"Stop panicking, Ruiell" I sighed, a little bit tired.

  The Crystal Forest Dungeon Core was frantic to the point I barely understood her. It was a primal fear and I wasn't sure how to calm her down. The moment she surrendered to me, I had to take over and, almost manually, shut everything down. Her maddening fear spread among her denizens to the point some spawners were out of control. It was something I had never seen before.

  "Freya?" I called the name of the only person who could help me to make sense of what was going on.

  "Sup?" She grinned as she appeared nearby.

  She was standing in a relaxed pose and she was wearing what I could only describe as gardening clothes. With her crown on top of her head, she looked a little bit silly holding a hand shovel and a flower ready to plant in each hand.

  "We were in the middle of planting the flowers in the city square..."

  "Sorry for disturbing your gardening but I just wanted to ask if you've ever seen something like this before?" I pointed at the shaking core.

  "Not really..." Freya approached the large pearl and gently tapped its surface with her hand shovel. "What have you told her?"

  "Nothing, to be honest. She is not even listening!" I replied and opened my arms in a powerless shrug. "All I managed to get from her was 'Vestargo'."

  Freya ducked next to Ruiell and continued tapping her with the wooden handle of her shovel. "Is she obsessed with him or something?"

  "Vestargo! No! He will kill me!" Ruiell screamed in panic and, somehow, the Core dug herself a little bit more into the ground.

  "That's some progress..." Freya began to tap the core even harder with a mischievous smile.

  "Aah! Aah! Ouch! That hurts!" The big, white pearl wailed with a voice far more lucid than before. "Please stop! Oww!"

  "Will you talk with us now?" Freya asked with a facial expression suggesting she could spend a whole day tapping the core with her shovel.

  "Yes! Please, no more beating!" Ruiell begged and raised from the ground on a column-like pedestal.

  "All right!" Freya cheerfully jumped and managed to reach my cheek to give me a kiss. "If you need more help just call me! I’ll return to my flowers now."

  Freya disappeared, leaving me with a slightly less but still panicking Dungeon Core. I felt as she became focused on me and I gave her a moment to calm down. "Can we talk now?"

  "Yes." A short confirmation was far better than the previous wailing.

  "Can you tell me what caused you to panic?" I asked, expecting her to throw another fit but, to my surprise, she just made a sound similar to taking a deep, ragged breath.

  "A few days ago, the Gryphon Scion in service of Vestargo arrived and told me that I have one last chance to submit." She began with a quiet, fearful voice. "Of course, I rejected his demands and the Gryphon told me that I would regret it. He, then, showed me the armies that he was going to use to destroy me."

  "How?" That was interesting. I wasn't aware that something like that existed.

  "It was an old artefact, a mirror, that allows you to see distant places." She explained. "It's fairly easy to hide from it but it always shows the truth. I panicked..."

  "So you tried to do what? Kill all the people in the area?" I asked softly, trying to retain a neutral voice.

  "If they wouldn't listen to me and hide within my boundaries - I had to!" She screamed at me. "Vestargo is going to kill most of the mortals anyway unless he captures them and uses them as cattle!"

  "Mhm." I nodded very slowly and, with each moment, Vestargo became a prime target. However, the part where she wanted to try to save the people surprised me. "How many monsters did he send to destroy you?"

  "I estimate their numbers to be at least half a million." She said quietly.

  "I don't know much about Vestargo and how he operates but I can tell you that there are no enemy monsters nearby." I sat on the ground, leaning against the pedestal where she rested. "Especially such a large force. I would know about it."

  "His army is still in the Ancient Forest. They are constructing wooden ships to cross the sea!" She sobbed in despair. "The Gryphon told me that I would be given a last chance. He will return just before the attack but I don't know when."

  "Interesting." I snapped my fingers and a war table with a highly detailed map of the northern Aderon appeared in the sanctum. If we play it right, we would be able to capture the enemy scion. "Can you show me where that army is congregating?"

  "Here... At the narrowest part of the bay." A part of the map turned red.

  "And they are building ships?"

  "They are using mortal slaves to learn how to build ships good enough to cross the sea." She said and I felt that she was, once again, panicking.

  "Calm down, Ruiell! You are now on the winning team so slow down, calm down, and focus. One of my Legions already fought off the forces of Vestargo once so I can do it again."

  "Fighting off his forces is hard but not impossible." She grumbled. "If he knows that you are strong enough to fight him, he will kill the mortals in the area and cause us all to starve! His ships-"

  "His ships will be destroyed long before they reach Arcadia, Ruiell." I interrupted her and showed her my memories of the devastation my airships could deliver. "The Mortals of Arcadia are my subjects, Ruiell and, thanks to my help, they are no longer defenceless. However, I will also protect them with my Immortal Legions."

  "You... Are you truly that powerful?" She carefully asked with hope in her voice.

  "Yes. I am." I replied. "Do you know who I am?"

  "Theon, the Core of the Righteous Dungeon." She said with reluctance. "But Vestargo has five titles. He is very powerful..."

  "I am Emperor Theon Avalon, The Righteous Dungeon, The Champion of Eriar, The Chosen of the Archangel, The Bringer of Equilibrium, The Friend of the Eternals, The Protector of the Weak, The Bane of Void's Servants, The God Slayer, The Vengeful One, and The Conqueror. I have ten titles. Eleven, if you count the Righteous Dungeon or, even, twelve if you want to count Emperor." I stood and dusted off my pants. "From what you say, Vestargo is someone I need to deal with."

  "I will help you... my Lord." I felt a wave of determination from her and smiled.

  "Excellent. I will allow you to contact the other Cores in my service. There is a lot to build and a lot for you to learn."

  "Build?" She asked surprised.

  "Of course! Your idea of protecting as many Mortals within your limits wasn't bad. However..." I showed her Avalon and other Dungeon Cities of Arcadia, making her gasp in shock. "... Your execution needs a few adjustments to work properly."

  She was silent for a long moment but I could feel her calming down until I felt a satisfied wave of malice aimed at Vestargo.

  "I'm at your service, my Lord." She finally spoke but, suddenly, her voice was filled with pain. "I'm so sorry that I killed so many of your people, my Lord."

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  "It pains me as well, Ruiell, however, I'm glad to see you understand the fragility of Mortals. There are many Dungeons in my service that required months to understand. We can't change the past so let's make sure that the future will be brighter."

  "Yes, my Lord..." She admitted sheepishly.

  "l will ask the Mortal Lords who are in charge of the Mortals living nearby to join us. Meanwhile, you will learn a thing or two from the other Cores." I nodded with a smile.

  ???

  The small tavern in the middle of the Dungeon was a place where people could rest. At least for now, before the construction of another Dungeon City started for real. The remaining ships of Blackbeard's armada landed on a small lake they were using to make some repairs. The peaceful moment was disturbed by my appearance, intentionally, right behind Edward and Janet who were enjoying a cup of tea together.

  "I'm borrowing your boyfriend for a moment, Janet." I announced as I clamped my hand on Blackbeard's shoulder and barely contained my laughter on seeing his terrified facial expression.

  "Of course, my Lord!" The Elf smiled warmly, unsurprised, as she tilted her head to look at me.

  "Hmmm..." I put my hand on her shoulder as well. "After consideration, you are invited as well."

  Of course, the theatrics were unnecessary since control over my skills was close to mastery but I enjoyed that moment of shock on people's faces. I teleported us back to Avalon, to my office in Triskelion, and let them go. As I took my seat, I pointed to chairs which they took - Janet without a question but Edward was a bit reluctant.

  "Better get used to it," I warned him as the doors to my office opened, allowing Rhys to join, who took the last chair. "Everyone's here so we can proceed. It looks like Vestargo is more of a threat than I initially thought. I’ve learned that he is preparing a large amphibious assault."

  "Amphibious assault? Against Arcadia?" Janet asked flatly. "Is that some kind of joke?"

  "I'm afraid not." I sighed and tapped my desk with my finger, opening an illusion screen showing the dry docks of Avalon. All the destroyers of the First Fleet were refitted with new weapons and decoy systems. "As you can see, the First Fleet is going nowhere for approximately one hundred seventy-six hours. Dauntless and Warrior will be operational in two and a half days. The Second Fleet is gathering their ships in these locations where the enemy could reach the shores of Arcadia. However... I have my doubts about Vestargo's forces’ ability to navigate the sea."

  "I would rather assume they will use aerial monsters to pull whatever ships they create." Janet briefly pointed out, making me nod in agreement. "But there is another, worse, possibility - Vestargo wants his forces scattered as much as possible."

  "Hmmm." My eyes narrowed as I acknowledged that possibility. "Attacking on many fronts would certainly cause chaos among the Bernans and I can't rule out that some of the Arcadians might panic."

  "We are talking about Tuvarin. Its infrastructure is priceless to the Empire!" Blackbeard shook his head.

  "That's why we are here." Rhys grinned. "We won't be waiting for them to come. We are going to pay them a visit."

  "Not exactly," I said with a serious tone. "I also learnt that Vestargo is keeping Mortals as his slaves. That's why I won't be putting any of you in danger. If there is an opportunity to raid one of his slave's compounds, we will strike, but I don't see any benefit in taking high risks."

  "Slaves?" Janet asked in an alarmed voice.

  "Yes." I nodded and, after a moment, I decided to tell them what Ruiell had told me. "The Crystal Forest Dungeon Core told me that Vestargo is keeping Mortals as cattle. I don't even know what those poor souls have suffered but we can't allow our compassion to force us into something reckless. We are at war with the Dungeon Empire and you must forget everything you assume that applies to the rules of war. There will be no mercy because this enemy doesn't even have the slightest concept of Mortal's feelings. It will only respect strength and ruthlessness. Ruiell warned me that Vestargo was going to slaughter all the Mortals in Tuvarin in an attempt to starve her as a punishment for denying his wishes."

  "That's horrible!" Janet shook her head angrily.

  "That's how Dungeons wage their wars," I corrected her with a sigh that finally made them realise the gravity of the situation. "You, each, are going to talk with Demesne, Bob, Ceallach, and Twilight after this briefing. To learn what we are going to face, you must learn how Dungeons think and what monsters are in our own ranks. Most of the Dungeons who serve me are the same Dungeons you were afraid of. Freya and I are different because we were once Mortals. You can't think about Dungeons as beings who think like you. Forget about mercy and rational thinking. This enemy won't be preserving their forces and they will strike even if their gains would be minimal."

  They watched me with a silent fear painted on their faces and my emotionless voice wasn't helpful. I gave them a moment for my words to stick and I nodded to myself as I noticed that they understood. "Normally, and only through enormous sacrifices, a single Dungeon might be eventually killed by Mortals. It is easier to just flee and, for time immeasurable, the people fled when a Dungeon turned bloodthirsty. Vestargo has never met anyone who could fight back. But... Now he will face someone more than equal to the task..."

  I took out the map of the northern Aderon. "You are right Rhys. We are going to attack him. Galahad is leading four Legions and we will build a base of operation north of Poplar City. Currently, all civilians are being evacuated from the high-risk areas near Westwood. I allocated two Destroyers to ensure that any of the Ancient Forest's forces would be incinerated on the spot. Most of the Home Fleet is patrolling the north-western border. Galahad should be, by now, scouting the area and beginning construction of a foothold, meanwhile, we are going to be preemptively striking Vestargo's army while it is preparing to assault Arcadia. However, he might be faster than us and initiate attacking broadly on his own as a diversion."

  They slowly nodded without a single question.

  "Blackbeard, you are a Rear Admiral, lower half now. Sorry to ruin the image of Captain Teach." I smiled, making him chuckle. "I believe that you might need a word or two of explanation... When Shadow finally subdued Ruiell, I felt how she was distressed and immediately teleported to take control of her assets. I was just in time to rescue you from your ship and salvage the ship's core. It's beyond saving but, considering what you have told us, it's an important family heirloom. It will be returned to you after Ian and Verni finish analysing it."

  "Thank you, my Lord." He nodded his head with respect.

  "But that's not why I brought you here. You are going to get a new assignment, Blackbeard."

  "My Lord..." He sharply inhaled, clearly, he wasn't expecting anything like that.

  "If you thought that you could just sit and wait this action out, you are woefully wrong, Rear Admiral Teach. So far I’ve had problems transporting Rhys and his boys during their less-than official missions. Now, I have a capable and loyal captain without a ship. However, when you have more than a single problem, oftentimes they tend to solve each other." I inclined my head toward the illusion screen that showed a single, low-profile ship. "This is a new Queen Anne's Revenge, unofficially HMS Assassin, a highly modified Hunter class frigate with extended landing bays, accessible from the hull sides, similar to the Iceleonian carriers. However, the most important features are the countermeasures and infiltration capabilities of this ship. It can project various illusions, including pretending to be another ship, hence; Queen Anne's Revenge. That will be her identity for most of the time but don't think you can hide her size up close. That ship is almost three times larger than your old frigate. And much… much more heavily armed."

  The rear of the ship, where the landing pad for Wyverns and a hangar for CB-90 would be, was replaced with two flat turrets equipped with the double 155 cannons mounted in a superfiring position. The image of the ship slowly rotated to the front where another pair of 155 turrets sat. The rest of the ship's armament was listed to the side, making Rhys whistle. "That's impressive firepower, my Lord."

  "It will take you a lot of time to get familiar with your new ship and there is no time to waste, so, you are going back to school, Blackbeard." I shrugged. "I observed your people, Rear Admiral Teach, and they will make poor military sailors. However, they are just perfectly cut to be enlisted as Marines. Their experience as sailors and expertise in boarding actions will make them valuable assets for Arcadia. So here is my proposal: you will handpick one hundred of your men and we will run them through Navy Special Forces training. Once they pass, they will join your crew. Janet will help you with the rest of the crew, mostly officer candidates. The rest of your people will be involved in the various training programs for Marines after they familiarise themselves with these Arcadian armaments. If they plan to join the Royal Marines, they are welcome to apply."

  "I don't know what to say, my Lord... That's an incredibly generous offer." Edward Teach shook his head in disbelief. "I currently have nearly seven hundred people under my command, my Lord. Some of them want to retire."

  "I don't see why not. You kept your side of the bargain so it's my turn. Don't believe anyone who says they cleaned your records because that's bullshit. Every single one of your men and women who served Arcadia is pardoned. They can start a new life - be adventurers, start families, enlist in the army or the navy, or open their tavern. As long as they obey the law they are free people. Have I driven that point home or do you need more assurance?"

  "That's all I need, my Lord." He grinned.

  "Good." I nodded and let out a sigh. "This war will be different from everything you know, Rhys. You know what being in the special forces entails. Edward, you were a pirate and we both know that your hands are dripping with the blood of the innocent. You two know who I am."

  "Oh, yes Sir..." Blackbeard and Rhys laughed with a dark and short laugh. "The air around you is clear. At least for us."

  "You may be wondering, Janet, why you are here." I looked at her tense expression. "As we established earlier, my Daughter, I deeply care for you. You love Edward and he loves you. However, there will be times when you, as the Grand Admiral of the Royal Fleet of Arcadia, might discover things he has done that will be... horrible, cruel, monstrous, you name it. You have to remember one thing, Janet. He will do everything he does from now forward for Arcadia. For you. Like Dhalia, Cédric, Tulir, and Rhys, Edward is one of my Blades."

  "Your Highness...!" The Elf looked at me with shock. "You don't have to involve him, I will-"

  "No, Janet." Edward gently grabbed her hand. "You can't do this. But I will gladly stain my hands for yours to stay pristine, my Love. So, it’s you and me, Rhys?"

  The large Wolfkin chuckled. "Oh, certainly! Someone is needed to do the dirty work behind the scenes, Lady Admiral. After all, it's nothing that the Emperor wouldn't do on his own..."

  Thank you all for reading.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to who edited the chapter!

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