Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 427: Things are getting Chaotic

[The Kingdom of Velys's army has repeatedly failed in their assaults on the Liya Tower Fortress. They have now established a temporary stronghold on the frozen plains, attempting to enter a prolonged standoff with the Empire.]

[Duke Grant's plan to capture Liya Tower Fortress within five days has failed. Army morale is rapidly declining. Additionally, Duke Howard, responsible for attacking the flanks of the defensive line, has also made minimal progress. The ground beneath the walls is already littered with the corpses of siege soldiers. It won't be long before the attackers' morale completely collapses.]

[The Church's Temple Knight, which publicly declared a holy war against the Empire and is currently stationed in the Cartel Mountains, shows no unusual movements.]

[The Empire is eternal. Praise all soldiers bravely fighting at the border frontline.]

Tristian Velmont set down the Empire Weekly and turned his head toward the window, watching the unceasing drizzle outside.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky. Mist obscured the sunlight. Raindrops fell steadily onto the rooftops and tiles of the imperial capital's streets, dampening leaves and vines.

At the instructions of his father, Duke Cedric, Tristian had temporarily paused his duties in their domain and chose to remain in the imperial capital for several days.

In times of war between nations, the two most tense locations are inevitably the frontlines where fighting occurs and the political center at the rear. With Hibbort currently unwell, even if he had briefly appeared to suppress some suspicions, rumors continued circulating inside and outside the palace.

Most people could guess the imperial succession was imminent. As the son of a Duke and heir to the next dukedom, even without his father's prompting, Tristian would proactively come to the capital to secure sufficient benefits for his family before the new Emperor was decided.

Watching raindrops splatter against the windowsill with a soft patta, Tristian returned his gaze to the newspaper, his fingers lightly rubbing the corner.

The Empire Weekly's target audience was the Empire's inability. Backed by Third Princess Astrid, the war reports naturally wouldn't favor the Kingdom of Velys. Reporting good news while hiding bad news has become standard practice.

In other words, the purpose of reporting this content wasn't to help readers obtain firsthand information, but rather to bolster confidence among certain nobles and ease the highly tense, almost explosive atmosphere within the capital.

Thinking back on it, the person who came up with this idea was truly a genius.

Unconsciously, the image of that elegant girl in a black dress with silver hair and crimson eyes surfaced in Tristian's mind. He took a sip of tea, sliding it down his throat, feelings of complexity stirring within.

Through the chain connecting Astrid, Charlotte, Finance Minister Florence, the Velmont family had secured numerous large orders, including construction materials for magical devices, complementary magic stones, and special tools for inscribing magic circles. Through this entire process, they, as the distribution channel, had profited immensely.

It was foreseeable that the faster magical devices developed, the more profit the commerce-focused Velmont family could extract, naturally increasing their overall strength.

The only slight regret was that years ago, Astrid had not accepted his marriage proposal. Otherwise, bound by marriage, their exchanges would have become even closer.

However...

Recalling Astrid's words when she faced the ring back then, Tristian propped up his hand, his gaze fell on the teacup before him, and his heart quickly found peace.

Looking at her current development, she truly didn't need to rely on marriage alliances to secure her future.

On the contrary, at this moment, he was actually thinking about these intangible things. For the future heir of the Velmont family, it was rather absurd.

As he pondered, the sound of crisp footsteps approached. Tristian lifted his head and saw the elegant Imperial Princess stepping in on black stilettos.

"Long time no see, Lord Tristian."

Astrid held Amalia's hand, guiding the white-stockinged, Lolita-dressed girl to sit beside her, casually removing the small hat from her head, revealing snow-like silver strands.

"How was the reading experience for the latest issue of the Empire Weekly?"

Seeing the parchment on the table, Astrid spoke with graceful ease.

Hearing the Third Princess speak, the man waved his hand to signal the servants to serve the food, then responded.

"It maintains its usual standard."

"Truly worthy of Princess Astrid's manuscript."

Astrid pursed her lips upon hearing this, her tone gentle.

"Lord Tristian flatters me. I'm merely responsible for slightly processing the collected intelligence."

"Just a trivial task."

Watching the hot food being served, Tristian slowly spoke.

"Yet this step is crucial. Not everyone can do it well."

The Velmont family's primary business was purchasing goods from their origin, then conducting secondary processing and sales, including perfumes, ale, paper, and so on. Naturally, they understood the key points.

"For Lord Tristian to say this, it indeed carries great persuasiveness."

After all, who would understand such work better than a merchant?

Once the dishes were served, Astrid patted the black-haired little girl's head and began discussing today's main business.

"When can the Velmont family supply the next batch of crystals?"

"At this rate, to quickly replenish the shortage of fire-type crystals, the family needs to open more production sites."

"Are the relatively cheap Venomfire Ants no longer sufficient?"

"Princess Astrid can understand it that way."

Under the dim yellow light, the two conversed while eating. Meanwhile, at the residence of Vorelter, son of Duke Thomas Redgrave, another negotiation was also drawn to a close.

"Alistair, are you sure you want to do this?"

Rain pattered outside, even the air shrouded in thick mist. Vorelter looked at the Second Prince before him, his voice low.

"If Father finds out, he'll kill me."

This matter was extremely serious. If exposed, not only him, but the entire family could be implicated.

Alistair shook his head after this, a cold, sinister curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't worry. The people I've arranged are my most trusted confidants, with absolutely clean backgrounds."

"Think about it, Vorelter. Your father has already stood by me. Consistent actions are the foundation of cooperation. And according to our agreement, once I successfully ascend, that mountain range, which everyone considers unfairly divided, will entirely belong to you."

"And you, my dear friend, in a few years' time, Vorelter, closely associated with the Emperor and supported by the royal family, will inevitably inherit your father's title and become the new Duke."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The man's voice echoed in the room, like a pendulum striking Vorelter's heart.

But... assassinating a prince under heavy security...

This was far too risky.

In the eyes of everyone, the Valeria Empire had only two heirs: the Emperor Hibbort's direct descendants, the Eldest Prince Lucas or the Second Prince Alistair. The future supreme ruler of the Empire can only be decided between these two.

This meant that as long as one of them dropped out midway, the other could ascend the throne with relative ease.

"No matter whether you participate or not, I will do this." Alistair said.

Currently, with Hibbort critically ill, the Eldest Prince Lucas, aided by Third Princess Astrid, holds a huge advantage continuously. Many neutral factions had already begun leaning towards him. Even some Imperial nobles that Alistair had already secured were considering whether to continue supporting the Second Prince.

No one wanted to bet everything on a single path, especially those nobles not yet deeply entangled with Alistair. Switching to a promised stock, even if the profits weren't as high, at least they wouldn't face losses or subsequent purges.

Staring into Alistair's eyes, Vorelter furrowed his brows. This task involves many factors. If successful, the future Redgrave family, backed by the Emperor, could easily surpass the other three Duke families, similar to today's Duke Charles.

Whether in taxation or political support, it would be an existence unreachable by any other Duke family.

"So, how exactly is His Majesty's current condition…" Vorelter's voice lowered further, his gaze sweeping over the soundproofing barrier responsible for shielding their conversation.

"Not good." Alistair coldly replied.

"Although he made a brief appearance, subsequent affairs are still being handled by the four ministers."

He had also visited Hibbort's chambers once. Although the latter appeared normal, there were obvious flaws in daily details.

Hibbort didn't have much time left.

"..."

If he had truly recovered, Hibbort's personality would never allow him to delegate such important matters to subordinates.

Vorelter subconsciously started tapping his leg, looking at the noble prince across the sofa.

"To be honest, Alistair..."

"How confident are you, really?"

If it were his father, Duke Thomas, he absolutely wouldn't cooperate with Alistair in such a dangerous endeavor. Although the potential profits were enormous, a single misstep would lead to utter ruin.

Vorelter was different. He had ambition and wanted to attempt standing out among his numerous siblings and sisters, becoming the sole family heir.

"If I say ten out of ten, you'll definitely think I'm being arrogant."

Alistair raised his hand. A deep black mass rose from his palm, like coiling black mist.

"If my subordinates fail to complete the task perfectly, I will attempt to act personally."

Staring at the thick black mist before him, Vorelter froze, then poured mental energy into it, his expression gradually turning serious.

"Arcanist mage-level mental strength... How is that possible..."

Last year, Alistair was merely a newly promoted peak tier Magus. How could he, in less than half a year, achieve the leap from Magus to Arcanist mage?

In magical theory, Magus and Arcanist mage could practically be considered two different species. The gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth. Even with royal blood, Alistair shouldn't have been able to accomplish this in such a short time.

"Strange?" Alistair sneezed coldly, the gloom at the corner of his mouth seemed to spread across his entire body in that instant.

"While investigating Lucas's dark secrets, I discovered something strange."

"It allowed me to comprehend parts of previously obscure and difficult magical knowledge and rapidly enhanced the quality of my mental energy."

"Now, do you understand where my confidence comes from?"

Lucas's strongest bodyguard hadn't broken through to Arcanist mage. He only had a guard team composed of peak tier Master Knight and peak tier Magnus. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

And even if there was one, without sufficient intelligence support, an Arcanist mage would find it difficult to defend against the sudden assault of another Arcanist mage.

"Don't worry, my ally. This isn't a desperate gamble after exhausting all trump cards." Alistair snapped his fingers. Instantly, the window was sealed by black mist.

If Astrid were present, she would certainly recognize that this technique bore an extremely similar aura to the ancient human existence she encountered in the Monster Mountains.

"Father has neither the time nor energy to produce more offspring. As long as Lucas dies, what awaits us is the brightest future."

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

"Enjoy your meal, Lord Tristian."

"Princess Astrid as well. You look especially beautiful today."

"Thank you for the compliment."

After exchanging a few more words with Tristian, Astrid picked up her handbag and left the private room. Elise had been waiting outside for a long time, respectfully bowing upon seeing the two princesses.

"Miss, let's get in the carriage."

"Thank you, Elise."

Sitting in the carriage, she removed her thin silk gloves. Astrid stretched her legs, her fingers relaxedly tugging at her sock cuffs, smoothing out the wrinkles in the black stockings around her ankles and knees.

This meal today gave her a slight understanding of the Velmont family's intentions. Just like in the original novel, the Velmont family's supreme leader, Duke Cedric, had made a fortune during the war between the two nations, this was also why he supported the Blonde tyrant Amalia's counterattack into the Kingdom of Velys, and the main reason why the original Lyra was always unwilling to accept Tristian's advances.

Their values were fundamentally incompatible from the start. Lyra, tempered by the baptism of war, would never be willing to be with someone who would start another bloody war for wealth.

Fortunately, with her intervention, the Velmont family received even more orders for magical devices. There were still many markets to be explored for the future popularization of magical devices, eliminating the need to continue profiting from war.

In other words, Astrid's previous choice to help Charlotte promote the development of magical devices not only pleased Hibbort but also laid the groundwork for securing the Velmont family's support now.

Moments later, Elise finished her errands and entered the carriage. She didn't immediately sit opposite Amalia and Astrid but hesitated for a few seconds before doing so.

Seeing this, Astrid fluttered her eyelashes, understanding immediately.

The head maid had something to say, but it wasn't convenient outside.

Silent all the way, they returned to the Third Princess's residence. Astrid kicked off her high heels, her two soft, smooth black-stockinged feet stepping onto the plush carpet. Elise followed closely, carefully placing the Princess's slender black stilettos and her own maid shoes together.

"Miss, there's an important piece of intelligence you need to review."

"What is it?"

Astrid sat at her desk, her long legs crossed one in front of the other.

"The Imperial Guard responsible for protecting the royal family has already seized control of the main roads leading to the Imperial City."

"I knew that already. Is there a problem, Elise?"

"Additionally, a portion of them was stationed inside the palace yesterday, becoming a second line of defense besides the Emperor's personal guards."

Elise's expression remained calm, her words extremely clear.

"There are rumors that Duke Charles may have already left the frontlines and is rushing back to the capital."