XVIII

The outcome of the Kemele election was a farce. By any moral standard, the purpose of the two armies surrounding Kengrad is invisible.

Deresa's agents sabotaged the Federalists' attempt to take power, but Lennie's politician officers also undermined the legitimacy of the Dominion. Later, the unwilling Free Army and the Imperial Army attacked each other's camps and interfered with the election together. In this battle of sneak attack and counter-sneak attack, more than half of the personnel of the Fifth National "Halberd" Division of the Free Army were captured, while the Imperial Volunteers sacrificed a cardinal whose class was equivalent to the Imperial Marshal.

There is no doubt that this huge loss cannot be afforded by both sides. When each other's plots are all bankrupt, and the conspiracy under the table intensifies into a bloody battle on the table, everyone's first reaction is to pour sewage on their opponents and other companions. At such a time, whoever gets the news first will be able to take the initiative in the war of public opinion and the inevitable reckoning. Different people deal with the same thing in completely different ways at different times.

In addition to Naimon and Anne, who were the parties involved, the first to learn the news was, of course, Isaac Newton himself, who commanded the attack. The sacrificial Cardinal Jett Newton was his uncle, and as an elite member of the Wizards' Arbitration Society, he was also well aware of the Church's iconic miracles. This sad news did not affect Isaac's judgment, and he decisively gave the order to retreat while seeing the white light. In order to prevent the other party's possible pursuit, he used phantom light and phantom sound magic to create an illusion, and also deliberately chose a retreat route around the city of Kengler.

One by one, the fires in the camp of the Free Army were extinguished, and the scouts told him that no enemy was pursuing them from them. It wasn't until he was sure that there would be no pursuers that he had time to start grieving.

Newton's father died young, and for Isaac, Uncle Jett was his real father. The reason why he was able to enter the Arcane Academy of the Imperial University was because of this uncle's sponsorship. He quietly took off his glasses and walked in the darkest corner of the line. Several adjutants tentatively asked him if something had happened on the other side, and he prevaricated with a calm face. Passing through the predetermined meeting point, he ordered the group to stay for ten minutes, but no one came to the rendezvous.

Returning to the Halberdiers' camp, Newton found Huran and Vlasol waiting for him at the gate, and even Major Edith the Misthawk stood beside them in civilian clothes.

Newton waved his hand and disbanded the commando on the spot. The junior officers and soldiers scattered with interest, leaving the venue for the senior officers.

When everyone had left, Viscount Rasta walked up to Newton and patted him on the shoulder. "I know you've been hit hard, but we don't have time to grieve right now. Let's talk about the situation. ”

The corners of Newton's mouth twitched: "His Excellency Jett has been summoned by the gods. We underestimate the enemy too much. ”

Those present were not surprised, they had known this from the miracle that had befallen them. Xiulan continued: "So, what about His Highness Olya?"

"I'd love to say that because of Jett's hard work, we were able to rescue her...... But, it's a pity. We completely failed. It is true that the Free Army lacks first-rate spellcasters, but it does not mean that they lack second- and third-rate spellcasters, and even Jett may not be able to escort His Highness out. Newton replied with a wry smile, "I almost got into it myself, and the amount of their magical equipment is truly terrifying." ”

"Could it be that Pluto Luthor? He's a senior Protestant priest. The progress of Protestantism over the years is hard to estimate. Edith remembered what she had seen that afternoon.

Xiulan shook her head and diverted the topic. "It doesn't matter who the opponent is anymore, what matters is how to deal with it now. It is impossible for us to organize another offensive in the last two days. The main force of the Central Front of the Free Army is in Vodkagrad, and we must move out in three days to avoid their advances. If the Emperor knew that the fate of his most beloved sister was unknown, we would all be in big trouble. ”

Hearing the naïve thoughts of the Chief Guard Knight, Rasta mocked, "We're in big trouble right now. As is customary, the elusive Sid is about to appear. Do you remember the big cases that he took on from the Ministry of Security in the last five years? ”

Xiulan nodded. "I've heard of the cases of the Emperor's Eye. The rebellion of the Earl of Aemong and the Duke of Cannae, the revolt of the Poor in the capital, and the bursting of the Covenant River...... How the hell did he do it? Prophecy magic?"

Rasta sneered, "It's not so much how he did it, but why he didn't do it this time. He's a mage with a Mithril emblem! I'm willing to bet all my paychecks, he's within a hundred kilometers of us, and now there's just something more important to lure him away. I even suspect that the unknown person today is him. When he finds out about our failures, we'll be finished. Newton can go back to college, Edith can continue to work as an ambush agent, and you, I, and the Department of Security spies will all be going to the border outposts on the Eternal Frost Plains for a few years. There's not even a lot of meat rationed there, so let's hunt some winter wolves and frost giants to eat, tsk, and then fight the barbarians. It is said that 1,500 barbarians can be exchanged for a Permanent Frost Garrison Medal. ”

This sneer joke caused a serious upset. Everyone fell silent and looked at each other in embarrassment. In the end, it was Edith who broke the suffocating air with a strong smile.

"Anyway, we have to report it truthfully, and it's up to fate what the outcome will be. You can't call Danika to pretend that the princess is still here, can you?"

Anything less ridiculous than one bad joke is two bad jokes. Everyone felt a chill to the bone, and only Newton's eyes suddenly widened.

"Wait a minute. Why not?"

The reaction of the other three when they heard this sentence was like seeing a twelve-pound cannonball smashed in front of them. Rasta touched her nose with a strange expression on her face. "Hey, Isaac, are you serious? ”

"Well, I'm just kidding. Edith reflexively brushed off her responsibilities.

Yes, sometimes the world changes because of jokes. I believe. Newton lowered his voice, the lenses of his glasses reflecting the dim glow of illumination magic.

"Who else knows about Princess Olya falling into the fortress besides the four of us? Pike Tapu is in Lenny. Her Highness Olya is in the hands of the enemy. Danika might have guessed it, but she's sure she's going to have to work with us to keep herself. We can do it. We can buy more time from the Emperor and his eyes. ”

His words sent shudders down the spine of Huran, Rasta, and Edith.

"If this is exposed, it will be in the Eternal Frost Plains, no, worse than that, in the Great Wasteland until death......" The Chief Guard Knight gasped, "It's too dangerous." As I said, the Emperor's Eye might be nearby!"

"Is there a big difference between staying in those places for five years or staying until you die?" This statement is very convincing, and no one refutes it.

"But there's a catch...... Without Olya's copying technique, how can we get Danika to project her form?" Viscount Rasta asked again.

"I'm working on a book called Optics. Copying has long been regarded by the Holy See as a high-level secret magic, but I can already reconstruct it with mirroring, refraction, and recording elements. Soon I will pass it on to Miss Vilen as a reward for this request. Newton said quietly, "I'm not going to just throw in the towel." Jett Newton's reputation will be washed away by me. ”

His expression was like a pool of stagnant water. For some reason, this expression made several people who had been on the battlefield shudder a little.

"You're a little emotionally unstable, let's go back and calm down first. It's not now to act. Rasta waved his hand. After Newton hurried away, he turned to the remaining two. “...... Hopefully Sid really has more important things to do. Xiulan, go find Denica. ”

The Chief Guard Knight also sighed and nodded. "Okay. It would have been better if he hadn't known about Jett's death at all...... Although this is not very likely. This time we are all passengers on the same boat, and hopefully the boat will not sink. ”

"I'm going into town with you. Edith took a step forward, "I'm going to work with Xiulan to prevent others from suspecting. After all, my boss is also a very shrewd man, and we can't let him see the flaws. ”

"Eugen? He looks mediocre. Rasta casually picked up, "The few times I have negotiated defense issues with him, this person has only echoed my opinion. Although it performed well in the battle of Forteburg, it was only an average level, and people of this level grabbed a lot of people in the empire. ”

"Unfortunately, this is not what I wrote in my report to headquarters, and you should pay more attention to him. ”

The Liberation Knight shrugged his shoulders and said, "Whatever you want, everyone has to submit a report anyway." I'm going to rush back to stabilize the morale of the army, so I'll go first. ”

Seeing that the other party was stubborn, "Fog Hawk" had no choice but to set off to carry out his own mission.

*** ***

Edith and Huran rush to the city to meet Denika, who lives in the heavily guarded Marshal's palace. The captain of the guard of the mansion knew Edith well, and he quickly let them go. Of course, it is impossible for these people to know the true identities of "Radetz Govar" and "Fog Eagle", which are both absolute secrets of the Empire.

"By the way, Major General Eugen is talking to the marshal about today's state of affairs, and he has not left until now. The captain reminded them.

"Well, you find a servant to report it, and say that the deputy commander of the Coman Volunteer Army, Di Matel, asks to see him. Edith commanded. After the Master Chief left, she smiled and said to Huran, "I think we can slow down a little bit and give Eugen a little more time." ”

Sure enough, when they walked to the office of "Govar", they happened to meet the new major general coming out of it. He exchanged a few words with Edith, said hello to the knight, and walked away quickly. The two pushed open the door and walked into the office, where they saw the marshal with his head buried in his arms and his eyes closed in contemplation. Edith opened another layer of her anti-detection barrier before greeting her.

"Danika, it's okay. Now it's all your own people, relax. ”

Danica, who had transformed into a Govar, walked over and lay on her side on the couch with her right hand on her cheek, tilting her head to complain to the two. "The day is finally over...... Tired. General Eugen had just come over and said a lot of strategic analysis, and reminded me to pay attention to two potential enemy forces north and south of the city at the same time. He seems to have anticipated your failed raid and is not at all surprised. She directly said Eugen's intention, "In addition, he transferred a lot of troops to the southwest to intercept the other party's squad calling for help. We also control their teleportation coordinates, so we should be able to buy a day or two. ”

"Actually, I'm here today to tell you about the raid, Miss Viren. Xiulan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Maybe a little sudden...... But Uncle Jett died in that battle. ”

"Big ...... Uncle Jett?...... Dead?" Danika sat up suddenly, feeling dizzy. It was a little uncomfortable for her to suddenly know that someone she knew had died. "Isn't he a high-ranking priest, why did he die?

"But there are also some things where he struggles to exert his strength, such as the anti-magic zone. As you should also know, the Free Army is equipped with a lot of anti-magic generators. Xiulan explained angrily, "It may be that the other party has a powerful spellcaster, or has set a wonderful trap. The southerners are cunning enough that even the Pope has a way to kill them. ”

Danika felt a faint sense of guilt. She knew at least two officers of the Free Army...... Could it be that Soleton and Anne killed the uncle? Uncle Jett's toughness was something she had seen with her own eyes, and she didn't believe that Soleton, who was her childhood sweetheart, or Anne, who was always grinning, would have such skills.

"There is an even bigger problem, and that is that Her Highness Olya has fallen into the hands of the enemy. We can't let the Secretary of State know about this, absolutely not. Isaac also wants him to avenge his uncle on the front lines. So, we have a reluctant request......"

"Are you going to let me play both Olya and Govar at the same time?" Hearing Edith's roundabout statement, Danika immediately guessed her purpose. Her heart was pounding......

To be a princess? It's something every girl dreams of. But can she do it?

Shuran and Edith nodded at the same time.

"You probably won't have a chance to use these two identities at the same time, so continue to cover them up in your current way. Xiulan added, "Don't worry about copying magic and materials, Isaac said he would fix it." ”

"Wait a minute. These two people live so far apart, how can I switch identities? Do I use the status of a maid to travel between the two houses as I do now?"

"It's not a big problem, we only need Sid or any other occasion where Princess Olya needs to be present. If that happens, Edith will come and pick you up. As for identity...... From now on, you'll be able to use your soldier's identity. You're always ready for this kind of prop, Fog Hawk?"

Edith nodded, and pulled out a blue Northern Army uniform from the shrinkage bag she was carrying.

"This uniform is an expensive, special magic item that automatically adjusts to the seasons, and can automatically switch between the gray and black of the Imperial Army and the four-color uniform of the Free Army. That's all I have, and it should be more useful for you than to stay with me. With your abilities, it shouldn't be too difficult to transform it and add new abilities to it. ”

Danika stuck out her tongue and took the dress—it had already turned into a size that fit her by the time her hand touched it! She resisted the urge to break it down and study it, and gently placed it on the table next to her. "The Royal Department of Security has developed this kind of thing? ”

"Don't worry about the issue of military status, Xiulan and I will be responsible for solving it. The documents will be sandwiched in tomorrow's logistics documents and sent over together. We won't stay long, or Eugen's intelligence agents will be suspicious. Edith stood up, disabled the anti-detection magic, and left the room with Xiulan. After they were gone, Danika picked up the blue military uniform and compared it with the marshal's uniform on her own.

"Princess...... Probably this dress will be useful, right? In any case, no one else should be allowed to see this women's size dress. ”

She used the simplest of shapeshifting spells, turning it into a patch on the inside of her shirt. After that, as usual, she arranged the illusion of Goval falling asleep, washed away the smell of fire in the bathroom that she had used with the maids, and slept alone in the cramped maid's room.

That night, Danica Villen had a dream. In that dream, she lived in a beautiful white mansion, enjoying the finest food, the most beautiful clothes, and talking and dining with all kinds of elegant men and women. The men and women were very handsome, so handsome that they couldn't tell what they looked like, and they respected her like a princess.

But all the while, she was always alone. It's not her world.

*** ***

The night was still long, but the Free Army was far less relaxed than it had been. "What's next?" is always a big question. Although the opponent repelled one attempt, no one dared to guarantee that the enemy would not make more attempts. Naimon increased the number of night patrols to three companies, and he and Anne went to meet the princess who had woken up.

The location of the inquiry was chosen in a small barracks. Anne lit only a dim candle, and the whole room looked very oppressive. She didn't dare to let more people know the news, no one knew what was going on in those people's minds. The "priestess" in front of her had her hair disheveled, her eyes were wooden, her lips were bitten tightly, and she looked like a wax figure in the candlelight. Anne coughed twice and spoke.

"Shall we call you Miss Nmlock, or shall we call you His Highness Hugh Cockman?" ”

Hearing this, the brunette's expression changed in an instant. She looked up and glanced at Anne with a sharp gaze, as if she wanted to say something, but kept her mouth shut. Then, with graceful speed, she folded her legs and pressed her hands firmly on the table, completely no longer looking dejected.

"I think the latter is better. Can you give me a glass of water? The cup on the table is of unknown origin, and it has been there since I entered the house. ”

Naimon took a heavy breath and stood up to get his cup, preparing for the water-making magic. "Oh my God...... You're right, Annie. She really is a princess. ”

"So, what is your full name, Your Highness?" Anne took the glass of water that Her Royal Highness was unwilling to drink, and moistened her throat. Olya glanced at her rank and shook her head.

"I think only the nobility need to call the women of the Coman family by their full names. You can just call your last name, which is more convenient. ”

This answer almost caused Anne to squirt water out of her mouth. She smiled wryly and wrote the name of "His Highness Hugh Kirman" in her notebook. "Well, of course you're not going to tell us your age or identity, are you?"

Her Royal Highness nodded gracefully. Anne smiled again and wrote down the words "personal information unknown" in the notebook. "So, what is your purpose here?"

"Tourism. Olya replied, "The people of the Coman family are going to travel as adults. ”

At this point, Naimon returned with water. Olya picked up the glass with her thumb and forefinger and looked at it with suspicion before taking a sip.

Naimon grumbled as she pressed her forehead, "If only we could charm or spit out real magic, then her attitude would definitely be much better." Why don't we have some in our troops?"

"Actually, I have something to tell you, Soleton. I've used both of these spells you've spoken of on her," Anne scratched her hair, "and that's theoretically the most truthful, friendly answer we can ever get. She was telling the truth, and there was nothing hostile about her actions—they were just pure habit. ”

"Travel, how is that possible?" "Naimon sat back down, staring at the candle in distress, "Are you really sure your magic is working, Miss Sephier?"

"Oh, unless the people of the Coman family aren't considered human, all this magic should work. Anne drank the water in her hand, "In other words, she really didn't come here for any special purpose. I don't think we need to ask any more questions. ”

"Okay. So how are we going to place her?" Naimon shook his head, "I can't leave her alone anywhere anymore. Too dangerous, both for her and for us. Is it okay to stay with you, Annie? ”

Hearing this, Olya suddenly interjected: "I'm sorry, I don't want to live with a servant who drinks water like that. Don't you have any cultured women here?"

"Well, I know I'm not well-bred ......," muttered Anne, her expression looking like she had been bitten by a snake. "It might be a good idea to let her live with Miss Méti. That's it, Luthor will agree. ”

"Mr. Luther...... Speaking of which, it's okay for him to go and ask for help alone, right?!" Naimon suddenly remembered this and panicked, "We didn't even send any more people! If I were the commander, I would definitely notify the defenders in advance to block the road to Vodkagrad! If there were no reinforcements, we would be finished!"

Anne smiled confidently, "That's not a worry. Unless they also have a cardinal or a Mithril Mage, no one can stop Pluto. If you send more people, you're just sending them to death. ”

"I hope so. Naimon picked up the candlestick, "Who sent this highness to her new room, you or me?"

"I don't think Her Royal Highness will cause us any trouble. Anne pushed the door open, "I have a few letters to deliver, you can send her back." ”

The night was already a little deep, and the wind was a little cold. Counting the time, Bonnie should have arrived at the advance guard of the Interre Division. Now Anne's mind was full of how to tell her sister what was going on. If it hadn't been for Naimon, she would have forgotten about it—perhaps on purpose. What would Bonnie say about such a troubled situation? She hated things getting out of hand......

Anne sighed and began to prepare the spell for communication.

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Welcome the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, the hottest serialized works are all here!