CHAPTER XIII

Central Calendar, 19th January 1639 (19th January 3983 AC).

Vice Admiral Sharkun, Head Commander of the Eastern Subjugation Fleet looks upon the view of his ships. 640 ships, a great amount for anyone to lead. He originally had around 720 ships, but few were lost to the Qua-Toynian and the Quilan Fleet coalition forces. He felt proud at the number of ships and the quality his country had produced, while a far cry to the Parpaldians in quality, they made up in numbers, enough to defend any incursion from the neighbor to the northwest.

He had heard about the massacres done in the new territories, but to this day he can't wrap his head around the logic of persecuting and slavery of the demihumans when they can be a great asset for the kingdom. While he was glad that Louria conquered the former two neighbors of the continent, it was not in his intention to enslave them. Even if slavery as a whole is an accepted concept in the 3rd Civilization Area and the Outer Areas, why waste manpower on senseless killings? The constant torment of the demihumans for the last few weeks had made him question the morality of his people, of his nation. And of course, paranoia began to creep up his spine. What if the whole purpose of the war was not to conquer and gain resources as he was told? What if the war happened out of spite, hatred, and primal savagery lust of King Hark Louria XXXIII?

He hoped that it wasn't the case, and just hoped that there was some ulterior motive to let this atrocity go rampant as it is. Still, he suspected that the King was simply doing this out of hate. He can only sigh, he's a soldier after all. He could do nothing much when he's only a Vice Admiral.

All of a sudden, he heard a high-pitched hum from the eastern horizon, a hum so inhuman, and painful to the ears. Out of instinct, he put his binoculars on, investigating the strange noise. There, he saw an out worldly view of iron wyverns!! The same one that the survivors of the 8th Wyvern Wing had encountered and got wiped out by two of. And now in his binoculars, he saw not two, but 75 Iron Wyverns!!!

"To Arms!! To Arms!!! Man your stations!! Incoming aerial attack!!!" He shouted, warning his men of the incoming doom.

His orders were spread to the entire Eastern Subjugation Fleet, from the once peaceful sail into a hectic one. He saw the Iron Wyverns ever closing, flying at low altitude, he didn't realize how fast they were until it was too late. Ten Iron Wyverns flew through them at such frightening speed, that small vessels were capsized by the sheer velocity of wind they made, while the remaining 40 circled about at a higher altitude.

"Open fire!!!"

He ordered his men to fire arrows and muskets they bought from the Parpaldian Empire, but to no avail that it didn't even hit the fast-moving Iron Wyverns. Sharkun knows these Iron Wyverns are simply toying with his fleet as if he were prey. Oh, who is he kidding, of course, they're being toyed with!

When the Iron Wyverns circled about, five of them had their underbellies opened. Sharkun began to feel premonitions of dread, and then it came true when five of them shot out something, something that only came in the myths.

'L-Light Arrows!! Do they have ASE weapons?!?'

As the light arrows began to fly their way, suddenly the Light Arrows split open and gave birth to more! Hundreds of them at the size of an arm! While something of an arm might be harmless to the ships, Sharkun could not push away the dread that the Light Arrows posed. Out of instinct, he gave an order.

"Brace for Impact!!!"

His instinct did him service, as once the Light Arrows hit many of his ships, the explosions it caused were massive. So much so, that Sharkun was thrown back and hit the hard deck of his ship. He struggled to get up, the shock of the explosions caused him to stagger. When he regains his bearings, only dread fills him. His fleet was crushed within a single strike of the Iron Wyverns, only some hundred left, maybe less remained. The men, his men suffered a tremendous loss. Many of them burned to death, some drowned, and many struggled to keep themselves afloat.

Sharkun hoped that this was it, that the Iron Wyverns would stop, but he knew it was only the beginning. He looked to the sky, his morale already shattered by the attack. Some sixty-five that kept circling about from a good distance made their way towards the mainland, which Sharkun believed that the Iron Wyverns would throw hell upon his comrades on land. And the ten, dived at his fleet to finish the job. He would've ordered a retreat, but with the speed the Iron Wyverns showed, there's no way what remains of his fleet would be able to run away from such beasts. His officers and trusted men alongside him already insisted he give them an order, but Sharkun was too broken. His knees gave way, as he fell to the deck, and gave up. Shouts of panic, insults, and bickering were heard but chose to ignore. Not when death is already upon him anyway.

The Iron Wyverns began their finishing onslaught, and this time, they let out blue fireballs that were shot out from them with the speed they could not fathom, and the damage that even normal fireballs can't do. Each time they fired their fireballs at the already shattered fleet, the screeching sound began to drill holes into their psyche, lingering within their minds as the sound of terror. Ships were sunk as seconds passed, and the Iron Wyverns did not stop just at ships, as they targeted the struggling crew that kept themselves afloat. They were disintegrated within seconds of being fired upon, and Sharkun could hear their voices, their screams of terror as they saw their comrades reduced to dust and ash despite being soaked in seawater.

'Oh gods, what have we done to suffer your wrath?'

His thoughts were broken, as the ship he was in exploded, and only darkness was what Sharkun could see.

Above the destroyed fleet, Cpt. Darryl "Reek" Dixon can only smile in delight. He got his wish after all, and that is to be among the first to deliver the mighty hammer of justice upon these savages that their new people called "Lourians". He and his Ravens have delivered some part of the tragic justice of the people of Qua-Toyne and Quila, and soon more to come to the Lourians. And he will enjoy tormenting the Lourians, as they have tormented others in Rodenius Continent.

"All Raven elements who are with me, regroup. Proceed with the main objective."

"Copy that, Raven-1. Regrouping."

Their mission today? To wipe Lourian Military Installations in the entire East Rodenius. Their primary area of conduct would be Qua-Toyne while the Adarl Squadron and Okulmar Squadron who had just gone with half of his Squadron set for their area which was Quila and Louria respectively. His squadron will soften the enemy positions for the arrival of the 212th Assault Legion, which will be deployed all across the continent in a haphazard way that the enemy would not expect. Well, haphazard to the enemy, it would be as organized as any airborne invasion would for the 212th.

Hearing his comms, half of his force which Serp led had already commenced their assault on the enemy installations in Deihark, their first objective. Camps, barracks, granaries, stables, armories, captured Qua-Toynian buildings, and all the like. As soon as he was able to return to his Squadron, most of the Lourian defenses and military installations in Deihark had all been destroyed.

"You just can't leave some for me, Serp?" Reek asked through his comms.

"It's your fault that you arrived late, Capitan," Serp replied. "But at least, this is merely the beginning."

"Indeed it is, Serp. This is merely the start." Reek replied. "Raven Squadron. Form up on me."

Raven Squadron formed up to their captain, as Reek began to lead them to their next objective. Their job here has only just begun. From Maihark to Gim, the Lourians will taste Raven Squadron's wrath. For the next half an hour, Raven moved from one objective to the other as they began their surgical assaults. As previously briefed, they targeted military buildings, fortifications, and all the buildings that could help the Lourians sustain themselves.

Flying over the Great Forest, Raven Squadron had just finished their bombardment of a Lourian supply base near the Great Grain Fields, as well as dropping napalm bombs to burn the fields. Surviving Lourians rushed to put out the massive fire, as it was intended.

Reek's interface began to beep as the Squadron was about to shift toward Gim. But not something dangerous, but an SOS beacon.

"Serp. Are you getting this?" Lt. Sarah "Wallembey" Clarkson said over comms.

"Close-range SOS beacon. Militarum Air Force frequency as well." Serp said, trying to make sense of what was going on. "One of ours? But, we receive no mayday calls and our comms are good. Aside from the planet's anomaly to radio frequency, our comms should've received something like one of ours just got shot down."

Not wanting to lose momentum, Reek opened a channel to the SOS frequency, in an attempt to contact the downed aircraft. "This is Raven-1, responding to the SOS beacon. Downed aircraft, situation report. How copy?"

No response, none. Only static. Which made Reek suspicious of the situation. "This is Raven-1 responding to the SOS beacon. Can you copy?"

Still, no response. This situation put Reek on full alert. "Raven-1 to all Squadron Leaders. Headcount, how copy?"

"This is Okulmar-1. All Okulmar elements are accounted for."

"This is Adarl-1. All Adarl elements are intact. What's going on, Raven-1?"

"Raven Squadron is receiving SOS beacon frequency from the Great Forest." Reek relayed his squadron's findings. "What's more odd, the SOS is our frequency. And as you know, none of our aircraft was shot down, nor do the enemy have any reports about it. "

"Well, that's certainly odd," Adarl-1 responded.

"I'm more concerned about the possibility of defectors. There's no way our aircraft can somehow stolen unless it was done by one of our own." Okulmar-1 added his theory.

"Defection to whom? No powers in the galaxy can stand up to the Galactic Imperium, nor do any of them seem to be as promising as us." Reek responded. "Anyhow, I'll report this to CENTCOM. CENTCOM would likely be sending the 212th to investigate. How's the progress on your end?"

"As smooth as sailing on a dead lake. Lourian infrastructure on Quila is being destroyed as we speak." Adarl-1 said.

"Resistance is expected from our part, but it's being taken care of. Wyverns are all forced to ground, the air above Louria is clear." Okulmar said. "You boys wouldn't know the joy of us bombarding the heck out of Lourian cities with impunity."

"Oh piss off." Both Adarl and Reek responded.

Cutting off his comms, Reek refocused on his objective and headed straight for Gim. The last occupied city that has yet to be bombarded. When they arrived, the city was already littered with rotting corpses of demihumans and humans of Qua-Toyne. Upon brief observation, the Lourians are still busy in hunting hiding Qua-Toynians from the city.

There are still some left it seems, as some are still held within exposed cages. This made Darryl's blood boil in anger. And if he was enraged by the inhumane sight, everyone from the Imperium would be the same. This is what they have been fighting against for the longest time in the last great war, and what's more insulting is that the perpetrators of these barbarities are humans.

"This is Raven-1. Commence bombardment."

••••••

Another day was spent working. He's back doing his job as the Young Master of the Imperium, which currently demands him to visit one of the troubled regions in the Galaxy, the Carinyssus Nebula.

This region is located in the upper part of the Galaxy and is currently quite lawless. Back before the War in Heaven, a stellar nation controlled this particular region, the Hayqen United Kingdom. The nation was a hodgepodge collection of stellar states and kingdoms of countless alien races. After the war, the Hayqen were completely shattered into hundreds of independent stellar states. All against one another, fighting for their right to be claimed and recognized as the continuation of the fallen Hayqen United Kingdoms.

This claim was important, of course, as the Hayqen was a proud power and a close ally to both the Custodes and the Galactic Council. If any of the states were able to conquer and defeat the others, they would be effectively recognized by the Galaxy as the heirs of the once proud Hayqen. Why is Lucius here? To support the stellar state that is loyal to the Imperium, the Urakan Hegemony.

Many other powerful stellar states have invested in their chosen puppet, the Imperium included. The Imperium would contest against the Hesukar Union, the Allied Lozavata Nations, and an exclave of the Rothak Imperium to gain full control.

The automatic doors to his chambers opened, and before him, a humanoid alien appeared in his presence. The alien was wearing a garment befitting a king, which of course was the case. He is Naxoia Eandlork, King of the Urakan Hegemony, an Uraki. An Uraki is an alien species that resembles closely to Minotaurs, although much smaller than the mythos counterpart and much more "human". By that, it means that humans and the Minotaur closely resemble, thanks to evolution and cross-breeding during the Era of Peace.

"King Naxoia, what brings his majesty personally make his way to meet me?" Lucius asked as he was about to stand up to greet him.

Yet as he did so, Naxoia gestured him to remain seated. "No need to stand, Young Master. I simply wished to visit you and talk to you about our work. May I be seated?"

Smiling, Lucius gestured for the king to do so. "Well, let's discuss work, shall we? I heard from the Inquisitionis that the Sazahoks were gaining new shipments of weapons and ships from their suzerain, the Rothaks. I heard they planned it to wage an expansion of about 20 stellar states." Lucius reported. "Say, did you do what I asked?"

"I did. It took a lot of me to persuade the council. Those pesky bureaucrats never seemed to understand that changes are needed to improve our state." Naxoia said. "I had to pull some strings and blackmail to make sure the reforms passed the bill. But yes, the laws are reformed as you requested."

"Good, then we can proceed with the plan," Lucius said as he gave the king a Datapad.

The king began to examine its contents, and was completely awestruck and amazed, shocked even by what he was reading.

"This is... These are union proposals! Of at least 100 stellar states!!" The King exclaimed in shock. "H-How..."

Lucius grinned, satisfied with the King's reaction. "It wasn't just you that pulled some strings. While you focused on getting the reforms done, I indulge myself in constant negotiations with 100 neighboring stellar states." Lucius said. "That and some behind-the-curtains actions to persuade some of the more stubborn states. Now with this, Urakan Hegemony's power will triple what it is now."

"And with it, our claim to dominance over the nebula will be done easily!"

"The word you're looking for is 'easier'. Don't get your head up in the clouds yet, some can deny your claim openly here." Lucius said. "It'll take more preparations to take them on without direct Imperium intervention. Which is why I asked you to push these reforms."

"Yes. Yes, you are right, Young Master Lucius. We must not get ahead of ourselves, not just yet." Naxoia said. "Our struggle has just begun. Say, I must ask this. Would it burden the Imperium to assist us like this? Since I recall, the Imperium is trying her best to stop the Resufitors and the Sildorans from continuing their war. I mean no disrespect! It's just I am concerned."

"Have no fear, your Majesty. Such expense is nothing for the Imperium." Lucius simply said.

The two continued their conversation for the next hour, talking about prospects in the future, the challenges ahead, and sometimes even small talk. Once it was done, Lucius drew an annoyed yet relieved sigh.

'These Urakis are a chatty one.' He mused.

He continued working, checking reports of importance, either financial or otherwise needed his attention. He approved proposals before finalization to the Imperator or the Imperial Senate and denied some to be sent for further evaluation or revision. Sending correspondence from various governors who asked for advice and the like. Then, he came to the report he was curious to read.

Piña has done an excellent job in the last few months, she's focusing all of her efforts on productivity at a level a tad higher than what is expected of a governor. Not that other governors are lacking, Piña simply up them by a notch to prove her worth, and such enthusiasm seemed not to drop after a few months. 

Exciting is an understatement to the report he was reading. An outside civilization came into contact with Falmart, asking for protection against a Ravernal-like kingdom of human supremacists. Said civilization pledged loyalty in exchange for protection, which she gave. At this very moment, the 212th Assault Legion is commencing a military action on the rogue kingdom named "Louria", currently bombing the ever-living crap out of them with the help of the 5th Cerberus Pack Air Force.  By the amount of planning that was written in the report, Lucius predicted the mission would end by the end of the day, or by tomorrow noon if the 212th are being generous about it. That said, there will be destruction and death. 

He could only imagine the amount of fear and terror these Lourians would face. The 212th aren't the ones they should be worried about, no, it's the Cerberus Air Force there. Both the 212th and the 501st are a wild bunch of soldiers, but not exactly the most ferocious. A Cerberus Pack, however, that's a different story. Lucius can bet his entire monthly allowance, the 5th Cerberus Air Pack isn't happy about what's going on in the continent of Rodenius. And will surely inflict enough damage to scar the entire population of Louria that it'll last generations, that is if there's any left of them. 

Finishing his work, Lucius tried to distract himself from work. Incidentally, he came across an interesting collaborative article by two Sildoran scientists specializing in biology and galactic history, an article discussing a matter of evolution throughout the galaxy and how other species differ from one another. Interested in this piece of scientific literacy, Lucius began to read it. It was well-structured, factual, and unbiased. A surprising thing, that's for certain. Sildorans are unusual for being unbiased, no matter what situation it is, hence one of the reasons for their failure to counter the Ravernal threat. 

Then, Lucius came upon the subject of humanity and was surprised at the contents of the situation. 

'When the Galactic Community first recognized humanity as a whole, not much was thought of them. Basic tolerance to both heat and cold, and a decent power-to-weight ratio. The only thing mildly impressive about them at the beginning is that the humans were one of the few non-apex predator species to rise to sentience, much less reach the space-faring age.' He read the paper. 'However, in saying that they were considered a species lacking in any amount of honor, the death of their leaders would spark a war of succession lasting for years, at least it was pre-Imperium as the humans would say. In a sense, they are not the worst species in the galaxy, but they are a far cry from the best. At least, it was what we initially thought them to be.'

'The Stellar Axis Alliance soon decided that they would poke the soon-to-be sleeping giant in their sleep. They were very vocal about their hostility against humans, declaring that despite the rate of expansion they showed was amazing, the Stellar Axis Alliance deemed the humans weak. A mere thorn on their side, as goes the human saying. It was proved initially when the SAA has successfully taken several star systems from humans. What they didn't realize, nor anyone in the community as a whole, is that the humans aren't as weak as they all perceived.' He read another part. 'Two years after they had declared war, the conflict began to turn to the unthinkable. The SAA was being pushed back. Their media states that these were simply strategic moves to drain the enemy of their supply and firepower, it wasn't the case at all. On their retaken planets, the humans would simply sit still and what the humans say as "dug in", a concept that was crazy to the eyes of the community but worked very efficiently against the SAA assaults. It was then released to the public that the SAA weren't as successful as they claimed to be. The Multyxs were being pushed back in the initial stage of the war, with their fleets destroyed and planets under siege. The combined force of three other stellar states was being held back and wasn't able to make a breakthrough against the human defenses. And when it just seemed that humans were content with their progress, the humans launched a massive counteroffensive, one that forced them into a scrambling retreat. In a sadistic, twist of fate, the SAA is now the one fighting for their right to exist.' 

'The Community, in a state of concern gathered and invited both sides for peace talks. To their surprise, the humans agreed. The first ceasefire since the start of the war. The SAA, the humans, and some of the present interstellar states, including yours truly the Galactic Sildor Coalition, sat for peace talks. The talks to broker a peace went well, much to the surprise of many. The humans were being very considerate, logical, and understanding. Unlike what they had thought them to be at first. However, the humans steadfastly refused to engage with the stellar members of the SAA. When the talks of reimbursement came, the humans fell silent. According to galactic tradition, any winning faction should reimburse the losing in an attempt to reconcile and keep the balance of order. The humans would give their answer within the hour, as the leader of the diplomatic party of the humans said. Content, the gathered council felt relieved. However, the feeling was premature. For when the Humans came to give their answer, is when all hell breaks loose.' A section of the paper stated. 'The Humans refused, and in tandem refused all other peace deals that were initially agreed beforehand. The council went silent, but wasn't for long when terrifying news reached them. The sieges continued and worsened. All four home planets were bombarded by the human fleet, mercilessly and continuously bombarding the planets. It became worse when a human fleet suddenly showed up in the system and surrounded the solitary station they were on. Now, the humans would deliver an ultimatum. If the Stellar Axis Alliance refused to surrender, all that is left would be the rubble of their planet, cultures, and peoples. In an act of cowardice, the Twax'hildar and the Zaydrans surrendered while the Gulk-Furki and Multyx remained steadfast. In response, the fleet surrounding the home planets of Twax'hildars and Zaydrans ceased their assault. But Gulk-Furki and Multyx planets were subjected to indiscriminate bombardment, until at last invaded by human forces, sealing their fate. The peace council wanted to shout in uproar, protests, and the like, but not when the human fleet was so close to them. Some attempted to do more rash things and wanted to apprehend the humans aboard the station, but were also discouraged when they received news that the fleet was targeting the station. Pleased by the outcome, the human representatives left the station, leaving the peace council in total shock. When they came to, many wanted to take action, many wanted to remain neutral. In the end, inaction was chosen as the best action. The humans would gain more prestige, with them able to ally with the last two ancient and powerful stellar empires, the Voors and the Arcadians, and managed to convince them to be the leader of said alliance. In later research, it was due to the human ingenuity to war that made them the powerhouse of race that they are now. Human mercenary groups were proven to be the best of the best, birthing the saying "Only a human, can truly defeat a human". It was due to human ingenuity of diplomacy that they were able to befriend the two most powerful stellar nations, and become the leader of said alliance. It was due to human ingenuity adaptability and thirst for knowledge that made the humans, now called the Galactic Imperium, become a third powerhouse and the largest in the galaxy. It was due to human resilience, compassion, bravery, and strong will that the galaxy was able to defeat the threat of the Ravernals. In all, humanity proved itself to be the apex species. Not as a predator, but as a conqueror. Only a fool would be against them, and only a fool would think they would win.' 

••••••

Jin Hark

King Hark XXXIV was furious, and at the same time, in sheer terror. He was enjoying the fruits of his labor, filling his castle with beastmen and elves slaves for him to torment at his will. The bountiful amount of elf bitches he can get his hands on, not failing to mention he had just enjoyed his time again in sullying the purity of the Princess of Qua-Toyne, Aerith Inaxisys. A screamer, she was, yet one was a challenge enough for him to break. He liked a challenge, he was just about to continue breaking the Princess. That is until he heard explosions outside. By the time he went to check, his face turned white in dread. 

His city, in blazing flames.

His people called out for help, tormented by agony and despair as the common folk ran to wherever they could for shelter. Then he heard the sharp buzzing sounds, so sharp it nearly broke his eardrums. He looked up to the sky and saw Iron Wyverns. His face couldn't get anymore whiter than it was. He saw his Wyvern Riders being slaughtered by these Iron Wyverns, being shot down, and subjected to the impunity of no end. When they were done, they turned to the city. His eyes filled with the nightmare before him, the destruction of which the Iron Wyverns inflicted upon them all. His mages can't do shit at all either, the Iron Wyverns were too fast for his mage corps to hit just one, or their magic barriers would stop the Iron Wvyerns attack. The attack as a whole lasted for half an hour, and for that half an hour his people, his kingdom suffered.

It's more than an hour since the attack, and he had gathered his war council, at least that was present in the capital. He needed answers and needed it now.

"... Does anyone have an idea who just attacked us?" Hark asked his vassals. None opened their mouths, it was clear that they did not know who had brazenly attacked them just now.

"*sigh* Situation report. Now." He said in a foul tone.

"Y-Yes, your Majesty!" One of the officials said. "W-we have suffered immense damage from the surprise attack, and we are still in the process of determining the accurate cost of the damage. However, it is without a doubt that all of our military installations and complexes are all destroyed, including all entry gates to the city."

"How many soldiers of the Capital Guard we have lost?" Smark asked.

"Our current estimation is around 6,492 in the attack." Patagene intercedes. "That is more than half of the 12,000 original. The number could increase as the Capital Guard has not yet regrouped to determine how many of them were lost. Not to mention that it is clear that the Capital's Wyvern Corps and the Capital Fleet are wholly destroyed."

"What of civilian casualties? How many were lost?" Maus asked in a worried tone.

"A-as of our current estimation, it is reported that we have lost more than twenty to thirty thousand. But the numbers may rise as we are still in the process of determining the scale of the damage done by the enemy." The official continued.

Murmurs began to fill the chamber. Twenty to thirty thousand are not a small number, no they are not. The common folk are the base of their power, they all knew that to be true, even the king knew it all too well. They will lose their trust if they cannot protect the common folk. King Hark was able to move the people through the promise of glory and gold and ascension to greater standing in the world. He had done what he wanted, and he knew for a fact that his plans with the slaves would work. With the slaves, he would have an immense amount of brute workforce for him to exploit without having to worry about menial expenses such as payment. 

Still, he would need to make shelters and feed them, issues that are easily tackled as they can make the littlest amount of effort to accommodate the slaves' needs. Sure, he would do adequate so that it is efficient. Plus, the demihumans of both Quila and Qua-Toyne are plentiful. It is a known fact that the demihumans are quite high in demand in the slave market, not to mention the females of Qua-Toyne and Quila are quite the exotic beauty.

The attack on his capital is something unexpected, and it would birth inconveniences such as minor protests by his people demanding he do something about it. He would do something, that is for certain, especially about this new threat. He needed to thwart whatever this mysterious enemy gave his way because he couldn't enact his plans if the enemy weren't dealt with. 

Suddenly, the meeting hall was intruded by an official. He whispers into Maus's ears. Maus's face contorted in disbelief, shock, and most importantly, despair. Something that Hark does not like, nor anyone for that matter.

"What is it, Prime Minister?" Hark asked.

The prime minister is about to speak, yet holds his tongue as his face shows fear. This irked Hark greatly.

"Out with it! Tell me what is it you are so afraid to report?"

"Your Majesty..." Maus starts, anxious. "Our eastern bases... They were also under attack! Not just the eastern bases, but throughout our territory!"

All eyes lit up in shock. The room went into an uproar, until a slam was heard and silenced the room. The slam came from Hark slamming his fist to the table, who seemed infuriated and at the same time anxious.

"...Tell me the details..."

Maus gestured for the aide to explain, and he spared no moment in doing so. The entire room was dead silent, intently hearing the report. And with every moment they spent listening, the more dread they were filled with. The entire territory was attacked at the same time as the attack on the capital, and according to the initial report, the enemy had successfully destroyed all of their military complexes all across the territory. At the same time, inflicted a massive amount of casualties on both soldiers and common folk alike. To their utmost shock, however, is that their entire wyvern corps is decimated.

All who heard the report have gone pale, they were shocked to see the size of the attack the attack was planned well, and a piece of new information had been shed of the enemy, not in a good one too. The enemy, is far superior to even Parpaldia, possibly as powerful as Mu or even Mirishial, as the two nations are the only ones capable of doing such a scale of operation. Hark was filled with dread the most.

His entire plans for the future were thrown off from its course. The enemy was foiling his ambitions, and he hated it. But now is not the time for simple-minded ranting, now is the time of action.

"This is my order. Gather all the soldiers we have left, and prepare for an attack throughout the entire kingdom. The enemy will attack again, I am sure of it." Hark said as he delivered his orders. "Gather all able-bodied men, conscript them, and arm them with weapons and armor. Tell them that the kingdom and their livelihood are in great danger, and all must rise to defend against the interlopers. Once we gather them all, we will fortify our defenses here in the capital. Contact whatever forces near Beales. Tell them to delay any enemy movement on the ground."

The meeting was soon adjourned, and Hark was left all alone. The once power lust he had, it all begins to dwindle as he felt powerless. He needed to clear his head, the event that happened here was beginning to take its toll on his head. He can continue violating the princess, but even he can't conjure up the feeling of lust anymore. He decided to take a small stroll of his grand palace, in the direction of the gardens.

Somewhere in the palace, Princess Aerith Inaxisys tends to her aching body. She was bruised in many places, with all the rough "play" she endured at the hands of Hark. On her body, there are bite marks, bruising from either being slapped or hot wax, and claw marks that scratch her fair skin. The most aching part of her was her lower parts. Her living conditions aren't great either. Despite being in a castle, she, like the rest of the slaves that were brought here kept in a cell. It was lucky enough that she got a cell of her own, not like being grouped up with the rest. Even though Aerith would prefer having a company. 

Then the sound of the dungeon doors began to open, and all including Aerith anticipates who's coming here. Three sets of footsteps, one which they have recognized and welcome the presence. A shadow loomed over Aerith soon, and she found the kind smile of a young woman as old as she. This person was none other than Princess Honoria Louria, King Hark's little sister, and ardent defier of slavery as a whole. She had been so since the beginning of the war and had been trying so hard to alleviate the torment the slaves endured. 

She had been "buying" slaves from her brother, which as a result had reduced her coppers by a great margin, especially in terms of making sure that food, shelter, and the like were properly sustained. The princess had a small following in the kingdom but enough to protect her standing, so the more warmongering people like Pandour and perverts like Adem couldn't do shit about it. She had tried to buy the slaves that her brother personally owned, but her attempts were refused as her brother remained steadfast about keeping his slaves, including Aerith. At the same time, the sister remained steadfast in defying her brother. 

Glancing at two of her confidants, she gestures to them to distribute the goods that she had brought with her. Extra food, water, as well as bandages, and healing salves. Murmurs of gratitude were heard from other slaves, grateful for the kind gesture.

"It appears my brother had roughened you up once more," Honoria said. "Here, have a healing salve and some bandages to cover those wounds. As well some clothes I can spare."

Honoria presented the princess-turned-slave bandages and healing salve. A much-welcomed item for her situation.

"T-thank you, Honoria," Aerith said as she tried to hide a sniff from holding her tears. Although, it proved useless as it was noticed by Honoria.

"Be strong, Aerith. My brother and his cronies are fools, degenerates all of them. I may not be able to guarantee your freedom and the freedom of your people at the moment, but I will try my very best to make that a reality. No matter how long it took." Honoria said.

The two princesses had become quite acquainted with each other, with Honoria sympathizing with Aerith's situation yet not pitying, and Aerith welcoming of Honoria's attempts of amends.

"Though I think retribution is near, Aerith," Honoria said. "Have you heard what has transpired outside?"

"Yes. I heard Jin Hark was just under attack by a mysterious enemy. I heard from the guards that it was a total disaster." Aerith replied.

"Close. The capital was under attack. But not just the capital, Aerith. The entire kingdom as a whole was under attack. A simultaneous attack." She informs her.

This shocks Aerith to no end. The Kingdom of Louria, under massive simultaneous attacks? It's inconceivable. One thing for sure is that there has to be some advanced faction to effectively perform such a massive attack, the question is who? Parpaldia comes to mind, but they are as bad as Lourians are, they even supplied Louria with weapons, thus why they were effective in conquering all of Rodenius. Even then, Parpaldians have to exert a lot of resources to successfully perform such an attack. It would have been straight from the Army rather than the Oversights, and even then it would take a lot of resources to do so. The Superpowers of Mu and Mirishials would be able to do so with ease, but they lack the reasoning to do so. Why bother interfering affairs of the Outer Areas, when they have much in their hands of their Areas?

"What's more mind-boggling, is the assailants. Iron Wyverns, Aerith." Honoria said, in a tone of disbelief herself. "Iron Wyverns that are hundreds of times faster and more powerful than a normal wyvern, you should have seen it. The explosions they caused were immense and dreading. They even used the Magical Flying Arrows that the Ancient Sorcerous Empire used. While I am concerned for the conditions of the common folk, I am most awed by the sheer ferocity those Iron Wyverns showed." 

Iron wyverns. The only thing Aerith could think of were the Iron Wyverns of Mirishials and Mu. But, they're so far away. Matter of fact, they used the Magical Flying Arrows as a weapon. A weapon so advanced, that not even Mirishials have it. So who are these people?

In a Vulture Dropship, somewhere above the clouds. Lucas looked at the scenery of the blue sky before him from the cockpit of the Vulture, standing still as he enjoyed seeing the clouds above. He already wore his ARACS armor, ready to battle. Underneath the helmet, his face was stoic, flat, and calculative. Lucas was known by many as the goofball of the Aquila Unit, the clown of the 59785th Militarum Batch, and the 3509th Cerberus Batch. Despite that, he has seen a fair share of deaths, destruction, and all the traumatizing things people of Old Earth can't stomach. And he knows when to be serious, and knows when the cold and calculative side of every Cerberus was ingrained needed to be brought out. And that time is now.

He had heard of the bastardy traits of the Lourians. Ravernals in Human Skin as many would report them. He frowned at the notion, that for a human to be as sadistic as a Ravernal is unthinkable for him. Yet, these Lourian savages proved his belief wrong, and he felt shame on a level he never knew possible. From the accounts from Quila and Qua-Toyne refugees to the reports sent by initial recon, to think that the Lourians would do the same savagery to even fellow humans. This cannot go, his conscious will not allow it. Louria, its kingdom, its culture, its identity as a people, everything must either be reformed or destroyed to the dust, and he's going to make sure of that.

"Sir, we are a few minutes from the dropzone." The pilot warns him.

"Maintain course. The air is clear from all Charlie-class beasts. We won't have interference from the Lourians aside from the mage corps." 

He had asked for permission from General Juumonji Katsuto, to lead the 212th Assault Legion for the operation on Rodenius. He explained it as truthfully and as clearly as he could. That his intentions are based on a pure vendetta, that he wants to lead the 212th with the sole intention of putting an end to the savagery that is occurring at Rodenius by Lourians. Juumonji agreed. And after all, Juumonji can't refuse on the reason that he couldn't put this request away due to what Lucas had experienced during the War in Heaven. If Juumonji refused this request, it would be an insult to all of his sufferings, all of his struggles as a serviceman of the Militarum. 

Now, within his command, is more than a million soldiers of the 212th Assault Legion. And about all of them, are on their way to stamp out the fire of oppression that is Louria. Half of them, are on thousands of dropships like the one he is riding. And the rest, are to be dropped from pods of the ships that brought them to this planet. And of course, he had to make sure that the continent was secured.

From the palace of Jin Hark, Hark XXXIV had been trying to ease his mind. More to his emotions and getting all the fear that remains within him. He tried to gather all resolve, but still, the feeling remained. Whatever attacked them, attacked his kingdom, was not some barbarians. No, this is a whole advanced faction. But who, remains a mystery. The Parpaldians would be out of the question since he knows for a fact they aren't that advanced to develop something devastating like the Iron Wyverns. If it had been, Parpaldians wouldn't bother granting them weapons for slaves and other resources. No, they would have invaded all Rodenius for their use. Heck, they might challenge all superpowers for their needs. And certainly not the Muans nor the Mirishials. No, they have other matters of their own, whatever that is.

Just as he was about to continue, he felt a shadow emerge, large enough to envelop his large stature. He looked around, the entire garden was dark, enveloped by the said shadow. The entire castle was enveloped in darkness. Then he heard it, the bells. The fucking alarm bells. Something had arrived. Something enormous and intimidating. He braced himself, knowing his mind would break if he looked up. But he must know. He must know!

He looked up. He finally did it. And he regretted it. He regrets his choice to look up. He began to regret everything, he even regretted that he had enslaved the barbaric beastmen and elves, the one thing he never regretted now he felt it and felt his heart clenched. What he saw above him brought his jaw wide open, and made him question everything he knew. Everything that made sense to him, because what's above him doesn't make sense to him. 

A metallic, flying fortress. Descending from the very heavens. From space, as the people from the Civilized area have said. Not just one, but he saw dozens on the horizon. But one was closer to his capital, and one had a symbol he and all in Louria would remember. A golden shooting star. Then he heard a buzzing sound, it was high pitched it made his ears hurt. Then suddenly, an enormous person appeared before them. The person was standing tall as high as a mountain but was made of particles of light. It clicked to Hark that it was a magi projection, one that the Mirishials had. The person who appears in armor is so alien, so inhuman. Then, the helmet opened on its own, revealing a man. His face is flat, yet he can tell there's a hint of disgust in his face. He saw the man start to open his mouth, preparing to address the people of his capital, plus his own.

"To the People of the Barbaric Kingdom of Louria, this is Lieutenant General Lucas Aelius of the Militarum of the Galactic Imperium. The reign of terror and debauchery of Louria to all sentient life of Rodenius ends today. By orders of Governor Piña Co Lada, Governor of Falmarra Prime and Falmarra Sector. Along with orders of His Highness, Young Master of the Imperium, General Lucius Aurelius, I hereby commit punitive actions towards the population of Louria. By this day, the Barbaric Kingdom of Louria shall be no more, as Rodenius as a whole shall submit to the authority of the Galactic Imperium. Surrender your weapons, and your armor, open your gates, and surrender your leaders, specifically, Hark Louria the XXXIV. Compliance will result in lenience, disobedience will result harsher response. Do not resist. Resistance is futile."

The magi projection suddenly disappeared, and at the same time, he saw the dreaded Iron Wyverns coming from the flying fortress. And it was by the hundreds. No, thousands! There are hundreds of other Iron Wyverns descended from above the clouds, above the floating fortress! His face goes white, as white as a corpse, because that's what he's going to be. Hark rushes inside, his face only has terror decorated upon it as he pushes anyone who gets in his way.

Back at the Vulture, Lucas set his eyes on the damaged capital city of Louria. The "great" Jin Hark. Truthfully, the scale is minuscule compared to Old Sadera. He saw the citizens running away in fear, clutching their young as they could taking them as far as they could, trying to escape his force's grasp. It wouldn't matter anyway. They wouldn't make it 10 feet from the outside of the gates, they are surrounded like rats.

"Landing in 20 seconds!"

Acknowledging the pilot, Lucas repositioned himself to the ramp. As the dropship began to land, the ramp opened and Lucas jumped ahead of time. The soldiers there accompanied him, he landed somewhere near the Northern Front Gate, along with thousands of others from the 100,000 detachment strike force for Jin-Hark. The plan of invasion was simple from Juumonji. The 212th will be divided into field army detachments and scattered about the entirety of Rodenius. With the entire number of the 212th, there will be no crook nor cranny will be left unchecked for Lourians to hide. 

Lucas waltzed inside the city along with the men accompanying him, he saw the civilians that attempted to run through the gate and retreated inside once they had seen the 212th. The 212th  didn't need further orders as they had been briefed beforehand, and began sweeping every inch of the city. Lucas however, continued marching forward for Hark Castle. Whilst he marched, the strike force began to drag everyone out of their homes. While he wouldn't hurt the civilians, he wanted them to feel the terror that the Quilans and the Qua-Toynians suffered.

Marching on, Lucas and his men of 50 soldiers arrived at the entrance of Hark Castle. And as expected, this is where the last strong resistance of Louria will emerge. An army of roughly thousands gathered in formation, standing in his way towards the Castle. A pair of important-looking men stepped forward from the formation, one seemed like the general but with a young appearance. Lucas guessed his age to be around 30. The other is an elderly man who wears an attire befitting of a high mage. 

"I am General Patagene of the Grand Lourian Army! This is as far as you can go, Invaders!" The man in armor shouted. 

"I am High Magos Yamirei! I, along with all of the Royal Mage Corps shall defend his Majesty from all invaders!" The old man shouted. "Prepare to meet your maker!"

Lucas said nothing. There was nothing to be said about these savages. The objective and the rules of engagement for this operation are clear. They resist once, and their lives are forfeited, even if they beg for surrender. With a snap of his fingers, Lucas's men opened fire at the gathering army. They were slaughtered mercilessly, yet they persevered and charged at him and his men. It might seem foolish for someone from the perspective of the natives, to challenge an army of thousands with mere fifty men. But there are perks of being a soldier who had fought the hardest, who had faced almost biblically scale dangers and survived the actual biblically scale threat that is the Aether Engine, and who had seen the horrors of actual war. And there are perks of being from a nation, a civilization that survived it all. It means they are ready for anything.

Yamirei and his mages took their chance and tried to cast a volley of fireballs, to wipe out the meager party of fifty invaders that was doing the impossible. Yet when they were about to cast the said spell, they were stumped to see that their cast had failed! Not only that, they began to feel extremely weak! Something was amiss, and Yamirei knew it was the work of the invaders! 

But what is at work here?!

Patagene had caught the idea that the invaders were doing something to their mage, and seeing Yamirei reduced to a frail old man, it was up to him and his men to defeat the invaders. Yet for all their attempts, they all failed. Patagene finally decides to gamble it all and rushes to the leader of the party of 50. If he can kill him, at least it wasn't for nothing. He rushes, and dodges, he does all he can to reach the leader in black armor. He wasn't known to be the greatest warrior of Louria for nothing, and he intends to finish it all in one strike! After all the hard work, he finally reached the man in black armor. He was within striking range, and Patagene took it. With all his hope and all his strength, he swung his sword at the man in black armor.

Only for his hope to be shattered, as well as his sword upon impact of the armor. The man didn't bother to block, the armor did it for him and it worked wonderfully. Patagene felt absolute terror. No matter how hard an armor is, he can cut it in half. He had tested it, he had done it several times in his career. Until now. Patagene began to feel sharp pain in his gut, his eyes opened wide and blood began to pour from his mouth. He looked down, and saw the man in the black armor, stabbing him. He was fast! Too fast for Patagene until he realized it was too late to dodge it, the man in black armor was already a foot away from him. And what shocked him, was what stabbed him. It was his entire left forearm. Not a sword. His. Fucking. FOREARM!! No living mortal could do that, yet the man in black armor did it. He felt his spine being held by the man in black armor, and suddenly he felt his head being pulled with almighty force downwards, he saw red, and suddenly back to the light. Only this time, he can see his lower torso and leg, he can feel his head dangling. His head, was now in his gut, with all his spine dangling from the open wound of his gut. He lost consciousness, and all he saw next was black.

Patagene is dead. In the most gruesome ways known to man.

The brutal show Lucas had performed had drained all the fighting morale of the resisting army. They all turned pale, some vomited, and some shit and pissed their trousers. But one thing is certain, they are broken. Not a moment too soon, Lucas's reinforcement arrived with heavy armor. With the arrival of his reinforcement, the resisting army surrendered. The elderly man, Yamirei came before him and prostrated before Lucas.

"O-Oh... Mercy.... Have mercy upon us." He said as he kissed Lucas's boots.

It was silent. The surrendered Lourians hoped Yamirei's beg would see them survive, and hope again emerged amongst them. Only for it to immediately disappear and exchange with horror and dread, as Lucas stomped Yamirei's head open to the ground. The elderly man was dead, with his dead stomped open, crushed like a watermelon. Lucas looked at the terrified Lourians, and he spoke loud enough for all to hear.

"Kill them all."

Lucas can only hear the wailing of the men before him, as they are gunned down by his men. They wail, they beg to be spared, and they call out to their gods, to their parents. But none could save them. None escape the wrath of the Imperium, not to his. He is a Cerberus of course, the Imperator's War Hound. Once the War Hound is unleashed, there's nothing to stop the Hound, until the bloodlust is satiated. And Lucas isn't satisfied. It was a good thing the Imperium had invented the Psionic Dampeners during the War in Heaven, he had a bad run facing against Ravernal Psionic Corps.

Walking past the charred and mangled corpses, he and all of his men marched forward towards the Castle. Along the way, it was routine for the Lourians to resist and then surrender and be killed. There are occasions they surrendered, one of which was a man with a peculiar shield. The shield had withstood the barrage of plasma bolts, even on full output! Lucas had the man contained, as he wished to know how the man acquired such equipment. The maids and the servants surrendered, and the slaves there were set free. As much as he wanted to comfort the slaves, he had a job to finish. 

After clearing, all it's left is the audience room and the throne room. Before entering this last chamber, Lucas had ordered everyone to always commence a bio-scan to determine life forms. And in the audience room, there are hundreds of hidden warriors, ready to ambush him and his forces. And in the middle of it all, are two female bio-signatures, probably used as shields. 

Lucas marched ahead, followed by a mere twenty soldiers with him. And as he arrived at the audience room, two maids stood before them. Their legs shake, their breathing is heavy, sobbing in terror.

"P-Please don't k-kill us!" One of the maids begged.

Then, they heard the clopping sound of boots coming from behind the maids. A man with a frivolous hair appeared. The armor looked bourgeois, too fancy to belong to a working man. And the man's face is too well-cared, too smooth for a soldier who had seen it all. 

"I see. You're all that kind of people." The man said. "You criticize the conduct of our army, declaring w-"

*Pshiw!*

 Lucas did not grant the man the pleasure of monologing, he had no time for such idiotic matters. The man's head was burned, with a cauterized hole the size of a baseball punched through his skull open. With a single sign of his hand, the men with him opened fire at the hiding soldiers. The ambushers became ambushed. Walking past the chaos of men dying, he entered the throne room with three soldiers. He saw King Hark Louria sitting on the throne broken, in terror and pale. He looked at the invaders before him, his face plastered with terror. He was truly broken.

"Hark Louria XXXIV. In the name of the Imperator, in the name of the Galactic Imperium, you are under arrest for crimes against all sentient beings! For the crimes you commit against the peoples of Quila and Qua-Toyne, and those before them that you torment. May whatever gods you worship grant you mercy, for the Imperium shall give naught." Lucas said.

The soldiers with him immediately restrained Hark Louria, as he could only do was submit and be broken. His kingdom is done for, HE is done for. He should've listened to his sister, but it is all but too late. Lucas witnessed as the man was dragged to the side, and held him down on the floor. Lucas relaxed a bit, as he opened his helmet for all to see only briefly to catch some air, and sat at the throne. He didn't like the throne, too comfortable. The throne of the Imperator in the Imperial Senate and the Imperial Palace is not this comfortable, they were no cushions at all, only cold and hard HEL. He stood up and just witnessed the chaos unfold in Jin Hark.

"Sir, we have found the Princess of Qua-Toyne, she is safe within the dungeons. As well as the Princess of Louria. Both are found in the Dungeons, sir. The Lourian Princess is cooperating."

This is a piece of interesting news. He was glad the Princess of Qua-Toyne was safe and alive. But to hear the Lourian Princess in the dungeons too? And is cooperating? Now that is interesting.

"Bring both to the Throne room. I must address them."

Lucas waited, his eyes focused on the ornaments of the Throne room. Marble, with gold and diamond decor. No doubt these decorations were stolen from those before. He took his time to explore Hark's chambers, and he was utterly disgusted by what he saw. So many sexual contraptions near his bed, that it almost makes him not want to explore the bed area. Almost. But first, his desk. He looked over the desk and found correspondences with a nation called Parpaldia Empire, to their Imperial Strategic Office to be exact, an organization like the Inquisitionis of the Imperium Lucas deduced from the contents of the letters. A set of written deals to sell resources and slaves to the Empire in exchange for weapons and new technologies. He looked over and saw that the listed technologies were all in the early eras of gunpowder. Arquebuses, flintlocks, bombard cannons, including hatchlings of the new breed of Wyvern Lords. This kinda makes sense with the scale of explosions occurring on Lourian bases all across Rodenius, as it doesn't add up at first. Now, it does. Guess the airstrikes from the 5th Cerberus proved very effective, as he does not receive any reports of the enemy using these weapons. Not that it matters anyway, still he needs to commend the air boys for their splendid work. After turning the chamber upside down, and finding nothing else of importance, Lucas returned to the Throne Room. There, he found Hark now unconscious, and two young ladies stood under the heavy guard of his soldiers.

"Princess Aerith and the Lourian Princess Honoria." He said, his voice coarse and rough through the voice modulator. "I am Lieutenant General Lucas Aelius. Perhaps you have heard the initial announcement?"

"Y-yes. We have." Honoria said, trying her best to put up a brave face. "Y-you have made your intentions clear. But what is it you want from the both of us?"

Lucas moved to the throne, sat on it, and removed his helmet. Now, they truly see face to face.

"What I want is retribution for the oppressed. The survivors under Kanata and Earnwulf had made an official plea to the Governor and in return submitted to the Imperial Authority." Lucas said. "Your people would rejoice to hear that their princess is still alive, Princess Aerith."

"M-My people survived?!" Aerith spoke, baffled and surprised. 

Lucas gave her a nod. "Indeed. And in return for our help, they submitted to our rule. Qua-Toyne and Quila are now effectively civilians of the Galactic Imperium, and no one mistreats our people." Lucas said. "Though, now there's a bit of a dilemma with you, Princess Honoria. Should we take you in as equally guilty, or should we re-assess your situation?"

As soon as he said that, Princess Aerith marched and stepped before Honoria, covering her from the scrutinous gaze of the man before her. 

"Please, whatever your initial thoughts about her, it's wrong! She's a kind princess! A different person than her brother!" Princess Aerith came to Honoria's defense. A gesture that made Lucas visibly surprised. "Princess Honoria is a kind person. She despises slavery, she hates the notion of slaves. She's always there to help me and help other slaves in need. She owns many slaves so that they can be safe from whatever atrocities Hark's followers throw at us, she and her followers tried all they could to save us from this cruel fate. So I beg you, reconsider whatever it is you had planned for her, for she is good and-"

"Aerith, that's enough."

Aerith stopped her teary-eyed rants and looked behind her. Honoria, already two feet away from her gave a reassuring pat on her shoulder with a confident smile on her face, a 180-degree change.

"I thank you, for trying to defend me. But that's alright. It's enough. What deeds I did mean nothing, for I, technically still your enemy." Honoria said, her attention now turns to Lucas. "If you need to put me in chains, so be it. As much as I hated my brother and his followers, I am loyal to the People of Louria alone. But please, let the suffering end. My people had learned their lesson, they no longer wish to enslave anyone, not after this. Let Louria fall, but let the suffering of the people end."

Now, this is interesting for Lucas. Two princesses of opposite sides, yet both of them formed a bond like no other. Lucas wondered if Aerith had developed a case of Stockholm Syndrome, but that is yet to be proven. And Honoria means everything that she says. This would need either the Governor's or the Young Master's attention, as Lucas was not one for politics, he had an understanding of any political situation, but not the aptitude to make a decision.

"... Princess Honoria Louria. I hereby put you under house arrest for suspicion of being an accessory to your brother's crimes. Your case shall be put under investigation, and you will be further put under the judiciary process according to the result of the investigation." Lucas stated. "If you cooperate in full with the process, your cooperation will be put forward for consideration of leniency should you be proven guilty or will be put forward for consideration of reward and recompense should you be proven innocent. Is my words clear enough?"

"Yes. Your words are clear." Honoria responded.

"Good. I shall read you your rights as a cooperative arrestee. You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present, you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Do you understand the rights I have given you?" 

"Yes. I understand." She responded firmly.

"Good. Take Princess Honoria back to Sadera. She'll take residence at the Governor's palace."

Four soldiers approached Princess Honoria, one was carrying a shackle. The soldiers gently placed the shackles on both of her wrists, affirming that Princess Honoria was now a cooperative arrestee. Princess Aerith was about to protest and block the soldiers from apprehending Honoria but stopped when she felt a reassuring grip on her shoulder by Honoria. Aerith felt helpless as she saw Honoria being taken away by a guard of four soldiers, yet a bit eased when she saw how gentle Honoria was being treated.

••••••

The news of the defeated Kingdom of Louria spreads like wildfire. Louria, the apex of Rodenius lost to a mysterious faction, and what brought much intrigue and shock was how fast they were defeated. One day. In one day, the Kingdom of Louria was subjected to a simultaneous attack, and on that same day, the entirety of the Kingdom of Louria was subjected to the mysterious powers. It has been weeks, and the talks about the mysterious faction remained the hottest discussion there is. Even the nations from the 1st and 2nd Civilized areas soon take notice. And it didn't take long for the neighboring kingdoms to hear the name of this effective and mysterious conqueror. They all heard the name. The Galactic Imperium.

At first, they were in disbelief and assumed the name to be a falsehood and that these people were not what they claimed to be. After all, to name oneself as a galactic nation, it's preposterous for some people from outside the Outer Areas. Yet, soon the assumptions became increasingly unpopular, as the neighboring kingdoms began to hear constant news and rumors. Now, even a rumor can turn out to be true when the contents are told constantly and unchanged. And they all heard it. Flying Iron Wyverns that are faster than anything ever flown in the sky and flying Iron Fortresses that remain vigil above Rodenius remained the constant topic to those who visited Rodenius after the defeat of Louria.

The mysterious faction becomes the talk of the entire known world, as many would visit Rodenius to witness what was being rumored. It adds to the intrigue that this mysterious faction would treat the Lourians well after the defeat of the Lourian Kingdom, they even denounce slavery and are cordial with all races. The visitors were shocked to see the flying iron fortresses, keeping vigil and security across the continents. They were shocked to see the rumored Iron Wyverns who occasionally flew over cities for patrol, they were shocked to see how magical these people were with their hovering Iron Carriages and the bulky armor their soldiers donned proudly. But what is most shocking to them all, is how rapid the reconstruction efforts are.

It was said that the Qua-Toynian capital city was so sacked and ruined that it would take centuries for the city to recover. Yet, only weeks now the city has become even more grand than it was before. There are towering buildings now, reaching to the heavens. Qua-Toyne is now even expanding. The same thing goes for other Quila and even Louria. These things happened all due to the Qua-Toyne and Quila submitting to the rule of the Galactic Imperium, and Louria happened because the Galactic Imperium conquered it. When asked where the Qua-Toynians and Quilans found them, they say that the Galactic Imperium saved them and brought them to their main territory in the far East, where they say an even greater land exists, where their buildings outshine all in the known world. A bold statement, one that could now considered believable with what they had witnessed in Rodenius. 

Now, surrounding nations, even those from the Civilized Areas placed their attention on this mysterious faction that proudly dons the name of Galactic. 

In the Empire of Parpaldia, at the State Conference, gathered a group of the Empire's most powerful people. At the helm of the conference, is the current Emperor, Emperor Ludius, the most powerful man in the 3rd Civilization Area. Today's meeting is to discuss what has transpired in the last few weeks, and what moves they should make to further push their goal.

"Kaios. What is the response of the Fennese barbarians to our proposals?" As a man in his late 20s asked. The man being the Emperor himself, asked the Head of the 3rd Foreign Affairs Department, Kaios.

"The Fennese have refused both of our proposals, Your Majesty. I already dispatched a fleet of 22 ships from the Imperial Oversight Army to punish Fenn for their disobedience." Kaios reported.

"I see. Even though my proposal has been very generous, these Fenn barbarians don't seem to get it." Ludius mused. "Very well. I await your report on the result of our punitive actions towards Fenn. Now, Director Inos."

Director Inos twitched in absolute fear at the instance his name was uttered. He had failed big time. And the cost might be his life.

"I heard that you have failed. Well, I can't exactly blame you for all the things that happened in Rodenius, including your failure to ensure our involvement in Louria remains a secret. But let me ask you this." Ludius said. "Can you be considered loyal to me, when you had tried to wash away your failure and tried to conceal it from me?"

Ludius had ordered Inos to manipulate the Lourian king into accepting a deal to help his forces win the war in Rodenius and then force Louria into repaying all the debts through manipulation deals that allowed Parpaldia to squeeze all the resources of Rodenius. If the Lourians refused, they could just conquer the continent for their own as the equipment they gave the Lourians are obsolete to theirs. 

But Ludius also instructed Inos to be thorough in making sure their involvement would remain a secret, to prepare for the outcome that the Lourians, despite all the preparation, would fail in conquering both Quila and Qua-Toyne, the barbarians that they are. Should the involvement get out before the Lourians succeed, the possibility of interventions from the nations of the Civilized Areas should prove detrimental. While the involvement got out, Ludius couldn't blame Inos for that due to the mysterious nature of the new conquerors of Rodenius. But what he can blame, is that Inos didn't even cover his tracks from the get-go, clearly disregarding his orders, and even tried to cover his mistakes from Ludius.

"Did you think I did not see it? Your pathetic attempts to cover your own mistakes from me?" Ludius asked him again. "I would not blame you for what happened in Louria, no one can predict that a mysterious faction would show up and decimate Louria, in just one day. But I can blame your ignorance for not doing the things I told you to do, and thus exposing our involvement to the new faction in Rodenius."

"I-I-I sincerely apologize for this-"

"Enough. I do not need cowards. As much as I would like to execute you for this, your crimes are not of corruption. And from what I hear from Madam Elt here, you have repaid all the damages done from your own pockets. And Madam Elt thinks you deserve a second chance." Ludius said. "Isn't that right, Elt?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty."  Elt is a beautiful woman with a ponytail and an intellectual impression. Her hair color is silver-blond, is youthful, and maintains proportions that her subordinates admire, She currently holds office as Head of the 1st Foreign Affairs Department.

"Inos, you may continue to work in the Strategic Office, but you are no longer Director. Moreover, I will deduct one-fifth of your yearly salary. Do not squander this mercy I gave you, do you understand?" 

"Y-Yes! I-I am in your eternal debt, Your Majesty!" Inos cried out, relieved that he got to keep his head.

"Good. Now out with you. You are no longer Director."

Inos walked out of the assembly room, and the discussion continued.

"Supreme Commander Arde. How are our forces, are they ready for the next step? And what of your plans to invade Altaras?" Ludius asked.

"Our forces are still getting ready, Your Majesty. However, it wouldn't be long for them to be ready. I estimate that they will be ready when Fenn has been punished by the Oversight Army. As for the plans, I have prepared them in advance. With your permission, I would like to inform you of the details." Arde said confidently. 

"You will inform the plans at a later date, Arde. When the forces are ready, and all dignitaries are present. Though, excellent job in finishing the plans ahead." Ludius responded. "Now, I would like to discuss the elephant in the room. The Galactic Imperium. Have we confirmed the rumors?"

"Unfortunately, the rumors proved to be true, Your Majesty," Elt replied. "Our spies in Rodenius have reported the same thing that many visitors have said many times. These people called the Galactic Imperium possessed magical weapons and equipment, beyond our comprehension."

"They have massive magical iron fortresses floating in the sky, and from our observations, the Iron Fortresses have mana cannons as well. They have Iron Wyverns that can fly faster than our Wyvern Overlords, and Magical Iron Land Dragons of many kinds." Arde said. "This people, they are dangerous, Your Majesty. We have reported that the soldiers stationed there could be in the hundreds of thousands, there are rumors that the force garrisoned there are in the millions, but we have yet to confirm that." 

"I concur with Arde, Your Majesty. These people, are not to be messed with. Our spies also reported that the national power of the Galactic Imperium is off the charts, for they have restored the many cities and towns that are estimated to make recovery in centuries, they make so within weeks." Elt added. "We must tread carefully with them, Your Majesty. Who knows what powers they still hide? If we were not careful, we might stepped on a lion's tail and enraged the said lion. And maybe, these people do come from the stars above and are colonizing us."

Ludius sat on contemplating, he did not like this at all. He used to be the top dog of the 3rd Civilization and the Outer Areas as well. Now, out comes a faction that is possibly even greater than the Mirishials. These people could hinder his desire for expansion, but maybe there's something he can do about this situation.

"Set up a meeting with them. Invite their diplomats to Eshtirant. We need to make a sort of deal with them. Maybe we can arrange boundaries of sphere of influence, or better yet, a trade agreement." Ludius said. "They may become an obstacle to my desire to expand our borders, one that may never be able to get through. But if we can get a trade with them, we might just expand west rather than east."

"As you command, Your Majesty," Elt said, followed by the rest. "I assume you want the 1st Foreign Affairs to invite them?"

"Not just yours, but every Foreign Department we have must cooperate. This meeting will be the determining factor of our future. I want this to be perfect. Let it be known that the Foreign Affairs must treat the guests from the Galactic Imperium with the highest form of respect." Ludius said. "And not just the Foreign Affairs, I want all departments of our Empire to treat the delegation of the Galactic Imperium with respect. From the highest official to a mere clerk, from a general to a mere private. We will throw in the best reception in the history of the Parpaldian Empire. We must have their approval, is that understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." All of them replied.

Ludius sees the threat these newcomers are. And sees the opportunity to make relations too. He didn't like it, but he must humble himself to achieve his desires. He just hoped that everything went well.