Steel and Mana

Home... I was looking down at the city that was younger than I was, yet built up to such a degree that none of my people would feel cold in this winter. Nor would they be hungry, which, if I say so myself, was an achievement I can be proud of. Even though we just returned to resupply the Camelot after the previous battle, killing that worm and exhausting many of our ammunition, it was good to be back.

I had already visited my kids and parents, and I noted that the Pass was more silent than usual. It was a fine few days, and now we were ready to leave and head back towards Markoth again... and then back to Khulman. When we dropped down the worm corpse, the Khan was visibly flabbergasted, which was fun to see. I was curious to see what he would say after he had time to process everything and calm down a little.

As for the core of the beast? We found it, right in the middle of its body, before delivering the worm to him. To my surprise, it wasn't as big as some of the other monsters' cores, and it was... weird. I mean, its shape was irregular, like a cluster that was in the middle of absorbing other fragments of CC, which was probably exactly what was happening to it. If I had to describe it, it looked like a potato with tendrils growing out of it, looking for soil to dig into but finding nothing.

It was grotesque. Which raised more questions than I had first. Anyway... Merlin did tell me he will get to the bottom of it, but I also warned him that if I hear any complaints from Elena that he spends more time with the core than with his family, he will be in trouble.

But Merlin wasn't my last guest for the day.

I was in my private chambers, turning away from the window, watching as Luna entered and she laid out a tray of coffee and snacks on the low table between the armchairs. Ahh... I don't know, but the smell of fresh roast filling my nostrils was one of the best things. Seeing me take a deep breath, she gave me a small smile, knowing exactly how I liked it, and then mouthed a few words... before stepping back with her hands folded neatly behind her back.

You little perv... telling me you have nothing on under that outfit of yours... But, I couldn't do anything as the door opened again and my uncle, Elliot, entered just as she was finishing, still smirking at me.

"Uncle!" I chuckled, pushing down my thoughts and my slowly awakening spear. I hadn't seen him since the last summit, but there was something about him that had changed. He looked... a bit different. "Did something happen?"

"You could say that." He chuckled, sitting down as Luna began pouring out the coffee for us, "Still doing this yourself, Luna?" he asked with another chuckle as he sank into the armchair opposite mine.

"I enjoy it," she answered simply, smoothing her skirt. "It keeps me... grounded."

"She's telling the truth," I added, leaning back in my chair, trying not to draw Elliot's attention to how she was rubbing her legs together. Little devil! "She gets restless if someone else tries to... please me."

"Heh," Elliot smirked faintly. "I wonder if my girls will be the same."

"Huh?" I perked my ears up. "You settled down?"

"Kind of." He shrugged, "Four of my maids turned up pregnant this winter. Maybe it's something in the snow, I don't know."

"Are you sure you are the dad?" I asked, twitching my mouth, while Luna looked at Elliot with wide eyes, nodding her head, almost wanting to flash a thumbs up.

"Yeah, pretty sure." He chuckled again, "That's not the issue... But... the order of who is first and fourth is what gives me a headache because they all want to be first... They are not as amicable as your lovely wives!"

"Nobody is! I was lucky!" I joked, raising my cup to my lips.

"No arguments there!" Then he let out a measured breath, doing the same, and taking a sip, "Shall we get to business?"

"Sure, sure," I nodded, swallowing and enjoying my coffee. "Go ahead."

"While you are dealing with the beasts," He pulled a folded bundle of notes from his pockets and scanned the top page, "I was also sorting out stuff on your behalf. Especially being the leading food bank for the army, come spring... So far, the Union's mobilization is progressing faster than I hoped, though perhaps not as fast as you'd like."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Is there an issue?"

"The only issue is that your inventions are still spreading relatively slowly. And that the early winter has reached and halted production at many places. This means that the army's supply lines will need some reworking to do."

"I expected as much," I shrugged, "Nothing we can really do about it, but we can't also postpone cleaning up the continent. With what we fought just this winter is big enough proof for it..."

"I heard that..." He said, shaking his head, shivering once while flipping a page, "So, I will start with the good news. In the Geth Empire, Emperor Attila has recalled and registered every trained healer, including their healing mages, and sent their documents to us. Also, many of the army, be it in Geth or not, are being retrained to work with Avalonian units, so meters, kilos, temperature scales, all that stuff you came up with is being spread around. If I can believe the reports, it's going smoothly enough."

"Good," I nodded, and that was more impressive than I'd expected. "It would be bad if, because of misunderstandings, we fuck up an operation and lose thousands of soldiers."

"Fear will do that," Elliot replied, glancing up at me. "They need to see monsters before they get to the battlefield. I have been pushing the idea to get them here or to Markoth in rotation, so they can see what this is all about."

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"You are not wrong..." I mumbled to myself, putting down my empty cup, "If it can be done, good, do it. The sooner they're all speaking the same measurement language and they know what a monster actually looks like, the fewer mistakes we'll have to clean up in the middle of a battle. Thanks for doing this."

"Of course~!" Elliot nodded with a smile once and moved on to another page. "Then, there is the Sar Empire and the Tentian Theocracy. This is... a tricky one."

"Heh! I bet."

"Your idea was right..." He muttered, taking a cookie and biting into it while reading the letter, "Both received your destroyer blueprints at the same time... Emperor Ahnud Sar and the now High Cardinal Lubek approved immediate construction and each will build one."

"Oh? Did the old fucker bite the dust?"

"Damar?" Elliot snorted, "The official story is that his weak body couldn't handle the winter, and his soul went to meet the Gods. From what your agents let me know, Lubek slit his throat and took his seat."

"I feel myself tearing up..." I joked, raising a cup and letting Luna refill it, watching her smirk hiding at the edge of her lips. "So, they are building the ships already... Do they have the facilities to work metal exactly to my designs?"

"Mostly. Your Minister Kraus has personally visited the sites, along with several of his experts, to oversee the ships' construction. Sar's is underway at a converted coastal shipyard outside Haria, their main harbor. Tentia's working inland. As per the last report, they'll assemble theirs in sections and transport it to their southern city of Libira for final fittings."

"So one makes it in one go, the other is splitting the workload," I muttered into my coffee. "Interesting. I am curious how it will play out."

"They clearly hate each other, but at least this is more of a competition than going to war," Elliot muttered, flipping another page. "Their focus is on one-upping the other."

"Just don't fuck up my ships!" I snorted, making Elliot smile.

"They won't, or the other will forever hold it against the loser."

"I do hope that's the case."

"Ishillia," Elliot continued, without being stuck on the topic, finishing his cookie, "is ready. Empress Mirian has armed and built up all active soldiers in the capital region. They've drilled, resupplied, and stationed across the inner plains. Their current strength is about four hundred and fifty thousand."

"Woah, that was fast!" And that was a staggering number, especially after everything that happened. "I do hope she can feed that army."

"They have been enjoying our support the longest, so they've stockpiled enough dried grain and salted meat for three years or more, I guess. They can wait out the snow if they choose to, but Mirian said she is willing to send them to Markoth to gain proper experience against monsters."

"Good! Let's organize the trains and start transferring them. If she is ready, there is no reason to wait anymore. What about the others?" I asked.

"Well... We are back to the not-so-good news..." Elliot flipped another page, "The smaller Union states are mobilizing too, but their combined numbers, including the three western kingdoms... are roughly around three hundred thousand troops, though their quality will vary."

"Yeah... Of course it would...." I muttered, thinking. I was sure that those numbers wouldn't match the drilled regiments of Ishillia, not to mention my men. But they would fill lines, guard supply chains, and man fortifications we may build and leave behind, so no monster comes and cuts us off or claws at our unprotected backline. Every soldier from them, assigned to such a post, would free up a veteran for the front. "That's all I can ask for," I said, setting my cup down and leaning forward slightly. "Any notable leadership changes?"

"Nothing, thankfully," he smiled, "The Union has been stable and well-behaved. Arthur's little stunt with hanging bandits down from the Punisher was effective. They had some issue at the western kingdoms, but repeating it two or three times was enough to snuff out resistance or any other group wanting to stir the pot."

"They should be afraid," I said flatly, "If anyone tries to play politics while we are working together to clean up our world, they will be dealt with as if they are monsters too. Make sure that sentiment is spread everywhere..."

"It will, don't worry," Elliot said, studying me for a moment. "You've changed, Leon."

"Hm? I did?" I asked, surprised.

"Maybe that is the wrong word," Elliot said with a quiet chuckle, "I mean that you are talking about the world and all, not just your city. Or just your people. Weren't you saying that you only want to live a good life, enjoying your wives and your little kingdom in peace?"

"I still do..." I answered, pursing my lips, "That didn't change!"

"Sure..." He smiled again, glancing at Luna before moving his eyes back to me, "Anyway, my Goldengrove stands with Avalon as it always will."

"Thank you, Uncle. And after this is all done, no one should dare threaten us again for another hundred years, be it monster or men."

"Probably!" Elliot inclined his head, "But never underestimate human stupidity."

"True," I agreed, "Anyway, that is in the future, for the present, we must focus on the now. I will write up what their training must focus on and pass it down to my Ministers and to the Union. If this works out as I expected..."

"Ambitious," he murmured, probably noticing my wandering eyes and reading what I was thinking of.

"It's just an idea." I warned him, "I am unsure..."

"Your eyes say something else. You are curious what's really on the other side."

"A bit..." I acknowledged it, as it would be foolish to lie about it.

After that, we sat in silence for a little bit, before finally Elliot finished his coffee and second cookie, rising from his chair.

"I'll see that Goldengrove continues preparations. If everything goes smoothly, I can start delivering the supplies to Markoth before the end of the winter. At the same time, I can also help organize the delivery of troops and supplies from the Western kingdoms. You'll have my next report by the time you return again."

"Thanks," I said, standing with him, clasping his hand firmly. "Safe travels back home, Uncle."

"There is no safer place on this continent than within our borders." He joked before he gave Luna a courteous nod and stepped toward the door. She inclined her head in return, her slight smile following him out, and when the door shut, I turned to her, pulling her into my lap.

"So, let me recap!" I said, lifting her maid's skirt, "No panties?"

"Fufufu... none?" She giggled, trying to playfully hide it, but of course she couldn't... and yeah. She was as bare as she could be. "Am I going to be... punished?"

"No."

"Wha-?! Why?!" She yelled, looking crestfallen.

"Because that is a proper punishment!" I slapped her thigh, squeezing it, "I am still needed down there, to go and see Princess Fila before we depart."

"A little bit~! Please~?" She tried again and I pulled out my pocketwatch and answered, checking the time, "Fifteen minutes. Is that enough?"

"Yes!" She yelped, her mismatched eyes twinkling, and she just grabbed onto the back of my chair, pushing her bottom up towards me, "Please~! Cum in, the door is open~!"

"And slippery," I added, standing behind her, grabbing her waist, and soon, I was already in her, without having to care about anything, "You forgot to put out the wet floor sign..."

"Mhhm..." She moaned, looking back over her shoulder, "I was hoping you would fall into it~!"

"Bad girl," I squeezed hard on her bottom, slapping her, "You really want to be smacked, eh?"

"Uhum..." She moaned again, "So... don't hold back... fifteen minutes is nothing!"

"You said it's alright..." I slapped her again, making her giggle, sticking her tongue out.

"I lied!"

"Well, too bad." I shrugged, giving her what she wanted. I was anything but a bad husband, always here to satisfy my wives' wishes. "That's all you got~!"

In the end, it was half an hour... Somehow, time simply flies when you enjoy yourself.