"It seems like they figured it out," General Petra analyzed serenely, having noticed the strange activity within the enemy's army. "Still, it's not over yet."
"Do they have a chance for a counterattack?" Elizabeth asked.
"Depending on the circumstances, they do. Although they suffered heavy casualties from the northern front, their forces in the western and southern fronts are intact. They might have lost the strategic advantage, but they remain numerically superior. With a slight change of wind, we could be pressured again. For example, the Li Family has an army of a hundred and twenty-five thousand waiting at the Tailong River. There's no guarantee that Imperian Qiang can pacify them. Their participation would be disastrous to our forces."
"That's true… The pressure will only increase as we approach the Quiton Gates, since we'll have to defend against two sides at once," she sighed. "What are we going to do now then? Should we press the attack against Unit Commander Haea?"
"We'll stay at a distance and harass them, but nothing more. I don't want any surprises. We'll take this one step at a time."
Things progressed quickly. Unit Commander Haea retreated from Guanhuang in the same day, while fending off the kingdom's harassment. General Goumeng ordered the southern army to reverse course for the central front. Unit Commander Duan and the northern army regrouped with the western army near the Tailong River. Meanwhile, General Petra ordered her army to enter and occupy what remained of Guanhuang, leaving two-thirds of her forces to harass the enemy forces and one-third to clear out the city. They would be recovering any useful supplies or documents which might have been left behind in the aftermath. A few days later, Commander Christina, the Ten Dawns, and the southern army rendezvoused with General Petra. The kingdom's northern army continued to push slowly, while the council's army retreated. Before long, the kingdom captured the Tailong River, and the council's army returned to the Quiton Gates. The Alzar Kingdom had officially conquered the Samfeng Province!
Elizabeth crouched quietly in a courtyard and sighed, prompting Shirley to ask what was wrong. The girl replied, "A family used to live here… Look at what they left behind. Some toys and clothing… They must have a young baby girl with them, yet they were forced to flee because of us. How many more families did we ruin like this?"
"It's not your fault, Elizabeth," Shirley comforted.
"I know, but still…" Her heart ached whenever she remembered her family's similar fate. It made her unimaginably guilty.
"If it makes you feel any better, the Imperial Council evacuated the city before we attack, so they're probably alive and happy elsewhere," Freon said. "Think of it like an extended trip."
"We shouldn't make light of the situation," Benedict chastised. "This is the sin we have to carry."
"…Have you heard back from the Sword King yet?" Elizabeth changed topics.
"No… I don't know where they are."
"I see." She stood up and patted off the dust from her knees. "Let's hope our agreement with him still stands. I don't think the Featherwind Sect is done with us yet."
"There aren't more of them, are there?" Shirley was shaken. She could see how deadly five birds could be from the destruction around her. Imagine what an army could do! They could likely destroy the world itself!
"They do call themselves a sect, so I imagine there must be others," Freon replied. "There's that flying ship too… How does it work? I've never seen or heard of anything like it. I didn't even know it was possible to begin with."
"We don't know why they're in the human world either. Elizabeth is right. This probably won't be the last time we see them," Benedict added.
"Then we should get stronger… strong enough to match the Sword King!" Elizabeth said.
"Pardon our interruption, Your Highness," General Petra said, as she rounded the corner with Sir Winstin. Standing next to her was Commander Christina and the Ten Dawns, who recently returned from the southern front.
"How was the southern front, Auntie Christina? I heard it was quite successful." The girl grinned.
"Sadly, not as exciting as what happened here. I didn't believe you when you told me the whole city was destroyed in the battle," Commander Christina was flummoxed.
"The Sword King exceeded all our expectations," Elizabeth sighed because it was both a good thing and a bad thing. On one side, it was nice to finally have a trump card against the Featherwind Sect. They had been a constant thorn in the kingdom's side since the Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf. Conversely, the Sword King's power exceeded their expectations by a wide margin. No one, including Elizabeth, believed he could be this powerful! But that power translated into risk. She was rightfully worried that he might become the kingdom's enemy in the future! She addressed General Petra, "How are things at the Tailong River? Has it gone according to plan?"
"The Li Family hasn't made a move yet, which we're thankful for, but the next part of the plan is the problem. We lack the decisive strike needed."
"Even with the Imperial Princesses helping?"
"In my opinion, they're not enough. We don't have the influence necessary in the empire. A few waves won't become a tsunami, Your Highness."
Elizabeth was disappointed. "I see… I think you're right. We might have been too optimistic in our planning. Do we have any other way to break the three-way deadlock?"
"We'll let you know as soon as we've come to a conclusion."
"Please do."
"We shall take our leave here then, Your Highness." General Petra bowed and left with the others. Of course, they were in a hurry. The kingdom had seized the Samfeng Province, so there was much to be done. This was a huge step forward in their plans to win the Second Great Kingdom War.
"Let's call it a day," Elizabeth murmured to her friends.
Although she did not join the battle herself, she felt as though she did. She was physically and mentally exhausted. There really was so much to do! With a heavy heart, she bid adieu and went to sleep, in the hopes the new day would be better; however, that night was particularly miserable for her. Unsettled that she slept in someone else's bed, she barely got any rest at all. The girl woke up in the middle of the night and fetched something to drink. Normally, that would have been a servant's job, but she was keeping her survival secret. There was no way she would compromise their plans for a servant. Besides, it was better for her too because she liked to do things herself. As she finished drinking and was about to return to her bed, she jumped in her skin.
"You're!" Elizabeth shouted. Someone she never expected to see was standing there.
***
The early spring moon hung high in the sky as it casted shifting shadows across the Tailong River. Despite the nightly hours, it was surprisingly bright like day. Patrols from the Li Family roamed the riverbanks half-heartedly, yawning and bored. Since they retreated from the Samfeng Province, they saw little to no activity. Moreover, the Alzar Kingdom was too busy to engage the Li Family currently due to their conflicts with the Imperial Council. Losing alertness was thus a matter of course. Under the guidance of an expert, none of the soldiers noticed people darting between the shadows and across the river. Their destination was the kingdom's camp! Eventually, they arrived at a secluded little spot under a willow tree. Six people were waiting there already. The guests kneeled before one man in particular. It was Imperian Qiang!
The man nodded approvingly. "Did anyone spot you, Lord Xai?"
"No, I made sure that our tracks were covered. Again, I must apologize for my demands to see you in person. I had to confirm that you were alive and well with my very own eyes."
"I understand. There's no telling who might try and imitate since rumors of my death are floating about."
"Might I ask… do you require my aid?" Lord Xai asked cautiously. He made sure to keep his surroundings in mind with one hand on his dagger. One nod from Imperian Qiang was all he needed!
Naturally, Imperian Qiang caught his implications and replied, "We have a working arrangement with the Alzar Kingdom. That won't be necessary."
"Very well."