"Where is General Petra?" Elizabeth asked.
"I think she's in the Imperial Court," her aunt replied. "You're not planning to go there, are you?"
"I'm feeling much better. I can't sleep around and do nothing."
Christina sighed. "Fine. I know I can't convince you anyways. Let me summon the guards at least."
She stepped out with Benedict and the others, giving Elizabeth the privacy to change her clothes. The girl then carefully removed her top and inspected herself. That thin scar on her chest was the only thing that remained. Everything else was healed. To be honest, she was amazed that Protector Avin could heal injuries as bad as hers. She had to wonder what he could not do. As for her Core, it stayed at Half-Condensed Drop. She exhaled. That was one thing off her mind. After dressing, twenty Great Knights arrived and saluted. Their unfamiliar faces made her sad. She realized her knight, Sir Winstin, was truly gone.
"Your Highness?"
"It's nothing. Let's go."
Her new residence was a large, luxurious mansion deep within the Inner City. The previous owner had taken their family and fled from the city, days before the battle. Many of the adjacent mansions were the same: emptied of valuables and possessions; however, they were not vacant. The families took neither the servants nor the maids, forcing them to stay behind. It was cruel, yet predictable. For these nobles, the lives of peasants were nothing. It was equivalent to dirt. They could always buy new ones. Hence, when Elizabeth walked through the corridors and saw the terrified expressions on these servants and maids, she felt sorry for them. She was not going to do anything, but they had no way of knowing. In their minds, she was a frightening monster that could swallow them whole or kill them all. Their lives were at her mercy! This same situation was unfolding across Yongtein. Everyone feared what the Alzar Kingdom would do next.
Outside, the suns were shining, the sky was clear, and birds flew overhead. It was hard to believe that this was the very same city where a humongous battle involving hundreds of thousands of people took place days ago. Life continued to march on. Carriages were prepared for her, her aunt, and her friends. They headed to the Imperial Court in the Emperor's City. Along the way, they passed by many villas and mansions, each with their own distinctive style. The symmetric layout, the large properties, the grand courtyards and gardens, and even the materials used for construction… Everything existed in harmony. Compared to the ones in Algard, it resembled a different world. As expected of the Xingyuu Empire, their capital did not lose against the Alzar Kingdom! Elizabeth was thoroughly impressed. Her moment of fascination ended when they entered the square in front of the Imperial Court.
This square was a wide swath of land, capable of holding thousands of people. This was where generations of powerful ministers, great scholars, and wealthy nobles once made their mark. It was filled with an untold amount of history! Anyone would feel a sense of grandness. However, currently, that sense of grandeur was replaced by an overwhelming sense of despair. Thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people were spread throughout the square, as they laid down and awaited treatment. Their wounds ranged from light cuts to extreme trauma. Blood painted the square an ugly red, as everyone screamed or cried in pain. Elizabeth looked away. It was horrible to see or hear. This… was the cost of battle. This was the result of war!
Christina felt uncomfortable as well. It was incredibly fortunate that she could stand and walk without any problems. Few had that same privilege. She explained, "Too many people were injured after that battle. We didn't have enough beds, and we couldn't move some of them, so we used the square to hold everyone for now. There's a lot of issues though. For one thing, we don't have nearly enough physicians to treat everyone. There's also a lack of medicine… Many more people will die in the coming days…" After seeing Elizabeth's sunken face, she realized her mistake. "Sorry, it's my fault. I probably shouldn't have said anything."
"No, it's fine. Do we know how many people survived the battle?"
"Of the two hundred thousand we started with, early reports are suggesting that… less than fifty thousand people survived. From there, five to ten thousand will likely succumb to their wounds in the coming weeks and die. Another ten to fifteen thousand will either have extreme or lifelong disabilities, leaving shy of thirty thousand soldiers."
"It's hard to believe we lost this many people," Elizabeth said with a forlorn gaze.
"This was the bloodiest battle in recent history. Only the Battle of the Millennium surpassed it."
"I couldn't imagine it."
"We're here. General Petra should've been notified of your arrival."
"You're not coming along?" Elizabeth was surprised.
Christina pinched her cheek. "I might act like this, but I'm still a Brigade Commander. I have my own responsibilities too. We'll meet again later." She waved and walked away.
"We'll be leaving too," Shirley said.
"There's a shortage of people everywhere. Every helping hand counts," Benedict added, to which Freon nodded.
"Take care," Elizabeth replied. She watched them leave and felt a little lonely. Still, everyone had their part to play, especially now, when things were so uncertain. Looking forward, she entered the Imperial Court.
As expected, it was extremely busy. General Petra had taken the Imperial Court and transformed it into the army's temporary headquarters. Messengers charged through the halls, as officers shouted out their orders, and soldiers moved crates of supplies. They were too busy to notice Elizabeth was there. In fact, she was almost hit a few times until her guards stopped them. Thankfully, she motioned to say it was okay or else the punishment for hitting a princess would have been severe. No one needed the extra pressure. When Elizabeth arrived at the general assembly hall, people were arguing inside. She recognized General Petra and Princess Ming's voices. Curious, she listened in.
"I can't agree to this," Ming stated. "We sustained far more casualties than the kingdom did. We need our physicians and supplies more than you do."
"I'm not asking for much, but we haven't received anything yet." General Petra tapped her finger on the table angrily.
"Our physicians are too scared to help the kingdom. I tried persuading them, but no one wants to volunteer. I can't force them."
"I don't care if they're willing or not. Force them anyways. We need three hundred physicians."
Ming smiled bitterly. "You're being unreasonable."
"Unreasonable?" General Petra narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Tell me. If the Imperial Council had won this battle instead, would they have spared anyone? I doubt it. Therefore, you should be glad that you have anyone to save at all. We didn't have to offer that mercy. Three hundred physicians is a small price to pay, wouldn't you agree?"
The princess sighed. "Very well, I understand. I shall try to persuade them again. Give me a day."
"I want a hundred people before the day ends."
"This-"
"Stop!" Elizabeth shouted. "We shouldn't be fighting!" She chose this exact moment to enter.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry you had to hear that," the general bowed.
"Are your injuries healed?" Princess Ming wondered.
Elizabeth nodded. "For the most part. Tell the physicians that the Alzar Kingdom is willing to pay twice the normal rate for their services. They can also bring a small group of guards with them, if they're feeling afraid. I will personally guarantee their safety."
"I don't think Alzar coinage will-"
"Then we'll give them something else," Elizabeth declared. "General Petra, how much gold and silver do we have left?"
"Twenty crates of gold, and thirty crates of silver."
"We'll pay the physicians their price in silver. For more experienced individuals, we're willing to offer half their rate in gold. Will that be enough?"
"Yes, that should convince some people."
"As for the supplies, what's the issue?" Elizabeth asked.
"Princess Ming doesn't want to give control of the city's medical inventory to us."
"Naturally, we need those supplies. The city suffered over three hundred thousand casualties."
"That many?" Elizabeth was stunned. "How is that possible?"
Ming turned gloomy. "The Imperial Council mobilized more than five hundred thousand soldiers for the defense of Yongtein. Almost two hundred thousand died, and another one hundred thousand need urgent treatment. The remaining two hundred thousand casualties come from within the city. The entrance of the Featherwind Sect, the Shui Family, and later the Alzar Kingdom led to, and is still leading to, large-scale panic and chaos. We have urgent need for all our physicians and supplies." That was why she did not want to share anything with General Petra and the kingdom. As a princess, she had a responsibility to care for her own citizens first.