"Your Highness, do we have permission to proceed?" General Dennis asked.
"Proceed as planned," Elizabeth replied. "We can't let the Imperial Council dictate the battle."
According to their informants, the Phoenix, Qilin, and Kun Divisions should have entered the Samfeng Province already. They were unclear on the exact details whether it be their destination, location, or intent, but that was irrelevant. General Dennis, Elizabeth, and the other officers predicted they would be headed here. They were almost certain of it. Thankfully, the time for their main reinforcements, the distance of the Steel Eagle Brigade, and the general movements of their leaders, everything was deliberately constructed to provide an opportune window for attack. If the Imperial Council wanted the best chance in striking down everyone, this was the time. At least, in this way, the Alzar Kingdom had control over the initiative, which could be the crucial deciding factor in the upcoming battle.
Elizabeth sighed. This was an extremely dangerous game they were playing. One wrong move and their entire army could be crippled, if not dead. Although they had contingency plans in place, those plans did not guarantee their survival. In other words, they were designed with their deaths in mind. That was the absolute worst-case scenario, but something that required their consideration nonetheless. If this was the case, then why did Elizabeth come? From a risk management perspective, it would be better if she sent a representative or body double instead. She was the heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom after all, and she could not die so easily. However, there were two reasons why she came.
The first was that Imperian Qiang Li and the Imperial Princesses were participating in this exchange. Since the leaders of the Li Family were present, it would be rude not to reciprocate. Elizabeth had to step forward herself. On the off chance that negotiations broke down due to their insincerity, it was not the end of the world, but it would disrupt the Alzar Kingdom's plans. The second was that the Imperial Council may not necessarily attack Liguang. The possibility was extremely low, but they could have other targets in mind, such as resource points or logistic routes. Crippling the Alzar Kingdom's supplies was an effective strategy, especially with the approaching winter. These two reasons explained Elizabeth's actions. Of course, that did not mean she was suicidal. If they planned to come here, despite risking an attack, then it meant they made appropriate preparations against it. General Dennis had mentioned one of those preparations now.
She gripped the Whiteangel Bow in her hands and exhaled deeply, feeling the weight of her joints. This was not just from the pressure of the situation, but also the weight of her armor. It was the finest set of light armor that money could buy, crafted out of priceless materials, and forged by the best blacksmiths in the kingdom. Durable, light, and strong, it was Elizabeth's personal armor, should she enter combat directly. The fact that she donned this armor showed how dangerous the upcoming battle was. Looking around her, the room was full of people. Benedict, Shirley, and Freon had stern faces as fighting spirit surged in their eyes. Sir Winstin, nine other Royal Guards, and fifteen Grand Knights of the Realm were present from the Alzar Kingdom. From the Zino Kingdom's camp, Ten Dawn Iris, Krogan, Yvonne, Rosemary, and a dozen other Half-Condensed Drop Arcanists stood. Everyone wore the best armor and armaments that suited them. This was the greatest power that the Alzar Kingdom could muster currently!
After steadying her breath, Elizabeth said, "Let's go."
As the Alzar forces erupted with sudden activity, the Li Family forces grew wary. Before the negotiations tomorrow, any mobilization could be seen as hostile intent. One or two soldiers could be excusable, but the entire Steel Eagle Brigade seemed to be moving, including their leaders. In response, the Lotus Division stirred and began mobilizing too. They could not allow the Alzar Kingdom to gain the initiative here. The news travelled to Imperian Qiang and the Imperial Princesses at lightning speeds.
"Division General Fuzhi Loon wants us to rendezvous with the Lotus Division outside Liguang post-haste and requests instructions about the Alzar Kingdom," Imperian Qiang read aloud with a frown.
The tension in the room grew unbelievably heavy. Compared to the trouble earlier this afternoon with the Royal Guards attacking one of their soldiers, this was two worlds apart. One was an anthill, and the other was a towering mountain! The stifling and stagnant air seemed to petrify their lungs, making it hard to breath. Their minds crawled to a halt, unable to process the words spoken just now. A frosty air descended between the three people and their expressions turned dark. For the Alzar Kingdom to mobilize their forces now, what explanation could there be? The answer was simple: they never had any intention of negotiating! That being the case, then their target would be… The three shared a look of understanding, albeit in disbelief.
They had to wonder what their enemies were thinking. Although they always considered that the Alzar Kingdom might entrap them, they never thought they would actually go through with it. It was unrelated to their sincerity or emotions, but pure cold-hearted logic. There were many merits to attacking them, in theory, and it could deliver a powerful strike to the Li Family should they die; however, executing such a task was tantamount to scaling the heavens. Liguang was the Li Family's territory meaning they understood the topography of the town far better than the Alzar Kingdom. And since they were the first to arrive, that gave them ample time to set preparations or defensive measures. While it could never exceed the power of a genuine fortification, these advantages still weighed against the Alzar Kingdom, however minute. In a direct confrontation, the chances of the Li Family winning were six-to-four, six in their favor. Any general worth their salt would never risk a battle like that, especially when the heir apparent was present. That meant…
"Is it the Imperial Council? Are they making their move?" Princess Ming deduced.
"But we didn't hear anything about it. How did they learn about it before us?" Princess Xiuying pointed out. The Alzar Kingdom might be superior in information gathering, but this was the Li Family's territory. By all right, they should have far better and faster intelligence than anyone else.
"That concerns me too," her sister grimaced. A certain sense of dread began rising in her. The girl bit down her fears and shouted, "We can think about everything later. For now, we should focus on regrouping with the Lotus Division. This place is no longer safe!"
Imperian Qiang nodded and relayed his instructions to the subordinates outside. Within a short while, everyone from the Li Family was fully armored and armed, including Imperian Qiang and the Imperial Princesses. Imperian Qiang was not a warrior, so it might ruin him if he could not move or dodge an attack in time, hence why his armor was more ornamental and functional. More importantly, no one expected him to fight on the frontlines anyways. The Imperial Princesses were a bit different in that regard because they were formally trained by their father, Emperor Lianghu. The two wore a functional set of plate and leather armor that offered freedom of movement and protection of vitals. Princess Xiuying held a sabre, while Princess Ming had her spear at hand. They were ready for anything. Aside from them, there was the Four Dragons of the Loon Family, Protectors Chang and Tai, the Blind Snake, the Humming Swordsmen, the Spider Seven, and many others from the Loon Family. All of them radiated peerless strength at the Perception Realm standard! This was the greatest power that the Li Family could muster currently!
"Let's head out!" Imperian Qiang shouted.