Steel and Mana

Chapter 346 – A New Era (1)

I was listening to the familiar hum of the Camelot, hovering in the sky, wind passing by us, my head still pounding pretty hard as if it had been caught between grinding gears. But... I can deal with that. This time, I woke from an actual sleep as the coma-like state I found myself in was not the most refreshing one, leaving me weak, unable to actually stand up. I was doing my best, blinking the haze from my vision, exhaling slowly, and feeling the stiffness loosen in my limbs. Although my bones sometimes hurt and cracked as if I were close to retirement, I tried to push myself out of bed. I can't stay here, not now. But... A soft warmth pressed against me, pushing back down as a mushy, soft, blank moaned on me. Oh... No, that was Mikan. Naked? Oh... now I can feel it. There was a faint taste of milk on the edge of my lips.

"Not bad..." I muttered, chuckling, watching her wake up, blinking her sleepy eyes at me.

“How are you...? Does it hurt somewhere? You were tossing and turning a lot...” Mikan murmured, caressing my face as she sat up, her belly already big enough to soon give birth to our daughter. Even though she was still sleepy, she was already looking me over, and after lifting the blanket and noticing something also standing at attention, she let out a relieved sigh. “You do look healthy... You two scared us, you know? When you both collapsed after the battle, we thought—” She cut herself off, shaking her head as if to banish the thought. Her golden hair was disheveled, strands falling loose around her face, swiping it behind her ear, looking into my eyes, making sure I was indeed okay.

"Sasha still wouldn't wake up, though," Luna muttered as she let out a breath she had been holding, waking, sitting up from my other side. She looked at me with her mismatched eyes, waiting for me to repeat what I had already told them. “This time, you slept for almost a day. We thought you would be out again for more…” She shook her head, her voice trailing off.

"Don't worry. Sasha should also be fine; she decided to stay in that... dream thing. Whatever it is, it has to do with the thing Pascal summoned. Probably this Vasa thing. No, not probably; I am sure of it. She will wake up when she finds out more!" I repeated myself while I forced a small smile, trying to ease the tension. “But I have slept enough; we are in the middle of a war, no? So... What… happened?”

"Not much after that." Mikan and Luna exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them, recounting everything that I missed before Mikan began speaking. “The last of Pascal's disciples showed up. His name is Lucca, and he surrendered without any tricks."

"Without much of a fight, surprisingly." Luna agreed, "Also, a handful of dukes from the inner city followed suit, too, though some of them still hesitated when we breached the Palace. We handed them over to Mirian to deal with, but the battle is over. It’s done. The city is ours.”

"Good." I smiled, expecting nothing less. They don't need me to micromanage them all the time. Otherwise, why would I have subordinates? People who are up for the task? If I need to do everything by myself, why even rule? What surprised me, though, was that someone close to Pascal surrendered? Just like that? I had expected more resistance, bloodier skirmishes, and perhaps even a last stand from someone like that. Maybe a suicide spell. Anything! Yet here we are, the war finished and done just like that. “And the Palace? Pascal?” I asked, my voice stronger now, furrowing my brows. Mikan followed suit as she also frowned, her lips pressing into a thin line.

“The Palace was breached. Oleg, Pion, and his men have been combing through it since then while the mechs are guarding all ins and outs while Mirian is already organizing her ascension and taking control of the Empire as soon as possible. She wants to secure the throne before chaos arises and takes advantage of us here.”

"As for Pascal..." Luna shrugged, "We only found ashes. We can't tell if he is dead or not, but..."

"But?" I asked, watching her face, waiting for her to continue.

"We only have guesses. One, the ashes were surrounding the Spear that Mirian threw through the sky. It was back to its usual size, nailed into the wall of the chamber, while ashes stained the floor and wall as if black lightning struck it in the dead center, scorching everything."

"Our other clue," Mikan finished for her, "Is that both Lucca and Kiva say they can no longer feel Pascal's presence. At all."

"They could be lying," I suggested, turning towards Mikan.

"Maybe. But... I don't think so." She answered after a momentary pause.

If she says so... She should be correct, so I nodded slowly, my mind somewhat settling down. Still, I needed to get up and see things for myself, no matter how much my body protested at the thought of moving. For a bit more, I allowed myself a moment of peace in their embrace before finally moaning and getting to my feet.

"Let's go!" I grunted, moving my shoulders, letting them help me dress up. "If I am out for too long, rumors may start. Let's not wait for that."

...
.....
........

The bridge of Camelot was alive with controlled haste, radio chatter coming in and out from the officers organizing reports and dealing with the end of the siege of the Imperial City. Kustov stood near the central spot of the bridge, his arms crossed, as he watched an image of the Palace flicker in the Imaginary. It was no longer smoking, nor were any signs of formations, runaway spells, or traps. Still, he was on high alert, so if anything happened, they would react in time, disrupting the Ishillian traps. He only flinched when I arrived, his shoulders relaxing before saluting, just like everyone else on the bridge.

“We’re sweeping every hall, every hidden passage,” he reported as I approached, his voice rough but audibly relieved. “Still nothing, My Sovereign. If Pascal had escaped, he would have disappeared into thin air, I may say so. If he has set up any trap... he did not spring it yet, either.”

"He probably died," I nodded, smiling back at him. Looking at the information my troops were sending back, we were mapping the massive building to its fullest. Just from a look, the Palace looked like a labyrinth, the same thing that was usually on the back of cereal boxes. “And Mirian?” I asked, looking back up at him again.

“She is wasting no time,” he chuckled, though there was no humor in it. “She’s going to be a competent Empress. She is already making preparations to assume power, reorganizing the nobles and pardoning many of them. Her orders go out every day, sending messengers to every part of the Empire. The transition is being forced through as quickly as possible. She won’t let hesitation cost her the throne, that is for sure.”

"Less work for us!" I chuckled, patting his shoulder. Mirian’s plans were no secret, of course, but the speed at which she was moving was surprising. True... Power vacuums were dangerous, and if she took her time, that could create new enemies and make the already crumbling Empire shatter into thousands of pieces. “We need to be careful,” I said quietly. “The last thing we need is another uprising while she is consolidating power. Help her with whatever she needs help with. Even if it is subjugating others.”

"Yes, My Sovereign," Kustov grunted in agreement, his eyes never leaving my face. “For now, our priority was finding everybody still hiding in that Palace. If they’re planning something, we need to stop them before it’s too late, but it seems we are worried for nothing. Should we...”

"Take anything?" I chuckled, shaking my head and tapping it at my temple. "No. We already have everything valuable here. Pull our forces out, leave only Mirian's troops inside."

"Sovereign?" He asked, surprised.

"Call my Uncle up! We are moving to the South!"

"The... South?" He blinked his eyes, but without questioning more, he saluted, "Acknowledged, my Sovereign!"

...
....
.....

Lucca sat in his well-lit cell, the cold metal walls and floor pressing against his bare hands and feet. The air was dry and clean, and he was amazed by where he was, even if he didn't show it. When he saw the flying metal ship, he knew why they lost. Someone had grown stronger without them noticing it... And it wasn't Mirian. No wonder both Otto and Barth had died. Otto was a given; he was always one who did things over the top and acted without plans, on instincts. As for Barth... the complete opposite of Otto? He also had no chance without knowing about what he was trying to contain. Lucca also silently admitted that without prior knowledge, he would have probably lost against them. They lost before Mirian was chased away...

While thinking, the door to his holding cell opened, and two guards came in, escorting someone he knew. Lucca said nothing, just nodded at his old friend, watching him come over, his arms and legs shackled with the same bracelets he was wearing now. He was amazed by their ingenuity and how they completely suppressed his magic. If not for the fact they would probably kill him for prodding it, he would have already tried and taken it apart, just so he could learn from it.

"We have lost." Kiva exhaled, glancing around as he took the seat across from Lucca. His usually loyal expression was now replaced with confusion and uncertainty, and his face bore the marks of all of his beliefs and how they were shattered. Worst... There was no light in his eyes. Not anymore. “Huh. Been a while since we were just… sitting together, hasn’t it?”

"Yes." Lucca tilted his head, a faint smile forming on his lips. “Centuries. We were just students back then, weren't we?”

“Feels like another lifetime,” Kiva agreed, leaning back as much as his chair allowed, closing his eyes for a little. He could hear their own childlike voices... then Morningstar's figure appeared, interlapping Mikan's, making him reopen his eyes, with a faint light visible for a brief moment in them. "Back when things were simpler. I just followed the orders... Then I wouldn't screw up. Easy."

"I know." Lucca nodded, "Even if those orders were wrong. But that is not an excuse."

"It isn't," Kiva murmured, glancing at the two guards who just stood there like unmovable statues. For a moment, silence settled between them, neither speaking of the war nor the choices they had made. Eventually, Kiva chuckled, the sound dry and humorless. “So, what do you think? Execution? Or something worse?”

"Hm..." Lucca’s smile didn’t waver while thinking, “Depends. They could make an example out of us. Or they could get creative.”

“Mindless magical thralls?” Kiva quipped dryly. “Wouldn’t that be something? Becoming a shipslave...”

"I didn't see any aboard of this one." Lucca shrugged, his bracelets clinking softly. “No matter which fate awaits us, we both knew the risks. There’s no way out of this.”

"No. And from what I learned, we probably would be dead anyway, even if Master had won." Kiva sighed, nodding. “You always knew how this would end. Didn't you?”

"I had a guess." He spoke after a long sigh, "I felt it as a kid. Master was faking his emotions. He only cared for himself, and after we did to Morningstar, I knew we would end up just the same. When someone is willing to sacrifice a figure like her? We are nothing then."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Kiva asked but without any accusations in his voice.

"Would it change anything? No. I would have been simply replaced by another. So, I accepted the unchangeable. That's all."

"You are a calculating son of a bitch..." Kiva chuckled, making Lucca nod his head, echoing his faint laugh. "Well, at least we will die together."

Neither of them flinched at the truth of it. They had already accepted their fates as the two sat in silence, two old friends waiting for the end.