Chapter 322


    Qualen Woods, Archduchy of Rebirth


    Darthar-Asaria Trade Route


    Alexandra sighed as she gazed at the forest all around the army.


    With Allya and Pyn consuming their honey moon with great enthusiasm, and regular needs of her powers to create new, ah, marital aids, she had been left to face the more mundane problems of the army with Manson and Philia. Rim would have been a nice help as well, but he was busy trailing behind, marking places for fortifications or traps, turning his ad hoc force into something approaching sappers. Which, given what they had turned Myriu into, was probably a good fit for them.


    "Well, at least it''s better looking than the scrublands." Said Philia, as the Knight-Commander leaned on the railing of the So Much For Subtlety at Alexandra''s side. "That''s something."


    "Yeah, but it''s harder to go through."


    "Would be, if your mech wasn''t stomping over everything."


    Alexandra chuckled. As she had expected, the Mackie was making a mockery of the terrain, clearing a path for the army and her armored column by just walking through the forest, it''s shield preventing debris from clogging up the passage. It wasn''t exactly a road, but her spider tanks and the cavalry behind them didn''t need a road.


    "True. But we''re nearing the high road, aren''t we?"


    The Knight-Commander nodded.


    "We are." The duchies were all linked by ''high roads'', gigantic pseudo highways that had been the fulcrum of the fighting during Sunrise''s advance. They were nearing the one between Asaria and Sarth, who went through the Royal Union Bridge. "It should make movement much easier. It was made to accommodate the entire royal army if necessary." Philia''s face went dark. "Not that there''s much left of it."


    Alexandra laid her hand on the knight''s shoulder.


    "Look, if it''s any consolation, I intend to help rebuild it."


    "Do you now?" Philia looked at the dungeon core, then away. "Sorry, that was...harsh. You''ve been nothing but a faithful ally."


    "But...?"


    "But...I''m afraid. You could take over the kingdom. With just a few words. Their majesties wouldn''t be able to stand in your way."


    "Allya wouldn''t stand for that."


    "Does what she want matter?"


    Alexandra double checked the privacy systems, and turned them on to eleven. The ship in general wasn''t as well shielded as the bridge, but it would have to do.


    Because like it or not, it looked like they were going to have that discussion.


    "It does, actually." Answered the dungeon core, softly, and she smiled as the knight looked at her in surprise. "It does. I gave her a true alliance, and I meant it."


    The Knight-Commander nodded.


    "And so you meant it when you said you don''t want to take over the kingdom."


    It wasn''t a question, but Alexandra answered it nonetheless.


    "I did."


    The officer looked off into the distance.


    "Will it stop there?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes.


    "No. No it won''t."


    "...You intend to keep their majesties ruling the kingdom, but vassalize them, do you not? Create something...greater."


    "Yes. Something like that."


    "They''ll do it, you know."


    "Do what?"


    The Knight-Commander met the dungeon core''s gaze.


    "Swear fealty. Not just their majesties either. Amelia Loveheart, the entire New Republic...they''ll bend the knee, if you ask. And once they do...the continent will follow."


    "I''m not sure it''ll be that easy."


    "It will." Said the Knight-Commander, and her tone brokered no argument. "Did you know the Eris Empire''s greatest fear is this continent? For centuries now, they''ve been wetting their undergarnments about what Arkhan could be, what it could achieve if it unified. It''s why they pushed so hard for their majesties'' grandfather not to push south into the Republic, tried to hold him back, even through threats."


    "I...wasn''t aware."


    The knight chuckled.


    "Well, we kept it pretty tight."


    "So it seems. So they''re afraid?"


    "Arkhan has the...potential. The high technology and innovation of Tark, and the arcane might of the Saphire Kingdom. Together, they would be...devastating. Luckily, they were separated by nothing but enemies." The Knight-Commander sighed. "And now, you''re about to put only yourself between them."


    "And what, that will convince them to submit?"


    "No. But this entire continent has been balanced on the rivalry between the Kingdom and the Republic for centuries. If unified...our nations represent three quarters of the continent''s population, our only achilles'' heel was our low technology. But you solved that, didn''t you?"Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "I guess I did, yes."


    "So they''ll suddenly have a new Empire on their doorsteps, that separates them from any possible ally, and could probably crush them all simultaneously anyway. That''s not even to mention what you''ve been doing. If you crush Sunrise, the people of Tark and the Saphire Kingdom will sing your praises."


    "Why would the Saphirians care?"


    "Where do you think many of those slaves come from?"


    Alexandra closed her eyes. The cross border raids. Of fucking course. That''s why the Saphire Kingdom had been constantly assailing Sunrise''s border before the war.


    "I see."


    "Of course, if you become popular..."


    "I become a threat to the existing regimes. How likely is it that they''ll attack?"


    The Knight-Commander shrugged.


    "I don''t know. Tark...if the Hegemon had been killed, they might have, but if she''s not attacking the senate, to give the New Republic a chance, she sure as hell won''t attack you. Let alone you through them, once they swear allegiance."


    "If they swear allegiance."


    Alexandra shivered as the knight gave her a sad smile.


    "Right. The Saphire Kingdom is the damned wildcard here. I know them. I''ve fought them, I''ve negotiated with them, visited them...their people will adore you, but the council or archmages? They care little of what their people want. Besides, you intend to drive north to Tivaro, don''t you?"


    "I do."


    "Then they''ll resist you. I think. Unless you have something to hammer them aside with, they''ll resist you."


    "Then I better grab a big hammer."


    "Let''s hope it will be enough."


    The tone of the Knight-Commander said it all about how successful she thought the dungeon core would be.


    "Let''s hope."


    *****


    There was only silence in the cellar, as the last visitors, a couple of maids looking for a quiet place to prepare gifts for the birthday of one of their colleagues, had left hours ago.


    The stealth golems awakened, and skittered between the crates. The cellar was a strange amalgamation of a pantry and supply depot, with a section set aside for ''used'' crates, to be replenished.


    A particular crate was quickly opened, and then closed again as a handful of packages were taken from it.


    Then the stealth golems vanished again, weaving through the shroud of alarms and sensors, guards and traps laid around the critical cellar.


    And an hour later, the packages were delivered, and loaded onboard a larger container, that would accompany a supply convoy headed home, to bring back more desperately needed armaments for the army up North.


    Fabricator Status Report


    From: Ghost


    To: Alexandra


    First delivery complete. Estimated time of completion: one week.


    *****


    "Fucking hell." Said Alexandra as she gazed at the images.


    "Impressive, isn''t it?" Manson chuckled.


    The dungeon core nodded.


    "To say the fucking least."


    After a few test flights and some rather timid forays into their surroundings, she''d finally decided it was time for her new carriers to have their blackbirds taken for a spin, and she''d sent them forward, to the Royal Union Bridge.


    She''d been warned about what to expect, but...damn.


    She had seen smaller megahighways, the monsters of neoconcrete that serviced the megalopolises of Earth. Even with their advancement in public transportation, there was still a need for personal vehicles after all. Hell, it was bigger than the Crimson Path, the remnants of the Old World highway she''d had to cross after the army had marched out of Darthar.


    There was no way there was anywhere near the level of traffic on the high road to justify that thing''s existence. Though, that wasn''t the point. It had been a prestige project, built by the King''s grandfather, after he had crushed his own civil war and conquered Darthar. Hence the name, it was supposed to represent the reunification of the kingdom, and the bonds of fealty between Asaria and Sarth, who had served as the crown''s backbone during that war.


    "So, as you see, it will accommodate a great deal of troops." Said Philia.


    "Sunrise appears to have taken advantage of that already." Remarked the commander of the desert rangers, bitterly, and everyone nodded.


    Sunrise''s army, or at least its vanguard, was there. And they weren''t alone.


    They had the UDC''s fleet with them.


    "How did they get here so fast?" Asked one of the officers, and Alexandra shrugged.


    "They had the high road to use, while we had to punch through a trade route and the environment. A trade route that has fallen into disrepair for months due to the war too. I''m presuming they had some slaves from the garrisons maintain the high road so they could march on Sarth eventually, if the southern army had failed. And with the UDC to provide lift capacity, with most of it unused with us having annihilated a great deal of their army..."


    "Well they''re certainly here for the party." Philia gestured at the ranks of monsters backing up Sunrise''s troops.


    "They are." Alexandra gazed at the troops, and grimaced. "Were we there, we could punch through that."


    "We could." Agreed Manson. "But we''re not."


    "No. No we''re not. And by the time we do get there, the rest of the army will probably be there with them."


    "Do we know when that''ll happen?"


    "No clue. I turned the aircrafts around after getting recon of the area, I decided against pushing further north. One step at a time and all that."


    "Very well. So our plan is unchanged?"


    "For the most part." They didn''t need to know that with the fabricator being smuggled out, it might change the face of this war forever. "But we do know where our enemies are."


    "Always a good advantage to have. Then let us continue our march North. We have traitors to kill."


    "That we do. That we do..."


    *****


    "Well, well, well..." Said Satina Olyrin, duchess of Sunrise, as she looked at the report. "So that explains how she is so well informed."


    "Yes." Said the spy master. The man definitely looked the worse for wear, even though he''d mostly kept to the shadows since she''d dragged him across the kingdom. "If those aircrafts are even remotely loaded with equipment..."


    "They''re like the Eris Empire''s ''jets''." Added Mahikam, Marquis of Caliban. "Should we begin destroying them? If our mages can see them, they can shoot them down, easily."


    "Patience, nephew, patience." Chided the duchess. "Do not be so quick to destroy such a potentially useful tool."


    "A tool? For us, you mean?"


    "Yes. With them undiscovered and unchallenged the dungeon core believes herself fully informed and invisible. That makes her overconfident. Good, let''s keep her that way."


    "But our plan-"


    "Will work even better with them in play. We will have to time it carefully of course, but if we make our play right after one of those recon flights, she will only believe that she has seen everything, and the surprise will be even more complete."


    The Marquis didn''t look fully convinced, but he nodded nonetheless.


    "As you say, your grace."


    "Good." The duchess turned back towards the spymaster. "What of the status of our...allies?"


    "They appear sincere. I have reports of ships leaving Tivaro."


    "Good. And their majesties'' little plan?"


    The spymaster grimaced.


    "It had the desired effect. Many neutral nobles are declaring themselves for the crown." He coughed. "That, coupled with the guerillas, and their elimination of the Brigadier...your grace, Molro and Kaidan are in open revolt."


    "But our home territories hold?"


    "Yes." The ''for now'' was implicit, and the Duchess winced.


    "Well, I won''t shed any tears for that traitorous bastard. Your people are keeping him from recovering, yes?"


    "So far, but there''s no telling when his men will catch on and root out the poison."


    "Every second bought is a blessing." Simply answered the Duchess. "Then we only need to get the army forward. And then..." She closed her eyes. "And then we shall wait. And pray."


    Only grim nods answered her.


    The die was cast, as the extradimensionals said.


    They simply had to hope that they would succeed.