Just as the Empire’s military on the other side of the border was busy, the Imperial high command had no time to rest either.
The armies out on the frontlines needed everything supplied to them on time.
Simultaneously, they had to ensure the Empire’s stability to prevent internal unrest.
Though they weren’t achieving the same dazzling glory as those fighting the enemy far away, it was no less important—an aspect that couldn’t be neglected.
And amidst it all, Princess Isabel, the second princess, was lending a hand in these efforts.
“Move out to the frontlines, Belle.”
And so, the Crown Princess began by calling her younger sister.
“Sister?”
“Unfortunately, it’s not the central front. It seems we’ll need you to head south.”
“…Eh?”
“Don’t feel so disappointed.”
“Disappointed? What?”
“The Chief of the Imperial Staff is handling operations in the central front, so…”
At that, Isabel blinked a few times.
Does this mean she feels disappointed or something? What does that have to do with anything?
“….”
At Isabel’s reaction, the Crown Princess sighed in resignation, closing her eyes.
No, wasn’t there a peculiar vibe between them just a while ago?
The Crown Princess had relaxed a bit because things seemed to be progressing well—albeit a little late.
Why were they reverting back to how it all started?
Had Isabel undergone some sort of reset from not seeing her for a bit?
“No.”
From this point on, the Crown Princess decided to use her authority.
Originally, the second princess was supposed to head south—she had already reported this even to the Emperor.
However, given this situation, the Emperor himself would surely understand.
“Head to the central front when you’re ready, and assist the Chief of the Imperial Staff there, Isabel.”
“Uh… Okay, got it.”
With that, Isabel immediately vanished, citing the urgency of the mission.
And as she watched her sister’s retreating back, the Crown Princess entertained a thought.
Could it be… Was Isabel pretending because she didn’t want to go south in the first place?
Did she anticipate that her sister would feel frustrated and change the order on the spot?
If that was the case, maybe Isabel had learned too well from the Chief of the Imperial Staff?
‘Well, if that’s true, then she’s certainly grown up, hasn’t she? Some praise might be in order.’
With this thought, the Crown Princess briefed the Emperor on the matter.
The Emperor understood the Crown Princess’s intentions and subsequently ordered Isabel to head west instead.
Isabel, who had worked diligently alongside Kael in the eastern and southern theaters, would now raise morale further and attract the enemy’s attention if they worked together in the west as well.
Just in time, reports came in saying Kael was already employing various tactics of deception. Surely, the presence of the Empire’s princess would serve as an excellent card in this chess game.
‘Besides, it wouldn’t hurt if the two of them grew closer.’
Thus began their joint military service in the north of the continent, at the border with Nobogorod.
From there, they cooperated in campaigns across the Three Eastern Kingdoms and the southern land of Benito.
If word got out that they were working together in Dedolant to the west as well, it’d be near perfection.
What a beautiful story this has become! How heartwarming!
Two young warriors contributing to the empire’s defense across every corner of the empire’s borders.
What better way for them to end this series of adventures than with a grand wedding, receiving the full blessings of the people?
“…What?”
But the Emperor’s and Crown Princess’s dreams were soon dashed.
“Apparently, the Imperial Chief of Staff reassigned the Second Princess to the southern front again using his authority as the First Army Chief of Staff.”
“…”
“No…”
It seemed Isabel wasn’t the only one who had been reset after a period of separation.
For a moment, the Crown Princess strongly considered rushing to the frontlines herself.
—
Compared to the Empire, Dedolant lacked many things.
But it wasn’t weak either, much less crippled like Benito.
Just look at the large-scale counteroffensive they carried out in the central front recently.
Their attacks and advances were carried out smoothly, according to a well-planned strategy.
It wasn’t for no reason that the defense of the Dugal Kingdom’s capital fell apart in less than a month.
If they strike again with such systematic planning, it would be a brutal fight.
Even if we won, the toll on our own side would be significant.
It’s better not to engage at all with the madmen of Dedolant.
If conflict can’t be avoided, it’s better to strike them from behind instead of head-on.
Who in their right mind would engage someone eager for a counter-attack?
“News from the Nobogorod army?”
“It just came in. They’re deliberately stalling, devastating areas along the border.”
“What about Dedolant’s response?”
“Even if they tried to move secretly, it was impossible to hide given the scale of their operations; we’re talking about thousands of troops, not hundreds.”
With the situation growing urgent, Dedolant immediately deployed the forces readily available.
A force numbering in the thousands might seem small, but they were battle-ready units.
Most of these units were elite forsure—they were being sent to Artria rather than the central front.
‘Kaya and Charlotte are doing such good work for us.’
To Artria, we had Kaya, Charlotte, and even Nobogorod’s reinforcements.
When we dispatched them, we asked them to follow a specific plan.
The aim was to make it subtle enough not to scream, “Come help us!” but clear enough to compel them to respond.
We wanted them to grit their teeth and feel compelled to act.
Dedolant’s main central army had been strategically pulled out.
They weren’t fools; upon hearing news of the Empire’s scattered strength, they’d certainly take countermeasures.
When surrounded, the best strategy would likely be a direct frontal assault.
If they were to use the still recovering First Army against us, even we’d be up the creek.
Looking at it coldly, the chances of winning head-on would be six to four in our favor.
Our Empire has a slight advantage, but Dedolant is still formidable.
Once the conflict ends, it’s likely both sides would be half-dead and maimed.
I’m not bold enough to stake everything based on such uncertain odds.
As a confirmed chicken, my heart doesn’t race for anything without certainty.
This means we can’t possibly let Dedolant’s strength grow comparable to our First Army.
We need to stretch Dedolant thin, spread it even thinner, and exploit their weaknesses.
Hence, Charlotte’s role was critical—to lure them without making it too obvious.
But subtly letting Dedolant know the fear of Artria crumbling without their support was equally important.
We already had Nobogorod’s elite heavy infantry, who were even reinforced by Kaya.
And Charlotte cleverly provoked Artria.
Word has it that certain important cities of Artria were obliterated, including some places that were the pride of the kingdom’s people.
Would Artria not call on Dedolant, their “reliable older brother,” in such a situation? It would be strange if they didn’t.
Now, turning our attention southward to the Benito front.
Our Southern Kingdom forces and the Fourth Division had already done some probing.
Finally, the Ghost Legion or Ghost Army was set to deploy after all the preparation.
Experts in deception and scores of conscripted extras pretending to be part of the Ghost Army helped create the illusion.
We exaggerated them to nearly fifty thousand troops to intimidate Dedolant.
If Benito’s situation deteriorates and gets worse, we’ll warn Dedolant that they’d better prepare themselves.
But thinking about it again, this alone didn’t feel enough.
We need more—a louder, bolder spark of provocation.
Something so intense that Dedolant would bet their lives on both Artria and Benito.
“Kael! Or should I call you the Imperial Chief of Staff?”
“You’ve arrived, Your Highness.”
To my good fortune, the princess herself showed up at just the right moment.
“I’ve come by the orders of His Majesty, the Emperor, and my sister to assist you.”
“Your service to the Empire alone is a great help, but having you here personally, Your Highness, will certainly give me a peace of mind.”
The Ghost Army was a masterpiece crafted by our experts, but with a force of only a few thousand pretending to be tens of thousands, there was bound to be flaws.
If we could cover these minor cracks—if we can distract Dedolant with something else, wouldn’t that work?
“I have an additional request of you, Your Highness.”
“Anything Kael asks for, I’ll do it.”
“I need you to head to the southern front. Convince Dedolant that the upcoming offensive in the south isn’t a mere deterrent but a large-scale invasion. Warn them that if they don’t prepare safety nets for Benito or Dedolant’s southern flank, they’ll meet disaster.”
Everyone in the empire knows by now that Princess Isabel has fought alongside our troops in various theaters.
In the eastern front, she personally assisted soldiers with their meals and even fought side by side in the battlefield.
Though in the southern theater, she helped diplomatically rally the Southern Kingdoms rather than engage in direct combat.
If rumors spread that a figure like her is accompanying our army, who wouldn’t be fooled by the deception?
“Are you really thinking of surrounding Dedolant with a massive net?”
“Is the finance ministry complaining about me a lot?”
“Hmm. To be honest, they wail every day. The Empire’s funds are disappearing at an alarming rate, and there’s this unlimited use of the magic military units too.”
I knew this would happen, but hearing it straight still makes me a bit nervous.
d*mn, surely I won’t end up being dragged to the Imperial Council to face blame for this later?
Even victorious commanders who led the Empire to war are eventually grilled about the cost of their victories.
“But don’t worry, Kael. His Majesty and my sister will support you.”
“And if they happen to remain silent, I’ll take the forefront to protect Kael above all others.”
Watching this confident woman vow to protect her man brought a rare flash of embarrassment, but I dismissed it.
She wasn’t saying it lightly but from the true heart of an empress-to-be, I could sense.
“Since we must part so soon, how about sharing a cup of tea? We do have a bit of time, don’t we?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I was about to make the same suggestion.”
