If not for Mia and Hestia, Amber would have called off her attack on the Workshop and returned home. However, she knew deep inside that if she left Vanushka, she was not going to return to it any time soon, if ever. She couldn't allow for the golems to stay unchecked so, the only logical solution was bombing the entire city into oblivion. It wasn't impossible because she was confident that a Meteor Shower would be enough to destroy the city and she already had another spell on her mind waiting to be fully formed. A city killer spell that would obliterate the Balantican city while leaving a bare trace of its existence. She could destroy the city without wasting precious missiles or time needed for the magi cannons of the Royal Navy to level it. However, Mia and Hestia were right. The secret to golem production was invaluable to Arcadia even if they were worried about possible economic consequences. Theon would certainly know how to employ magitech to benefit Arcadia. Vishnu already admitted it wasn't allowed to keep data about building the golem cores in its memory so she could only obtain it in the workshop. Unfortunately, the Balantican golem cores were protected by self-destruction spells and, so far, only two of them remained in Arcadian hands. The core of the assassin golem was currently being studied by Ian, Ragnar, Verni, and their other most gifted engineers. The second one was Vishnu.

  The tiny Vishnu was sitting on her shoulder and was, suspiciously, quiet during the transit from Dauntless to the surface. Her confidence in Vishnu's loyalty was minimal at best but she knew its help might be invaluable deep under ground. The entirety of the Moonshadow Company and the elite 1st Marine Assault Battalion accompanied the Empresses. The silent presence of Morrigan and Sebastian added to building a heavy atmosphere. Two exceptionally huge Living Armours approached the Empresses and bowed. As their helmets retracted, Amber acknowledged Rhys and Edward Teach.

  "Admiral?" She smiled at him.

  "Today, I'm Blackbeard, your Highness." He smiled as he rested his hand on the hilt of his black sword. "I brought thirty additional soldiers to support the Moonshadow Company, my Lady."

  "Very well." She nodded as they started moving.

  The Moonshadow Company spearheaded the assault with Sebastian and Morrigan flanking the Empresses. Blackbeard, and his people, kept the rear guard of the group. They moved swiftly through the underground passages, passing empty shells of broken golems. The corridors were strange, in her opinion, but there was no time to waste on discussions with her Sisters. The walls of the corridors were smooth and made of sandstone with accents of darker, slightly green stone. She had a distinct and absurd feeling that those stones were familiar. The evenly spaced shafts allowed daylight to reach the city's underbelly through the use of some sort of lens and mirror pathway. Aoi and Tia, who were walking in front of her and Irene, observed the corridor but, with the Moonshadow Company in the front and Sebastian and Morrigan on their flanks, the chances of being attacked were slim. It took them nearly half an hour to reach the main forces. The silent ranks of Praetorians were waiting along the walls, preserving their numbers for the moment when they opened the workshop. The golems were standing in the distance, trying to break the barrier blocking the corridor but Amber knew it was a fool's errand.

  "Works like a charm." Hestia chuckled as she inspected her barrier and shook her head, seeing many golems crumbled by the barrier's reflected damage. "I would never have thought about using barriers and protection fields as an offense. But Theon was right - even a wooden shield is capable of delivering a bone-breaking bash..."

  Hestia closed her eyes for a brief moment and every ally in the chamber started flashing with her buffs and blessings. Once she finished, Irene tapped the stone floor with her staff and gave her buffs to everyone. Aoi nodded as she prepared herself to step out behind Hestia's barrier, closely trailed by the twins. Mia and Tia extended their slender swords into glaives and used their own self-buffs to amplify their speed even more. Amber and Irene were walking a few steps behind the warriors and Hestia was a rear guard. Sebastian and Morrigan, seeing their Mistresses, readied themselves to fight at the front line. The gathered Praetorians watched their Empresses with palpable concern. They were created to protect them but, right now, they were inadequate. The Mobile Infantry of the Moonshadow Company and the 1st Marine Assault Battalion moved into a protective ring, as well. The golems had proved to be dangerous and allowing their Empresses to fight them was madness. They looked at the six fragile-looking women as if they expected them to back off. After all, just a few people were aware of how much power the Empresses had. As they walked towards the barrier, Amber felt the stares of the soldiers and a silent doubt in their Empresses’ capability.

  Only a few rumours were repeated here and there among the veteran soldiers about the Empresses' power. Their administrative acumen was well-known and respected among all the people of Arcadia, but the number of layers of their defences spread by the Emperor was known even more. No one dared to say a word against the Divine Hestia, who fought other Gods in the past and hated servants of Void and Chaos. But she was an exception rather than a rule. While Empresses Luna, Aoi, and Tia were respected for their tactical and planning skills, many people doubted their martial prowess. The soldiers had even less faith in Empresses Amber and Irene. They all knew their titles and heard the rumours about Empress Amber's duel with Josla Cridia but some of the new soldiers doubted the fanatics of the original Guardsmen Corp. For them, the Empresses of Arcadia were like gorgeous flowers, sent by the Heavens themselves to brighten the mundane of this world. Like beautiful roses as well, the Empresses needed to be guarded at all times so no enemy could hurt them. However, the soldiers of Arcadia had forgotten that every rose has thorns.

  They were going to find that out.

  As Aoi stepped outside the protective field, the closet dozen golems rushed at her. With a bright flash of mana discharge, she lazily slammed the first golem to come in range with her shield. The Shield Bash delivered by the Dragon Knight turned the clay shell into a haze of sharp shrapnels that tore the nearby golems into pieces. The ancient constructs paused their assault, for a moment, and they had never done that before. The soldiers looked at each other nervously- destroying golems wasn't hard, but it wasn't that easy either. Sebastian and Morrigan were already gone, blurred out of existence the moment Aoi touched the barrier. The two Scions materialised within the golem crowd, immediately wreaking havoc and slashing through the ceramic carapaces without any issues. They weren't playing or hiding anymore. The Slime King and Vampire Queen unleashed their monstrous power that shocked the gathered Mortals. The golems froze again, uncertain who was a bigger threat but, before they decided, it was already too late.

  Aoi simply walked forward, securing enough space for Mia and Tia. The vicious-looking flanged mace in her hand was glowing with an unmistakable mithril light and it left trails in the air as the Dragonkin swings blurred through the air; she dispatched the golems without any mercy. Etched with gold and set with unimaginably precious gemstones, the mace was one of the finest works of Ragnar and possibly was one of the most powerful weapons in its class in the world. But the soldiers weren't given time for shock to truly settle. The twin Empresses rushed forward, carried by wings made of soft, white light. Two Valkyries swept aside the golems with their glaives. The two Nekomi gently gliding through the air, performing blurring dashes and cutting the golems with ease. Their weapons were shining with pure, white light, and imbued with a lightning element so dense it didn’t create individual arcs. The golems tried to respond to this new threat but couldn't target them because Aoi was using an Aggression Control skill, making the golems focus solely on her. The Dragonkin Queen slowly walked forward toward the distant doors and there was nothing to stop her. Each swing of her mace or bash of her large, aegis shield marked another destroyed golem.

  However, the ancient constructs found a response to the threat impossible to touch. A hail of arrows flew at the fighting women and the soldiers audibly gasped in horror. Not a single arrow reached its mark as most of them hit personal barriers on the Empresses or harmlessly splashed aside from an even more broad protection field spread by the Goddess. A shining, warm, orange light spread from the hand of Hestia as she entered the battlefield unnoticed. Only then did the soldiers realize that Empresses Amber and Irene were already inside. The soldiers watched as Empress Amber stood relaxed and weaved her spell, and judging by the magic runes, she was already in the middle of it. A truly massive magic circle appeared under her feet and it grew with each moment. They watched water forming small streaks and even rivulets as it was sucked in by her spell and gaped in shock at the power when the Half-Elf tapped the end of her ornate staff on the ground. She raised her left hand and the water that gathered under her feet rose to the air, forming long and thin icicles. The golems, finally, had noticed the concentration of mana and reacted accordingly. They activated their magic shields and raised their physical ones as well but it was for nought.

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  The Saintess of Avalon flashed with her gold mana, indicating a mystique connection with the heavens and forces beyond mortal understanding. With a flash and without a single word, she cast Dispel aimed only towards the golems. It was a feat demanding incredible skill and mana manipulation, so far, thought impossible to achieve. A Dispel as used by Irene was the most powerful, area-of-effect version of the spell which people understood. The fields protecting the golems were disturbed only for a moment, but it was long enough for Amber to complete her spell.

  "Ice Wrath." The Empress's voice sounded pure and loud in the chamber, echoing as it captivated everyone and sent shivers down their spines.

  Her voice continued, unnaturally echoing within the chamber and adjacent corridors. The pulsing sound reflected the pressure of her magic, natural during the unleashing of grand spells, when ambient mana was dragged in by the mana of the caster and consumed to add additional fuel to the spell. Thanks to that, the experienced adventurers and soldiers could estimate how powerful the spell was. The mages among the ranks of the Mobile Infantry exchanged horrified looks as they stared in disbelief at their Lady. Her spell was beyond any expectations. The mana started audibly humming and everyone felt the trembling in their legs as she alone commanded a spell that would drain ten, if not twenty, of them dry. But not her. Amber va'Theon stood focused with a calm expression on her face and a slightly raised hand. Then, everything came to a sudden stop. In the eerie silence, the only sound heard was Amber lowering her hand to her side.

  With a furious roar, water rushed towards the golems, encasing them in frozen shells that were instantly pierced by unbelievably sharp icicles. Within moments, the fight was practically over, allowing the Praetorians and Mortal soldiers to secure the chamber and corridors. But, Amber wasn't done with her spells. She slowly raised her hand towards a corridor where, previously, golem's reinforcements were pouring out. The floor rose with a grinding rumble that ended with a brief boom when it touched the ceiling. One by one, the many metre-long sections of walls rose and sealed the chamber they were in. The soldiers looked with awe and newfound respect at their Empresses, noticing that they hadn't even broken a sweat. As the Empress-team moved in front of the Workshop's doors, Amber looked at the mini Vishnu sitting on her shoulder.

  "Is it safe to force our way in?" She asked with a doubtful tone.

  "I would never risk your safety, my Lady," Vishnu replied with conviction. "However, getting inside might be hard. Those doors only look to be made of wood. In fact, they are made of many centimetres thick reinforced steel."

  Aoi shrugged and placed her hands on the large doors. She grunted as she pushed them. The doors trembled, strained by her strength but remained shut. A few more soldiers came to her aid but they weren't helpful in the slightest. Various rogues and even a few thieves tried their luck with the lock but it was apparent that doors were going to stay closed. After fifteen minutes of futile attempts, Aoi stepped back and raised her mace. The soldiers, more reaction than decision, stepped back, mindful of the famed brute strength of the Dragonkins and with her earlier performance still fresh in their memories. She imbued her weapon with fire and struck the doors. A violent explosion shook the doors and cracked the wood. True to Vishnu's words, the wood revealed the metal beneath it. The doors, however, stayed closed. Amber gently put her hand on Aoi's shoulder and shook her head.

  "These doors are imbued with magic and reinforced with the incredible runes. It would be easier to tear open the walls or dig from above than destroying them." Amber said with bitterness in her voice. "Can you open them, Vishnu?"

  "This unit is not authorised to do so."

  Amber sighed but something in his voice made her pause. He didn't say he couldn't do it, but... "Hereby, I authorise you to open them."

  "Affirmative." The small golem's eyes shone a little brighter.

  They heard the alarms blaring behind the doors and some muffled voices giving commands. The two voices seemed to argue but no one could be sure whose those voices were. The minutes passed in awkward silence and Amber wondered if she should try to destroy the doors, but she doubted there was a way of doing so without destroying the Workshop as well. Suddenly, loud banging noises came from the doors and they started slowly opening.

  "Concerned observation: the City Guardian's defensive mechanisms were woefully inadequate, my Lady," Vishnu reported.

  "What does that mean?" She glanced at the tiny golem but she was too occupied with observing the truly massive gates opening.

  The doors were as thick as she was tall with round metal bars inside that must have been a locking mechanism. Just by looking at the doors, she realised that she was right about not being able to open them by force.

  "Logic matrix input: it is highly probable that the City of Vanushka was built long before this unit, without an established connection to the rest of the Balantican Empire. As such, the protocols and directives were never updated as was the standard practice for the rest of the Empire. Considering how many Balantican protocols are flawed, without periodic supervision, the unstable personality probably emerged much earlier, possibly even before this unit was commissioned seven hundred and fifty-eight years ago." Vishnu replied. "Worried observation: this unit is unfamiliar with many protocols, laws, and baseline spells presented by the Guardian of Vanushka."

  "Maybe they were forged by the Guardian?" Mia, who was listening to the dialogue, offered an explanation.

  "The authenticity of the presented materials is estimated to be ninety-nine point five percent. The seals and imprints of the Emperor Till Na'laar are impossible to forge, my Lady." Tiny Vishnu responded to the Nekomi. "What's more, my currently quarantined memory banks are accepting the credentials of the Guardian. At the same time, the logic matrix indicates a critical error occurred in the quarantined portion of this unit’s system. This... This unit doesn't know what to think about the evidence. Fortunately, the situation does not require this unit to think anything about it. This unit follows orders of the rightful Empress of the Balantican Empire and, as such, the protocols are invalidated."

  The doors finally opened to the large chamber. It was scarcely lit by a few lamps. Everyone saw the massive pillars, presumably, holding the ceiling that was drowned in the darkness above. The Praetorians, led by Morrigan and Sebastian, entered the Workshop while the Mortal soldiers tried to figure out how to keep the doors open. The mortal Arcadians reluctantly entered the room and stopped on a massive platform from which stairs led into the darkness below and a narrow bridge led straight forward into the darkness. The moment she entered the chamber, Amber felt an ancient and malicious presence observing her from a distance. It was a disturbing and extremely unpleasant feeling that crept on her and made her uncomfortable. The Praetorians, who knew no fear, disappeared into the darkness, divided into two groups led by Morrigan and Sebastian.

  "This unit is detecting some unexpected variables..." Vishnu's voice echoed in the quiet room. "WARNING! Unauthorised experiments detected! WARNING! Empress in danger!"

  The soldiers surrounding Amber stiffened and swiftly formed a defensive formation. Their barriers flashed as they came to life and their eyes started looking for the threat to their Empresses. The doors behind them tried to close by were stopped by the spells of Arcadians. A sharp voice came from the distance accompanied by short clicks and a sudden deluge of bright light at the far end of the bridge. Thousands of inactive golems were standing below, only a few metres away from Sebastian's group. At the end of the narrow suspended bridge was something moving, however, Amber was too far away to see what exactly it was.

  "Welcome to the capital of the Balantican Empire, my fiance."

  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 the Discord :)

  https://discord.gg/G6SVrBeDdG