Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 529: Three reasons

"Your Highness the Regent, by imperial decree, I shall remain stationed in this town beneath our feet for the coming month as an emergency measure against attacks from the Kingdom of Velys."

"During this time, Your Highness may command me to accompany and preserve your personal safety at any moment, or issue any other orders as considered necessary."

East of Liya Tower Fortress, at the main logistical hub town for Valeria Empire’s supply transportation, Astrid listened as the brown-haired noble before her, dressed in luxurious imperial attire and holding an ornate staff, bowed deeply in loyalty.

"Rise, Lord Ken Redgrave."

Amalia, after extensive consultations with numerous nobles, had finally passed legislation to deploy Arcanist mages to the frontier. The mage standing before Astrid now, Ken, was cultivated by the family behind Duke Thomas, specializing in fire-affinity magic and possessing strength at the early-tier Arcanist mage rank.

Although the man standing straight in expensive fur robes appeared in his prime, according to Astrid’s intelligence, Ken Redgrave was already ninety years of age. At his age, the prospect of breaking through to middle tier Arcanist mage within his remaining years was nearly impossible, his talent far surpassed by those prodigies who had reached Arcanist rank at a young age.

Still, regardless, he was an Arcanist mage, standing atop a pedestal envied by countless others, a transcendent power gazing down upon ordinary mortals.

If commoners were the foundation upon which palaces were built, then they were the pillars supporting the dome itself. Even during the Valeria Empire’s peak imperial authority, the Emperor still had to consider the opinions of these Arcanist mages.

"Duke Charles has prepared accommodations for you, and assigned several servants to attend to your daily needs."

"Furthermore, should you require anything, please send word to me at any time."

After a brief exchange with Ken, Astrid watched as he withdrew from the town gate, following the servants towards his designated lodging. She casually twisted a strand of silver hair, whispering softly to Elise as she stepped forward with her long, delicate black-stockinged legs.

"Counting Duke Charles and Lady Charlotte, the number of Arcanist mages now at the frontline has reached five."

"I didn’t expect them to be so obedient, none of them pulled any half-hearted compliance tricks."

Besides the one Arcanist mage from the royal family, the other four came from various archducal houses. Although their role was merely to counterattack if Kingdom of Velys’s Arcanist mages became active, to Astrid, their presence was already immensely valuable.

Hearing this, the attendant maid captain nodded slightly and replied in a low voice.

"Besides these five Arcanist mages, the Empress has also tasked several others with establishing a no-fly barrier in the empire’s northwest, ensuring that if any high-mobility Arcanist mages cross the border, those capable of traversing mountains and oceans, we can intercept them immediately and relay information quickly."

"As a result, domestic noble dissatisfaction over the redeployment of Arcanist mages has decreased further."

The Empress’ move not only ensures the empire’s heartland wouldn’t be invaded at will, but also provides a degree of personal security for most nobles, regarded by those short-sighted aristocrats as one of the rare win-win outcomes.

Astrid nodded slightly upon hearing this, the click of her slender high heels echoing on the path. Occasionally, a few snowflakes landed in her hair, struggling to melt due to lack of body heat.

Elise similarly noticed the fine snow drifting from the air, quickening her pace slightly.

A few seconds later, Astrid felt a shadow form above her head. A black noble umbrella blocked the snowflakes, remaining exactly overhead no matter how fast or slow she walked, never shifting even slightly.

"It’s snowing. Miss, please return to your room and rest early," Elise said softly.

Hearing the maid’s words, Astrid turned and glanced at her. The cool, composed black-haired, black-eyed beauty had half her shoulders exposed outside the umbrella.

The white maid dress’s silk flower shoulder strap held delicate snow, swaying like blossoms in the wind. Her two long legs, wrapped in smooth white stockings, stepped forward in perfect rhythm, her maid shoes striking the ground at precisely measured intervals, maintaining a distance of about half a body length behind Astrid.

"Mm, let’s go back and start our journey..."

After a few seconds, Astrid shifted her gaze from the maid toward the howling cold wind beyond the town.

This was Charlotte’s spell zone. The [Land of Purity] was operating efficiently, cold air blowing from the northwest was passively diverted away from the town by wind fields, while winds from the southwest were drawn by Arcanist-level mental strength into a circulating wind field, tightly enveloping this vital transport route.

Whether it was Charlotte’s wind magic taking effect, or perhaps simply Brennild had abandoned her attacks on this region, the plague that had incredibly extraordinary people had not reemerged. Astrid and Lyra no longer needed to rush back and forth, exhausting immense mental strength performing resonance spells.

Quite the opposite, through conversations with Monica, Astrid learned that some towns within the Kingdom of Velys had also seen outbreaks of infectious disease. The initial symptoms resembled those of their own patients, but weren’t as severe as in the Valeria Empire. At least for now, there were no reported deaths. It could reasonably be considered a normal reaction to the cooling temperatures.

After all, winter was less than a month away.

Boarding a carriage to leave the town, two hours later, Astrid returned to Liya Tower Fortress.

Compared to the past, this pitch-black fortress was even more desolate and carried a sharper aura of slaughter.

The towering walls had been bombarded by light-element magic to the point of near collapse. Shattered bricks mixed with hundreds of magical runes, scattered across the icy, snowy landscape.

Amalia and Charles had initially agreed to hold out until winter arrived, using cold winds and blizzards to block Kingdom of Velys’s advance, preventing them from rapidly penetrating the interior.

But plans never survive contact with reality. The recent assaults by the Church Knight Order showed clear intent to completely destroy Liya Tower Fortress. Several times, knights had already scaled the walls, engaging in close combat with the defenders.

Once height advantage was lost, and defensive arrays that blocked spell attacks were breached, the Knights, each generally above the strength of Grand Knight, entered the soldiers’ formations like wolves into a flock of sheep. The difference in strength couldn’t be erased by magic-energy devices alone.

Casualties were increasing daily. Bodies had nowhere to be buried. Excavated snow pits were already filled with remains.

This was a war of attrition. The Kingdom of Velys wanted to use Liya Tower Fortress as a boundary, fully activating a meat grinder to disperse as much of the Valeria Empire’s subsequent defensive forces as possible.

Indeed, the defenders’ morale was nearing its breaking point. This pure, passive waiting for death hung over the soldiers like a heavy shadow. If not for Charles and Astrid still being present on the front lines, the army would have mutinied long ago, even if Lyra’s speeches were exceptionally moving, no amount of emotional appeal or rational persuasion could change the inherently poor discipline of feudal armies, or the most deeply rooted survival instinct in human hearts.

Anyone can stand up to defend their home, why should I be the one to die?

As panic spread, another contingency plan was being implemented.

"Lady Charlotte, good afternoon."

At the very center of Liya Tower Fortress, the magic-energy supercannon firing position.

Charlotte wore a mage’s robe, plain white undergarments the only thing beneath, no other flamboyant decorations. Her slender, fair legs were clad in transparent thermal stockings, the smooth skin occasionally peeking from beneath the robe, catching the light and reflecting delicate highlights. At the bottom were chestnut-colored short boots, covering the woman’s small, delicate ankles.

Hearing Astrid’s voice, Charlotte snapped back to awareness and handed the prepared tea to Astrid.

"Has Mr. Ken arrived at the border too?"

She knew why Astrid had gone out, and she knew who Ken Redgrave was.

Like most Arcanist mages, at their rank, secular imperial authority could not fully bind them. Especially this Arcanist mage from the House of Duke Thomas, who only holds a nominal position at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, usually as elusive as a dragon’s head glimpsed from afar. Yet, at a critical moment, Amalia had actually managed to summon him.

"Mmm." Astrid nodded, leaning slightly against the desk.

Seeing the silver-haired girl’s pure black princess skirt being pressed by the desk edge, slightly bunched up, Charlotte instinctively reached out to smooth it.

The next second, feeling a subtle adjustment at her backside, Astrid tensed momentarily, then leaned forward slightly, creating space for the fabric to fall naturally.

"Lady Charlotte, how is the disassembly work on the magic-energy supercannon progressing?"

"More than half is complete. After one final full-power shot, this colossal machine will collapse from within."

Gazing outside at the dark, solid cannon body, recalling the scene when she designed it, Charlotte’s eyes held a trace of reluctance.

"Upon receiving the order, the magic cannon will immediately fire. The explosive energy will annihilate all living beings at the target point."

"An hour later, it will self-destruct at the core, destroying all engraved magic runes."

Following the principle of ’if we can’t use it, neither shall they,’ all immovable magic-energy defensive devices would be destroyed if Liya Tower Fortress fell.

Hearing Charlotte’s words, Astrid gave a slight nod.

The conscription bill had long been issued. In a little over a month, fresh reinforcements will reach the front. Their current task was to hold out as long as possible, minimizing manpower losses until the very end.

"After such a prolonged defensive battle, those still remaining on the walls should now be elite of the elite."

Charlotte similarly leaned against the desk, her two straight legs crossed at the ankles, their smooth skin refracting a soft glow under the transparent stockings.

"Duke Charles shares my view, we should evacuate these veteran soldiers as well, if at all possible."

Training new recruits was one thing; having suitable veterans to lead them was another. These people deserved to be saved, both practically and morally.

"I’ve already contacted Amalia."

Astrid replied softly, her long, upright lashes half-concealing her crimson eyes.

"If necessary, airships will be used for transport."

Compared to precious human resources, magic crystals were still within an acceptable consumption limit.

Upon hearing this, Charlotte pursed her lips slightly. Seeing Astrid had just taken a sip of tea, she spoke again.

"Speaking of which, why is little Astrid still staying at Liya Tower Fortress?"

"You’re of noble birth. You should have retreated to the second line long ago."

Boosting morale was one thing, but the risks involved were another. Now that the walls were crumbling, no one could guarantee the next assault wouldn’t bring total collapse.

Consider that nearly thirty percent of the craftsmen responsible for wall repairs had already died. Under current conditions, there was no way to send people for emergency repairs, unless one put a blade to their throats, and even then, the Church Knights of Velys would slaughter both defenders and overseers alike. They had advanced their position last week exactly to be ready for attack at any moment.

"Could it be... for that young knight?"

Half-serious, half-doubtful, Charlotte spoke. As an adult, observing the intimate interactions between Astrid and Lyra, and their nearly daily habit of sleeping together in sugary sweetness, Charlotte sensed something slightly off.

To others, it might seem simply that they had strong feelings, or that the Regent was deliberately performing a show of accessibility, dining and sleeping with the Knight Captain. But Charlotte, seeing it every day, felt it was something more.

Calling Astrid and Lyra mere close friends felt like an understatement, they were excessively intimate. Even in her youth with Fanya, who had also been a close confidante, she never slept together night after night.

What Charlotte didn’t know was that if not for Lyra’s shyness and Astrid’s reluctance to quickly reveal her sexuality to elders, she might have long discovered that her young protégée, whom she had watched grow up, had secretly developed such a relationship with another woman.

Hearing Charlotte’s words, Astrid’s mind briefly flashed with Lyra’s image. Her fingers paused, then gently set down the teacup.

"There’s some truth to that, but not much."

Sometimes she let emotions override reason, doing things that seemed irrational. But most of the time, Astrid Calliste was a pragmatic realist acting based on actual interests, not a dreamer chasing romantic fantasies.

"Monica’s communication range with Lyra is limited to this distance. If I leave the front, I couldn’t guarantee immediate synchronization of intelligence from that Light Saintess."

Monica’s intelligence was a crucial factor in minimizing their losses. Although she had repeatedly expressed her desire to swear allegiance, that was to Astrid, not to Lyra.

This handover process, Astrid could only trust herself to handle.

"Besides that, my presence here also sends a message to the Kingdom of Velys, don’t act rashly."

"At the very least, they’ll think carefully about the consequences of their actions, and what insurance the empire has placed on the Regent."

The Valeria Empire wasn’t a monolith, neither was the Kingdom of Velys.

At this point, Astrid spoke softly.

"And third, what I’ve been laying the groundwork for."

"Amalia currently lacks a justifiable war pretext for actively deploying Arcanist mages, or rather, a reason to explain her actions to domestic nobles."

"But with the Imperial Regent at the front, there’s far more room to maneuver."

As Astrid finished speaking, before Charlotte could respond, a sudden, urgent knocking came at the door.

"Your Highness the Regent, the Kingdom of Velys has launched another fierce assault on the walls."