Chapter 94: Townsperson A Heads to the Land of the Decisive Battle with the Villainess

The year turned, marking the onset of the season’s harshest cold.

It appeared the Est Empire forces besieging Luluden had finally been routed. I say "appeared" because I’d already withdrawn every spy I had inside Luluden, leaving me without the finer details. My assessment was based entirely on reports filtered in from spies stationed in the neighboring towns.

The catalyst for pulling back had been the news that Amy had managed to wrap even The Church around her finger.

Though many people in this region aren't particularly devout, the populace is, by and large, comprised of followers of The Church. If she secured their official endorsement, it wouldn't matter that Amy was actually The Witch; the masses would fall in line, believing she was a Saint.

If my spies were compromised through Church channels, the entire network would be dismantled from the inside. I’d decided to cut my losses and withdraw before that could happen.

In light of these developments, we coordinated with Duke Schlestien to finalize the Royal Capital Reclamation Operation and put it into motion.

First, the Second Prince Faction—spearheaded by Duke Schlestien’s forces—advanced on Luluden with the Second Prince acting as Commander-in-Chief. In support, the Kingdom of Ramslett provided food aid and conducted large-scale military drills along the southern and southwestern borders of Centlaren. It was a classic feint, a move to keep the Crown Prince Faction’s army pinned down through indirect pressure.

As a result, the Second Prince’s forces managed to surround Luluden with little resistance.

The troops remaining in Luluden were likely a shell of their former selves after clashing with the Est Empire, but the true variable was the soldiers of the Royal Capital. Now little more than fanatics, there was no telling how much resistance they would put up.

With our own preparations complete, we made our way to the camp of the Second Prince and Duke Schlestien, just as planned.

Rather than using Vytol Custom, we hitched a ride on Jerome’s back, landing smack-dab in the center of the command post. For the record, I hadn't exactly asked Jerome for a favor. After I’d spent a fair amount of time bribing him with meat, Melissa simply ordered him to take us.

Naturally, I’d offered up five Orcs’ worth of meat as a token of gratitude, so Melissa’s pantry should be well-stocked for the time being.

"Aaaaahhh! Monster!"

"Enough! Stay your panic! This was in the report!"

Duke Schlestien stepped forward to calm the soldiers of the Second Prince Faction, who had broken into a panic at the sight of Jerome.

"It has been some time, Your Excellency."

I carried Ana bridal-style as I hopped off Jerome's back, setting her down before offering my greetings.

Ana was dressed in white today—outfitted in something functional yet somehow still radiating a divine aura. To put it in gaming terms, she looked like a Saint who’d picked up a sword to become an adventurer. This was a calculated move, of course—a visual message that justice was on our side and our opponent was The Witch.

"It has been a while, Duke Schlestien, Prince Ludwig."

"C-Could it be? Sister-in-law?"

"Your Highness! Mind your tongue!" the Duke barked. "I did not expect Her Highness, Princess Anastasia, to grace us with her presence in person."

In contrast to Duke Schlestien, who immediately dropped to one knee, the Second Prince simply stared at Anastasia with a stunned, vacant expression. Ana made no secret of her displeasure.

"Prince Ludwig, I am not your sister-in-law, nor do I ever intend to be. Have you no shame, addressing a woman who is already spoken for in such a manner? Or is this a deliberate insult?"

"Eh? But…?"

"Your Highness! Apologize this instant!" the Duke hissed, cornering the prince. "This is the First Princess of the Kingdom of Ramslett, and she is betrothed to the Hero, Lord Allen. Do you intend to sabotage our one chance at retaking the Royal Capital?!"

The Second Prince seemed taken aback by Ana's icy tone, but under the Duke’s harsh questioning, he scrambled to offer an apology.

"Princess Anastasia, please forgive me. It was a lapse in judgment, a remnant of old habits. And… allow me to offer my congratulations on your engagement to Lord Allen the Hero."

"It is fine. I accept the apology," Ana replied. "However, do not forget that I am Allen’s fiancée—and his alone."

Ana directed that last remark toward Duke Schlestien rather than the Second Prince. She was likely driving the point home to prevent any "unnecessary" ideas from taking root in the Duke's head, but the Second Prince—completely oblivious—simply bowed in relief. It’s safe to say that even if the leadership of this country passes to the Second Prince, the future looks bleak.

"So then," the Duke asked, "how do we break the spell of that Witch, Amy?"

"The ritual for a spell targeting the whole of Luluden is already prepared," I explained. "However, the effect only reaches those who are outdoors. It won't penetrate stone walls or rooftops."

"Then our task is to draw out as many of them as possible?"

"Exactly. Once you raise the signal fire at the opportune moment, we’ll trigger the magic. But be warned: we only have one shot at this. If you mistime the signal, it’s a wasted effort, and we’ll be left with very few options. The success of this operation rests entirely on the Commander-in-Chief’s judgment. I trust you’re up to the task?"

I turned my gaze toward the Second Prince.

"I-I understand, Lord Allen. I will watch the tides of battle closely and signal when the time is right."

"I'm counting on you. Neither my King nor Her Highness wishes for us to overstep or spill more blood than necessary. Pray, do not disappoint us."

"Ah… yes. Leave it to us."

Duke Schlestien was the one to answer, likely because the Second Prince didn't grasp the weight of my words. It was, essentially, a declaration: if they fumbled the play, we would be taking over.

Naturally, the "one-shot" limit was a lie. And if push came to shove, we were prepared to storm the castle ourselves. If stopping Amy required it, I was fully intent on breaching the walls and taking her head personally.

But we were here as representatives of a foreign power. We had to make sure the favors we sold were priced at a premium.

"Excellent. We'll head to our station, then."

With the agreement reached, we mounted Jerome once more and flew to a nearby hill that offered a sweeping, panoramic view of the battlefield.