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I arrived at the battlefield swiftly after the disaster tore through the land. It had taken some time for me to arrive, but my heroes performed reasonably well, just as I had expected. Thanks to them, I made it in time. Summoning the heroes had not been a mistake.

We had simply been unlucky.

However, after actually fighting a war like this, the importance of time became awfully visible to me. It took time just to move around. It took even more time to advance an attack.

It was more frustrating than exasperating. Thanks to my arrival, the war situation, once beginning to falter, was restored. Thanks in part to Takatoshi’s unexpected growth, Fraus’ victory in the war was all but assured.

But this was also why it was frustrating. We needed to win quickly and bring the spirit back to our homeland as soon as possible. Once the spirit was returned and the domestic environment was stabilized, we had to pursue peace and tranquility at home.

While it was regrettable that I had moved forward while the seeds of unrest had already been sown, luckily, they had not even begun to sprout. Still, nothing was better than the thought of returning home quickly.

I had considered going back once, but we were set to reach the capital of Nigel tomorrow. The best way to rebuild Fraus was to make sure that the spirit was controlled and brought back to us.

I had a concern, though… The supplies for the war that Fraus was sending us were extremely low, shockingly scarce.

We had originally assumed we would seize supplies from Nigel’s cities during our attack, but even so, it was impossible to ignore the fact that our provisions were dwindling. From what I had heard, the disaster had made it impossible to deliver enough supplies to Nigel.

There was nothing unusual about that. Unlike the Fraus’ army, which could take what it needed from Nigel, the kingdom had to supply itself with things. Thanks to the supplies we had gathered for the war, we were also able to provide support for the recent disaster.

I was well aware of the situation. Regrettably, the war had reduced the number of soldiers, so we had more than enough provisions. We could win the war. We could secure the spirit. Despite the disasters, we could recover. But something felt off…

“Is there something wrong?”

Soter, who had come with me, asked, and I looked up.

“While a disaster occurred, I feel like things are going too well. I feel like we’re overlooking something, something important.”
“The morale of the soldiers has returned. I’d say we’ve achieved our original goal. If you feel like it, we can return to Fraus.”

Soter asked me, prompting me to gather my thoughts.

(Go back now? No. Returning isn’t an option now. Going back at this point could create a rift that will one day destroy Fraus.)

“No. Returning is not an option.”
“That’s unfortunate.”

Soter shook her head, as if genuinely sorry and resigned at the same time. She had been against my coming to the battlefield. But there were times when risks had to be taken. And I knew this was one of them.

“I knew that. That is who you are, Princess Topersion. You are also the one who thinks most about Fraus. But please, just this once, could you forget about your country and concentrate on what is in front of you?”
“You’re right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Although we had won, we hadn’t technically won yet. Stressing over Fraus could lead to me making other mistakes. Though reluctant, I knew I had to do my best to focus on what was right in front of me.

Besides, Soter was the only person outside the royal family I could truly trust, if not even more so than the royals. She had been with me since childhood, and we had shared countless hardships and joys. She was the only one to whom I wasn’t afraid to show my weaknesses, and the only one I could rely on without question.

I would naturally consider her advice.

I wasn’t in a rush, but I had to act swiftly. I would show her that I could bring down Nigel.

“Tomorrow, we storm the royal capital. Make sure to take a good night’s rest, Your Highness.”
“I will. Good night, Soter.”

◇◇◇

At the Fraus army encampment, at the place that would become the final scene for the war tomorrow, two shadows lingered, holding their breath. One was female, the other male. They huddled together under the moonlight, not looking the least bit friendly. If anything, the woman looked completely fed up with the situation.

“Your job is to deliver the message. Do as you’re told. Tell them to make their preparations without rushing.”
“Certainly. I will return immediately and convey this information to the master.”
“Though it is my duty, it is difficult not being able to return.”
“I will tell the master that you have saved their life. He won’t blame you for staying behind.”
“I sure hope so. Still, I believe he’s counting on me. So I’ll hold out a little longer.”

With that, the two shadows parted, and one of them ran off in a different direction from Nigel’s capital, vanishing into the darkness.