We spent almost eight hours observing Ian and Ragnar’s every move on board the Balantican frigate. Yes, they were not physically there and never left our side, but the tension was palpable. If that's what Balantican tech was like, in general, I was inclined to develop orbital bombardment to make sure it stayed a legend. On numerous occasions, IBF Vishnu actively targeted the remotely controlled Living Armours, and only Amber's direct order kept the stubborn golem ship from using its few remaining weapons. At one point, she demanded a particularly annoying turret be powered down and removed, which the ship allowed. Fortunately, it turned out that the ship had no true artificial intelligence. It was only a low-tier spirit similar to a Homunculus. On one hand, it was a relief to see that no one had managed to create artificial intelligence in this fantasy world, on the other, however, it added considerable uncertainty to the mix. No one could predict what was and what wasn't allowed by the golem commanding the wreck.

  It allowed Ian and Ragnar to take extensive samples of materials, the uninstalled turret, and, basically, everything from the captain's quarters which was a treasure room on its own. However, simply touching the Captain's throne was nearly punished with instant execution if not for Amber's reflexes. The ship simply assumed everyone knew the Balantican laws, customs, and traditions. Vishnu refused, or simply, couldn't provide us with something as simple as the Balantican law codex which, effectively, kept us in the dark. One thing was sure - this ship was going to stay a tattered derelict until we found all the symbols of Balantican Power. It was far too dangerous, even for us, to try to brute force control over the ancient frigate. The runes and remaining enchantments were, according to Ragnar, fascinating and complex. It looked like we could glean some useful insights and probably improve our own understanding of rune smithing.

  "How are you, my Dear?" I asked Amber whose eyes were starting to slowly close on their own.

  "I'm so tired..." She yawned and managed to gracefully cover her lips. "How about you?"

  "While we have been inspecting the derelict ship, Vestargo has managed to push my Legions back nearly one kilometre across the entire front line." I grimaced. "I’m starting to believe that he planted this ship for us to find."

  "Oh Gods!"

  "Don't worry. It was inevitable at this point. Most of my Legions were exhausted and desperately needing replenishment." I shrugged and took a deep breath. "However, Vestargo is currently retreating - unfortunately, he noticed too early that his forces won't survive my counter-offensive."

  "Still..." She slowly shook her head. "I wasn't prepared to hear that our forces were pushed back."

  "It's inevitable when two similarly powerful forces clash." I rubbed my neck. The investigation of Vishnu was exhausting, even for my inhuman physique.

  Judging by Amber's sluggishness and periodic yawning she was also at her wits end. She looked at the ship resting on its side in the quarantine chamber and, in her exhaustion, cleared her throat.

  "Vishnu." The ship made a ready sound we had learnt to recognise. "Your current order is to remain in the dry dock until I, or my husband, gives you another order. I'm going to my retreat to take my rest for today."

  "Affirmative." The golem's voice emotionlessly confirmed.

  I looked at Ian and Ragnar, who appeared as fresh as if they had just woken up from a pleasant night's rest. With a slight smile, I slowly shook my head, "The ship is sealed. Do you have enough to research for now?"

  "Yes, My Lord!" They grinned and I took us back to Avalon.

  All my wives were gathered in the living room and they were, all this time, watching our investigation on an illusion screen as if it were some TV show. Amber was so tired that she went straight to the bathroom while I dropped on a huge cushion to think.

  "I had heard about Balantican magitech and how impossibly advanced it was but, when I saw Arcadian airships, I thought they were impressive. Now, seeing the two... I can't say if Balantican ships are better than ours but..." Cahrona moved to sit next to me and fixed my hair. Her touch, as always, was soothing and pleasant. "I don't like it. There is something off - something belligerent and, yet, strangely familiar in that ancient ship."

  "Its voice was unnerving," Freya confirmed from the couch. "Why did they build something like that?"

  "Golems are extremely useful..." Hestia mused. "The Empire of Balantica was famous for creating the best golems and they used them extensively. It allowed them to spread their influence far and wide. Their military was very well known and feared."

  "There is a strange stubbornness in that thing." I finally mused, more to myself than to my wives. "I have no idea why Balanticans made their golems so cold and unsettling but it might just be the case with military equipment. Still... It seemed almost disappointed that it discovered Amber. I don't know what to think about it."

  "What about the city? Vanushka?" Luna asked, still observing the ship.

  "We have to investigate it." I sighed. "I don't like it but it seems that Amber will have to go with the exploration team. I will send an entire battalion of Praetorians and special forces with her..."

  "We have to go with her," Irene said calmly. "If it's a trap..."

  "Then Blackbeard will turn the ruins into a molten inferno and will continue firing his weapons until air itself ceases to exist around that city. Then, I will declare war on every single speck that once belonged to the Balanticans..." I crossed my arms and huffed angrily.

  "I think that's fairly reasonable..." Amber said as she walked out of the bathroom in her bathrobe with a fluffy white towel put over her shoulders. She allowed her hair to dry slowly. "I don't like it. I hate the idea of some soulless thing trying to dictate to me what I can or can't do. When it told me that Theon wasn't my rightful husband, I wanted to smash that thing into pieces and then incinerate those pieces. However, before we do anything or even start thinking about me going anywhere, I want to visit Ian and Ragnar and read their report. If we can't use this magitech or, even, alter it enough, I'm not going anywhere."

  We all looked at her in silence but my first wife simply walked over to us and sat on another large cushion that could pass for a bean bag sofa. The fireplace was giving off a warm atmosphere which was aided by the dimmed light of many magical light fixtures.

  "I can't say I don't agree with you." I slowly nodded. "The way the golem was speaking indicated that it was going to enforce anything it believes is rightful law. I don't know if it is capable of independent thinking or making decisions counter to our commands but the fact we have such doubts shows that the Balanticans went too far."

  "Yes!" Amber growled and angrily crossed her arms. "I thought your denizens were quite disturbing when they competed for my attention. However, with time, when I started fully understanding the bond between us, I realised that they wanted to serve me and protect me. Later, I came to the realization that, depending on their sentience and sapience levels, your denizens treated me like their mother or queen. They would do absolutely anything to protect me. But this thing?! It treated me like a piece of meat. It looked at me as if I were some primitive being, unable to comprehend it."

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  "As well it may..." Cahrona agreed. "Avalon's Wrath is the closest thing we have to IBF Vishnu. The Titan has the aura of a living being and it's violent and belligerent. However, it's also fiercely loyal to us, the Royal Family of Arcadia and his pilot. When I studied the readings from the Living Armours used by Ian and Verni, I noticed that Vishnu abhorred their very existence and actively tried to destroy them despite Amber's clear orders. It was trying to rebel against the orders of the person it previously recognised as its superior. I have never felt something like that. In comparison, once you took me as your wife, Theon, all your denizens instantly recognised me and treated me similarly to Amber. I think we all can safely say that about all your denizens."

  She looked questioningly around but a confirming murmur of all gathered women. They all nodded and hummed in agreement, which quickly turned into amused chuckles.

  "I think it's the unprecedented moment when we all agree that monsters are actually more humane than magitech created by the ancient people." Mia chuckled. "But I digress. This thing is strange..."

  ???

  The very next day, in the morning, we met with Ian and Ragnar, who seemed to have worked the entire night. Their teams had reviewed every single piece of recovered Balantican magitech and analysed every possible comparison data. With them were a few more scientists who were very nervous in our presence.

  "First thing I have to mention, Your Majesties, is that this magitech is inconsistent." Ian pointed to the pictures of the golem core. "Until we let the ship repair itself, we won't be sure if it is a temporary behaviour flaw caused by damage or if it is by design. I'm particularly talking about the very inefficient runic structures used to float the derelict."

  Ragnar displayed the pictures of the found runes. "At first, we thought Balantican runes were simply old and our runes were far more sophisticated. After all, it's been what? Two and a half thousand years between the fall of Balantica and the current day. However, we discovered that their runes are cheaper to produce and engrave than ours. So, technically, they are superior to ours."

  Ian, who wanted to say something, fell silent after seeing my expression suggesting I was running out of patience. "Anyway! Balantican magitech is incompatible with ours. No matter what we do, we can't control it. To us, it is designed to be semi independent which seems strange, at least, in the beginning. The answer is fairly simple - people were never meant to be able to control those runes or Balantican magitech, in general. It explains the strange rune structure and why the golem had so much autonomy. Honestly, the review of the Captain's log was depressing on that matter."

  Ian shook his head, took a seat, and nodded towards a young Human woman. She stood up very nervously and immediately bowed to us.

  "Your Highnesses! This is an immense honour!" She said with an almost squeaking voice.

  "Ginny, take a deep breath and take it slowly. Try to stay professional." Ian whispered but I heard him anyway.

  "I'm sorry, Sir..." She squirmed one last time and took a deep breath. "My name is Ginny Salla, your Highnesses. I'm... I'm a leading expert in anthropological and history studies at the Royal University of Avalon."

  We nodded in acknowledgement but, up until now, I had no idea we had someone specialising in such studies.

  "I was tasked with reading Vishnu's Captain's logs. Like Lord Ian implored, they were excitingly alarming and depressing, especially near the end. The Captain of the frigate was named Yrwen Saah. He was a High Elf and, what was disturbingly often underlined during many entries, he was a pure-blood Balantican. That implies that blood purity was extremely important in Balantican society and, I'm afraid, it's also important to understand why Vishnu is so passive-aggressive towards us. Even toward Empress Amber, who was acknowledged as a Balantican Princess." She displayed a few pictures of the handwritten journal. "It will require much more time to fully grasp the extent and... And everything; however, after a brief study of the source material, I decided to focus on the last few entries. Lord Ian is correct. Captain Yrwen, many times, expressed his frustration and, at one point, his fury with the illusion of his power on his own ship. The core straight-up refused to execute some of his orders and make it nearly impossible for the captain to follow his duties. The collapse of the Balantican Empire was a tipping point when we saw the visible change of tone in the captain's notes. He tried to save civilians and follow the orders of Princess Ru'ilia Na'laar, however, the golem disobeyed his orders, making it impossible for the frigate to aid the Princess."

  "Oh... Gods..." Amber's eyes went wide in shock. "That... thing prevented their soldiers from following orders given by an Imperial Princess?"

  "Yes, my Lady! Captain Yrwen was extremely bitter about that. He expressed it here..." She looked over her notes and took out a copy she put on the war table. It was instantly displayed on the large screen behind her and on the smaller screens everyone had in front of them. Ginny cleared her throat and started reading. "The last days were taxing and left the crew agitated. Despite being just impure, they gained favor in my eyes as they took my side and stopped my traitorous officers who tried to take over my frigate. They were loyal, like me, to the wise Princess Ru'ilia but our loyalty was for nought as that stubborn idol in the bowels of my ship rebelled as well. The ship won't listen to me and I must wrestle for my desires with even the smallest things. Senator Uknal demanded that we evacuate his family and slaves but he was killed during the mutiny attempt and, I believe, before he breathed his last breath, he said something to Vishnu which took away my authority over the ship. The ship, stubbornly, tries to follow the Senator's order but I can't return to our homeland - it's gone forever, consumed by the unrelenting waves and fury of Kraken. I can't follow the Princess who is the only hope of Balantica to survive. I pray for her safety and hope that even one Navy vessel follows her."

  She took a sip of the water and I felt Amber's panicked gaze. I put my hand over her trembling hands she put together under the table. Ginny displayed another log entry. It was chaotic and much different than the previous entries.

  "We managed to take control from the golem and we are on our way to Aderon. I hope to join the Princess and help her however we can. The golem is angry and calls us traitors wherever he sees us but I am done with it. If not for the lack of other ways of controlling the ship, I would have long ago ordered it smashed into pieces. But, without the cursed thing, we are defenceless and stranded in the endless blue. The stupid machine won't admit that Balantica is gone. He won't see reason and adhere to our procedures. The Emperor is dead. The Senate is dead. All Admirals are dead. Yet, that clay idiot will accept only their orders. I hope that once it meets with the Princess, it will finally relent. The shore is already on the horizon but we are running out of water... It's hot in the sky but we fret to sail on the surface." Ginny finished reading and looked at me. "I don't know what to say, my Lord..."

  "The amount of control the golem has on that ship is insane..." I sighed as I covered my face. "Any good news?"

  "I think that we need to study all the materials we recovered from Captain Yrwen before we can form any opinion," Ginny said nervously. "But I think we can learn some new building techniques from Balanticans, my Lord."

  "There is one thing you should know, my Lord." Ian hesitantly stated. "The golem, let's call it Vishnu, is highly abnormal. I must run many more tests but, right now, I can say it's some kind of hybrid. If I had to guess, I would say Vishnu is a golem fused with a homunculus. It would explain the degree of independence and why it is capable of denying direct orders of people who should, in theory at least, be instantly recognised as its masters."

  "That's just great..." I rubbed my eyes.

  "On the brighter side, their sentry turret would be unable to easily kill a Living Armour. If it had a person inside and they had a barrier, I don't think that Balantican weaponry would be any issue." Ragnar said. "I plan to measure their actual power output and fire rate at the earliest convenience. There are a few interesting tricks we might learn from the ancients but, in my opinion, we can easily reach their level on our own."

  "Proceed with caution." I sighed and we waited for them to leave the war room.

  "It's even worse than I thought!" Amber said harshly and looked at me expectantly.

  "The more we learn the more questions pile up..." I rubbed my eyes. "However, the more I think about it, the more I believe we need to secure the Balantican symbols of power. Even if our only purpose would be to keep them forever hidden, deep under Avalon, so no one, ever, could find them and unleash the horror of Balantican bureaucracy over this poor world..."

  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!

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