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Francesca Viole Etre Setulev had been the eldest daughter born to King Lazarus, the reigning monarch of Setulev, and his former lawful queen, Loreina. However, due to an extraordinary and usually unacceptable measure, she had already been dethroned, and she should have rightfully been known as “Francesca Viole Foster.”

Her political standing was lost when her mother’s infidelity led to baseless accusations claiming that both Monica, her younger sister, and Francesca were not legitimate heirs of King Lazarus. Despite the accusers knowing the falsehood of their claims, she was forced to leave the royal palace.

Nevertheless, Francesca found herself under the watchful eye of the ducal family, who allowed her to embark on adventurer activities, passing them off as “warrior training.”

Some nobles clamored for her to be kept under house arrest and constant surveillance, while others even suggested more extreme measures such as assassination. Yet, her father, King Lazarus, came to her defense, granting her a measure of freedom.

Her affinity for the Regalia surpassed even that of her father, with an astonishing rate of 99.7%.

Her exceptional talents were too valuable to discard, and many considered how she could be of use. Perhaps she might be needed in dire situations when a Regalia user was essential, or serve as a deterrent against potential betrayals by other Regalia users, capable of seizing their powers.

Consequently, she was granted permission to undergo “warrior training” as a result.

Francesca, also known as Viola, had raised her staff of shimmering indigo, resembling flowing water, towards the heavens.

The clouds of doom were etched in ripple-like patterns, and the angelic ladder of crepuscular rays appeared in the rain-soaked battlefield. It was a divine spectacle that left everyone in awe, causing them to momentarily forget about the ongoing battle, almost bringing them to their knees.

“Really… You could’ve just told me from the beginning,” Lucella spoke in slight exasperation.

“It’s not like I was intentionally hiding anything. It was just a matter of timing, you see,” replied Tim, who had disguised himself as a Setulev knight, appearing next to Lucella and making excuses.

Lucella had only learned about Viola’s past when they were in the process of planning the defense of Mount Kuguse. It was surprising, but upon reflection, there were aspects that made sense, and she got retorted back by Viola, saying, “Isn’t being a dragon’s foster daughter rarer compared to a dethroned-princess-turned-adventurer?” which was pretty spot on.

“Protect Setulev! Follow Her Highness the Princess!!”
“““Yeaaaaahhhhh!!”””

The roaring cheers, akin to the ferocious cries of dragons, erupted from all directions, resounding through the air.

At the heart of the defense force stood the troops of Duke Foster, who governed the area surrounding Mount Kuguse. To them, Francesca remained to be “ their princess.”

As she took charge on the frontline, delivering a decisive blow, the knights and soldiers were filled with such unwavering zeal that they seemed to forget about life and death. They would fight with exuberance and fervor until their bodies could no longer move, surrendering to the joy and excitement of the moment.

Like crumpled scraps of paper being crushed, the formation of Marquis Angus’ army began to falter.

The advantage of Setulev’s forces became evident as if they had suddenly doubled in strength.

The shift in the tide of battle was palpable, felt through their eyes and skin.

“Charge! The Red Dragon will take time to return, and the Regalia cannot be used for an attack right now! They are merely three opponents; what is there to fear! All of you, overwhelm them!”

Even without the power of the Regalia, Julian continued to roar.

His voice cut through the tumultuous noise, resolute and unyielding, even in the face of imminent danger.

Lucella recalled that Julian’s father also had a good commanding voice. It seemed to be an inherited trait, as well as the result of his education as a battle commander.

However, the knights of Martgartz stood motionless, seemingly exhausted.

“If we do that, maybe we can win… but I’ll probably die,” someone muttered quietly.

Though spoken in a relatively low voice, the words reverberated like the sound of a bell.

Julian was visibly taken aback.

“Hey, all of you! This is your master’s command! If you follow my orders, we can win! Why can’t you understand that!!”
“Protect the Marquis!”
“Follow me!”

In response to Julian’s tantrum-like orders, several young knights complied.

With eyes filled with fanatical fervor, they charged toward Lucella, seemingly disregarding their own lives.

As Lucella raised her hand towards the ground, the earth reddened and surged upward.

The rising lava emitted a pleasing sound and steam, rapidly cooling as it mingled with the swirling water.

It was a lava stone sword similar to the one that had been given to her by Shurei.

“Gwah!”
“Gya!”

Closing in with lightning-like speed, Lucella swung the massive sword that could only be described as a lump of rock, surpassing her height, and dealt a decisive blow.

The sound of shattering armor echoed, and the few knights were collectively blown away.

Yes, only a few of them had moved.

The rest of the knights stood there, seemingly burdened by heavy fatigue, rooted to the spot.

There was no longer anyone attempting to attack Lucella.

“We haven’t lost yet! I haven’t lost yet! This is just a temporary setback! Obey me! Do you intend to lead us to destruction? If we’re defeated and survive, you’ll all be sent to the guillotine, you know?!”

Julian’s voice resounded like a dog with its tail set on fire.

However, the knights remained motionless.

Even with the looming threat of execution after defeat, they had already given up on fighting.

They seemed like puppets with their strings cut, collapsing to the ground, never to move again.

As Lucella advanced, the knights retreated like receding waves.

Their fear was apparent.

Some individuals looked at Julian with a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

Their sentiment, “I don’t want to die for someone like him,” was evident and undeniable.

With trembling hands, Julian reached for the sword at his waist.

But he was shaking so much that he couldn’t draw it.

“W-What, what should I do in a situation like this?! Why didn’t you teach me, Father!!”

Holding the massive lava stone sword on her shoulder, Lucella closed in with a single step.

Then, a bright red flower bloomed. In this battlefield, which already housed hundreds of such flowers, one more was added.

Just like all the others, it neither stood out nor paled in comparison—a simple blood flower, representing a single life.

“Ask your daddy in hell.”
“Bwha…”

The roughly shaped boulder-like sword pierced through Julian’s armor and flesh, impaling him entirely.

The lava rock sword that used to hold its shape turned hot red once again.

The sword melted and blazed up, while Julian’s body, burned by the primordial flames both internally and externally, turned into ashes in the blink of an eye.