Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 481: Current Situation at Border

"Knight-Captain Lyra, please give the orders."

On the high wall, Lyra watched snowflakes settle upon the frozen tundra as she exhaled softly. The white mist rising from her cherry lips thinned in her vision, dissolving into nothingness, vanishing without a trace.

It has been several months since the Kingdom of Velys launched its massive invasion. Although the earlier cannon had successfully defeated the advance of the Holy Church’s forces, it merely alleviated their assault rather than delivering a decisive, war-ending blow.

However, the aftermath of the cannon’s roar had granted the defenders of the Valeria Empire a chance to counterattack. The number of the remaining Holy Knights was reduced by nearly half after this battle. These knights, who raised the banner of holy light and charged without fear of death, surrendered not a single soul. In the end, their bones were buried upon this blood-soaked, frigid battlefield.

"Continue repairing the walls. The moment the watchtower reports anything, retreat behind the defensive lines immediately. Don’t expose these craftsmen to enemy attack magic."

"Yes, Knight-Captain."

Watching the armored soldiers descend from the wall, Lyra’s gaze grew increasingly melancholy. She turned around, the collision of her sword scabbard against her greaves producing a crisp, clear metallic sound.

The siege morale of the Kingdom of Velys’s forces was alarmingly high. Even Duke Charles was astonished by the sheer combat displayed by these holy knights.

In warfare, a fortress that cannot be taken after prolonged assault delivers a fatal blow to the attacking army’s overall morale. Liya Tower Fortress, the bridgehead of the entire national defensive line, remained unshaken after multiple waves of attacks. One could only imagine how the soldiers of Velys must have felt, day after day, charging fruitlessly against the towering walls. Mutiny should have been a natural result.

Yet, there were no signs of wavering morale on the side of the Kingdom of Velys, or rather, the Church’s Knightly Order. They moved as if they were steel puppets clad in solid armor, devoid of individual will, knowing only to attack and sacrifice themselves, day after day.

What kind of bewitching poison had the Church fed these holy knights?

Compared to the highly motivated Kingdom of Velys, the Valeria Empire’s side was beginning to show weakness. The prolonged battle had worn down the spirit of everyone. At first, Lyra’s encouragement had some effect, but now, deep into this war of attrition, especially after months of grueling wall defense, the defending soldiers were already numb.

Strike while the iron is hot, strike again and the momentum wanes, strike a third time and it is exhausted. The enemy wasn’t playing by the rules, but they still had to follow the laws of nature. As emotional beings who could feel pain, standing on the front lines, it was only a matter of time before they fell into a disadvantageous position.

Not to mention the string of casualties from the continuous battles. Before canon was fired, three fortresses were already on the brink of collapse. The subsequent counterattack after the activation cost them more soldiers, and now, with the enemy once again surrounding the fortress, a barrage of siege magic screams toward them every day. Half of the people who had originally stood on the walls were long gone.

Even Lyra’s squad, which had always maintained a low casualty rate, had undergone a major overhaul.

Of course, the current Lyra was no longer the rookie squad leader she had been when Duke Charles first appointed her Baroness of Honor upon her arrival in the North. She was now the Knight-Captain in charge of one-third of Liya Tower Fortress’s defensive line.

As she pondered, another set of hurried footsteps reached Lyra’s ears. She turned her head to see another attendant ascending the wall.

"Knight-Captain Lyra, Duke Charles has summoned you to the meeting hall within half an hour. There is an urgent matter to discuss."

At this hour, it was most likely an invitation to discuss the next phase of the defense plans.

"I understand. Lead the way."

Lyra nodded, her hand lightly resting on the hilt of her sword as she followed the attendant to the stairs. The moment her knight’s boot touched the floor tiles, the intricately carved pure white scabbard at her waist refracted the sunlight and suddenly trembled.

It was a different tremor from the usual sway caused by walking. Bound to the Sword of Light by her soul, Lyra instantly sensed the anomaly. Her hand, clad in white silk gloves, moved down to gently stroke the scabbard.

The tremor lasted only an instant and had already ceased by the time her fingers made contact. A lingering sense of unease prompted Lyra to lift her gaze. Her sky-blue reflections reflect the flat, snowy plain beyond the wall.

Sunlight poured down, and the frigid, frozen soil sparkled with points of light. Here and there, dark red stains were buried beneath the ice, like scattered pieces of blood-red agate.

They were the flesh and blood of soldiers. The war had infused the wind of this snowfield with the scent of rust, adding a layer of murderous intent to the once white white soil.

"Is something wrong, Knight-Captain Lyra?"

Noticing the footsteps behind him had stopped, the attendant turned to look at Lyra.

"..."

Was it just her imagination?

Lyra had just sensed an extremely powerful magical energy, so briefly, less than a fraction of a second, that even her mental sense couldn’t capture it.

But now, looking again, it seemed as if nothing had happened. Even the Sword of Light showed no further reaction.

A lingering, unpleasant, damp sensation remained in her mind. As a precaution, the young woman drew her sword. The light elemental particles swirling around her spontaneously coiled, illuminating the translucent blade with a radiant, sun-like brilliance.

Besides mental detection, the light scattered elemental particles also adhered to the surroundings. No reaction from dark elements, no strong magical reflections, nothing that made her feel uncomfortable.

Could it be... that her mind had just been too tense lately...

After a while, Lyra re-sheathed the Sword of Light, casually brushing aside a strand of pink hair fluttering in the wind, and replied softly.

"Nothing. Let’s go."

"Also, tell the defending soldiers to be more vigilant themselves. Don’t rely entirely on the watchtowers."

The attendant nodded upon hearing the order and immediately responded.

"Understood, Knight-Captain Lyra."

For the fortress soldiers, there was only respect and admiration in their hearts for this knight-captain who stood alongside them at all times and possessed formidable strength.

The wind and snow on the frozen plain continued. No one noticed, or even if they did, no one could possibly detect a wisp of flowing dark mist dispersing into the air with the wind, spreading toward the town behind the defensive line.

Following the attendant to the council chamber, Duke Charles, dressed in a dark military uniform with a stern expression, was already present. Beside him at the council table were two other knight-captains, his personal confidants.

These two were old acquaintances of Lyra’s. They were always present when meetings were held to formulate battle plans. What surprised Lyra was the other attendee.

Long, ink-black hair cascaded down to her waist. A tight-fitting, deep purple dress accentuated her voluptuous, alluring figure. Her long legs, clad in transparent thermal stockings, were elegantly crossed beneath the table. Beige leather boots conceal her delicate, petite ankles. As her tea-colored eyes shifted, a staff leaned casually against her fair, tender arm, exuding an aura of mature, intellectual beauty.

Charlotte. The last time Lyra had seen her was on the day the cannon first displayed its might.

Seeing Lyra, whose demeanor had clearly changed after the trials of war, Charlotte nodded to her, her gaze pausing briefly on the pure black ribbon tied in her pink hair before shifting away.

"Long time no see, Lyra."

Charlotte spoke softly, her tone gentle.

"You seem to have drawn even closer to becoming an Arcanist mage."

This was not an empty noble compliment, but a fact she had earnestly assessed.

At Charlotte’s level, by simply observing the magical reflections emanating from the Sword of Light at Lyra’s waist, she could generally judge the other’s strength.

Lyra now stands at the pinnacle of peak tier Magnus, just a single step away from Arcanist mage status. Once she broke through, her name will be recorded in history.

An Arcanist mage at twenty-one, and of common birth, this speed even surpassed that of the genius, Fanya.

Lyra politely nodded in response and replied in a refined voice.

"Professor Charlotte as well. Long time no see."

Then, Lyra took the seat beside Charlotte, exchanging greetings with the other knight-captains and Duke Charles present at the meeting.

With new hosts looming, there was little room for noble etiquette at the frontline meeting. Seeing everyone was present, Duke Charles got straight to the point, informing the defensive line commanders of the current situation.

"The batch of Holy Knights led by Kales of the Kingdom of Velys are no longer capable of combat in the short term. Currently, except for Kales himself, they have all been withdrawn to the rear lines."

"The previous defensive plan has proven effective, but we still cannot afford to be complacent."

Charles’s voice was low, the stubble on his chin trembling slightly as he spoke, his rugged face like it was carved from stone.

"According to the information we have, two other branches of the Church’s Knightly Order, stationed in the northern and western regions of the kingdom, are now redeploying knights to fill the gaps in the frontline."

"In other words, an even stronger offensive than a month ago is being prepared. Furthermore, Duke Grant, whom we previously defeated, has already recruited a sufficient number of mercenaries from the kingdom’s rear. These adventurers, backed by the kingdom, have received ample weapons and equipment."

"Although they lack the discipline and fighting spirit of Duke Grant’s long-standing private soldiers, these mercenaries have lived on the edge of a blade within the Kingdom of Velys and possess formidable combat strength as well."

Even if used as cannon fodder, they would place immense pressure on the Valeria Empire’s defensive lines.

The war potential of the Kingdom of Velys was far greater than they had imagined.

At this point, Charles furrowed his brow.

"The new Empress has just ascended the throne and is actively responding to the war, but recruiting soldiers still requires a significant investment of time."

Unless absolutely necessary, even Hibbort would not rashly dispatch the imperial guards to support the frontlines, not even a small portion. Let alone the new empress, whose position was still not secure.

Even if Amalia wanted to commit the entire nation to a direct conflict with the Kingdom of Velys, she would first need to consider the attitude of the domestic nobility, extracting troops from them. Relying solely on a royal decree to conscript without offering benefits would breed resentment, and too much resentment would destabilize imperial authority.

From the new Empress’ perspective, the complexity of these issues was no less daunting than the frontline.

"However, there are also a few pieces of good news to share. First, the new empress has increased financial investment in the war effort, and a large amount of coastal supplies will be transported to the frontlines."

"In terms of equipment, a batch of weapons that could potentially alter the defensive line layout is about to be deployed on the battlefield."

"Professor Charlotte, who is more specialized in this area, will explain this part..."

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

Meanwhile, in the imperial capital, inside a certain noble residence, Astrid took a delicate sip of hot tea, speaking softly.

"I have fully understood Countess Aether’s thoughts. Since you agree to sell this batch at a lower price, I, as regent, will also show corresponding sincerity."

"As per the previously drafted plan, the taxes within Countess Aether’s territory will be appropriately reduced for the coming period."

Sitting opposite Astrid, the female countess named Aether smiled softly, replying in a gentle voice.

"Your Highness the Regent is truly generous, truly worthy of being the gem of the empire, unmatched in both talent and beauty."

"In fact, I also have a group of knights recruited early by my family. Due to later expansion and numerous children, various expenses have become quite burdensome. Continuing to maintain them has become somewhat redundant. If Your Highness the Regent is interested, you could also incorporate a portion of them as guards."

"Their strength generally hovers around peak tier knights. Although they may not match the imperial guards, they are certainly better than nothing."

Unexpectedly gaining such a bonus, Astrid nodded slightly.

"I wonder what price Countess Aether intends to set?"

Upon hearing this, Aether smiled gently and spoke in a warm voice.

"Your Highness the Regent is so sincere, I naturally won’t ask an exorbitant price."

"However... my niece wishes for an opportunity to ride the airship and tour the capital..."

"May I ask, Your Highness Astrid, if this request could be granted?"

So there was such a condition after all.

The Fearless, being a magical aerospace device, consumed a huge sum of money with each takeoff. Therefore, even for nobles, one had to apply in advance and pay a sufficient entrance fee to have even a slim chance of obtaining a sightseeing pass.

"Countess Aether truly dots on her younger generation." Astrid lowered her crossed leg, the delicate arch of her foot, wrapped in sheer black stockings, glistening with a soft, beautiful luster in the light.

"Of course. I believe the Fearless will be greatly honored to have such a noble guest step aboard."

Hearing this, Aether gently pressed her lips together, elegantly taking another sip of tea.

"Then I shall thank Your Highness Astrid in advance."

Twenty minutes later, having left Countess Aether’s residence, Astrid invited Elise to send someone to handle the review and handover of the batch of knights. Once the transaction was completed, they were to be delivered to Duke Charles immediately.

Compared to modern states, the medieval conscription system was truly backward and troublesome.

How on earth did the little tyrant from the original novel manage to turn this country into a war machine, step by step?

Thinking of Amalia, Astrid recalled their kiss on the bed a few days before. The girl’s soft lips were like snow-fat, truly hard to forget. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Come to think of it, Amalia’s coming-of-age ceremony was approaching.

Given the current situation, it would be best to keep it simple. A single ball would suffice as an ending.

It could also give outsiders the impression of a new Empress who values simplicity as a virtue.