During the time Ariel was gathering information about the Fortress of Vebratum, she also investigated the personal history of Judith Venmayer.
While reviewing his background, Ariel realized that he had once been Siyoon’s lieutenant.
Although their relationship ended quickly due to Siyoon being punished for insubordination, Ariel couldn’t ignore the suspicious smell surrounding the events from ten years ago.
She dug deeper into the mission from that time.
“As I thought, you’ve been holding onto the past.”
Her investigation revealed that Judith had engaged in despicable acts.
He betrayed Siyoon, who had been a young knight eager to succeed in his first mission.
Because of Judith, the promising knight lost an arm.
Meanwhile, Judith thrived over the last ten years, rising in rank through flattery, scheming, and bribery.
“The one who stole your dreams is living comfortably. Of course, you’d be angry.”
To prevent Siyoon from infiltrating the fortress, Ariel stopped him.
Although he seemed calm on the surface, she judged that his insides were boiling like lava and sought to calm him.
From Siyoon’s perspective, who wasn’t particularly agitated, this was utterly baffling.
“May I ask why?”
“Because I have a more efficient and safer plan in mind than your infiltration.”
“I understand. If that’s your reasoning, I’ll step back.”
Perfect!
If things didn’t go his way, he’d surely feel regret.
What if, at that moment, Ariel proposed a far more ingenious and refreshing way to take revenge?
Confident that this would earn his favor, Ariel smiled.
“It’s going as expected.”
In truth, Ariel already had a strategy in mind that could target other fortresses beyond Vebratum.
Even so, she specifically chose Vebratum to remind Siyoon of Judith’ existence.
By handing over information about the fortress, she intended to stoke his thirst for revenge, ultimately earning his favor by helping him achieve it.
“Before I explain my plan, let me first tell you why your infiltration of the fortress is impossible.”
After the civil war began, the Vebratum Fortress heightened its defenses, conducting rigorous identity checks and updating passwords frequently.
Even if someone didn’t know the password, they could pass if they proved their identity.
Otherwise, they’d be detained.
The password system, which changed every hour, was designed to block enemy infiltration entirely.
“Wouldn’t it be resolved by creating forged identities?”
“Judith Venmayer commissioned the Mage Tower to create a large number of magical devices that verify identities. Forged identities won’t work, and disguises are meaningless.”
“Those magical devices must be incredibly expensive.”
“The budget for those devices was fully funded by Armin. He’s the type to drain the national treasury if it means becoming emperor.”
Even without formally ascending the throne, Armin wielded power comparable to that of an emperor, ignoring how his actions drained the lifeblood of the people.
“It’s certainly difficult to target the fortress from the inside.”
“Fufu…”
When Siyoon realized that infiltration was impossible, Ariel began to smile meaningfully.
It was a look she displayed whenever she was hatching a sinister idea.
“Do you really think it’s impossible to target it from the inside?”
“Didn’t you just explain why infiltration is difficult?”
“Then how do you think I know so much about the internal affairs of Vebratum?”
“Ah…”
Realizing the hidden meaning in Ariel’s words, Siyoon let out a sigh of realization.
He could roughly guess what she was planning and what was happening inside the fortress.
“During this civil war, Armin made one fatal mistake—he ignored the people’s sentiments.”
“Does that mean Armin’s reputation is at rock bottom?”
“The war with the kingdom, at the very least, had the justification of elevating the empire’s status. But a civil war? That’s a fight among one’s own people. Most citizens don’t want to support it. Yet, Armin blatantly used national funds to excessively strengthen the defenses of each fortress.”
“Spending precious money on the civil war surely didn’t sit well with public opinion.”
“People work tirelessly to feed their families, only to have their hard-earned money taken in the name of taxes. Naturally, public sentiment hit rock bottom.”
It was a situation where complaints were bound to arise, and furthermore, there was a high chance that the soldiers would begin to feel skeptical.
What were they fighting for, and what was the reward for risking their lives?
Instead of comforting the families of soldiers who had died on the battlefield, they were further robbed.
It was only natural for the people to be enraged by the crown prince and the nobility treating them as disposable tools.
“And on top of that, they made life even harder with constant random inspections, so the anger reached its peak.”
“You used a strategy that considered the people’s emotions, didn’t you?”
“Shall we check the answer together?”
Ariel leisurely walked straight toward the fortress.
Even though the enemy’s leader openly exposed herself, no one stationed in the watchtower took a combat stance.
Eventually, the gates opened, and the soldiers guarding inside all bowed their heads toward Ariel.
“How is it? Isn’t it surprisingly easy to capture a fortress?”
“You’re quite mischievous.”
“Ahaha!”
If the fortress had been captured from the start, was there even a need for a tactical meeting?
However, in the tent where the so-called “meeting” was held, only Ariel and Siyoon had been present.
It had never been a meeting; it was all part of the play Ariel had staged from the beginning.
“Sorry for deceiving you. But I’ve left the perfect finale for you, so look forward to it.”
“The finale?”
“When you were skimming through the materials I gave you, you stared at this part, didn’t you?”
Ariel pointed with her finger at the part of the document that mentioned Judith Venmayer.
Silence meant affirmation. Since it was true, Siyoon did not refute it.
Ariel smiled with satisfaction and leaned closer to Siyoon.
“How about this? Just like the incident from ten years ago, I made this man experience betrayal by his subordinate.”
“Right now, it feels more complicated than exhilarating.”
“It’s fine. Once you cut off his arm yourself, you’ll feel a rush of excitement, even if it’s a little late. If cutting off just an arm doesn’t quench your anger, feel free to sever his head as well.”
Having prepared the perfect ingredients for him to take his revenge as he pleased, Ariel believed Siyoon would be satisfied.
But in truth, he wasn’t.
Revenge is something that is best savored by carefully building it up step by step and then delivering the final blow.
If someone else spoon-feeds it to you, the thrill is greatly diminished.
Though it was satisfying to see Judith, who had once betrayed him, experience the same betrayal, it wasn’t nearly enough.
‘Still, since the princess went to such lengths for me, I shouldn’t show that I’m dissatisfied.’
Just as he was about to express his gratitude, Siyoon noticed the restless behavior of the people in the fortress.
Ariel, too, sensed the awkward atmosphere flowing within the fortress and found it peculiar.
“Why does it seem like everyone is watching us nervously? Is there a problem?”
“Princess Ariel, well, actually…”
The man who appeared to be the highest-ranking officer among the soldiers approached Ariel with firm steps before suddenly kneeling.
He then lowered his forehead to the stone floor and shouted loudly.
“We’ve committed an unforgivable sin!”
Other soldiers, who had been hesitating, followed suit, bowing their heads and repeating the same words.
As numerous soldiers suddenly confessed their sins, Ariel couldn’t help but be taken aback.
She had worried they might betray her after being persuaded earlier, but what she feared did not happen.
Instead…
“Are you telling me you didn’t just lose Judith Venmayer but actually let him go?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“And why would you do such a thing?”
“Well, Baron Venmayer was greedy and caused frequent problems, but he has also protected our fortress for many years.”
“So you spared him out of personal sentiment.”
“We’re truly sorry! When it came down to seeing the baron die so horribly, a shred of conscience held us back.”
“Did you even consider what consequences your actions might bring?”
“We deeply regret our actions! B-but, we sent him away completely stripped of everything! Please, I beg you, take my life and spare your anger!”
“Whether he was armed or naked doesn’t matter. The point is that you let him go! A backlash will come soon!”
Siyoon didn’t stop Ariel as she scolded the soldiers.
From his perspective, what the fortress soldiers had done was a serious mistake.
He fully agreed with Ariel’s statement that a backlash was inevitable.
“Princess, an army led by the knight commander is advancing from the west!”
“Already?”
As expected, the backlash had already reached the Vebratum Fortress.
The timing of the backlash was unnervingly quick, but that wasn’t the most important issue.
Judith Venmayer, having gained his freedom, must have contacted their enemies.
It was highly likely that he reported to them in detail how the people of Vebratum colluded with the princess and betrayed him.
‘This is dangerous.’
The undefeated knight commander was advancing with an army while the internal consolidation was still incomplete.
This alone would weaken the unity within the fortress significantly.
The moment the knight commander initiated the assault, everyone would face a horrific death.
Some might even think that surrendering early would be the only chance to prolong their lives.
“Troops have also appeared in the eastern canyon!”
“There are forces in the east as well…?”
The series of unexpected events left Ariel staggering.
She had managed to capture the fortress of Vebratum without shedding a drop of blood, but it turned out to be a misstep.
“Urgh…!”
Her intention to choose Vebratum Fortress for Siyoon’s revenge had been completely seen through.
Judith had escaped, and now the fortress was surrounded by enemy forces on both sides, about to crumble.
For Ariel, this was a truly painful situation.
‘I wanted to show Siyoon my best, but I’ve ended up putting him in danger again…?’
In the past, despite Siyoon’s attempts to dissuade her, Ariel had insisted on going to the frontlines.
That decision led to a life-or-death crisis where she lost her precious guard.
She had vowed never to repeat such a foolish mistake, but here she was, making the same error again.
‘Even so, I won’t run away anymore. This time, I’ll sacrifice myself to ensure Siyoon’s survival no matter what…!’
Determined to at least save her precious guard, Ariel burned with resolve.
Meanwhile, Siyoon maintained a calm demeanor, even in the midst of the emergency.
“My heart is swelling with excitement! Don’t you think so?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“An opportunity to witness a battle so rare it might only happen once in a lifetime has arrived!”
Siyoon gestured toward the eastern canyon, pointing out the advancing forces.
Ariel pulled out her tactical binoculars and carefully observed the eastern faction.
It was a unit composed of individuals so old they could have retired long ago.
As she continued to examine them, Ariel suddenly recognized the woman at the forefront and the banner she carried.
“That person is…!”
“The current knight commander versus the legendary former knight commander, and the return of the Iron-Blooded Hound unit from a distant past. Even if an invincible emperor were resurrected, I couldn’t miss this!”
“Wait, where are you going?”
“My master has personally come here for her disciple, so shouldn’t the disciple go out to greet her?”
“Your master? Who are you talking about?”
“I’ll formally introduce her to you once everything is settled!”
Siyoon confidently climbed to the top of the fortress wall.
With the enemy advancing, opening the gates would be too dangerous.
Instead, he prepared to leap down from the wall—something only a knight who had reached the peak of mastery could pull off.
“And Princess, remember that things in this world never go according to one’s will. Always be prepared for the unexpected.”
Ariel wanted to stop Siyoon from leaving.
However, his subtle advice made her lower the hand she had raised to hold him back.
‘I’ve spent so much time with Siyoon, yet now he feels so distant.’
The aching pain in her chest was unbearably intense.
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