War Room — One Week After the Victory
The room was filled with tense silence.
Kaito sat at the head of the table, his expression somber.
Around him: Gorman, the four queens, Drake, and several captains.
Gorman had docunts spread out before him.
All bad news.
"Commander, I’ve completed the inventory," he finally said.
Kaito nodded.
"Go ahead."
Gorman took a deep breath.
"Our arsenals are depleted. Seventy percent of our arrows were used in the battle."
He paused.
"Forty percent of our weapons are damaged or broken. They need repair or replacent."
Adelheid, from her wheelchair, clenched her fists.
"And the armor?"
Gorman checked his notes.
"Thirty percent destroyed or severely damaged."
He continued reading.
"The granaries... thirty percent destroyed during Eldric’s attack."
"Our food reserves will last three months. Maybe four if we ration."
Kaito felt a weight settle in his stomach.
"And the Adenite mine?"
Gorman shook his head.
"Production dropped sixty percent. The tunnels were damaged in the explosions."
"It will take months to fully repair them."
Lilith spoke up.
"And infrastructure?"
Gorman turned more pages.
"Three bridges destroyed. Main roads damaged. Buildings in Dreisburg and the fortresses require repairs."
He set the docunts down.
"Estimate: we need at least six months and resources we currently do not have to restore everything."
Silence fell like a slab of stone.
Kaito leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples.
"So we won the battle..."
"But we’re bankrupt," Drake finished.
Naporia slamd her fist on the table.
"So what? We conquer more territories! We take what we need!"
Kaito looked at her.
"From whom? Our allies? The villagers barely surviving?"
Naporia growled but didn’t answer.
Valeria spoke in a flat tone.
"Correct analysis: insufficient resources for sustained military operations."
She looked at Kaito.
"Recomndation: prioritize resource acquisition before expansion."
Kaito nodded.
"Exactly. We need to rebuild before we grow."
Sa Day — Main Courtyard
A shout interrupted the eting.
"Commander! The reconnaissance teams!"
Kaito rushed outside with the others.
In the courtyard, four groups of exhausted soldiers were dismounting.
The teams sent weeks earlier had finally returned.
The leader of the Northern Team stepped forward first.
"Commander Kaito," he saluted. "Reporting findings."
Kaito gestured.
"Speak."
The soldier unfolded a rough map.
"Dense forests to the north. Oak, pine. Excellent construction timber."
He pointed to marked areas.
"Also an abundance of deer and boar. Good hunting."
"But there’s danger: bears, wolves. We’ll need escorts for lumber crews."
Kaito nodded, taking notes.
The Eastern Team leader stepped forward.
"Iron deposits in the eastern mountains."
He displayed samples of ore.
"Not as rich as Adenites, but useful. There’s also a marble quarry."
"Abandoned, but the structures remain intact. We could reactivate it."
Adelheid leaned forward.
"How large is the deposit?"
"Enough to equip two hundred soldiers, perhaps more."
Adelheid nodded, satisfied.
The Southern Team reported next.
"Fertile uncultivated lands. An entire valley."
"A river runs through it with abandoned mills. Three of them, in good condition."
Gorman took frantic notes.
"Why abandoned?"
The soldier shrugged.
"People fled during previous wars. Never returned."
Finally, the Western Team.
Their leader looked... nervous.
"Commander, we found... sothing strange."
Kaito looked at him.
"Define strange."
The soldier swallowed.
"Ruins. Ancient. Predating any current kingdom."
He showed crude drawings.
"Stone structures with symbols we don’t recognize. They glow faintly in the dark."
Lilith imdiately stepped closer.
"They glow? What color?"
"Blue. Like... contained energy."
Lilith grabbed the drawings, studying them intensely.
Her eyes widened.
"This is pre-Collapse. A prior civilization."
She looked at Kaito.
"There could be lost technology there. Knowledge that would change everything."
Kaito considered.
"Is it dangerous?"
The western soldier hesitated.
"Nothing attacked us. But... it feels... watched."
Kaito nodded slowly.
"Understood. Good work, all of you. Get so rest."
The teams withdrew.
Kaito turned to his inner circle.
"Priorities: iron first. We need weapons."
He looked at Naporia.
"Then agriculture. Without food, there is no kingdom."
He turned to Lilith.
"And the ruins... investigate them. But carefully."
Adelheid’s Room — Afternoon
Adelheid sat in her wheelchair, studying military maps.
Trying to calculate how many soldiers she could equip with limited resources.
Frustration grew with every calculation.
One hundred soldiers. Maybe one hundred twenty if we sacrifice quality.
It’s not enough.
She struck the armrest of her chair.
A knock at the door.
"Co in."
Kaito entered.
"How’s it going?"
Adelheid didn’t look up.
"Terrible. Without resources, I can’t train a proper army."
"We have soldiers, but no weapons to give them."
Kaito stepped closer, looking at her calculations.
"What exactly do you need?"
Adelheid pointed at the list.
"Three hundred swords. Two hundred shields. Five hundred arrows daily."
"Armor for at least fifty elite soldiers."
Kaito whistled softly.
"That’s... a lot."
Adelheid finally looked at him.
"That’s why I’m frustrated. I want to train. I want us prepared."
She clenched her fists.
"But I can’t do anything from this chair without resources."
Kaito placed a hand on her shoulder.
"The eastern iron will help. Not enough, but it’s a start."
Adelheid nodded.
"I know. I just... hate this helplessness."
Kaito smiled faintly.
"That’s why I’m sending Naporia to secure the mines. She needs action anyway."
Adelheid laughed softly.
"Good way to channel her energy."
Library — That Night
Lilith had the drawings of the ruins spread across a table.
Candles illuminated her focused face.
Aria entered with tea.
"Still awake?"
Lilith didn’t look up.
"These symbols... I recognize them."
Aria stepped closer.
"From where?"
Lilith touched one of the drawings.
"From my ti. Before I was sealed."
"There were rumors of an ancient civilization that fell a thousand years ago."
She looked at Aria.
"They reached a technological level that combined magic and science."
Aria blinked.
"Like my world?"
Lilith nodded.
"Possibly. If these ruins are real..."
Her eyes glead.
"We could find knowledge that would completely change Neudämrung."
Aria sat down.
"Is it safe? The soldier said it felt watched."
Lilith smiled.
"That’s why I’ll go personally. With proper preparation."
She looked at Aria.
"Will you co with ?"
Aria hesitated.
"Why ?"
"Because you understand technology. I understand magic. Together... we’ll understand what we find."
Aria considered, then nodded.
"Fine. But fully equipped. And with guards."
Lilith smiled.
"Of course. I’m not suicidal."
Training Grounds — Night
Naporia was striking training dummies.
With excessive force.
The dummies didn’t last long.
Valeria watched from the side.
"Frustrated."
Naporia growled.
"When do we fight again?"
Valeria didn’t respond imdiately.
"Patience is also a skill of war."
Naporia turned sharply.
"I hate patience! I’m a warrior, not a bureaucrat!"
Valeria looked at her without expression.
"Then you will die young. Because war is also waiting."
Naporia gripped her sword.
"Are you calling impulsive?"
"Yes."
The brutal honesty stopped Naporia.
Valeria continued.
"Impulse wins battles. Patience wins wars."
"Learn the difference or beco a disposable weapon."
Naporia opened her mouth to respond.
But couldn’t.
Because Valeria was right.
She sheathed her sword in frustration.
"Fine. Then I’ll wait."
She started to walk away, then stopped.
"But the mont Kaito gives permission... I’m going to those iron mines."
"I need to do sothing."
Valeria nodded once.
"Function understood."
Kaito’s Room — Midnight
Kaito was alone, reviewing reports.
Drake entered with two glasses of wine.
"Thought you might need this."
Kaito accepted gratefully.
"Thanks."
They drank in silence for a mont.
Drake finally spoke.
"I’m surprised."
Kaito looked at him.
"About what?"
"That you know so much about logistics. Resources. Economics."
Drake leaned back.
"Avernor never taught us that. Only combat."
Kaito smiled faintly.
"In my world, I studied history. Especially military history."
He set his glass down.
"And I learned that wars aren’t won only on the battlefield."
"They’re won in granaries. In forges. On roads."
Drake nodded slowly.
"The Romans. The Mongols. They won because their logistics were superior."
Kaito raised his glass.
"Exactly. An army without food is a dead army."
Drake clinked his glass against Kaito’s.
"Avernor treated us like weapons. You treat us like people."
"That’s the difference."
Kaito smiled.
"And that’s why you fight better."
They drank again.
War Room — Next Morning
Kaito called the final planning eting.
"I’ve decided the expeditions."
He pointed to the map.
"Team A: Iron mine. Naporia leads."
Naporia smiled with satisfaction.
"Thirty soldiers, engineers, miners. Secure the mines and begin extraction."
"Team B: Ancient ruins. Lilith and Aria."
Lilith nodded.
"Twenty guards. Investigate, docunt, bring back information. Do not touch anything dangerous."
"Team C: Internal reconstruction. Adelheid coordinates."
Adelheid straightened.
"Repair infrastructure. Organize agriculture in the southern lands."
Kaito looked at Valeria.
"Valeria, you protect the kingdom while everyone is out."
Valeria nodded.
"Function accepted."
Kaito continued.
"Drake, you assist Adelheid with logistics."
"Gorman, overall coordination."
Everyone nodded.
"We depart in two days. Questions."
Naporia raised her hand.
"Can I kill bandits if I find any?"
Kaito sighed.
"If they attack first, yes. But don’t go looking for trouble."
Naporia grinned.
"Understood."
The eting dissolved.
That Night — The ssenger Arrives
Kaito was dining with Aria when the ssenger arrived.
Exhausted. Covered in dust.
"Commander Kaito! Urgent ssage!"
Kaito stood.
"From whom?"
The ssenger extended a scroll with an official seal.
It wasn’t from Stahl.
It was sothing bigger.
The seal displayed twelve interwoven symbols.
Council of Kingdoms.
Kaito opened the scroll, his hands trembling slightly.
He read aloud.
To Lord Kaito Yukimura of Neudämrung,
You are hereby formally summoned to the Council of Kingdoms.
Date: 10 weeks from receipt of this ssage.
Location: Neutral City of Vestria.
Purpose: To answer accusations presented by the Kingdom of Avernor.
Requirent: You must bring your official Queen as witness of your legitimacy.
Failure to appear will be interpreted as admission of guilt.
— Council Authority
Absolute silence.
Aria spoke first.
"Official Queen... but you have four."
Kaito slowly lowered the scroll.
He looked toward the hall where he knew his four queens were.
One word escaped his lips.
"Shit."
The ssenger cleared his throat.
"Commander... there’s more."
Kaito looked at him.
"What else?"
"The Council... is law. If they declare you a continental enemy..."
The ssenger swallowed.
"All kingdoms will have the legal right to attack you."
Kaito felt as if the ground shifted beneath his feet.
Not just a war.
A war against everyone.
And he had ten weeks to prepare.
And to decide which of his four queens would be his official Queen.
Aria touched his arm.
"Kaito..."
He shook his head.
"Call an ergency eting. Everyone. Now."
Aria nodded and ran.
Kaito remained staring at the scroll.
Ten weeks.
To save everything I built.
And choose between four won who might kill for choosing wrong.
He smiled bitterly.
"Fantastic. Just fantastic."
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