The road to Mirante was straight and clear, with no dangerous obstacles in sight, and the bandits, who occasionally attacked the merchants, dared not to face Henry's large and well-equipped troops. Surprisingly, they had lost fewer than twenty members of the infantry during Icemit's takeover, a testament to their strength, skill and an efficient plan.
Mirante was under the rule of Duchess Codicia, a woman known for her stunning beauty and ruthless ambition. She had even killed her own husband with a single stab of a dagger during a simple disagreement. Codicia was a descendant of a great warrior family that had helped found the kingdom with Garret Von Stahl.
It was going to be a tough fight, as the Duchess wasn't a merchant like Juriel, but Henry has been preparing for this moment for the last few months. It was Eisenburg's trained builders that erected and planned this city from the scratch, which gave Henry a great data base about it. He had studied every detail of Mirante's layout and knew the best way to enter and exit the city.
Thanks to this huge number of information and his careful planning, the king had already mapped out the most efficient way to take down the city without needing to use Luther as a battering ram to break down the walls.
"Seems like our arrival wasn't exactly a surprise."- Henry remarked, his eyes fixed on the intimidating stone walls ahead, where the archers were already on high alert, poised to strike at any moment - "But that won't stop us. Are you ready?"
"Yes, my lord!"- A voice from behind him answered. It belonged to a woman dressed entirely in black, her body blending into the shadows, making it impossible for someone to discern her appearance.
Leier was a member of the First Battalion, who joined the army during the winter, after Henry had already dominated the barbarians. In its core, Stahl's culture was a patriarchal one, with the women occupying few important spaces, which included the army that had only fifty female members.
Henry wanted to build a meritocratic system that didn't discriminate based on gender or race, guaranteeing a chance to everyone who had enough desire and competency to help the kingdom. He had no desire to turn his back on talents.
Leier was someone who he discovered by chance in one of his visits to the army's barracks, where she was being trained by her father, one of the captains of the First Battalion. After watching her and confirming her abilities, he invited her to be part of an experiment, being one of the first to survive the imprint of a Tribal Tattoo on her skin.
However, contrary to most of the other a hundred, which received the Winter Orc's blood, inheriting a part of their mighty strength. Leier was imprinted with an Inverno Owl's blood, a creature that could easily blend with the surroundings, hiding its existence from their predators. It was a rare animal that could only be captured by chance, when they were a kindling or too old to run away.
In sum, her Tribal Tattoo gave her the talent to utilize the Mana inside her body to cover her skin and imitate the surroundings, making her existence faint to the others. Furthermore, she inherited the ability to suppress most produced sounds, such as her own walking, like a flying owl. Unfortunately, Leier would probably never breakthrough to the Transcendent Realm.
However, it was because of her abilities that Henry was confident in breaking down the gates and rapidly taking over the city. Leier was the best tool to have in such circumstances.
"Leier, when the sun goes down, you can initiate the operation." – Henry commanded and turned to look at her almost invisible figure, which he had to focus deeply to discern – "I am counting on you."
Leier bowed her head and disappeared, like a ghost. Luther who had distanced himself to take care of the management of a few soldiers, soon walked to the king's side.
"Luther, we will need to get all their attention to us. We need to buy Leier enough time".
-x-
On top of the walls, looking out towards Henry's army, Duchess Codicia stood tall and proud. Her clothing was as alluring as she was deadly, a shimmering silver gown that hugged her curves in all the right places. Furthermore, Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her back in gentle waves, framing her striking features, but those icy blue eyes were like those of a snake, ready to sneak on her prey.
The soldiers surrounding Duchess Codicia were quaking with fear as they stood in her presence. They knew all too well of her fearsome reputation, the stories of her ruthlessness and her tendency to kill without a second thought were still fresh in their minds. Even her own husband had fallen prey to her merciless ways, meeting a cruel end after a week of their arranged marriage.
"I should have killed him before leaving the capital…"- Codicia murmured in frustration, her eyes identifying the king among the crowd of enemies – "Then taking the throne would have been way easier. But it wouldn't have been that fun. I still want to face the old man"
"Prepare yourselves, they will attack soon!"- She screamed, snatching a bow from a nearby soldier - "And remember this: if each of you don't claim at least three enemy lives before they reach our walls, I will not hesitate to exterminate your entire families."
As Codicia's cold and vicious voice rang out, her soldiers straightened their backs in fear and turned their gaze towards the enemy. With trembling hands, they reached for their weapons and prepared themselves for the coming attack.
Tension permeated the walls.