The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

"Two reactors are overloaded and are cooling down. Tanking the charge of this new bug is not advised." Ra'agier reported as his Titan dumped clouds of steam around it, boiling the smaller bugs that ignored the larger Titan's battle on their way toward the fortress.

"They don't like the cold." Ares's voice was calm as if he were discussing his math homework. "On top of slowing them down, it also deals massive damage."

"You can engage more brazen bugs with your scions, Vanlin," I ordered while watching the Titan battle.

The reports from all over the front line were relatively optimistic. We had defended against the counteroffensive pretty well. The initial fury of the onslaught was expected but the attack itself wasn't as severe as we anticipated. So far, the beetle Titan attacking Fireclad Castle Dungeon was the only sighting of that enemy. However, the Navy suffered significant losses. We lost Broadsword and Jian, while six others: Dagger, Scimitar, Longsword, Kilij, Tulwar, and Patta, were unable to continue the fight and were forced to leave the battlefield. The initial fury of Vestargo's assault quickly lost momentum and the bugs started retreating everywhere except for the Fireclad Castle Dungeon. If anything, the bugs attacked there with more numbers and fury than the initial assault. The fortress's shield flared occasionally when the bugs reached it but I was confident it would hold. The flying bugs were powerless to reach the protective barrier because new Golem-Core CIWS prioritised them as their main threat.

"I think that I can hold on for another hour, my Lord," Vanlin reported with a slightly concerned tone. "My forward forces are running low on mana and, despite the rotation, they will run dry soon. The reactors are working at peak efficiency but they are slowly getting hotter. The Mages who volunteered to help cool them reported that they can keep them working for another two hours but, after that, it's going to be dangerous."

"I really hope they give up in the next half hour but, if they don't, I will allow you to use missiles." I nodded as I observed the Titans circling the enormous beetle and firing their frost beams at it.

The enemy Titan was incredibly tough and fast but, once it got into melee range, it couldn't pierce the shields of Doom Herald or Avalon's Wrath. It wasn't like it was powerless but it was a clash between the regeneration of Vestargo's minion and the might of the Arcadian shields. Each blow of the beetle Titan pushed away the Titan it hit, making its shields flash and burn the surrounding air. Each hit from my Titans tore away a chunk of flesh or made it roar painfully from the electric current of living lightning as it travelled across the monstrosity.

"What the fuck did it eat to grow this big?" I mumbled to myself.

Finally, Ares managed to shatter the Titan's carapace and deal it a massive blow. Avalon's Wrath, following up, raised his clawed fist high, covering it in orange flames, and hammered it deep inside the beetle Titan. The already weakened beast chittered painfully as it started burning from the inside. With the last enemy Titan slain, my towering walkers remained the sole overwhelming fighting force and the bugs stopped their assault. Groups of bugs started retreating but my forces were firing spells and used the fortress's guns to kill as many of them as possible.

My earlier assessment of the new bug Titan's mobility proved to be wrong. While it certainly was capable of low-altitude flight, it could barely change direction once it began its charge. Its movements were also far more fluid than my Titans, but that was it. The enemy Titans were crude but adequate enough to be reckoned with. I should expect Vestargo's Titans to evolve even further but there was little I could do about it. Most probably, I would be forced to equip my Titans with better melee weapons because the bugs favoured close-range combat. But now though, it was time to hear the grim tally.

"Status report," I demanded as it became obvious that no additional enemy troops were waiting to be deployed.

"Avalon's Wrath reports the minor damage to its superstructure caused by combat but it is still within the norm," Ares said as his Titan stopped behind the test wall.

"Doom Herald reports a coolant leak from reactor four and a broken joint in the right leg. Our speed is reduced by twenty-five percent, Your Highness." Ra'agier reported with a tired voice.

"I lost three hundred fifty-eight Chimaeras and one hundred eighty Fire Elementals, my Lord. The Castle's reactors worked flawlessly and we prevented all breaches, my Lord. The fortifications proper are in flawless condition and since the outer test wall was only scratched on the surface, I would like to keep it there."

"The First Fleet lost Broadsword with all hands." Janet's sad voice came through the comms moments later. "We lost three hundred seventeen sailors across the First Fleet. Longsword and Scimitar were returned for repairs and the damage to their hulls was significant. We lost twelve gunships and nine CB-90s."

"The Second Fleet lost one hundred fifty-seven sailors, Your Majesty." Thomas Fraser reported with a hoarse voice. "Kilij, Tulwar, and Patta were sent to repair and I don't know if HMS Patta will be salvaged. We only managed to save her because we bought enough time for Tulwar to take her with them. We have lost fifteen gunships and four CB-90s."

"The Third Fleet lost four hundred people, My Lord." Raviil Gvirael's voice was slightly shaking and full of sadness. "By my order, we abandoned HMS Jian and we only managed to save thirty-seven people from its crew. There were no other survivors when the ship self-destructed. HMS Dagger was critically damaged and it was a miracle the crew was able to jump. Half of its crew is dead or missing and, considering the circumstances, we must assume they are killed in action. The enemy's attack took us completely by surprise and most of the destroyers of the Third Fleet were damaged during the initial actions of the battle. HMS Valiant and HMS Hunter received significant damage to their hulls when we shielded our destroyers; we have wounded but no casualties. Additionally, I have lost two gunships and one CB-90. I take full responsibility for this failure, my Lord."

"We lost forty percent, the equivalent of four Legions across all ten Legions deployed," Galahad reported with a slightly worried voice. "The enemy hit much harder and far more organised than we anticipated. However, their losses were much higher than ours, my Lord."

"We have identified all Vestargo's regrouping sites, my Lord," Sebastian reported with a slightly tense voice. "They still have Titans, including four of the new breed killed during the siege of the Fireclad Castle Dungeon. We are sending their locations."

"To all ships of the Royal Navy, I authorise the use of cluster munitions for a preventive strike against Vestargo's forces regrouping in the Ancient Forest. I want a confirmed lock on each new enemy Titan with at least four bunker busters. Once you receive the target coordinates, wait for an order to fire. I want a simultaneous attack against all targets." I ordered calmly. "Admiral Gvirael, I don't blame you, or any of you, my loyal soldiers, for our losses. If anyone is to blame, it would be me for not finding a better solution than waiting. Continue!"

I took a deep breath. Yes, I lost many more people today than during all previous months of the war combined. It was hard but, a long time ago, I learnt to accept that grim fact. I watched how both my Titans took their position and aimed their runic cannons toward the forest.

"First Fleet, we confirm a lock on all targets within our reach. A firing solution has been validated and accepted." Janet said calmly after a full three minutes of silence.

"Second Fleet, we confirm a lock on all targets within our reach. A firing solution has been validated and accepted." Rear Admiral Fraser reported with an official tone.

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"Third Fleet, we confirm a lock on all targets within our reach. A firing solution has been validated and accepted." Rear Admiral Gvirael confirmed the order with a grim voice.

"The Fireclad Castle's artillery and missile command confirms your order, my Lord. All targets locked." Vanlin's slightly nervous voice came through the comms.

"Avalon's Wrath and Doom Herald cannot validate targets. We aren't within effective range of our cannons. We can only attempt to bombard their position." Ares said with the metallic voice of his Titan.

"Fire." I gave a short and emotionless order.

Behind me, the underground launchers opened and, with a furious roar, dozens of missiles climbed into the air. Despite their familiar shapes and undeniably familiar end results, they were creations of magic, only lightly sprinkled with advanced technology. The magitech allowing us to deploy these weapons was incredibly complicated but the effects it produced were devastating. Vestargo knew this weapon and had learned to be afraid of it, so I wasn't particularly shocked when he tried to hide his regrouping army under primitive barriers. The enemy barriers held for a full second before they cracked. Some of the faster-thinking Vespids tried to flee but it was too late. A firestorm of spells unleashed by the warheads turned whole swathes of land into a roaring inferno where only the enemy Titans could survive. However, the enemy giants were bombarded with missiles that turned into meteors moments before impact.

I watched the destruction with my own eyes, and I could almost hear the furious screams of Vestargo. The entire Ancient Forest started radiating a barely contained bloodlust.

"All fleets, return your most damaged ships for repairs. The remaining ships will assume patrol duty. We won't engage in any further offensive operations. Galahad, you will retake and rebuild the lost fortlets and, after which, you will gradually move forward." I ordered and felt the shock of my scions.

However, no one questioned my orders despite their uncertain voices as they confirmed my orders. I sighed loudly and once more opened a communication channel.

"Currently, we are unable to continue our offensive. Our forces face the highest possible threat of being ambushed wherever we go within the land formerly controlled by Vestargo. Our radars are blind and our sensors are easy to trick. The very terrain of the Ancient Forest works at our disadvantage." I began with a patient voice. "The enemy is well aware of our disadvantage and exploits it to a great extent. Now, since Vestargo knows that our ships are vulnerable to his ranged attacks, he will start hunting you down. The previous rate of progress and potential attrition rate among the fleet is unsustainable for Arcadia. I won't risk a general collapse of the battlefront by chasing short-term gains. This is not a war of months or years but, most probably, decades. Until we develop a sure way of detecting enemies, our progress will slow down, however, we won't stop. We will be systematically moving forward, destroying Vestargo's forces, but I won't risk your lives to brag about pointless victories and hollow achievements."

I closed the communication channel and nodded at the Faé, who bowed and started dismantling the radio station. I stood and cast one last glance at the bloodied fields around the Dungeon and hopped down the ramparts. Around me, on the walls protecting the castle, were seven thousand soldiers wearing gold armour with black and blue details. Their long glaives were shining in the bright sun, and they seemed impervious to the cold wind that had been blowing since morning. The immortal warriors of Legio Aegis, defenders of Avalon, and the most skilled warriors, second only to the Praetorians, were silent. I watched Vanlin's forces returning to the castle and, only when I judged the fortress properly manned, I snapped my fingers. My army and I returned to Avalon.

We were victorious, but barely. Nearly seventy percent of the ships of the Royal Navy that participated in the defence were damaged. We lost many irreplaceable sailors and we weren't even able to reclaim all of their bodies. Most of them died in explosions and flames that consumed ships. We reclaimed bodies where we could but no one who died today would remain anonymous. I stood alone on the top of my Palace breathing in the cold air. I needed to clear my head. Vestargo's Titans were problematic and, most probably, were his answer to my airships. He probably couldn't build or breed anything flying that would realistically be a counter to my Navy so he focused on the ground forces. Admittedly, I would have done the same in his position but it was troublesome that he figured it out so quickly.

Another thing to worry about was the attack itself. It was strange. If Vestargo had been a Mortal king, I would have assumed he acted on a faulty intelligence report suggesting that my forces would be involved in the war with Nar'verna. But, if that truly was the case, then who gave him such information? It wasn't a dangerous thought anymore but a very unsettling possibility. So far, I was confident that Vestargo wasn't very good at spying just because he never tried to spy on me. But, what if he was spying on someone else? If so, then who and why? I left those thoughts lingering somewhere in the fringes of my mind and took a deep breath. There was another explanation for his odd behaviour. Far less paranoid. He was old enough to see many attempts to attack him and, most probably, he simply copied something that worked in the past.

"You seem worried, my Dear." Amber appeared near me.

"Slightly." I solemnly nodded. "I'm worried that there is something important going on that I have no idea about."

"I imagine there are a lot of things going on that we have no idea about." She took my hand and rested her head on my arm. "It's about Vestargo?"

"I think that Vestargo made a mistake which I couldn't exploit. Or rather... He took a calculated risk, thinking that my ships wouldn't be able to spearhead my forces' counter-assault in case he failed his attempt to break through the frontline fortifications." I admitted and let out a long sigh. "It's also worrisome because this attack seemed rushed. Almost out of character."

"And how long have you known him to be able to say that?" She chuckled. "I don't think you should form any opinion about him."

"You are right, my Dear." I rubbed her shoulder as I pulled her closer to my side. "I shouldn't. It is dangerous to create a false image of an enemy I have never met. I might start acting upon false beliefs I created myself."

"Most probably." I felt her slowly nodding. "You should have let us go with you."

Her voice was sad but beside that, it was neutral. She was waiting patiently without pressing the issue.

"Maybe another time." I tried to smile. Maybe another enemy... "I don't want any of you, my Dears, to be painted as an obvious but also a justified target for our enemies."

She chuckled dryly and pressed herself tighter against my body. She was so warm and soft.

"We are targets for everyone, not only for your obvious enemies, my Dear Husband." She said with a soft sigh. "There are people who envy you and want to destroy you and, for them, we are the greatest obstacle. They can't reach us with their normal schemes thanks to your care and the security you have surrounded us with. We are also your most trusted advisors and ministers running your government. But, Theon... That alone makes us targets. Showing everyone how truly powerful we are, won't change anything."

"You are right and wrong at the same time." I smiled. "In a sense, you are targets, that's true, but keeping your power as secret as possible makes everyone underestimate you. I love you, Amber, and I love Irene, Luna, Hestia, Aoi, Lavender, Cahrona, Freya, Mia, and Tia."

"I know..." She lowered her head. "We just want to be there to help you."

I turned towards her and closed her in my embrace. I kissed her and felt at peace.

"I can easily have millions who would kill in my name. People and denizens alike who won't falter and follow even the most heinous and cruel orders. But you are not one of them. You are first among my precious wives and the loudest voice of my consciousness if everything fails. No amount of power or destruction your considerable might can command is even close to your kindness and love, my Dear. I don't need your power to help me destroy but I need your help to create and build..."

She smiled at me and hugged me tightly. "You are unfair, my love... I can't argue with that, but we don't want you to carry everything on your shoulders. We don't want you to be alone."

"As long as I have you all, I will never be alone."

I kissed her. Her soft lips were warm and passionate. However, I couldn't lose myself in the bliss of her warmth and closeness. We stood on the roof of Avalon watching the setting sun, hugging each other. It was a calm and quiet moment disrupted only by the muffled sounds of the city.

"However... If you are looking for a way to help me, you can certainly help Stella develop a new radar system." I said with a big smile and made her laugh.

"We will help you as much as we can." Amber smiled as she put her head on my chest with closed eyes and a warm smile.