I teleported to the Palace where Amber, backed up by Irene and Luna, was yelling at my master artisans. Hestia and Aoi were more neutral, but they didn’t look pleased either. Before anyone noticed me, I sneaked out of the room, because the first Vampire spawned quicker than I thought. I teleported to their spawner that had I placed in the basement of the Praetorians’ barracks. The Vampire Lord spawner looked like a black coffin, inlaid with gold and polished steel. Near it stood a slim woman of average height with auburn hair. She was a bit pale, and her blood-red eyes shined with ruby light when she saw me. She slowly bowed to me, but for the first time, I felt so many feelings from one of my denizens. While the World System was asking me if I wanted to appoint the Vampire Scion, I looked at the Vampire in front of me with curiosity.
"Are you my master?" she asked before I could ask her anything.
"I am the Dungeon Core who summoned you." I nodded. "I'm Theon, King of Avalon."
"Nice to meet you, King Theon Avalon, I am Princess..." She started with a smile that crumbled slowly as she looked at me with an empty gaze. "Princess... I am Princess... I... I don't remember... There was a war and fire, after which came the darkness..."
She dropped to her knees with a distressed gaze. She slowly raised her hands to her head and slowly pulled her hair in powerless despair. I looked at her with pity and more than just a bit of surprise. She was not in a position to respond to any of my questions, so I gazed into her memories. The fuzzy pictures I saw there suddenly became clear, and she calmed down. I wondered if the fact that I learnt her memories caused whatever was erasing them to stop, but that gave me some ideas to look into later. I had a strong suspicion that memories shared or known by at least two people can't be erased that easily. The Vampiress exhaled after putting her hand over her heart and looked up at me.
"Thank you for saving what remains of my memories, my Master." She rose up slowly and examined her body. "I somehow have retained memories of my past life. This is a very strange feeling, knowing two things that contradict each other..." She deeply bowed to me. "No matter who I was, now I am your servant. What are your orders, my King?"
"I have a job for you and your subordinates," I admitted. "But first..." I focused on the World System interface and appointed her as the Vampire Scion. With the surprised scream of a teenage girl, she was pulled back into the spawner, where she underwent the strengthening and transformation into a scion. "You shall be known as Morrigan."
I took a few moments to look at the coffin thoughtfully. After Stella had met Lavender, I wondered what mechanics were behind spawners. It was clear by now that some of the powerful and unique monsters were once something else. I shrugged after a while and decided to think about it later once I had more information to work with. With a sigh, I teleported away.
•••
"Is that... HMS Victory?" I asked in awe, looking at the majestic warship docked in the harbour inside my garden. "No... I think the details are different."
"We indeed called her HMS Victory, our King." Bjorn was extremely proud. "I believe that she is my greatest creation. We also changed the decorations and details, but the base model we used was Victory."
The distinguished first-class ship of the line was standing erect still despite the gentle waves of the castle lake. The seventy-metre-long, three-decker warship was simply majestic. The polished wood and gilded details softly reflected the spring sun. I couldn't take my eyes off the stunning beauty that, despite its size, looked elegantly graceful. Then I noticed a bloodcurdling detail. Her gun ports were closed, but seeing my gaze, Ragnar's eyes shined dangerously, and after he clapped his hands, a series of orders rumbled through the thick hull. When the ports opened, I looked in shock and terror into multiple rows of naval cannons. A cold sweat broke out over me as I realised how much devastating firepower this ship had.
"Oh, God..." I whispered under my breath and sharply looked at Ragnar. "What is that?"
"Magi cannons, my King," he replied proudly. "But I think we can reproduce the original cannons that HMS Victory had... No? Ok..."
My gaze was deadly and cold, but fortunately, my Master Blacksmith realised he was on very thin ice. It was one thing to build a magitech weapon that existed in this world, which essentially was a bit more complicated magic storage device that required a certain amount of mana before it could be activated. It was another thing entirely to unleash gunpowder and cannons that were far more destructive because of the ease of their use. Not that I had something against them; I just happened to have them hidden in vast vaults below Avalon, along with far more devastating and modern weapon systems. I was not that stupid, simply arming my enemies by unleashing too powerful weapons too early. If my enemies one day use something unexpected, I was going to reply in kind or far harder than they would expect.
"What drove you to build this insanity?!" Amber asked, still angry at them while I could only reluctantly nod. There was an undeniable beauty hidden in sail ships and galloping horses that always made me smile. I think it has always been that way, anyway.
"It's not ready yet, my Lady. The problems we encountered far exceeded our current knowledge, but we believe we will make Victory fully operational as soon as possible." Ian bowed to her. "One day we will need a mighty navy and contrary to your beliefs, my Queen, we artisans have to hone our skills in supposedly pointless endeavours. However, trust me, Your Highness, this ship is not going to be useless."
Amber looked at me with a begging gaze to say something, but she quickly realised that I was closer to praising than condemning them. Irene and Luna took Amber's side, but Hestia and Aoi looked at HMS Victory, masking their excitement. Despite that, Amber raised both her eyebrows and looked at me.
"*ekhem* While I appreciate what you have achieved, there are plenty of other projects that require your skills and expertise." Amber nodded in agreement as I sighed, and then I realised there truly was one urgent project. "Since you are more or less done with Victory, I want you to focus on building the road network that will connect every settlement and fortress within my kingdom. This is a project of the utmost importance."
They nodded, always ready for a new challenge. I entered the ship followed by my Queens and we were welcomed by the crew and ship's captain.
"ATTENTION! The Royal Family on Board!" A tall and a bit nervous Elf woman saluted us, after which a characteristic bosun's whistle sounded, causing the awaiting crew to salute us in unison.
Over two hundred men and women were standing on the main deck, proudly wearing stylish white and blue Avalon Navy uniforms. Until now, I wasn't even aware we had them prepared. I looked curiously at sailors and soldiers. Hmmm... I should probably call them Marines. My thoughtful look must have additionally worried the already stressed commanding officers. However, their nervousness dissipated a bit after I smiled softly.
"At ease," I commanded, and they all assumed the position.
"Your Highnesses! Captain of HMS Victory, Janet A'nnet Sparrow, reporting the vessel is at eighty percent readiness for service. My crew of eight hundred and fifty is going to make sure we are in top condition when the time comes!" the tall Elf reported with a melodic voice.
Thank you Eriar for the Poker Face. I had one ship, and of course, its captain had to be named Sparrow. She took us on a short trip to show us the main deck and my eyes shone with child-like excitement. The castle lake was fairly big, but it was still small for such a big vessel. However, Captain Sparrow was undeterred and ordered the crew to set sails, taking us on a short ride. As the large sails caught the wind, I could see the change of minds on the faces of my wives, who clearly enjoyed the ride. I must admit, the more I walked on board, the more I loved this ship...
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•••
The Fifth Legion arrived in the middle of the night in absolute silence. Their black armours concealed them in the darkness as they awaited orders from their commander. The city in front of them was called Falmir, and judging by the yellow and red flags waving near sparse torches illuminating the walls, it had already been seized by the army of the Holy Kingdom. The legion legate took a single look at the fortifications and burst into laughter. There were no guards on the walls, no soldiers kept watch near the closed gates. The Legate couldn’t tell if it was overconfidence or a stupid belief that no enemy could threaten the soldiers inside. But this mistake would become their undoing. With just a wave of his hand, the Death Heralds took positions just a few dozen metres away from the gate and walls. When the Legate gave the next signal, the Storm Eagle sent a wave of crackling lightning, smashing the city gates.
•••
The night brought more screams and suffocating smoke from the burning pyres. Nina was chained to the wall, trembling from the cold, but she was not crying. She had no more tears. Her father had been killed before her eyes, and her mother died soon after as she tried to protect her, all in vain. The border city of Falmir had fallen to the advancing forces of the Holy Kingdom of Berna almost a week ago. They stood no chance because of the traitors inside the city. Nina was a Half-Nekomi, Half-Human, so in the eyes of Bernans she was impure, almost a taboo. They couldn't decide if she should be killed or enslaved as the other beastkins, or demihumans, as Bernans called them. When the Bernans had arrived, they instantly started killing all the beastkin men and the elderly. Every Human who opposed them was killed as well. The other races were enslaved along with the beastkin women and children. There was no hope. The Cridian army would never manage to arrive in time to save them before they would be shipped deeper into Berna's territory.
She was held in the warehouse alongside the other girls around her age, and she could hear some of them still crying while others prayed. A few of them were silent, blankly staring at the wall, with their faces bruised and torn clothes. Nina was terrified, knowing that soon she would share their fate. Suddenly she felt the urge to do something, anything, so she chose to pray. She never was especially religious, but she had nothing to lose anymore. She closed her eyes and started praying as her mother had taught her. After almost half an hour of darkness, just around the time she was going to give up, she felt a soothing warmth deep inside her chest. Nina quickly visualised a flame; the symbol of the Goddess Hestia.
'I beg you, Goddess Hestia, save us!' She wanted to cry out loud but was too afraid of the guards who shunned and punished anyone calling for help from the Gods that Nina knew.
'Don't fret, help has arrived...' She clearly heard a faint, unknown voice and opened her eyes in shock. Was it possible that the Goddess herself replied to her cries?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the piercing scream of an Eagle, followed by the roar of thunder and a terrifying explosion that silenced the screams of all the tormented souls in the city. A new commotion erupted and Nina, in bewilderment, heard the distressed voices of her captors. The same voices that not so long ago mocked her and wondered if that would be a partial sin to rape her since she was partially Human. She stood up and came as close to the window as she could to better hear what was happening outside. The loud screams of dying men almost made her jerk back, but she forced herself to stay. There were clear clangs of swords and other sounds of battle. Her heart raced in the hope that Cridia had not abandoned them after all.
•••
"We have arrived, and it is time to perform our charge," a black-clad knight declared proudly to the entire city of Falmir.
Along the city walls, new blue and white flags were proudly waving, large and vibrant. They displayed a gold-outlined shield with a coat of arms consisting of a large golden goblet with a flame burning inside, three majestic crowns above it, and a magnificent dragon perched on top. The symbols of Berna that not so long ago marked this city as the territory of the Holy Kingdom, were piled together in heaps. Other trophies were also collected, and afterwards, everything deemed worthless were burned together. Everyone was gathered in the city plaza. Nina was standing among the people and watched as the new soldiers dragged the captured Bernans away from the crowd. She had no idea how big the Holy Kingdom's army that occupied the city was or just how many of them fled, but hundreds or even thousands of them had been captured. She looked with glee at Berna's high Paladin, the overall commander of the enemy army, and recognized him as the man who had killed her father. With him was his retinue of five who always followed him and were equal in their cruelty to their master.
"We were ordered by King Theon Avalon to protect the borders of the Kingdom of Avalon from any threat from the North, and those orders shall be obeyed." The mention of an unknown King and the unfamiliar name of his Kingdom put everyone into a state of confusion. The black knight, without explaining anything further, looked at Berna's paladin commander with palpable contempt, perceptible by everyone despite him wearing his helmet. "Now... What kind of animal are you? No... Animals are not this cruel. What breed of monster are you?"
"How dare you... Ugh..." Nina no longer cared who these black-clad soldiers served after their commander slapped the paladin commander so hard he fell to the ground.
"I asked what kind of disgusting creature are you to kill innocent people or enslave them?" His tone shifted to menacingly cold.
"I am the High Paladin, Marquess Gorge Copriton, the Commander of the Holy Knights of Berna," the kneeling man replied begrudgingly. "Do you know what trouble you are in for raising your hand against a noble?! I don't care what Queen Josla is planning or who the hell King Theon is! You will pay for this! Cridia offered these lands as payment to fight the insurgents!"
Everyone fell silent hearing the words of Gorge and they looked, almost with a begging gaze, toward the suddenly stiff black-clad knight. The seed of fear in the souls of everyone started sprouting with each passing second until it blossomed completely. In horrified terror, everyone looked at Gorge, who was laughing maniacally as he mocked the knight in front of him. Despair took hold of everyone, but then, suddenly, the knight caught Gorge by his throat and lifted him effortlessly into the air, so high that the paladin's feet started dangling.
"We are those very insurgents," Knight replied coldly, staring dead straight into the eyes of the slowly suffocating noble.
"You... Heretic... Ugh! Ahaa!" The noble gasped for air as he was thrown to the ground. "How dare you defy us?! Our Gods... Ugh..."
"Heretic? Hardly..." Another slap in the face silenced the paladin commander, forcefully slamming him into the cobblestones. The knight then raised the coughing and painfully wailing paladin by his hair so he could look at the city walls. "Your gods will vanish if they do not surrender. They are powerless to help you and they are powerless to save you from the wrath of my Lord. We were ordered to protect this border against monsters like you."
Everyone followed their gaze, seeing thousands of Black-clad soldiers who held the rest of the struggling paladins among them. Nina, in anticipation, watched it all, barely understanding anything anymore as her thoughts focused on the realisation that Cridia had betrayed them. She coldly gazed at the paladins held by the knights atop the city walls, and she prayed to Goddess Hestia so she would punish them. Gorge's scream of shock made her look just in time to watch as Berna’s paladins were pushed over the walls in a slow wave, each one hung to death. She started cheering with all the others, watching as those monsters were killed. One by one, the monsters that had hurt and killed so many of her friends were themselves also killed. The death of her parents was avenged.
"Don't worry, Gorge of Berna. You are going to be useful for my King. You will carry the message our Lord has for your Patriarch," the knight declared as the other black-clad soldiers brought him a red hot marking iron. "I believe with this mark, you stripped people of their freedom and dignity. How many women have suffered because of you, you monster?" Three soldiers caught the scared-to-death noble and held him immobile while he begged for mercy. "You will be sent back to your country with a message. We are the Legio V Praecones Mortis, the Death Heralds. We are the fifth Immortal Legion of Avalon, and we were sent to ward off evil from the land that belongs to our King. My King does not seek war with your country, but if you insist so much on it, no quarter will be given, every last one of Berna’s rulers will die, the cults of your gods will be outlawed, and their temples will be destroyed. Your gods will also be banished to oblivion."
Nina sighed, disappointed that they just wanted to scare him, but then the knight commander pressed the slave mark to the forehead of Gorge, who started screaming and crying. After tossing the still-hot iron on the ground, the knight commander took out his sword and, with one swift motion, he cut off the paladin's head.
"You." The black knight pointed at the youngest of Gorge's retinues. "You will guide the envoy of my King to your Master." The four other paladins were beheaded on the spot, accompanied by the terrified screams of the last survivor of Berna's army. Once the remaining paladin, still screaming, was branded with a slave mark on his neck, he was taken away along with the head of Marquis Gorge Copriton. The black knight looked at the gathered people and everyone suddenly felt safe, like never before in their lives. "People of Falmir! Know that Cridia has failed you..."