[Vol. 1] Chapter 18: Crisis at Wanhe Fortress
It couldn't be wrong, it's definitely legendary-level.
Indeed, the exquisite archery skills like that could only be achieved by one person in the kingdom, and that person was a young woman with red short hair.
Gasping for breath, the young officer climbed to his feet, and he waved off the soldiers who hurried over to protect him. He removed his feathered helmet, took out the arrow embedded in it, and the two forms of identification tied to it.
What astonished him was that even after the violent impact he'd just experienced, the fragile parchment was still intact, as if the fiery crimson flame that had blossomed earlier wasn't to increase its destructive power but to protect what was inside.
A powerful demonstration, indeed.
He spread out the parchment and carefully read it. After confirming the seal at the bottom, he picked up the badge and examined it for a moment, and the young officer seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
If he had any other choice, he wouldn't want to be involved in this thankless task. If the princess held a grudge against him, he'd be in for trouble in the future…
"It is indeed the esteemed presence of the princess. Open the city gates!"
As the young officer gave the order, the massive eastern city gate slowly opened from within, and the huge city drawbridge was lowered to provide a passage for Lilya's troops.
"Let's go, we'll discuss matters inside the city."
Lilya didn't rush to reclaim the royal decree and her identity badge. After nodding to the two women behind her, she returned to her carriage.
The princess's decorum must not be compromised. Moreover, as the newly appointed supreme commander of the western front, and facing such an unusual situation, she needed to maintain a strong appearance to keep the morale of her troops stable.
After a series of twists and turns, Lilya's Royal Guards finally entered Wanhe Fortress, and the captives were also taken down for confinement. The young officer who had led them all the way up front, along with a few accompanying guards, took the princess to the general's residence in the center of the city.
"Your Highness, I apologize for any offense I may have caused earlier, and I hope you can forgive me."
Perhaps after confirming Princess Lilya's identity or due to the shock of Flora's arrow, the young officer had become much more polite than before. Upon entering the residence, he immediately knelt before the princess and expressed his remorse and humility.
"Never mind, you were just doing your duty. Let's move on. Can you now tell me what has happened within Wanhe Fortress, and where is General Leyton?"
It was indeed quite strange. General Leyton, as the Grand Marshal of the Western Front and Lilya's future subordinate, should have been aware of her route and arrival time, making preparations for her reception in advance.
But now, with the princess having entered the city and come to the general's residence, he had shown no sign of welcoming her. It seemed a bit excessive, to say the least.
In such a situation, it could either mean that General Leyton harbored disloyalty and was intentionally disrespecting Lilya, or… something had gone wrong with him personally.
Considering the earlier scene at the eastern gate and the young officer's expression tinged with concern, Lilya had a foreboding guess about what might have occurred.
"Your Highness, please don't be upset. There's a reason for this…"
—
"What! General Leyton is critically ill and has been bedridden for nearly half a month!? Why has the capital received no reports about this urgent matter? What in the world is going on here?"
Lilya's eyes widened in anger, and she was so furious that she almost overturned the table in front of her.
This was no joke. General Leyton was the central leader of over 30,000 regular troops in the Western Front, and when you added the city garrisons, security forces, and countless local militias, he could potentially command close to a million troops in the worst-case scenario. He was a significant figure, and to hear that he had been bedridden and there was no information about it was beyond unacceptable.
Moreover, Leyton had an intricate understanding of the western border's defenses, and Lilya's rapid unification of the entire situation almost necessitated his presence.
"This was the Marshal's decision. He believes that the autumn war is imminent, and the beastmen are becoming more active. If news of his critical condition were to get out at this time, what was initially routine looting would likely escalate, and the beastman leader might seize this opportunity to turn it into a full-blown two-race war. The consequences would be unthinkable…"
"So you decided to keep it secret!?"
Bang! Lilya slammed her hand onto the table in anger. Violet had a feeling that Lilya was not in the best state of mind today, possibly due to excessive stress or someone's arrival…
By the way, from eavesdropping on the conversation just now, Violet learned that the young officer in white armor was none other than Leyton's own son, named Rekt. He had been groomed by his father to be his successor, but with Leyton suddenly falling ill, he was forced to take up the heavy responsibilities of Wanhe Fortress ahead of schedule.
"Huh? But that's not true, right?"
Rekt looked puzzled. "Come to think of it, I've been wondering since a while ago. Didn't we send out confidential intelligence to the high-ranking officials in the capital, informing them of the Marshal's critical condition? Otherwise, why would someone be dispatched from the top to take command of the whole situation when this is just the usual annual war? Your Highness, didn't you receive any messages?"
Lilya remained silent for a moment, her face darkening, her teeth clenched as she muttered, "I see… so that's how it is…"
"No wonder I kept feeling like there was a scent of conspiracy in this whole matter from beginning to end… My dear brothers, you've done quite well. You went to such lengths to keep such an important matter from me! All in the effort to ruin my reputation. You've really outdone yourselves… Hahaha…"
Listening to this, Violet also understood.
Firstly, the western border indeed needed support because the backbone supporting this region was on the verge of collapse. The defense of the western frontier was an entirely different matter with or without Leyton.
Those princes must have known about this situation beforehand, which is why they deliberately kept it from Lilya and sent her, the most talented and threatening, to this place to meet her demise.
However, it's somewhat strange. Weren't they afraid that if Lilya were to lose the battle and Wanhe Fortress were to fall, the beastman army would rush in? Without Leyton as a safety net, this was entirely possible. Did those princes have such broad hearts?
Or did they want to get rid of Lilya even if it meant risking the loss of territory? Was she such a significant threat to them?
"Where is General Leyton? Take me to see him!"
The Princess, after her initial anger, immediately realized the crucial matter at hand.
"Well… Your Highness, of course, as someone of your esteemed status, there's no problem. But these two…"
Rekt looked somewhat awkward, scratching his head as he glanced at Flora and Violet standing behind Lilya, struggling to find the words.
"It's alright, they are all my trusted aides, there won't be any issues. Besides, didn't they all hear the news just now? What's the point of dwelling on these matters now?"
"Um, alright then. The three of you, please follow me."
Rekt led Lilya and the others through the general's mansion, as if following some specific pattern. Finally, they arrived at a seemingly ordinary stone house, with very few people around. Only two tall warriors in the uniform of the Royal Guard, both around thirty or forty years old, stood guard at the door.
These two individuals had decent strength. In Violet's perception, they might not be on the same level as Flora but were significantly stronger than Rekt. They were probably Sky-level warriors. It seemed like Leyton was inside.
"Young General, who are these women?"
Both of them appeared to be the silent and reserved type. However, one of them extended his hand to halt the white-armored junior officer leading the way and cast a slightly wary glance at the three women. It appeared that even with Rekt as their guide, they couldn't completely let their guard down.
"Nobles from the capital. Their identities have already been verified," said Leyton, the general's son.
Upon hearing this, the two warriors exchanged a glance, but they didn't make any further moves. They simply nodded and took positions on either side, no longer speaking.
"Please, Your Highness."
Rekt seemed accustomed to this and offered a slightly apologetic smile to Lilya as he pushed the door open and entered the seemingly ordinary stone house. Lilya and the others followed suit.
As they stepped inside, a strong medicinal odor mixed with a decaying smell immediately assaulted their senses. The pampered royal princess couldn't help but cover her nose briefly, but after a moment, she realized that it might not be appropriate and reluctantly let her hand drop, appearing somewhat embarrassed.
As for Violet and Flora, the former, being of a special race, had a high tolerance for unpleasant environmental conditions, and the latter was a seasoned adventurer who had endured many life-threatening situations. This small commotion didn't elicit any significant change in their expressions.
"Father, how do you feel?"
Rekt swiftly approached a room in the house and stood beside an elderly man lying on a bed. He checked the man's pulse and observed his complexion carefully. Although he didn't express it verbally, it was evident that he was deeply concerned about his father's condition.
"You must be General Leyton, right? May the spirits above… How could this happen?"
The princess in the room couldn't help but exclaim in shock.