I left the four women to discuss their business and teleported to my office. Some reports were waiting for me but the atmosphere in the city was already quite different. The Second and Third Fleets began inspection and repairs before their return to their respective areas of responsibility. However, for now, the still-operational ships were formed into smaller groups tasked with subjugating the remaining Dungeons of the Ancient Forest. The people were almost relaxed, gone were hushed discussions about our next move, fund allocations or logistics issues, and never-ending arguments about whether we should introduce a nationwide draft or not. Now, the people were discussing far lighter subjects and I felt their festive moods. There were only a few remaining serious subjects to discuss, but even those seemed casual in comparison.

  "My Lord, I received a request for an audience from that Elven spy who was working with Jester in Ibrevell," Eva said in a formal tone.

  My eyes went wide in an attack of panic.

  "What?! He worked with whom?!" I reached out to the Jester through the link I had with all my denizens and received his typical 'error, not enough pizza' response. "Who authorised the deployment of the psychological weapon to Ibrevell?!"

  Eva furrowed her brows in surprise but answered immediately. "Empress Irene, my Lord."

  "Of course..." I took a deep breath, informed a Praetorian from Irene's guards that I would like to speak with her, and dropped heavily into my office chair. While I was waiting for my wife, I rubbed my forehead and glanced at my secretary. "Where is that spy now?"

  "He is waiting in the lobby, Sir."

  "How exactly, a person who basically received a death sentence if they ever return to Arcadia, could be waiting in the fucking lobby of Triskelion?!" I groaned.

  "Well..." She cleared her throat and handed me a piece of paper containing permission to enter Arcadia. It was, of course, written with a red crayon and signed, with the blood of hopefully someone who deserved that, by Jester.

  "What the fuck?" I placed the piece of paper on my desk. "No. On second thought, I don't want to know. How did he manage to get here? I doubt that the border patrols would respect this slip of paper."

  "He reached the Tower of the Infinity Dungeon undetected and managed to verify the validity of his permission with Miles who immediately contacted me." She explained, making me shake my head in disbelief.

  Miles, the Core of the Hilgvarian Dungeon was still slightly overwhelmed after being transformed into a Dungeon City, but at least he had acted properly this time. However, the fact that a spy was able to reach one of my Dungeon Cities was concerning. I knew that he was experienced and there were too many barely patrolled routes but it still left a bitter taste. A proper border control would be my first project now.

  "All right..." I sighed as Irene teleported into my office with a perfectly innocent facial expression.

  "You wanted to see me, my Love?" Irene smiled sweetly and took a seat. In her eyes I saw that she knew very well why I wanted to talk with her.

  "What in the world made you unleash Jester upon Ibrevell?" I asked carefully. "Not that I particularly disagree, because they deserved being ‘jestered’ like no one else, but..."

  "I took it personally, Theon." She smiled widely, as if that explained everything. "I believe that sending Jester to Ibrevell was a sufficient answer to their provocations."

  "Fine..." I rubbed my eyes. "So, did you know that Jester returned that spy we let loose so he could make a mess in Ibrevell and hopefully die in the process?"

  "What?" She asked in an unamused tone.

  "My exact thought." I gave her the permission written by Jester and she covered her eyes with a strange grimace. Something between a smile and disgust was the usual reaction of most people who were introduced to Jester's antics from a safe distance. "He's in the lobby."

  "I'm here now, I can stay, as well, and hear what he has to say" she said with a sigh.

  "Eva? Call him." I said to my secretary and Irene and I moved to the thrones I kept in my office for such unexpected audiences.

  The Elf entered the office and instantly gained my attention. He looked far healthier, had gained a few more levels, reaching level one hundred, and, to my surprise, he was equipped with his weapons. What surprised me even further was the shock painted on Irene's face.

  "What happened?" I whispered.

  "This is ridiculous... That man is nearly as loyal to you and Arcadia as Lanka or Gloria. He isn't a fanatic like Rhys, Blair, Teach, and Ban, but his loyalty is genuine and unbelievably high." She said in a hushed voice while the man kneeled about five metres before us, lowered his head, and placed both his hands on the floor.

  "Emperor Theon, Empress Irene, I know that my presence here is undesired." He said firmly with his eyes fixed on the marble floor. "However, I brought a proposal."

  "A proposal?" Irene hummed skeptically.

  "Yes, Empress. I know that the time of my usefulness is nearing its end. I achieved everything I hoped to achieve in Ibrevell. I helped to destroy their spy network, disrupted their logistics, and killed those I could within my power. Those who betrayed me and ordered me to commit crimes against Arcadia and you, Empress Irene va'Theon. I was ready to die, however, I learnt from ummm... Sir Jester? That I might still be useful to you, Emperor Theon, in an attempt to bring home Captain Arthur Ives, however, I don't know any details." The man said with a slightly trembling voice. "I... It's hard to just die."

  My eyes narrowed upon hearing the Elf mention Arthur's name but, technically, he was right. I looked at Irene who had a thoughtful expression herself.

  "Sir Jester? That's first." I mused in amusement but then I looked at the man. "Hmmm... In the worst-case scenario, you would be stranded with him. That would be, basically, an exile."

  "Exile is still more preferable than a certain death, Emperor." He said in a timid voice.

  "If you manage to actively help contact the Inquisitor, I could consider changing your sentence from death to exile outside Aderon," Irene said with a neutral voice, causing me to look at her in surprise but she only shrugged indifferently.

  "Thank you, Empress Irene!" He said with honest gratitude in his voice.

  "I'm surprised that you are not addressing us as my Lord and my Lady." She said with curiosity, making him raise his head in shock and confusion.

  "That would not be something I earned. Not by my actions nor by my birthright." He said with a concerning honesty.

  "Then why are you so loyal to Arcadia?" She asked and looked at him with curiosity.

  "Because you have honoured every single word you gave me." He almost sighed begrudgingly. "Even the fact that I was allowed to petition you, Emperor, is a reason for my gratitude and respect. The only thing I regret is that I was so blind before I committed crimes against Arcadia."

  I raised my eyebrow. That man was irritatingly honest. If he had somehow managed to find a way around my Truthseeker skill, that was equally concerning and commendable. However, by Irene's expression, I guessed he was simply telling the truth.

  "If you volunteer for what could be a one-way trip, it might be what we need to help Arthur," I admitted with a slight hesitation. "However, we need to prepare you..."

  "Yes, Emperor!" He bowed and remained silent, waiting to be dismissed.

  I summoned a piece of paper and scribbled a new set of orders for him while I informed Stella through the link that she has a guinea pig. If we could somehow use him to transport a Faé who could register the teleportation coordinates, it would be case-closed. Before I even finished, Stella flew through the open window and landed behind the Elf.

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  "That's him?" She asked with curiosity.

  "Indeed." I nodded. "I will transfer him under your command, Stella. Take care of him until we are ready to send him."

  "Excellent, my Lord!" She bowed with a happy smile and before she straightened, she grabbed the Elf's shoulder and pulled him up.

  He had a very distressed expression on his face but managed to stay calm.

  "We have a deal, but before I decide on the details, I want you to rest. You don't have to be worried as long as you stay with Stella. She will prepare you for the upcoming mission you have proposed for yourself."

  "Thank you, Emperor, Empress." He bowed deeply before he left my office.

  "I don't know what to think about it." I sighed to Irene.

  "Don't look at me." She shrugged. "I'm quite curious about his motivations as well. On the surface, staying alive is a great motivation, but we will see."

  She left my office without even standing up from her throne. I sighed and scratched the back of my head. What was I doing, anyway?

  Oh, right... Jester.

  But, honestly... Do I even need to do anything about him? He is bothering someone else and doing that far away from here. Do I need to bring him back to Avalon and constantly keep track of what the hell he is doing? Nope. Thank you very much, I'm fine.

  "Let's pretend I know nothing." I nodded to myself with conviction. "Yeah..."

  I returned to my more urgent work only for Hestia to drop by just an hour later. She looked slightly puzzled, nonetheless, she sat on my lap and smiled.

  "I hope we can get a holiday soon." She said with a dreamy voice.

  "Something happened?" I asked worriedly.

  "Not exactly... It seems as if someone were trying to contact me from a very far away."

  "Maybe it's Arthur?" I furrowed my brow.

  "Highly unlikely." She said with certainty. "If I'm not wrong, it is another Goddess, but she is weak. Much weaker than Hera was before we established ourselves in Arcadia."

  "Uhum... So what exactly should I do with that knowledge?"

  "I'm just letting you know." She smiled cutely and kissed my cheek. "Or you know... I'm just tired and I’ve started imagining things."

  She disappeared as unexpectedly as she appeared, making me shake my head with a smile.

  "Holidays certainly sound tempting." I chuckled to myself.

  I leaned back in my chair and scratched the side of my head as I looked at the papers lying on my desk. With a sigh, I decided that, while all of them were incredibly important, all of them could wait. I focused on the draft for proper border control. I would love to have satellites in orbit. That would make everything so much easier. However, even with the progress we made thus far, that technology is still a few centuries away from our grasp. Communication wasn't there, not to mention other important things like propulsion, a long-lasting power source, and our absolute lack of knowledge of whether there is even mana we could use to solve at least half of our other problems. Still, I had other options to consider and eventually test in the meantime.

  ???

  Amber was sitting in her office and looking outside her window at the bustling city below. Spring had chased away the last snow of Winter, promising warmer days. Since the day Vestargo had been buried, tension was settling down among the people. Her visitors, Felicity Makerman and Sonia Illumia, were sitting across her incredibly large desk and drank some tea in silence. They were now the official representatives of the people of Navell which, for obvious post-war reasons, was uninhabited. Amber sighed and looked at the two women who flinched. They had arrived much quicker than she anticipated once the announcement was public that the war was over.

  "So your people want to return to Navell?" The First Empress of Arcadia asked quietly.

  She felt an incoming headache but decided to endure the anticipated ridiculous arguments.

  "Yes, my Lady," Felicity confirmed. "It's the homeland of our ancestors and now, with the danger finally over, we want to return to our homes."

  "Most probably, our dead were dragged to the enemy Dungeons or devoured by bugs, but it is our duty to, at least, try to bury them," Sonia said with a hollow voice and an empty, sad stare.

  "And later? What do you plan?" Amber pushed further, her green eyes observing the two young women.

  "Later?" Sonia tilted her head with an expression suggesting that she had not considered any 'later'.

  "The province of Navell still has people, my Lady. We can contribute to the prosperity of the Empire." Felicity said with a choked voice.

  That surprised Amber. She expected that now that the war was over the Navellians would try to regain their independence or at least push for autonomy. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. Amber, who spent every free moment for a few past months in the archives, learning history from the records they obtained from Cridia, Berna, Hilgvar, Verksa, and even Metaka was no longer a fairly naive girl who grew up in the forests. She was the Empress of the most powerful Empire of Aderon. She had learnt many things already and each day was filled with even more lessons. But, learning history was something she genuinely liked. Even if it was a bloody record that showed how loyalty was a fleeting sentiment.

  Small birds that usually chirped pleasantly in the canopy of her office’s magnificent peach tree, which bloomed all year round, suddenly became quiet.

  "You don't want to regain independence?" She asked to clarify any misunderstanding.

  The two women looked at her with their eyes wide open. She saw shock and confusion in their eyes while their faces reflected only genuine concern.

  "Independence?" Sonia was the first to choke out a question. "No, my Lady. We aren't that ungrateful and we have lived in fear long enough. While we could only delay our death, you brought us salvation. The free cities of Navell died but the Imperial province of Navell is forever safe and its people can live freely under the reign of His Imperial Majesty."

  "We speak for all our people, my Lady," Felicity added and nervously put her hands together. "However, we would like to ask for permission to resettle in our homeland and to allow those already in the service to the throne, to continue their service in Navell."

  Amber blinked, completely surprised by the unexpected but very welcome turn of events. Navell’s future was one of the most uncertain elements but it seemed that its people had decided to remain part of Arcadia. While the surviving population wasn't large, it still had become a significant percentage of the entire population of Arcadia. An independent Navell would also have created a weak point between the lands of the Empire. The Ancient Forest was still untamed and only nominally was it the newest province. Arcadia, currently, had so much land that it was impressive but it was slowly becoming hard to manage. The population was so small in comparison that each person made a difference. She closed her eyes for a moment but already knew that denying their fairly reasonable request had no grounds.

  "Qirún, could you please bring me the current status report of the Skybound Fortress Dungeon?"

  "Of course, my Lady." Her secretary quickly flipped a few paper stacks she was holding and fished the report Amber requested.

  Amber smiled to herself as she thanked the Elven girl. She could swear that her secretaries were sometimes reading her mind. Amber read a few important paragraphs and sighed.

  "Simon is currently trying to figure out what to do next. He likes being a military fortress, but it's going to be empty after the war. We will, of course, remain as a strong presence in the conquered lands but, compared to wartime, it will be almost deserted." She sighed. "I will suggest that he build a proper fortress city. That would make you much safer and he would remain a fortress. That should cover your housing needs, Felicity, Sonia."

  "Thank you, my Lady!" They bowed happily.

  "Well... You will be isolated until we connect the province to the railway network of the Empire." Amber rumbled with nails over the table surface. "I’ll have to ask Freya if it is even possible to dig a tunnel through the mountains. However, Skybound Dungeon is scheduled for connection to the system in... Hmmm... Two years, Qirún?"

  "Yes, my Lady."

  "We didn't anticipate that the war with Vestargo would end so soon. That's why we have focused on developing our network in Everlight and Hilgvar." Amber tapped a map that lay on her desk. "We can't leave Navell cut off from the Empire for years. Now, we could use older airships for purposes other than war, some of the brigs could be repurposed to serve as passenger ships. However, preparing them will take a few months. That time will also be needed for Simon to build a city for you. Do you understand what I mean by that?"

  "That we must remain patient and stay where we are until the preparations are finished, my Lady." Sonia nodded but Felicity cringed slightly.

  "Some people would like to move as soon as possible." She added.

  "What for?" Sonia shrugged, making Amber smile. "Or you know what? Let them. Allow them to go on foot. No trains for them. Following the road from the Wild Beasts Dungeon back to Navell will take them a few months if they decide to cross the safest path through Everlight. If they, however, risk the shortest road through the plains and the former lands of Ancient Forest, some of them would surely die. Maybe that would cure their hot heads."

  "Sonia." Felicity looked at her friend but soon realised that she was right. The Empire was vast. "Right..."

  "Waiting a few months for the airships to be ready will be quicker than walking there anyway." Sonia shook her head pragmatically. "I can tell them this uncomfortable truth if you don't want to."

  "Before you leave, Emperor Theon will have to appoint a governor and the military commander anyway." Amber raised her hand. "But I will suggest that function for you, Sonia Illumia."

  "But I'm not worthy, my Lady." The girl in question paled. "Felicity would be a much better choice!"

  "Worthy or not, you are someone who can lead those people. Felicity is not as assertive as you are and she often hesitates." Amber answered and smiled at the second woman encouragingly. "It's not a bad thing, but you should work on that. You are also more forgiving and eager to discuss and compromise while Sonia is quicker to act. Both of you have good and bad traits. You can be both proud of yourselves. Now, you can prepare to return. I will personally inform the Emperor."

  While the two women stood up and bowed with respect, Amber watched them leave her office. What she said was true but one thing she kept for herself was a truly deciding factor. Sonia was unshakably loyal to Arcadia while Felicity was still Navellian at heart.

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

  A big thanks to who edited the chapter!

  The map of Aderon is on my Discord :)

  https://discord.gg/G6SVrBeDdG