MC POV, sometime later
The Imperial Crusade against the Children of Bul-Khatos was successful... indeed it was.
The Harrogath was destroyed, and the mighty city was laid to ruin and bombarded to oblivion. Mount Arreat, which was their Holy Mountain, and the underneath complex, which was large enough to be considered a smaller city, were also torn down by the might of the Magitek.
Everything was destroyed: their idols and totems were destroyed, their sacred places were ruined, and their people were all exterminated to the last person. It was very bloody and, at a certain point, also morbid...
Nobody survived from the Badlands; everything was killed due to my order and the orders of the Landsraad.
In fact, I felt a bit regretful because the Barbarians were very powerful... yeah, they were very powerful.
They would have been a great boon for the Holy Arcadia Empire, but unfortunately, they were too proud folk, and they would never bend the knee to someone who was no bearer of the Lineage of the very first Immortal King.
And actually, that was something that I couldn't accept just like that... that was something out of the question.
One could call it my own arrogance or something, but the fact that there existed a nation of people that were very powerful, on the Lordran, bordering the Imperium and not under our control.
That was something that I couldn't really allow.
They would have to go... one way or another, and obviously, they did.
Interestingly enough, I was taking a luxurious War Wagon back to the Anor Londo because I wanted to ponder over things. With the speed of the War Wagon, I would arrive at the Anor Londo in one or two weeks, mainly due to the newly installed Magitek Engine in the War Wagon.
The experimental Magitek was proving itself stable enough to be installed in various War Machines of the Imperium. Maria remained in the Badlands, mostly on my order because I needed to have her there.
The Stormcast Eternals were needed to be present until the entire Badlands were scoured at least several times over, in case someone survived. And this was something that only the best Magic Users and Stormcast Eternals could do.
Maria was naturally pretty unhappy about that, because I was returning back to the comforts of the Anor Londo, and she was stuck in the middle of nowhere, so she wasn't really thrilled at the idea.
Yet, she didn't complain much and carried out the order as she was told. It was unfortunate, but she knew that with her new position as the Lord General-Kommandant of the Stormcast Eternals, she had different kinds of responsibilities right now.
I planned to return through the Grand Province of Stormwind, to the Grand Province of Caladan, and then through the Grand Province of Bretonnia before finally arriving a the Grand Province of Reikland.
During the time of the journey, I would also be stopping at a few places and inspecting a few places.
So, I think that I would give a few people a heart attack when I appear at their doorstep together with the procession of the Stormcast Eternals and a few Brigades of the Imperial Legion and Silver Knight Order.
I especially planned to stop by the Arakeen for a few days, which was the Provincial Capital of the Grand Province of Caladan, and discuss something with the Sword Masters of Caladan to improve the weapon training regiment of the Stormcast Eternals.
A large part of the Stormcast Eternals was actually drawn from the Sardaukar and Knigths of the Caladan, who were most well-versed in swordsmanship. The Stormcast Eternals needed to be best in everything, not only in the Augmentations that they received but also in everything other.
And Caladan was a place that was full of weapon masters and masters in various martial arts, mainly due to the history of the place. The entire region of Caladan was considered a holy place for martial artists, and they have been developing their martial arts and weapon arts for the entire millennium.
The current Elector Count of the Grand Province of Caladan was even the previous General-Kommandant of the Reiksgarde, Atreus Atreides. And right now, he was Lord Celestant Prime of the Reiksgarde Temple and was in charge of the protection of the Imperial House and Imperial Palace in the Anor Londo.
Aside from that, I also needed to check on the progress of the Bretonnia with my own eyes, because the Bretonnians were having mild problems after the disbandment of the Grail Knights as they were incorporated into the Stormcast Eternals.
The Grand Province of Bretonnia was actually a place where the Greenskins and Beastmen were concentrating in huge numbers; in the ancient forests of the Bretonnia, where it was incredibly hard to search for them, there were huge populations of both.
Both Greenskins and Beastmen were thriving there, and often, they would raid the towns and cities of the Bretonnia.
For that, the Provincial Army and Imperial Legion, the 7th Imperial Legion, which was stationed in the Grand Province of Bretonnia, was constantly clearing out the forest and conducting expeditions to the depths of the ancient forests.
The Bretonnia was also a place where the finest Knights and cavalry of the Imperium were trained and created. It was the land that took the Code of Knights and concepts of Chivalry and Honor to new heights.
***
Imperial Capital of Anor Londo, The Landsraad, Office of the High Chancellor of the Landsraad, December of Year 10,280 - of the Imperial Lordranese Callendar
With the conquest and assimilation of the Badlands and extermination of the Children of the Bul-Kathos as it was called... very nice word for genocide, not something that the elderly High Chancellor of the Landraad Luca Brewster fully supported, but he was also aware of the risks.
And risks were something that the Imperium never took with anything and anybody.
Right now, as the High Chancellor of the Landraad, it fell to him to manage the territories of the Badlands that were conquered by the Imperial Crusaders and to make things right.
Afterward, they would be assigned to someone, probably to some Aristocrats that were risen to the Aristocracy for their merits. There was a lot of work to do with the aftermath of the Imperial Crusade into the badlands.
The High Chancellor of the Imperium was already in the state, where he wished nothing more than to retire, somewhere nice where he would have some peace. Not being buried under the paperwork and other administrative duties, which was slowly killing him.
Not to mention, his age was already catching up with him, or at least he was telling himself that, as he had a lifespan of entire centuries, but the mental burden was too high on his mind.
"Enter."
He said before the person who was standing behind the door could even knock on the door as soon someone from the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence entered the office of the High Chancellor of the Landsraad.
"What do you have for me?"
Dealing with the spooks from the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence wasn't something that he was very accustomed to during the past centuries, but it was becoming more and more often.
With the Ciaran officially being separated from the Silver Knight Order and the second Legion of the Silver Knight Order was now merged into the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence, while a new Legion of the Silver Knights would be established to take the place of the 2nd.
Now the Imperium and especially the Imperator were giving more and more resources to the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence and paying more attention to the happenings in the world.
As they said, information was power, and thus, they needed to create a professional spy agency, something that wasn't that much necessary before.
Mainly due to the lack of targets and uses, normally the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence was only monitoring the domestic subjects and possible threats on the home front.
Now, the field of the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence was spread towards the rest of the Known World, which was a lot, and they were still establishing their network all around the world.
While in Westeros, the network was already growing promisingly, in Essos, it was very scarce, and only in the biggest cities, the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence had some presence, which wasn't very good.
"Latest news from the Seven Kingdoms of the Westeros, High Chancellor. It seems that the civil war that his Holiness has foreseen is very close."
The man from the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence was covered in combat gear, with a mask covering his entire face. Nobody knew the identities of the members of the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence; probably aside from the Holy Imperator and Director, their true identities remained mysteries to everyone.
"Invitation to the Tourney of Harenhall?"
This was certainly weird; he would understand that if some of their allies were invited as they were technically speaking Westerosi and subjected to the Iron Throne, but the Holy Arcadia Empire were foreigners to Westeros.
"Organized by the Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms, Rhaegar Targaryen. He sent invitations to several of the major players, or it would be better said that he invited everyone to fish for support for his coup against his mad father."
The officer from the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence stated stoically, with his voice didn't give any emotions at all.
"Did Starks and Lannisters receive the invitations as well?"
This was becoming interesting, but it was also crucial for the plans of the Imperium. As one of the members of the High Council of the Holy Arcadia Empire, High Chancellor Luca Brewster was privy to the true plans of the Imperator.
Which was for the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to fracture into independent kingdoms as they were before they were conquered by the Aegon the Conqueror. With the resurgence of the Magic, they would become a serious threat if they were somehow unified.
While at the same time, due to the rising presence of the powers of Ruin, the Imperium couldn't afford to send their forces to conquer somewhere far from the lands of the Lordran; that was totally out of the question.
"Yes, he sent them practically to everyone... those who could read the political climate astutely would know that those who would show up at the Tourney of Harrenhall personally would join him in his ambitions. It is anticipated that a lot of Lords would show up, with the King acting madder and madder with every passed day, and the return of Magic to the Westeros didn't really help it. Apparently, he now sees enemies really everywhere, even among the members of his own House."
Yes, it was only a matter of time until that keg of gunpowder exploded and took everyone with it. They needed to profit as much from the civil war as possible, with the Citadel of the Maester Order being the prime target for their ambition.
"Have the preparations been finished all or at least a large part of them?"
Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence was responsible for planting their people within the crucial areas, where they would strike amids of the civil war, to loot the knowledge of the forgotten of old.
Westeros once had many powerful Magicians and Sorcerers; most of the knowledgable was lost, but at the same time, it was not and was collected by the Maester Order. The grey rats that feared Magic collected everything even remotely connected to it as they were keeping it in their Citadel.
"Mostly done... planting of some of our agents into the City Watch of Oldtown is finished, but to get some into the Citadel is harder. They are really a bunch of people who are not trusting almost anyone, and the fact that there is some sort of spell formation in the Citadel is not really helping because it is rendering most of the Illusion Spells, Mind Spells, and other similar types of Spells ineffective."
This partially confirmed the theory about the Magic Zones within the Westeros. Such areas were exceedingly rare even within the Lordran, as they were saturated in the Mana and Magic for countless centuries.
It seemed that the Citadel and the entirety of the Oldtown was built on the Leylines; the congregation of Magic was once in the past tremendously strong in that place. Coupled with the fact that the entire place was seethed in Magic, it penetrated its very own existence and developed some sort of resistance against certain types of spells.
As if the Magic in the place was sentient and protected the entire Citadel, which proved to be most problematic for the Imperial spies. However, at the same time, it wasn't anything that the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence couldn't handle with enough time and preparation.
"What are your orders, High Chancellor, for this?"
The officers from the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence asked as he looked at the High Chancellor Luca Brewster, who was right now in deep thought.
"Nothing... do nothing... relay the orders for the Elector Count Stark an Russ to participate in the Tourney of Harrenhall and to be on guard, he should know what to do and for what to search for..."
This was the best course of action they could take because with little tug, most of their problems within the Seven Kingdoms of the Westeros would resolve themselves with enough time and care.
"And about the situation in the Essos?"
Essos was proving to be a true headache for the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence and the Imperium as a whole. Especially with the rise of the Celestial Empire of Grand Cathay, they had one serious opponent on the world stage.
Albeit not right now, but in a few decades?
The Celestial Empire of Grand Cathay would be every powerful nation capable of fighting against the Imeprium, at least in certain regards. The secrets were not known to many, but the Living Gods of Cathayan Dragons were not opponents that even the Imperium could dispose of.
"What are the latest reports saying in that regard?"
The High Chancellor Luca Brewster asked as he finished the last paperwork that was on his table and was ready to call it a day, so he could finally return back home.
"We confirmed that they won't be spreading beyond the Bone Mountains; right now, they are in a stage where they are preparing an invasion of the Bone Mountains and also constructing their enormous wall and series of fortresses to protect them. Certain isolationist tendencies are confirmed, so the people at the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence are thinking that the Celestial Empire of Grand Catahay won't be expanding further west and crashing with our interests."
Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence conducted a lot of examinations on the plans, steps, and intentions of the Celestial Empire of Grand Cathay. Only a selected few new the true nature of the Celestial Dragon Emperor Xen Yang and Moon Empress Quai Yin.
And it certainly gave a few among the higher-ups of the Holy Arcadia Empire frights, but not even the Gehrman the First Hunter would be able to even severely injure such beings, much less defeat them or kill them.
"Increase the surveillance and spy network, but don't do anything to them. It seems that all of our thoughts about the nature of them are true so we left them alone."
Celestial Dragon Emperor Xen Yang and Moon Empress Quai Yin were basically like the Great Ones that took mortal form. They were beings of unprecedented power, and their true nature was beyond that of the mortal understanding.
Two of them only acted as guides for their subjects; from their modus operandi, they knew that they wouldn't create conflicts or anything, and they wouldn't be expanding and seeking to destroy everyone who opposed them.
Such was confirmed by the Holy Imperator.
But the same couldn't be said about their future descendants or the actual ones.
Those ones were much weaker, much, much weaker, but at the same time, they were not bound by the Rules of Interference, and thus, they could act freely.
"Per your order, may I excuse myself, High Chancellor?"
Luca Brewster just nodded as an officer of the Office of the Imperial Military Intelligence disappeared from his office.
***
North of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, Next Day, December of 280 AC of Westerosi Callendar / December of Year 10,280 - of the Imperial Lordranese Callendar
The mornings in the Winterfell were getting colder and colder, or so the Elector Count of the Grand Province of Fenris thought. It was clear that the increasing density of Magic within the environment was having some effects on the climate as well.
Simultaneously, he was also thinking about the notice that he received from the High Chancellor of the Holy Arcadia Empire that instructed him to participate in the Tourney of Harenhall mostly to observe the developments.
He wasn't very keen on going to such events, but as it was an order from the High Chancellor himself and bearing the sigil of the Holy Imperator, there was no way he could refuse such directions.
Naturally, his daughter and son were much less thrilled about the idea, but they didn't protest... much at least.
Aside from Ysgramor's traditional whining, there was nothing much to do.
"Observing the sunrise?"
He heard the voice of their host at this place, as they were already staying at the Winterfell for more than one month. The greater host of the House Stark an Russ, was host to the Starks of the Winterfell for a whole month as they were doing what they were ordered by the Imperator.
"Partly... I got instructions from the High Chancellor to participate in the Tourney of Harenhall, much to my dismay."
The Lord of the House Stark frowned a bit because from what he understood about the Imperium, the High Chancellor of the Landsraad was probably the second-highest ranked person within the entire Empire.
Aside from the fact, that compared to the Hand of the King within the Westeros, the High Chancellor had far more of real political and military power, with even powers of mobilizing the Imperial Legions and the armies of the Empire in case of threat.
He was also the man who acted on the behest of the Imperator, and he had more than enough authority to order the Elector Counts around, something that the Hand of the King within the Westeros could do only by personal written full power from the King himself.
"So something is indeed happening in the backround."
While Rickard Stark wasn't a politician of the caliber of those like Tywin Lannister or Olenna Tyrell, he was still good enough to tell when something was happening. And it was clear that the Tourney of Harrenhall was something that would decide the fate of the Realm for the decades to come.
Perhaps even for the centuries to come.
"Yes, and per the orders of the Imperator, I now have to entertain these paltry schemes and things... how much easier would it be if everyone could just solve their issues with their fist and axe."
The Elector Count of the Grand Province of Fenris sighed deeply, as Lord Rickard Stark standing next to him chuckled lightly because the Elector Count of the Imperium had an even higher distaste for politics than most of the Lords of the North combined together.
"It seems that your son is once again training in the yard..."
Suddenly both of them were attracted to the sounds of metal clashing when they noticed several people fighting in the training yard of the Winterfell.
One of them was obviously the son of the Elector Count Leman Stark an Russ, Ysgramor Stark an Russ and the others were members of the Winter Knights that were private guards of the House Stark an Russ.
For the average Westerosi, it was very hard even to follow their moments because they were faster than ordinary humans. Every single one of the WInter Knights was pushed to the peak Level 1 at least, though most of them were standing at Level 2 with their superior Rune Sets.
He was holding his runic waraxe Wuuthrad in one hand, while he had a runic shield in the other. Wuuthrad was a huge war axe that should be held in both hands, but in the hands of Ysgramor, it was easily held in one hand without any problem.
Leman Stark an Russ could see that his son was fighting against five titled officers of the Winter Knights almost effortlessly, while they had an enormous crowd of observers that were watching them spar.
For the ordinary Westerosi, such a showcase of supernatural powers and strength was something known only from the stories. Something that was just told in the myths and legends, something that had already become a long-forgotten past.
"Your son fights like a devil..."
Rickard Stark managed to say after watching a duel between the son of Elector Count of Fenris and their House Guards, where the Ysgramor was winning on all fronts without much effort.
"Tsk... that boy has nothing in his head aside from combat; if it were up to him, then our House would become either extinct or bankrupt in a few years."
Hearing that, even though it may sound harsh, Rickard Stark was forced to agree with the statement of the Leman Stark an Russ. Their guards from the Lordran were staying in the Winterfell for some time already, so he knew that Ysgramor was something that the Imperial termed as battle-maniac and training-maniac.
He wasn't interested in anything that wasn't related to training, combat, battling powerful foes and getting stronger. Fortunately enough, Astrid Stark and Russ were far brighter than her older brother was, and she was proud of her father.
At the same time, she was his hoúe that the House Stark an Russ would survive the next generation, something that couldn't be objectively left to her brother for many, many, many reasons that could be named.
Rickard knew that despite her cold and tough look of shield-maiden, Astrid was cunning as a snake and was a very intelligent young woman. In Westeros, there were almost no cases aside from Dorne, where women ruled the lands, but within the lands of the Ancient Lords, only one sole thing decided everything.
Ability.
The birth, gender, origin...
Nothing of that mattered in front of Ability.
It was a very surreal concept to the Westerosi, where their origin and lineage decided the fate of almost everyone.
Within the Imperium, the Ability was everything that mattered; it was land where even the lowest of the commoners could rise to the Ranks of the Elector Counts if he was capable enough.
From what Rickard Stark knew from time to time, some of the Viceroys that arose within the Lordran's Grand Provicnes were from simple and humble origins. Yet, he could see the merit in this because the Imperials were strong, powerful, disciplined, and without an equal in their vastly dangerous lands.
At the same time, it made him worry about his own future and that of the North in Westeros because the reconnection with his distant kin didn't bring the reconnection itself.
Leman Stark and Russ were also bearing with them information about the Resurgence of the Magic in Westeros, and that was something truly troubling.
"Would he be joining us in the Tourney?"
Hearing the question from the Lord of Winterfell, Lord Elector Count shook his head in denial to the question.
"Out of the question, he would create a scene there and necessary problems. He will go to the True North beyond the Wall and scount the Lands of the Always Winter for the presence of the Lich or whatever is hiding there. The spooks back home don't know themselves for sure, but some are telling tales of Grand Necromancer or even Lich King."
Hearing that, Lord of the Winterfell frowned deeply because he understood the gravity behind those lines after learning from the Imperials. Lich King was something that could obliterate entire Westors in a few weeks, as it was right now.
However, with the return of Magic, the odds didn't look as bad as they were previously.
They would have a chance to fight back against the Lich King or whatever was hiding and preparing their forces within the Lands of Always Winter. Though, for now, that was a thing for the future, right now, there were other things to deal with.
"Everything is going to ruin... impending Civil War, the situation in the Lands of Always Winter and lately, the resurgence of the Weirwood Trees... and from what I heard the situation in the Westerlands is also getting more tense with each passing month."
The five-pointed leaves and the sap of Weirwoods are blood-red, while the smooth bark on their wide trunks and wood are bone white. Most Weirwoods have faces carved into their trunks.
The children of the forest did this in ancient days and it is now done by the free folk as well as other descendants of the First Men, such as followers of the Old Gods in the Seven Kingdoms praying to Heart Trees in Godswoods.
In some cases, the sap has collected in the crevices of the carved faces, giving the trees red eyes known to drip sap as if the trees were weeping. A Weirwood will live forever if undisturbed.
And now, with the Resurgence of Magic, the Weirwood Trees have started appearing all over the North in great numbers. There were even reports in the Winterfell that, once again, Greenseers, Wargs, Druids, and other Magic-Blessed individuals from the old myths and legends started appearing in the North.
Obviously, this, together with the situation in the Westerlands, was not taken kindly by the Faith of Seven, and there were already talks of the impending Holy War. However, this time, it would probably be vastly different because the Faith was greatly weakened from the reign of the Targaryen Dynasty in Westeros.
"I heard... it seems that Lannisters have put everything behind the Healing Church, and they got chummy with the Vicar of the Westerlands, especially now that the Healing Church was officially merged into the Divine Throne, and Imperator leads the Religious matters as well."
Lord Rickard Stark didn't know if Tywin Lannister converted to the Religion of the Great Ones or not, but he knew the cunning lion would do everything to gain advantage and consolidate his power.
With the creation of the standing army of the Westerlands, the might of the Lannisters was increasing, and now that they had a close relationship with the Healing Church, a pretty bloody situation followed in the Westerlands.
Many of the Septons and Septas were killed, their places of worship burned down and desdtoey, their followed hunted by the fanatics of the Healing Church... it wasn't really nice sight.
Though from what he understood, Rickard knew that it was inevitable because the Faith of Seven would never tolerate any other religion besides their own. In the North, the last Sept was closed off, and Septons were banished several weeks ago because the Warden of the North wished for a more peaceful approach as it could get.
"Faith of Seven represents a potential danger to both you and North as well... the Andals were never satisfied that we stopped them at the Moat Cailin and halted their advance further north."
Elector Count of the Grand Province of Fenris nodded in agreement because now, when the Magic was returning to the World, it meant that even the Gods and other beings that were above their understanding would meddle more in the mortal affairs.
However, it was a question of what exactly the Seven were...
Some within the Imperium were saying that they were another trick from the Lord of Chance, the Architect of Fate, Chaos God Tzeentch. Some, on the other hand, was saying that they were extremely powerful Sorcerers from the long-forgotten past who wanted to achieve Godhood through worship.
"How is the reconstruction of the Moat Cailin going on?"
Since the Imperium first landed in Westeros, sometime later, the Starks of the North started implementing many of the changes that took place in the Westerlands.
"Could be better, but the dwarves are saying that it would be complete within a few months. They are even making the fortress to be even more impenetrable and powerful than it was several thousand years ago."
Starks of the Winterfell hired some dwarves to start reconstructing some of their forts and castles, especially the Moat Cailin, because it was an enormous fortress that halted the advance of the Andal Crusaders several thousand years ago when they wanted to spread their faith into the North as well.
Hoarding money for several thousand years, together with living in modesty and most spending much, made wonders of the treasuries of the Hosue Stark and they had a lot of money to spend.
And right now, most of that money is put into modernization and reconstruction.
"I even paid Gnomes to install some of their traps and inventions as you suggested, including Air Defenses against Wyverns, Gryffons and other creatures..."
Killing young wyvern wasn't anything problematic for the inventions of the Gnomes and Dwarves. In the Ironforge and Gnomeregan and other Forge Cities across the Imperium, there were many things that could kill such beings.
Right now, some crucial places of the Westerlands and North were armed with things that would be highly effective against most types of Valyrian Wyverns. As long as it wasn't some mutated Wyvern or a very old one like Balerion the Black Dread, then they could defend against them.
Even though killing larger ones would be hard, it won't be impossible to at least fend them off from their territories. It was only a matter of time until the Targaryens hatched some of the Wyverns once again now that Magic was returning back to the world.