The very next day, after double-checking everything was prepared for the treacherous path ahead, the caravan headed out.
A jagged path stretched forth, the sheer cliffs and dense foliage creating a foreboding atmosphere as the caravan moved cautiously into the pass. The workers guided the horses with care, their eyes scanning the terrain for anything amiss. Meanwhile, Tridra, clad in some darker clothing, had been sent ahead to scout the route.
She returned just before the caravan reached a sharp bend in the trail where the cliffs grew steeper. Her face was tense as she approached Ophelia inside her cart. "Bandits, twenty-six of them," Tridra said. "Some of them are positioned above the next stretch of the trail, ready to hit us from the east cliff. They've got bows and loose rocks ready to fall."
Ophelia nodded, a small tinge of excitement growing into a smile that stretched across her face. "Exactly as expected. Thank you, Tridra. Stay close. You will lead the second group."
Turning to Alexandra who stood on the other side of the cart, she issued a few more orders. "Half the knights will split off here and flank them. Stay silent, stay swift. I do not want a single one of them escaping. The rest of the Holy Knights and the Workers will stay with the caravan and help spearhead the workers. They may not be mercenaries, but I'm sure they know how to defend themselves."
Alexandra hesitated only a moment before glancing at Steven standing beside her who gave her a nod of reassurance. However…
"Uh, Ophelia," she said, sitting beside Ophelia on her couch and whispering into her ear. "Why didn't we hire mercenaries? Sure us Holy Knights can take care of this, but I feel for extra insurance we should've hired some."
Alexandra reeled back, only to see Ophelia with a small confident smile.
"I am poor."
"Eh?"
"I do not have any sources of income right now. The only things I had was the money from the previous bandit camp we raided… and well, I used all of that on this caravan," She responded calmly, however, Alexandra couldn't help but deadpan at her words.
"God…" Alexandra sighed.
Soon, the caravan heads out once again, moving forward quite carelessly, giving the impression of unprepared travelers. While Ophelia's servants stayed inside their quarters, the workers maintained their positions, subtly adjusting the carts and horses to form a defensive line. Shields were distributed quietly, and the workers armed themselves with axes, tools, and a few spears.
Ophelia's plan relied on baiting the bandits into revealing themselves. As the caravan rounded the bend, the cliffs above came alive with the sounds of the ambush. Rocks tumbled down, crashing against the trail, and arrows whistled through the air. Workers shouted warnings and raised shields as the remaining half of the Holy Knights, still with the caravan, positioned themselves to defend the group.
"Shields up!" one of the workers bellowed.
He and several others formed a makeshift phalanx, their tools raised alongside the knights' weapons to form a solid wall of defense. Arrows thudded harmlessly into the barrier and those that slipped through found little purpose. The tumbling rocks on the other hand were swiftly destroyed by the Holy Knights and turned into rocky shrapnel that clattered against the wall of shields.
Above, the hidden band of knights made their move. Tridra led them, moving swiftly along a narrow path that wrapped around the cliffs. They kept low, their armor muffled by cloth wraps and their movements guided by Tridra's scouting report. As they crept into position, the bandits were too focused on the caravan below to notice the knights encircling them.
If this were somewhat of a decent army, they would have people watching their back… but of course, they were nothing but a handful of lowly bandits.
Tridra upon analyzing the scene, gave the signal: a single raised hand. The knights surged forward, striking the bandits before they could react. A bandit armed with a bow turned, his eyes wide, only for Tridra's daggers to nimbly weave around his weapon and slice his shoulder in one fluid motion.
Others screamed warnings, but it was too late.
Steel clashed as the knights led by Tridra tore through the bandits' disorganized ranks. A knight disarmed a panicked bandit with a precise parry and crushed his ribs with a shield bash. Another knight blocked a wild swing with his gauntlet before driving his blade into the attacker's chest. And before long, the bandits atop the cliff had been taken care of.
On the trail, Ophelia had come outside of her cart, standing firm near the center of the caravan. An arrow streaked toward her but was deflected by Alexandra, who stepped in front. "You could move to cover, you know," Alexandra quipped.
Ophelia's eyes grazed over Alexandra for but a moment before noticing the bandits charging in from the other side of the path they were taking. She then lightly grinned to herself, causing shivers to run down Alexandra's spine as she soon heard…
"As your apostle of light and greatness, I wield the [Supreme Command]."
Supreme Command. A power granted only to those chosen by the church, typically people who lead entire armies. It is a power no other Empire, Kingdom, or Dynasty has, making it the Holy Empire's sole distinguishing factor when it comes to war.
Not only does it weaken the enemies' coordination, and enhance allies' coordination, but it reveals the battlefield like a chessboard. Blue squares mean allies and red squares mean enemies, with the darker the shade, representing how powerful they are.
However, it is a power that requires a lot of sacrifice.
There is a concept called synchronization rate and this percentage is everything to a wielder of the Supreme Command. The higher your synchronization rate, the easier the toll is on your body and the more your influence can spread amongst the battlefield. However, the lower your synchronization rate, the harder it will be to even stay alive, with a 0% meaning instant death and corruption of the soul upon wielding it. This is the reason why only the most worthy in the eyes of the Church may wield this power. Not just because they are worried about the safety of the wielder, but because corruption means… a demonic transformation.
Yet, here stands Ophelia.
With a 99.9% synchronization rate.
Truly a remarkable feat by just existing.
In an instant, the air hummed and a beam of light shot from above the clouds, piercing them and enveloping Ophelia in a golden glow. For a split second, the only ones standing beside Ophelia and not in front of her, Alexandra and Steven, saw a familiar yet distant figure.
It was Ophelia… but not her at the same time.
Beneath the feet of Ophelia's allies, radiant blue squares materialized, glowing faintly with an unearthly light. At the same time, pinkish squares of light appeared beneath the bandits ahead, flickering like the softest embers on the verge of extinguishing. With these lights, the jagged trail seemed to shift, transforming into a battlefield gridded like a chessboard.
The Holy Knights and caravan workers felt a sudden surge of clarity and strength. Those standing on the blue squares seemed to move with precision, their strikes more calculated, their defenses perfectly timed. A worker wielding a hammer found himself effortlessly deflecting an arrow while simultaneously striking down a charging bandit. A knight, whose shield was raised against a spear thrust, countered with ease, disarming his attacker in a single motion.
The bandits, in stark contrast, faltered. Those on the pinkish squares hesitated, their footing uncertain. One stumbled forward mid-swing, leaving himself open to a knight's sweeping strike, the light beneath his feet flickering before fading away, representing his death. Another attempted to draw an arrow but fumbled, dropping it clumsily to the ground.
Panic began to ripple through their ranks as their coordinated assault devolved into chaotic desperation.
"Alexandra, take the vanguard. Push them left."
Alexandra hesitated only a fraction of a second before stepping forward. Her longsword swept in a wide arc, forcing a cluster of bandits to retreat toward the cliff's edge. Following her, a knight pressed the advantage, his shield driving into a bandit's chest with enough force to send him sprawling.
"Steven," Ophelia called next, her gaze flicking to another part of the fray. "Reinforce the rear. They will attempt to circle."
Steven moved without question, his mace crashing against a bandit's hastily raised sword. Workers rallied behind him, tools becoming weapons in their hands as they pushed back the encroaching attackers.
The blue squares beneath her allies shifted subtly, aligning themselves to Ophelia's directions. Each movement seemed preordained as if the battlefield itself obeyed her will. The knights advanced in perfect unison, cutting through the bandits like a tide sweeping away debris.
The bandits' leader, a grizzled man with a scar running down his cheek, barked orders to regroup. "Hold the line! They're just a caravan, dammit!"
Clearly, he was unaware of the power of the Holy Knights, a mistake unavoidable for somebody so tucked away in the mountains.
"GODDAMMIT! I SAID HOLD THE FUCKING LINE YOU USELESS BASTARDS!" He barked once more.
However, his voice carried no authority.
On a bit of a redder square beneath him, he staggered mid-step, his confidence faltering, causing his square to brighten into the same pink as his fellow bandits. A worker armed with a spear lunged at him, and though he deflected the blow, the maneuver left him open to a knight's swift strike. The leader's head was clobbered over the head by a shield, and with him being knocked unconscious, the remaining bandits began to scatter.
However…
"Do not let them escape," Ophelia commanded, her voice cutting through the racket, her prior smile completely gone.
Clearly, she was unsatisfied with her enemies. This was no more than child's play.
Tridra's unit, having finished their assault on the cliffs above, descended like predators on retreating prey. Her daggers flashed in the sunlight as she intercepted a bandit attempting to flee, her blades finding their mark before he could take another step. The knights followed suit, swift and unrelenting, ensuring no survivor escaped to warn others.
The retreating bandits were swiftly cut down. Tridra's unit moved precisely, intercepting those who attempted to flee. Her daggers flashed as she struck a fleeing bandit, his body crumpling before he could take another step. The knights closed in, their strikes clean and unyielding, leaving no survivors to spread the tale of their overwhelming defeat.
Once the carnage was over and every bandit had been slain, the unconscious bandit leader was hauled to the trail's center. His ragged breathing was the only sign of life until Ophelia approached and delivered a sharp kick across his face. The blow snapped him awake, his face turning from rage upon seeing her, to confusion after taking a look around at his slaughtered men, to desperation, the moment he locked eyes with her.
"P-please," he stammered, his voice cracking as he crawled backward. "Spare me. I—I'll do anything!" Desperation overtook him, and he groveled at her feet. His hands trembled as he lowered his head further, his lips inches from her boot.
"Stop," Ophelia said coldly, cutting him off with a swift kick to his jaw, sending his head snapping back. Her gaze shifted to Tridra, who had just stepped forward. "Extract all useful information from him. Report back to me when you are done."
Ophelia, for a moment, looked directly parallel to his scar and saw something. It was a another scar that was much smaller but clearly, it was deeper than the surface level one beside it.
And she smiled. A cruel twisted smile that caused the Bandit Leader to almost foam at the mouth.
Without waiting for a response from Tridra, Ophelia turned, the glowing squares beneath her allies vanishing and the golden aura around her fading as she muttered, "Thank you for lending me your power…"
About half an hour later, Tridra arrived at Ophelia's cart. She hesitated at the entrance, noting Alexandra curled up beside Ophelia, her head resting on her shoulder. Tridra's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink, and she quickly cast her eyes downward, a bit flustered at the sight in front of her.
"You seem to be in a good mood, My Lady," Tridra nervously smiled.
Ophelia continued to smile as she asked Tridra, "What is the name of that man?"
"Vorhan. Apparently, he has no last name, My Lady."
"Vorhan…" Her grin widened.
Alexandra, a bit curious, asked, "Do you know of him?"
"I do… he will be useful," Ophelia responded before looking back at Tridra. "So, what information have you extracted?"
"I have extracted the location of various bandit bases and—" Tridra began, her voice faltering slightly as she glanced back up from her feet. Ophelia's warm smile caught her off guard, making her stumble over her words.
"It's hard to hear you from over there," Ophelia said gently, her tone carrying a subtle authority. "Come sit next to me."
Tridra blinked, her composure slipping as she stammered, "I—uh—"
"Sit here," Ophelia repeated, her gaze firm but not unkind.
Tridra moved quickly, scuttling through the cart and settling nervously onto the couch next to Ophelia. A variety of questions ran through her mind, but what snapped her out of her nervous trance was when she saw Alexandra, still nestled against Ophelia, smirking lightly at her discomfort.
'What do they want from me?' She thought to herself.
"Now, continue," Ophelia prompted, her tone steady.
Clearing her throat, Tridra straightened herself, attempting to project even an ounce of professionalism. "To continue where I left off. After charming the leader and extracting all possible information, we now know the locations of several bandit bases. There are three main factions: Steel, Grumblehold, and The Chained Droplet. Grumblehold is the most dominant, controlling much of the Sunbolt Mountains."
Ophelia leaned in slightly, her finger brushing under Tridra's chin, then tracing to her own lips as she gently smiled. "Suppressing them is our first priority. You know the route we are taking, correct?"
Tridra swallowed hard and nodded. She was still confused as to how differently her new Mistress was acting, yet didn't dare to ask. Instead, she inferred that it was because she regained a bit of her vigor and liveliness after taking a break from her planning yesterday.
"Work with Steven to chart a new path…" Ophelia continued, her voice low and commanding, "...one that leads to my fortress but intersects with each of these bandit bases. Report back once you have completed the task and show me the route on the map. Understood?"
Tridra gulped again, her nerves barely under control. "Y-yes, My Lady." She stood quickly, glancing between Ophelia and Alexandra who still had her eyes on her as she exited the cart.
Back inside the cart, Alexandra couldn't help but let out a small smirk, asking, "Surely this isn't just from resting a bit. Who exactly is that guy and why does he have you so excited?"
"It is not who he is. It was about what he knew. I am going to need to interrogate him personally in a bit as Tridra's charm will not be able to extract some information from him that I need to know."
"Information Tridra can't extract? Even with her ability to charm others?" Alexandra's eyebrow twitched lightly.
"It is blocked behind a mental barrier. Even he does not know about it… can you bring him to me?" Ophelia gently smiled.
"As you wish, My Lady," She raised Ophelia's hand, playfully kissing it before walking away with a small wink.