The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

While the members of the Organisation only received a laconic note stating that Arcadian forces in the Ancient Forest managed to halt an enemy counteroffensive, the attachment detailing the new types of Vestargo's minions chilled their blood. The overwhelming number of bugs of various shapes and sizes described was bad enough for their imagination, but the existence of the bug Titans did not stand out until they learnt what a Titan was. The war between Arcadia and Vestargo had escaped the safe confines of the mortal realm and entered the realm of fairy tales or legends. After all, it was hard to conceive the mind-boggling scale of these battles where tens of thousands clashed together or grasp the front line spanning hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometres. In the eyes of most people living in the Organisation's countries, the people of Arcadia were like demigods. Tales of powerful warriors, unmatched mages, and peerless healers of Arcadia sailing on enormous steel airships were widely spread among the population. In their eyes, they were like Heroes of old who couldn't fail.

But the tragedy and cruelty of war rarely spared anyone. Unbeknownst to the masses and despite what they believed, the people of Arcadia mourned their fallen and began repairing the unbelievable ships that were damaged during the battle. As the war in the Ancient Forest continued, mostly hidden from the wider world, the last cities of Nar'verna were, very slowly, realising that no help would come and their resistance was futile. As the days turned into weeks and autumn gave way to winter, the conflict in Nar'verna was largely resolved. Nar'verna prepared nearly half a million soldiers for their campaign, but the attack still surprised NATO, despite being anticipated. There was no logic in attacking anyone with winter fully embraced and it bothered Metakans.

"Why?" Guad asked no one in particular. "The timing of that attack made no sense!"

"We questioned most of the captured commanders, my Lord, but they, mostly, repeated that they were ordered to take one of the border cities and hold it." Admiral Tu'sarr opened a simplified map of the region. "If we choose to believe them, then their plan involved forcing the Southern Alliance forces to besiege the cities they captured and gradually lose their army because of the harsh winter conditions."

"Hmmm..." Guad patted his beard. "I see some merit in that tactic, but also many dangers. They couldn't possibly imagine that the populace would simply acknowledge them as new rulers..."

"Most of the people of Vetulia rebelled against Hector Breonia and, only thanks to them, could Nar'verna stage that attack on Aclium. Considering that, Nar'verna could believe their chances were higher than in reality."

"It's possible that Nar'verna grossly overestimated their chances, Admiral... Hector had offered the Vetulian seaside provinces to Aclium as a consideration to smooth relationships. I was shocked when he came with their proposal but... It made sense." Guad sighed deeply. "After all, people living there rebelled against him. He could simply rid himself of the problem while improving his relationship with the North Aderon Treaty Organisation..."

"I believe that he really desires to maintain peace between them and us, my Lord..." Dennis offered with an uncertain voice.

"That's obvious. Anyone who has seen the inside of the Arcadian dreadnought's main cannons as they were aimed at them and lived to tell a tale develops remarkable survival instincts. Or survives the meeting with the Commander of the Praetorians..." Guad chuckled. "Anyway... It looks like we don't have to think about it too deeply. Continue your investigation, remembering that we are going to functionally erase Nar'verna from the pages of history. I want to include all the lands we took into the Empire as quickly and smoothly as possible. I expect some insurrection but we should have, at least, a few years before the surviving nobles gather enough support."

"As you wish, my Lord." Dennis nodded and left the room.

Guad looked into the crackling fire in the hearth and chuckled to himself. He wasn't Theon, so he was more than sure of the inevitability of the complications he anticipated. However, he was also sure to overcome them all. Metaka was entering an age of prosperity and he knew that peace was optional. Peace was only an achievable dream for those who were strong enough to enforce it. Never before in the history of Aderon had an alliance such as the North Aderon Treaty Organisation existed. The might of Arcadia alone was frightening. But Metaka was strong as well. Even the smaller countries like Ebrus and Iceleon were dependable and could turn the tides of battle thanks to their powerful navies.

Navies...

Since the arrival of Theon, Navies began to take key roles on the battlefield. No one, before, had even thought about using an airship as a weapon that could turn the tide of battle. Thus far, airships were considered, merely, a faster means of transport than carts. Their armament, while formidable and powerful, was considered too cumbersome to be effectively used on a battlefield. Yet... a single ship, already immortalised in tales that, one day, surely would turn into a legend, turned the tide of war. HMS Victory demonstrated to everyone that the Navy, especially the Royal Navy of Arcadia, should not be discounted. After the powerful and gentle Victory came her successor, and unquestionable symbol of Arcadian superiority, HMS Dauntless. A warship like no other. A single ship with firepower capable of erasing cities. The battlegroup - capable of conquering Kingdoms.

Guad stared in silence at the mighty fleet of Metaka and, despite knowing it was as powerful as never before in the history of the Empire built by his forefathers, he couldn't help but ponder how the appearance of a single person changed everything. Powerful frigates and their first two carriers were serenely floating on the lake surrounding the Metakan capital. Escort ships were patrolling the area and allowing most of the soldiers to rest after their return from Nar'verna. He had read the reports and, painstakingly, gathered tales about every Arcadian victory against Cridia and Berna and diligently studied how Theon waged war. Thanks to his newly gained knowledge, he used groundbreaking tactics, at least groundbreaking for Metakans. The campaign in Nar'verna was swift and decisive.

"General Russell, what do you think about the new shock troop formation?" Guad asked thoughtfully.

"I believe we need to adjust their armaments, my Emperor." The middle-aged Human replied as he stared into the distance. Meanwhile, the Admiral added, "While their performance was extremely good, I can't pretend everything was perfect. I have no idea how Arcadians manage to make their Mobile Infantry such a deadly and maneuverable force despite wearing heavy armour, but it's impossible for us. We should use mixed armour for our troops but I believe we mustn't completely copy the Arcadians each time."

"Very well. I believe that we can make the adjustments without any help." Guad nodded. He knew the reason why the Arcadian Mobile Infantry was so dangerous but couldn't disclose it to anyone. The Living Armours worn by the best Mortal soldiers of Arcadia were a formidable force and, obviously, something impossible to copy. "However, I want to continue our augmented armour research program. If we manage to reinforce or, additionally, increase the durability and mobility of our heavy armour with runes and enchantments, we could have an elite formation akin to the Arcadian Mobile Infantry. I was told that the newest prototype was very promising."

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"Well..." General Russell hesitated. He focused his gaze on the Emperor and slightly blushed in embarrassment. "I'm worried that our researchers are, slightly, too optimistic. They have a long way before we can reach an acceptable level of the prototype's durability, but I don't believe we have the luxury of waiting."

"Hmmm... I don't think we have any reason to be afraid of another country planning to strike us after what happened in Nar'verna." Admiral Tu'sarr furrowed his brow. "As embarrassing as it is, if Arcadia decides we are going to be their newest province, we won't be able to protect ourselves. So in terms of time... I think we have enough to develop new weapons."

"It's true we can fairly accurately predict events happening in Aderon, even with Arcadia at the focus of all attention. However, if we solely consider Aderon internally, we will be woefully unprepared to face any external adversaries." Guad slowly nodded. "However, the discovery of the Dark Empire's derelict ship in the northern wilderness should be eye-opening, Admiral Tu'sarr. We can't ignore it any longer, an eight-hundred-year-old ship was better than everything Metaka has combined. If they attacked tomorrow, we wouldn't be able to defend ourselves until the Arcadians arrive. If they could even help us considering their war against Vestargo. No... We are an old Empire so we need to act like one. How is the new ship program progressing?"

"That's true..." Admiral Dennis Tu'sarr nodded sheepishly. "We are developing new types of ships with Iceleon and Ebrus. The smaller type craft inspired by Arcadian gunships is nearly finished but we hit a few dead ends during the development of these metal ships. Hopefully, the analysis of the Dark Empire's derelict will help us move forward. However, the process of investigating the ship will take, at least, a few more months. Aclium wants to join our program."

"Hmmm... I will need to discuss their request with Theresa and Sawal." Guad nodded and turned to the only woman in the room. "How is the progress of the civil projects, Xenia?"

"Simply stunning, my Lord." The young Human woman replied with a smile. "We are ahead of schedule with the Darius's Dam project. If my estimations are correct, we are a full month ahead of where we should be. Thanks to your decree, we can freely use prisoners to accelerate the building process. The Arcadians' supervision has also been invaluable and our engineers use every opportunity to learn. As you wished, I made sure that only the most open-minded people were directed to all the most important projects. The installations in Iceleon are working and they are pumping all the water we can melt. The western wasteland is slowly turning green once again. Well... It is certainly going to be green this spring!"

"Excellent!" Guad sighed a sigh of relief. "I was afraid it was too late... How are our crop supplies?"

"The winter will be challenging but shouldn't be catastrophic. Between everything we harvested and what we are buying from Arcadians, we will be able to survive without many problems, but we must regulate the nobles..." Xenia's voice hung and she was uncertain how to continue.

"I will gather them next week. I plan to explain to them, very graphically, that I won't tolerate any kind of price speculation or wastefulness." Guad nodded. "Inform my sister that she is free to prosecute anyone breaking the law, no matter their status."

"Yes, my Lord." She lowered her head.

Guad waited for a moment before he dismissed them. His sister and his wife were working on the newest reforms that would elevate Metaka and help his Empire follow the road paved by Arcadia. They authored the laws that would, drastically, decrease the privileges of nobility and make the law of the entire Empire more equal for all citizens. Guad wasn't naive so he expected outrage, protests from nobility and influential merchants, and even, an anticipated, insurrection, but he was ready to follow that road. He wasn't blind and saw how efficient the Arcadians were being unburdened by pointless bowing to their, supposed, betters. However, Metaka, under his rule, was much better prepared, especially now, for the reforms he planned. With most of the prior nobles who were scheming against the Royal Family dead, or imprisoned, most of the soldiers and sailors were absolutely loyal to him. It was probably their only occasion to change everything.

Guad clenched his fists and looked at the dark sky that wasn't going to let a single raindrop fall.

•••

Theresa Iceleon finished reading the report from the border patrols and rubbed her eyes. While Iceleon was fully sealed in a thick blanket of compressed snow and, most probably, a growing layer of ice closer to the ground, the rest of Aderon welcomed a far more natural winter. However, crews of their patrol ships detected traces of large animals heading toward the lands of Falcia. While Victor simply admitted they, most probably, were winter monsters and just reported it to the Arcadian embassy, she was slightly sceptical.

"So what should we expect from those winter monsters, Victor?"

"Hmmm?" He raised his head and looked at her with a slightly unfocused gaze. "Only troubles, I guess... But, honestly, not in Iceleon. They target, primarily, lonely and weak Dungeons so good luck attacking the Bravefall Dungeon. Our second city, still functioning, is so heavily fortified that I'm pretty confident that even the Immortal Legions of Arcadia would struggle to capture it without the help of the Navy."

"What about the snow melting installations?"

"They are patrolled by our and Metakan Navies. I don't think they will risk an attack there." Victor shrugged. "If anything, I expect Lo... Theon to send his hunters to kill them all."

"You seem awfully calm about them..." Theresa shot him an incredulous stare.

"You know... At this point, I have a really limited capacity to care about something like the snow monsters."

"But they are servants of The Enemies!" She gasped in shock upon hearing his dismissive tone.

"True. But only a handful of them pose any real threat. Dwarves fought them during the battle for Thalgurum and killed enough to make a difference. They couldn't use airships underground so we have, even, a greater advantage."

"If you say so..." She sighed and leaned back in her fluffy chair.

Victor put away the book he was reading and looked at her with curiosity. "I saw the new laws you pushed. If we had more nobles left after the purge, they would be pissed."

She laughed.

"I imagine so. But I don't want to continue the legacy of misery that existed for the last few hundred years. The system, with untouchable nobles and voiceless commoners, needed to end." She answered with a steady voice. "Theon demonstrated it's perfectly doable. I know that he isn't only powerful on the individual level but also commands the unquestionably loyal soldiers, so he doesn't have to worry about any serious insurrection. However, I believe that we can also create a fair system for Iceleon."

"You are ambitious, my Dear." He smiled softly. "So far it's working and people love you. The lack of noble brats has also helped people to be more open. However, some changes were forced by the circumstances we are in..."

"I must agree. Most of the people had to become adventurers out of necessity rather than desire..." She sighed but smiled sarcastically. "However, that part worked in our favour. Adventurers were always far less formal and more self-confident so our people will only gain from this experience."

"That's true." He agreed and yawned. "I believe that it will take a long time before the common people change, but it's inevitable once the process starts. I don't think that Emperor Theon fully realised what he unleashed..."

"Maybe... But remember, he is from a different world. I wouldn't be shocked if he knew what he was doing." She shrugged with a small smile. "But whatever he is doing, he is far more prepared for the outcome than any of us. Still, I believe that the equity of all our subjects is the only reasonable solution for Iceleonians in the long run. I want to rule by reason and loyalty rather than fear and the powerlessness of the people."

He looked at her with a smile. "I will always support you, my beautiful Queen."

END OF BOOK 1