Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 536: Holy Radiant City Light

The second imperial defensive line where the airship landed was still located within Duke Charles’s territory, an allied defense network composed of several loosely connected towns. Compared to the first line of defense, both the scale of the city walls and the magic arrays inscribed on the bricks, as well as the magic-energy weapons issued to every soldier, were considerably inferior.

Furthermore, due to subtle changes in the geographical positioning of the defensive points, the actual controllers of these areas also differed slightly. Specifically, part of the land was governed by other minor nobles, not entirely under Duke Charles’s jurisdiction.

The empire had now lost the Liya Tower Fortress, the forward outpost, exposing vast expanses of flat rear territory to the looting range of the Church of Light. In other words, with no tall figure standing in front to bear the brunt, the burden naturally fell upon these minor nobles, though they were among the few who had responded to the imperial decree and offered aid to Charles.

Aside from human factors, the geographical conditions of the second defensive line also differed from the first. Unlike the higher-latitude, colder border regions between the two nations, the land before the second line was not perpetually buried beneath snow and storms, allowing for the cultivation of certain cold-resistant crops such as barley, soybeans, sugar beets, and potatoes.

Anticipating the inevitable fall of the first line, differing only in how long it could hold, Duke Charles had preemptively evacuated civilians and cleared the farmland. Coincidentally, the emperor’s defense plan required border forces to hold until winter.

Thus, during the scorched-earth withdrawal, in August and September, he mobilized a portion of trainee soldiers to harvest large quantities of mature crops, using them as military ratios.

Current Empress Amalia Valeria deeply sympathized with their hardships and, to stabilize morale, selectively ignored the agricultural taxes normally due on these supplies, treating the loss as an unavoidable, force-majeure consequence of war that led to a complete crop failure.

Beyond this hidden act of mercy, openness, conscription, troop training, forging armor and weapons, gathering elemental crystals, reducing agricultural labor to support the army, all these expenses were steadily draining the imperial treasury.

Since the outbreak of war earlier in the year, the empire’s finances had remained in deficit. With military expenditures continuously rising, if the war becomes prolonged, supply chain breakdowns for military equipment will soon arise.

At that point, Amalia would only have two choices: squeeze the nobles, or squeeze the commoners.

Of course, in practice, regardless of which path she chose, the burden will always fall on the latter.

The nobles, at most, would need to devise more schemes and strategies to minimize their losses, while deepening their resentment toward this new empress.

Yet, no matter how turbulent the internal affairs of the Valeria Empire became, history always rolled forward.

Human Universal Calendar Year 1733, September 20th, 2:34 PM, the Church knight corps, affected by the explosions, fully occupied the ruins of Liya Tower Fortress, carrying out trap removal and salvaging military supplies. At the same time, news of Liya Tower Fortress’s fall spread rapidly across the empire via magic-energy airships, rippling outward like concentric waves across water.

By the time Astrid and her group arrived at Losterling City, it was already 5:30 PM. Due to the city’s northern location and the deepening autumn, night crept in much faster than in Imperial City. When Astrid stepped out of the airship cabin, the sunset had already disappeared. The cold sky was dotted with stars, like flowers swaying above a cradle, while in the distance twinkled the scattered lights of the human metropolis.

About an hour’s carriage ride north from here lay the second defensive line, formed by several towns. With the loss of easily defensible mountain passes, vast stretches of territory were left unguarded. The Valeria Empire could only deploy defensive forces to key towns connected to major transportation routes based on maps, preparing for possible attacks from the Kingdom of Velys.

It was called a defense network, but in reality, it served merely as forward outposts for information relay and strongholds meant to make the Kingdom of Velys’s war efforts less comfortable.

Walking behind Astrid, listening to the crisp sound of her hard heels striking the ground, Lyra slowed her pace. The moment she stepped off the airship, she lifted her left leather shoe, gently sliding her fingers into the back inside of the shoe where her white silk stocking met her heel, smoothing out the wrinkled fabric.

Compared to her previous pair, thin enough that a faint pink hue could be seen at the knees, Lyra’s current stockings were clearly different. Not a trace of skin shown. Clad on her legs, they looked like milk-white silk, making her naturally soft and smooth thighs resemble delicious cream puddings.

The reason for the change was simple, her previous pair had been torn in several places during the battle. Although not very noticeable, wearing a battle-damaged pair wasn’t quite suitable for a girl who values cleanliness. By the same logic, Lyra had also replaced her shirt and the shoes on her feet.

Feeling much more comfortable now, Lyra tapped her shoe and continued following Astrid forward. Watching the gentle crossing of Astrid’s legs, the black skirt swaying slightly in the wind, her ten slender white fingers instinctively retreated into her sleeves from shyness, curling slightly.

She had actually taken a picture of Astrid earlier... on the airship...

While Astrid was lying down...

The sound of Astrid’s lazy, sensual moan still lingered in her ears, and her palms still remained that smooth, soft, indescribably pleasant sensation. Lyra bit her lip, lowered her gaze to her shiny leather shoes. The light-blue pleated skirt swayed before her eyes, occasionally covering her white-stockinged calves stepping forward, like a blooming blue flower shielding the delicate white stamen within.

Some things really did become more embarrassing the more she thought about them.

Recalling how, due to the airship’s limited space, she’d even had to change clothes in front of Astrid, Lyra’s ears grew even redder. Her curled fingers quietly relaxed.

But what was even stranger was, why did Astrid have so many clothes stored in her spatial gem that perfectly fit Lyra’s body size?

It has been at least a year since they last took that practical exam together.

Lost in thought, Lyra followed Astrid forward. The airship had landed close to Losterling City, and within five minutes, their group reached the city gates.

After Elise presented the proper credentials, a pre-arranged servant led Astrid and Lyra to their accommodations. From the beginning of the winter planning, Duke Charles had made arrangements, Losterling City had reserved sufficient lodging to house soldiers retreating from the frontlines, along with medical facilities and supplies.

As for Astrid’s visit, the city lord of Losterling, having received advance notice, naturally treated it with utmost importance. Not only had he prepared a luxurious manor for her stay, but he also specially assigned numerous personal maids, making the accommodations nearly rival the imperial palace.

For these upper-class nobles, serving the prestigious Regent Princess well and leaving a favorable impression could only bring future benefits.

Just think, who else did the Regent Princess meet in the capital? Only the Empress and top nobles. Many secretly envied them for having such a golden opportunity to curry favor with the elite.

Upon entering the courtyard and seeing the two rows of maids standing at attention, along with the specially prepared mansion ahead, Astrid nodded, signaling Elise to handle the formalities. She then followed a servant on a brief tour to understand the general layout of the residence.

According to the war conference previously held with Charles, after the fall of Liya Tower Fortress, the Valeria Empire would gain a brief respite, lasting from a week to half a month.

That meant they would have some time to rest and regroup in Losterling City.

After confirming the location of her bedroom, Astrid inspired the servant to follow the head maid’s orders, then turned to Lyra and spoke softly.

"Lyra, rest here for now. I need to go discuss matters with Lady Charlotte."

The fall of Liya Tower Fortress was a major event. The follow-up battle plans require careful arrangement based on casualty ratios and Kingdom of Velys’s responses. Before the true arrival of blizzards, the imperial leadership couldn’t afford to relax.

Fully aware of the immense burden on Astrid’s shoulders, Lyra nodded. Her smooth white-stockinged feet stepped onto the soft carpet as she turned to face Astrid, who showed no intention of removing her shoes.

"Should I continue trying to contact Miss Monica?"

After retreating from the first line, with increasing spatial distance, Lyra wasn’t sure if activating the Sword of Light could still reach Monica.

"You can try. But if you can’t reach her, don’t force it."

Astrid didn’t hold high hopes. When determining the position of the second defensive line, she had actually considered Brennild’s plague control range, balancing the need to avoid plague-affected areas while also minimizing distance from Monica. Prioritizing the more critical factor, Astrid ultimately decided to place most imperial towns in safe zones beyond plague influence.

Besides, she had already extracted most of Monica’s intelligence. Although Monica claimed eternal servitude, until the war was truly resolved, she would still withhold certain things from Astrid. Both sides understood this clearly.

Now, they just had to wait for the frontline to advance further. As long as the sacred relic remains, they will have another chance to reconnect.

After exchanging a few words with Lyra, Astrid left the residence to meet Charlotte. Charles and his Deputy were occupied with internal military affairs and did not attend the meeting, merely sharing frontline intelligence with the imperial regent and the reformist leader responsible for magic-energy weapon supply.

"After the airship departed, Charles observed Liya Tower Fortress for a long time, sensing many powerful presences within."

"Just as Little Astr suspected, the Kingdom of Velys was moments away from deploying Arcanist mages. Who knows if they finally calmed down at the last second, preventing a world-shaking battle from erupting."

Wearing a dark-blue silk gown, Charlotte propped her arms on the table, gracefully crossing her long legs wrapped in sheer stockings. Her pale, smooth instep appears even more elegant against the metallic openwork heels.

"Still, even if they wanted to act, they wouldn’t have had the chance. At that moment, six Arcanist mages from our side were on standby. If a battle had broken out, the outcome would’ve been uncertain."

Charlotte had been ready to join the fight, but in the end, both sides had exercised restraint, avoiding the most tense scenarios.

Astrid nodded in response, then asked.

"What about the [Holy Radiant City Light]?"

"Little Astr’s intelligence was quite accurate. This isn’t a simple combined spell, it involves many complex and profound magical circle structures."

At Astrid’s mention, Charlotte slightly furrowed her brow. Her hazel eyes sparkled with a hint of light, and a flicker of curiosity belonging to a magic enthusiast.

"I honestly hadn’t expected the Church of Light to truly possess such a miraculous spell. The discipline and execution of those holy knights were also exceptional, enabling a full release."

Combined spells requiring multiple participants, precise array planning, and delicate elemental particle manipulation were never simple. The [Holy Radiant City Light] was clearly among the most difficult.

"It appeared, destroying the walls and causing light, which originally had no physical form, to exist as a solid entity."

Charlotte re-crossed her knees, shifting her left leg to the other side. The crisp tap of her high heels echoed in Astrid’s ears, accompanied by a miniature castle formed from condensed light elements materializing in the woman’s palm.

"What I observed was this: the [Holy Radiant City Light] replaced Liya Tower Fortress. Its outer layer was constructed from individual light-bricks, with tiered steps inside. After the phantom fully materialized, it became a solid structure, a towering fortress rising once more upon the frozen plain."

"It is not an illusion or mere light projection. It truly exists, providing warmth for knights and shielding them from the wind, a city of light."

This meant that the Valeria Empire’s use of magic-energy cannons to destroy Liya Tower Fortress only succeeded in killing enemies and destroying magic-energy weapons. The Church knights needed no bricks or tiles, once they took control of the ruins, they could raise an imposing stronghold directly from the ground.

Astrid nodded slowly, speaking softly.

"A combined spell requires so many participants, a continuous light-element magic, its effects certainly cannot last long."

Humans weren’t machines. They couldn’t operate continuously like magic-energy devices. Once their mana was depleted, they needed meditation or rest to recover, unless the Church of Light had a constant supply of personnel perfectly suited to replace those in the ritual.

But was that even possible?

"I think the same way," Charlotte agreed, slightly smoothing her skirt and revealing a patch of snow-white thigh. The soft female skin appears even more refined under the silk fabric, the delicate stocking weave reflects a gentle luster.

"Even with the [Holy Radiant City Light], the Church knight corps cannot cross such a vast strategic depth."