon or to another cell with torture tools. Instead, they led him to a different room, made him wash up, and changed him into a surprisingly comfortable pair of pants and shirt, along with a new set of shoes. Maybe they were going to execute him? It was what he thought, thinking this was his last gift for the afterlife before they led him out of the holding facility and into the city streets.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

The brightness of the morning sun was blinding after the monotone, dimmer light of his cell, but as Kaelis’s eyes adjusted, he found himself awed once again. The city was still just as bustling as before, and what was muted in his cell was now attacking his ears in full force. Children laughing, people coming and going… the noise of an incredibly busy city.

With the two guards flanking him, Merlin was waiting for Kaelis as they appeared. The young Prime Minister was dressed simply, but his presence commanded his full attention. Kaelis knew, no, he felt that he probably was someone who could have been Ishillia’s greatest mage if he sided with the Empie. Maybe even overshadow the Eternal Emperor if given enough time. He even grew to respect the young man's talent, although he would never admit it. Watching Merlin, he gestured for the soldiers to release Kaelis, who then stood awkwardly, his captors giving him enough space so he could relax a little and not feel suffocated.

“You’ll want to follow me,” Merlin spoke, turning without waiting for a response.

He hesitated only a moment before following, his curiosity piqued despite himself, and he knew there was no way he could refuse, not with the soldiers standing close by. As they walked, Merlin continued, his voice light, friendly, almost conversational, which was still a creepy feeling coming from his jailor.

“You’ve spent weeks in that cell, Kaelis. I guess you had enough time to think, and I thought it was time you saw why I told you Ishillia won't win this.”

He wasn't about to argue, but he also didn't say anything that would give Merlin the idea he agreed. Instead, he just followed, watching the city and its people. It turned out they were only walking until they were out of Avalon, and then they took a carriage, heading towards the castle in the mountains. For a moment, Kaelis thought that he was transferred into a much worse cell, but then he realized it was a stupid idea... Especially when they finally arrived, and he laid eyes upon the army gathered around the castle. Before him stretched an assembly ground, where rows upon rows of soldiers stood at attention... boarding a giant... monster.

"What... what is that..." he stuttered, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

"That is an actual airship." Merlin chuckled, "Our airship. The soldiers you see here are in mid-training. The ship is bringing them up to about 4,000 meters; they jump out and land at the marks we had set up."

"They... jump out?!"

"Duh." Merlin chuckled, "We are training for the invasion of Ishillia, didn't I tell you?"

"..." Kaelis’s breath was caught in his chest as he saw smaller, weird machines rolling around close by, and then... another. And a dozen more. Then... he heard steps. Booming ones, squelching the muddied earth as the snow was melting into it. He thought a monster was coming, and when he saw the Lion appear and walk past them, forced Kaelis to fall over while craning his neck and looking up in utter horror.

“This…” he whispered. “This is your army?”

"Ahaha~" Merlin laughed quietly. “A fraction of it.”

The soldiers moved with no hesitation, even when they knew they were about to jump to their deaths if something went wrong. What kind of training were they going through? Thinking, he suddenly heard another loud sound reverberating in his guts, and when he looked, another two walking machines were striding past close by. They... they had more than one. He realized with horror that even if the Emperor was a powerful mage, Avalon had that, too. He stood right next to him... and besides that, they also had machines on par with monsters.

Merlin gestured for the soldiers to pull Kaelis up and to follow him to the castle, up to the walls, overlooking the rest of the assembly and the Pass beyond it. From there, they could see that the entire military might be gathered below them.

“This is where we stop monsters every winter, Kaelis. You can see the scars on the land if you focus. There is no winter when some massive abomination doesn't try to come through. But... they never made it far. Do you understand now? We are not afraid of Ishillia because we have been beating back worse since we started.”

"Monsters..." Kaelis said as if he was under a spell while he turned to him, his voice trembling. Then, just thinking about it, a massive shadow fell over him, and he watched as the Camelot rose to the skies, flying up high, becoming a pinpoint in the sky. “Why show me this? To intimidate me?”

“To educate you,” Merlin expressed calmly, wagging a finger at him. “You’ve seen Ishillia’s strength. You comprehended it as you grew up as a mage to the Empire. Even with the brainwashing they may have put you through, with your mind and talent, you must also know its weaknesses. I am not asking for them before you say anything! I am asking you to consider them when honestly comparing us in your mind. Look at Avalon. Look at what we’ve become. And ask if Ishillia could do the same.”

Kaelis felt a pit forming in his stomach. He had always believed in Ishillia’s power, its invincibility. He had been taught of it. But he had to agree: Avalon was something else entirely. While Ishillia had their dominating flying ships, in just the past ten years, they almost lost all of them to humans. Yet here was Avalon, fighting monsters and growing stronger, gaining weapons instead of losing them. For the first time, he felt a crack in his loyalty.

“You think this will convince me to betray my Emperor? My home? My Ishillia?” He asked, though his voice lacked conviction.

"Hm?" Merlin turned to him, his expression surprised yet serious. “Betray him? No. But open your eyes, Kaelis. The world is changing, and your Emperor refuses to see it. We won't destroy Ishillia anyway.”

"But-!"

"Mirian Ishillia will return to the throne, to where she belongs. You must understand that, too. Your current Emperor took it from her. You say that you are loyal to Ishillia, yet it seems to me we are more loyal to that failing empire than you."

"Nonsense!" Kaelis shook his head, but his resolve was wavering. “Good trick, though.”

"Sure." Merlin’s smile returned, a bit sharper now. “Whatever you say, Kaelis. I know you see it, but you just refuse to acknowledge it. And when you finally do, you can be the part of something better.” Then, with a hand, Merlin signaled to the guards, who began escorting him back to his cell, back to Avalon.

As Kaelis was led back to the city, he couldn’t shake the images from his mind. The soldiers, the machines, and the sheer scale of Avalon’s hidden strength revealed to him. They let him see it, knowing he wouldn't have the chance to tell anyone—and it all weighed heavily on his consciousness.

In the quiet of his cell, he felt he had to sit on the cold floor, his mind racing. He tried to use the chilly feeling, pressing his head against it to cool himself down, but it didn't seem to help...