Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 486: “I plan to inspect the frontlines.”

"Your Highness Iris, thank you for sparing your precious time to invite me to your residence."

In the capital city of Velys, regarded by the Holy Church of Light as a holy city, within a nobly furnished yet antique mansion of the Kingdom of Velys, Iris looked across the table at Monica, the Saintess of Light. The woman elegantly crossed her white-stockinged legs, said with a low voice.

"They say the Saintess has been unwell lately. But seeing you today, it doesn’t seem to be the case."

A week ago, the Holy Church of Light had assembled forces from multiple regions, amassing troops along the border according to the planned eastern campaign, ready to launch a new invasion against the Valeria Empire at any moment.

As the current Saintess, Monica’s proper role will have been to accompany the army, bestowing blessings from the God of Light to grant various beneficial statuses to the knights, while also serving as the banner and spiritual symbol of the Church’s knightly order.

But that clearly contradicted Monica’s true intentions. In the end, she claimed illness and remained in the holy city. The Pope, considering that such a large-scale holy war required stability in the rear, had reluctantly granted her request.

Hearing Iris’s words, Monica’s lips curled slightly upward. Her reflection reflected the princess’s sky-blue noble lace dress, her light brown hair cascading like tassels. When she spoke, her proud, large breasts swayed gently beneath the white veil.

"Physical ailments are far easier to heal than scars on the soul."

"Isn’t that right, Your Highness Iris?"

By now, the vast majority within the Holy Church of Light had been brainwashed by the Pope and the new scriptures, becoming narrow-minded and blind. The atrocities they’d committed along the borders made Monica frown even just hearing about them.

Those knights wielding holy light and clad in sacred armor had long since strayed from the original teachings of the Holy Church of Light, and betrayed that infinitely compassionate, omniscient, and omnipotent Lord who loved all humankind.

Yet in a nation devoid of true faith, where any unofficial interpretation of the scriptures led to persecution, merely as the Saintess, she couldn’t alter the course of history.

Only someone watched over by the divine, perhaps only that foreign princess who single-handedly revolutionized the magical devices, Astrid Calliste, could possibly achieve such a feat.

Of course, she could no longer be called a princess. She was now the new regent of the Valeria Empire, the thorn in the Church’s knightly order’s side that threatened their eastern campaign.

Accustomed to Monica’s cryptic manner of speaking, Iris took a sip of tea and replied calmly.

"So, Miss Monica, are you anxious about the kingdom suffering massive losses on the frontlines, or something else?"

Although they’d previously discussed politics, with the kingdom’s situation now so complex, necessary probing was still unavoidable.

Upon hearing this, Monica simply smiled without answering. She deliberately uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them in another manner, the smooth white thigh beneath her stockings faintly indented by the fabric.

"Ha, Your Highness Iris, you say that as if I had some ulterior motive."

"As the Saintess, I naturally hope for as few casualties as possible and for peace to arrive as soon as it can."

"Isn’t that what you’re tirelessly working toward as well, Your Highness?"

At this, Monica’s lips curled upward once more. She propped her cheek on one hand, her black high heels glinting under the light.

"Visiting the residences of various ministers who yearn for peace, submitting petitions three times to end the war..."

"Your Highness Iris certainly isn’t hiding your intentions."

At this point, whether the war ended no longer depends solely on the king’s decree. Liya Tower Fortress remained unbreached despite prolonged attacks, with military losses far outweighing gains. Continuing the offensive could sustain external conflicts, but halting it might cause domestic public opinion to explode instantly.

Besides, even if the king wanted peace, the Pope might not agree. Monica had more than once felt that the lofty divine representative seemed unnaturally obsessed.

"..."

Hearing Monica’s words, Iris fell silent for a moment, her fingers resting against the porcelain teacup. Her blue dress swayed slightly, revealing her bare, unadorned legs.

"Someone has to try."

As a princess, Iris was certainly not naive. She naturally understood what Monica was thinking. But from the perspectives of daughter and subject, she couldn’t abandon that sliver of hope.

Given the Regent’s character, if the Kingdom of Velys were defeated by the Valeria Empire, she would never spare the core instigators of the war, such as the king, the Pope, royal family members, or lords who pushed for the conflict.

Iris couldn’t just stand by and watch her royal family march step by step toward the guillotine.

Guessing what Iris was thinking, Monica sighed inwardly, unable to help comparing the silver-haired figure she’d seen years ago in the Valeria Empire. Despite their similar statuses, how greatly different their approaches to problems were.

Holding onto illusions will only drag her deeper into the mire, making escape impossible.

"Actually, I’m quite curious, what are your thoughts, Your Highness Iris, on the prospects of the war ahead?"

White ribbons hang down either side of her slender waist. Monica blinked and spoke softly.

"The Valeria Emperor deceived us by faking illness, luring away one of the four main knightly orders. The power vacuum during the transition between old and new emperors was filled by border forces counterattacking. The kingdom has already missed its optimal window for breach."

Although she didn’t know exactly how capable the new Valeria Empress, Amalia Valeria, truly was, judging by the well-organized border troops, the Valeria Empire’s logistics appeared completely unaffected.

Hearing this, Iris gazed at Monica with complex eyes. After a long silence, she replied quietly.

"It’s only a matter of time before Liya Tower Fortress falls."

This wasn’t Iris overestimating the kingdom’s strength, nor was it merely her role as princess refusing to demoralize her own side.

The fighting strength of the Church’s knightly order was evident to everyone in the kingdom. Previously, even a single detachment had nearly breached Liya Tower Fortress, a heavily guarded border stronghold. Now, with the Holy Church reorganized and reinforced by the border duke’s army, the Valeria Empire will find it extremely difficult to hold the line.

Unless they possess more powerful magical weapons, or cheaper weapon energy sources.

"Still, even if we break through, our army will suffer devastating losses. According to the maps, there’s an extremely vast strategic depth between Liya Tower Fortress and the supply towns behind it, more than enough space for the enemy to set up numerous magical arrays to slow our advance."

"Moreover, breaching the border will inevitably provoke stronger resistance from the Valeria Empire."

Most imperial nobles were aware of the border conflict, but because Duke Charles had always kept the army beyond the border, the Valeria Empire hadn’t yet developed a strong war atmosphere internally.

In other words, the Kingdom of Velys had already entered a full-scale war state, mobilizing nearly the entire nation for invasion, while the Valeria Empire was still only engaged in localized conflict. The new Empress possesses the prestige accumulated by her predecessor and couldn’t possibly achieve national war mobilization under these circumstances.

But once the enemy breached the border, that situation will quickly change. The nobles would realize the executioner’s blade might fall upon their own heads, and naturally accept the Empress’ call to unite against the external threat. If the new empress was skillful, she might even use this opportunity to solidify her shaky position, turning previously intractable rebellious nobles into a united front.

For these reasons, Iris did not believe the kingdom could achieve ultimate victory.

"There’s another point. Although the Valeria Empire severely lacks mid- to low-tier combat strength, after years of bloodline optimization, there are actually many powerful individuals among the nobility. Beyond the few Arcanist mages officially recorded, there must be other hidden forces yet to reveal themselves."

Both sides were currently barely maintaining restraint in the war. But if circumstances changed and Arcanist mages entered the battlefield, true devastation and endless slaughter would follow.

Not expecting Iris to see things so clearly, Monica suddenly gained a new respect for the blue-dressed girl before her. She fluttered her eyelashes and spoke softly.

"Since Your Highness Iris understands so well..."

"Perhaps it’s time to prepare earlier."

No one could guarantee that the war would unfold exactly as they anticipated. But through integrating and analyzing current intelligence, wise individuals could still discern the underlying currents of this conflict.

If the Kingdom of Velys truly suffered defeat, failing to hand over war criminals to the Valeria Empire would never extinguish their fury. Then, after a few years of recuperation, the Valeria Empire will march again under the banner of justice, leading to even more innocent lives lost.

"You are the princess, part of the doves among the nobility who oppose war."

"When the tide of war recedes and public discontent peaks, someone must step forward to resolve the crisis."

When the old regime falls and a new one rises, nothing is gained without sacrifice.

"As for me..."

Monica pressed her alluring red lips against the cup’s rim, sipping gently. Her smooth, fair neck moved with a delicate swallow, her exquisite face appearing even more three-dimensional in the light.

"I will try to help everyone remember the original intention that once led them to gather beneath the holy light."

The current Holy Church of Light had strayed from its original path. It was time for change.

Monica firmly believed that the Regent Astrid Calliste, that foreigner favored by fate, would undoubtedly lead humanity away from war and into a new era.

As the Saintess, she will wholeheartedly serve this true divine representative chosen by the omniscient and omnipotent Lord, who now walks upon the earth.

...

Meanwhile, unaware that she was constantly being thought of by a certain succubus-like Saintess, Astrid slowly opened her eyes. Fleeting bewilderment flickered in her crimson, watery gaze.

In her arms was a familiar soft warmth. Her palms touched snow-like softness. Turning her head, she saw the familiar nightstand. The potted plant on the windowsill swayed gently in the breeze, its flowers trembling in the sunlight.

Was that... a dream?

An elderly man in lavish robes was led onto the guillotine. As the sharp blade dropped from above, the noble blood flowing in the Velys king’s veins proved weaker than the steel. A pool of blood stained the ground, accompanied by waves of shocked cries from the surrounding crowd.

Then the dream shifted. A pink-haired knight clad in heavy armor and wielding the Sword of Light walked through darkness. A faint glow, like fireflies, illuminated her blue eyes and revealed Lyra’s determined expression at that moment.

Around her were countless black shadows, deep as ink, like manifestations of darkness itself, rushing forward one after another toward the holy knight, attempting to completely extinguish that tiny flame.

Sword swung. The searing light on the holy blade repelled darkness. Bleached bones were sliced through, leaving smooth, clean cross-sections as if cutting through butter.

Realism... there was no doubt. It was another scene from the latter half of the original novel...

Astrid hadn’t had such a dream in a long time. She remembered the last one was about Lyra infiltrating a church at night, reaching an agreement with Monica.

If so, it seemed their goal had likely been achieved, the primary war criminal, the Velys king, had been executed on the guillotine, his blood atoning for his past atrocities.

As for the other scene, Lyra, walking alone through profound darkness, surrounded by countless dark-element and undead creatures.

Where was that? In the dream, Lyra was surrounded by pitch-blackness, unable to discern the specific setting.

Could it... be beneath the Abyssal Rift?

Lifting her other hand to her forehead, Astrid recalled everything from the dream, carefully acquiring to piece together the clues into a clear thread.

At the same time, Amalia also slowly awakened. Seeing Astrid deep in thought, the cool, petite girl chose not to interrupt her sister’s train of thought. Instead, she continued pressing her head against Astrid’s chest, her hand unhesitatingly resting over the neckline of her nightgown, preventing Astrid’s hand from easily withdrawing. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

After pondering for a long time without finding a definitive answer, Astrid, with only vague suspicions lingering in her mind, gave up recalling and decided to write everything down on paper after getting up.

It was now the first week after Amalia’s coming-of-age ceremony. Numerous nobles had recognized the new emperor’s ascension. The capital’s situation had stabilized. Hibbort, who had lain in an ice coffin for several days, had finally been laid to rest.

As per his final wishes, Astrid buried him in the imperial mausoleum, along with the various heirlooms he had repeatedly included her to include.

The old emperor had truly reached his final Chapter. The new Empress had turned the page to begin a fresh one.

Since that night of intimacy, Amalia had almost nightly clinging to Astrid, demanding enlightenment education.

With the intention of helping the empress relieve stress and soothe her emotions, Astrid rarely refused. She always made sure the girl relaxed thoroughly before falling asleep.

After so many times, Astrid even began to suspect Amalia might have developed an addiction. But considering her young age, it was probably just that she’d tasted the sweetness and craved more. Still, Astrid occasionally reminds her to exercise restraint.

Moderation was locked. Too much could harm the body. Astrid certainly didn’t want Amalia working every day with weak legs and sore knees.

Besides, then she’d just become a fox spirit bewitching the sovereign.

"Amalia, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you."

After washing up and sitting down to breakfast in the dining room, Astrid softly spoke to the girl beside her.

"I plan to inspect the frontlines."