The assault on the Twilight Dungeon ended successfully. For some reason, however, all of my Vassals and their scions kept their lips shut about their experience. Strangely enough, Crawline also was unusually sparse with the details. When I pushed, she declared that she needed time to prepare an extensive report and closed herself in Wendy's workshop. While that alone left me slightly bemused and worried, I couldn't deny that they had done their job. Again, I wasn't sure what the reason was that Crawline refused to provide me the information about their losses outright, but judging by the mana balance, I guessed that their losses were pretty minor. I suspected that something had gone horribly wrong or maybe they suffered unexpected losses, but after giving a second thought to that problem, I simply decided to wait. I was sure to find the explanation for their strange behaviour in Crawline's report.
Nonetheless, I had already learnt something, at least. My Vassals were fully capable of fielding a respectable army that could easily hold its ground against the toughest of my enemies. Fighting a dungeon within its own borders was a commendable achievement, after all. It also meant one less concern for my plans. With the northeast flank relatively secured, or at least not under the constant threat of an unexpected attack, I could focus on the north. The border was fairly well-secured, and the Bernans had a lot of distance to cover before they ever reached it. That left me with two, well, one and a half threats. One only counted for half since the Desolate Forest dungeon was never once in recorded history responsible for an attack outside of his borders. Even his expansions were done in such a manner that they didn’t inconvenience anyone living nearby. But still, the Desolate Forest was a dungeon, so I couldn't simply ignore him. I probably should sent Galahad with at least one Legion to explain my intentions to him.
The bigger threat, however, was the Mountain Dungeon. Time and time again, it proved strangely loyal to the rulers of Cridia. That's why I decided not to send Sigmund there until Galahad made sure that the Mountain Dungeon understood that I was more than just slightly annoyed. To be honest, he contributed to most of the attacks directed at me. He had lent his Worms to Bob when he attacked me. His Giants had helped Korkas both times he had besieged Avalon. I wasn't sure what I had done to him, but the Mountain Dungeon seemed to hate me. And for no reason! However... Each time, his forces were strangely passive, never truly helping my enemies to the best of their abilities—a true puzzle. I looked outside the window and sighed, tapping my fingers on the table. Really... What was the actual deal with the Mountain Dungeon? Maybe he was simply scouting me? Assessing my powers and capabilities? And why exactly had I assumed that the Mountain Dungeon was he?
"A thought puzzle..." I sighed and rubbed my eyelids.
"My Lord?" My secretary raised her head from her work.
"Oh, nothing, Eva." I waved my hand dismissively and gave her a wide smile. "I was thinking about the motives that drive the Mountain Dungeon. I really hope there is more than meets the eye."
"If you say so, My Lord..." She shrugged and was about to return to her work when she abruptly inhaled. "My King! Crawline has found two Mythical pieces in that Dungeon! The Valkyrie Helmet and the Saintess Boots!"
"Ha ha!" I clapped and rubbed my hands together. "Excellent news! Where are they?"
"According to the initial report, they were secured by Hrulf... They already should be in Avalon."
I focused, and after a moment, I summoned both items. With a wide grin, I admired the Mythical armour parts. Amber entered as the doors to my office opened, followed by Qirún, who carried a single sheet of paper that unruly flopped as she walked.
"May you summon Irene, Eva?"
"Of course, my Lord!" She smiled, and after bowing to Amber and exchanging friendly smiles with Qirún, she left the room.
"Did something bad happen?" the First Queen of Avalon asked, concerned.
"On the contrary, my Dear!" I presented her with the helmet, which she took, initially with moderate surprise that quickly turned into delight.
"It's so beautiful!" She ran her fingers on the helmet made of mythril and gold.
MYTHICAL grade item
A winged headpiece that protects the Valkyries. Valkyrie Sigrún gifted that helmet to the hero queen Theresa d'Arc.
This item grants the following effects:
Grants +5 to all statistics.
Grants +1 MP/sec.
Mana storage item:
0/100000
Part of Heavenly Valkyrie Set
This item can be only gifted in good faith.
This item can be worn only by a woman.
Set part 4/8
Grants 25% magic resistance.
The open-face helmet was designed with a delicate nose guard and two large wings sprouting from either side. As she placed it on her head, a brilliant beam of orange light resembling a scorching line that engulfs paper but without any fire streaked across the top of the headpiece.
It changed it slightly, making it less battle-worn and far more regal-looking. The meticulously carved and intricate geometrical carvings that adorned the helmet's forehead disappeared, replaced by even more beautiful golden glyphs that resembled a royal tiara. I couldn't take my eyes off the mesmerising transformation and was somewhat disappointed when it ended. While the general shape of the helmet hadn't changed much, the new details made it look almost like an entirely different headpiece. The previously battle-worn mythril, which had occasional scratches, chips, and dents, was replaced with a shining new surface. The previously dirty-gold wings regained the warm yellow glow of a fresh gilding. But instead of the previous uniform colour, its metal feathers gained a ruby tinge that perfectly matched Amber's red hair.
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"You look incredible..." I smiled as my wife donned the other pieces of the Valkyrie set she already had.
"It is incredible, Theon," she agreed, but I knew she was focused on the System window.
A few moments later, Eva returned with Irene, who looked excited. My secretary must have told my Elven beauty why I had called for her. Without teasing her, I simply handed her the golden boots. She held them momentarily, and I glanced at the System pop-up.
MYTHICAL grade item.
No one ever discovered how this exceptional piece of armour was forged. A pair of armoured high shoes, made of an unknown metal, light and indestructible.
This item grants the following effects.
Grants protection from instant death status.
Grants +5 Constitution
Grants 20% physical defence
Grants 20% magical defence
Part of Saintess Set.
Can be obtained only from an Angel.
This item can be only gifted in good faith.
Set part 4/8
Mana regeneration +20%
With a giggle of excitement, Irene put on the new piece of equipment. After a heartbeat, she equipped the other parts she already had, and the matching set of parts shined with gold. The appearance of her armour started changing, similar to Amber's set. The previously ancient Greek-looking armour gained some floral motifs that unmistakably made it far more Elven-like. However, the spirit of the armour set remained intact, gaining new layers of details and creating a mesmerising fusion of two styles of two distant worlds.
"I must thank Crawline and that new Dungeon..." I paused and raised my finger. "That must have been some mistake..."
"What happened?" Amber looked at me while holding her new helmet.
"Nothing bad... Probably." I hummed, and after a momentary pause, I shrugged. "The Twilight Dungeon Core has no name."
"And that is strange?" Eva asked quizzically while Amber, Irene, and Qirún looked at each other in shock.
"Eva, every living being sooner or later assumes a name... No, that's wrong. Everyone wants an individual name," Irene replied with a teacher's voice.
"Indeed." I rubbed my chin while taking a few steps across the office. "Every single dungeon so far had a name that usually described some distinctive feature or other characteristics: the Goblin Dungeon, the Dungeon of Snares, the Meadhallow Dungeon. Even my own name, the Righteous Dungeon, is something more than just a title. Nonetheless, we all have our more individual names, the Core names, if you will. Theon, Bob, Kirin, Yrill..."
I waved my hands, pointing and gesticulating as I walked through the room. In the meantime, Eva was unpacking the mystery of creation that Irene and I had shared with her in her head. While she was not verbally opposing what we had said, the disbelief was clearly visible on her freckled face. However, she wasn't delving deeper into the subject, for which I was currently grateful as my mind raced through possible explanations.
"What about her scion or scions?" Amber tapped her lips. "Do they have names?"
"As far as the initial reports went, no," I answered, recalling the reports' contents, and I added, with a sigh, " which is another anomaly."
"Why?" This time, it was Qirún who asked and turned red from embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Your Majesties..."
"If you don't ask, you will never learn," Irene replied and once again started explaining with a teacher-like tone. "Simply put, names bear power. Some of them hold very little, like the names of animals or lesser monsters. The Mortals' names hold far more power, often protecting us from the forces we are not fully aware of. So far, we had thought the names of Gods held the most power, but that might not be the case. The True Names and the Names of the Dungeons hold as much power as some of the Names of the Divine. The name not only describes the thing or person it's attached to but also adds power to that. I would even dare to say that we not only downplay the role of the Name, but also we might not fully understand how they work."
"What do you mean, my Lady?" Eva asked the question that Qirún wanted to ask but was too embarrassed to do so.
"What Theon described as The Title is, in fact, a part of one's name," she started, took a deep breath, and looked as if she decided that she needed to explain it simply. "My name is Irene va'Theon, the Saintess of Arcadia, the Wise Oracle of Eriar, the second Queen of Avalon. In other words, I am: Irene beloved by Theon, the Saintess from Arcadia and the Oracle of the Silent God, Eriar, and the second Queen of Avalon. Each one of these titles is unique. There is only one Saintess, only one Oracle of Eriar, the only second Queen of Avalon, and last but not least, there is only one Irene beloved by Theon."
"Absolutely. As far as I can tell, Irene is right about the power of names." I confirmed as the eyes of Eva and Qirún started piercing a hole in my chest.
"But that is just the surface layer we instinctively understand," Irene continued, amused by the girls' reactions. "Each part that forms our names increases our strength. Like every Queen except for Hestia, I have received a True Name from Theon. The amounts of our mana simply exploded. Hestia, on the other hand, gained mana by other means. That must have been through her title of fourth Queen of Avalon and the title of the Goddess of Arcadia, or back then, Avalon, because our titles have changed and have adapted to the current situation. Names grant power. If you name a monster and it becomes a familiar, it will gain a lot of power. The same works for other living beings. You get more power by gaining a new name or an additional title. We have to study that phenomenon."
Irene nodded with conviction and looked at me. Realising that she was asking for permission, I simply nodded and shrugged. That phenomenon, as she called it, was so low on the list of my concerns that I merely skipped problems like that. Amber, however, thoughtfully nodded while she tapped her lips, making me certain that she was being extremely curious.
"And that's why a lack of a name is so strange, especially if we talk about Dungeons," I concluded and crossed my hands in front of me. "I ordered Crawline to prepare the report as fast as possible. I also ordered Sebastian to question the people we freed from the Twilight Dungeon. I am quite curious about that dungeon..."
"Shall we go?" Irene asked right before Amber had a chance to.
"Definitely." I nodded firmly and smiled, seeing two flashes of red and golden light as my wives changed their armours back to their gowns.
"In that case, I'll go and ask others." Irene teleported away without waiting for anything.
"Qirún, Eva, you will prepare for the trip as well..." Amber looked at the two girls while I simply stood before the window, staring over the horizon at the stormy clouds.