Chapter 266: The Fall of the Border 2

Liliana and the others arrived at Fort Phinis two days after the smoke signal had risen. It was a punishing forced march requiring multiple horse changes along the way. Their primary concern had been Liliana’s stamina, but she was capable of using healing magic. With Riley’s support as well, they traveled down the highway at astonishing speed.

Having been closer to Phinis than the center of Margrave Calvert’s territory was, and despite dispatching messengers several times along the road to exchange intelligence, they arrived at Fort Phinis around the exact same time as Beverly and her forces.

“Lady Emilia?”

Dismounting from their steeds, the party’s eyes widened in surprise upon spotting an unexpected figure among those who had come to greet them.

It had only been days since they parted ways with Emilia Navy and Angus Calvert. Riley, Liliana, and the others had returned to the town of Senf, while Emilia and Angus stayed behind in Baron Navy’s domain. Upon receiving word that Phinis had fallen to the enemy, Angus alone was meant to rush to the front—Emilia should have remained in the barony.

Watching Clyde and the others make no attempt to hide their shock, Liliana was the only one who understood what was happening.

The fall of Fort Phinis was one of the early events in the otome game. If the player chose the option for the heroine, Emilia, to come to Phinis, the affection points for the crown prince, Riley, the imperial guard knight, Austin, and the ducal heir, Clyde, would increase. While the route had not branched yet, this was a pivotal factor in the subsequent route selection.

Had Emilia traveled to the royal capital instead of Phinis, the mage Belasta’s affection would have risen, and had she headed to Margrave Kennys’s domain, the affection of the neighboring prince, Rowland, and the hidden character would have gone up.

(Since she is here, it is safe to assume she will proceed down the route of either Will, Lord Austin, or my brother.)

Liliana murmured inwardly.

From among the welcoming party, a single woman stepped forward. It was the cross-dressing beauty, Beverly Calvert.

“Your Highness, I am deeply grateful that you took the trouble to travel all this way.”

Dressed in practical, easily movable attire well-suited for the battlefield, Beverly executed a graceful bow before Riley, who had dismounted from his horse. Riley shook his head.

“We happened to be in the vicinity. It seems Margrave Kennys’s domain came under attack from neighboring lords as well, and his forces have their hands full dealing with that.”

“...Most likely, they were colluding with the enemy army that infiltrated Fort Phinis.”

Riley nodded in agreement with Beverly’s assessment.

En route to Phinis, Riley had gathered intelligence on the situations in the capital and Margrave Kennys’s territory. While not on as massive a scale as before, the private armies of the local lords had begun marching on Kennys’s domain. Fortunately, there were no signs of the Northern Immigrants wielding supernatural abilities, so the report indicated the Kennys Knights could handle the assault on their own.

As for the royal capital, word came that the Advisory Council had resolved not to mobilize the Royal Knights, ostensibly to demonstrate that diplomatic relations with the Yunatian Empire remained peaceful and intact.

“I suspect my absence from the capital was also part of their design,” Riley added bitterly.

After they quickly exchanged information, Riley spoke with palpable frustration.

Had Riley been at the royal palace, he could have utilized his authority as crown prince to issue royal decrees commanding the nobles to send reinforcements to the Calvert Knights. But Riley was away on an inspection tour. Thus, he was unable to issue any decrees, leaving the Advisory Council to make decisions in his stead. Under ordinary circumstances, the king should have issued royal orders, but the monarch was a man who habitually danced to the council’s tune. Even if he experienced a sudden change of heart and tried to intervene, he lacked the acumen to outmaneuver the council nobles in debate.

Gauging Riley’s frustration without him needing to say another word, Beverly gave a comforting shrug.

“As the saying goes, what is done cannot be undone. For now, our efforts are best focused on reclaiming Fort Phinis.”

“Indeed, you are quite right. Have you already devised a plan?”

Looking up, Riley nodded with a self-deprecating smile and steered the conversation back to the main subject. Beverly gave a single nod.

“Yes. Upon learning of Your Highness’s arrival, I made minor adjustments to our plan, but the broad strokes are set. At present, we are having our scouts probe the state of the enemy forces occupying the fort.”

“Given that it fell in a single night, have you confirmed the involvement of mages?”

Beverly raised an eyebrow and looked at Riley. An approving glint shone in her eyes, as if she had gained a newfound respect for him. Smiling with amused satisfaction, she gave a bold nod.

“Naturally, I have not overlooked that. It appears the mages allied with them are few in number, but enemy spies were evidently hiding among the peasants who frequently came and went from the fortress.”

“Spies... Ah, I see. A teleportation circle was erected inside the fortress, wasn’t it?”

After a brief moment of thought, Riley swiftly arrived at that conclusion.

Looking upon Riley with satisfaction as he grasped the situation with flawless accuracy from her brief report, Beverly curved her crimson-painted lips into an elegant smile.

“Indeed. No other explanation fits the facts.”

Furthermore, if the teleportation circle smuggled into the fortress remained operational, even a successful siege would leave them vulnerable to enemy reinforcements suddenly materializing right under their feet at any moment. Considering that three apprentice knights were also being held captive inside, swift execution of their operation was of paramount importance.

To that end, Beverly explained that she intended to form a strike unit composed exclusively of the Calvert Knights’ greatest elites.

“A small, elite detachment, then?”

“Yes, precisely so, Your Highness.”

Beverly nodded in confirmation.

“However, we must also lure the enemy into letting down their guard. To do so, I intend to establish a siege line and make them believe our main force is helplessly bogged down in a stalemate.”

“I see,” Riley murmured with understanding.

Riley nodded in agreement. But there was a catch. The Calvert Knights were not limitless in number. If the visible count of knights dropped unnaturally, the enemy might well see through their strategy.

“Which brings me to a special favor I must ask of Your Highness...”

Beverly murmured, casting a meaningful glance toward Riley. Though the woman once heralded as the flower of high society retained all of her stunning beauty, the unyielding will burning in her eyes rivaled that of any battle-hardened warrior.

＊＊＊＊＊

Having readily agreed to Beverly’s proposal, Riley held a thorough briefing on the upcoming operation, factoring in the guards they had brought with them. Unforeseen developments were par for the course on the battlefield, of course. Thus, they allowed for a degree of flexibility while taking care to prevent any confusion in the chain of command should an emergency arise.

All that remained was to await the appointed hour. Gazing at the Calvert Knights and the militia gathered from Baron Navy’s domain and nearby villages in the distance, Riley and the others passed a quiet, restful interval in a camp pitched safely out of sight from the fortress.

“Lady Emilia, I never expected to find you here as well,” Riley said.

Having caught his breath, Riley spoke to Emilia Navy upon seeing her face for the first time in several days. Liliana widened her eyes slightly, putting on an appearance of mild surprise.

Having seemingly grown somewhat accustomed to Riley and Liliana, Emilia gave a composed, quiet nod.

“When I heard Fort Phinis had fallen, I accompanied Lord Angus as he hurried back.”

“Still, is it not far too dangerous for you?”

It was Austin who inquired with genuine concern. His worry was only natural. Everyone present knew Emilia was capable of riding a horse, but she was an ordinary baron’s daughter. There was no way she was accustomed to war.

When he pointed this out, Emilia shook her head with a serious expression.

“Lady Beverly has been teaching me magic and swordsmanship. While this will be my first real battle... if Phinis has fallen, my domain cannot remain uninvolved.”

Just as Emilia said, peasants had gathered from Baron Navy’s domain as militiamen. Because Navy territory lay some distance from Phinis, Angus had reportedly not requested their accompaniment, yet volunteers who caught wind of the rumors had stepped forward of their own accord.

Ordinary farmers would never dream of joining a war of indefinite duration. Leaving behind their fields, livestock, and homes for who knew how long was out of the question. Yet among the peasantry of Baron Navy’s domain, there seemed to be exceptions.

“Both Lord Angus and Lady Beverly have always treated us with such great kindness,” Emilia explained, her cheeks flushing faintly.

That was why they felt indebted to them, she added. Her expression radiated deep respect for Beverly and Angus; Emilia truly revered Margrave Calvert and her heir from the bottom of her heart.

Observing Emilia and the capture targets with cool, detached eyes, Liliana tasted an unsettled feeling within her chest.

Emilia was undeniably charming and admirable, devoid of any spite or pretension. To Riley and the others, it was likely an utter mystery why a baron’s daughter would venture onto a battlefield. Even with some knowledge of magic and swordplay, she was woefully out of place.

And yet, Liliana herself was the daughter of a duke. She belonged here even less than Emilia did.

She was present only because Riley had requested her company; had things gone according to her initial thoughts, she would have slipped away unnoticed to visit Phinis entirely on her own.

(Things rarely go as planned, do they?)

Roaming freely around Phinis without anyone noticing was worlds apart in terms of ease compared to acting under the watchful eyes of Riley and the others in accordance with Beverly’s strategy. As the former, Liliana could remain a mere bystander. But once entangled, she was an active participant. The composure she could maintain as an onlooker could all too easily crumble once she became personally involved.

(Is this inner turmoil also because I am here in person?)

To steady herself, Liliana let out a faint breath. Having observed her mother, she knew all too well how unsightly it was to be swept away by emotion. Her birth mother, Belinda, had served as nothing less than an object lesson in what never to become.

“Sasha?”

Riley approached soundlessly and called to her in a voice meant for her ears alone, prompting Liliana to lift her head. Fortunately, no one else had noticed her. Looking up, she was met by Riley’s concerned eyes.

Liliana curved the corners of her lips as if nothing were amiss.

“Is something the matter, Your Highness?”

“You looked a little pale,” Riley replied softly.

“I was worried,” he added. His concern for her was entirely genuine, and realizing that, the heavy unease that had settled over Liliana’s heart quietly melted away.

“Thank you for your concern, but I am quite alright.”

“...It’s rather difficult for me to know just how much I can trust your ‘I’m alright,’ though,” Riley chuckled wryly.

Even so, he made no attempt to press her further, much to Liliana’s quiet relief. Even if he had interrogated her, she did not fully understand her own feelings anyway.

Until the day she learned she was a creation born of forbidden magical experiments—and that a spell suppressing her emotions had been placed upon her as a result—Liliana had been utterly indifferent to her own feelings. It was only natural, given that her emotions had never fluctuated enough for her to perceive them. Yet now that she was aware of it, her emotional depth seemed to be gradually awakening. Of the nearly fourteen years she had lived since birth, the time she had spent confronting the turbulent presence of her feelings amounted to less than a single year. That she could maintain her composure despite that was thanks to the rigorous training she had undergone since childhood as a crown princess candidate, and, ironically, the memories of other souls implanted in her by that forbidden art. At least, that was what Liliana believed.

“There is still time before the operation begins. It might be difficult given the circumstances, but you should try to rest until then.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Liliana offered a polite, obedient word of thanks for Riley’s thoughtful consideration.

The operation was set for dawn. However, Liliana intended to do some work of her own before that.

The very first vital key to Austin’s route in the otome game of her past life—that was the captured apprentice knights.

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Toc