[System check in progress.]

[All subsystems active.]

[Checking Master unit…]

[Enslaving unit to: Custodian. ID: 「...」]

[Drone 11 - active.]

Custodian watched as its latest creation got up from the ground. It was larger than its Daedelus brothers and very unorthodox in design. Because of the Forced Bypass Evolution, the core of this drone was bulkier which meant that Custodian had to make a bigger body for it. Not only that, the many encounters with various types of organics allowed Custodian greater creativity in designing Drone 11.

Its head was squarish with two large horns protruding forward, something that was learned from the troglodytes. It had two thick main arms with two other pairs of smaller arms hidden at the sides, and its leg was as bulky as its main arms. From head to toe, Drone 11 was covered in the highest quality steel of different patterns - plated, chain, and scales.

Drone 11 stomped the ground, then looked up to its creator.

“Greetings, Drone 11,” Custodian greeted.

Before its drone could even reply, Custodian was immediately bombarded with notifications.

[Congratulations on creating your first Self-Aware High Tier Automated Drone!]

[Your core will now be upgraded with Basic Administrative Modules.]

[Available: Administrative Overview.]

‘New upgrades? What a surprise,’ Custodian remarked then looked over the Administrative Overview.

[Custodian’s Dungeon]

[Resources Subview]

[Small Slime Farm x 5]

[Medium Rat Farm x 3]

[Medium Spider Farm x1]

[Small Iron mine x1]

[Small logging company x1]

[Other minor resources ▷]

[Industrial Subview]

[Military Subview]

‘It seems that Foreman has decided to group my buildings, though it doesn’t seem to count the human corpses being brought in here as a resource facility. Let me see one of the buildings...’

[Small Slime Farm x 5]

[Locations ▷]

[Slimes farms are the most basic resource gathering facilities in a dungeon complex. They start off big but shrink as the dungeon complex upgrades itself, thus they are only seen as starting resources and nothing more.]

[Tip: Slime farms are excellent sources of early matter for new bases and outposts.]

‘Outposts? Does that mean I could expand later? More importantly, where could I find the requirements to unlock Protocols?’ Custodian mused. As much as it tried to look around the system, it couldn’t find a way to see hidden or locked Protocols. At the very least, it wanted to see the future rewards for each of the Protocols.

Even Protocol 5, the magic development Protocol, had vague requirements and Custodian wasn’t even sure if it was worth the trouble pursuing this Protocol.

Anyway, Custodian decided to browse a few more of his resource gathering sites.

[Medium Spider Farm x1]

[Locations ▷]

[Spiders are only found in Mountain-type, Forest-type, and Jungle-type dungeons. They could create strong fibers (depending on the region), and are good sources of venom, poison, and in some rare instances, acid.

Small Spider Farms are not self-sufficient while Medium Spider Farms are. Large Spider Farms are big enough to provide matter as well.]

[Preset Mountain-type Large Spider Farm ▷]

‘What’s this?’ Custodian asked as it checked out the button below the description. In an instance, a preset foundation base for a large farm was made, which included a housing nest, a feeding ground, and other areas needed in a spider farm to upgrade a medium spider farm to a large spider farm.

‘Get to work!’ Custodian ordered as it immediately sent the preset base to its workers. Looking over the other facilities’ description, they also provided some preset foundations to upgrade them.

While the overview system didn’t add anything physically new to Custodian, it still provided the A.I. goals and ideas on how to improve its current complex system. After all, additional matter income was always welcome.

‘If the resources subview provided preset bases to improve income, how about the industrial view?’ Custodian wondered.

Unfortunately, it simply showed facilities and their respective produced goods. For example, Custodian’s forges produced metal tools as expected. There was no additional help or description given by the system.

‘Perhaps if I got a better Administrative module… Whatever, let’s head to Military Subview!’

The Military Subview detailed Custodian’s combat drones, groups, and its armies. Other than that, something intriguing was available to the A.I.

[Potential Incursions]

[Troglodyte Territories ▷]

[Human Territories ▷]

‘Potential Incursions? Let’s check Troglodyte Territories…’

[Troglodyte Territories ▷]

[Unknown Border Town]

[Unknown Border Town]

[Unknown Border Fortress]

Although the system was limited by Custodian’s knowledge, the options provided the A.I. with coordinates for the chosen location. Not only that…

[Unknown Border Town]

[Low Tier Incursion]

[Minimum recommended for Low Tier Incursions: 25 Freeholder combat drones.]

‘This is good timing!’ Custodian exclaimed to itself as it looked back at Drone 11.

“Head over to the armory and go bother Smith for a weapon. In the meantime, I will be assembling a force for you to lead,” Custodian ordered.

Drone 11 flashed its ‘eyes’ then replied, “As ordered.”

“The day is ours! The Vyssians are defeated!” a Rhankish soldier shouted as he raised his sword over a bloodied field filled with Rhankish and Vyssian corpses.

The soldier’s cry was joined by other Rhankish soldiers cheering over their recent victory. On a distant hill, a group of riders inspected the battlefield.

“With the Vyssians driven off a third time, I’m sure they’ll stop bothering with River Dens,” a nobleman said as he twirled his moustache.

“Indeed, Duke Villbrod. It wouldn’t be possible without your help, too,” another nobleman praised.

“There’s that. It’s still ridiculous how the Vyssians would try to take the river three times. Let’s hope Count Heredasbert’s riders could ensure the Vyssians won’t do anything for a fourth time,” Villbrod said.

“I wish I could join Count Heredasbert in his hunt for those routing Vyssians,” a nobleman groaned.

“We still have the important duty of-”

“IS DUKE VILLBROD DEAD OR WHAT? I NEED TO SEE HIM!”

Villbrod’s speech was cut short by the arrival of a group of riders led by a certain count. The newcomers rode up the hill, then went straight for Villbrod.

“Oh for the love of Humanos, I should’ve led the riders to kill the Vyssians…” Villbrod groaned.

“Duke Villbrod! What is the meaning of this?! You have an army assembled here already! Why aren’t you marching up north?!” the leader of the newly arrived riders exclaimed.

“Count Marcoir, if you noticed, we just finished a battle so-”

“The entire Northwestern Region of Rhankia has fallen to the Vyssians! It seems that the red-haired barbarians had employed some kind of northmen sorcerers to destroy any resistance up north!” Marcoir declared.

Marcoir’s news shocked the Rhankish noblemen as they had deduced that the Northern Triplets would’ve held out for months against the Vyssians, especially since Castle Marcoir was known to be a very formidable fortress.

“Northmen sorcerers? What nonsense are you talking about?! Are you just excusing your incompetence?!” Villbrod reprimanded.

“Duke Villbrod, even if I wanted to try to fail, it would take more than a week for me to lose my castle! Have you not heard of the news of the sudden appearance of the northmen?! Are you really accusing me of incompetence when it was you who was ignoring the northern threat which I’ve already warned numerous times!” Marcoir rode up to Villbrod and challenged him. The various noblemen started murmuring among each other once they heard of the ‘northmen threat’.

“Northmen? What is this the meaning of this Duke Villbrod?”

“There’s people up north? It’s infested with beasts! How could anyone live up there?!”

“Are you sure the Vyssians didn’t just get help from their cousins down south?”

Duke Villbrod was about to say something until he remembered the little girl that intruded upon his villa a few weeks ago. “So it was true…” Villbrod murmured.

“What was that, Duke?” Marcoir asked as he rode his horse around the duke.

“What do you know about these northmen?”

“I killed some, they’re soulless human-like monsters. The Faith thinks they’re made with sorcery, so the Vyssians might had employed some Greatians in a ploy to conquer Western Rhankia. Whatever the case, they could take down my castle in a few days, which means that they could take the rest of West Rhankia in a month or two!” Marcoir exclaimed, causing the other noblemen to panic.

“We need to move north!”

“Lose my home… to the Vyssians?!”

“It can’t be! Those damned Vyssians!”

“Filthy monotheistic Greatians! To collude with the Vyssian barbarians, how dare they!”

“Enough! Silence, all of you!” Villbrod shouted angrily. “Before we do anything, we need to send scouts. Count Marcoir, do you have any idea if Castle Kilothar and Castle Enfoir still holds?”

“They were besieged by the Vyssians, but not by the northmen. It’s possible that they could be still holding against the Vyssians… or not. Their mysterious allies are unpredictable, so it’s also possible that the two castles had already fallen to the northmen a long time ago.”

Villbrod remained silent as he stared at the corpse-filled battlefield. He thought that it would be a simple task holding the Vyssians off, but it seemed that Humanos had other plans for him.

“Send a messenger to Count Heredasbert to return and fortify River Dens. I will be taking the army up north,” Villbrod ordered.

“Will you move north now?” Marcoir asked.

“No, but I need you to lead an advanced force to keep the Vyssians busy until I arrive. It’s your castle anyway, so you know the region better than anyone.”

“Finally, something I could agree to. You best hurry up with your army, Duke,” Marcoir said. The count finally stopped riding around Villbrod, and sped off to the distance with the rest of his entourage.

“As for us, we best gather supplies, men, and equipment before Marcoir gets himself killed. Who knows what that madman might do!” Villbrod ordered the noblemen.

“And when Aefelred wanted to see if he could roast the chicken with a fire spell, he nearly burnt down the workshop!” Hetrick laughed as he rode on a cart pulled by Steadfaster drones.

“Oh, shut it, you old man!” Aefelred cringed.

“I see. That is quite unfortunate,” Weaver commented.

After the incident at the Hall of Orthaem, Hetrick’s curiosity for Varangian magic spiked tremendously. When Magus’ lightning spell cracked through the sky, Hetrick felt as if the mana in the air fluctuated, but the lightning had no magical presence. Magus’ lightning was more comparable to a natural lightning in a stormy day rather than an actual arcane spell. So what happened to the mana that disappeared? Was it absorbed by Magus… or something else?

Hetrick offered to show the drones magic, but in return, they must allow him to study their magic first. Weaver accepted the offer on the condition that Hetrick would study the drones at the Varangian embassy at Sea’ax, since Custodian didn’t want the drones to stay at Hall of Orthaem any longer.

“So, the Sea’axian lords allowed you northerners to erect an embassy on their soil, huh?” Hetrick asked.

“They did capture a huge region for us, mercenaries or not, that is quite a feat,” Aefelred pointed out.

“I’m not well-versed in Rhankian geography, but isn’t Castle Norwind an impregnable fortress?” Hetrick asked.

“We thought so, too, but the northmen took Castle Norwind and Castle Marcoir as if it’s a walk in the fields.”

“Castle Marcoir? One of the Northern Triplets? Or… no, wait, that’s in the south, isn’t it?”

“No, no. You’re right, it’s one of the Northern Triplets. Anyway, Sir Weaver, since you’ve only taken the castle recently, surely the embassy hasn’t been constructed yet?” Aefelred asked Weaver.

“A week is enough to build an outpost,” Weaver responded.

‘An outpost? I don’t think half-finished huts and tents would serve as an outpost…’ Aefelred thought.

“Is that the embassy?” Hetrick pointed out.

“What? It’s only been a few days since we’ve left Vyssia so… wait…” Aefelred’s words were cut off when he saw a tall rectangular building sticking out of a hill. He couldn’t muster the right words to spit out.

First of all, the strange animals the Varangians used to pull the cart were much, much faster than horses, and they didn’t seem to tire at all!

Secondly, what in the name of Humanos is that building?!

When Weaver’s group arrived at the entrance of the newly created drone base, there were other people already present.

“Aefelred, is that you?” one of the people at the entrances asked.

“Ecgbert! Is this the Varangian embassy?” Aefelred asked back.

“Aye. We gave them this piece of land a few days ago, and they’ve already built this much. We offered them workers, but they refused. I could see why…” Ecgbert explained as he rubbed his chin while staring at the tall rectangular building.

Weaver got off the cart, then walked up to the embassy’s gates. As the gates opened, Weaver announced, “Attention! As Varangian’s embassy is mostly completed. All business transaction will now go through this place from now on. Now then, the Varangian embassy is now… open for business!”