The Legions of Utrad and Turannia gathered in the courtyard of a massive fortress along the Somno Secta River. Within the towering walls, massive bonfires had been lit, kegs had been opened, and men and women of all races were singing and shouting as they feasted. The battle had been won, the loot had been distributed, the promotions secured, and all the soldiers praised Magister Caelinus for leading them into glory.

And it was at that moment that Dux Pollia Augustalis, commander of the Utrad Comitatenses, stepped out onto a balcony overlooking the courtyard. A soldier beside her blew a trumpet and the din of the feast below died down. All eyes turned to her.

She raised a mug into the air.

“To Victory and to the Empire!”

All the soldiers below joined her in a mighty shout and drank from their mugs.

“Who is it that brought you glory? Who is it that led you to victory? Who is it that held the line while the court nobles squabbled? Who is it that fought by your side?”

The soldiers shouted in response.

“Magister Caelinus!”

“Who is it that will reward your bravery? Who is it that defends your home and your families? Who is it that protects the Empire?”

“Magister Caelinus!”

Dux Augustalis nodded, her face grim.

“And who was it that tried to steal our wages? Who was it who gave us old and decrepit gear? Who was it who sent us to die from the safety of their homes?”

The soldiers went quiet as the Dux frowned.

“I’ll tell you. The corrupt court of the North!”

The soldiers began muttering and shouting at that. The Dux nodded.

“And that is why, I say no more! I say, the Empire belongs to those who protect it! Who have fought and died defending it!”

The soldiers began to shout and jeer in agreement. The Dux drew her blade and raised it high into the air.

“And that is why I am declaring Magister Caelinus…as the new Emperor of the North!”

The soldiers paused for a moment staring at the Dux. Then…one of them drew a sword, lifted it into the air, and began to cheer. Then another followed suit…and another…until eventually a tide of shouts rang through the courtyard and every soldier had their weapon raised.

And it was in that moment, that Magister Caelinus himself stepped out onto the balcony. Every one fell silent as he raised a hand. He took a deep breath.

“It is with great reluctance that I have agreed to this. The Empire is my home. I have fought for it. My father fought for it. And his father before it. The last thing I want is to see it torn apart in war and bloodshed.”

He looked down at the soldiers, making eye contact with as many of them as possible.

“But…that Empire is being torn apart, right now, by the very people who should strive to protect it. Greedy officials burden the people to line their pockets, the court is full of treachery and conspiracy, and the Legion's blood is spent on foolish and uncaring orders. I cannot stand to watch it any longer.”

He took a deep breath.

“The road ahead will be long, and hard. The Northern Court will not relinquish its power so easily. We will have to fight, even to bleed.”

He then grabbed his sword and lifted it into the air.

“But this I swear to you: while I am in command, not one more drop of Legion blood will be shed in vain! We will fight for one another and for our homes, and by the blood that is shed a new and stronger Empire shall rise!”

At this, Dux Augustalis raised her sword once more.

“All hail Emperor Caelinus!”

And all the soldiers shouted in response.

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NSLICE-00P stood on the street, her drones scanning the Exploratores HQ. The Exploratores HQ had been built separate from the Legion Keep in Velusitum, such that visitors leaving requests wouldn’t interfere with Legion business. The front facing the street was a large, multi-storied building, containing the reception area, the barracks for the Exploratores, and the offices for Exploratores personnel to take care of documentation. Behind this structure was a large courtyard where new Exploratores recruits could receive some basic training. There were several more structures in the back, including a butchery workshop for processing monster corpses and a warehouse to hold Exploratores supplies.

The first thing NSLICE-00P noticed was that the entire compound was protected by an invisible barrier. The barrier was thin but extended both into the sky above and the ground below. It seemed to obscure the view, and even her drones’ visual and thermal sensors couldn’t pierce it.

However, the protection extended only to visible light and infrared, along with other organic senses such as audio and scent. It did not extend to radar, so NSLICE-00P was able to map out the structure of the facility.

She discovered an elaborate network of tunnels linking the various structures, with a number of rooms far below the ground. The connection she had with Ateia and Taog via the contract indicated they were likely in that underground area.

The barrier was a problem. NSLICE-00P predicted it was likely an alarm that would alert the Exploratores to a security breach. That, or it was the trigger for a trap that could directly assault any intruders. The only gaps in the barrier were around the official entrances that were both crowded and guarded.

Opening a gap via magic or the Equalizer was not acceptable. She did not understand this barrier well enough to interact with it covertly. And a direct assault on the barrier would almost certainly qualify as a hostile act. She could not risk antagonizing an official military organization of the Empire like that.

And even if she could find or create a gap, there was another problem. The Exploratores had already demonstrated they could detect her covert units by non-visual means. She was investigating countermeasures to this but had not implemented any at this time. So any unit she deployed would likely be detected and intercepted…and probably terminated.

But there was one thing that worked.

If NSLICE-00P got close to the barrier, her Dungeon Field seemed to pass through it without issue, and she could perceive anything occurring within range on the other side. The range wasn’t enough to reach the friendlies from outside the compound, but NSLICE-00P had solutions for that.

Available Dungeon Field Generator +1 Upgrades:

Name

Cost

Additional Mana Upkeep

Description

Dungeon Field Generator +2

Expands the area of effect of the Dungeon Field to 30m total. Additional upgrades increase available dungeon functions in the area of effect.