Aoi woke up the next morning with a sour grimace and a general lack of idea of what to think about Rhys' report. The fact that Derek Vetulia ordered her assassination had left a bitter aftertaste. However, Theon promised her that there was nothing to be worried about and she never doubted him. Aoi knew that he sent Morrigan and one company of Praetorians somewhere but the always cheerful Vampiress was already sitting silently in her room. Aoi sighed heavily as she stood up from her bed.

"Good morning, Morrigan."

"Good morning, my Lady! It's a lovely day. Have you slept well?" The Vampiress beamed a wide smile and put away a cup of tea she was drinking.

"Not really..." She pouted her cheeks. "What did Theon ordered you to do?"

"I believe that you are referring to yesterday's temporary absence. I just delivered a message to the Union's representatives. No one was killed if you are worried about it, my Lady."

"A message?" She asked, staring flatly at the scion. "Just a message? Care to tell me what my husband was communicating?"

"Well, he wanted me to make sure that the Union representatives understood how much luck they had that you intervened. His Majesty also expressed his wrath about an attempt on your life and demanded the head of Derek Vetulia; it didn’t have to be delivered. One of our slimes was ready to execute the man at a moment’s notice. Additionally, the Union will have to pay one ton of iron ore yearly for ten years. They are going to smelt most of their equipment to pay this year's toll."

"Uhum..." Aoi smiled, already allocating all of the iron for the new ships of the Royal Navy. "If I'm not wrong that means the Union would struggle with making any steel at all?"

"Until they somehow manage to increase the production, then yes." Morrigan grinned. "The Emperor had not declared war just to prove a point that everyone will be much happier if they listen to you, my Lady. If I understand correctly, his message was something like: If one of the Empresses of Arcadia is extending her hand in peace, you better drop to your knees and be grateful."

"That's a bit..." Aoi sighed.

"He's not wrong, though!" Morrigan chuckled and approached her with a cheerful smile. "The alternative is a full-scale war with Arcadia. Currently, Janet can wage war against the entirety of Aderon without putting away her tea."

"All right..." The young Empress cheered up while Morrigan opened Aoi's travel chest. "You know... I sometimes think that nothing is going to be the same with Theon around. The world will have to accept it."

A Slime Maid's hand carrying a comfortably looking travel dress emerged from the chest. The chest was several times bigger on the inside and required descending stairs. As the Maid began to prepare the dress, Aoi went to the bathroom and refreshed herself. While another Slime Maid was combing her hair, Aoi summoned the holographic screen and checked their location. She sighed, noticing they were still anchored at the same place. The First Fleet should have already reached the Infinity Dungeon but because of the sluggish start of the Union's forces, Aoi decided to stay. Fortunately, the poorly trained mob otherwise known as the Union's infantry managed to turn around after roughly eight hours and it was likely they would be on their way in another few hours. She was almost finished dressing when the heavy doors to her room violently shook under a relentless barrage of hectic knocking. Before she managed to react surprised, the doors popped open and a very troubled-looking Cassmira stormed in.

"Aoi! Aoi!" She huffed. It was obvious that she was running all the way from her room.

Cassmira couldn't catch her breath and she leaned down and put her hands on her knees as she breathed heavily.

"What happened, Cass?" The Dragonkin asked in a mild shock.

"I just received a letter from Vettalia!" Her friend announced, raising a small scroll she had in her hand and giving it to Aoi. "There was a huge Dungeon rampage!"

"Calm down, Cass..." Aoi took the letter and began to read it.

The letter was a bit grim in tone but Vettalia described the situation as accurately as she understood. A large wave of monsters had poured out of one of the more belligerent Dungeons in the south of Metaka. The amount and the variety of monsters completely surprised the garrison of the fortress which normally kept the Dungeon in check. The fortress was lost along with the nearby town a few hours later. Fortunately, they managed to send a warning. The monster horde was roaming the lands around the Dungeon but some bands had moved to the north straight towards a city inhabited by almost twenty thousand souls. It was impossible to evacuate them in time and it was unlikely the city garrison would hold. Currently, the Metakan airships, with Vettalia and Gaud on board, were heading towards the endangered city at full speed. Aoi gave the note back to Cassmira and grabbed a thick cloak that was held by the Maid.

"You expect me to help Metaka?" Aoi took a cup of tea handed to her by Morrigan and drank it.

"Yes!" The Princess regained her breath and slowly straightened.

"I would like to, but as you can see, the Union's forces are still on the borders..." Aoi grabbed a few bites of her sandwich and put away the teacup. "Let's see... I could send one of our destroyers but that would be risky."

Cassmira stared at Aoi with puppy eyes without interrupting the youngest Empress. Helping Metaka certainly had its merits but moving the entire fleet right now was simply asking for trouble. While HMS Hunter could handle the potential Union's attack, just waiting with the fleet would simply prevent the attack in the first place.

"Pffff..." Aoi huffed. "Whatever I decide to do, it looks like I can only choose between bad choices..."

"Aoi?" Cassmira hadn't understood.

"Don't mind me." Aoi waved her hand with a sigh. She puffed her cheeks and looked at Cassmira a little bit deflated. "Let's go see Janet..."

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•••

"No." Janet put away the note and loudly tapped with her fingers on her armrest, as she supported her head on her left arm. "I can't allow you to just take Dauntless with two destroyers, Empress Aoi. The entirety of the First Fleet is protecting you, not its elements."

"But-" Cassmira was devastated.

"Hush." Aoi put her on the arm of her friend and allowed the Admiral to think.

The silence prolonged until Janet loudly sighed.

"Navigation, how far is the city of Kornal?"

"One and half thousand, sixty-one kilometres, Ma'am."

"Weapons?" Janet moved her gaze to the next officer.

"Maybe...?" The officer scratched his head and looked uncertainly at Cassmira.

"I think she will learn sooner or later, but I want a short answer without details. Yes or no?" Aoi shrugged.

"Yes." The officer replied. "We will need to send the Eagles, Your Highness."

"Communication, give me Theon." Aoi sat on her observer throne and pointed at a place near her for Cassmira.

"Aye, aye, my Lady!" The communication officer pressed the earpiece and started speaking into her headset with a hushed voice. They waited for maybe five minutes before Theon's hologram appeared on the bridge. He looked around and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Hello, Aoi, Cassmira, Admiral and, it seems, the entirety of Dauntless' bridge officers. I can't help but notice that you are still drifting over the peace conference spot while you should be heading home. What is delaying you?" He grinned and saluted back to the sailors.

"The Union's forces are slow to withdraw and I don't really like the idea of leaving them just with the Third Fleet..." Aoi explained with a frustrated grimace. "But there is a problem-"

"Bomb them into oblivion, Janet." Theon looked at the Admiral who laughed.

"It's not a problem with the Union but I believe the bombing is in order anyway." The Elf grinned.

"Hmmm... So not a Union-problem but your trigger finger is itching? All right, what's going on, Aoi?"

"Vettalia sent a letter with the help request to Cassmira. They have a huge Dungeon rampage, and they are afraid they won't be able to contain it without huge civilian losses."

"Pffff... The Third Fleet will be fine. Just go help Metakans. What are they sending anyway?" Theon shook his head. "I will need to start charging them... For fuck sake, munitions are not growing on trees."

"Thank you, Theon!" Cassmira brightened as he smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

"Signal to the entire First Fleet, I want everyone in formation in ten minutes!" Janet ordered.

"I love you," Aoi said in a way that only Theon could hear her and winked.

"Have fun." He grinned, waved goodbye, and disconnected.

"Let's go, Cass." Aoi stood up and left the bridge, basically tugging away a stunned princess. "I am leaving everything to you, Janet. Just call me for the show."

"I will inform you as soon as we get the targets’ positions, and we have fire solutions, my Lady." Janet bowed her head and turned towards her officers.

Aoi left the bridge with a smile and a handful of Cass’s sleeve as Janet started issuing orders. Outside the bridge, Aoi let go and began a slow stroll. She braced her hands on her back, as they moved through the corridor of the mightiest of the ships of Arcadia, seemingly carefree. Cassmira followed her, however, the younger woman appeared nervous.

"I wanted to thank you, Empress Aoi..." She finally decided to break the silence as they crossed another corner. The sailors they passed were busy with seeming unending maintenance or other odd jobs around the massive ship.

"Well, it would look bad if we just let so many people die needlessly, but that's... Hmmm..." Aoi sighed as she opened the doors to a small briefing room. Some people unknown to Cassmira were waiting inside and the only familiar faces were her brother and his fiance- Rose. "A sudden Dungeon rampage just after the peace conference? I don't believe in coincidences, Cass."

"What are you...?" Cassmira stopped and her eyes went wide as she realised the oddity of this situation. "I..."

"Oh, once you get this close to Theon as I am, you also become this paranoid. It's inevitable, I'm afraid." Aoi grinned but suddenly she stopped and put the left hand on her hip and thoughtfully tapped her lips. "Perhaps it’s even contagious? Hmmm..."

She shrugged and continued to the spot at the end of the strange, dark glass table. Cassmira sat in the chair near Leonard and sighed.

"I want to investigate that Dungeon as much as possible without subduing it," Aoi informed everyone with a calm voice. "There is also the possibility that we will have to deploy the Legion to help secure the city... Ummm..."

Aoi looked at her notes and flipped a few pages.

"Kornal city." She tapped a page with a triumphant grin. "The problem with our solution is the people of Kornal. That's why I have to ask you, Rhys, to prepare your team."

"There are, at least, a few reclamas to your order, my Lady. My standing order is to protect you at all costs. Even the entirety of the First Fleet is considered expendable if it means saving your life." Rhys rubbed his chin. "However, if you, along with Queens Mia and Tia and Princess Cassmira, promise to stay onboard under the protection of Praetorians, I will be able to follow that order, my Lady."

"I promise that we will stay on Dauntless, Captain Rhys. Even Leonard and Rose will stay, so you won't have to worry about it." Aoi smiled at the huge Wolfkin who sighed heavily. "Morrigan and the Praetorians will stay with us."

"My Lady, I see that you are taking this situation lightly but your safety is a serious matter. I'm not concerned about the mundane threats, because I find it hard to believe that any mortal or a monster could seriously damage Dauntless." Rhys crossed his arms and gave his Empress a stern look. "My company was chosen to aid the Scions in case the Hero of Void, Urbil, appears. If anyone could damage this warship, it would be him."

"I... I should have thought about it. I'm sorry, Captain." Aoi took a deep breath. Theon was never afraid of the Union's armies. All these forces were sent only to protect her...

"It is my duty to think about the dangers so you can enjoy life, my Lady." Rhys grinned. "I will take a look at the forces we have on board and will borrow some from Lady Sparrow. In ten hours I will present you with a detailed plan, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Captain Rhys." Aoi looked with gratitude at the Leader of the Moonshadow Company until he recognized her gaze. Then she shifted her focus "We don't even know if we will have to deploy the Legion. But, only you, Galahad, can lead the army in case of the worst scenario."

"We will be ready, my Lady." The Scion simply nodded.

They all felt the moment when Dauntless started turning and proceeded forward. A gentle tug that grew with each moment as the huge battleship accelerated towards Metaka. However, the movement sensation ceased a few moments later when the inertial dampeners activated. The protective magic enveloped the entire ship in a safety field that protected the crew and the ship's superstructure from violent manoeuvres and speed changes.

"All right, people. We have one day until we reach Kornal." Aoi clapped her hands and smiled. "Let's prepare for the worst-case scenario..."