The Second Legion moved forward, unhindered by the enemy’s obstacles and fierce but ultimately futile resistance. The Void Beasts were fairly predictable in their movements and attack patterns, which were quickly exploited by the Legate, who quickly adapted to the battlefield situation. Jasper watched with satisfaction, as he no longer needed to command the Legion. At first, he was afraid that the Vampire Legate would hold a grudge that he had seized control over the Legion, but nothing like that happened. While Vampires are said to be an overly proud race, it seemed like it wasn't the case for Avalon's strain. However, that might have been due to King Theon, who surely had modified the Vampire Spawner to fit his needs and fulfil all his expectations perfectly. The Avalon Vampires were proud, but they were nowhere near vain and full of hubris. In the end, the ambitions and sources of pride for the denizens of Avalon were vastly different from what the People of the World took for granted.

"My Lord! We should be close to the bottom, but there is something off here..." The Vampire reported to Jasper, who simply nodded back.

"There is probably a small Void portal down there. That would be why you felt a strange tingling all this time," Jasper explained, before turning his face toward him in amusement. "Mortals call that feeling fear."

"Really?" He was shocked. "Why is it not bothering me at all, then? According to Clara, she was unable to even clearly think while she was down there."

"It’s because of fear of death, Legate. Once they die, they can't return at all, or if they return, they forget who they were and live their lives anew. In other words, if your Clara had been killed here, you would never have met her ever again. We do not fear death. For us it’s only a nuisance."

“She is not mine…” The Legate mumbled under his breath, only to see an amused glint in Jasper’s eyes.

The Vampire tilted his head and nodded slowly. To some extent, he was aware of this, but the recent events proved to him that being aware and fully understanding were two very different things. Jasper smiled, seeing the thoughtful pause on the Legate's face. In some ways, the Ratkin knew they all were like children trying to teach their younger siblings about things they didn't entirely comprehend themselves. However, he had passed on the knowledge he received from King Theon and his Queens. A menacing bellowing from the depths interrupted his thoughtful moment. The beast that emerged from the lowest level of the dungeon was as big as a bear, or perhaps even a bit bigger than that. From its neck grew tentacles that ended with spikes and razors. The monster roared angrily, but the Legion wasn't fooled by him.

"That creature is in pain." The Legate pointed at it with compassion.

"Yes. Like any other chimaera we have encountered so far. They all suffer, as they exist, even though they shouldn’t. Only in death can they find comfort." Jasper shrugged as he stepped in front of the Legion, making sure that everyone was behind him. Then he pointed his strange, short staff toward the monster and pressed the button that was under his finger.

The staff, or more precisely, the magic tool, hummed pleasantly as magic flew through it. A series of magic circles shined around the now glowing blue cylinder on the front part of the tool. The Vampire, who was attuned to magic, couldn't tell what kind of complicated formulas or even what types of magic were involved as Jasper fired the magigun at the chimaera. A blue, sizzling hot droplet of liquid fire slowly carved its way towards the pseudo-bear, utterly pulverizing the monster where it stood. The Triarii quickly took a position in front of Jasper and hid him behind a shield wall as he examined his weapon with a frown. The charred remnants of the monster were still burning when four more pseudo-bears emerged from the staircase and rushed towards the Legion. The shield wall withstood their onslaught, and the second line used their polearms to thrash the chimaeras. Jasper put his magigun into spatial storage with a heavy sigh.

"Another failure..."

The Legate, who instantly understood that the Scion had used some new kind of weapon, looked at him with curiosity. "I wouldn't say that..."

"The magic formula is far too slow, and the weapon was destroyed after one shot," Jasper explained. "I don't have to tell you this is a top-secret matter, do I?"

"Of course, Sir," the Legate chuckled as they descended the stairs. "Sir... I can't sense the dungeon core."

"It was corrupted and on the brink of death long before we arrived. This entire dungeon had been consumed by the Void’s influence, whether the Core wanted to be or not." Jasper took out a large crossbow with a golden‌ bolt loaded into it. "At least this time we know what we are up against."

"This time?"

"Absolutely. The previous, much bigger rift was closed only thanks to the sacrifice of the Hero, Re-kari of Avalon."

"Ahhh..." The Legate lowered his head in respect. He knew the story of Re-kari, the Hero of Avalon.

They briefly stopped in front of a set of large stone gates made from enchanted stone. They were closed shut, but Jasper just laughed.

"Thanks to the Void Born, who attacked Avalon twice, I learned the hard way that enchanted stone is not indestructible." Jasper took out seven large runestones and tossed them at seemingly random places on the doors where they stuck to the surface. "The spider's sticky silk is a very impressive adhesive."

The runestones started glowing, first with red, then yellow, and finally with white light. The Legate swiftly realised these were not actually lights, but the result of the runestones heating up, Just then, they exploded, erasing the mighty doors completely. The Vampire kept his observations to himself, but for someone who was considered a non-combat Scion, Lord Jasper was an insanely deadly individual. It was the laughter of his superior that made him finally realise this, causing him to stare in shock at the Ratkin.

"Go on. Ask the question."

"Sir..." The Vampire took a deep breath and collected his thoughts. "It is said that you are not a combat scion. But everything you have displayed so far contradicts that. How is this possible?"

"Oh... It seems that your education was far too focused on your combat and command prowess," Jasper chuckled, greatly amused. "While it's true that I am not a combat Scion, you forget that we non-combat scions kill more than you combat denizens ever will. We slay hundreds of pests and minor invaders who sneak into Avalon, trying to steal some of our Lord's wealth. Don't underestimate the Rats, Spiders, Snakes and Pixies of Avalon. While we are small and unnoticed, we destroy hordes of monsters daily. We may be weak, but we are far smarter than anyone is willing to give us credit for."

It was another thing he had been aware of for a while, but only now, when Lord Jasper said it aloud, he realised all its implications. He lowered his head, once again humbled by his senior. The chamber behind the doors was big and the stench of blood and death was heavy. The unsettling atmosphere of something unnatural was seeping from within, but the Legion entered the room, undeterred by anything. The bodies of slaves of various races were lying in piles all around the place. Some of them, crazed from fear, were still alive, but the mere touch of Legionnaires who wanted to help them was enough to kill them. They quickly realised that the real reason for the slaves' demise was a small portal in the middle of the room.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" an old voice asked from the darkness.

"Fairly disgusting in my opinion," Jasper replied with a slight shrug.

"Oh, oh... Don't be like that! I know you are scared. Everyone is frightened upon seeing this portal. You soon will understand... HahaHAHA!" the maniacal laughter pierced the darkness.

"Are you afraid, Legate?" Jasper asked casually.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"No, sir. I am afraid that the concept still eludes me," the Vampire admitted with a sorry voice.

"Fools! No mortal can stand in front of gods and not shiver!" A blind man emerged from the shadows.

"But we are not mortals." Jasper shrugged and fired his crossbow straight into the rift. A golden light immediately illuminated the chamber, instantly releasing the trapped souls of those who had died there. The blind man gasped in shock and dropped to his knees, yelling something desperately. The golden light enveloped the wound in reality and started forcing it to close. Jasper looked at the Legate and cracked a smile.

"Queen Irene will never cease to amaze me. To devise such a terrifyingly powerful sealing spell in such a short time is nothing short of a Miracle." The Ratling looked at the small rift as angry howls started coming from within it. The blind man wobbled towards the rift, tripping over the bodies of victims, making Jasper wonder who exactly that mad man was. He reached the portal despite his troubles and was swallowed by it. Soon after, the portal closed, and the entire cave started violently shaking.

"Shouldn't we have captured that man for interrogation?" the Vampire lord nervously asked as a large rock fell, crushing a few dozen Legionnaires at once.

"Probably?" Jasper nervously replied. "But I barely perceived his presence. I have no idea what kind of magic veiled him, but I think we made a mistake by letting him go..."

"Uhum... You know, Sir? This dungeon cleaning was the strangest experience of my life so far. I look forward to seeing you again."

The dungeon was collapsing. The dark magic that had supported its existence after the death of the dungeon core ran out with the rift’s closure. Jasper scratched his head and made a quick check to see if all the objectives were fulfilled. He then nodded to himself just as the last wall supporting the ceiling crumbled, killing all the Legion members that had entered into the darkness.

•••

I whistled in astonishment, causing Aoi to look at me questioningly. She had been reading a book about the strategies of cavalry through the ages, putting small paper notes between the pages that contained something she found exceptionally interesting. Aoi stood up, and seeing the opportunity, she sat on my lap as she put her arms around my neck.

"What happened, my King?" she asked sweetly.

"Well... Legio Ferrata is dead."

She blinked a few times in total silence at me, but when the realisation settled in, she gasped in shock. "The entire legion was eliminated?!"

"Not all, but most of it..."

She wanted to jump and run, probably to alert Luna and Amber, but I held her as I laughed. "The dungeon they were cleansing was some cross between a laboratory, a foul temple, and a slaver hideout. Once they cleared out that place, it collapsed on them. The losses of the Second Legion are severe, close to eighty percent. We will have to wait for them to respawn before we can debrief. Anyway, I plan to ask Irene and Hestia to examine them while they respawn. We do not need any Void Taint here."

"It's hard to believe that something managed to kill the entire Legion."

"And Jasper..." I added with an overly sad voice.

"Stop teasing me! Are you serious?!" She pouted angrily and upon seeing me nod, she sighed. "You are not concerned for someone who just lost the entire Legion and had one of his flanks exposed!"

"Please..." I laughed as she playfully hit my chest with her gentle hands. "Ferrata's cavalry is mostly intact, as well as their support. By just aiding them with some Hussars from Avalon, we can easily respond to any threat, short of Metaka's full-scale invasion. You don't have to be worried."

She smiled softly and kissed me. After a while, she hummed and she frowned her brows. "That reminds me... Shouldn't Mia have returned the Sixth Legion to us already?"

"I can't say what she is planning, but according to the reports we received, her campaign was decisive and shockingly fast. I think she would still want to use the Legion to stabilize the situation in her country first and calm the tensions on the border."

"Or conquer Verksa. Look, we spent only a few days with Mia and Tia, but all the sisters agreed that these two are up to something." Aoi rested her head on my shoulder as she started playing with her blonde locks.

"I wouldn't complain, you know? It's one less stupid neighbour to be worried about. Sooner or later the remnants of Verksa’s nobility are going to figure out that we aided Hilgvar." I rested my back on the soft backrest of my armchair, gazing at the ceiling.

"Hmmm... You seemed to be worried about something else, Theon. What are you not telling me?" Aoi poked her finger between my ribs, tickling me in the process. I grabbed her hand, trying not to laugh, but it was hopeless- all five of them knew my weakness. I looked down only to see her blatant grin. "For a Legendary Champion who had slain Void servants, you are extremely ticklish."

"Very funny." I tickled her back, thankful for her playful distraction from reality. I quickly became a bit more serious and after taking a deep breath, I shared my concern. "It's about Berna..."

"I read the report from the Death Heralds..." Her eyes lost the playful sparks. "I have lived my entire life just a dozen kilometres from their borders..."

"But you are now safe in Avalon." I patted her head and quickly returned to the problem. "The situation in Falmir is the main part of the problem. It is the norm of Berna's doctrine. I analyzed the political situation in the Empire as well as in Cridia. Berna could tolerate such neighbours because of legal slavery in both countries. This fact allowed their priests to falsely claim that every country prosecuted beastmen in the same or similar way as Berna. It's a political mess... I sent Sebastian to intimidate them. I don't believe that I can sweeten a relationship with them with just flattery. That's why I decided to show them brute force."

"I don't believe we can keep peace with them at all..." Aoi lowered her head, ashamed of her stance.

"I agree." Her head jerked up and she looked at me in shock. "Unless some miracle occurs, we will have another war."

"But why send Sebastian then?"

"No matter how pointless it may look, it will be necessary to prove in future that we tried to build a peaceful relationship. Once we cement our rule in Cridia, I can reject some of this political theatre. But until then, I must act like how other countries expect of me."

She nodded slowly and took a deep breath. It wasn't in her nature to deceive others, even her own enemies. Aoi was a very direct person and for that I loved her. I finally decided to tell her what truly worried me. "Sebastian's entrance made a bit too much fuss. The Patriarch was taken off guard and he seemingly changed all his plans."

"Seemingly?"

"Yes. He is still secretly supporting Josla, but he wouldn't dare to send any more paladins to Cridia. Those who are already here are effectively cut off and the Patriarch severed all ties with them. Since I have the entire Legion on the border and soon two more will join it, I don't believe that Berna would dare to risk sending any troops." I took a deep breath. "But this was somewhat expected. What was unexpected was the Patriarch sending one of his daughters to Avalon. Princess Elisabeth, whose past is shrouded in mystery, was presented as the first female saintess candidate in Berna's history. The ceremony was held on the same day as Sebastian's arrival, but according to him, the preparations for this ceremony could be traced back to weeks before. Everything was kept secret, so maybe even the Patriarch was afraid of the backlash. However, the people seemed to be excited about her."

"Princess Elisabeth? Hmmm... She doesn't have the title..." Aoi pointed out.

"Strange isn't it?" I smiled flatly. "I can't rule out that her existence was kept a secret for some reason."

"How old is she?"

"Young. Seventeen or eighteen." I confirmed the number in the minimalistic report about her I was holding. It contained nothing except her description and how old she looked to be. "We couldn't confirm anything."

"This makes no sense... She should be at least a third princess at that age. I studied the laws of Berna's court with Luna. The Patriarch had multiple daughters throughout his long life and the title of Princess always belonged to a daughter who was not older than twenty-five years old. They lost their titles once they got married. So far, we thought that Berna had only two Princesses at the moment. The first Princess Cassandra and the Second Princess Jia... I don't like it, Theon."

"Hmmm... Why? Don't get me wrong, I don't like it either. I just want to hear if your reasons are different from mine." The anger that started painting her face was blown away by her sincere smile.

"If the Patriarch truly wanted to build a peaceful relationship with Avalon, he should send Jia. She is known for being a skilled diplomat despite the low status that women held in Berna. I wouldn't expect him to send Cassandra since that would imply he wants her to marry you. Sending an unknown Princess, who is also the saintess candidate, whatever that means, is like looking for an excuse to start a war. Given the teachings of their gods, I think she is going to offend us Queens of Avalon in some way that will make you punish her or ask her to leave Avalon. That would allow Berna to sufficiently explain the reason for war internally and internationally."

"Hmmm... I overlooked that option." I admitted, rubbing my temples. "I thought it was just an empty gesture to sign a throwaway nonaggression pact. The fact that she is a Princess would somewhat guarantee her safety… or if she had an accident, it could lead to the involvement of other countries dependent on Berna. Maybe even the Empire would take action."

"Be cautious, my Love..." Aoi kissed me softly.