“Your Excellency, they did not attack.”
Marvel stood at the top of the city wall and looked down at the empty area in the valley. He chuckled, “It appears humanity is not too confident in their strength.”
“Shall we initiate an attack, then? We will attack them again as we did on the first night!”
“No. A tactic can only be used once. We will only suffer severe losses if we use it again. They did not know that we could attack from within the snowdrift last time, but they know that it is a possible tactic now, so there is no way they will fall for it. Since the human army has set up camp and gone on the defensive, we would be marching to our deaths if we attacked them now.”
“But we have reached our limit. We can only hold on for a maximum of three days with our remaining provisions. Your Excellency, our soldiers have the courage and determination to fight, but they cannot fight the enemy on an empty stomach!!”
Marvel frowned. His adjutant was right. He, himself, was also worried about that. For some reason, it felt as though somebody had been here. The nearby residents chose not to aid them. In fact, they avoided the men he sent out. It was as though they liked humanity more, and randomly resented him and his company.
‘Just who was it that said something behind our backs? Are you saying that the humans thought it through this far, and therefore sent out someone to instigate the people? But why did our people believe the humans instead of their own kind? Could it be that Ling Yue is still alive? Did Ling Yue use the Moon Fox Tribe’s influence?’
The Moon Fox Tribe held a very high status in the hearts of the people, for they were approachable. Those residing in the zone under their jurisdiction led very fulfilling lives, and their tribe leader was a respectable elder. The people weren’t convinced that their tribe was exterminated due to “treason” and “misleading the people.” The people below were most likely suspicious of the four tribes.
‘What’s this considered? I want to protect them, yet they don’t want to protect themselves?’
Marvel was slightly upset. He was now questioning what he was fighting this for. He wanted to protect the continent, yet the people of the continent chose to believe humanity, who was the invader, rather than him.
‘Was it the work of Ling Yue or not?’
He only saw a fiery red silhouette from within the distance, but the silhouette sat with a human. A random feeling of irritation surged up within him. He had no idea where the feeling came from. Did it come from his weird possessive desire or was it because he felt he owed her? Perhaps it was both.
He had no choice but to give up on Ling Yue at the time. It was impossible for him to shelter her despite her crying so pitifully and him feeling as if his heart was being stabbed. He had his own family and his own tribe. He had to serve his tribe wholeheartedly. He couldn’t throw his tribe into the abyss of doom just for a woman, so he had no choice.
However, he had to admit that he genuinely loved Ling Yue. The pretty, cute and smart girl caught his heart right from the get go. If he didn’t succeed the leader position of his tribe, his child with her might be calling him ‘dad’ already.
Now, though, could he still pick up his sword if she was on the other side?
Marvel looked down at his sword. The sword was passed down generation after generation within his tribe. It was the sword that carried the honour and blood of his tribe. He grabbed the sword handle with a simple pattern. He once raised it up in front of everyone with spirit, but he now felt it was too heavy for the first time, so heavy that he couldn’t lift it.
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I watched my soldiers moving about around me. I went around on my steed. Next to me were strategists and a small number of soldiers. I had my guards and the soldiers build the camp together to express my stance. The camp could be considered a simple fortress. I couldn’t say with certainty that we’d be able to capture the fortified city walls right off the bat, but I was confident that there was no way they could drive us back to the cliff. No way.
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Current time at Troy City.
“Your Majesty, the frontlines have sent a letter back. It was personally written by His Majesty.”
“Give it to me! Give it to me!!!”
Elizabeth jumped up from her bed, vigorously knocking the tray over and snatching the letter over, causing her breakfast to spill on the ground. Castell hopelessly looked at the food now all over the ground. He sighed. It seemed that the ladies-in-waiting would have their hands full soon, and he’d have work, too.
The Empress even forgot to refer to herself correctly as an Empress, and instead, referred to herself as anybody, including commoners, would refer to themself. That was just normal, though. After His Majesty left, the Empress was always absentminded. She always stared toward the North, expecting His Majesty who was yet to return. The army that came over as reinforcements was on standby. It was as though the Empress could jump up at any moment and personally lead the army north to rescue her son.
Elizabeth shook as she tore open the letter and spread it out as though she couldn’t wait. The letters on the letter was the handwriting she was familiar with. It was her most beloved son’s handwriting. She recognised it with a single glance. Elizabeth sat on her bed in her thin sleepwear. She read the letter with her black eyes full of tenderness. She wore a blissful smile on her face that could virtually melt everything around, including Castell’s heart.
“It’s very cold in the North. The scarf you made me is no match for the cold. If possible, I hope you can weave me a new one that is thicker. I really like the scarf you wove me. Love you, Mom.
Your most beloved son, Troy Galadriel Rosvenor.”
Elizabeth gently ran her finger tip over the sentence “Love you, mom.”
Big droplets of tears coursed down her face and landed on the letter. Elizabeth jerked her body, and then quickly hugged the letter, afraid that her tears would smudge his letters. It was safest on her chest. It was as important as her own heart, or, perhaps, even more.
Elizabeth wiped her tears. She carefully stored the letter away. She placed it under her pillow. She then looked at Castell and raised her voice, “Nobody is to touch this letter. I must be able to see the letter at all times, understood? Castell.”
“I understand.”
Castell made a small bow then looked at the Empress. She looked back at him as though she realised something. She slowly pulled her blanket over to cover her body. She then cleared her throat gently, “Don’t enter without my prior permission in the future, Castell. Just place my breakfast at the door.”
“That…”
“Mm… I… don’t want to let anybody besides my son see my body now, so be a little mindful.”
“Uhm… Understood.”
Glossary
*When the narration talks about how Elizabeth addressed herself incorrectly, it’s referring to herself using the “I” used by everyone, as opposed to the one used by an Emperor/Empress. In other words, she used 我 instead of 朕.
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