Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 488: Person met in dreams

When the mana energy airship arrived in the town of Siyak, it was already the beginning of the next month. Under the hazy moonlight, Astrid met the supreme commander at the frontlines, Duke Charles.

Compared to other journey modes of transport, the mana energy airship, as an aerial vehicle, could traverse mountains and rivers, cutting the time nearly in half. Additionally, powered by a large quantity of wind-element crystals, its speed far exceeded that of carriages.

Thus, even though Amalia had sent word to Duke Charles three days earlier, informing him that the Regent Princess would be arriving for an inspection, this intelligence had only reached Charles by fast horse that very evening.

With such a narrow time gap, there was no way to prepare any welcoming ceremony.

"Your Highness, the Regent Princess, must be weary after such a long journey."

Under the deep night sky, Charles placed one hand over his chest and spoke respectfully to the dark-robed young lady before him, whose breath was as delicate as an orchid fragrance.

Although the Empress had insisted that the Regent Princess’s visit was not to be made public, as a noble family closely allied with the royal house, Charles still came in person out of courtesy to greet Astrid.

After all, in a certain sense, the Regent represented the Empress’ very embodiment. Even nobles as exalted as the Four Dukes were required to perform strict formalities in the Empress’ presence.

Feeling the cold wind against her cheeks, Astrid, who had just stepped out of the cabin warmed by numerous fire-element crystals, silently cast a heating fire-elemental spell. At the same moment, Elise behind her draped a shawl over her shoulders.

"Thanks to the hard work of the diligent artisans, the journey wasn’t bumpy at all."

With her back to the moonlight, Astrid lowered her gaze toward the slightly bowing military-clad man below and placed her hand upon the raised palm of her head maid, stepping down the stairs with light, graceful strides.

"Moreover, compared to this minor discomfort, the countless soldiers stationed at watch posts in the cold wind, guarding the Empire’s borders, endure hardship a thousandfold greater."

Reaching Duke Charles, Astrid extended her hand, signaling him to end his bow.

"Duke Charles, your heroic deeds in resisting enemy forces at the frontlines, especially the complete annihilation of the Church’s knightly orders, have reached even the capital thousands of miles away."

"You are the true heroes."

Hearing Astrid’s poised and honorable words, Charles took her hand, gloved in fine silk, and slowly straightened himself.

The last time he’d seen the Third Princess was in the capital, when she had just begun to distinguish herself among the younger generation. He never imagined that now, in the blink of an eye, she had become the Empire’s Regent Princess, above even the Four Dukes.

Yet despite Astrid being nearly young enough to be his granddaughter, Charles felt not the slightest bit of condescension. That Hibbort had acknowledged her and appointed her Regent to assist the new Empress was proof enough of Astrid’s exceptional skill and unwavering loyalty to the Empire.

Judging by her earlier words alone, Astrid clearly understood the hearts of people. Most likely, all the royal guards accompanying him to receive her would now think: the Regent Princess is truly a paragon of virtue and compassion.

After releasing her hand, the mana energy airship behind them began unloading cargo. Astrid gently brushed her hair aside and spoke softly.

"These goods consist of extremely valuable elemental crystals. Please ensure they are carefully inventoried."

The logistics commander immediately nodded, responding with a respectful expression.

"Understood, Your Highness, the Regent Princess."

Having issued her orders, Astrid turned her head toward Charles. The man stood upright, like a banner beneath the night sky.

"Upon hearing Your Highness the Regent Princess will inspect the frontlines, I immediately began organizing personnel for your reception. However, time was insufficient, and my personal capabilities were limited. I regret that I could not make the most proper arrangements. I humbly ask for Your Highness’s forgiveness."

"The situation at the frontlines is so tense, yet Duke Charles still came in person. That alone shows your respect. There’s no need for humility."

Behind Charles, the small town of Siyak flickered with faint lights in the darkness. Astrid glanced at the convoy Charles had brought, then toward the distant Liya Tower fortress on the frozen plain, and spoke gently.

"How is the current situation?"

Traveling by mana energy airship to the warfront meant spending most of the journey floating in the sky within that massive vessel, with only a single refueling stop along the way. Naturally, Astrid’s grasp on ground-level intelligence was somewhat lacking.

Noticing the inquiry and curiosity in Astrid’s tone, Charles signaled to those around him and spoke solemnly.

"The tundra is bitterly cold. If Your Highness wishes to know more, perhaps it would be better to ride in the carriage, where we can talk as we head toward Siyak."

Astrid nodded slightly and, accompanied by Elise, entered the front carriage. Charles didn’t join her inside; instead, he moved to the driver’s seat and took up the reins.

As a duke and the Regent Princess were of opposite genders, it would be inappropriate for them to sit together in private, thus avoiding suspicion. Driving the carriage himself for the new ruler demonstrated respect and acknowledged the hierarchy.

Even though Astrid didn’t particularly care about the intricate nuances of noble etiquette, she was still surprised by Charles’s subtle gesture.

That Charles had smoothly inherited his title among many descendants and became the head of the entire Duke family proved he excelled not only in warfare but also in political skill.

Hooves kicked up frozen sand, and flames on both sides of the carriage illuminated the path, revealing the snow tracks left by their wheels.

"Half a month ago, the Holy Light Church gathered a new army at the border. Most of the soldiers came from the two major Church knightly orders, and their average combat ability and overall strength far surpassed that of soldiers from the Kingdom of Velys."

Charles infused his words with mental energy, ensuring they reached only the carriage behind him and wouldn’t be carried away by the wind around their ears.

"Ten days and six hours ago, the remnants of Duke Grant’s forces, along with large numbers of mercenaries recruited from the Kingdom, launched the first assault on our walls."

"These soldiers relied on the discipline of the Church’s elite knights. Although their advance was mighty, the threat they posed wasn’t severe, only damaging a few defensive magic arrays and further depleting our stock of mana energy equipment."

"Four days ago, at 2:30 am, the main force of the Church’s knightly order launched a fierce attack. Perhaps learning from their previous mistake of concentrating forces at one point and being wiped out by magic cannons, they spread out their formation, making their offensive less sharp than usual."

"Still, we had to commit the majority of our forces to respond. And on the night Liya Tower came under attack, the Kingdom of Velys shifted their positions and deployed some troops to the weaker flanks at both ends of our defensive line."

"At this rate of attacks, their full-scale offensive is imminent."

"Perhaps the day after tomorrow, or within a week. At the latest, it won’t exceed half a month."

Based on Charles’s keen sense of the battlefield, he could feel the fire pressing upon the soldiers’ hearts. If the Kingdom of Velys didn’t achieve any gains soon, mutiny among their troops would be inevitable.

Compared to the catastrophic collapse of their future military system, the fact that they had held on this long was the most abnormal thing. Charles had discussed this with Charlotte, and their conclusion was that the Holy Church’s brainwashing of its followers might run farther deeper than they imagined. Additionally, certain mind magic spells embedded within their scriptures might have accommodated these soldiers, forming a uniquely intense fighting spirit.

Otherwise, such fanatical morale would be utterly inexplicable.

That said, if they truly possessed such powerful techniques and magic, the Kingdom of Velys wouldn’t be like a powder keg, needing to find an external outlet.

At the very least, they needed tangible, visible benefits to maintain their internal lies and justify all their acts of war.

"What is currently the most critical shortage at the frontlines?" Astrid asked.

"Armor, food, cold-weather clothing, mana energy weapons..."

"Or... manpower?"

Before heading to the border, Amalia had shown her the logistics supply report, where the most urgent needs were crystals for magic weapons and magical talent capable of operating magic circles.

Hearing Astrid’s words, Charles tightened his grip on the reins and replied slowly.

"Since the new Empress’ ascension, the imperial court has maintained a positive attitude toward the frontlines. Supplies of food and weapons have always been sufficient. Only the latter two are in short supply."

"We face a significant personnel shortage, both in artisans to repair the walls and mages to maintain defensive spell arrays."

The carriage continues forward, the rhythmic clopping of hooves blending with the creaking of wheels.

"The new Empress has already issued relevant decrees, encouraging hunters to enlist..."

Astrid gazed out the window at the swaying moonlight, speaking softly.

"But such measures won’t yield results overnight. Sending untrained hunters straight into battle would be no different than sending them to their deaths."

Recruiting, training, and cultivating mental power, this entire process couldn’t be completed in less than a year or so.

"Our only current option is to conscript soldiers from nobles in regions untouched by war, though the effect is barely a drop in the bucket."

In both quality and quantity, they couldn’t match the Kingdom of Velys, but at least it was better than nothing.

As for quietly abandoning the border just to make the domestic nobles realize the imminent threat and unite against a common enemy,

In Astrid’s opinion, that will always be the worst possible strategy. Losing the three border fortresses will make their fight even harder, and even with reinforcements, the sacrifices will be far more severe.

Unless absolutely necessary, there was no need to bleed the Empire just to awaken these ignorant nobles to their own shortsightedness.

After discussing more details about the border situation with Duke Charles, Astrid concluded that the overall situation was slightly better than she had expected, but not by much. This current calm was most likely just the quiet before the storm. Once the Kingdom of Velys launches their next offensive, everything will become a dire emergency once again.

People, this was what the Valeria Empire lacked most now. Whether it was expedition teams hunting monsters for crystals, soldiers forming the frontline defense, or mages involved in wall repairs and magic weapon development, they were all severely understaffed.

How much time had passed? The carriage came to a stop in Siyak. After a simple dinner, Charles asked about Astrid’s plans.

"I’ve arranged accommodations in Siyak for Your Highness. Would you like to rest now?"

"There will be plenty of time to conduct the inspection tomorrow morning."

It was already late. Astrid, as the Regent Princess of noble birth, and moreover a mage whose constitution was more delicate than that of knights of the same rank, should rest properly upon arriving in the northern frontier, to avoid discomfort, colds, or illness.

Astrid did not reply immediately. Instead, she gently asked Charles to return.

"Duke Charles, are the soldiers along the frontlines resting at this hour?"

The answer, naturally, was no. To prevent the Kingdom of Velys from taking advantage of soldiers resting and launching a full-scale invasion, Charles had mandated that each watchtower be manned by nine soldiers, rotating in groups of three.

"Your Highness, they are not."

Hearing this, Astrid’s lips curved into a gentle smile, her voice soft.

"Then I have no reason to sleep so early."

"Take me to Liya Tower to inspect the military situation. If it’s too late, I’ll simply rest somewhere inside the fortress."

Losing an hour of sleep wouldn’t matter much.

After hearing this, Charles looked deeply at Astrid for a moment, then replied quietly.

"Since Princess Astrid insists, I won’t press further."

"As you command, Your Highness, the Regent Princess."

Even if this were just an act, the Regent Princess carried it out flawlessly.

Tomorrow morning, spreading the story of how she, upon stepping off the airship, ignoring her own exhaustion and going straight to the frontlines to comfort the troops, would do wonders to boost morale.

Meanwhile, atop Liya Tower, Lyra sat in one of the watchtowers, calmly counting seconds in her mind.

Eighteen thousand four hundred twenty-one seconds, eighteen thousand four hundred twenty-two seconds... thirty-four, thirty-five...

Except for one brief interruption, Lyra had remained in a semi-meditative state. As a beloved captain of the knights, she naturally led by example in night watch duties.

To ensure she maintains sufficient alertness, Lyra had long adjusted her biological clock. Combined with the self-discipline of a high-ranking executive, drowsiness or dozing off was practically impossible.

Luckily, her shift was only for the first half of the night. In another half hour, she will leave the post, return to her quarters, eat, wash up, and sink into sleep, preparing for tomorrow’s routine drills.

She continued counting until the shift-change bell rang. Lyra and the two other night watchmen descended from the battlements and headed toward the dining hall to replenish their energy.

Back when she served Astrid as her personal maid, she had worried about sugar intake leading to weight gain. Now, at the frontlines, that was no longer a concern.

With constant mental tension and frequent full-engagement combat, every ounce of energy was drained.

Tonight’s dinner was beef stewed with potatoes. The new Empress had continued the old Emperor’s tradition, constantly improving the quality of frontline meals. Many people joined the army simply for these hot, filling portions of meat.

After all, for commoners who normally had to skimp and save, meat was a rare luxury, something eaten only a few times a year during festivals. How could that compare to the army, where morale was maintained by serving meat in nearly every meal?

Just this food expenditure alone must cost a fortune.

After finishing the food on her plate and drinking some water to moisten her throat, Lyra returned to her room to bathe and change.

Prolonged combat had not only worn down her body but also numbed her spirit. Of the twenty-four hours in a day, only during these brief periods off the frontlines could Lyra feel a hint of relaxation.

Stepping into the bathtub, she quickly finished her mental energy. Once the water reached a suitable temperature, she turned on the shower, letting the warm liquid envelop her entire body.

With elemental crystals in short supply at the front, every bit saved mattered. Lyra had long stopped using mana energy devices that required crystals as power sources. Instead, she chanted magic to gather and purify water herself, using her mental sense to gauge the temperature.

After all, she was now a peak tier Magnus, such tasks were effortless.

She lay in the warm bathtub for about a quarter of an hour. Feeling rejuvenated, Lyra stood up, dried her skin and hair, and put on the clothes she’d prepared for tomorrow.

The frontier was different from the capital. There was no time to change into more comfortable nightgowns. Here, the battle could break out at any moment, and changing clothes later would be troublesome.

After dressing in casual clothes and pulling thick tights up to her waist, Lyra lay on her bed, just about to fall asleep, when suddenly she felt something amiss.

In the air of her bedroom, a particularly pleasant fragrance seemed to ripple.

It was somewhat like the scent of the person she’d only ever met in dreams...