Sunset Fortress, Calisthenics Ground.
The hot wind whipped up dust, brushing against the restless hearts of every soldier.
The news that the Orc Army had been wiped out overnight had already spread throughout the entire camp.
But a legend is still a legend. Only a lucky few had witnessed the Witch Queen’s divine, demonic figure in battle.
Most of the soldiers had only heard the earth-shaking booms that night and seen the eerie Blood Moon, but hadn’t personally witnessed the hellish, doomsday scene.
At this moment, the shouts of training still rang out, and the clash of spears and shields resounded, but everyone’s hearts had already flown with the dispatched Scouts toward that dead, silent marshland.
The Orcs… were they really all dead?
“Scouts must be bragging, right? The Corrupted Marsh got blown flat?”
“Yeah, tens of thousands of Orc Army gone overnight? Unless Her Highness really became a god.”
“I bet it’s exaggerated, but it doesn’t matter to us anyway. Not having to fight Orcs is good news.”
At that moment, the doors to the castle hall were pushed open.
A group of young officers streamed out of the hall, faces showing a complicated mix of fanaticism, awe, and excitement.
Among them, a Centurion named Lina walked straight to her unit and waved for everyone to stop.
“The Scout is back!”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it instantly silenced the entire Calisthenics Ground.
“The entire Corrupted Marsh was blasted flat! Not a single Orc hair left!”
“This is all thanks to the Crown Princess!”
After a brief silence came a tidal wave of celebration!
Soldiers threw down their weapons, hugging each other with tears of joy.
A female soldier familiar with Lina, Mia, sneaked over, stuffed a few copper coins into her hand, and lowered her voice.
“Boss, spill it, is it true?”
Lina glanced around, expertly pocketed the coins, and whispered mysteriously:
“Relax, one of my girls is in the Scout Squad. The intel is absolutely true! Both Sunset Canyon and the Corrupted Marsh are basically blocked off now, so Orcs can’t attack from either! We won’t have to garrison this godforsaken place anymore! In a few days, we’ll probably march back to the Royal Capital in glory!”
Upon hearing this, Mia’s eyes widened instantly.
“Boss, th-this is real?!”
“Yeah!”
Lina nodded, her face taking on a gossiping look.
“And you have no idea what just happened in the hall. If I told you, you’d die of shock!”
The female soldiers nearby, sensing a juicy story, immediately crowded around.
“Boss, stop teasing! Spill it!”
Mia, who’d been pushed aside, protested.
“Hey, hey, hey! I paid for this, did you?!”
But Lina was clearly enjoying being the center of attention. She cleared her throat.
“This one’s free! The whole army’s about to know anyway. Just now, the Veid Family sent someone, and insulted Prince Wendy right in front of Her Highness!”
“What?!”
The surrounding female soldiers exploded.
“Insult Prince Wendy? Is she tired of living?!”
“Sour grapes! Without the Prince, we’d be corpses by now! I’m going to chop her up and feed her to the dogs!”
“Just a Military Inspector? Did those scumbags in the Capital come to steal credit or deliver themselves for execution?”
Seeing her subordinates about to cause trouble, Lina quickly pulled them back.
“All of you, stay put! Leave avenging Prince Wendy to us? Her Highness already took care of it!”
“Eh???”
The female soldiers gasped again.
“Her Highness really did it? Wasn’t she always enduring those Veid Family bastards?”
A wicked, proud smile spread across Lina’s face.
“Hah! You didn’t see it! When Her Highness acts, it’s clean and ruthless! Just one slap! That Veid Family pig’s head spun like a top, shot into the sky, and died with its face facing backwards!”
“Hiss—”
A chorus of gasps sounded.
“Damn! Her Highness is so fierce?!”
“Looks like the Crown Princess has truly fallen for Prince Wendy—she gave up her principles for him.”
“But now that both personal and national grudges are settled, will Prince Wendy stay with Her Highness… after all, Her Highness looks…”
“Wait, does that mean we all have a chance to taste that beauty?”
At these words, Lina snorted disdainfully.
“Don’t get any ideas. Be careful or Her Highness will slap you too! I saw with my own eyes today—Prince Wendy was leaning on Her Highness, legs trembling, wearing her old nightgown! They definitely already did it!”
“Ah? Seriously?”
“That sound… so last night wasn’t a dream…”
The female soldiers started whispering, their gazes turning ambiguous.
At that moment, a female soldier suddenly pointed toward a certain spot on the castle’s third floor.
“By the way, isn’t that balcony Prince Wendy’s room? I wonder if he’s…”
Before she finished, everyone looked up in unison.
Sunset Fortress’s castle had three levels, and for defense, the floors were much higher than regular buildings.
The crowd had to squint and crane their necks, hoping for even a glimpse of something steamy.
“Look! Someone’s on the balcony!”
A sharp-eyed soldier shouted.
The castle was tall and distant, but the two figures were unmistakably clear.
It was Princess Astreia!
And… Prince Wendy, trapped in her arms!
No, it wasn’t entrapment.
It was something… even more insane and shocking!
Prince Wendy lay on his back atop the stone railing, his fair neck stretched in a fragile, beautiful arc.
The silk robe was lifted by the pose, slipping down to reveal dazzling white skin and a pair of tense, shapely legs.
Before him, Astreia leaned over in an absolutely dominant stance.
Platinum blonde hair spilled down, hiding the details between them, but not the aura of possession and conquest.
In broad daylight!
Before the eyes of thousands of soldiers!
“Wh-what the hell?! Are they doing that?”
Someone blurted out.
“Hiss… that neck, those legs, so white~”
A few with keener eyes sucked in their breaths, eyes wide, trying to sear the high-altitude beauty into their brains.
“No doubt! The Crown Princess and Prince Wendy… on the balcony in broad daylight? So bold!”
“No wonder the Prince’s legs went soft—who could withstand that?!”
“Damn! I’m so jealous! I want to pin down Prince Wendy too!”
As everyone’s brains crashed and worldviews shattered.
An unexpected twist occurred!
The figure lying on the railing suddenly arched into a bow, slipping off the edge, falling backward.
Below—was solid stone!
“Shit!”
“Quick! Save him!”
The soldiers on the ground erupted, countless people charging beneath the balcony, ready to catch the falling Prince.
But in that split-second—
A platinum figure flashed like lightning.
Astreia’s right arm wrapped securely around Wendy’s waist, pulling him back into her embrace with ease.
Even after all that, she still had time to wave at the panicked faces below, grinning.
As if flaunting her precious toy.
Then, hugging her ‘prize’ tightly, she turned back into the room, shutting all spring scenery behind the balcony doors.
“……”
The entire Calisthenics Ground sank into a strange silence.
For a long time.
Mia finally found her voice, murmuring like she was in a dream.
“Her Highness… they really know how to play…”
exhibitionism arc