B2- Ch 20: The Railroad (Patreon)

I stood on an elevated platform in Sundell, overlooking a large crowd. Behind me, a giant metal machine made of black steel glimmered in the sunlight. It had an interconnected stream of carriages and shipping containers filled with coal, steel products, and grain inbound for the Ardenthal, where Seraphin awaited them.

“Honored guests and citizens of the great Everwood Empire,” I said. “I welcome you to a turning point in history that will not be overtaken for a century.”

Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire as people heard my words. I was the man who brought them steel, cheap grain, clothing, the steam engine, and running water. Hearing me say something would change the world for a century was a profound statement.

“You stand before a turning point in transportation and commerce,” I continued. “From this day onward, the price of grain will be so cheap that you’ll be able to enjoy entertainment and relaxation. Starting today, you’ll be able to travel from east to west in luxury without the hot sun bearing down upon you. Starting today, we’ll create history and it’s all thanks to this man and his creation,” I said, turning to Carter.

He handed me a large pair of scissors he hammered personally, a huge smile on his face. Smiling at him and shaking his hand, I turned to the crowd. “Without further delay, I present to you a creation of Carter’s Steelworks, the Everwood Company, and the Everwood kingdom….” After a slight pause, I opened the scissors. “The train!” With a snip of the scissors, I cut through a bright blue ribbon, and the entire area exploded with cheers and excitement.

Suddenly, a steam engine started up, causing the massive serpent to rumble, adding bass to people’s excitement. Then, after a minute of anticipation, there was a loud whistle as a geyser of steam shot into the air. “Esteemed guests!” I roared. “Please load up, take your chairs. We have a ride with the future to take!”

After a slight celebration, the crowd packed up and moved to their assigned seats. Thea, Rema, Zenith, and I took a master carriage filled with royal gold and silver accents and deep leather seats that smelled newly tanned and stretched.

“How do you like it?” I asked all of them.

“I love it,” Thea said, hugging me tightly.

Rema frowned when she held me tight, adverting her gaze. Ever since I declared that she would be free to marry whoever she wanted, she psychologically started thinking that way, and her sense of jealousy increased significantly. Still, she leaned back in the leather seats, melting into them with her princess dress. “It’s hard to believe we’ll be traveling like this. It feels like we’re in an audience chamber.” The main carriage was the size of a small room with a table, a bar, and a full window, creating a royal environment. “It’s comfortable.”

I smiled and then looked at Zenith, who was unexpectedly frowning. “Do you not like it?”

Zenith’s eyes widened, and she turned away. “It’s marvelous,” she murmered. “I can’t imagine traveling any other way….”

‘Does she like flying us?’ I pondered. ‘She grumbles a considerable amount. I guess I should feel it out and pray she does. I fucking hate trains.’ Looking at her, I smiled wryly. “It is pretty luxurious. Still, I hope you don’t mind flying us after experiencing it. It’s faster and far more fulfilling to fly.”

Zenith’s eyes lit up, and then she blushed slightly and turned away. “I don’t mind. I am a wyvern,” she shrugged with forced ambivalence. “Our people have flown for thousands of years. While we enjoy our human forms, our ethereal bodies are the only time we are truly comfortable. That’s why our brethren perfer to sleep on Dragon’s Roost instead of in castles.”

I smiled slightly. ‘I suppose that we haven’t spent enough time together,’ I thought. ‘We are the only friends she has.’

Zenith didn’t love me or have feelings for me. To her, I was nothing but a child. She was a few centuries old, and I was 21. The disparity would make her feel horrified to be anything more than a mother. However, we were her friends, and we used to spend a lot more time together. Since then, she had enjoyed her wealth from Zenith Cosmetics and her time in the castle as a sloth. However, Rema’s cemented entrance into our friend group must’ve taken a toll.

‘It’s ironic that Zenith’s jealous of Rema….’ I thought, turning to Rema. ‘It’s a jealous circle of princesses.’ I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but the novelty of having a princess fighting over me wasn’t worth the drama that came with it. ‘Well, they’ll have plenty of time to bond over this trip. That’s good, at least.’

It was a three-day trip from the Heliana Strait in the west to the Romba Strait in the east. By then, everyone would remember that a train is still a carriage and get over it, and hopefully, they’ll bond by the end of it.

A train conductor came into the room, bowed, and asked permission to depart. With a nod, I gave the order, the engine whistle sounded, and the wheels started chugging as we moved forward. We were finally on the first trip of a long war in Antigua.

2

The next day, King Ironfall walked to the edge of a cliff overlooking King Everwood’s new railroad system. It would play a significant role in the war against Syrvene and their allies. Destroying it would be a massive blow to the war effort, and it was within his means to do so. After all, the train hugged the Zion Mountain Range—his territory.

The one problem with destroying King Everwood’s fancy toy was that certain death would follow. However, that’s something he had resigned himself to.

“Listen, men!” the burly king roared, addressing an army of five thousand soldiers riding avian mounts, ground horses, and on foot, holding bows, spears, swords—and cannons. “Let there be no doubt in your minds—today, we die!”

A heavy silence spread throughout the troops, gripping his words.

“That’s right, today we will die…” he continued, voice drawing low, “but we’re going to take The Sourge, King Everwood, with us!”

The soldiers perked up as his pace increased, building momentum and confidence.

“In just a few hours, he will crest that hill in his fancy new ‘train,’ alone and beyond the walls of Sundell, his troops, and his people. This will be the one chance we’ll get without him being heavily fortified. It’s our one chance to eliminate the man who is condemning this entire continent to death and ruin! And for that reason, we won’t be remembered as heroes who rid the world of The Scourge instead of a country that awaited death!”

Complex emotions welled in the soldiers, contorting their expressions but filling them with pride.

“Listen, men! The righteous face the most adversity!” he yelled. “Most countries have whored themselves out for his pocket money and honied promises. That’s why the entire world has turned against us. However, what of Ironfall? Did we forego our virtues and whore ourselves out for fancy books and gaudy clothing?”

His soldiers’ cheeks turned red as they answered him, “No!”

“Did we whore out our daughters to King Everwood like Redfield and Veil?” King Ironwall asked, hatred burning in his eyes.

“NO!!” they roared.

“No, we didn’t, did we?” he smirked, turning to a row of cannons. “But we sure got their weapons, didn’t we?”

The soldiers laughed, looking at each other with shit-eating grins.

“Well, I say that we surprise him with his own fancy weapons. What do you guys think?”

His soldiers released a battle cry that pierced the skies above the Zion Mountain Range.

“Listen, men and loyal wives!” King Ironfall roared. “Today is our one chance to catch that coward King Everwood with the lowest number of guards, where his long-range coward weapons cannot find us. Who wishes to turn back and let this opportunity pass by?!”

The crowd turned silent, everyone’s eyes burning with intensity.

King Ironfall grinned and then raised his hands high. “Who’s ready to do their duty to humanity by sacrificing everything to eliminate the scourage?!”

His soldiers met his words with a wave of bloodlust so thick that it triggered the distant wyverns to screech battle cries of their own.

“Then ready yourself on the cannons! Get your fire arrows and magic ready! For a glorious death awaits us!”

With a trailing battlecry, the soldiers moved down the cliff they were on, hiding in anticipation of King Everwood’s arrival.

3

We were on the edge of Randman Pass when Zenith pointed her 18th glass of wine at Rema accusingly and slurred, “Do you know what your problem is?”

Rema ignored her.

Zenith persisted, jabbing her cup at her.

Rema ignored her.

“Don’t ignore me!” Zenith demanded, thrusting out her glass. A sharp stream of red wine shot at the Valerian princess, threatening to ruin her golden dress. However, Rema flicked her fingers, and a barrier shot up, causing the wine to bounce back at Zenith’s silver dress. I sighed and flicked my fingers, and a barrier wrapped around the red wine, causing it to float in a sphere. I then guided it to Zenith’s glass and dropped it in.

Rema raised her eyebrows in amazement, and Zenith scowled, making the redhead finally address her. “What?”

“You act like you’re enraptured with the young master, but you don’t accept him,” Zenith slurred, making Rema’s eyes widen. “What do you mean?” the redhead asked.

“What do you mean, what do I mean? The young master isn’t like you. He’s not like your father, mother, or people. He believes in freedom, progress, and… love. Yet all you do is yap-yap-yap,” Zenith scoffed, clamping her hand mockingly, “demanding he be like your father. Do you have a father complex?”

Rema’s face turned bright red in anger. “No, I don’t have a father complex!” she snapped. “Ryker is a king! Until he changes the world and breaks norms, he is expected to act like one. That’s what I help him do.”

Zenith rolled her eyes. “We’re not talking about your or his duties. We’re talking about how you ogle him and profess your petty love despite not accepting him—even outside the audience chamber.”

“I’m still here,” I sighed loudly, saving Rema from the mortifying conversation. "Rema is who she is, and I like that about her. You are who you are, and that's what I like about you. And I need both of your strengths. So please, for the love of god, can you stop fighting? Thea is getting grumpy."

Both looked down and found Thea sitting below me, getting her ears rubbed, glaring daggers at the woman conversing about me in front of her face. Had grown far more tolerant of both of them over the years, but she was on her 15th glass of wine and wasn't having it. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who had gotten more comfortable. Zenith looked at my cat queen, furrowed her brows, frowned, pointed her glass at her, and said, "And you! Do you know what your problem is? I’ll tell you. It’s—"

Suddenly, a cacophony of explosions sounded in the distance, cutting her off.

Without skipping a beat, Thea snapped into battle mode and cast a detoxification spell on the room, causing us to sober up immediately.

“Those idiots are really attacking us on our grand opening?!” I snarled, reaching into my spatial bag and pulling out a Barett m107. “There’s no honor in a suicide attack!” I immediately opened the door and strode through it.

As Zenith, Rema, and I reached the hall, Rema looked back to Thea, still sitting on the floor. “What are you doing? We have to defend the train!”

“Thea’s already taking out their heavy troops,” I said. “So, ignore her, and let’s go!”

Rema’s eyes widened, and she nodded, lifting her dress with a cringe and running after Zenith and me as we walked through the train. We entered a room, climbed a ladder, and exited atop the train.

There, we found rows of soldiers brandishing their Barett m107s and another 20 soldiers holding military-issued M16s. Once a business had bullet manufacturing down and design specs on hand, they could easily manufacture just about anything except for heavy machine guns, and we were already working on them.

“SIR!” a major said, sporting the Everwood Empire's new panther and dragon-crested helm.

“Status report,” I gruffed.

"They are shooting at us with anti-seized cannons from clifftops. The ward is holding it off, but it won’t last long once we reach the inner pass. There's likely a barricade."

I looked over the train and saw a massive mountain of gold and orange in the dry heat, shimmering like a mirage. Once we entered the narrow pass ahead, they were likely waiting for us on either side.

Suddenly, a cannonball shot at me. However, a bright green barrier shot up on its own, and the cannon shot into it. It was a ward developed using the technology I got from the labyrinth. We built them all over the Zion Mountain Range in preparation for this day.

“These will break after a few shots, but they won’t be able to hit the same place twice,” I commented, referring to the train’s speed.

“Should we stop the train, then?”

“No, that's what they are looking for us to do. I'm sure they have their wyverns and ballistas ready to strike.” I turned to the other soldiers, holding their weapons. “Soldiers! This is your chance to prove that you don't need me when I leave for Antigua. So, show me you have what it takes to represent the Everwood empire!"

“Yes, sir!” they yelled, laying on mats that glowed with magical circles, stabilizing them despite the train’s motion. Each had a spotter with semi-modern binoculars to help estimate the lead.

Suddenly, a horrifying series of shrieks bombarded from the heavens, making Rema’s eyes widen in horror. She turned to me, but I grinned and continued. “If you let your queen take all the glory, I’ll no longer call you elites.”

The soldiers chuckled and aimed through their scope.

Rema watched in horror when she saw massive black birds shoot from the heavens. She had never seen them before, as Thea always kept them in the clouds. However, she had heard of the legendary birds. Now, she could witness the sheer scale of their might, and it left shivers running down her spine. “No way….”

I chuckled with a savage grin. “Imagine what King Ironfall is thinking.”

4

King Ironfall stopped his battle harangue when he heard the horrifying shrieks. Massive birds as black as night descended from the heavens, each the size of wyverns and twice. They blended into the shadows, even in the sky, creating surreal illusions. “What?! Is that bitch a necromancer?! I watched those birds die myself!”

Archwizard Roman killed Thea’s first murder of crowls during the Battle of Sundell. At the time, King Ironfall was attacking Sundell and watched the archwizard kill them all. However, that wasn’t before the crowls ruthlessly killed one and threatened to down the rest. If it weren’t for Roman, they likely would have.

“King Ironfall! Crowls!” a general yelled.

“I’m not deaf, blind, and dumb, you buffoon! What’s the report?!”

“They’re heading straight for the barricade! If we don’t attack in full force, the initiative will be lost!”

“So much for a surprise attack,” King Ironfall scoffed, turning to his soldiers. “Release the wyverns!”

A troop of elite soldiers standing before fifteen wyverns, each shackled with chains one foot thick, gulped and hurriedly grabbed large keys to remove the locks. The small dragons roared but were audibly silent, each underneath the glow of sound isolation circles.

“Listen, you stupid animals!” King Ironfall demanded. “Those black birds killed your brethren, and the person in that metal snake killed the rest. Take care of the birds, and then you can have your revenge!”

The wyverns shook with a fury. Once one of the soldiers unlocked the chest-sized lock, a massive wyvern shot forward, fighting against the chains as they untangled and took to the sky, releasing a battle cry out of the sound isolation circle that shattered the airwaves.

King Ironfall flew the wyvern he was flying on high in the sky to prevent the “King Slayer” from hitting him. Then, he overlooked the massive reinforced concrete wall built over the railroad tracks. While the wall was still standing, his face was grim, and he immediately turned to the lone wyvern, “Stop, you fool! Wait for the others!”

However, it was too late. It shot straight to the barricade, where a nightmare the scene was playing out. The crowls snapped griffins and thunderstags in half like seagulls snapping fish out of the water. Soldiers screamed orders as they fell victim, flying into the concrete wall when the birds rammed them. With every impact, concrete flew like shrapnel, exposing iron bones, mangled and twisted.

“Get into formation!” one soldier yelled in vain to his ear-ruptured comrades, only to get blindsided by a crowl in the side. Just as he prepared for death, a massive wyvern shot through the air, snapping at the crowl. However, it was all for naught.

The crowl dodged with ease, and the wyvern opened its mouth for a blast attack. However, a crowl crashed from above, snapping into its neck. As it screeched, a third tore through its wings, sending it spiraling toward the earth. Before it even hit the ground, the first crowl caught it and threw its body over the railroad.

Everything happened in a second.

King Ironfall watched in horror. “What the fuck did I just watch?” he muttered. For the first time, he felt absolute fear. Not the abstract fear he felt about enemies he couldn’t see using the King Slayer he didn’t understand. No. For the first time, he watched an elite weapon that had protected Ironfall for a millennium get ripped apart in seconds.

A sudden series of roars flew through the air as another four wyverns shot past him from below. King Ironfall wanted to scream “retreat,” but it was too late.

The crowls abruptly shifted course, flying to the ground and blending with veins of shadows. One flew to the rear, one circled to the right, and one shot up to take a wyvern from below.

It watched the first attack, so it was anticipating the tactic. It immediately met the crowl’s ascent with a fire attack that scorched the ground with flame and fury. The crowl dodged, and another attacked the wyvern's flank. Once again, that was predictable, so another wyvern swooped in. Unfortunately, their confidence crumbled when the third crowl, on the ground seconds ago, shot from the back and bit through the second wyvern’s wing, sending it shrieking toward the earth.

With that single attack, everything fell into disarray for the wyverns.

Wyverns hit other wyverns with fire blasts.

The crowls did acrobatic flips to attack with absolute coordination, tearing into wings and clamping into necks.

It was a massacre. Throughout, the crowls didn’t even get licked by flames.

“This is madness!” King Ironfall muttered in disbelief. However, hope flooded his heart when he heard the train whistle and its chugging engine. Then he looked at the half-destroyed barricade with a weak smile. “Still, it’s too late.”

With the crowls busy fighting the wyverns, they couldn’t destroy the wall. Therefore, King Everwood would have to stop the train or get derailed during the collision. Analyzing the situation, King Ironfall turned to his soldiers hiding in the cliffs. “Do not lose hope!” he yelled through an amplification circle. “The barricade holds. So prepare for bombardment!”

He waited for the battle cry, but all he heard beyond the screeching of wyverns and chugging of the train was terrified screaming.

Looking closer, his eyes widened in horror. Each cannon had a dead body in front of it. Confused, he watched soldiers take the place of the fallen with shakey legs, only for their heads to explode or for them to duck when the rockface behind them exploded.

“They’re using the King Slayer?!” King Ironfall exclaimed. “How?!” To him, it was a trump card reserved for kings. Unfortunately, he couldn’t contemplate it because his wyvern bucked and screeched when blood erupted from its wings. “What’s going on?!”

Another projectile hit his wyvern’s neck, sending fragments of the silver scales raining to the ground like pixie dust. “Move! Attack the train!”

With a loud battle cry, the king swooped through the air, moving toward the train with suicidal intent. Unfortunately, he was alone because his cannon shooters were dead, and the archers couldn’t breach the barrier. It was over.

Suddenly, a miracle happened. The train screeched to a halt. He turned to the cliffs. “Man the weapons, you fools! This is your chance! What are—”

A flurry of small explosions rattled off like angry rain, and the ground the archers were waiting on started exploding, sending clouds up. The king looked down and saw forty soldiers wielding black sticks with golden items flying out.

“I need to stop them at any cost!” Rushing forward, King Ironfall dove toward the train.

King Everwood’s soldiers shot at the massive silver wyvern, but it only cracked the hard scales to no avail. Suicide attack or not, the dragon would derail the train in seconds.

Unfortunately, it never got there.

A massive azure wyvern suddenly shot into the air, snapping at King Ironfall. “It took you long enough! We’ll settle the score today, bitch!”

His wyvern released an inferno 50 meters into Zenith. However, she pierced the flames and rammed into the silver wyvern’s head. “How?!” he yelled, holding onto the reins. “Nothing should survive that!”

However, he got his answer when he saw Zenith—she hadn’t stopped growing. Zenith, a medium-sized wyvern in the Battle of Sundell, was now the size of a mythical dragon. Opening her maw, a ball of blue flames developed in her mouth.

“Move, you beast!” King Ironfall screamed, kicking his wyvern.

It shot to the left, immediately avoiding a massive blast of blue flames. However, it wasn’t enough. Its entire tail turned to ash, sending it bucking in the air.

“This doesn’t make sense!” he roared. “How—”

He was cut off when his left leg exploded in a gory spectacle of blood and bone. The wyvern came next, getting rattled with a series of attacks, making him hold on for dear life. Just as he stabilized, he watched in disbelief as a massive pair of azure jaws bit through the wyvern’s neck from below, killing it in a split second.

The next moment, he felt himself flying to the earth below. “Hah. I get this is it….” he muttered, a grin on his face. However, he immediately frowned when a massive gust of wind swept under him, blowing him upward. Elevated, a barrier wrapped around him, holding him in face. “What is this?!” he roared.

Looking down, he saw a redhead with her hands out. “Of course, that cunt would refuse me a warrior’s death! I’d rather die!” He immediately unsheathed his dagger. However, as he prepared to plunge it into his heart, the blade shattered into a million pieces and flew out of his head. Looking down, he found The Scourge staring at him with a strange weapon in his hand.

“Thank you for surrendering your country to me,” King Everwood smirked. “With this, I can finally leave in peace.”

It was a surrender. Without King Ironfall, his strongest warriors, and his wyverns, any country could capture Ironfall now. He could sleep soundly while it happened.

Enraged, King Ironfall’s face turned purple. “JUST KILL ME LIKE YOU DID MY DAUGHTER!”

King Everwood smiled slyly. “Rema wants to put you through a political gauntlet. That’s the worst death I can imagine. It’s fit for a person who started a plague that killed his own people.”

King Ironfall’s eyes flashed with murder. “Then I’ll do it myself!”

Unfortunately, his words were cut short when the sudden force crashed into the back of his skull, and darkness clouded his eyes.

4

“Thank you, Zenith,” I said after she rammed the back of King Ironfall’s skull, knocking him unconscious. Then, I increased the range of my amplification circle and spoke to the soldiers. “We have captured your king!” I yelled to the mountains. “The battle is over. Put down your weapons, and we will not harm your families. If you insist upon a ‘warrior’s death,’ I’ll ensure my soldiers butcher your family. Don’t test me.”

Silence met my words, so I spoke again.

“Ironfall believes in strength. Well, I am strength. We decimated your undefeated leader and army without a single casualty. If you want that power, join us. If you wish a pointless death, resist us. Those are your options.”

A wave of silver rain came from the mountains as cannons, bows, and swords flew down the clifftops, clattering on the red mountain rocks below. I smiled at the sight.

“Good choice. Now get down here. You’re going to rebuild this fucking railroad!”

And that’s exactly what happened. The soldiers came down in humiliation, and we put sledgehammers and railroad ties in their hands, and they started rebuilding the railroad. Meanwhile, Thea subjugated the wyverns, and Zenith disposed of soldiers fleeing or preparing to strike while I wasn’t watching. As for King Ironfall, we put him into a carriage in magic-suppressing chains. The floor had a massive healing circle, ensuring that if he bit his tongue, it would heal and give a healing mage time to reattach it.

Rema brooded in silence as she watched everyone work until she couldn’t bear the silence. “What are you doing about Ironfall?”

“Your father will conquer it, of course. Then we’ll split it as par our treaty,” I replied.

Rema smiled slightly, but it was weak.

I sighed. “What’s bother you?”

The princess tried to feign ignorance, but it was pointless, so she just bluntly said it. “I was so worthless out there. Thea killed fifteen wyverns, and Zenith captured a king who once rivaled my father. And what of me? I just caught the king because you let me.”

I turned to her with a listless expression. “Is that all? When we get back, I’ll give you the rest of the Rorsaka meat and you’ll approach the magical power base of Ironfall.”

Rema huffed and turned away. “Do you seriously think that’ll make a difference?”

“Of course.” I rolled my eyes. “With your power nearly equal, the difference between you and King Ironfall is experience, and he’s on the losing side.”

She narrowed her eyes humorlessly. “King Ironfall is a four-hundred-year-old brute known for his battle prowess. He’s never lost a duel.”

“And yet he just fell like a fly,” I smirked, turning around. “Warfare has changed, and you have more experience with the winning strategy. But I’ll give you power anyway.” With those words, I waved from the back and walked away.

Things moved quickly after that conversation. Soldiers worked around the clock to fix the train tracks and remove the barricade. Before long, we were on our way to the Adenthall again, passing through the Tomald Mountains into their territory.

There was loud cheering and celebration everywhere we went as we moved in. Thea sat on one of the boxcars, throwing loads of candy at the mothers and children as we passed by with a radiant smile. Seeing her made me happy. It took 23 years, but she was finally developing her own personality and sense of being, and nothing could make me happier.

Zenith stopped brooding about the lavishness of the train and started making the most of it, enjoying glasses of wine while practicing her makeup. She had purposely chosen not to heal her burn even after we got access to a healing book from the archwizards that allowed for it. It made her strangely happy, and she found pleasure in covering it up.

As for Rema, she spent most of her time writing letters to her father and other leaders, informing them that King Ironfall attacked us and we had him in custody. She implored her father to conquer Ironfall with haste, stating that I would support him with weapons. After all, we were mass-producing them.

That said, I wouldn’t trust him with the good stuff. Children could take Ironfall now.

Things progressed like that for the last day. Once we got to Ardenthal, a massive crowd awaited us, cheering as Thea unleashed gifts of books, jewelry, cosmetics, and other high-priced items like Caesar, capturing the crowd’s attention. After a noisy proceeding, Seraphin led us into a reception hall where a lavish feast was laid out and drinks were served.

After hours of intensive politicking, Seraphim finally looked at me in amazement. “I hear that you transported 250 tons of steel, grain, clothing, and other products. I couldn’t believe my ears. Is it true?”

“It is,” I chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” he frowned.

“That’s just all we had to transport,” I smiled. “We’re only at half capacity for this clanky bucket of metal. Within 20 years, we’ll be able to transport 10,000 tons.”

Seraphin furrowed his brows. “We can’t even consume that much.”

“Oh, we will,” I smirked. “Now, then. Let’s talk business. Do you have everything I requested?”

“Coal, iron ore, fish, salt, rubber, canned food, textiles, and all the other items you requested,” he replied. “But not 500 tons worth.”

“How much?”

“200 tons, and we already felt that was crazy.”

“Well, you can make up the rest of the 300 tons next month,” I replied, making the business leader frown. “We’re transporting 10,000 tons of supplies and commodities with us next year. So we’ll have to expedite trade. Can I count on you? Or should I start trading with other people?”

Seraphin’s frown turned into a bright, fake smile. “Of course, you can trust me. Have I ever done you wrong?”

“Of course not,” I grinned. “Now let it be done. There’s much to do.”

He nodded, and we finished up the night. I gave speeches with Rema; we shook a lot of hands, got a lot of applause, and left on Zenith’s back, making her grumble.

Once we got back, the real work began. With our railroad sending us the commodities we needed for war, it was time to raise our army. The time was ticking until we set off across the Heliana Strait and launched our attack on Syrvene with the might of modern weaponry—illegal and otherwise. Soon, King Bouchard would experience what King Ironfall did.

All the kings that opposed me would.

—

[A/N: Thanks for your patience. Training week was brutal. I worked seven days in a row, sometimes closing and opening. It totaled 50 hours between travel and work. That’s nothing compared to my professional writing schedule. However, it’s hard coming home and writing after that. The creative space is jarred by fatigue and switching tasks.

My schedule is easing up. I’m going to write and publish on my days off, whenever they are (I have a swing schedule). My goal is to start publishing on Kindle and get my writing career back up so I can return full-time. It'll take a while, but I'm hopeful. I will be successful this next year. I'm certain of it!]