On one of the duchy's floating islands, unusual activity filled the air. Everywhere, the latest models of military airships hovered proudly in the sky. Their dark hulls gleamed under the sunlight, scattering silver reflections, while the low hum of heavy engines made it seem as if the island itself was alive—breathing.
Above, elite Armors patrolled the skies—heavily armed combat machines whose pilots scanned the surroundings with hawk-like precision, missing not a single movement below. On the island's surface, an elite detachment of the duchy's forces had been deployed. Soldiers marched in perfectly synchronized formations, inspected every arriving vessel, and allowed no one without proper documents even to approach the perimeter.
All merchant ships and civilian craft lacking authorization were immediately turned away and sent back. If anyone aroused even the slightest suspicion, they were arrested on the spot and taken away to an unknown destination.
And in such a tense environment, one question naturally arose—how on earth did Leon plan to get in?
The answer was simple. Fortunately, the ships belonging to his "loyal" AIs were equipped with cloaking systems completely undetectable by any modern means. The technology of the "new humans" simply wasn't advanced enough to register such vessels—even if they hovered less than fifty meters above the ground.
Thanks to that advantage, Leon managed to approach the island's main building unnoticed. When the ship descended to a sufficiently low altitude, he and Arthur disembarked, choosing a spot where no soldiers were in sight.
They made their way toward the building's entrance. After a few minutes, two guards blocked their path. Their faces showed no emotion, their eyes cold and watchful. One stepped forward and extended a hand, speaking in a firm, disciplined tone:
"Papers, please—identification and authorization for presence on the island."
Arthur tensed inside, his heart pounding faster. If they noticed anything suspicious… that would be the end. But outwardly, he stayed composed, glancing toward Leon, waiting to see how he would respond.
Leon, however, looked completely unbothered—as if everything was going exactly according to plan.
Then his next words nearly made Arthur lose his composure.
"Papers? What papers?" Leon said calmly, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly.
The guards stiffened instantly, their hands moving almost in unison toward their weapon hilts. One of them was just about to shout for reinforcements when Leon suddenly spoke again, his tone shifting to friendly and slightly confused.
"Ah, forgive me, forgive me! I was just lost in thought… We've already been checked twice today; this is the third time they've stopped us."
He patted his pockets with an annoyed expression, pretending to search for something, and finally pulled a small bundle from his inner coat pocket.
"Here, here it is!"
One of the soldiers reached out cautiously to take the papers—but at that exact moment, Leon tossed the bundle right at their feet.
"Hold your breath," he said quickly and quietly to Arthur.
Arthur obeyed without hesitation.
A second later, the bundle emitted a sharp pop, releasing a thick cloud of gray smoke that instantly enveloped the area. The soldiers didn't even have time to cry out—within seconds, they collapsed, unconscious.
Leon coughed lightly, waved his hand to clear the air, and said:
"Quick, let's drag them aside. I saw some benches nearby—let's lay them there, make it look like they decided to take a little break. Let the others think they're just slacking off."
Arthur nodded quickly and helped move the bodies. Within a couple of minutes, the two soldiers were neatly "sleeping" on the bench, and Leon and Arthur slipped calmly into the building.
"Phew… that was close, Lord Leon. Too close," Arthur exhaled once they were inside the corridor.
"Don't worry," Leon replied with a light smile. "Everything's going according to plan. It should be easier from here on. From what I've heard, once someone's inside, they don't check them again. No one's ever made it this far before, so now we can relax—just a little."
Arthur let out a relieved sigh.
"Well then, as long as we keep a low profile, everything should go smoothly."
"Well… almost," Leon chuckled. "To be honest… I need to use the restroom. Wait for me here."
Arthur shook his head but immediately offered,
"I've got a better idea. Let's split up. I'll take a walk around and listen to what people are talking about—maybe I'll pick up something useful."
"Alright," Leon agreed. "We'll meet at the entrance in an hour… an hour and a half at most."
Arthur nodded, and the two men went their separate ways.