Izuku found himself waking up at the sight of Ochaco dressing up for Court. There was a hint of her being upset at something.

"Good morning, dearest."

"Everything okay, Ochaco?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look...distracted."

"Oh, it is...nothing. Merely the frustrations of managing a large household, I expect. Nothing to trouble you about."

"If it makes you unhappy, it's definitely something to trouble me. What can you tell me?"

"It is a storm in a teacup, My Love. Whispering, barely perceived, behind my back. Conversations that stop the moment they become aware of me."

He sat up on the bed. "About what? And what stops us from unceremoniously firing troublemakers? Out of a cannon, if warranted."

"All servants talk, My Love," she explained. "And wholesale slaughtering your service staff is generally frowned upon."

"Backbiting your Queen during war is also frowned upon."

"Gossiping, even when mean-spirited, is hardly treason, My Heart."

"Any specific incidents?"

"You will not go around harassing the chambermaids, husband," she firmly told him. "Their lives are hard enough without a God being personally angry at them for gossiping."

"I promise. No harassing the chambermaids. I'm just trying to understand what is bothering you."

"Just...rumors. And snippets. That I am an improper Queen, that I married below my station...why, yesterday I overheard Therese whispering...nevermind." She grabbed her earring, hesitating. Izuku caught the flicker of emotion in her eyes—the brief moment of doubt—before she sighed and put it on.

"Sounds like it really is bothering you."

She sighed, wrapping her arms around his. "I somehow doubt my Mother had to deal with a problem like this. Though she likely had others...it is a minor thing, My Heart; this, too, shall pass."

"If you say so." He hugged her from behind, trying to offer some comfort. They stayed there for a few minutes before Ochaco had to finish dressing up and attend her meetings.

Izuku made his way to the King's Dragon, wanting to spend some time with his Chosen for now. Upon entering, he was greeted by Mina and Momo.

"Good morning, Daddy!" Mina chirped.

"Hi, Mina. Momo."

Momo studied him for a moment, her sharp gaze flickering with insight. "What is wrong, Danna-sama? I can feel... something is disturbing you."

"Someone is messing with Ochaco. There are rumors and whispers behind her back, but nothing concrete. I just wish I could help her somehow. For now, how about a be-"

"Searching, Danna-sama." Momo's voice cut in smoothly, her link with him pulsing with energy.

"Wait. Ochaco wanted me to let it go..." Izuku began, but Momo was already focused. The energy she pulled wasn't overwhelming, but longer than he expected.

"Is everything okay, Momo?"

A few more seconds passed before she looked up, eyes sharp. "I found the source. Three different strains of rumors, but all trace back to the Chamberlain, Sir Henry."

Izuku's jaw tightened. "Sir Henry, huh?" His voice was quiet, but his fingers flexed at his sides. "That explains a few things."

"Want me to bring him in for a chat, Master?" Itsuka's grin was sharp, eager.

"Do it." His emerald eyes gleamed. "And make sure no one else sees anything."

"Of course, Master."

"We'll just be waiting here. See you soon."

"Can I get you something, Daddy? Coffee? Tea? Me?" Mina leaned closer, eyes twinkling with mischief as she turned around, giving him a nice view of her body.

Izuku exhaled, shaking his head. "I'll stick to coffee for now, Chosen. Let's wait for Itsuka to return."

They didn't have to wait long before Itsuka returned, dragging a man by his collar, her muscles bulging, while her face was impassive. She threw him against the table, his face slamming against the wood. "We're back, Master."

"Welcome back. And I see Sir Henry decided to join us."

"Sire, I really must protest your subordinate's behaviour."

"Have a seat, Henry. You don't mind if I call you Henry, right?"

"Actually, Sire, by right it ought to be Sir Hen..."

"Sit," he commanded. Henry felt a hand on his shoulder, pushing him down to the chair. For a fraction of a second, he tried to resist until the pressure drove him into the oak chair with a sickening thud.

"Our problem has a simple root, Henry. You think me a barbarian."

"I assure you, Sire, I would never..."

"And you are right, Henry. I am a barbarian. I've never been to an Opera. I don't play any classical Fae instrument...I don't even know which of the 20 different forks and spoons to use for any given dish."

"Sire..."

"Your problem, Henry, was in not understanding what me being a barbarian means. It means I have no tolerance for your office politics, or your games. If you cross me, the response will not be a harshly worded memo at HR."

Henry hesitated, then smirked—thin, forced. "I assure you, Sire—"

Izuku's eyes darkened, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. "Do you know how Lord Jer...the Traitor...died? He died screaming for mercy, trapped in a magical bubble with a genuinely evil creature as I set them both on fire."

This silenced the Chamberlain.

"If any more of your nonsense reaches Ochaco, you will pray that I'm as merciful to you as I was to the Traitor. Do we understand each other?"

The Chamberlain's face had gone chalk-white, his usual eloquence deserting him as he stammered, "This is-"

"I don't personally care if you like me, Henry. Ochaco thinks we need you. Or at least someone like you. And I love Ochaco. So keep the lid on the politics or you will not understand why barbarians solve knots not with swords but with the sword. And the flame."

"My Lord!"

Irritated at the constant interruption, he reached out and brushed the Mantle. Reality shimmered. At first, it was a flicker—like the air itself warping, bending around Henry as if uncertain of his shape. Then, suddenly, there were three of him.

To the left stood a Henry with narrowed eyes, his lips twisted into a scowl of pure disdain. His posture was stiff, defensive, yet seething with barely contained fury.

In the center, another Henry smiled. It was an easy, almost too-pleasant grin—one that didn't belong on his face, as if he had just been let in on a joke no one else understood. Something about it was...wrong.

The Henry on the right was different. Shoulders hunched, lips pressed into a tight line, eyes darting around as if searching for an escape that didn't exist. This one was afraid.

Izuku exhaled slowly, watching the three possibilities ripple in and out of existence.

"Interesting."

'Boss, DON'T!' X shouted. The sword, however, was too late.

"How fascinating. There are three paths out of this. I wonder if I could...reach out."

'I'm begging you, Boss. Please, we've got no idea what the repercussions of this is.'

'Very well, X. We'll do this the old-fashioned way. Maybe a horse head in his bed? Worst case, Ochaco finds another monomaniac'

As Izuku stepped back from the Mantle, the three images flickered...though one on the right glowed brighter than the rest.

"Interesting."

The room snapped back to singularity as the Henry he . "Oh, gods! Please, I swear, I never meant for this to..." Henry's panicked voice rang across the pub, stumbling from his seat and his ass landing on the ground.

"Shut up, Henry," he coldly replied. "Keep the Court humming along happily and you will be rewarded. Drag me, or Ochaco, into any more of your games and...well. Let's not, shall we? Itsuka, see him out, would you?"

"Of course, Master." She smiled, the Chamberlain's face going white as she dragged him from the bar, carrying him like a sack of potatoes.

Izuku watched her go, his expression thoughtful.

"Are you okay, Daddy?"

"I'm fine, Mina. Just irritated that I have to deal with this bullshit, on top of everything."

"Daddy, if you ever felt guilty about Lord Je...the Traitor..."

"I don't, Chosen. The little rat-faced bastard needed to die."

"Yeah, I get that...but...you did him a favor, Daddy. Sarah would have done...unspeakable things to him."

"I know, Mina. And if I need to deal with Henry, he ought to pray I'm as merciful to him as I was to Jerkoff. But he doesn't need to know that. Let me know if he's about to renege on our deal; if I get dragged out of some military campaign to deal with his bullshit, he'll wish Sarah had gotten to him first."

"Yes, Daddy."

"You disapprove, Chosen?"

"I just don't want to see you angry, Daddy."

"I'll try not to be, Mina. Having him yapping at my heels is irrelevant. Having him yapping at Ochaco's is infuriating. It's a distraction I refuse to entertain. Hopefully, one that I've short-stopped. If that fails, I'll stop it again. Permanently."

"We'll handle it, Daddy. Don't let him take up space in your head."

"Thanks, Mina. By the way, we need to track down Schwartzy?"

"If you insist, Daddy...like, that freak gives me chills."

"Yeah, but he's our freak. We need him on our side."

"I guess. I'll be with you shortly, I just need to close the pub."

"Alright, see you."

"Bye, Daddy!" Mina gave him a tight hug before slipping back behind the bar to finish up.

He took a few deep breaths, and then headed off to the edge of Camelot. Since he was just waiting for Mina, he decided to find a spot to meditate.

It wasn't hard to find a place to sit. He found a nice patch of grass under a large tree, and sat down, taking a few deep breaths. The air was cool, but not cold. There was a light breeze. The sun was high, the sky was clear. A good day.

He closed his eyes and took a few more deep breaths, sending his will to his Spark. To his Soul. Rather than focusing outside, he looked inside. In there, he could sense three faint threads, each signifying his Chosen.

Momo was looking around, using her Sight to watch Camelot—its guardian. Then, a flicker as she noticed Izuku—flustered surprise, before she sent a wave of love through the link.

Mina's was a joyful, bubbly sensation. When she noticed him, she sent a wave of mischievous lust to the link, causing him to chuckle.

Itsuka's was a steady, warm presence, content. A feeling of belonging and happiness.

But underneath them, he could also sense a countless thinner threads. If each of his Chosen's was a thick wire rope, these were thinner than spider silk. Each thread reaching, desperate for salvation.

'The ones I had reached out to,' he reckoned. Izuku tried to reach out to them again, but they slipped just beyond his grasp.

A flicker of strain pulsed in his chest before the threads slipped away.

He opened his eyes, sweat trickling down his forehead. He frowned. It hadn't felt that strenuous. Izuku looked around, checking how the citizens of Camelot were doing.

Most had no problems. They went on about their lives, blissfully unaware of the tension outside. As far as cities went, Camelot was as peaceful as possible. The most commotion one would find was the merchants and buyers haggling for the price of that one satin dress. The sound of children laughing, playing. Aside from the snakes politicking against Ochaco, everything else was fine.

'Well, that's good. At least, everyone else is safe.'

"Hey, Daddy! You done meditating?" Mina waved from the path, her smile wide.

"Hey, Mina. Yeah, just finished."

"You look tired, Daddy. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tried something. I think I need more practice."

"That was so cool! I could feel you watching over me. It makes me so happy~! Maybe we should try that when I'm changing."

"Alright, let's go before you suggest making a sex park or something ridiculous."

"That's...not so bad. Daddy, you're a genius!"

His palm struck at the Sorceress' behind, causing her to moan in pleasure. "No, I'm not. Stop being degenerate and let's go."

They traveled the Paths, with Mina guiding Izuku to where the Schwartalf was likely hiding. Eventually, they arrived without much trouble.

"Ah the local monkey population has arrived," the Schwartalf greeted them, not opening his eyes. He was sitting on the ground, surrounded by runes and artifacts. "I hear the racket your little band is making in Camelot all the way here."

"Indeed. We're just popping by to give a neighborly greeting," Izuku chuckled.

"Of course you are not. You're here because the Outsiders have returned, and your fellow primates are being massacred. You have come for my aid...and my inventions."

"That, too."

"And what have you brought to bargain with, monkey?"

"A good question...what do you want?"

"He wants the chance to do what has never been done before, Daddy," Mina whispered.

"Which would be...?"

"There is nothing you can do, monkey, that the Schwartalf have not already done better. We have accomplished things even our Makers never attempted."

"Can you make more of those crossbow bolts?"

"I could. I will not. What is the point? It exists. It works...there is no challenge in making another, and your human artisans lack the skill to do so. So it will remain unique. As is right."

"How about doing it for bullets?"

"Bullets?"

"Small projectiles..."

"I know what a bullet is; I have made them before, well before your kind invented utensils. The answer is no. You cannot replicate the harmonic resonance bolt's functionality in a bullet. Even a big bullet. Too small. And wasteful; the bolt is reusable, a bullet is discarded after use. I will not waste perfection on that."

This time, it was Mina who spoke. "Then could you make a bullet that worked a little like a bolt?"

"What do you mean, Mina?"

"Well...if you had lots of bullets, maybe none of them needs to be perfect. The challenge is the process, not the outcome."

Izuku's eyes widened. He grew thoughtful for a moment, then grinned. "How about it, Schwartzy?"

"So the shield might need 4 or 5 or even 6 bullets to fall? What an untidy concept. Typical of you primates."

"Or 50. It doesn't matter, if we can make millions."

"Millions?"

"What, you thought we were going to make a single magazine? It's a war."

"Do you even have any concept of how long it would take to make millions of bullets, monkey?"

"We've already set up the assembly-lines. Camelot's Enchanters have some designs; it's possible this is just something monkeys are better at."

"YOU...DARE," the Schwartalf snarled.

"Always."

"9,320," Mina muttered.

"What's that, Mina?"

"That's how many are working at Operation Excalibur today. And tomorrow there will be more, and the day after, and so on...until we have won. There are already far more people there than there are Schwartalf alive."

"How did you...accursed sorcerers."

"Some of them are nice," Izuku shrugged.

"Like, you just don't get humans, pervert. We live fast. Love hard. When we hate, we burn like bonfire. And there are many of us. So help us. Or do not. We will remember either."

Then her eyes glowing like emeralds in the night, though this time, Izuku felt no drain from her. The air around them crackled with power...not from the power of his Spark, but something deeper. Older.

Mina swayed for a fraction of a second, as if dizzy. Then, her shoulders snapped straight, her lips parting—her voice not quite her own. "Aernir, Son of Aergir. The Last Scion of Clan Aergir...an Age ago you made a bargain; the payment is now due..."

"Mina?" Izuku's eyes narrowed, trying to understand what was happening.

"You..." Aernir scowled. "So...this is what all this is about. I should have known."

"What's going on?" Lost, Izuku asked.

"You shall have your designs, monkey. Never let it be said that I don't honor my debts...in this, and in other things. You may return in two days' time; I can make a design for an inferior harmonic...bullet...by that time. And your monkey engineers will have to adapt that to whatever gun you intend to use."

"Thanks, Schwartzy."

Aernir chuckled, an edge of bitterness to his tone. "Oh...do not thank me, monkey. You dance to a tune you do not understand...I am merely helping pay the piper. Where you end up, once the music stops...that remains to be seen. Farewell."

He walked away, his back disappearing into the darkness.

"Okay, I have a feeling we need to talk about this. Mina, what just happened?"

"What do you mean, Daddy?"

"What do you remember?"

"I remember...I remember trying to convince him, about the size of Operation Excalibur, and how different it was. And then The Voices became louder and angrier...then the world faded to black."

"God damnit. I hate it when that happens. Nothing good ever comes out of it."

"Sorry, Daddy."

"Not your fault, Chosen. You did well. Let's go; we'll come back here in two days, and see what the pervert cooked up for us."

They went back, with Izuku still deep in thought. That one was definitely The Voices possessing Mina. Though it felt more...directed, this time. He shook his head, shelving it for now. Another thing to gnaw at him.

Once they were back, Izuku headed for the Throne room, where Ochaco was organizing various documents. When she saw him, her exhausted look turned into a sweet smiled.

"Hello, Izuku. Did you have a good day?"

"Good day, Ochaco." He leaned down, kissing her lips. "We just met Schwartzy. Got a lead for our bullets. The pervert was being a pain in the ass as usual, but we got what we came for."

"Excellent. Do you...need anything from me?"

"Can't I visit my wife just because I want to see her?" he teased, wrapping his arms around her.

She giggled, leaning into his embrace. "I'm always glad to see you, My Love. But I can see from your face that you have something you want to bring up. And it just so happened that I do too. Mine can wait."

"Okay. I think we need to recruit for the Knights of Camelot."

"I would agree, My Love. It is merely a question of resources. At the moment, our focus is on the American theatre of operations. For that, we need to create magical weaponry. Camelot's own military cannot provide sufficient forces on its own."

"Yeah, but in the long run, we need people of Camelot to feel involved in this war."

"What do you mean, My Love?"

"I might be going crazy, but even if our funds and techs were being bent for this war, the average person don't even notice. Our wars were fought by our allies and mercenaries. Camelot's key contribution is entirely material."

"Do not discount the supply chain, My Heart. An army would not march far or be able to fight without it."

"Yeah, but while that deals with the Outsiders, it does not resolve our long-term issues. Camelot has been in a long, slow stagnation."

Ochaco's brows furrowed, her eyes narrowing. "I am most aware, dearest."

"The Outsiders, and the War, gives us the reason to raise a corps of Knights. Not mercenaries, Camelot citizens. Let them feel involved in the war."

She sighed, "I fear the days of Knights on Fae steeds charging into battle may have come to an end, My Heart. Once we are done, much as it pains me...the effects of modern weapons and enchanted ammunition tip the scales against them."

"Then we don't do it the old way."

"You have an idea?"

"Camelot Enchanters, but trained and armed with modern, enchanted, weaponry. Some kind of magical Special Forces. No grand charge of cavalry; small, elite units combining speed and stealth of trained Enchanters with the punch of these new weapons. Once we got the design of Schwartzy, it'd be even better."

"An interesting idea. Though there will be murmurs...the Knights are not the most modern of citizens."

"Which is why we do it now. The war gives us a moral imperative...once we won, any reformation of our armed forces will be far harder."

"The word 'once' is made to carry a rather heavy burden here, My Love. Nevermind the war being won, we have barely started."

"But it will be. And while the great war will be over, the world will not be done with War."

"That, sadly, seems far too likely. And Camelot will not be able to slink back into its genteel obscurity...too many people will see our effects on the battlefield."

"So. We need to prepare for that day. And we need to modernize our army. We can't rely on continuing to fight a war by proxies and mercenaries."

A thoughtful silence hung between them, until Ochaco spoke, her face determined. "I see. We will need to plan, then. Let me see what I can achieve."

"Thanks. What were you going to tell me again?"

"Oh?" she giggled. "I was going to talk about our finances, actually."

"Are we draining them?"

"Camelot has spent sixteen centuries building up our investments...sometimes well, others poorly. But we are affluent by standards of a small kingdom. Now, that wealth will be put to use."

"How much are we talking about here?"

"It is hard to say. Not everything is easily liquefied. Properties, art, gemstones...all such things take time to sell. And while shares are easier...Camelot, through our intermediary companies, have large holdings in several financial constitutions. If we sell too fast, we are likely to cause a crash."

"Yikes. Makes sense."

"On the supply side, much of our now liquid wealth is going to rather esoteric compounds. Rare earths, synthetic sapphire, and carbon nanotubes, for a start. To say nothing of the precision machinery needed to work at these tolerances. And gems, real and synthetic. By the thousands."

"Pretend I understand what you just said...go on?"

"These are compounds with extremely limited supply chain; we could not go out and buy a hundred tons of synthetic sapphire...it does not exist. And even if it did, we would trigger a market correction if we tried to buy them all...prices would skyrocket."

"Okay...so we do this slowly. Or at least, silently."

"Most silently, yes. Prices are rising, but for now we have prevented large scale speculation."

"Really...the world is ending, and you still think speculators would sabotage us when we try to fix it?"

"There are people, My Love, that would happily sell the second last living human to the Cult, secure in the false belief that they are so important and wealthy nothing could ever happen to them. Never underestimate the power of greed."

"Well, accidents happen. Sometimes to the nicest people..."

"Not so fierce, My Heart. Do not blame the individual cog for its greed...the market is a system; any system can be played and planned through. Sytems and patterns and levers...that is a game for Enchanters, not Evokers."

"So what do you need from me? Since you're not letting me set the greedy bastards on fire?"

"I merely wanted you to know that our first tranche of resources has arrived; more shall arrive by every week. I shall leave it to you to decide where to put the resources to work."

"Surely you're better than this. You're the Queen."

"And you, My Heart, are the King. In addition to your other...instincts. I trust that what you decide will be what we need?"

"I thought you didn't trust Sorcery."

"I do not. But even a knife that may twist in your hand is of value, when what you seek and what it wants are aligned. In this, we shall have to trust Sorcery wishes to see Humanity victorious against the Outsiders and the Cult...otherwise, we have no chance of surviving what is to come."

"Cheerful thoughts."

"For better or worse, My Love. Camelot have become the Sword of the Voices. And you have become their Champion. For that reason, and because I trust your wisdom, you should be the one to choose our projects."

"And how much is this...resources?"

"For now, let us start with a billion a week. It would be enough for most projects. And it was the extra from our budget."

Izuku's mind stopped. He could not process a number that big. "A billion...a week?"

"It sounds enormous—until you start spending it. And then it's gone faster than you think. But this is not the time for frugality. And I trust you, My Love, to use them wisely. We are fighting for the fate of the World; I could not think of anyone else better suited."

"I...will. Thank you, Ochaco." He then thought for a moment. "Actually, I have a project in mind."

In the coming war, there wouldn't be anyone else who'd be able to represent the Normies of the world. While he'd certainly try, he was afraid he'd be too focused on the Camelot side of things.

'I guess it's time to restore the current Symbol of Peace back to his Prime. Or even better.'

Thanks for reading this chapter!

For this, we have seen various changes that will have effects, not just on Camelot but the entire world.

Izuku won't be turning this world into Warhammer 40K, but this is the start of the advancement of the world, technologically and magically speaking, with Camelot at its center. Well, at least once the Outsider problem's been resolved.

Izuku and the others are about to hit the Daemon Sept hard. They won't know what struck them.

Next up: Raiding the Sept