"No! Absolutely not!" Andrea yelled at the very suggestion. She couldn't believe that the princess could suggest something so dangerous. They'd be sending a lone human with a bunch of goblins. Creatures who are known by and large within the empire to be a savage race inferior to their larger brethren, the orcs. In fact if not for the troubles of accessing Godara due to the harsh conditions of dagger pass, They would have gone for the easier target to get the needed foothold in the south for humanity's survival and ultimate victory. It would be dangerous to send a lone human in the company of five such creatures. They could not be depended upon no matter what. While it is true that they are slaves, the mark only makes them follow orders from their master and enforced very basic restrictions. While this means they aren't able to kill a human or escape their master for more than a week, they are fully capable of leaving someone to die. There was no way to ensure their cooperation.
"Andrea, we are going to have to take risks if we're to accomplish our tasks here," Grace stood her ground on the subject. Andrea felt a pain at this. The twisting that spoke of conflicted feelings. She was here to bring a sad end to this tale, yet she admired the Princess for her earnest nature. Somehow she already had come to care for and trust even such lowly creatures. There was no way that Andrea was going to give them the chance to betray her trust. After all, it would pain her to see her princess sad in her final years. It would be better to ensure her heart remains intact until the final moment.
"Please reconsider this! At the very least, we should try and come up with another plan of action," Andrea pleaded desperately. The fact of the matter was that her princess could choose to refuse anything she demanded. The fact that she had been so accommodating had only been a testament to the beauty of her heart. However, it was clear that, in this moment, she would hold strong and press the matter. Andrea could choose to take matters into her own hands, but she would be giving up everything she had left. To go against the princess under these circumstances can be viewed as betrayal and treason for someone in her position. She could not afford to let the charade be dropped until the time for their tragic story to come to an end.
The princess shook her head in refusal of this. The blonde knight could feel her heart sink at this denial. She tensed up for a moment and tried to think of anything that may dissuade the princess or at the very least mitigate the damage that could occur. There was only one way to do so," Very well milady, I'll let one of my knights accompany your Aid along with the goblins. I'll just have to take on more shifts protecting and serving you."
Of course, there was an ulterior motive to this. After all, she would get more of an excuse to be with the Princess. All the time she needed to hopefully come up with a back up plan to buffer her Princess's heart. She waited as the princess took a sip of the tea setting next to her. She was silent for a moment. Finally, she nodded. This gave hope hope. It was at that moment that the former mage decided to intervene.
"I do not remember agreeing to this little plan of yours Princess," Karita took a bite from a cookie after her comment. Andrea turned to the treacherous woman with a glare to which the traitor chuckled," Oh, calm down. Of course I'm all for this so long as we take proper precautions."
"Oh? And those would be?" The princess asked as Andrea settled down.
"Well, for the time being, I'd say we limit the search area and only enter the safer parts of the area. No going deep into the mines. I'd say a cursory look at the mines, but nothing too in depth. Whatever is going on there could be more dangerous as it is clear something is changing in that area," The annoying woman expounded upon her part in this pointless expedition. After all, it will all be pointless in the end.
"I think that's reasonable, I'll be going over some of the other books while you're gone. Who knows, there might be something else we missed in them," The Princess agreed. Andrea really had nothing else to add. With their business concluded, they finished out their tea and cookies. They then each went off to handle their own preparations. Andrea went off into the the nearby woods where two of her currently off duty guards were spending their time.
"Attention!" Andrea barked to them to bring them out of their little side project. They were currently in the midst of setting up a small and hidden outpost. It was important to be able to stay in contact with the higher ups of the Broken Shield Order. However, it wouldn't due to have it set up anywhere someone was likely to find it or overhear something. That's why they were setting up this place. They had been fortunate to find the clearing that would allow them to set up the tent and the crystal relay. The relay was one of the most valuable discoveries the order was keeping hidden from others. It allowed immediate two way communication over long distances. The very fact that something this valuable had been issued for the mission only proved how important this mission would be.
At her command, the two knights came to attention and saluted," Everything is in order Lady Andrea!" they replied in unison.
"At ease, we have some new parameters. Kate, you're going to be sent out to protect a survey group. I'll be taking over your official duties in the meantime," She declared. The red haired woman looked speculatively.
"Am I to insure the survey proceeds in a certain direction?" She wondered.
"No, there will be no sabotaging the operation."
"But-"
"Anything that can come of use should be put to use. If the princess must die, I will make sure has every chance to do good before then. We would only be denying ourselves strength if we only sabotage them. Better for humanity to benefit. After all, I'll be the one in charge of her final moments. There is no need to go to such lengths," Andrea explained to her fellow knight. Kate seemed a bit hesitant at first, but she eventually nodded," Good. I have other thing to attend to, such as adjusting the shift schedule. Go get ready to leave. They set out tomorrow," At this, the red haired knight bowed before making her way towards the manor. Andrea then turn to the other remaining knight in the clearing by the tent," Any news from the higher ups?"
"Just a basic update on the schedule for operations."
"And?"
The knight bit her lips before letting out a sigh," They are still in the midst of preparing. It will be sometime before we'll be in position to move on with the plan."
The operation in question was of course the one to remove the reigns of the Empire from the Winfields. It was not something as simple as an assassination. The Empire would shatter if something like that were to occur. With the infighting that would instill, it would destroy all possibilities for moving south. Humanity would die out to the undead as they squabbled and everything they once held would be lost. For this reason, they needed to change public opinion and solidify nobility under another house. They needed someone who had enough public support and power to hold a legitimate claim to the Empire with minimal loss. As to what their plans were, she was unaware. It was pointless to tell her anything. Worse in fact from the Order's perspective. She knew too much as it was and was considered to be a risk factor. They more than likely had backup plans in case she defected. It was unlikely, but she couldn't blame them. Her reports made it clear that she had a form of attachment to the Imperial Family. However, she would never betray humanity. She had to make sure the undead paid for their crimes against her own family.
"Well then so long as there hasn't been an unexpected windfall to speed up the operation, we'll just keep going on as normal!" Andrea chirped as she spun on her heel and made her way back to her manor. Unbeknownst to her, Millie, the other knight, had other thoughts.
She and the other three had volunteered to follow Andrea on this mission for a reason. Whatever it took, they would insure the mission was a complete success. However, there was only one way to insure the outcome they sought. She wondered for a brief moment how long it would take to receive forgiveness for their part in the mission. Or rather, their betrayal of their beloved commander's wishes. They would not let her waste her life like this!