[Evacuate immediately. The forces of Lady Luciana and the Speda Duchy are heading your way.]
“Hmm. The descendant of that warrior?”
-Snicker.
While leisurely resting, Bathory laughed upon seeing the message appear in the crystal orb.
“You. You’re really protective of your treasure.”
Unfortunately, contrary to the sender’s intention, Bathory misunderstood the message completely.
It was natural.
For someone of her noble and battle-skilled lineage, the possibility of defeat didn’t even cross her mind.
“My strength has somewhat recovered, so crushing those mere humans should be easy.”
Knights?
Scared to the point of being heavily armored cowards.
The magic of a noble of the night like herself, or even just one punch, would easily crush them.
Soldiers
If that’s the case for knights, how much worse would it be for the lesser ones?
“The only one worth watching is her.”
Luciana Speda.
Those spirited eyes were quite appealing.
But before Bathory, she was no match.
Sure, she held boundless potential, but it was yet unripe.
And to harvest too early means…
In other words, victory isn’t that hard to achieve.
-You really should abandon that hideout and flee!
Apparently, mere text transmission wasn’t reassuring enough, now a whispering voice could be heard.
“You too, huh? Worried that I might harm your prey?
Don’t worry, I’ll only touch them lightly.”
An arrogant statement.
But she had the power to back it up.
-…!
Just as the crystal orb was about to shout something at her again.
-Crash
A sharp noise erupted as fragments of the magic stone scattered everywhere.
“Seems like it couldn’t withstand my power. I hope to prepare something of better quality next time.”
The orb, which had been nagging, now fell silent.
The voice wasn’t too bad, somewhat regrettable, but,
“It seems you still prefer that girl over your kingly duties.”
With a slight irritation.
A blood-red rose, with sharp thorns, blossomed in her eyes.
“Fine. Descendant of the warrior. Let’s see how much you’ve grown, I’ll test you myself.”
Frost Mane, he had assured his precious prey would not be harmed.
But sometimes, circumstances force promises to be broken.
‘Frost Mane, this is also for you. Don’t blame me.’
Where is there a king who neglects his kingly duties?
He needed to deal with his obsession, the descendant of the warrior, Luciana.
Of course, there were benefits he expected.
‘My power has recovered, but not the fallen influence.’
Though the foundation of his race is the despised doppelganger, the symbolism of his origin and abilities could be quite useful to her current situation.
‘I will surely take you to Evildon.’
-Swoosh.
The powerful mana flowed out of the cave, sweeping across the snow-covered ground.
“This mana…! It’s definitely from a demon, and a high-ranking one at that!”
-Hmph.
Wasn’t my information correct?
Freedman, along with the voice of the accompanying ranger, came through the communication crystal.
“It seems they have no intention of hiding.”
Luciana clenched her teeth against the chilling wind that seemed to freeze her.
-Although fallen, do you think someone like you, a greenhorn, can defeat me, Bathory?
An action mimicking that arrogant tone from her memory.
As if challenging anyone to try, that provocation irritated her.
“Are you alright, Lady Luciana?”
The only witness who had experienced the demon’s strength with her.
Hans looked over with worried eyes.
“Please reconsider deploying now. It might be better to bring more forces.”
His voice was heavy, his eyes as deep as the night sky.
His sincerity was palpable.
But she could not.
As a descendant of the Speda ducal family.
As a warrior.
She had no intention of sitting idle and missing the opportunity to wash away past humiliations.
“The defeat of the past is just that, the past. Now, it’s time to step forward and move on.”
Moreover, the situation was different from before.
She wielded her ancestor’s sword in her hand,
and after relentless training, she had become much stronger.
Not only that.
The trustworthy warriors of the north stood with her.
Luciana turned to her soldiers, her long hair fluttering.
“Soldiers, have you seen? Dare the demons flaunt themselves on the land of the north!”
She raised the communication crystal high for them to witness Bathory’s magical storm.
And with the other hand, she drew the sword that had slain countless demons, held by her ancestors.
The soldiers’ faces reflected on the pure white blade.
Admiration and trust were firmly placed in her.
“Will we just stand by and watch? Turn away now if you do not feel anger at them trampling and violating our land. I won’t blame you. But I will charge forward.”
Luciana.
She might lack the polish and political acumen expected of nobility, but as a knight and a commander, she was without fault.
“Lady Luciana is leading the charge?”
“If even our noblest is doing so, how can we turn our backs?”
“And how can we just stand by and let demons run amok in our land?”
Many soldiers were captivated by the charisma of the silver-haired girl.
This soon became evident in their actions.
-Thud thud.
To what might be a deathly battlefield, inspired by Luciana’s speech, the soldiers slowly raised their spears.
“Good! There are no cowards here, only brave warriors of the north ready to fight for our country! Follow me! Think only of the victory that lies ahead!”
-Roar!
Morale was at its peak.
Luciana smiled proudly at the sight of the soldiers ready to march.
***
‘This is bad. I didn’t expect Bathory to not move from that spot.’
I thought I had it under control.
But to mess up at a time like this.
I nervously rubbed my sweating hands.
From the looks of it, Bathory was planning to confront them head-on, but the crystal was shattered before I could warn them about the doppelganger, Freedman.
Moreover, Luciana’s form in leading the soldiers was anything but ordinary.
As if awakened to avenge her past humiliation, she captivated the soldiers with a speech filled with her unique charisma.
I found myself unable to do anything but stare dumbfounded at her beautiful figure.
By the time I came to my senses, it was too late to dampen the soldiers’ heightened morale.
“Given the situation, I need to change my approach.”
The easiest plan of avoiding conflict and finding a new hiding place was no longer viable.
It was time to implement a new strategy.
“Lady Luciana, I will take my leave for a moment.”
“…Huh? That’s unexpected. What for?”
I mentioned the key figure of my prepared backup plan.
“It’s best to be thoroughly prepared. Shouldn’t we mobilize all available forces? I know of some who can lend us their strength.”
“And who might that be?”
“The Earl of Frontal.”
A significant family that held the financial reins of the north, symbolized by the polar bear.
“Their support would surely be beneficial.”
“Hmm. It’s a good idea, but I wonder if they’ll readily offer their support.”
“We have a just cause. Demons emerging not at the border but within the northern lands itself, it would be too burdensome for them to refuse.”
‘In fact, they might even jump at the opportunity, not wanting to miss a chance to strengthen ties with the influential Speda family of the north. ‘
Plus, they wouldn’t miss it for another reason as well.
I recalled a conversation I once had with Elizabeth.
-Ah, Lucy. When will you come to me like that again?
-Now that you mention it, I’m curious. I understand emotions can be sweet, but how did you fall so deeply for Lady Luciana? Her face?
-Hmph, what would you know?
Elizabeth, twisting a lock of hair and sighing, started her complaint.
-Do you know how much commerce is looked down upon in the north?
Well, I’m not from around here.
-Everything is about buying positions with money, fake nobility and all that nonsense. Ah, but even so, Lucy treated me without prejudice………
The endless praise for Luciana that followed wasn’t important; the crux was that part.
A battle against demons led personally by the knight and the lady.
At a time when all of the north’s attention is focused here, it’s an opportunity to change the image among the lord’s subjects and the surrounding nobility.
In commerce, winning public favor is paramount, and they wouldn’t overlook the scent of gold.
“Leave it to me. I will surely return leading reinforcements.”
I was the best choice for an envoy, officially engaged to Elizabeth.
“Hmm. I wonder if it’s really necessary. But as you say, receiving support can’t hurt.”
Luciana readily nodded.
“Alright. Go and return quickly.”
“Yes! I will ensure success!”
“Don’t be too late. Your strength will be a significant help.”
…Honestly, leaving her behind makes me uneasy.
I approached to offer a word of caution, whispering.
“And don’t place too much trust in Freedman.”
“Hmm? That’s surprising. Did he do something wrong?”
“…No. It might just be my unnecessary worry, so please disregard it.”
Perhaps the only consolation is that the doppelganger’s priority isn’t Luciana.
‘But Bathory must also survive.’
She’s a useful weapon and a sharp dagger against the Demon King.
I had no intention of standing by while that guy dulls her edge.
“Charge!”
After finishing the greetings, I quickly turned my horse towards the Frontal territory and pulled out another crystal orb.
‘Originally, it’s a virtue to collect as many relics, treasures, and artifacts as possible when you can.’
I never thought I’d be wasting them like this.
“Lady Elizabeth, can you hear me?”
·What is it this time? If you’re contacting me first, it must be something bothersome.
As I reached out using the remembered magical signal, an extremely annoyed voice came through the crystal orb.
-I’m busy these days. The demons, who had been quiet, are causing trouble, keeping me up all night with supply checks, paperwork, and managing workers. I don’t have the leisure to entertain your requests…
“Is that so? That’s too bad. I had created another opportunity to get closer to Lady Luciana. If that’s the case, I’ll have to proceed with the plan on my own.”
-………But! I can make some time. After all, it’s a request from my fiancé. Go on, tell me.
As always, hopelessly devoted to Luciana.
Thanks to that, negotiations seemed likely to proceed smoothly.
-Supporting the military does come with its risks, but this case clearly has its advantages.
“Then, send support immediately to the coordinates I’ve sent…”
-But this is just my opinion. It’s impossible for me to send troops right away.
What kind of nonsense is this?
After hearing everything, to say such a thing…
“Don’t you understand? It’s not just Bathory in danger. If things go wrong, Lady Luciana could also…”
-I know, I’d like nothing more than to rush out there myself! But handling such a big matter as military support is beyond my authority.
An unexpected practical issue.
Even she, with the power to wrangle family affairs to her advantage, seemed to have no control over military matters.
-After all, a noble lady, not yet of age, leading troops is something only Luciana can do.
“I see.”
Useless.
Then, the plan to enlist Elizabeth’s help was also scrapped.
Just as I was about to turn off the communication in the crystal orb.
-Wait, wait! Don’t hang up! There is a way!
“What is it?”
My voice had cooled considerably, and I could hear a gulp from the other side of the orb.
-If I don’t have the authority, then we just need to ask someone who does. You’re my fiancé, so you have every right to request a meeting.
“Are you talking about Earl Frontal?”
Indeed.
The great noble who inherited her trading company, owning the largest trade union in the north.
Naturally, he was also the ruler encompassing all the powers of the Frontal earldom, including military authority.
“I’ll head to his territory right away.”
Everything is for Luciana
And, albeit slightly, for Bathory too
“I’ve faced down dukes, an earl is nothing.”
With bravado loaded in one shot, I spurred my horse on.
Cliche Novel 