As part of the system of runes and ley lines, the integrated Cryterian circuits hummed softly in sync. However, it is far too late for you to realize it! And there’s far more than just one traitor! The fall of Naran is coming close at hand and soon, the Dreanat shall realize its ultimate goal… the resurrection of Euracon!Īs the magical battleship was undergoing routine maintenance, the magical circuits were being updated and re-energized. The fact that you suspect a traitor in your ranks was neither unforeseen nor unexpected. And keeping the Dreanat away from the research centers would have been a brilliant plan, if it weren’t for the fact that we had long since infiltrated them and the upper-ranks of the government and infrastructure! Ever since Prime Minister Hayken was elected two centuries ago! I don’t need to study the power source of this Steel Soldier since I already know how it works. After they were gone and the door closed behind them, the magical engineer stood up and smirked evilly. Maden gave his king a bow as Shenshirine departed the hanger, followed by his personal guards. For now, you are to begin your studies of this Steel Soldier and find a way to understand and mass-produce its power source.” “Sooner or later, I will find the traitor and make an example of him to those who dare to cross me. That is why I have never allowed their operatives to come close to the magical research centers, nor the Deriaton One’s drydock.” So it wouldn’t be surprising if the Dreanat were planning to double-cross us in the near future. Money is what moves the Dreanat and it would only take a greater amount for them to switch sides. “They were the puppets of the Euracon Empire because they paid them the most. “The Dreanat are mercenaries at their very core.” Shenshirine said in a firm tone. “The Dreanat? But they have been working with us with no issues.” I suspect that this traitor may be in league with the creators of the Steel Soldiers or perhaps even the Dreanat.” “The fact that it has taken this long to obtain a Steel Soldier is proof that someone has betrayed me, and is working for a hostile entity. “I cannot even fathom that thought that anyone would discard their loyalty to Naran and to you.” How else were the Steel Soldiers able to elude us up until now? Someone must have been giving them advance warning every time our forces were deployed.“ “I had been suspecting for some time, that someone in our higher ranks may be working against us. The head magical engineer became a bit uneasy at that statement. And no thanks to the traitor in our midst.” Shenshirine said with a bit of a scowl. “It was most fortunate that we were able to get a hold of one of these Steel Soldiers.” Maden remarked. And once the main power source was fully researched and mass-produced, the Emperor’s dream of having his own armies of metal giants would become a reality. Siege warfare would be child’s play and the weapon could be used in a variety of scenarios. By itself, it could inflict more damage to the enemy than an entire division and would be able to stand up to the behemoths on the Alder Continent. Overall, it was crude and simplistic, but the Steel Soldier represented a huge leap in ground warfare. He was quickly captured and was currently being interrogated. More than a whole regiment of soldiers and a platoon of combat mages had been sacrificed before the pilot of the mecha was forced to abandon his machine. It wasn’t surprising considering how much it took to capture it. It had several dozens of dings and scrapes all over its body. The legs were bulky and seemed a bit clumsy-looking. In place of hands, it had crablike pincers. The Battle-Mech ripoff was approximately forty-five feet tall and its arms were longer than its legs, giving it a kind of apelike appearance. Its head was tiny and cylindrical, topped off with large, fire gem. It roughly had the general configuration of a humanoid, but seemed a bit top-heavy and ungainly. The Metal Soldier that stood before them was a simplistic-looking design. Soon, Naran would once again take its place as the most powerful nation on Istaria. He had already been elated when he had received reports of the successful tests of Deriaton One’s weapon systems, but achieving the means to create his own Battle-Mechs made him ecstatic. “Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!” Shenshirine remarked as he and his top magical engineer stood in front of the kingdom’s latest acquisition.