I returned to our apartment in Iceleon with Irene, Aoi, Cassmira, Leonard and Rose only to witness some kind of a crisis. Mia was explaining something to Freya who had a long and empty stare. Whatever the topic was, my other wives kept a safe distance. It wasn't that they weren't interested but, rather, they didn't want to be involved. However, seeing Mia smiling as she passionately explained something to Freya was a sight that made me very happy. For the last few days, the always-cheerful Mia had been slowly fading. Whatever concerned her, now it was gone. If she became gloomy again, I would talk with her. I didn't want to disturb them, so I quickly took Cassmira and Leonard to the closest VIP room. Their luggage was already waiting for them. The room was far smaller than our suite but that just meant it looked more like a huge VIP suite in a modern hotel instead of a vacation retreat mansion. The Slime Maids and Butlers were already waiting with supper and had started a fire in a centrally situated hearth. While Leonard and Rose sat quietly near the fireplace, Cassmira silently took my hand. With a sigh, we walked back to my room. Before we left, she informed her brother we were leaving.
As we returned, Mia's lecture was over and my wives appeared as if they were planning to leave. After a moment of confusion, I realised they were planning to visit Cassmira and Leonard. It was natural, they wanted to offer their condolences to the Metakan Twins, but, upon seeing the young princess holding my hand, they pulled her away. I was glad they conspired to show them some love since I sucked at consoling other people. The room erupted with hushed and serious words of encouragement as my wives offered condolences and hugs to the young Metakan Princess. Cassmira stood bravely among them for a moment but, soon enough, she started crying. I have seen these kinds of tears enough times in my life that I’ve lost count but I knew she needed them to flow. My wives quickly decided Cassmira needed a pyjama party and, as they brought ungodly amounts of pillows and blankets, I was unceremoniously pushed away from the room. Amber smiled at me as she closed the door and I saw everything I needed in her gaze. It was amazing how meaningful her gazes could be and I enjoyed the fact that I understood our wordless communication. Using this opportunity, I teleported to the special room I added as a cover-up for my Dungeon Movement skill outside Arcadia.
The Bravefall Command Centre was always busy. The officers responsible for traffic control and planning exchanged information or directed the airships to their next targets. Large vertical sheets of glass with the map of Iceleon were used to keep track of the exact position of our ships. A Tracking Spell updated their position and status every second. Of course, that information, as well as the methods to build such maps, was a secret jealously protected by the Artificers Guild. At the head of the war table sat Janet A'net Sparrow and she was stirring a dark liquid in her cup with a silver teaspoon. The Grand Admiral of the Arcadian Royal Fleet seemed to be having a silent staring contest with Admiral Dennis Tu'sarr. Theresa and Victor were nowhere to be seen so I assumed they made themselves scarce because of the tension between the two Admirals. I suddenly realised that the arrival of Cassmira and Leonard would be suspicious to the Metakan Admiral. Fortunately, a brand-new destroyer, HMS Gladius, was on its way here. With it arriving in the morning, we would pretend that the siblings arrived onboard.
"My Lord!" Janet stood up and saluted me without breaking eye contact with the Metakan Admiral.
I saw the victorious smirk on her face when Dennis Tu'sarr was required to turn around to welcome me properly. The foreign Admiral’s unhappy expression was quickly replaced by an official smile.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Emperor Theon Avalon!" He offered me a deep bow.
"At ease, Admiral." I saluted back to Janet and offered a shallow but respectful bow to Dennis. "Admiral Dennis."
I sat on the free chair and gestured for the two to sit down as well. After a moment, my curiosity won and I looked at Janet. "What is it about?"
Suddenly, Admiral Dennis became very embarrassed and Janet seemed to even feel sorry for him. She needed just a heartbeat to provide a most diplomatic summary of what happened before my arrival.
"Admiral Dennis Tu'sarr suggested that we are in possession of a long-range communication system, my Lord." She said with a neutral expression.
"Well, we are using Eagles..." I said since it was our official story but she only rolled her eyes. She did it, however, in a way that only I could see. That meant he figured out we had radios.
"With all due respect, Emperor Avalon, but while the amount of tamed Eagles in Arcadia is nothing short of impressive, I'm fully aware that you possess an even better communication system. One that allows you to contact your warships instantly no matter how far they are." The man explained himself.
"And how exactly would such a system work?" I asked carefully so as to not blow the cover.
"The easiest way of achieving it would be a telepathy skill, however, I know that your officers do not possess it. What's more, I know how hard it is to use that skill. There are certainly other most efficient ways of communication. A capability like that is incredibly precious and I would fully understand any secrecy around it. As the Grand Admiral of the Metakan Navy, I'm willing to trade for that ability. I'm also authorised by the Crown Prince and Princess to make such obligations." The Admiral was standing at attention and looking at the table in front of me with respect. "While I was authorised to bring this matter to your attention, Lord Avalon, I was advised to only do so in extremely important situations. The situation at hand calls for me to make the intentions of the Empire of Metaka clear."
He slowly looked around but all the officers in the room seemed to ignore us. In shock, Admiral Dennis noticed that despite some of them talking to each other, he could only hear their muffled voices. Janet cleared her throat, making him return to looking at her.
"You are free to talk, Admiral Dennis. I took the liberty of confining us under a Privacy Field. Whatever is spoken inside cannot be overheard on the outside while we also retain a moderate control of what we see happening around us."
"It's another spell we would like to obtain..." Dennis Tu'sarr shook his head in disbelief with a sigh, but he smiled faintly. He revealed an ornate scroll and, while he wanted to hand it to me, he gave it to Janet instead. "This is an official letter with a proposal for an alliance between Metaka and Arcadia signed by Princess Vettalia and Prince Guad. No matter who emerges victorious in their succession war, they have an unwavering intention of forging a lasting alliance between our nations."
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Janet looked at me with uncertainty and, with my confirming nod, she broke the scroll's seals and read the letter's content. She stood up and handed it to me. It looked authentic and it wasn't just a letter of intention. It was a letter that made me a leader in the alliance between Arcadia, Metaka, and Iceleon. It was written in simple language without a pompous style that allowed for a flexible interpretation. Instead, it offered a friendship between our nations, on equal terms, while honouring the differences between them. It pained me that the brilliant people who penned such a straightforward declaration would soon turn on each other. The document laid the solid foundations for future trade, research, and defence agreements, which was everything I hoped to achieve. Feeling the importance of the moment, I took out my fountain pen and signed the scroll. Dennis' eyes brightened as he saw my signature when it glowed with the yellow light of a System contract which also surprised me a bit.
"My Lord!" He saluted me in a perfect copy of the Arcadian Navy salute. A salute that was known to every sailor of the faraway world of my origin.
"Admiral." I saluted back and noticed that the scroll made a copy of itself. "What kind of spell was it?"
"It's a self-duplicate enchantment, Emperor. Once Lady Theresa Iceleon signs the document, it will make another copy. However, the signatures on the copies won't cause it to replicate any further." He proudly explained.
"Quite handy," I admitted, but since I possessed a Perfect Copy skill, it wasn't something I really needed. "I'm surprised that your Lords authorised you to disclose that proposal. It's usually something that the leaders of the nations discuss among each other."
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary solutions." The Admiral's smile paled. "We are at a breaking point in the history of Aderon. Lady Vettalia and Lord Guad are not blind; they can see the signs of the end of the era. With your arrival, Lord Avalon, those who stand aside will be inevitably and harshly judged by those who will come after us. The Empire of Metaka is willing to stand side by side with Arcadia."
"I see." I nodded and took a deep breath as I closed my eyes.
The technology behind our radio was revolutionary in a world that was still sending its messages through birds or couriers. It gave an unimaginable advantage to any army using it over anyone without it. I had taken measures to ensure the safety of the critical systems and technologies that gave Arcadia an advantage in nearly every field. It wasn't only the radio but a significant amount of weapons and even tactical and logistical knowledge. The discipline of my people was going to keep them safe as long as possible but, once any technology left the borders of Arcadia, it would be vulnerable and become the target of all our enemies. On the other hand, giving this technology to my allies would simplify communication and let us coordinate on a scale unachievable to our enemies. Furthermore, we could rig the radios to explode if tampered with.
"I would like to assure you that I know the value of that magitech." The deep voice of the Admiral sounded in my ears, full of responsibility and careful confidence. "Metaka, as well as Arcadia, can ensure the loyalty of the people in its service. We will make sure it never falls into the wrong hands. Even if that required setting an entire airship on fire."
"This system is priceless, Admiral Dennis," Janet said quietly.
"I must agree." The Metakan Admiral's voice was quite meek so I opened my eyes to see Dennis nod. "However, I can offer you something equally valuable in exchange, Lord Avalon."
"What would it be?" I calmly asked.
"Two spells whose mastery eludes us." He said and swallowed. "Telepathy and Gravity Magic."
I silently repeated the names and shook my head in disbelief. "If you possess Telepathy skill manuals, why do you need our radio?"
"It's too complicated for a mundane use and requires a lot of mana." He admitted. "But it's not useless. Our most powerful wizards and sorcerers can use it, so I believe that the lands of Arcadia, already famous for their unmatched warriors and peerless magic users, will manage to find a better use for this ability. From what I see, this radio can be used by regular soldiers which makes it more useful for the Empire of Metaka than Telepathy."
"What about Gravity Magic?" I nodded in a way that merely acknowledged his point without betraying my thoughts.
"We learned that you were looking for that magic so we are willing to offer it, albeit with a warning. I would privately say it's a fool's errand, I'm afraid..." He slowly shook his head and, even though he kept silent about how they knew about my research, I suspected someone from the Metakan embassy. Maybe not Leonard or Cassmira, whose loyalty slowly shifted towards Arcadia, but one of the more important officials informed the Metakan Court. "According to the ancient tales, that magic was used by the ancient Hero, Merlin O'Connor, who was capable of changing the laws of the world. His magic was powerful and nigh impossible to counter. We took great pride in learning and using it but pride walks before the fall... As time passed, we lost the understanding of the principles of this formidable magic. Without knowing them, it's just a waste of time. Of course, now and then someone is brave or foolish enough to try to unearth the mystery of Gravity Magic. Unfortunately, it often ends in a gruesome way..."
"And your offer...?" I raised my brow inquisitively.
"Both of them if the Radio you talk about is not a spell but magitech that surpasses our production capabilities. In that case, we would have to buy ready pieces from Arcadia. Of course, we will pay for the materials and labour, but the price should be negotiable independently if you agree to sell it in the first place."
I tried to remain calm but the fact that I was offered not one but two spells that were a game changer was hard to hide. My Poker Face was working miracles since the Admiral wasn't able to see through me. I looked at the man cautiously and, instead of agreeing, I tilted my head.
"You instantly recognised the value of our communication system and tried to obtain it, Admiral. What about our airships? Wouldn't you try to obtain them?"
"I would do anything to obtain such a ship." He admitted without batting an eye, however, he smiled sadly and shook his head. "But these ships surpass everything I know, or even can imagine, about naval vessels and tactics. They require specialised knowledge amongst the entire crew, maintenance, and support chain which Metaka simply doesn't have. Simply put, we won't be able to operate them. Asking for everything needed to use them would be naivety of the highest sort. However... Now that we know it is possible to build something like that, we are going to try to develop such airships on our own."
"I wish you good luck then." I laughed and inclined my head. Admiral Dennis Tu'sarr turned out to be a very talented and intelligent person.
"Thank you, Lord Avalon." The Admiral looked intently at me.
"I think we can come to a mutual agreement about selling you radioes." I reluctantly nodded my head in agreement. The temptations of the Telepathy and Gravity Magic were too great to resist.