---Thirty Minutes Later---
Solaris and I soared through the skies of our southern border. According to the intelligence we had pilfered from Marquis Frampton, the Principality was probing our defenses at this very moment. To avoid inciting an immediate military reaction, the attacks were disguised as pirate ambushes. In reality, these “pirates” were veteran soldiers who took great joy in slaughtering our people. Those unfortunate enough to be spared were dragged back to the Principality for interrogation.
“See anything out there, Luxion?” I kept scanning the horizon.
<Because of the dense cloud cover, my satellites are having issues locating anything. Radar is useless here because the drifting islands create false positives.>
Annoyed by the lack of activity, I was about to use the Force to sweep for lifeforms, but Spacehog stopped me. She revved her engine twice and swung her front end a few degrees to the left.
“Are you saying there is something worth checking out over there?” I asked.
Vroom! Vroom!
Since she could not talk, I had to assume that was a yes. With no other leads, I trusted her senses and followed her lead. I signaled Solaris to follow and put the hammer down. As we shot across the heavens at three times the speed of sound, we soon noticed billowing smoke rising on the horizon.
“Good work, Spacehog!” I patted her gas tank. “Whatever bounty we get here, I’ll spend a portion of it on some high-quality paint to touch up your scuffs.”
Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!
Spacehog made her approval quite clear, accelerating to shave a few seconds off our arrival. As the active battlefield came into view, I saw four Kingdom patrol ships under siege from twenty Principality vessels. One of our ships was already ablaze, its crew pinned down by a relentless barrage of enemy cannons and mages. The other three Kingdom vessels were desperately trying to draw fire away to allow an evacuation, but the enemy refused to relent. They were hellbent on sending the damaged ship and its entire crew into a three-thousand-foot free fall to their deaths.
“Solaris! I want you to focus on engaging the enemy flagship.” I pointed toward the larger vessel at the back of their formation. “Destroy the ship’s rudder first, then give those bastards hell. Spare only those you think have value to us… kill the rest.”
<Rawr!>
Solaris bobbed his head and flew off to carry out my orders, swinging wide to avoid drawing immediate attention to himself.
With a pleased smile, I turned my attention back to the frontline. Spacehog was armed with laser cannons and two missile pods. I wasn’t sure if the pods were fully stocked, but the lasers would be more than enough.
“Time to kick some ass, Spacehog!” I activated the four forward laser cannons. “Let’s ride!”
Spacehog made her approval quite clear, accelerating to shave a few seconds off our arrival. As the active battlefield came into view, I saw four Kingdom patrol ships under siege from twenty Principality vessels. One of our ships was already ablaze, its crew pinned down by a relentless barrage of enemy cannons and mages. The other three Kingdom vessels were desperately trying to draw fire away to allow an evacuation, but the enemy refused to relent. They were hellbent on sending the damaged ship and its entire crew into a three-thousand-foot free fall to their deaths.
“Solaris! I want you to focus on engaging the enemy flagship.” I pointed toward the larger vessel at the back of their formation. “Destroy the ship’s rudder first, then give those bastards hell. Spare only those you think have value to us… kill the rest.”
<Rawr!>
Solaris bobbed his head and flew off to carry out my orders, swinging wide to avoid drawing immediate attention to himself.
With a pleased smile, I turned my attention back to the frontline. Spacehog was armed with laser cannons and two missile pods. I wasn’t sure if the pods were fully stocked, but the lasers would be more than enough.
Vroom! Vroom!
Spacehog’s engine roared as we rocketed toward the fray. The enemy soldiers turned toward the noise, only to be met by a devastating barrage of laser fire.
Kaboom!
Unfamiliar with energy weapons, they stood frozen in confusion until two of their ships erupted into massive balls of fire. Since airship design differed little from nation to nation, I had aimed for their powder magazines, knowing what the result would be.
“I don’t want to die!” dozens of sailors screamed as the two crippled airships lost their lift and plummeted toward the ocean far below. “Save us!”
None of their allies moved to help, choosing instead to refocus their weapons on me. “Damn it! Blow that thing out of the sky!”
I paid them no mind, zipping just over their heads at supersonic speed. A fraction of a second later, Spacehog’s sonic boom tore the sterns of several vessels wide open while the men on deck were instantly reduced to a fine red mist. Those far enough away to avoid instant death still fell to the deck, their eardrums shattered and internal organs ruptured by the sheer atmospheric pressure.
“Damn it! Where did that bastard come from?!” the captain of an unscathed ship pointed wildly at the black blur streaking through the sky. “Focus all fire on that man! Take him out before he kills us all!”
With the enemy’s attention broken, those aboard the flaming Kingdom ship bolted. They threw themselves into life rafts and rowed toward their allies’ vessels. Once the survivors were pulled aboard, the combined crews turned their gaze to the lunatic toying with their attackers. No matter what the Principality forces tried, they could not land a hit on the rider while he dismantled them piece by piece.
“Who the hell is that guy?” a rescued sailor pointed, leaning on the railing to steady himself.
“I don’t know, but whoever they are, I’m glad they showed up when they did.” The ship’s captain watched as the blazing vessel lost all lift and plummeted toward the ocean. “Grr… I don’t want to leave our savior to fight them alone, but we aren’t in any condition to help.”
While the remaining Kingdom vessels could still fight, they were in terrible shape. Dozens of sailors lay injured, and the hulls were riddled with holes. It was a gut feeling, but the captain was certain the next direct hit would sink his flagship. His honor demanded he stay and fight; his duty to his men told him to escape while they had the chance. Both options tore at him, leaving him paralyzed by indecision.
As I swung around for another pass, I noticed the Kingdom ships still trailing behind. Extending my consciousness toward them, the crew’s hesitation bled into my mind. I respected their reluctance to abandon me, but they were sitting ducks. Once the Principality’s forces were pushed into a corner, they would try to drag the survivors down with them.
“Defenders of the Holfort Kingdom, hear me. Take the opportunity I have created to escape, and forewarn the local lord’s defense force,” I telepathically instructed every Kingdom soldier.
The sailors froze. Telepathy was an uncommon gift, and confusion rippled through the decks. Before panic could take root, I spoke into their minds again.
“Do not dally! The continued safety of this territory depends on you delivering this warning. Our enemy is striking multiple locations as we speak. If the defense force does not deploy soon, countless rural settlements will burn.”
My words shocked them out of their daze. Understanding their true mission, they threw themselves into preparations for escape. As the sailors scrambled to lower the sails, the lead captain turned his gaze back toward the hovering bike and its rider.
“Young man, just who are you?” the captain asked.
“My name is Baron Leon Fou Aremus,” I said, my voice echoing through their minds. “I’m an acquaintance of Viscount Field.”
“You have my utmost gratitude, Lord Aremus. We had already made peace with the thought of dying here today.”
With a respectful bow, the captain turned to assist his crew. Once preparations were complete, the vessels sailed away, pushing their engines to the limit. Their retreat did not go unnoticed; several enemy vessels came about and readied their cannons.
“Your opponent is me, not them!” I extended my hand as a volatile mix of Force and psychic lightning crackled around me. “None of you wretches are worth sparing. Fall screaming into the abyss for the crimes you have committed against the innocent citizens of the Holfort Kingdom.”
As the lightning liquefied their cannons, a several-thousand-meter-long ethereal Ryu manifested behind me. Forged of pure psychic power, its bloodcurdling roar struck raw terror into the hearts of the enemy. The crews tried to turn their vessels and flee, but escape was impossible. A heartbeat later, the Ryu shot forward, its massive maw agape.
“Move out of my way!!” one captain screamed, shoving his own crew aside. “Abandon ship!!”
He leapt overboard, choosing to take his own life rather than perish by my hand. Several crew members attempted to follow, but they were too slow. Just as they reached the railing, the Ryu engulfed the ships. Within its gullet, raw psychic energy tore everything apart at an atomic level. Their agonizing death throes echoed across the sky, sending cold shivers down the spines of the Kingdom survivors and the remaining Principality soldiers alike.
“Holy crap! Since when did we have a monster like him living in our country?!” a Kingdom sailor said, watching the horrific scene with a mix of awe and terror. ‘Serves you right, Principality scum, he thought. You refuse to fight us head-on, preferring to raze villages and target isolated patrol fleets. It’s high time someone put you in your place!’
His peers shared the sentiment. Those who were not preoccupied stood and watched the enemy vanish, their terror giving way to grim joy. With such a powerhouse on their side, victory in the coming war felt assured.
“Now then… care to surrender?” I manipulated the ethereal creature, making its massive head turn and roar at the surviving vessels.
Paralyzed with indecision, their fleet of twenty reduced to a mere six, the captains of the five remaining frontline ships turned to their flagship for guidance. When they caught sight of it, their jaws dropped. They had been so preoccupied with my assault that they had not noticed their flagship had been boarded. Most of its crew were already dying piles of mush or mangled corpses.
“What in the hell!?” one captain said, watching Solaris crush another sailor with his clubbed tail.
The Organoid was slicked in a thick layer of blood. While his face bore no expression, the twinkle in his eyes suggested he was deeply satisfied. It was not the bloodshed that pleased him; it was the simple fact that he was being useful to his friend.
“My patience is wearing thin. State your choice, or I shall make it for you!” The Ryu slithered toward them like a snake.
As death closed in, the sailors threw their weapons overboard and fell to their knees. Unlike the Principality’s arrogant nobility, who chose death over mercy from the Kingdom, these men came from humble backgrounds. If they died here, no one remained to care for their families.
“Cowards! How dare you grovel before the enemy!” one captain shook his fist. “Have you no—”
The captain’s voice faltered. An intense surge of heat erupted inside his chest, causing him to crumple to the deck. A split second later, a burst of fire engulfed his body. He released an unintelligible scream, reaching out toward his horrified crew as he burned.
“Care to say anything else?” My gaze fell upon the remaining captains.
They tossed their pride aside to choose life. Each man threw his weapons overboard and hit the deck beside his crew.
“A wise decision.” I seized the six remaining vessels with my mind, anchoring them in place. “Play nice, and I will guarantee the safety of the common crew. As for the rest of you, well, you’ll want to cut a deal with the Kingdom if you ever want to see your homes again. When the hammer comes down, make sure you aren’t under it.”
The common sailors relaxed, while their captains broke into a cold sweat. To survive the aftermath, they had to be the first to speak with the Kingdom’s interrogators. They all held the same intelligence; only the first to crack would buy his freedom. The rest faced unfathomable torment.
“Solaris, make sure our prisoners stay in line. If anyone misbehaves, you know what to do.” I gave my friend a nod before turning Spacehog toward the territorial capital.
<Rawr!>
Solaris raced to the bow of the flagship, keeping a predatory eye on the captives.
With the fleet locked in my psychic grip, I punched Spacehog’s throttle. The immense weight of the six captured airships didn’t register to her engine; she moved forward, towing the prizes behind us.
---3rd Person POV, Thirty Minutes Later---
Word of the attack reached the palace with devastating speed. Lord Field and his allies wasted no time preparing to deploy their forces to the border. The port became a hive of activity as soldiers and supplies moved in an organized scramble. Unsure of what was unfolding, anxious citizens gathered to demand information. At first, the soldiers and laborers remained tight-lipped, but as their families congregated with worried looks, the silence fractured.
As word spread of the attacks, public unrest skyrocketed. Swarms of citizens took to the streets, buying up food and supplies before shortages took hold. The populace remembered the hardships of the last war, when supplies were diverted to the front lines to feed the troops, leaving only scraps for civilians. They understood the strategic necessity, but the sacrifice did not make the hunger easier to endure.
In response to the growing panic, Prime Minister Atlee and Queen Mylene held an emergency assembly in the city center. Queen Mylene used a vocal-amplifying Lost Item to speak to the swelling crowd.
“Citizens of the Holfort Kingdom, please listen to me! I know you are uneasy about the strike on Lord Field’s territory.” Mylene looked out at the sea of terrified faces. “The Principality’s forces have been driven back from our lands by Baron Aremus and his Lost Items. Furthermore, Lord Field’s defense forces have deployed to secure the border, and we are sending additional aid to ward off further incursions. This does not mean we are marching to war! I give you my word, as your Queen, I will do all in my power to prevent another bloody conflict.”
Relief swept through the crowd. The Queen’s calm demeanor eased their worries, bringing a quiet sense of triumph to her expression.
“My Queen, who is this Baron Aremus you speak of? I’ve never heard his name before.” An older citizen stepped forward from the front ranks. “You aren’t trying to lull us into a false sense of security, are you?”
His challenge caused the crowd’s anxiety to surge once more. If such a powerful nobleman existed within the Kingdom, why had his name never reached their ears?
“That is… the reason is…” Queen Mylene faltered, struggling to construct a plausible cover story on the spot.
“Lord Aremus earned the title of Honorary Baron at fifteen by soloing an undiscovered dungeon, destroying its core, and retrieving many powerful Lost Items.” The Guildmaster approached the stage, a confident smile on his face. “Since joining the Adventurer’s Guild, he and his party have conquered over two dozen more. Those of you familiar with the perils of dungeon clearing understand the weight of that achievement. While guild policy forbids me from divulging his exact metrics, I say with absolute certainty: he is more than capable of crushing the Principality’s Black Knight.”
The citizens held the Guildmaster in high regard. If he vouched for Lord Aremus’s strength, they accepted it without hesitation.
“I have just received an update from our Field Territory branch office.” The Guildmaster took the broadcasting relic from the Queen. “Lord Aremus has captured six Principality vessels and their crews. The prisoners are undergoing interrogation regarding future deployment plans. Until Lord Field and the royal forces establish a perimeter, Baron Aremus will continue to patrol the border alone.”
“What about the settlements close to the border?” A woman pushed her way to the front, frantic for her relatives in the area.
“Lord Aremus has the territory’s defense force evacuating them as we speak.” The Guildmaster gave her a calm smile. “At this time, we have received no reports of attacks on any settlements. Only our patrol fleets have sustained damage.”
Reassured by his words, the crowd believed Queen Mylene. The gathering dispersed to spread the news. It would take time for public order to return, but the capital was moving in the right direction.
“Thank you for your help, Guildmaster.” Queen Mylene’s shoulders sagged from exhaustion. “Is it true—everything you said?”
“Haha, doubting my words, are we?” The Guildmaster grinned. “Yes, the branch office in the Field Territory verified every detail. From what I was told, the crews Lord Aremus captured are cooperating without resistance. Whatever he did to them, those soldiers fear him far more than the consequences of treason.”
“Hehe! Perhaps I should schedule a meeting with him,” Queen Mylene said, a smile creeping upon her face. “I have left the Prime Minister to handle him up to this point. After everything he has achieved, a promotion is in order.”
The Guildmaster and Prime Minister exchanged a look but chose not to interject. Leon was certain to refuse the advancement, just as he had two days prior when the Prime Minister approached him. Yet at this stage, now that they had thrust him into the public eye, refusal was no longer an option. If he rejected the title and remained a minor Baron, the masses would suspect the crown was suppressing a war hero.
“We should return to the palace at once.” Prime Minister Atlee gestured for the two to follow. “We can use this incident to send an envoy to the Principality. The more time we buy, the better prepared we will be for the future.”
They nodded. Leon had done his part to safeguard the nation; now it was their turn.
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