Princess's Struggle for Survival

Two days later, the long-silent Coldwind City opened its gates. Batch after batch of expeditionary soldiers in heavy armor withdrew the city where they had been resting, toward advancing the kingdom’s western cities.

At the very front, heavily armored knights rode forward along the main road. Behind them were lightly armored infantry marching at a steady pace. The clatter of armor and the thud of footsteps merged into one mighty tide, as if even the earth trembled beneath it.

They had taken Grand Duke Grant’s territory. Further west lay the prince’s lands. On the required route were three cities in total, capture them in order, and they could strike straight at Seville City, drag the king off the throne, and send him to the guillotine.

But it was exactly this stretch that was the most dangerous part of the entire war. No one knew when the kingdom’s highest-level combat power would appear, or what manner it would use to make its entrance.

Lyra, with wings of light on her back, floated high in the sky not far behind the army. She watched the expeditionary force advance like a long serpent, her attention extremely focused. Her mental force spread out in full, covering the entire surrounding battlefield.

Besides the Valeria Empire’s expeditionary force, the Church Knight order also moved. They marched from a small left-flank route toward the next city, absorbing scattered light believers from towns along the way. Their speed was slower than the expeditionary army’s, but not by much, at most, a gap of about one day.

A day and a half of marching, three and a half days to build camp. With the blessing of "Holy Radiant City," the imperial expeditionary force could ignore the biting cold wind. On the snowfields, they can use earth magic to raise high walls, gradually compressing the defenders’ space.

When Grand Duke Charles’s flank reinforcements entered the field, the Church Knights could safely bypass the first city, enter the borderlands between the next two, and attempt to cut the supply line.

"It won’t mean much, but at least it can hit their morale and shake their resolution." That was Astrid’s judgment.

The King of Velys had long known they would attack and would certainly invest heavily in those hard-bone cities. With Coldwind City as a precedent, the massive reserves of military supplies inside could support them for a long time even without further logistics.

The only concern was Arcanist mages entering the battle to clear the field. At this point, Astrid, Kales, and even Duke Charles, who arrived later, were all closely watching the situation, trying to find where Arcanist mages might be.

"Astrid, I can’t sense any presence of enemy Arcanist mages. I’m not sure whether they’re quietly suppressing their strength, or simply hiding their existence."

On the second day after the main force reached the city suburbs and established camp, Lyra gave Astrid her assessment.

"Do we launch the attack now according to the original plan, or wait a bit and see Miss Iris’s reaction?"

If Iris could achieve initial control over the royal capital, they could immediately use Arcanist-mage power to breach the city, force the enemy’s top-tier power to reveal itself, and provide assistance to the coup behind enemy lines.

"First, organize the army for a probing attack. Whether Iris sends word or not, two days later, have our Arcanist mages enter the battle."

Facing the threat of losing their heads, the radical nobles hiding behind the soldiers couldn’t possibly remain highly restrained, believing there was still room for negotiation and thus choosing not to commit high-end power.

Since Arcanist mages revealed themselves as inevitable, the expeditionary force might as well seize the initiative, strike ahead of time, and greatly reduce the kingdom’s resistance.

Hearing Astrid, Lyra nodded and spoke softly.

"That’s what I thought too."

Two days was a bit rushed, not even enough time for the Church Knights to recruit many more knights. But it was exactly this urgency that could catch the kingdom off guard.

"Once the mages who built the earthen camp have rested, we’ll organize them this afternoon to assault the city."

In the face of possible Arcanist mages within the imperial formation, Velys also had no thought of sallying out for field battle to harass the expeditionary force and weaken morale.

If the enemy chose that opportunity to seal off their retreat, any troops outside the city would have no defensive arrays shielding them. Under Arcanist might, they would be wiped out in an instant.

Staying inside and holding out was their only chance, waiting until the world changed: chaos inside the Valeria Empire, or the expeditionary force running short of supplies and taking a massive morale hit. Only then would the kingdom have even a thread of victory by sending troops.

For now, they can only wait.

After lunch, the defenders atop the walls observed the "Holy Radiant City" dispel, revealing the gray earthen walls within and the towering ramparts built up high.

Before they could even feel joy, soldiers equipped with the most advanced mana-powered devices marched out of the camp and advanced toward the city. At the same time, the mana cannons deployed at the rear were ignited by magic crystal stones. A series of roars shook heaven and earth as destructive fire and stone hammered the city’s defensive array. Ripples burst outward; shattered flaming rocks left faint black haze on the transparent barrier.

No alarm was needed. Every defending soldier understood,

A new battle had begun.

............

"Father, according to the messages sent by our intelligence officers, in the battle of Hoskar City, the imperial expeditionary force deployed a total of one Arcanist mage and two Crusader, including the overall commander, Lyra Beckett."

"Those two Crusaders are Duke Charles, and Asteren Valeria of the Valeria imperial household."

Inside Seville City, Princess Iris, wearing simplified armor, knelt respectfully before her father, reporting the latest battlefield situation.

"The defensive array of Hoskar City could withstand mana devices to some extent, but against the combined assault of three Arcanist mages, it was far too strained. It shattered completely within a little over ten minutes and lost all protective capability."

"And that meant our forces were fully exposed to the targeting range of long-range mana weapons. Once the Arcanist mages ceased their interference, these brave defenders held on for about half an hour more, before, under absolute military suppression, they gave up resistance. Hoskar City declared its fall."

If the next battles were fought the same way, the king might as well stop struggling and submit his neck to the blade.

"Three Arcanist mages?"

Upon hearing his daughter’s report, the King of Velys frowned slightly, fingers continuously tapping the armrest.

If three Arcanist-tier powerhouses were acting openly, then in the shadows there were at least six, perhaps more, prepared to respond to any sudden developments on the kingdom’s side.

On his side, including their ally Pope Hebrew and his confidants, he had barely more than ten available for the battlefield. Whether that would be enough to withstand the expeditionary assault was truly unknown.

Iris lowered her head further, keeping her precious silence. Only when her father finished thinking and asked again did she respond.

Any other news?

The King of Velys naturally understood this simple truth: first surge, then decline, then exhaustion.

The first two cities were merely to wear down the expeditionary force. He had never intended to fight the Empire to the death there. The decisive life-or-death point was the royal city, and the second-to-last city outside Seville City.

Pope Hebrew had already gone there, using the Church of Light’s deep foundations to seal a vast area above the city, choking all strong individuals from flying through. He swore to drag those heretical trainers onto the Tribunal and judge them, to atone before the omniscient, omnipotent Lord who once illuminated the world.

If the situation turns unfavorable, the king will also dispatch more royal guards, perhaps even the Arcanist mages who served as the emperor’s personal bodyguards, to strengthen.

Once Hebrew’s defensive line was breached by the Valeria Empire, it wouldn’t matter if he kept those people by his side. They will not stop the Empire’s expeditionary force, fierce as wolves and tigers.

Leaving a symbolic number of royal guards was enough, to prevent someone from sneaking into the royal city.

Hearing her father’s question, Iris paused for several seconds, then spoke in a low voice.

"Father... there is another piece of bad news."

The old king’s beard trembled. His thick black brows drew tighter. Suppressing his emotions, his voice carries more displeasure.

"Speak."

Just as he had anticipated, once the Kingdom of Velys’s momentum of attacking the Empire was damaged, all the contradictions that had accumulated would erupt at once. Bad news will come one after another.

Rebellions among nobles, disorder in the lower-class governance, these things had signs. The King of Velys could sense them, but he was powerless.

As for the unexpected situations, they delivered the most devastating blows to the kingdom, blows so heavy that to say the coffin lid had been nailed shut and the final handfuls of earth thrown over it would not be an exaggeration.

First came a hard-to-cure plague ravaging the land, destroying production while further stimulating internal contradictions and severely impacting livelihoods. Then the Church of Light split internally, forming the current east–west confrontation, greatly weakening national defense.

Either one alone would be unbearable, let alone both arrive back-to-back.

Sensing her father’s anger, Iris swallowed, adjusted her words, and spoke softly.

"It’s the Church of Light..."

"The independence of the Church Knights seems to have only been a precursor. That Saintess of Light, Monica Angelis, has publicly declared support for Lyra, cleansing her history of being seen as a usurper, and called her ’one watched by the Lord.’"

"Some local bishops of the Church of Light have also chosen to respond to the former Saintess’s call. They no longer accept mobilization from the Pope, stating they will stand on the side of the people."

The people at this moment were suffering the plague. "Standing on their side" in practice meant standing with the holy knight Lyra, who could cure it.

After hearing Iris, the King of Velys remained silent for a long time. Minutes later, Iris spoke again.

"Besides that, we received a spy report about Hoskar City."

"The fallen Hoskar City experienced a sudden plague outbreak some time ago. Disease spread everywhere, causing many expeditionary soldiers equipped with mana devices to be infected by patients, losing a portion of combat effectiveness. Commander-in-chief Lyra has to devote herself to treatment work and will not, for the time being, prepare the next wave of breach."

Mana devices could indeed strengthen soldiers’ combat power, but they were still external tools. The soldiers’ mental force hadn’t truly improved, and their bodies remained at the normal level of their inherent strength, unable to possess the powerful immunity of Church Knights.

Thus, infecting them with plague wasn’t much harder than infecting ordinary civilians. With repeated close contact a few times, they will almost certainly be hit.

"Some also say she will cure even the severely ill patients. If that’s the case, the expeditionary force’s momentum will be greatly checked."

How large a range a single healing spell could affect, how many people it could treat, Iris didn’t know, having never witnessed Lyra and Astrid casting together. But she knew how many residents of Hoskar City had.

Unless a single cast could cover half the city, Lyra would have an endless amount of time to spend on such matters.

The aged man on the throne showed little change in expression, but the flicker of joy in his eyes did not escape Iris, who had raised her head at that moment, watching her father carefully.

Seeing it, Iris exhaled faintly. Deep disappointment rose in her heart.

Even if Lyra’s actions contain elements of necessity, curing the residents to reduce infection risk among her troops, at the end of the day, whether objectively or subjectively, she and that enemy regent were doing better than the King of Velys, her father, sitting before her.

If Astrid had been given her script, a neglected princess born in the Kingdom of Velys, perhaps she too could, through outstanding means and talent, unquestionably win the support of the common people and become a beloved monarch by countless citizens.

Even now, though she hadn’t changed scripts at all, still the Empire’s eldest princess and, in most people’s eyes, an invader, those people didn’t resent Astrid’s rule.

Because compared to Grand Duke Grant’s former rule, Astrid Ovisia could absolutely be called a virtuous lord.

"Father, there is one more thing."

As if steeling herself, Iris spoke softly.

"I have secured the support of Marquis Mist, and the trade nobles behind him."

These were once conservative nobles who didn’t wish for war, especially the latter. Because of the orders of the king and the pope, they lost commercial ties with House Velmont of the Valeria Empire. Their stockpiled luxury goods could only be dumped domestically, and large-scale city lockdowns and road blockades greatly restricted commerce and transport, increasing costs.

If the situation hadn’t been clarified before, this branch of nobles would most likely have broken free of the king’s framework and run their house as they pleased.

"Marquis Mist... they were actually that easy to talk to?"

The old king might be unable, but his eyes were not yet so old as to be clouded. He knew these nobles had once been the largest opposition faction at home, deeply dissatisfied with his policies and resolutions that harmed their interests.

At such a critical juncture, even other nobles not on the tribunal’s execution list were avoiding the royal family, cutting ties and isolating themselves for survival. How could anyone take the initiative to come closer?

Iris explained in a low voice, "They agreed to support us, but how they contribute, and how much, depends on what kind of price Father is willing to offer."

"If possible, in a few days, I will invite them to Seville City so they can speak with Father face-to-face."

So they wanted to use this opportunity to extort him again.

Guessing Marquis Mist and Count Thorsen’s intention, the man fell silent for a moment, then replied in a low voice.

"Let them come."

As long as he could survive this crisis, shedding a little blood was not something he found unacceptable.

After all, what could be more important than the continuation of the royal house?

Hearing her father’s assent, Iris greeted respectfully. Then, taking advantage of his concession, she smoothly proposed another condition.

"Father, before I withdraw, there are words I must say as your daughter..."

She had just helped him resolve a pressing worry. Now was the best time to advise.

"Fourth Brother is greedy for pleasure and knows only indulgence. Now the enemy is about to reach our walls, yet he still spends every night in the pleasure quarters."

Compared with Iris, who had spent years tirelessly working across the kingdom to win the support of the nobility, openly radiating ambition with every word and gesture, the "Fourth Brother" she described truly was the epitome of a useless wastrel.

"Giving him command of the outer royal guards’ mobilization orders may be inappropriate."

In the past, if Iris had, as a younger sister, openly rebuked her brother as dissolute and unfit for major responsibility in front of their father, the King of Velys might not have taken care, he might even have felt that Iris, who brought such words into the open, was the truly unperceptive child.

He was the father, the one who issued orders and granted power. Was Iris being so blunt because she thought he was old and blind, unable to judge people or discern right from wrong?

But now, the least favored daughter had proven her talent with results. He had no need to cling to a prince who had disappointed him too many times. Better to use that authority as a reward, handed over to Iris.

"I will have someone transfer this portion of the royal guards’ mobilization authority to you, as a sign of trust and reward, my daughter."

As for the inner palace guards of the royal city, those troops were only for the king to touch. He had no intention of passing the throne to Iris, so he naturally wouldn’t mention them.

Knowing she had already touched the edge of power, and also her father’s limit, Iris performed a polite farewell salute, then turned and left the great hall.