The Boundless Continent belonged to no one.

  It was a place of war, of shifting powers, of lords rising and falling in the blink of an eye.

  Selene had shaped her web carefully. She had expanded her influence without hesitation, weaving vassals, allies, and subordinates into the structure of her growing dominion.

  But expansion required momentum.

  Momentum required conflict.

  She had allowed her vassals to recover, had strengthened her court with the Fae Lord of Dominion and the Fae Lord of Strategy, and now she moved.

  A nearby lord had been marked.

  A new target.

  Selene expected them to fall like the others.

  She was wrong.

  ---

  The Lord in question was Dorian Blackwell.

  His domain was known as Ironveil.

  Selene had chosen him carefully.

  He was not a veteran. Not a warlord. Not exceptional.

  He was a man who had played defensively, slowly fortifying his land while avoiding conflict.

  And his Arms were not monsters, nor supernatural creatures.

  They were humans.

  Normal. Ordinary.

  Selene saw no reason to hesitate.

  With her Fae Lords, her elemental forces, and her growing empire, this should have been a simple conquest.

  She should have crushed him.

  But she didn't.

  And she did not yet know why.

  ---

  The assault began at dusk.

  Selene watched from above as her forces descended upon Ironveil.

  Snow and his frost wolves moved in first, sweeping over the defensive lines with relentless speed.

  Radiance followed, sending golden lances of energy to disrupt the defenders.

  Tides surged in from the riverbanks, turning the battlefield into a shifting arena of water and ice.

  And at first, everything seemed to be going well.

  The humans fought back.

  But that was expected.

  They were disciplined, yes. Their formations held longer than they should have.

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  But they were still just humans.

  Weren’t they?

  ---

  Selene noticed it when Sovereignty’s forces faltered.

  The first mistake.

  The first break in pattern.

  The Fae Lord of Sovereignty commanded through dominance.

  Those who faced them typically fell apart, breaking under the sheer pressure of their presence.

  Yet here?

  The human soldiers did not waver.

  They did not hesitate.

  They held the line.

  ---

  Then came the second mistake.

  Tides sent their elementals forward, expecting to overwhelm the humans with sheer power.

  A wall of water surged, rising like a tidal wave—an unstoppable force.

  And then, it collapsed.

  Not because of the humans’ skill.

  But because of their weapons.

  Selene’s eyes narrowed.

  The humans weren’t just well-trained.

  They were armed.

  With weapons that disrupted magic.

  Weapons that should not have been in their possession.

  ---

  Selene knew what had happened the moment she saw the first Fae Lord fall back.

  Enchantment.

  Somehow, these humans had acquired enchanted arms and armor.

  Not a few elite weapons.

  Not a single artifact.

  Every soldier.

  Every blade.

  Every single warrior was armed with something unnatural.

  And Selene had not known.

  She clenched her jaw, watching as the battle shifted.

  The attack had gone from overwhelming force to a stalemate.

  And a stalemate was unacceptable.

  ---

  Selene did not hesitate.

  She withdrew her forces before losses could mount.

  This was not a fight lost.

  It was a lesson learned.

  And Selene always learned.

  ---

  The retreat was orderly.

  Sovereignty’s forces moved first, their presence ensuring that the humans did not dare pursue.

  Tides and Snow pulled their creatures back, regrouping into defensive positions at the border.

  The Fae Lord of Strategy had already begun processing the battle, piecing together what had gone wrong.

  Selene stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching Ironveil’s soldiers hold their ground.

  Dorian Blackwell had not even appeared on the field.

  He had not needed to.

  Because his army had held without him.

  And that was a problem.

  ---

  Back in the Verdant Nexus, the war council was silent.

  The Fae did not lose.

  Yet today, they had failed to win.

  Strategy spoke first, their voice as calm as ever.

  “They were enhanced.”

  Selene nodded. “Obviously.”

  “What we do not yet know,” Strategy continued, “is the source of that enhancement.”

  Sovereignty frowned. “They were not strong. They simply endured.”

  Dominion exhaled slowly, arms crossed. “Their weapons were crafted to counter magic.”

  Selene met their gazes.

  “And that means someone made them.”

  A pause.

  Oaths, silent until now, finally spoke.

  “There is an Enchanter’s Hall nearby.”

  Selene turned to them sharply.

  “You’re certain?”

  Oaths’ glowing eyes held steady.

  “I am.”

  A pause.

  Then, Oaths added, “It is also likely that Lord Blackwell did not build it.”

  Selene’s mind clicked into place.

  He took it.

  He conquered a native lord who already had it.

  She sat back, her thoughts moving.

  The boon and bane of the Hundred Lords had changed the world.

  Loyalty was now a fading thing.

  And Blackwell’s army was not immune to that.

  Which meant there were other ways to break him.

  Her voice was quiet.

  “Then we do not need to fight him head-on.”

  ---

  The council leaned in.

  Selene tapped a finger against the table.

  “If his soldiers are bound by their equipment, then their loyalty is an illusion.”

  Oaths nodded. “A deal enforced by steel rather than will.”

  Selene’s lips curled slightly.

  “Then we will make them an offer.”

  Dominion smirked. “You plan to buy them?”

  Selene’s gaze was sharp.

  “No.”

  “We will make them choose.”

  A pause.

  Then Strategy leaned forward, a knowing glint in their eyes.

  “You intend to introduce doubt.”

  Selene stood.

  “We lost the first battle because we did not know the battlefield.”

  Her presence filled the room.

  “That mistake will not happen again.”

  She turned toward Oaths.

  “You will lead the next move.”

  Oaths bowed slightly.

  Strategy tilted their head. “A war of words rather than weapons.”

  Selene nodded.

  “If Blackwell’s power comes from outside forces, then his army can be turned.”

  Sovereignty folded their arms. “And if they refuse?”

  Selene’s voice was calm.

  “Then we will break them the old-fashioned way.”

  A moment of silence.

  Then the court moved.

  ---

  Selene turned toward the window of her castle, looking back toward the lands of Ironveil.

  Dorian Blackwell had been prepared for battle.

  But war was not always fought with swords.

  She smiled faintly.

  He had won a battle.

  But he had already lost the war.