Chapter 4608: Chapter 4597: Modern and Medieval (Part 1)

Princess Peonia was still a young, cute, and short woman in her twenties. The silver, black, and blue streaks in her waist-length blond hair were a testament to her considerable magical talent, while the silver eyes she had inherited from Tyris proved her Royal lineage.

Instead of one of her usual court dresses, Peonia wore a blue military uniform complete with combat boots. Her long hair was held up in a bun that perfectly fit under her service cap, giving the illusion she had cut it short for the mission.

"I know that, but I thought this was a diplomatic mission, not a declaration of war." Lith studied her delicate features and found no trace of resentment for turning down her marriage proposal.

"Showing up to the negotiating table armed to the teeth is a clear provocation. If we want to avoid starting a conflict with the Jierans, we should choose a less threatening means of transportation."

"That’s just your political naivety talking, Magus Vehren." Peonia shook her head. "Everyone agreed to carry a limited number of armed forces, but no one said anything about their quality or their carrier.

"I’m willing to bet the Jierans will bring only the most powerful mages of their Council to the negotiating table, and that each one of them carries on themselves enough weapons to level a small city.

"Not everyone is a Divine Beast that can summon an army of Demons at a moment’s notice, Magus Verhen. The Griffon Kingdom can’t afford to fall short and show weakness when our opponent makes their display of strength.

"Moreover, the Griffon’s Roar is not a weapon. It’s a tactical mobile base." Peonia smirked, her impish smile exposing her perfect, pearly teeth. "Jiera is still a no-man’s-land filled with deranged monsters and catastrophe-level lost cities.

"Since the Kingdom is honoring our Jiera hosts with the presence of a Royal Princess, the Supreme Magus, and many representatives of the most important magical and noble bloodlines, it’s only logical that the army protects them to the best of its abilities.

"The Griffon’s Roar will ensure our safety until we reach Tarna, during our stay, and on our way back. It’s just a deterrent against anything or anyone that might be foolish enough to attack us."

"You make a good point, Princess Peonia." Lith replied. "I’m sure our hosts will see the wisdom of your choice."

"They sure will, Magus Verhen." She said. "Once we reach Tarna, please address me only with the title of ambassador. While in Garlen being a princess is the mark of great political power; here in Jiera it only identifies someone as a spoiled rotten brat.

"No one has yet forgotten or forgiven the foolishness of the late local ruling class that brought the human race on this side of the ocean to the verge of extinction."

"No problem, Your Ambassadoress." Morok snapped a quick salute and jumped aboard the Griffon’s Roar, quickly followed by the others. "You stay here on the geyser, Ryla. We’ll Warp you to Tarna as soon as we reach our destination."

The Fomor nodded and showed Morok the Home Stone Friya had prepared for her.

"Is there anything I should know about the modifications the Royal Forgemasters have made to my Trains?" Lith asked as the princess led them to a lounge worthy of the royal palace.

The seats were arranged around an oblong table in the middle of the room, giving everyone plenty of leg room. Hot and cold dishes and a pot of fresh tea were stored in enchanted cabinets that kept them at the perfect temperature and ready to be served.

"Nothing much." She shrugged. "We just reinforced the original design with Adamant panels, changed the shape of the single wagons for better aerodynamics, and added weapons and the mana crystals necessary to fuel them.

"The arrays are still mostly defensive and require the wagons to assume specific configurations that are impossible to reliably maintain amid the chaos of a fierce battle."

"Which explains why you added the feature that allows the wagons to merge." Lith leaned his cheek against his fist. "As long as the wagons are at a fixed distance, a few magical formations should be available no matter how hard the enemy hits."

"Guilty as charged." Peonia shrugged. "If any of you have any questions about the mission or a specific strategy you want to suggest, this is the right moment to share it with me. I don’t want surprises once the negotiations start."

The trip lasted a couple of hours and was uneventful.

Everyone had the time to say their piece and enjoy the comforts of the Griffon’s Roar. The rooms inside the mobile fortress had the classic military utilitarian design, but the many enchantments more than made up for the limited space of the shared facilities.

"Tarna is in sight." The stentorian voice of Lieutenant Commander Bartan Ukel resounded through the speakers. "All combat personnel remain at their stations. Everyone else, prepare to disembark."

"I still can’t believe it." Peonia sighed. "It’s been centuries since the navy became obsolete, and now we need to establish it anew."

"Can’t you just make it a branch of the Royal Army?" Tista asked.

"That’s the idea, but operating something like the Griffon’s Roar requires specialized training that can’t be shared with the rest of the regular army without the risk of leaks.

"Rather than make a new branch and isolate it from the rest, it’s much better to establish a navy where everyone undergoes the same training and information can be freely shared without constantly asking for someone’s clearance level.

"I can feel a’but’ incoming." Morok said.

"But the army doesn’t like losing its monopoly on the Kingdom’s armed forces, just like our newborn navy doesn’t like taking orders from people who have no idea how it operates." Peonia replied.

"They have been at each other’s throats since the Trains’ project inception, and we Royals are in the middle, trying to keep the blessing of our new military power from turning into a curse."

"So, the usual." Lith gave her an understanding smile.

"Yeah." The Princess said. "I don’t blame you for choosing a life free from this nonsense, Magus Verhen. If not for the royal blood that flows in my veins, I wouldn’t want this life either."

She stared out the window intently, biting her tongue to keep herself from expressing out loud her wish to have escaped to the Blood Desert before Kamila.

The Griffon’s Roar stopped above the mana geyser a few hundred meters away from Tarna out of respect for their hosts. Zelex’s outpost in the Cascan Region looked like a small-sized city of the Kingdom, with tall guard walls of dull grey rock and houses made of solid stone with pitched wooden roofs.

Each city block had at least one stone arch marking a stairway to the lower levels. They reminded Lith of access points to metro stations, but there was no such thing on Mogar.

Not all the Children of Glemos enjoyed life on the surface. Some, like the orcs, preferred living deep underground, where they practiced their powers and hastened the germination of mana crystals by focusing the elemental energy produced by the Balors’ and Fomors’ eyes.