"You are...?"

The black shadow nearly swallowed the entire tent. This was the central command tent, protected by several powerful experts, and yet the instant that black robe entered his field of vision, Aurier still felt his heart suddenly contract.

But unexpectedly, for Aurier, the panic lasted only an instant. In the very next moment, from within that constricted heart, there burst forth a surge of excitement so intense that even he himself had not anticipated it.

Because he recognized that black robe. He had seen it at the imperial audience just days ago, standing beside his royal father. Even after several days, it was still just as striking... just as exhilarating.

That’s right. It was the demon envoy!

Aurier’s peripheral vision swept over that pale hand. Although the envoy’s entire figure was hidden beneath the wide black robe, that flawless, jade-white hand was enough to reveal that the other party was female.

And Aurier also knew that the higher-ranking demonfolk were, the closer their appearance became to that of humans. A hand this beautiful was already no different from a human’s at all. And combined with the strength to enter his tent so easily... her status among the demonfolk was probably unimaginably high!

Yes, only someone of that rank would be qualified to come to the Kingdom and discuss great matters together with his royal father!

"Envoy, what brings you here?"

Aurier straightened his collar and waved Kaepel away for the moment, since the man was trembling so badly he could not control himself.

Though he understood perfectly well that she was certainly far stronger than he was, and that if no one protected him she could casually strangle him to death, as a prince of the Kingdom—and the future master of the Kingdom at that—Aurier still recovered his poised, neither-humble-nor-arrogant bearing in short order.

"Envoy... ah, right. At the moment, I am an envoy."

The Witch of Repentance murmured in sudden realization. She placed the game piece in her hand back onto the sand table. The black robe fully concealed her face, and yet she still gave off the warm impression of someone smiling.

"As for why I’m here... haven’t I already said it? I represent His Majesty. I’ve come to give Your Highness Aurier a little courage."

"Courage?"

Thinking of the impulse to retreat that had just arisen in his own mind, Aurier gave a dry cough and said sternly, "I don’t understand what you mean, Envoy."

"There’s no need to hide it, Your Highness. When making decisions, anyone will naturally lean toward the safer direction, especially in matters this significant. There’s nothing shameful in that. In fact, the moment your royal father received the news from the front and learned of that army of one hundred thousand, he already knew what kind of choice you would make."

The Witch of Repentance took two steps forward, then lightly picked up the game piece nearest Aurier again—the one representing the one hundred thousand troops under Muen Campbell.

A pleasant fragrance drifted to Aurier’s nose. He could not help thinking that he never would have expected those coarse demonfolk to use such high-grade perfume. It seemed the high-ranking demonfolk really were just like the legends said—an entirely different species from the low-ranking ones.

He simply wondered what kind of sight lay beneath that black robe.

"Your royal father says you are very much like he was in his youth—clever, cautious, suspicious. Almost as if you were cast from the same mold. Barring any accident, you will certainly become his most suitable heir."

"Is that so..."

At the mention of the word heir, Aurier’s eyes visibly brightened, and his chest unconsciously lifted.

"However."

The Witch of Repentance suddenly changed direction. "He says you lack the courage to go all in at the critical moment. That will become your greatest flaw. It will leave you forever one line short of truly accomplishing great things—and that one line is the real distance between you and that seat."

"A flaw..."

Aurier was so shaken by the words that he could not help beginning to wonder whether he really had been too cowardly before.

His plan was so perfect. Wasn’t it only Muen Campbell? So what if he had brought an army of one hundred thousand? As long as his own plan succeeded, Muen was fated to have come for nothing. He would be fated to watch helplessly as the Empire’s most important gate collapsed in his hands...

"But the timing—the timing is too tight. My preparations aren’t complete at all..."

Even while imagining his victory, Aurier still had not forgotten the conditions necessary to carry out his plan. He frowned as he thought.

"At present, the preparations are only about half complete. If we proceed now, the chance of success is less than thirty percent... no, if the opponent is that Imperial Empress, the chance of success is only twenty percent. This really is a massive gamble."

"Then let something else make up that missing half of the preparation. Let it make up that missing eighty percent of the probability."

The Witch of Repentance bent down. Rich fragrance enveloped Aurier.

Aurier’s eyes widened slightly. He still could not see the face hidden beneath the hood’s shadow, but as this mysterious envoy drew closer, his heartbeat inexplicably began to quicken.

Damn it. He had heard that one of the demon Grand Dukes excelled in enchantment arts. Could it be that one?

"What something else?" Aurier swallowed.

"Something... very, very, very powerful. Something powerful enough to change the shape of an entire war. Combined with Your Highness’s plan, it would be absolutely perfect."

Catching the lingering trace of doubt still left in Aurier’s eyes, the Witch of Repentance lightly brushed a fingertip across his chest, her voice gentle.

"Believe me, Your Highness. I am here to bring you victory... and glory."

...

...

"Woooo—"

The long blast of a war horn echoed through the smoke shrouding the battlefield, like some wail rising from hell.

Hoofbeats rose, and a Kingdom cavalry unit burst out of the dust, beginning to circle near the walls.

The recently cleared moat and the steel chevaux-de-frise blocked the cavalry from advancing, but they did not have the mages accompanying them expend magical power to destroy the obstacles either. After a round of deliberate "strolling" that was practically a provocation, all kinds of filthy insults, magnified several times over, were hurled upward from the cavalry ranks to the walls.

"Ah, they’re asking for a fight again."

Anna rubbed her ear. With a casual wave of her hand, darkness surged and cut off all those irritating voices.

"What do we do?"

"...Business as usual."

Celicia pondered for a moment. "Baron Derik."

"Present."

The sound of steel grinding rose as a knight in heavy armor stepped out of the shadows and knelt respectfully on one knee behind Celicia.

"What are Her Majesty’s orders?" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"This time, you’ll go. Lead a unit out and deal with those irritating insects from the Kingdom."

"Yes. Understood."

The knight named Derik answered crisply and turned to make preparations. Not long after, one of the fortress’s side gates rumbled open, and Derik led a cavalry unit out beneath the Empire’s banner, charging toward the Kingdom force.

The killing began again. Blood sprayed. A flock of crows came in from the distance, waiting for their chance at a feast...

"It feels like this happens every day," Anna said, arms folded, bored out of her mind.

"It doesn’t just feel that way."

Celicia said coldly, "Ever since the Kingdom army encamped less than twenty miles from the fortress, harassment by these small detachments has happened every day."

"Then why do you still send people out to fight those Kingdom fools? I don’t think you’re the sort of person who’d get provoked into anger by a few shouted insults."

"When there’s a ready-made chance to drill the troops, why not use it? It also boosts morale."

By the time that exchange ended, the skirmish had already reached its closing stages. Though the Kingdom cavalry had charged in fiercely, they still proved inferior to the Empire’s unit and gradually fell into a disadvantage, even beginning to show signs of collapse.

Cheers rose now and then from the soldiers watching from the wall. After several retreats, even a small victory like this was enough to lift their spirits.

But Celicia’s gaze never fell on that battlefield. Instead, she looked farther out, beyond the smoke and dust, where the camp stretched for dozens of miles. That was where the Kingdom army was stationed, and that was what she had to keep watching and worrying about.

The Kingdom’s full-scale assault should have begun long ago, yet there was still no sign of it.

"Have the scouts sent word of anything unusual?"

"No."

Celicia said, "With a camp of this scale, it should be difficult for a few scouts to grasp the full picture. But overall, there’s nothing unusual."

"Then should we send out a slightly larger force and strike deeper ourselves? Test them a little?" Anna tilted her head and asked.

"I have considered it. After all, no speculation can compare to real movement. But..."

Celicia’s cool, clear eyes suddenly deepened.

"Don’t you think the Kingdom constantly sending out these small detachments to harass us is itself an attempt to lure us into attacking?"

"Oh my..."

Anna’s fingertip brushed her smooth chin. "That really does seem to be the case."

This constant low-level harassment from the Kingdom was like a beautiful woman crooking a finger at you in flirtation... come on, come on, come hit me hard...

And the more it felt like that, the more suspicious it became.

"We are the weaker side at the moment. There is no need to take such a risk. Holding fast in defense is obviously the best option. I’ve said it before—time is on our side."

As Celicia spoke, her elegant brows gradually drew together.

"And yet... even so, I keep feeling that something is wrong."

Celicia gazed at the Kingdom camp in the distance.

At her current level of strength, she could only make out a vague outline, but that endless camp beyond the smoke and drifting dust still gave off the pressure of some ancient beast crouching in wait.

"A few days ago would have been one thing. But after Muen and the others completed their 'trick'... why is the Kingdom still sitting this calmly?" Celicia murmured, sinking slowly into thought.

...

...

"I take back what I said, Your Highness. You do have a bit of nerve after all."

In a narrow underground passage, a column of Kingdom soldiers was silently advancing into the darkness. The Witch of Repentance and Aurier stood off to the side in a somewhat wider space, studying the ancient totems and murals by the light of magic stones.

"So in the camp above, there are actually fewer than half your soldiers left. The moment that young Emperor of the Empire discovers you’ve been pulling this little move, there’s a very good chance those remaining half will be finished."

The Witch of Repentance said, "Let me think. Given how clever she is, she’ll probably discover something is wrong after only one large-scale probing attack from the Imperial side."

"That’s exactly why I keep sending out small detachments to appear weak."

Aurier clasped his hands behind his back and sneered.

"You think I’m doing it to make the Empire lower its guard? Don’t be ridiculous. From the series of measures that woman has taken since arriving at the front, she’s the type who would never lower her guard... in that respect, she’s very much like me."

Aurier paused.

"But precisely because of that, I know her weakness. The weaker I appear, the more it looks like I’m trying to lure her into taking the initiative and probing with an attack, the more she’ll stay right where she is. Because in her eyes, after all... time is on her side."

"Excellent."

The Witch of Repentance applauded lightly and said admiringly, "If not for Muen Campbell’s one hundred thousand reinforcements, give yourself a few more days and you could quietly move eighty percent of your army to the rear of Fort Notasia without anyone knowing. At that point, no matter how sturdy a fortress is, once the attack comes from behind it becomes fragile as paper."

"Exactly."

Aurier pressed a hand to his chest and bowed with the elegance of a stage actor taking his curtain call.

"A strange move in front to deceive the enemy, while behind them a fatal blow brews—this is the perfect 'trick' I prepared for the Empire, and for that woman who got my brother killed."

"It is very perfect."

The Witch of Repentance sighed. "Too bad Muen Campbell and his one hundred thousand troops appeared out of nowhere. That means if you fail to complete your plan within five days, the one caught between attacks from both front and rear will be Your Highness instead... and this time you have no way out at all. This place is too narrow, and too long."

She looked as far as the eye could see. This ancient road was too narrow—so narrow that only a single-file line of soldiers could pass through it—and too long, so long it would take a full two days to cross, because it ran through the entire Notasia mountain range. In other words, it could not possibly serve as a retreat route. Once the force Aurier led to stab the enemy in the back got its own backside stabbed by Muen Campbell, all they could do was wait to die.

"That’s why I hesitated so much before."

Aurier ground his teeth.

"I was only short by a few days. A few days! And yet Muen Campbell had to appear out of nowhere! Damn it, I still can’t figure out where his one hundred thousand elite troops came from!"

"I understand your feelings, Your Highness. Muen Campbell really is a troublesome figure. I had several excellent subordinates fall into his hands as well... but this is a battlefield. No matter how exceptional he is personally, it won’t affect much."

The Witch of Repentance soothed Aurier for a bit, then her gaze drifted almost unconsciously back to the ancient totems and murals.

"There is actually one thing I still don’t understand."

"What is it?"

"This should be the remains of an ancient ruin after it was shattered, yes? That’s why it’s hidden so well."

The Witch of Repentance reached out and let her fingertips brush the traces carved into the stone slabs, feeling the long years that had flowed over them.

"So how did Your Highness know this place existed? Even the Empire doesn’t know there’s a ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ small road here that can cross the entire Notasia mountain range."

"It was nothing. I happened to see it in an old book."

Aurier replied calmly.

"An old book?"

The Witch of Repentance raised a brow in surprise. "Where did you find such a book? In this mountain range? Did you only discover it after fighting your way here?"

"No. I found it long ago."

Aurier paused.

"In the Kingdom’s National Library. That old book was mixed in with a great many other useless old books. I only came across it by chance."

"The National Library?"

The Witch of Repentance turned sharply, astonished.

"Why would an old book containing information this important to the Empire be in the Kingdom’s National Library?"

"...You don’t know?"

"Know what?"

"The Fort Notasia the Empire now holds, together with half of the Empire’s northern plain behind it..."

Aurier said expressionlessly,

"More than a hundred years ago, it was all still Kingdom territory."

"..."