Janet read the orders for the second time and ran her fingers through her hair. Certainly, they made sense and would allow Arcadia to get much-needed intel. But she didn't like it. It was one thing fighting against other people but the wars of Arcadia were on a completely different level and were waged with much higher stakes. Yes, Theon Avalon fought the Mortal Kingdoms but those weren't even a warm-up for him. Now, he was focused as never before and she felt the difference. She also understood the risks. The possibility of being shot down over the Ancient Forest scared her. On the other hand, the possibility that Vestargo had anything capable of shooting down an Arcadian airship so far from the battlefront was minuscule.

  "What are you thinking about?" Edward asked her quietly.

  "I... I received new orders. We are supposed to fly over the Ancient Forest, Ed."

  "Ah... That order." He grinned wryly. "Don't worry. I will return."

  "...what?" Her eyes narrowed into slits.

  "Have you read the entire order or are you just skimming the summary?" He sighed and got serious. "You are not going anywhere, my Dear."

  "What?! The first and second fleets..." She raised the paper she had the written order on to her eyes and read under her breath. "The female personnel of the First and Second Fleets are ordered to stay in Avalon and undergo new weapon system training and eventually obtain the new subclass. The mission will be executed by male personnel alone, even at the cost of the ship's underperformance..." Her voice turned into an angry and unintelligible squirm as she read the rest of the order. "Signed His Majesty, Emperor Theon Avalon?! What the hell?! Who is going to fly my ship then?!"

  "I will." Edward fixed himself in their bed. He was ready to fight.

  He was very well aware of the order and it was he who had found a good reason to ground absolutely every woman during that mission. The Emperor had forwarded that idea during a closed meeting but the best excuse he could come up with was to only send all pregnant women, even in the earliest stages of pregnancy, away from the ships. It wasn't an easy task since more than half of the Navy officers were women. Hell... Even half of the regular sailors were women. That wasn't particularly surprising in Arcadia given the astronomical disproportion between the male and female populations. However, no one was going to risk losing even one of them and condemning them to the fate of Vestargo's slaves. The Emperor worked overtime behind the scenes to create regulations that would force the pregnant officers to work in the ever-growing military administration or take paid leave under even the most absurd excuse anyone else might offer.

  The Emperor devised a meticulous system that would not only protect future mothers and their children but also keep them in the loop, allowing them to return to duty at any moment. Specially tailored training, a newsletter system, additional children care, and so much more basically created a separate industry that, in the process of, solved the problem of employment of tens of thousands of freed slaves who struggled to find meaningful work. Of course, all branches of the military were included in the program, making it less obvious. However, that solved only the problem for grounding pregnant women. They needed to find an excuse to ground all of them and they had needed to find it fast. Of course, the Emperor could simply decree that women should stand down but that would leave a bitter feeling. Even with the truth, it was hard to swallow because all of them wanted to put an end to the monster that ruled the Ancient Forest. They all risked everything.

  That was where he, a humble former pirate, stepped in. As a member of the Imperial Special Forces and someone with a personal interest in not letting his loved one endanger herself needlessly, he came up with an idea that would allow most women to swallow that disgustingly protective order. With a small degree of luck, they might even accept it was all just a coincidence, but no one would truly believe it. Neither the Emperor, nor Edward, nor Destra, nor Fornal... But the new personal weapon system was, at least, a real deal. Fortunately, it was also complicated enough and required specific handling and care which, also, justified creating a whole dedicated training. He suggested using that as the excuse. From his own experience, he knew sailors weren't particularly good archers. In theory, the new handheld guns were similar to the well-known magi-guns, but from a skill set point of view, they still required specific skills to use.

  Skills that sailors typically didn't have.

  "What is this bullshit about new weapon systems, Ed?!" She looked at him angrily.

  He was ready and prepared. Blackbeard smiled confidently and tried not to look too smug.

  "It's still a secret, Honey, so I beg you to be quiet about it until you are officially introduced to it during training."

  "Ed, please... I know this is some bullshit to keep us from this mission but..." She looked miserable until he took out his pistol from under the bed. "What the hell is that?!"

  "This is the bullshit you suggested." He unloaded the magazine and checked the charge indicator before he gave it to her. "This is probably what you are going to use along with your rapier. Other soldiers will get bigger or more specialised weapons but this is basically the officer-issued handgun. A slightly more powerful version of the standard sidearm."

  She continued looking at the weapon with suspicion but, by the slowly changing look on her face, he felt that she began to doubt the grounding order was just bullshit as she suspected. Which was a small victory for him, considering it was exactly as she suspected.

  "A handgun?" She started tinkering with the gun.

  "Yeah. In principle, this is a development of the Arcane Bullet Glaives that the Mobile Infantry fielded. However, this one is designed to be used by regular people without Sentinel's assistance. That means you must learn how to aim it, fire it, and increase your corresponding skills. In some cases, the people will have to obtain a subclass to even use them. Basically, this is close to archery but you will be firing Arcane Bullets instead of arrows or bolts." He explained as his wife's expression changed from frustration to mild irritation.

  "How long have you known about it?" She asked sharply.

  "The stress tests started just three days ago; however, a select few, including me, knew about it for a month and a half. Rhys and Moonshadow Company are responsible for breaking as many guns as they can until the end of the week. Then the required upgrades or changes will be applied to mass production. However, we need to start training people as soon as possible because these are going to change absolutely everything. Especially against Vestargo."

  "Liar..." She sighed.

  "I know it's hard to believe but trust me..."

  "So show me. Prove to me this weapon is as impressive as you claim!" She clenched her fist on the duvet but he was ready for it as well.

  "Very well..." He grinned and stood up. She looked at him in silence as he put on his clothes. "If you think I’m going to use it in our bedroom you’ve lost your mind, girl. Let's go to the training room."

  She huffed angrily but stood up and dressed herself. A few moments later they were in their underground training room.

  "This is just a baby gun." Blackbeard flipped the weapon in his hand and loaded a magazine into it.

  He aimed at the target a few dozen metres away and fired. There were no arcane circles, no magic light, and no characteristic build-up of mana but the weapon spewed the unmistakable Arcane Bullets. The former pirate fired fourteen times and pressed a button that ejected the magazine. However, before it even hit the ground, he inserted another magazine and continued firing. Janet watched in silence as he shredded the archery target into pieces and turned those pieces into dust. Once he emptied the second magazine, he holstered the pistol in his leg holster and scooped the empty magazine from the ground. He waggled it at her.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "These are reusable so don't lose them or you will have to buy the new ones for yourself. I still have to train reloading without dropping the magazine as I did just now, but I wanted to show you how fast the weapon can fire." He grinned at her.

  "That..." She finally gasped. "I really thought you were joking. Can I?"

  "Yeah... But, never, ever, look into the barrel or point it at anyone you don't want dead, ok?" He gave her the weapon only after she confirmed. "It's loaded and has one last shot in the magazine. Aim at the second archery target and pull the trigger."

  She nodded again and took the gun. She was focused and copied his stance but Blackbeard noticed with hidden happiness her growing frustration. That only meant one thing. She realised that the new weapon wasn't a bluff and it really required some kind of training.

  "Aim? How?" She looked at him but mindful of his warning, she was still pointing the gun at the target.

  "Through this..." He walked behind her, grabbed her hands, and helped her aim looking over her shoulder.

  He had purposefully stripped the optics from his pistol to make shooting it harder. Everything for Janet to believe his bluff. She was focused and once he was sure she knew how to aim, he stepped back. His wife pressed the trigger, the gun fired, and she barely grazed the target hitting the enchanted stone behind. She hummed with surprise and lowered the gun as she turned around with a slightly bitter but otherwise intrigued facial expression.

  "All right... If you are bluffing, your bluff is a good one, Ed." She admitted as she returned his pistol. "That weapon will certainly change everything and it's not as easy to use as I thought. Still..." She sighed heavily. "It's unfair that we are excluded from the mission."

  "It's just a single mission, my Dear." He hugged her with a careful smile. Now, he had to be cautious not to betray himself. "It's just a coincidence. We need to introduce the Navy to the new weapons as soon as possible because they currently face the highest risk of being shot down over the Ancient Forest. Just think how many more people would survive if they had these weapons!"

  "I know." She sighed. "I still think it's fishy..."

  "I wonder if you will feel that way after the training." He chuckled. "I bet you will be singing another song once Jasper drags you all through the mud."

  "Jasper is involved?!" She looked at him with shock. "Just how secret was the weapon if the Master of the Warehouse was involved?"

  "It was and still is, especially its production details and schematics, a national-level security. So, pretty much several notches above construction details of our airships and a few below the mana reactors." He explained with a grin. "You have no idea what kind of weapons we got for our Living Armours!"

  She looked at him in silence before she seemed to give up.

  "Fine..." Janet sighed and slumped in his arms. "You are really going to take Dauntless?"

  "Indeed." Blackbeard smiled softly and kept to himself as no one else dared to volunteer to do it. "I'll try not to scratch his paint."

  "I think I could forgive you if you only scratched his paintwork..." She sighed in defeat but looked at him worried. "Don't you even dare die!"

  "Don't worry. I'll return home." He turned serious. "We were ordered to jump to the safe zone and then return to Avalon if we even begin to suspect that the enemy can shoot us down."

  "Fine..."

  ???

  The next few days were filled with suspicion, bitterness, and some loud complaints made by the women forced to stay behind. However, the fact that Lady Admiral Sparrow wasn't complaining and followed orders kept the sailors and officers mostly calm. There was a slight resentment when they watched the understaffed strike force disappear but they followed the Emperor's order.

  "I know that you aren't happy with the order but things aren't great for Arcadia." Empress Aoi's voice filled the large underground hall where they were gathered. Her seriousness and tone of voice silenced all of the women's hushed conversations. "Yes, we currently have an advantage in the war and it seems that we are winning; however, we can win the fight but Arcadia might still lose in the end. I won't lie to you. Our current economic situation isn't dramatic but it's complicated to say the least. The longer this war takes, the higher a strain is put on our production capabilities. I'll be blunt with you. Arcadia can't afford to lose you. That's why we are going to make another leap in our armaments and protection technology."

  The gathered women were quiet and curious when ten girls entered the stage wearing what seemed to be new Navy uniforms and combat gear. The first one of them was wearing a cloth uniform that looked fairly familiar and yet it was a complete redesign of their regular uniforms. Everyone, at first glance, could tell it was an officer's uniform. A short white skirt that cut off right over the knees and an equally white uniform jacket with gold buttons - they were elegant and looked extremely comfortable. The lower rank uniforms looked good as well. Their navy blue button-down shirt and pants with gold trim looked like a very reasonable compromise between comfort, elegance, and utility. However, what gained everyone's attention were the combat uniforms worn by the remaining models. They were an incredible and eye-catching mix of well-known elements and completely new designs and materials.

  But that wasn't all. The models, the soldiers, in front of the crowd were armed with weapons like nothing anyone had seen before...

  "Welcome to the advent of a new age where sword, magic, and technology will no longer compete but combine into a new quality." Empress Aoi smiled. "I know that many of you believed that we unfairly excluded you from a seemingly important mission. But I wonder if you will be repeating that once this training is over. You will receive direct orders in one hour. The evaluation of your personal skills and statistics starts today. Good luck, girls."

  The Empress's voice sounded slightly sinister as she finished with a smug smile and added quietly.

  "You will need it..."

  ???

  The losses weren't high but that wasn't important. They considered more who the spy had killed than how many people he, himself, slew. The highest echelons of the secret agency of Ibrevell, which had gathered information and executed operations beyond the Kingdom's border for centuries, were butchered one by one. So far, it had been unthinkable that anyone would even learn their identity. Killing them seemed absolutely impossible.

  And yet...

  Whoever infiltrated Ibrevell was capable of moving as he pleased. He could also dispatch anyone without witnesses or, at least, without anyone being capable of identifying him. Because the attacker was a male. That was the only certain thing that was consistent through the reports that reached the King. That, and the fact that the enemy spy was accompanied by a white demon. A creature whose voice alone was enough to turn blood to ice.

  The Captain trembled...

  "How should we even start looking for someone capable of taking down Lord Fus'mari?" one of his soldiers asked as they traversed the forest in hope of reaching the next city. They expected the spy to attack. "He was level seventy!"

  "You know very well that even in Ibrevell there are many powerful people. Level seventy was indeed respectable but it wasn't incredibly high, Trai'shu." The Captain scoffed. "Besides I'm sure that we are chasing ghosts. Whoever gave us these orders is a moron... Lord Fus'mari died in his mansion in Erkasul while someone infiltrated the King's castle in Ibresol. Those cities are two days of intense travel apart! There must be more infiltrators!"

  He suddenly felt a piercing pain in his back and a metallic taste in his mouth as he tumbled to the ground. They were attacked... But who? How?! He managed to look around, and with a strange calmness, he realised that his entire team was already dead. A single man was standing with two slim black blades in his hands. There wasn't even a droplet of blood on them. He immediately recognised him.

  "Impossible... Sir Dawnrout?" The Captain whizzed, knowing that he was dying. He couldn't comprehend why the man who trained him and taught him everything about espionage and assassinations would now kill him...

  "Not any longer. That man died when your superiors sent him to die in Arcadia as a scapegoat." The man answered with a cold tone of someone looking for vengeance. "But it appears that the plan of your King failed. I was set free to do as I please in Ibrevell. The Arcadian Emperor didn't want the head of an insignificant assassin."

  "You betrayed us..." The Captain's last dying words were full of pain and bitterness.

  "Funny..." The man once known as Gallindor Dawnrout chuckled dryly. "It wasn't a betrayal when you sent me to die."

  The assassin turned around and blended into the shadows. He had obtained new skills and was given weapons that surpassed anything that Ibrevell had during his brief stay in Avalon. Of course, no one let him go just like that. He was wearing a slave collar with a very specific ruleset that made disobedience impossible. But he didn't even try to get rid of it. His goal was simple: avenge his betrayal. Eliminating the entire Ibrevellian spy network would allow him to better watch the show. He only hoped that the Emperor would let him live long enough to see the fall of the Elven Kingdom. He wasn't naive. Gallindor knew that he was a dead man from the moment the Emperor told him that he was guilty of attacking two of his wives. But as the Emperor told him as well, there were many ways of dying.

  And Gallindor was allowed to choose one that suited him the most...

  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!

  The map of Aderon is on my Discord :)

  https://discord.gg/G6SVrBeDdG