Chapter 262 - Tidings of Doom

Note : Chapter 265 has been written and added to the queue !

Getting a dentist's appointment is hell, but at least I got some special mouthwash out of my pharmacy that'll help slow the progress of the cavity down. Somewhat, at least.

Chapter 262

International Waters

Sky-Fortress of Unification

The UDC's headquarters and de facto seat of power was a much grimmer place than a year ago, mused Laria, dungeon core of the Golden Gates, as she walked her avatar down the halls.

When news of the new dungeon, of Crystal, and the first attack upon her had reached them there had been acrimonious debate, sure. But nothing like this.

Now the tension in the air could be cut with a knife. And might become so literally soon. Many were simply waiting for the shooting to start, while others were desperately arguing for peace and reconciliation.

Others were simply recalling their forces, and hunkering down. Choosing no sides and making it clear that anyone who messed with them would pay the price.

And that was how a world spanning alliance died.

She hadn't imagined this when she had started sending information to Crystal. But now she found herself at the heart of the rebellion brewing within the United Dungeon Council, whether she wanted to or not. It's not like Crystal had the time to take command, she couldn't blame the poor girl. Less than two years old and she had already fought no less than three major land battles with thousands of dead each, if one counted the automata of the Old World as something that could die at least.

Still, Crystal was proving a great symbol and an inspiring champion, to say the least. Her defiance against fate, the very fate those supposed to protect her had condemned her to…it had made many other dungeon cores stand up. Many thought she'd become a martyr, but against the odds the young dungeon core had succeeded beyond the wildest of dreams, turning her foes into allies with the New Republic, and now crushing an army a thousand times her size with the battle of Darthar.

"Laria."

The dungeon core stopped, and looked as Gift's avatar stepped into the hallway. She had seldom talked to him since he had helped her get certain…materials across to Crystal.

The kind the more traditional elements of the council would have died of apoplexy seeing in Crystal's hands, had they been physically capable of it.

"Gift. How may I help you?"

"I came to bequeath a warning." The dungeon core hesitated, and it set off every one of Laria's mental alarms.

Gift was one of the oldest core in existence. He was made by divine hands, and met the God of Fire. He did not hesitate or delay, he just did.

"Yes?"

"The adventurers' guild has reached into dark shadows. They see Crystal as a threat now. They are moving to reinforce those within the UDC that believe she should be restrained. Some even believe…some even believe that she should be removed from the equation altogether."

Laria froze. Murder? Of another dungeon core?!?

That would…there would be no words for it.

But they were that desperate? No. No they weren't.

What they were was stupid and panicking. And thinking they could get someone else to take the blame.

"They're going to give Sunrise a corekiller weapon." She whispered.

"I do not know. But maybe. Stay alert."

And just like that, his avatar was gone. For a giant in golden armor, he could move deceptively quickly.

Just like those his armor had been patterned after.

Laria stared at the corridor where he had disappeared for several seconds, then resumed walking.

She needed to contact Crystal. Fast.

*****

Allya sighed as the clamps let go, and the ship pushed off from the docking tower.

She watched the spectacle through the window of one of the VIP cabins onboard the Dusk Blade. She'd have gone onboard one of Alexandra's escorts, but it was necessary for her to appear at least somewhat separate from the dungeon core.

Besides, Alfyris, the dark elf princess, had announced her desire to get to Darthar, and it wouldn't do to have royalty travel alone, no matter how discrete her stay had been beyond her arrival.

"Missing home already?" Said Alexandra, through one of her ambassador golems. She was starting to be able to be in three places at the same time, though it was a strain, and she pretty much had to have the other two on autopilot.

"Something like that. It's also…I haven't truly been in another city since we founded Rebirth."

"Yeah. Plus it'll be weird to see Darthar and Elkaryos again." Said Pyn. "It's hard to believe it's been only a year and a half. It felt like an eternity."

The baroness and dungeon core both nodded.

"Think things will hold up in your absence?" Said Alexandra.

"We've left safeguards, and we have communication crystals as well as your radios." Allya shrugged. "It'll hold. Besides, push comes to shove, we have you, don't we?"

"I suppose that's fair. So, plans?"

"Are we secure?"

The dungeon core nodded.

"I remade the entire cabin, as you asked. Besides which, I've been sweeping the damn place continuously with stealth golems. Nothing is getting out without us knowing well in advance."

"Good. I'm going to try and convince the count to accept a golem garrison."

"He has to see this coming."

"Yes. But that doesn't mean he has a choice. The city's defenders have been decimated, and Philia's knights will head north as soon as we arrive. Once that's done, you could basically march your army and take the city unopposed."

"I'd rather not make an enemy of Sarth."

"Which is why you giving him the firepower to kick Sunrise's ass was so important. He owes you. More importantly, now he has a good idea of how badly his troops would do against yours if he pissed you off. Still need something to sweeten the deal though. We have one hell of a stick, we just have to come up with a carrot to match. Ideas?"

They fell silent. Then, after a few seconds, Pyn spoke up.

"The main problem is that Darthar is, like, important to him economically and in prestige, right?"

"It's important for a whole host of issues, but yes." Allya shrugged. "We'll get the city either way, as I said, he can't stop us and their majesties will support us, if only by silence, as long as we keep it within reason. We're simply their only hope. But we're still going to need to work with Sarth if we want to lift the siege of the capital, and we can't afford even more enemies in this mess."

"Well, I guess the obvious solution would have been those dynastic alliances, but we can't do that. So, why not just buy it?"

The dungeon core and baroness exchanged a look.

"I'm sorry, what?" Said Alexandra.

"Just buy it. Nobles buy and sell territories to each others, right? You even said nations did it back on Earth, Alex. You even ranted about something called Louisiana."

"That's…" Too simple? But was it really? Alexandra closed her mouth.

"You're all going at this like it was a matter of honor, prestige, whatever, but Darthar isn't prestigious at all, it's just a trade hub in the middle of the desert. As long as they have tariff free access and paid off handsomely…" Pyn shrugged. "I'm just saying, it's worth a shot."

"I feel like an idiot." Said Allya.

"I feel like a bigger one." Retorted Alexandra. "We bribed the Republic into giving us Erakis after all. Why not bribe Duke Manson Estogan for Darthar too? Plus, with the new efficiency plateau for the NLR core, I should be able to pitch in."

Not just in pure mana either. With the core producing more energy than ever, she was back to 'what do I do with all that mana I can't pump into my core?', and she was unearthing Ghost's old plans to pull a cable to Rebirth. Which reminded her, she'd need to have a look at the ley line under the bunker at some point. The actual thing was buried to deep for her without using a major project, but hell, she had mana to burn now. Sort of.

At least she wouldn't have to worry about the maintenance costs of her forces anymore. And she could pull the damned blackbirds out of storage, now that she wasn't so squeezed. It'd be good to regain her high speed, long range reconnaissance. Though…

She might need to look into making a carrier. A drone recon carrier, to deploy the cheaper, but less survivable drones she'd developed.

Something to think about.

TO-DO LIST UPDATED

"Could you use your secondary dungeon cores for that?" Asked the baroness.

Alexandra grimaced.

"They're bound to my level. Next one was slated for Darthar, for obvious reasons. But I could make some noise towards sending one to Sarth."

"I thought they already had a dungeon?" Asked Pyn.

"They do, but Uron's stopped growing his place a while ago. Also, he's a friend." And then some. He was part of the UDC's rebels, and had started preparations to anchor her eastern flank once the shit hits the fan with the council. "In fact, that might work perfectly. He's going to need some military support, and that way we can make a joint operation." And get him some armaments without having to give him the schematics and such.

Given that he was still under the sway of the God of Fire's control program, that was a valuable consideration.

"Sounds like a plan then!" Said the elf, and everyone nodded.

Then Alexandra froze.

"Wait, I have a message incoming."

"From who?"

"The devil we spoke of. Our friends within the UDC. One second, I…oh." Alexandra's face fell and she went pale.

Pyn and Allya exchanged a look.

There were three things that could make the dungeon core look like that:

Extremely bad news, her family being in danger, or Emilia threatening to punish her.

"What is it?" Asked Allya, delicately, as the dungeon core remained frozen.

"We received a warning from Gift. The adventurers guild has picked a side."

"Not ours."

"No. Not ours."

"UDC or Sunrise?"

"Both, it sounds like. Laria thinks they're going to go through the UDC, who'll then use Sunrise as a proxy."

Allya snorted.

"Won't fool anybody."

"It won't. But they're not playing to the world. They're trying to convince their own members to do it. I think."

"If the guild involves itself in a war like that…" Started the baroness.

"It'll cease to exist." Completed Pyn.

"Not if there's no witnesses to involve them." Said Alexandra.

And it suddenly hit them what had the dungeon core running scared.

The guild wouldn't dream of doing this if they thought they would be caught. Not after the Starvak debacle.

"They're going to make the UDC explode. Assassinate those they worked with?" Allya's voice was filled with horror.

"Once you've decided to kill a dungeon for political reasons, why not another? Or one more? You know how it is. Once the genie is out of the bottle…"

"It's never going back inside." Whispered Pyn.

The dungeons were the source of mana of the world. This…this could wipe out entire provinces. Entire countries. There was a reason the United Dungeon Wars had been so devastating.

"The UDC will find out, surely?" Forced out the baroness.

"Will it? The traditionalists will blame the rebels within the UDC. The rebels will, rightly so, proclaim their innocence and defend themselves from the inevitable attack. It'll go downhill from there."

She would know. Thanks to Ghost, she'd seen Arcadia's plan for collapsing the European Federation. Assassinate the president elect, and let the political factions kill each other.

Then swoop in and 'rescue' everyone from the madness.

Actually…

That didn't just feel like something Arcadia would make as a contingency plan.

It was the exact modus operandi of the Custodians.

Because they could make a few of the rebels within the UDC berserk…and suddenly both sides were monsters to be put down.

The baroness and elf were still digesting what she'd told them.

"Then we need to preempt them." Said Allya, firmly. "How do we do that?"

"Easy. Keep me alive." Alexandra sighed. "And whatever they try against me, make it disappear without a trace. No announcements, no nothing. Because if we accuse them, you can bet your ass the guild will start this mess to discredit us. Make it look like we're using a so called 'attempted assassination', clearly a false flag attack, to justify our own murders."

"Fuck." Said Allya, softly. "This is really the best we can do?"

"It is."

Until she had those damned surface to orbit railguns. Or a lot more nukes than the one warhead she did have.