At the time Olivia and Syria were spending their respective days, a meeting was held among Ashtar’s close aides under the head of the Ashtar family.
Naturally, the topic discussed was the advance on the Demon King’s territory.
And striking the 3rd Corps.
“While the Ashtar army is strong, can they truly overpower the enemy in an offensive battle rather than a defensive one?”
“Even if we win, if Berna hinders us, tens of thousands of soldiers will once again be buried in the Demon King’s lands.”
The retainers and nobles under Ashtar were skeptical about this war.
They had failed during Eldakrad’s time.
Though they understood the reason for Eldakrad’s defeat, having learned of Berna’s true nature, the enemy was still the one who had corrupted half of their army.
Even if priests were brought in to prevent corruption, there was no guarantee that other dark magic wouldn’t exist.
They also had to consider the possibility of being counterattacked after invading.
Siege defense and an expeditionary attack are entirely different matters.
“You speak of dealing with the 3rd Corps. But what if they are stronger than expected? Could Berna not also be among them?”
The retainers’ concerns were understandable, but the head of the family still wanted to pursue this expedition.
“Are we certain the 3rd Corps exists?”
“The magicians have speculated, though the exact location is unclear. However, there are large lifeform readings near Crad Castle. Only, no strong demonic energy has been detected.”
Upon Kise’s report, the head of the family glanced at Noelle, who had been forcibly brought into this meeting.
“So, could Noelle’s words be accurate?”
“Is that so?”
“It seems there is indeed an army, as Olivia mentioned.”
The existence of an army was certain.
This meant that a surprise attack could be possible.
“Well, I told you as a member of the Hero’s Party. It’s sad if you still doubt me.”
“Hmm, the brother and the younger sister, is it?”
Her brother, Noah, was quite skilled.
Although he hadn’t been seen much, he was known for his extensive knowledge.
It seemed that those around him didn’t realize he was a magician, but he must have been a highly skilled one.
“Unlike my brother, I take steady steps, carefully checking everything. If we take down the 3rd Corps, Berna will surely feel the heat.”
Noelle said this with an awkward smile.
‘Damn brother. I never thought he’d dump all this on me.’
‘Who would have expected him to leave her in such a mess at a time like this?’
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, but it’s partly because of the Hero. If that was offensive, I apologize.”
“Haha.”
[The Hero’s condition was known to those in the know. Adding a new member to the Hero’s Party, and a woman at that, naturally raised concerns. Even though she was Noah’s sister, it wasn’t wrong to confirm everything first.]
“So, do you think it’s unwise to attack Crad?”
At the lord’s question, Noelle swallowed nervously.
She knew nothing about war.
No, she would undoubtedly participate in one someday, like her brother.
But at least for now, she was clueless.
‘So, what should she do?’
‘Think like my brother. What would he say to the lord in this situation?’
Hmm, nothing came to mind.
At times like this, charging forward blindly was the best option.
Currently, the head of Ashtar was consumed by the desire for revenge against Berna, the Fallen Saint who had killed his father, Eldakrad.
“In his shoes, he would likely be interested not just in the 3rd Corps but still in Crad as well.”
“Then?”
“My guess is that you want to rely on our weaponry and handle both fronts while striking Crad, am I right?”
The lord nodded at Noelle’s words.
She wasn’t wrong.
Even the well-trained archers of Ashtar alone could sufficiently decimate the demon army.
Armed with firearms and cannons, the Ashtar forces could deal a significant blow.
If no one could stand against Berna, the lord himself could step forward.
Though he wasn’t as great as his father, he had inherited Ashtar’s blood and had stabilized the family after Eldakrad’s death.
There was no reason he couldn’t do it.
Alternatively, they could first attack Crad Castle, lure the 3rd Corps out, and then defeat them with their divided forces.
Of course, it was just one possibility.
As the head of the Ashtar family and leader of the noble coalition around Ashtar, he couldn’t afford to make a mistake.
“If we aim too high and fail, everything we’ve built could collapse.”
He had worked so hard, painstakingly building his strength.
One wrong move, and the tower he’d built could crumble.
Now that the Imperial Assembly had granted Ashtar the authority to march independently, it had to be done properly.
If they didn’t win, they could lose everything.
Moreover, his son, Rokton, shared the same opinion as Noelle.
“I also agree with Lady Noelle. For now, focusing solely on the 3rd Corps seems wise. Given their size, our forces should be more than enough to subdue them.”
“Indeed. Once the sword is drawn, it must be used.”
Under the guise of avenging his murdered father, he couldn’t recklessly lead Ashtar’s people to their deaths.
“Rokton, what about our soldiers?”
“The officers are survivors of grandfather’s advance on the Demon King’s territory. Their morale is high with thoughts of revenge.”
Yes, the die had already been cast.
Crad would be abandoned.
After all, that wretched harlot had merely built a new castle over the ruins of what Noah had destroyed.
It had little to do with the one his father had established.
Thus, there was no need to cling to Crad.
“Good. Then we will target the 3rd Corps.”
“What about Olivia?”
At Rokton’s question, the lord paused.
“Olivia, indeed.”
“She would be a valuable asset.”
“Having her by their side would be immensely helpful.”
“Is her help necessary for a hit-and-run attack? She is a saintess and has already faced Pector once.”
“After that fight, she seemed quite exhausted.”
“Was there a need to involve her in this expedition?”
[Most young noblewomen her age were fostering love with their fiancés or attending bridal lessons. Or they spent their days chatting with other noble ladies. But Olivia had defeated Pector, causing a sensation that even led the Emperor to keep her close as a Grand Chamberlain. She had already done enough.]
“Oh, wouldn’t that make her presence even more necessary?”
This time, it was Noelle who spoke.
“Why is that?”
‘Was there truly a need to make his daughter endure further hardship?’
“Olivia, the one who defeated Pector, accompanies us. That alone would boost the soldiers’ morale immensely.”
He wasn’t unaware of that.
“But Olivia must be quite tired, mustn’t she?”
“What if her injured arm worsened because she was forced to join them?”
“For now, your mother is gathering members of the assassin guild as well. Prepare the army. Our path has been decided. I will not repeat my father’s mistakes but learn from them. We will deal a decisive blow to Berna, who has mocked us, and then retreat. Retainers, follow my orders.”
“Right. There’s no need to include Olivia. Besides, there’s the Hero’s Party. While the Hero has fallen, Noelle, his companion, seems to be quite skilled.”
‘If morale is already high, we should be able to crush the 3rd Corps and return in triumph.’
That was what he thought.
But then Noelle raised her hand.
“If Lady Olivia’s condition is fully recovered, she should be able to assist.”
“Hm?”
“What was she talking about?”
“Otherwise, there’s no way she could have personally set up a barrier at the mausoleum, right?”
“That’s true. That does make sense.”
Noelle’s argument held weight.
Olivia had grumbled but still erected a massive barrier around the entire mausoleum.
No one knew when she had learned such techniques, but she hadn’t seemed to struggle much while doing so.
“Could they rely on her assistance a little?”
“If anything, she doesn’t need to fight. She could simply serve as the face of the operation. Lady Olivia herself mentioned something like that beforehand.”
“She did?”
“Yes.”
Noelle smiled meaningfully.
It was hard to understand the intent behind her peculiar smile, but receiving Olivia’s help didn’t seem like a bad idea.
“Hm, I see. Even as a saintess, she is still the daughter of Ashtar.”
“In that case, it might be worth asking her.”
“If she refused, there would be no helping it.”
“But asking wouldn’t hurt.”
“What’s with sending me alone? Brother, you’re coming too. Heh.”
Of course, the head of the Ashtar family had no way of knowing Noelle’s true thoughts.
Still, he couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
Something inexplicably irritating and ominous.
He had a strong premonition that this would lead to considerable trouble.
“Should we just return instead?”
“You’re planning to just leave? Isn’t this the place we’re supposed to return to?”
***
It was Syria, who had been quietly standing beside him, who spoke up.
“Hmm, indeed, for the first generation, this place might have been home.”
“But what about for me, the second generation?”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Somewhere within him was the lingering memory of the first generation, now united with his being.”
“But as far as the second-generation Olivia was concerned, the imperial capital was where she truly belonged.”
Still, something about staying here felt inherently wrong.
“I have a bad feeling. It’s like a sign that something as troublesome as facing the Emperor is about to happen.”
She felt an enormous sense of irritation.
As if staying any longer would mean becoming some kind of public figure.
If it were a matter of fighting, she could manage, but this?
“Hm. Lady Olivia, you have a knack for predicting these things.”
“Well, there’s no choice.”
It seemed escaping might be the better option.
Perhaps she could request to leave, given that they might send her back anyway.
As she began thinking about packing her belongings and returning to the imperial capital, she noticed some incompetent servants hurriedly loading luggage onto a carriage outside the mansion.
“They hadn’t shown themselves until now—what were they doing?”
“Were they planning to leave for the capital without her?”
“What are they up to?”
“That looks like a carriage from the capital, doesn’t it?”
Now that she thought about it, the carriage bore the imperial seal.
“Of course.”
“They wouldn’t just leave like that, would they?”
A little provocation wouldn’t hurt.
Taking Syria with her, Olivia headed outside the mansion.
***
“What’s this? Where are you all going?”
It was amusing to see them, who had been avoiding her, now trying to sneak away, so she spoke with a hint of sarcasm.
“These people needed to be put in their place.”
“Like peeling an onion—layer by layer.”
Prince Aslan looked as though he was struggling to find words the moment he saw her, swallowing nervously.
“O-O-Olivia? Ah, well, we have to return to the capital.”
“The Emperor has summoned us.”
Aslan and Yuria muttered hesitantly.
“In that case, shouldn’t I be going too? Why were they planning to leave me behind?”
“The Emperor summoned you? Why not me?”
“Why wouldn’t the Emperor summon me, the Grand Chamberlain?”
“Well, I don’t know…”
“The Emperor didn’t summon me?”
It seemed there had been some communication between him and the head of the family.
Surely, Father wasn’t planning some father-daughter bonding time.
No, there was only one reason.
War.
That man was sending his daughter into war.
“What about Sharial?”
Olivia turned her attention to the elf standing beside the prince.
“Ah, my sister called me, so I’ll be staying by her side for now. The prince only came to see me off.”
Sharial had already spoken with Ella, so the Hero’s Party must have been informed by now.
“Hm.”
Well, there was no helping it.
She was an elf, after all.
“Oh, um, before I leave, I wanted to say something.”
“What is it?”
“About… acting recklessly. I’ll be more cautious from now on.”
“What was that supposed to mean?”
“It was good to see him reflecting, sure.”
“But it was a little infuriating.”
“What made these people so content to leave so safely?”
“Well, they deserved some provocation.”
“Time to show them a bit of the harsh reality.”
“No problem. I’m not your fiancée or anything, and my business here is done. You’re free to act as you please.”
“What… What do you mean by that?”
It was Yuria, not Aslan, who answered.
Indeed, it was only polite to clarify.
“Next time you act up like a child, the council will naturally shift its support to the Princess.”
“Ugh…”
This fool.
I didn’t care whether he lived or died anymore.
As long as it didn’t affect Ashtar’s territory, it didn’t matter to me.