Steel and Mana

"I hope your journey was pleasant and peaceful, Countess Zimmerman." Merlin declared with a smile, standing at the gates and greeting Matilda. The young Prime Minister was accompanied by Elena, watching the elegant and mature woman descend her carriage, standing shoulder to shoulder with Merlin.

"It happened without an issue." She answered with a smile, and although her eyes were surprised seeing the very young boy, she didn't question it at all. Instead, she felt jealous because when her sons were his age, she could not make them dress this nicely or force them to follow protocol at all. "I have to say, the kind of welcome I got to this grandeur city was not something I was expecting."

"Many people don't know about us, but that soon will change. My name is Merlin; I am the Prime Minister of Avalon. She is Elena Kustov, ambassador of the Kustov family and the one who represents them."

"Countess Matilda Zimmermann." Elena nodded, following protocol and greeting her, surprising the noblewoman as Elena gave her the same type of bow that was required of Matilda, considering the difference in their ranks. The Kustov family was above hers... she shouldn't need to be this polite.

"Please, the pleasure is mine." She answered, returning the bow in a hurry.

"This way, if you will!" Merlin waved his hand, pointing towards the wide main street. "Our soldiers are going to take care of your carriage and belongings, leading your people to their temporary lodgings. We would like to invite you to the palace where my Sovereign is waiting for your arrival."

"Sovereign?" Matilda asked, surprised because she had never heard that title before and couldn't imagine the Empire allowing it.

"Avalon is a sovereign state." Merlin explained, shocking her even more than the city she was trying to take a look at. "We may be part of Ishillia, but we are an autonomous entity." He explained it in a way that was true, yet not. "If you want to know more, feel free to visit the Kustov residence in the capital city, and they will let you meet with the Empress. She will decide how much you are allowed to know."

"..."

That statement alone made Matilda swallow her following questions. There are answers in this world that it is best to not know about. His father always told her when she was little never to ask questions you don't want to see the answer to. So, instead of opening her mouth, her eyes traveled to the beautiful houses, the crowd that was gathering, looking on behind the cordons that were set up, letting them travel on foot as if part of a parade. What surprised her was how well everyone was dressed, in clothes she had never seen before. They were elegant yet common-looking at the same time, making her feel confused and take multiple looks at the different designs. All of these were as if they came from a different world and not something that she would see on 'barbarians' or 'peasants' as many other regions called the Frontier and its people.

"Your people here are surprisingly well-behaved." She exclaimed, noticing that for every dozen or so people, only one well-dressed soldier was standing there, guarding their trip toward the palace.

"They have been educated and taught to be respectful. Here, there is only one noble rank, and that is our Sovereign. Everything else is a spot that anyone with talent can fill. It is true for even my position." Merlin explained with a proud smile as they walked. "Even though I am a wizard, if someone comes along who can do my job more efficiently and achieve better results, they can replace me."

"A mage...!" Matilda clamored quietly as it was her first time seeing and meeting one, never before knowing anybody who was capable of wielding magic.

"Like that would happen!" Elena snorted before shaking her head, "Your head is way too special. I have seen nobody who would come close to your ideas and achievements... you have an unfair advantage, Merlin."

"Our Sovereign could do it, yet he has no magic. So it is not an excuse; he is the perfect example."

"Can I ask, what do you mean?" Matilda chimed in, watching their quick back and forth, already recognizing the little spark between the two. Duke Kustov's daughter was with a mage... This could only mean there is a high possibility that the Kustov family will sire a wizard one day!

"The city we are walking in was designed by our Sovereign." Merlin answered proudly. "The same is true of the massive mech you saw at the gates, piloted by his third wife, Lady Yuri."

"Piloted? A human was in that? Wasn't it working via magic?!"

"Yes and no. There is magic within, alongside science, making it a perfect weapon against monsters. But the pilots are human. Normal, regular humans."

"Monsters!" She yelled again, becoming numb with shock. Of course... monsters. How could she forget that? No wonder they were in need of steel. They were building war machines to hold back the beasts! "I can't wait to meet with your Sovereign."

"It won't take long. The palace is right before us, Countess Zimmermann~!" Merlin smiled as the group slowly led into the throne room, where Leon and Sasha were already waiting to welcome the leader of the Silver Region.

...
....
......

Seeing the Countess enter the throne room, I had to admit, she wasn't worse off than my mother, not a bit. Of course, I tried hard not to measure her looks before Sasha could misunderstand it. After the quick introductions led by Merlin and Elena, we finally began the negotiation, which is why I invited her to Avalon in the first place.

"I understand that your region was under a different duke's control only a while ago." I began making her nod and glance at Elena.

"I have already expressed that I am now under the servitude of the Kustov family."

"And by that," I spoke in a kind but firm voice, "you are under our protection."

"I don't understand..." she said after a short pause, blinking her eyes and looking at us. I let my wife explain because her voice was much smoother and less threatening than mine.

"The Kustov family is our subordinates." She stated as clearly and openly as possible. "We are above dukes, Lady Zimmermann."

"Above the dukes? Sorry for my bluntness..." she exhaled after seeing Elena sitting there calmly, confirming their words with her unchanging stare. "But I don't understand. How could you be above them?"

"Changes are coming." I explained, making sure she understood the seriousness of the situation. "They will cause ripples through the Empire, waves that will result in a civil war."

"WHAT?!" She yelled, standing up and breathing heavily. "S-s-sorry... It is just..."

"We are with the Empress." Sasha quickly added, making her somewhat calm down. "But the Empire is rotting from within. She is going to reform it and, through her reforms, establish a new Ishillia, cleansing the old one. As for how many families will disappear, we can't tell; we are mages and not seers."

"..."

"What we can tell," I smiled at her, but I don't think she was reassured by it, "is that those who side with Empress Mirian Ishillia will survive. Those who move against her will not."

"Who would dare move against her?" she mumbled before flinching, a sudden idea striking her. "The Emperor?"

"Your thoughts are correct." We said simultaneously the moment she remembered who appeared from nowhere when the previous Empress died, taking the reins for a short period. "The Empire is controlled by an old and dangerous monster. It needs to stop... but as to how...? First, we need to see where you and your duchy stand."

"With Ishillia." She stated at once, "With Empress Mirian and with the Kustov family."

"No hesitation." I chuckled, leaning forward, gazing into her eyes, "I like that! We are still preparing now, and you will have time, Countess Matilda."

"Time to ready yourself to fight against those who would stand behind the reformation of Ishillia." Sasha repeated, making sure she understood the gravity of the current circumstances.

"I'm listening. I will do as my country needs it!"

"Duke Jauwn is being taken care of right now; that will be Duke Kustov's responsibility. Well... Punishment will be coming from the Empress herself because she is not too happy with what he had done to her future husband." I shrugged, raising my hand, and Merlin quickly placed a thick stack of documents before her.

We weren't just here to ask her to deliver all the steel she could to us. Instead, we laid out a multi-year plan for arming those regions that are close by and will stand with us. I let her read it while listening to my words, condensing down the details within our proposition.

"We would require at least half of your annual steel output. We are going to also build a railway line, going through the Black Lands, directly to your city and factories. As for what a railway is, there is a sealed folder included. You can open it and read it after we iron out the details."

"What about the other half?" She asked, looking at us, her eyes already calculating the amount it would entail.

"You will have to use it. Either deliver it to the Kustov family or let them sell it to other allies whom we are going to gather. Or use it yourself, literally. While Mirian Ishillia is working in the capital, leading the old monster by his nose for as long as she can, we are going to arm the people who are loyal to her. You must raise an adequate army that will march when must."

"A rebellion..." she mumbled, her fingers shaking a little.

"The main force will be made of Ishillians who stand with their Empress and us. Did you know what the previous Empress did?" Sasha asked, making her shake her head. "Flip to the last pages. You will understand why Mirian is so eager to clean house."

The knowledge that Ishillia had lost almost all of its top mages was the same kind of shock to Matilda; it was as if citizens of a country had learned that their supposed nuclear missiles were nonexistent or filled with confetti. The moment the enemies, all those who were holding back because of Ishillia's might, realize that the Empire's teeth have been pulled out, they will jump on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Ishillia will be torn apart, but it is also the only moment when Ishillia itself can move and undergo a complete reformation. If it fails... it will end the Empire's existence either way.

"The question is not if it will happen." I spoke, reading her thoughts, "The question is: When? For that, we must prepare... So, if you have anything to add, Countess Matilda Zimmermann, let us hear it. We need to work this out and stand as allies. United in one goal."

"The Black Lands." She said after a minute of silence, thinking through everything. "They are restless after what happened to them. I feel like they would try and betray us one way or another."

"That would be catastrophic." I agreed, exchanging a glance with my wife and watching her head slowly nod back at me. "Then it is decided. The Tobrok family has to go."