I sat in the garden, sipping a drink and thinking about the future. Such mundane and seemingly ordinary activities were so rare and inconsistent that they seemed like a luxury to me. I took a moment to observe the clouds lazily chasing each other through the endless sky and smiled to myself happily. I had managed to find a moment to look at Ian's train, and I loved it. Its external shape was a relatively successful mix of TGV and Maglev. That alone hinted at the prototype train's speed capability; however, Ian was not currently working on that particular aspect but rather on the basics. For some reason, Ian was iterating the control systems, and while I was already fine with what he had invented, he was still far from content. While his team had calculated the optimal length of the train and what and how many runes it actually needed to operate, my head engineer was stuck on the control cabin’s design. I didn’t rush him since some of the other discarded control systems would be useful for future projects, and Ian had meticulously documented every single one of them.
"You called for me, my King." Sebastian emerged from the background and bowed to me with elegance.
"It is time, Sebastian." I slowly exhaled. "I order you to infiltrate the Bernan High Command."
"As you wish, my Lord." He vanished without a single question.
"What do you hope to learn, Theon?" Amber asked from the nearby sunbed, wearing a light green dress I had gifted her long ago.
"It is probably nothing, but recently, the Bernan army had a few unexpected victories, so I want to know what changed and perhaps find out when I have to send Janet on her raid."
"I don't like that idea..." Aoi frowned.
"I don't like it either." I sighed and closed my eyes. "It's way too close to a suicide mission than I'm comfortable with."
"When should we expect the Empress of Metaka?" Irene asked thoughtfully. "And what power does she actually hold?"
"In less than two weeks. In terms of power, she has less than any of you." I shrugged. "The rules around the Metaka Royal family are so complicated and absurd that I gave up on understanding them."
"Seriously? I expected the Empress to have much more power and leverage than we have." Amber looked at me with genuine surprise.
"Ha! Compared to her, you are the absolute ruler, Sister." Luna lazily wagged her tails.
"Then why are you sweating so much about sending someone important to meet her?" Amber puffed her cheeks momentarily, snapped her fingers, and pointed at me while slowly exhaling. "Diplomacy?"
"She is the current wife of the Emperor." I opened my hands in a powerless gesture. "She doesn't have real, law-sanctioned power, but traditionally speaking, she is a voice of the Emperor."
"I heard that Rose barely had time to pack before she had to embark." Hestia sighed. "I think the Emperor did this on purpose...."
"We had less time than we thought. And he must have a very good excuse to do something like that." I agreed. "I had to mobilize RFA Hercules, outfit it with a few guns, and use it to meet the Empress. There was no other way they could get there in time."
"I wish I could have seen the Prince's face when he saw Rose and Hercules..." Amber chucked.
"You peeked while in your build mode, didn't you, Theon?" Hestia smirked and sipped her orange juice.
"Yup," I smirked back. "His stunned facial expression was priceless."
Amber chuckled a little. "What about Rose?"
"Well... She was so panicked, worrying that they would arrive at the border too late, that she forgot to be embarrassed." I continued to smile.
"I think they are cute together," Lavender said, fixing herself on the sunbed. I noticed that her green hair slowly started changing to yellow with the passing seasons.
"Do you think that she might become his wife? I know that she loves him, and he loves her, but he is a Prince of Metaka. I don't want to give her false hopes." Aoi looked at me with an expecting gaze.
"That's an excellent question," I answered with all seriousness. "I think that Leonard is not even considering the possibility that he can become the new Emperor. I observe the same with Cassmira. The siblings utterly rejected the very idea that they could inherit the throne of Metaka. That being said, Princess Vettalia and Prince Guad agreed to keep their youngest siblings alive and far away from the Metaka, and as far as we know, permanently. That would allow Rose and Leonard to become officially married. Of course, if she marries him, she will have to make an oath never to reveal any of Arcadia's secrets she knows, and as you all are aware, Rose is one of the people who really knows a lot. We shouldn't worry about Rose since we will help her as much as possible if she wants to marry him."
"What about Leonard? I haven't talked with him much." Aoi pushed the issue, determined to obtain the most satisfying answer. She then blushed upon seeing Hestia’s gaze, who smiled mysteriously with a slightly raised eyebrow. "What? She's my friend! I won't sit idly by if what we think is a subtle help for her would end up in disaster!"
"As Cassmira accidentally blurted out during one of our rather informal conversations, Leonard has never been so in love before," Amber replied, trying to calm her Dragonkin sister queen. "In my opinion, he is serious about Rose."
"Good..." Aoi nodded with a smile, but her smile disappeared when she noticed me tensing and sitting alertly.
"It started... I must inform Janet and Elisabeth immediately. The Bernans are ready for our counter-offensive and have managed to hide their plans far better than I expected."
•••
Using the highly detailed map drawn on a massive piece of glass, Elisabeth watched the situation unfold across the entire length of the front. She knew that such a map was a treasure on its own, but the fact it was also always accurate and showed any known enemy's location made it the stuff of legends. Every known general in history would gladly pay any price to obtain something like that. The map was particularly useful at this very moment; one of the few Slime Maids who aided her was using her link with the eagles to refresh the known enemy's positions. She relayed several commands back, reclaiming the land lost a few days earlier and reinforcing the key strategic points along River Vess. She bit her lip as she analysed the reason for her forces' defeat back then. However, no matter what she thought about the Holy Army, it looked as if they had started learning.
"Raphael, we should strike before Berna is ready for a counter-offensive. We are inviting a problem that we should avoid at all costs," she said, heavily dropping into her chair.
"Hmmm... We could because we regrouped much faster than I thought was possible." He paused, giving the Princess an incredulous look. "But wasn't that your idea to let the Bernans think they could counterattack in the first place?
"Yes, yes..." She waved her hand as if trying to brush off a mosquito. "But this waiting is unbearable."
"My Lady? Scion Sebastian just arrived," one of the Praetorians said as they entered the tent.
"Let him in immediately!" Elisabeth stood up and bowed to the Noble Slime. "Lord Sebastian!"
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Please, Lady Elisabeth, we don't have much time. Before I could infiltrate the Bernan High Command, one of the Slimes already there noticed that the Bernans planned to attack you in less than one week. I arrived with Lady Admiral Sparrow a few moments ago. She is disembarking your reinforcements and will execute further orders shortly."
Elisabeth nervously nodded and, with Raphael, left the tent, closely followed by Sebastian. The large ship of the line hovered over the camp as silent as a cloud as scores of Legionnaires left its deck via special ramps. Another ship had accompanied Victory, positioned much higher above the camp to oversee the nearby area.
"I pray for their safety..." Elisabeth closed her hands and prayed to Eriar and Hestia. After a brief moment, she abruptly turned towards Sebastian and asked. "Is there anything we can help them with?"
"Yes. The area around Lake Puella is a major staging ground for the Bernan army. You must send the entire Legion immediately to aid the raid of Victory and Fairy."
"Raphael, tell Victrix to embark immediately!" The Sword Saint nervously placed her hand on her sword.
"For now, it should be enough, Princess Elisabeth. I will try to get as much information as possible, but we still don't know where the Holy Army wants to breach our positions." He raised his hand in a calming gesture. "Please, it's not something you should be so alarmed about. We still have enough time to prepare for the attack and execute the raid."
"I really hope so," Elisabeth said quietly, nervously clenching her hand on her sword’s pommel. "My father's navy is the only thing that makes me nervous."
"With the Gods' help, it won't be a problem much longer," a new voice sounded in the room.
"Lady Sparrow! It's so good to see you!" Elisabeth smiled at the Admiral, almost jumping towards her to hug her.
"Hello, Princess. Are you eating well?" Janet grinned and hugged the younger woman instead. "It's so good to see you again. It's a shame we can't meet under calmer circumstances."
"One day perhaps..." Twirll flew into the tent and sat on his bonsai tree. He nodded to the Elf. "Lady Admiral."
"King Theon asked you to aid our raid, Lord Jukk'nala?"
"That's obvious." The bird nodded.
"Prepare for battle," the Admiral ordered with a predatory smile.
•••
Leonard was in shock as he walked through the spacious deck of the impressive airship. He was more than sure it would make a lasting impression on his mother. It was early morning, but he couldn't sleep anymore. It was partly because the ship's frame was moaning its complaints as its captain pushed it to its limits or even a bit further. He was informed that they were travelling at maximum speed, and they had been blessed by Zephyr, Arcadia's God of Winds, which made them even faster. The enchanted wood of the ship was complaining about the current state of affairs. It made cracking noises and loud snaps, which were utterly terrifying once he fully realised how high in the air they were. However, the far more critical part of his restlessness was named Rose. Leonard leaned on the ship's railings and looked down with a heavy sigh.
"Good morning, Prince Leonard." He almost tipped over the ledge, causing a major diplomatic incident. Fortunately, he also bravely saved himself from falling and prevented that accident on his own.
"Good morning, Lady Rose! You look fantastic today." He smiled, fully aware of how awkward he sounded.
"Thank you." She smiled and blushed cutely. But shortly after, she covered her mouth behind her fist and cleared her throat. She put on a very serious and dissatisfied facial expression. "However, I must lodge a formal protest with you, Prince Leonard. The manner and timing of the Empress's diplomatic visit was not only unfortunate but also very inappropriate."
"I officially acknowledge the Arcadia's protest." He lowered his head and sighed. When he raised it, he faintly smiled. "Unofficially, I must agree. The way my father treats Arcadia is starting to look very bad."
"I guess you don't know the reasons?" She asked quietly and leaned on the railings a step away from the Prince, knowing it was the closest she could come without violating official protocol.
"Unfortunately..." He started to reply, but yelling from the observation deck caused a huge commotion on the ship. The captain issued orders as he quickly began to approach Rose and Leonard.
"My Lady! Prince." He briefly nodded his head, ditching any form of protocol. The Guardsmen and Praetorians started taking positions on the deck. "We have a situation. In the distance, we spotted a military column that is clearly fleeing from what we can only assume to be bandits."
"Mother!" Leonard stiffened and rushed towards the observation deck on the ship's bow. Rose and the captain, who was looking very perplexed, followed him.
"My Lady! I'm not a soldier..." He stated in a hushed voice.
"Don't worry, Captain Edgar. We have enough soldiers to handle some bandits. You just keep Hercules flying." Rose softly replied the same way, making the captain far more relaxed.
On the ship's bow, Leonard was given a spyglass to assess the situation quickly. He immediately recognised his mother's carriage, which was surrounded by three carriages belonging to the Royal Guards. Behind them were at least eight slightly bigger carriages that were clearly chasing the Empress. The thick dust that rose from the road made it hard to assess the full strength of the pursuers.
"They are still in Metaka..." Rose pointed out nervously.
"So what?! We must help them!" Leonard turned towards Rose angrily, but seeing her startled by his outburst instantly calmed him down. "I'm sorry, Lady Rose. I didn't mean to..." He took a deep breath and straightened. "I'm aware that you can't act on the territory of the Empire. However, as the official Envoy of the Emperor and the Prince of Metaka, I officially ask for the assistance of Arcadia's Army and Navy."
Rose took a deep breath, uncertain if she had the necessary authority to reply to Leonard's request. She really wanted to help, but using her power was one thing, and involving Arcadia's military and assets was another. She stood in nervous silence for what was she supposed to be a million years, torn between her desire to help and her sense of duty.
"Open fire." She grabbed the railings so hard that her hands went white.
"Forward cannons! FIRE!" The captain relayed her order much louder.
"Fire?! We are way too far away..." Leonard replied in shock as the only two forward-facing cannons shot a thin lance of blue light.
The blue-fire projectile hit something in the distance almost instantly, causing a small explosion visible even to the naked eye. The Prince nervously raised the spyglass and breathed a sigh of relief as one of the carriages chasing the Empress was obliterated. As he continued to observe, another carriage was blown into pieces by the impossibly accurate cannon fire. But the remaining assailants seemed to be unfazed by the slaughter of their comrades and continued to chase the Empress.
"Stubborn bastards..." Leonard muttered under his breath as another carriage was hit, but this time, it was just grazed by the deadly fire. The carriage lost one of its wheels and turned over, crashing on its side and probably killing or at least severely wounding anyone inside.
"We are closing on them fast, my Lady," the Captain informed with a slightly nervous voice, but Leonard was still impressed by the man's calm. "We are descending as fast as possible to deploy the infantry."
"Excellent. Continue the fire as long as possible. You can go now, Captain. Excellent work." Rose nodded and exhaled, after which the Captain saluted and left them alone. In the meantime, another bandit's carriage was erased from existence.
Leonard looked at the frail-looking Half-Elf with gratitude in his eyes, but she was very nervous and fully focused on events taking place below. Rose seemed very perplexed, and Leonard decided to break diplomatic protocol by putting his hand gently over hers. It was only then that he noticed how much she was trembling. She tried to break free, but he looked deep into her eyes and bowed.
"I'm grateful for your assistance, Lady Rose. Now that my Mother is almost safe, rest assured that I will take all the responsibility for your actions to protect her," he declared with a serious tone. He only let go of her hand unwillingly after she stopped trembling and smiled weakly.
"Well... I really hope we did the right thing." She smiled grimly at him, causing him to smile back awkwardly. "If these were not bandits but some friendly carriages, I really hope you can explain our actions to your mother."
"I... I don't think they were friendly." He paled a little bit, but then he shrugged and grinned. "In that case, I will take all the blame. I hope you will visit me in prison."
She chuckled nervously and simply nodded. The last three bandit carriages finally noticed the massive airship descending rapidly towards them and tried to flee. But the carriages of the Royal Guards responded by opening the back of their carts, shooting arrows and magic towards the retreating bandits. The Empress's carriage, on the other hand, increased its speed even further, trying to get to the airship as fast as possible. As it passed the shadow of Hercules, the carriage slowed down. The large ship swiftly barred the road, coming to a full stop across the only path between the two walls of forest. The boarding ramps were deployed the moment the hull touched the ground, and the entire battalion of Guardsmen spilt themselves around the Empress carriage. The Praetorians jumped from the deck on the opposite side of the ship, unfazed by the height, slamming their fists into the earth to halt their momentum and stirring up clouds of dust. After standing slowly and forming a loose battle line, they approached the Metakans fighting the bandits.
"Surrender now..." The Shield Captain of the Praetorians raised his staff sword towards the bandits. Behind him, the gunports of Hercules were opened with a loud snap, revealing the line of ten cannons aimed at the bandits. "... Or die."