The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

"The Mountain Dungeon..." The words hung in the air like the accusation they were, at least, for me.

Amber asked me about the planned subjugation of that Dungeon that had been postponed so many times that I wasn't sure if some deity of procrastination wasn't working overtime to keep it that way. At this point, even the most severe natural disaster sounded like just another excuse to postpone the campaign. I rubbed my face tiredly, almost afraid to admit I had simply forgotten something important like that Dungeon–a hostile Dungeon at that.

"It's true that the Mountain Dungeon has kept a low profile for a long time, but..." Irene gathered her silky black hair into an impressive ponytail.

"I know..." I sighed.

"Demesne and Bob reported that the subjugation force is ready to disembark with a one-week notice, so it's not a big deal." Luna shrugged and took a sip of her drink with a straw. "Besides, Sigismund just recently notified me that the Dwarves are finally ready."

"All right..." I settled on rubbing just my neck, still feeling guilty. "I will send Sebastian and Crawline there, probably with a company of Praetorians. I can't really send an entire Legion there."

"Not if you don't have any you forgot about..." Amber stood up, and after stretching a bit, she slowly entered the pool.

"I wish I had..." I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I wonder what else I forgot about."

"Devilkins?" Aoi proposed with a helpful smile, but her voice was serious.

"Not this time. I have observers along the possible incursion routes, but I always keep them in mind..." I replied with a guilty grimace. "But I guess I deserved that."

"You can't control everything." Hestia looked at me from her sunbed, where she had lazily spent the entire morning.

"I mean, it's true, but as the King, I should have better foresight than to just wait for things to go bad before doing something about it."

"Normally, I would agree with you, Theon." Irene yawned. "But nothing about our situation is normal. While the way Arcadia was born is nothing special, the scope and unprecedented short time of the accompanying wars were staggering to any observer. My Dear, I'm actually surprised that the transition of power went so smoothly!"

"I agree with Irene," Amber said as she drifted on her back in the warm water. "I studied the history books we managed to obtain, and the only weird part about the raising of Arcadia is the fact that you are a Dungeon Core."

"How does the connect exactly to the fact, even if it is only my opinion, that I am performing poorly as the King?"

"I can assure you that our spies are the best." Luna put aside the empty tall glass and stood up, fixing her bikini and happily wagging all four of her tails. "Not only have we included all your knowledge on the matter, but using the Noble Slimes has resulted in the most effective and safest way of obtaining intel. The joint teams of the Mortal agents and Slimes proved to be a flawless combination, nigh impossible to detect. I'm more than sure that no country, including Metaka, doesn't have even remotely good spies. Most countries depend on a simple network of contacts between the members of the nobility, merchants, and various guilds–all things you have utterly demolished. Even the merchants previously operating within Cridia and Berna became powerless to provide any useful information beyond what's observable for literally anyone else visiting any of our cities and villages."

Aoi voiced her support for Luna, who nodded and jumped gracefully into the pool without even splashing the water. "Slipping agents into our structures is nearly impossible thanks to the Inquisitors and the Arcadia Security Agency's active protection. Even the simplest form of an interview is enough to catch ninety percent of foreign agents."

Hestia picked up an apple and rubbed its side until she polished it to a high shine. "We simply wanted to say that you are already controlling everything possible." Then she chuckled. "We knew the content of the letters and orders sent by Berna's officers before they ever reached their destinations."

I simply sighed. They were probably right, but I had a hunch that I had overlooked something so important and simple that I would regret it. However, no matter how hard I tried to find what that thing was, the more elusive the thought of it became. It was as if something purposefully prevented me from recalling that one last piece of the puzzle. I saw in the gloom of my own creation while the world around me echoed the laughter and sound of splashed water. Even the unexpected spray of water wasn't enough to break my focus. With unseeing eyes, I gazed forth into the horizon while my mind raced, eagerly looking for the faintest of clues that could lead me to what I was missing. While my wives merrily played in the water, I focused on the military of Arcadia one last time, subconsciously believing in finding a hole where there shouldn't be one. However, despite my best efforts, I couldn't disperse that lingering feeling that I missed something. My military seemed flawlessly composed.

The main fighting forces of Arcadia were the Immortal Legions. Their inextinguishable numbers determined their long-term superiority over any Mortal army they faced so far and will in the future. While the occasional victory over my forces was possible, and even temporarily stopping the progress of my army wasn't unthinkable, it was simply impossible for Mortals to sustain against the attrition rate. Even the smallest losses would finally add up, forcing the conscription of inexperienced people, who would die even faster. Once an army loses all of its experienced soldiers and seasoned commanders, it can't and won't fight the Legions. My Legions were immune to that problem from the very beginning. As truly immortal creatures, my Death Knights will rise again after their temporary death and return to the fight with their knowledge intact and even reinforced by the experience of their last demise.

Following them are the Guardsmen Corp. Once, they were despised soldiers of Cridia who had sworn themselves to me, and they meant it. After gruelling years of service to the unworthy queen, they were wrecks, no better than bandits. However, deep inside them, I still could sense their potential. So I gathered them, moulded them to my liking, and forged them in the fire of war. I armed them with Dwarven weapons and armours made of Avalon's best alloys and metals, making their ranks deadly and regal-looking. Their worn-out husks burned away in the embers of many battles, reigniting the spark they never suspected they had. They fought the slavers and bandits, eradicated wild monsters, and stood as vigilant guards at the gates of the cities and towns of the Arcadians. The people of Arcadia saw them as an extension of my might as their King. They were their protectors and liberators. Whenever they went, hundreds, if not thousands, cheered in their wake. My Guardsmen proved their worth and conviction time and time again. From garrison duties to law enforcement, the Guardsmen were always eager to receive orders. Under the guidance of their brilliant commanders, they excelled in any mission I gave them.

The Royal Navy of Arcadia had already become a thing of Legend, even in its infancy. Led by the previously unknown but now one of the most famous people in Arcadia, my Navy was feared by all those who harboured ill intentions toward my Kingdom. The might of HMS Dauntless was a deterrent on its own, but it was a battle fought by HMS Victory that brought fame to the Royal Navy. It was a widely known tale of a single ship that shattered the myth of the invincible Holy Navy of Berna. The massacre at Lake Puella and the overwhelming numbers of enemies, even when their ship was wrecked and drifting, along with the fight of Victory's crew and the bravery of the Admiral until Blackbeard came, was a tale known to any child. It was also very well known and feared by the foreign powers who once thought lowly of Arcadia. Once, they had laughed at the envoys I sent to establish good neighbourhood relationships. Now, all those who were wicked and evil fear every time a large cloud from Arcadia casts its shade near them.

My Intelligence and Counterintelligence Agencies were gathering data just as well as the best agencies of my old world. Knowledge is power, after all. The superior preparedness of my forces was only possible by the extensive network of spies and informers who gathered every piece of information they could. Luna was right; my spies were excellent. Also, the Inquisition was crucial in Arcadia's protection, prosecution, and law enforcement. They were beloved by the common people and the worst nightmare for all criminals. The Truth Seeker skill and their interrogation skills made them discern guilty from the innocent in what seemed to be a blink of an eye. They were prosecutors, lawyers, and judges in one, with the authority to execute the guilty on the spot. However, they rarely used their full authority, preferring to capture and obtain every single bit of knowledge of the criminals. This led to the obliteration of all the crime syndicates across Arcadia.

Mages...

"Oh, God..." I opened my eyes, pale from my sudden realisation. Indeed, it was something so simple...

My Queens' laughter was replaced with concerned silence. They suddenly froze in mid-movement within the pool. A moment ago, they must have been splashing water at each other and everywhere, judging by the nearby wet grass and marble tiles.

"I forgot about the Mages!" I replied with a nervous and guilty tone in my voice.

"How exactly?" Amber looked at me after she wiped the water off her face, which had started dripping from her hair.

"I, once again, neglected the magic that fills this world. Yes, I employ various mages, and Stella has practically a free hand in studying magic, but it's not enough!" I stood up from my sunbed, walked toward the nearby bar, and grabbed a strong drink. "You could say I replayed the mistake I made at the beginning."

They looked at each other, clearly unable to get what I was saying. Luna looked as if she wanted to speak, but her ears just went down and up awkwardly as she realised I was right.

Amber looked a bit concerned but not troubled. She also remained collected and simply sighed. "Theon, our mages are probably the best on the entire continent," she started, earning my angry glance, but she just raised her hand to stop me from whatever I wanted to add. "However, we only recently gained the ability to start studying and developing magic seriously. I think it will take us even more time before we can form any kind of Magic institute tasked with protecting Arcadia."

"Why?" I let out a frustrated sigh and took a generous sip of my drink. Feeling the warm sensation of alcohol travelling to my stomach, even for a moment before my passive skills neutralised it, was nice.

"Magic is not simply runesmithing, researching various tools, or even creating entirely new magitech. It's a long and complex process requiring much effort and understanding," she explained as her facial expression soured. "Do you remember that my class, Elemental Sorceress, allows me to create magic?"

"I never thought about it, to be honest. I was rather overwhelmed by the consequences of what I have done..." I smiled faintly.

"I thought so." She smiled widely and winked. "I can create magic, Theon. It took me and Stella months to even start guessing what that meant. Before you get all excited about what we concluded, you must know that I'm still not allowed to use that skill."

"What? I thought the skills, once learnt, were free to use as long as we have mana." I switched my gaze between her and Luna, who wasn't surprised in the slightest.

"Normally, yes. However, in some cases, you must fulfil some requirements for a skill to work," Luna explained. After observing my flat expression, she continued. "For example, the Soul of the Phoenix of the Phoenix Knight class can only be cast by those who have maxed their class. It's an ultimate skill that would resurrect the user upon their abrupt death; however, the user will lose a full level of experience. They can't recast that skill until they regain the lost experience."

"So you are saying that Amber's level is too low?" I asked with doubt in my voice.

"Hahaha, no you, silly!" Amber giggled and splashed the water towards me, missing me just by a hair. "We believe that my knowledge is still too limited, and the World's Words prevent me from creating some of the more disastrous spells. The more I learn about magic, the more I am certain that knowledge is the key to unlocking that skill. As I said before, magic is complex, and rushing the process would end only in disaster. Leave magic to me, Luna, and Stella, Theon."

"All right..." I sighed, but after I thought a moment, I finally relaxed. "You are right, my Darling. Rushing things never brought good results."

"Arcadia is not defenceless anymore, my Darling," Hestia chimed in with a smile.

"Our knowledge is at your disposal, Theon," Lavender followed. "While the Eternals protect Arcadia, we Dryads are sharing our agriculture techniques and significant knowledge about magic. Not all my Dryads were peaceful caretakers."

"Stella is busy filling the Grand Library of Arcadia with all the knowledge we gather. The libraries of Cridia and Berna were secured, and their records were verified. Our knowledge is expanding, but trust me, we are not ready for anything as ambitious as the other military branches you have created," Amber said with conviction. "We can detect most magics quickly, and their attacks, like last time, would never reach us.”

"I'm glad to have you, my Dears." I smiled at them and received affectionate smiles in return from them all. "That leaves us with the question of subjugation of the Dungeons within the lands of Arcadia. The time has come for the Mountain Dungeon, Sebastian."

As usual, the Slime Scion materialised from thin air and bowed respectfully to me and then to my wives. "Your Highness, my Queens..."

"Inform Sigismund that he has a green light. You will take Crawline and a company of the Praetorians with you. Allow Sigismund and his volunteers to take charge of the mission. The Joint Dungeons Forces will be ready by the end of the week."

"As you wish, my Lord."