Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 424: ’Astrid... I will definitely return alive…’

Chapter 424: ’Astrid... I will definitely return alive...’

Behind Liya Tower Fortress stood another major military stronghold of the Valeria Empire established along the second frontline. A graceful ink black-haired woman stands beside a giant airship, her bare, delicate hand gently stroking the cool metallic hull.

Although stationed in the northern frontier and dressed in a thickened woolen robe instead of a form-fitting silk gown, her elegant figure and outstanding beauty still radiated through. Even without revealing much, one could clearly sense the woman’s graceful curves and mature charm.

Charlotte stood calmly before the magic-powered airship. The clicking of her long boots against the ground echoed as her clothes swayed, briefly revealing a slender, silk-stockinged leg between her hem and boots.

As part of the second defensive network near the frontline, Charlotte had naturally learned of the Kingdom of Velys’ surprise attack on the outpost last night. While she was surprised by the decisiveness of the Velys king’s decision, her greater concern lay in the overall strategic situation.

Yet her worry wasn’t particularly directed at Liya Tower Fortress itself. During her last inspection of the black fortress and its magical weapons defenses, Charlotte had concluded that unless Velys deployed an Arcanist mage, a frontal assault on Liya Tower would require over two months of sustained attacks with heavy troop casualties before having any chance of success.

Besides Liya Tower, the other two fortresses on the first defensive line, though equipped with numerous magical devices to strengthen their positions, were relatively weaker overall. They might face the enemy’s main assault force. While the frigid plain between the two nations appears narrow compared to the endless surrounding mountains and fissures, it was still a vast open space capable of accommodating massive armies.

With Duke Charles himself stationed at Liya Tower Fortress, it wouldn’t easily fall. The real concern lies with the other two fortresses. If they were captured, the frontline Liya Tower would become extremely perilous.

Duke Charles had guarded the border for many years; she believed he understood the importance of securing the flanks.

Watching nearby servants shuttling back and forth, loading supplies and wooden crates into the airship, Charlotte paused. A hint of concern flickered in her light-brown eyes.

The heavy scent of blood already permeated the empire’s frontier. How could the nobles within the imperial capital possibly remain uninvolved?

Once news of the war reached the imperial capital, the already unstable political situation would undoubtedly stir once more.

This meant the conflict between the two princes would intensify. Princess Astrid would gain more room and opportunities to maneuver, but her own position would become even more dangerous.

Unfortunately, as chief researcher of magical devices and commander-in-chief of the magic-powered airship fleet, Charlotte couldn’t possibly leave Duke Charles’ territory at such a critical time. Even at an Arcanist mage’s flight speed, a round trip would take a full week.

A week would be more than enough time for Velys’ Arcanist mage to slaughter most of the fortress defenders and inflict irreparable damage on the frontline.

All she could do now was hoping Astrid could take care of herself.

Meanwhile, at Liya Tower Fortress, Lyra opened her eyes after a night of meditation, greeted by the bright, warm sunlight falling beside her hand.

This was the second day after the outpost had been attacked, ten hours had passed since she last observed the battlefield from the skies.

Having hastily returned to the fortress, Lyra hadn’t had time to bathe or change clothes. She’d received orders directly from the Duke’s personal guards: restore her mental power as quickly as possible.

Considering the battlefield situation remained unclear, Lyra didn’t choose to replenish her mental energy through sleep. Instead, she used meditation, a method that can be interrupted at any moment and allows her to immediately enter peak combat readiness.

Locating her white short boots beside the bed, the girl bent down, gripping the shaft with one hand as she quickly slipped her soft, silk-covered feet into them. Then she stood, donned her coat, and left the room.

Outside, the cold wind brushed against her hair. Lyra instinctively touched her pink locks, confirming her hair ribbon was still in place, before descending the stairs.

Compared to usual, the hallway now carries a distinctly grim atmosphere. No soldiers were in sight; along the entire hallway, her footsteps were the only sound.

Reaching the lower level, she approaches a personal guard responsible for security. Forgetting to wear gloves, Lyra left her fair skin exposed to the air, instead using a novice-level fire magic to maintain warmth and prevent her joints from stiffening, which could hinder combat techniques.

"What’s the current situation? Where is Duke Charles?"

Lyra, honored as a knight for her heroic deeds, was a key figure Duke Charles used to symbolize imperial valor. Thus, her authority surpasses that of ordinary Elizabeth Academy of Magic interns.

Upon hearing her inquiry, the guard didn’t hold back, reporting the facts clearly.

"Thanks to the buffering effect of the magical circles, Kingdom of Velys’s offensive momentum has been temporarily halted. They’re currently establishing a temporary command post at the ruined outpost from last night, while gradually clearing the magical traps on the path toward Liya Tower Fortress."

"Liya Tower Fortress has entered wartime status. Defensive installations powered by magical devices are operating at full capacity. Under current circumstances, both sides have suffered severe casualties."

"News of the frontline assault is being relayed to the capital at maximum speed. Duke Charles just inspected the wounded and is now finished formulating specific defensive strategies in the command center."

Formulating plans, huh...

Hearing this, Lyra lowered her blue eyes, realizing this portion of intelligence wasn’t something she could easily access. After quickly digesting the guard’s words, she spoke again.

"Inspecting the wounded? Where are the injured currently located?"

"Reporting, Baroness Lyra, most are in Blackstone Infirmary."

After a few more questions, instructing the guard to notify her immediately of any developments, Lyra pulled her collar higher and headed toward Blackstone Infirmary.

Along the way, soldiers guarded every few streets. Faint mental fluctuations drifted through the air, appearing like fine rain to those with mental perception, so subtle, yet the faint dampness was impossible to ignore.

Looking up, Lyra spotted the distant, towering tubular structure standing at the fortress’s center. A massive black metallic barrel extended from a tower, its base a colossal, castle-like structure. At a glance, it resembled a mountain, housing a mana-powered super cannon whose thick barrel aimed directly westward at the frozen plain.

This was the magic super cannon invented by Professor Charlotte, based on the design principles of magic rifles. A smaller prototype had already been test-fired in the mountainous northeast of Charles’ territory, proving its devastating power.

Aside from poor accuracy and the enormous consumption of magic stones per shot, plus an extremely long cooldown period, the super cannon had almost no drawbacks. Overall, it was an excellent defensive installation, delivering near-dimensional-level damage against living forces.

Using her Master Knight-level enhanced vision, Lyra saw the magical engravings on the cannon’s surface designed to stabilize energy output. Row after row of intricately carved ancient patterns faintly glowed under sunlight, resembling a magnificent work of art.

Lyra had seen the draft of this cannon on Astrid’s desk. At the time, the Third Princess had been supplementing key points and optimizing the structure of Professor Charlotte’s design. If given another three to four years, perhaps even the issues of poor accuracy and long cooldown could be resolved.

It was simply unfortunate that the Kingdom of Velys chose this precise moment to start the war, when the old emperor was dying, the new one not yet crowned, the transfer of power unstable, and mana technology still far from its peak.

Had any one of these conditions been different, Velys would hardly have had such an advantage.

The mana cannon vanished behind a castle’s shadow. As Lyra stepped into Blackstone Infirmary, she was immediately met with a dense herbal scent permeating the interior, mingled with a few drafts of cold wind seeping in from outside. The combined aroma resembles the cool fragrance of grass and flowers on a lawn.

After confirming her identity, Lyra passed through the healing barrier constructed by physicians. Inside the vast infirmary, countless injured soldiers lay or sat on beds.

Many curious turned gazes towards her, some filled with concern and admiration.

As comrades-in-arms who fought on the same frontline, these wounded soldiers naturally held a favorable impression of the Holy Light Knight before them. Not to mention, some of them had benefited from the [Lightfall] buff, using hasty agility to evade lethal attacks.

Looking around, aside from medical staff, nearly all the patients were bedridden. Missing limbs were common. Lyra fell silent, her slender brows slightly furrowed.

Although she had long understood the extent of war, seeing so many soldiers suffer irreversible physical damage still leaves a bitter taste in her heart. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The healing barrier operates quietly. All the injured basked in soft green light. Flesh pierced by arrows had begun to scab over, while new tissue slowly regenerated on burned areas.

Activating the body’s life potential to achieve rapidly produces healing significant short-term effects. But in the long run, the lost life factors were extremely difficult to replenish, inevitably impacting the patients’ lifespans and physical functions.

While herbal treatments could mitigate the negative effects, they couldn’t eliminate them entirely.

Lyra could already foresee that even if these people miraculously survived battle after battle, their futures would be short lives plagued by illness and pain, haunted by nightmares they could never escape.

"Doctor, may I ask..." Approaching the chief physician in charge, Lyra spoke up.

After patiently inquiring about specific procedures, Lyra pursed her lips. Channeling mental energy according to a fixed spell array, within seconds, a warm light radiated outward from her.

Early-tier Magnus light-element spell: [Holy Recovery].

Injured patients touched by the light felt their wounds wrapped in warmth. The burning pain rapidly subsided, as if their entire bodies were soaking in hot water.

Besides healing wounds, [Holy Recovery] also weakened pain and boosted morale, one of the main reasons Lyra chose to cast it.

At the very least, she should do something within her power for these soldiers who had risked their lives in battle.

"Lyra?"

Hearing someone call her name, Lyra turned and saw a brown-haired girl holding medicinal herbs, Philice, daughter of Duke Charles.

"Miss Philice, are you helping out?"

"Mm. I can’t use magic, so I can’t cast healing spells like the doctors. I can only assist with manual tasks."

Philice nodded, handing the herbs to a nearby maid.

"Everyone has given so much for the empire." The girl glanced around, speaking gently.

Although the actions of a high-born duchess aiding the wounded might seem like a drop in the bucket, they were effective in boosting morale and comforting the troops.

Noticing Lyra was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday’s sunset viewing, Philice guessed she hadn’t rested much and softly suggested,

"Lyra, you should go rest. With numerous fire traps acting as buffers, Kingdom of Velys won’t be able to organize an effective offensive in the short term."

"At the very least, you have time for a hot bath and a good night’s sleep."

Lyra had already heard similar intelligence from the personal guard. She gave a slight nod, her pink lips parting.

"Alright, I’ll head back soon."

Astrid had emphasized more than once that mental condition directly affected combat effectiveness.

Understanding that Lyra wanted to fully complete this [Holy Recovery] spell, Philice didn’t press further. She casually asked a few questions about the outpost before battle continuing to tend to the wounded.

"If it wasn’t for Lady Lyra’s magic, I might’ve died on the city walls..."

"Thank goodness we managed to eliminate the most threatening mage in their formation. Otherwise, defense would’ve been even harder."

"Their damn armor and shields are too tough..."

Amid the noisy chatter, Lyra politely responded. In that instant, the lingering aura of the naive girl seemed to vanish completely.

Philice looked back to the pink-haired, blue-eyed knight. Her steps paused, eyes thoughtful. Then, picking up more herbs, she personally applied them to a soldier’s wound.

An hour later, Lyra left Blackstone Infirmary and returned to her bedroom. She removed her shirt, coat, and thickened white silk stockings, then slipped into slippers and entered the washroom.

Pressing the water button, a steady stream of hot water cascaded over her head, flowing down the smooth curves of her body. Lyra stared at the steam surrounding her and her hazy reflections in the mirror, her thoughts drifting back to the outpost engulfed in flames.

"..."

In the future, she will face many more scenes like this. The open frozen plain before Liya Tower’s gates, her favorite sunset-watching spot, will certainly turn into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

This was war. It could be a world-shattering spell, or a sudden arrow from the shadows. Every dream and ambition could vanish in an instant.

Dripping water splashed onto the floor tiles. Lyra skipped her favorite bath ritual from her days in the princess’s chambers. After quickly cleaning her body, she dried off and returned to bed, falling asleep quickly.

’Astrid... I will definitely return alive...’

’You must stay safe too.’