The siege of Avalon ended before it even started. While Freya was angry that I used nuclear weapons against the Enemies, I quite seriously wished I had more ICBMs ready to fire at the time. The effect of the weapon against the Enemies was clear and left no doubts. She wasn't angry that I attacked the Enemies, far from it. I knew that Freya was afraid that they would try to understand our weapon and use it against us, but it was about sending a message. They couldn't feel safe if they tried to attack Nilmerthis. The time when they could simply send their minions without repercussions had ended. They needed to know that I would retaliate and my revenge wouldn't be theoretical. I hoped that the warhead killed a lot of them. Since I had no means to confirm how destructive my attack was, I had to focus on my other problems.

  And I had much bigger problems.

  Since I openly admitted that I, once again, had planned to send all my wives away when I suspected that the Enemies wanted to attack us, they were angry at me. Even Cahrona, who was only slightly less angry at me, all thanks to the fact that I allowed her to finish off Sartuuh. It was only slightly placating that I was willing to let them join Galahad at the front and allow them crush Vestargo. They understood that I wanted to protect them but they were still angry.

  "If Galahad and Janet can't break the defences of that Dungeon by tomorrow morning, we will join the siege," Amber informed me during dinner.

  "All right." I nodded. "However, you shouldn't leave Victory and you can't personally lead troops inside the Dungeon."

  They looked at me in silence for a single moment but Amber just nodded in confirmation.

  "Agree. Leading the assault personally might be seen as desperation." She said bitterly.

  "I don't want to needlessly endanger any of you. It's my privilege and duty to care about you, my Dears." I said quietly, sensing that they were still angry.

  They looked at me with soft smiles.

  "While we accepted your right to care about us and, of course, spoil us, we still want to fight by your side, Theon." Luna smiled at me.

  "Not a chance." I shrugged with a mischievous grin as I pointed to myself. "This body can be reborn as many times as needed."

  "If you die, needlessly, because you refuse our help, you will endanger us regardless. Once you die, the enemies will come for us." Irene leaned over the table and rested her chin on her hands.

  I opened and closed my mouth in a desperate attempt to find a good argument as a retort. However, I knew that she was right. I leaned back in my chair and studied Irene's smug expression.

  "That's unfair..." I finally sighed in defeat.

  "But it's true," Cahrona said softly.

  "It is." I lowered my head. "And it's still unfair..."

  ???

  The siege of the Heart of the Forest Dungeon lasted for three days. The groups of returning bugs were bigger with each passing hour and some of the corvettes were relegated to aid the Guardsmen. For now, it was enough to rout and cull any attacking forces trying to aid the besieged Dungeon. While Galahad and Janet were trying to decide how they should proceed, HMS Victory jumped in. With a single warning that the Empresses themselves were joining the battle, everyone was ordered to prepare for a general attack. Six enormously large magic circles flared to life across the sky and surrounded the Dungeon. The magic formulas were drawn with ancient runes, holy sigils, and Faé's letters. The soldiers seeing them trembled in fear and awe. All of them could immediately identify the names of the casters.

  The first circle, shining with emerald green, was filled with colourful text and belonged to the Archsorceress, Empress Amber va'Theon. Right next to it was an impressive and incredibly beautiful golden circle undoubtedly the making of the Saintess, Irene va'Theon. A silver one followed that shone with a white, soft light belonging to the Sage, Luna va'Theon. The next scorched the air itself and burned through the sky with living flames belonging to Goddess Hestia's va'Theon, without a doubt. The fifth one was a flowery meadow spread in front of the majestic forest. Its glyphs were refined and decorative and while the spell itself radiated with feral power, it was also strangely serene. That spell belonged to the Queen of Nature, Lavender va'Theon. The last one, however, was most shocking for anyone who ever observed Cahrona va'Theon and knew her angelic beauty and kindness. Its purple amethyst circle was filled with golden runes and cracked with black lightning that swirled and gathered in its middle. Among all the spells, that one was the most untamed and full of wrath.

  The mages who watched the display of the unquestioned power of their Empresses were humbled as the spells coalesced. The first one to strike was a spell from the First Empress that left them all speechless. It was a truly massive Arcane Beam that crashed down like a divine hammer, enveloping the entire Dungeon for nearly five full minutes, and shattered all its shields at once. When it ended, the living trees of Vestargo tried to fill gaps but, then, Lady Lavender unleashed her spell. Vestargo's trees started withering and dying as they faced the wrath of the Dryad Empress. In mere moments, the massive trees shattered and turned to dust, leaving the Dungeon exposed. Thanks to that, countless Beams of Moonlight belonging to Empress Luna found their targets without fail, slaying thousands of bugs. Then two spells were unleashed at once: an apocalyptic fire of Goddess Empress Hestia washed over the Dungeon while Empress Irene's spell released a radiant golden glow that descended from above and disappeared into the ground. Lastly, crackling purple-black lightning was unleashed by Empress Cahrona and, as it connected with the ground, a furious explosion consumed everything above the ground.

  When the mana powering the Empresses’ spells finally dissolved, everyone was able to see their effects. What seemed hard to achieve by, effectively, the entire Royal Fleet, two Titans, and all available field artillery, seemed trivial to their Empresses. The soldiers, in silence, observed a completely devastated Dungeon without any hubris. It was easy to forget the power of the Empresses or their Emperor when standing among the ever-present Royal Navy or if you stood in the shadow cast by one of the Titans. But their power was a real and frightening reminder every time it was unleashed. The Immortal Legions advanced in their usual silence. The burned out husks of the Bug Titans further crumbled to dust and only when the first warriors of Arcadia crossed the Dungeon's threshold did the remaining defenders hidden deep underground resurface to mount a last, desperate stand.

  ???

  Galahad watched in silence as the large-scale spells consumed the Dungeon. In his humble opinion, there was no need for his Empresses to intervene. The enemy shields would have given up sooner or later and the remaining fortifications weren't even worth mentioning. Nonetheless, they were here so Galahad would diligently use every opening they created. He calmly observed the battlefield and directed his Lord's armies where they were needed. The remaining Scions were supervising their respective forces but he suspected that, very soon, they would have to aid the vanguards. The early reports suggested that below ground was a very complex and deep structure. Suddenly, Galahad was notified by the vanguards that they had encountered a new enemy.

  "Interesting." He turned his head toward the closest tunnel and started walking.

  The earth was scorched but thanks to the magic of Lady Irene, it wasn't dead. Contrary to the concerningly popular belief among soldiers, it was never the goal of His Majesty to leave the ground he conquered barren. It stood to reason that lands once occupied by the Ancient Forest would be added as another province of the Arcadian Empire. Turning such a vast area completely barren would be incredibly wasteful. Even if those lands were going to be uninhabited for centuries, one day there will be enough people in the Empire to settle here. The land held much more value than the people currently thought. Galahad looked around with pride. They brought as much destruction as possible upon their enemies without irreversibly devastating the ecosystem.

  It was even funny... Part of him still had time and enough free will to allow his thoughts to wander while another part was commanding.

  The bugs, supported by the most unexpected enemy, put up fierce resistance in the corridors. The passages turned into deadly traps with each corner being another fortification. Galahad felt the shock, disbelief, and desperation of the Core. But it also projected wrath, disdain, and denial. It stayed silent, refusing to say as much as one word to him despite his inquiries about its identity. But Galahad pretty well knew this presence. The arrogance of the being that believed itself to be a god. The presence of the newest enemy Scions pretty much confirmed the true identity of the Dungeon. A large mantis, a Vespid, and an Arachnid; he knew the first two and the last one wasn't any surprise. There were plenty of Arachnids among Vestargo's forces, after all. However, there were only three. Three Scions to stop six and those six weren't even all Scions serving the Righteous Dungeon.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  As he reached the closest entrance of the underground complex, the triarii of the First Legion were already waiting for him with prisoners. Just one look at them was enough to deepen his frown and make him sigh audibly. The two women, similar to each other, weren't Vestargo's usual slaves, or slaves at all. That was obvious the moment he looked into their hazel eyes. Their black hair was long and wrapped in an intricate hairstyle. They wore not only proper clothes but also armour made of some interesting material that seemed to be layered wood and chitin. It was useless against Arcadian weapons but it was proper armour. The two women glared at him with hatred but he couldn't care less. As far as he was concerned, they were enemies.

  "How did you capture them?" Galahad asked one of the guards.

  "They tried to ambush us in the tunnels. Their approach was questionable, at best, but it had a small chance of success, even if theoretical, against Mortals." One of the triarii answered with an amused tone.

  "I see..." Galahad, who literally re-watched another failed attempt at seducing his Triarii, sighed. "I notified Victory about them... Well, that was quick. Take them on board HMS Victory. The Empress wants to interrogate them."

  ???

  "That was quick." Aoi mused to herself once she helped Luna lie down in a bed and returned to the deck.

  Amber, Irene, Luna, Hestia, Lavender, and Cahrona were usually on the verge of collapsing after unleashing such powerful spells, this time only Luna needed to take a nap. The remaining Empresses observed the battle from the height of Victory in silence.

  "Perhaps he is right..." Amber said quietly from the chair with plush cushions she was sitting on. "Maybe we should keep our power a secret."

  "It's rather late for that." Irene, who leaned on the railings, crossed her arms and slowly put her head on them. "I sometimes worry about him but seeing our power unleashed... It's scary to think that each one of us is capable of almost casually casting such devastating spells."

  All of them slowly nodded. The sailors manning HMS Victory were giving them wary and fearful looks.

  "Report, Victory." Amber slowly nodded at the tiny golem.

  "The above-ground sections of the Dungeon were obliterated and Scion Galahad is currently trying to secure access underground. The bugs that are reinforcing the defenders became even more desperate but that only let us kill them more easily. They are just trying to reach the Dungeon and they don't even form bigger groups at this point. This looks like panic, my Lady." Victory referred with a small smirk on her face. "It is safe to assume that this indeed is Vestargo. We are unable to even glimpse the underground structures at this moment, however, the fight will be over soon. The Fleet is currently taking defensive positions around the Dungeon so the chances that anything manages to attack our Legions from behind are closing to zero. My calculations predict that all resistance should cease in approximately ten hours."

  "Ten hours?!" Aoi groaned impatiently.

  "Indeed, my Lady. Vestargo's minions are still numerous and have the advantage of familiar ground. If Vestargo himself will be unable to fight, the battle will be pretty much over once we reach the Inner Sanctum. The... Hmmm... Most curious... I just received a report from Galahad..." The golem slightly tilted her head and looked towards the surface. "We have encountered Dryads that fight against the Legionnaires. Their levels are comparable with our Guardsmen, some of them have subclasses."

  "Dryads?!" Lavender's eyes narrowed dangerously.

  "Yes, Ma'am! I just ran preliminary scans." Victory confirmed with a brief nod. "While the Dryad Tree in Westwood was disconnected from the Arcadian Dryads when you have fused a Dryad Tree Sprout with Yggdrasil, my Lady, I detect a similar signature here. It's faint and underground, but it is there."

  Lavender looked down as if she wanted to pierce the ground with her gaze. However, as she closed her eyes and the air around her started glowing with a faint green light, her frown deepened.

  "What is the meaning of this?" She asked in shock as she suddenly opened her eyes. "I thought that we were the last Dryads!"

  "Lavender?" Hestia put her hand on the Dryad's shoulder, who was shaking slightly.

  "Something is very wrong. These Dryads are different... They are violent, twisted, and wicked." Lavender clenched her fists. "I need to interrogate them. Victory?"

  "As you wish, my Lady." The golem bowed deeply. "I forwarded your request to Galahad. They just captured some already, so he will transport two of them, under guard, to you, my Lady."

  Not even ten minutes later, one of the assault craft that was waiting nearby darted towards HMS Victory. The closer it got, the more furious Lavender became. Soon, the two captured women were brought before the fuming Lavender at whom they looked with absolute shock. They were different from the Dryads living in Arcadia. Their skin was much greener than that of Arcadian Dryads and their hair was more like a uniform piece of bark. Even their figures and the shape of their face was different, sharper and devoid of the gentleness of the Arcadian Dryads. The more the Empresses looked at the two, the more differences they spotted. In the end, it was almost as if looking at another species altogether.

  "What is the meaning of this?" Lavender's voice was cold as she stared down at the kneeling Dryads.

  "Why are you helping them, sister?!" One of the Dryads spoke with fury. "They have destroyed Sanctuaries and defiled Nature! How could someone as powerful as you be supporting these murderers?!"

  "The only murderers I see here are Vestargo's minions." Lavender extended her hand and the boards of the deck grew like living trees and formed a throne upon which she sat. "I'm Lavender va'Theon, from the ancient Royal House of May, the Sixth Empress of Arcadia, the Guardian of Yggdrasil, the Lady of the Forest, the Caretaker of the Plains. Who do you serve?"

  The two looked at each other in panic as they were washed by Lavender's power. Despite using so much mana before, the amount of mana at her disposal and the powers she wielded were on a completely different level when compared to the remaining Empresses. Even before she married Theon Avalon, arguably, she was one of the most powerful mages on the entire continent. But now, with her titles, and, most importantly, with the significant support of Yggdrasil and buffs she received from her marriage with Theon, Lavender was nigh unstoppable. She wasn't a warrior and using violence scared her but she wasn't so naive to never use power when needed.

  "We... Lady Summer Birch is our current leader, Your Highness-"

  "I'm not a Queen of murderous monsters like you!" Lavender interrupted the woman with her voice turning even colder. "So... Let me hear your excuses before I judge you for your crimes."

  The two clenched their jaws angrily and looked at Lavender with hate.

  "Where were you when we were persecuted, raped, and killed?" The second one asked with bitterness in her voice. "Balantican Elves used us for their experiments! So many of us were kidnapped by the Golems of Vanushka and yet you, oh great Queen, arrived on a ship with one of them!"

  "For nearly two thousand years, Vanushka was sealed and all earlier records were lost," Amber said calmly and Lavender nodded in gratitude.

  "Even if you were harmed and persecuted by the Balanticans thousands of years ago, you shouldn't cause the people living today to suffer," Lavender said coldly. "As my Sister-Empress of Arcadia conquered Vanushka and its sick ruler was executed for his crimes, I will bring an end to Vestargo and you, lost and evil daughters of the wicked forest."

  "You have no right to judge us!"

  "I have every right to do it, mislead children!" Lavender shouted in fury. "Do you think you were the only one driven to near extinction?! I was only ten years old when I fled with what remained of our people and the last sprout of our Dryad Tree into the wilderness! But instead of looking for violence and vengeance we chose isolation and hiding! The Dungeon that gave us shelter helped us and, although we could have done what you did with Vestargo, we waited for our time to return! I can see your soul and how it is consumed by darkness. I can sense how cruel and evil you have become."

  "You are weak, a coward who hid away instead of fighting for survival."

  Something dashed towards Victory and managed to dodge most of the CIWS fire. Most, but not all. ‘The something’ crashed on board and was immediately surrounded by the Praetorians. Aoi, Mia, and Tia were standing nearby with their weapons drawn. With a roar of fury, the largest of the Wyverns of Avalon darted so close to the ship that everyone could feel the wind he caused. Gawain hung over the airship and from his back, Galahad jumped in front of the Empresses. The Death King suddenly grew and his figure shifted as a cold shiver ran down the spines of everyone. Galahad embraced a title he had previously been reluctant to accept but the presence of that thing so close to his Empresses required the most drastic measures. No matter how wounded, as long as that thing was alive, it was extremely dangerous.

  As if on cue, the figure stood up and with a casual ease cleaved two Praetorians in half. The hideous hybrid of a Human male and, most probably, a Vespid was rapidly healing. He took a step towards Empress Lavender but he stopped upon seeing Galahad. The Death Lord's armour was replaced with a black robe with a long cloak. In his hands, resting on his shoulder as if he were ready to strike, was a scythe. A truly useless weapon of war but, thankfully, it wasn't a weapon at all but a concept made manifest. For a short while, Galahad could transform into the Avatar of Death.

  "You have no right to approach my Empresses, Vestargo. Die."

  Thank you all for reading.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to who edited the chapter!

  The map of Aderon is on my Discord :)

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