Chapter 706: This Time, Fighting Side by Side

According to the battle reports they had gathered so far, Hebrew was garrisoned in the city not far away. If it were merely that the Pope’s presence had been detected, Captain Kales would not have rushed a message over so urgently; nor would the ever-tactful head maid have come knocking in the middle of the night just to deliver this intelligence to her.

Astrid sat up at the words, her left hand lightly brushed her lips while her right tugged at the top of her thigh-high black stockings, smoothing the delicate fabric flat where Lyra had left a few faint wrinkles. She straightened her back and asked in a low voice.

"What exactly is the situation?"

Elise appearing here meant things were far from optimism, something major had happened, something that required her, the Regent, to issue orders personally.

Listening to the exchange between mistress and maid, the pink-haired girl who had been pressed atop the Regent a moment ago now obediently sat to the side of the bed. The lamplight fell across her fair cheeks, making her features look refined and beautiful, and, perhaps because what they’d been doing had been interrupted halfway, added a faint, shy flush.

Elise’s sudden arrival made Lyra think of the Liya Tower Fortress, of that period when she couldn’t even sleep in peace, because no one knew when the Church of Light would launch an assault. As one of the city’s defenders, Lyra had to remain in a light sleep even when resting. Even if she had just returned to the dormitory, barely closed her eyes, an order to man the walls could arrive in the next second.

No matter how exhausted, no matter how desperately she craved sleep, she had to get up immediately and return to her post.

Yet Lyra harbored no resentment. To her, if showing up in time could save a few more lives, allow more soldiers’ families to reunite after the war, it was far better than missing everything in a hazy dream and letting tragedy become irreversible.

Hearing Astrid’s question, Elise kept it brief and relayed the situation in full.

"Captain Kales used the reconnaissance spells possessed by the Holy Radiant City and discovered flyers. Based on the aura feedback and the density of elemental particles around them, their identity has been confirmed as the Pope of Light, Hebrew."

"Besides him, there are several other flyers traveling with him. Their strength appears to have reached the Arcanist Mage tier. They came from the northwest and are heading southwest. Their purpose is unknown for the moment."

"Due to lack of relevant authority, Captain Kales did not act rashly. He only sent a report at once for you to make the decision, my lady."

As Regent, Astrid’s nominal authority in command was even higher than that of the Allied Army’s supreme commander Charles, the newly formed Church’s knight-captain Kales, and the current acting commander of the main force, Lyra.

Whether to let them pass or dispatch troops to intercept, she was the most appropriate one to choose.

"Originally, the news was meant to be delivered to Commander Lyra as well," the head maid added. "Since she’s in your bedroom, my lady, we can save the trouble of sending someone else."

As Elise spoke, Lyra’s blue eyes, still faintly misted moments ago, had already returned fully to clarity. She drew her two slim, white-stockinged legs together at the edge of the bed and spoke softly.

"Southeast... our logistical supply lines and the cities under our army’s actual control are all in that direction..."

"Could Hebrew be thinking that holding out inside the city is nothing but waiting to die, so he’s choosing to take the initiative and look for a breakthrough?"

Throughout human history, in a siege it was indeed possible for defenders to strike out before the attackers had fully deployed, meeting them outside the walls to kill enemies and crush morale.

But that was limited to conventional warfare. When it came to battles between transcendent figures like Arcanist Mages, who could not be judged by ordinary rules, there was no suitable precedent for reference.

Astrid did not speak at once. The physical heat in her body gradually dissolved as her thoughts sank deeper. The long, slender legs wrapped in black thigh-highs lifted unconsciously, letting the light spill across her smooth ankles like delicate butterflies.

"If that’s truly the case," the woman murmured, her gentle yet cool voice falling into the small space, "doesn’t it mean that at this very moment, our road to the royal capital is unobstructed?"

"It shouldn’t be. As long as the Pope has a brain, he shouldn’t expose such a massive opening, unless, deep down, he believes that His Majesty the King isn’t important."

Was that possible? Leaving aside the fact that King Velys was himself a powerful Crusader, among the Arcanist Mages currently choosing to defend the city, about half had accepted royal favor, diehard loyalists who had to uphold the old order.

If the king were captured and the capital fell, the subsequent chaos would strip them of any guarantee of their interests. Worse, they could very well be picked off one by one, each dragged to the gallows.

"Astrid thinks... the king might already no longer be in the royal capital?" Lyra asked softly.

When faced with death, most rulers prioritize survival, like Grand Duke Grant at the time. Had Lyra and Elise not arrived at top speed and shattered his spiritual wings, he might truly have escaped.

Land and wealth could be seized again. But once dead, there were no second chances. That was exactly why, during the great wars, both sides restrained themselves from deploying their top-tier forces.

Astrid shook her head, her voice low. "It’s possible, but unlikely."

A sovereign of a nation, if he couldn’t even hold Seville, the royal capital, then he had no need to keep ruling.

Not to mention that in a war like this, where it was killed or be killed, there likely weren’t many nobles so bewitched as to shelter the king for some empty promise drawn on the spot, while risking being purged by the expeditionary army afterward.

"The empire’s frontier has several Arcanist Mages stationed by Amalia. If Hebrew approaches, they’ll issue a warning immediately. As for Capital City, hearing we’re about to launch a general assault, Amalia specifically summoned the decision-makers of the four grand-duke families, meaning the other three grand dukes besides Charles."

They were the core of their families; travel would certainly include powerful mages as close bodyguards. Gathering these people inside the imperial capital, combined with the imperial guard already present, could effectively prevent the enemy from gambling on mutual destruction, seizing the emperor to force the Regent, deep in enemy territory, to retreat.

And most crucially: by doing so, Amalia didn’t need to promise them any benefits, and thus didn’t further worsen the empire’s already strained finances.

"Attacking the empire in a suicidal strike is a terrible move. Ignoring the king is even stranger. What is Hebrew trying to do?"

And Brennild, though she had never shown herself, was, in Astrid’s plan, the one they needed to watch for most carefully.

"..."

Could it be... his target was...

After a brief moment of thought, Astrid rose and, without putting on slippers, stepped onto the carpet with two soft, smooth black-stockinged feet, quickly walking to the entryway to change into slender high heels.

Although there had been no exchange, the moment she saw Astrid move, Lyra followed at once. The difference was that she didn’t change shoes like Astrid. With a thought, her holy Radiant Armor layered over her body. She then casually took a black silk hair ribbon stored within her holy sword and tied back her smooth pink hair.

Seeing this, Elise quietly drove her mental power. The deep-blue brooch, ignored by both Astrid and Lyra, was drawn through the air to the head maid’s fingers, and she personally fastened it onto her lady.

Once out the door, Astrid had Elise notify every unit inside the city to enter combat readiness immediately. In addition, dispatch personal guards to invite all Arcanist Mages, prepare to leave the city and block Hebrew’s advance.

Watching the head maid turn and leaving to carry out the order, Lyra also understood part of what Astrid meant, and before she could speak, Astrid explained.

"To our southeast, besides the logistical corps supplying the entire army, there’s also Hoskar City, Saintess of Light Monica Angelis, and the holy relic of light in her possession."

"Astrid means... Hebrew’s objective is to reclaim the holy relic?"

"We can’t rule it out. Or rather, the probability is extremely high."

Astrid lightly flicked her silver hair that fell down her back. She turned her eyes and asked Lyra in a low voice.

"By the way, Lyra, does anything look wrong with my outfit?"

They had been intimate just now, and with the rush a moment ago she hadn’t had time to check a mirror. She was about to step out of the Church’s cathedral and into the streets, she still needed to mind her image.

Lyra blinked several times, her gaze traveling from the woman’s exquisitely crafted, side-cut high heels to those long, even black-stockinged legs, then upward to the mysterious, sumptuous night-sky-colored gown. She swept Astrid from head to toe, and only after confirming her lover’s attire was flawless did she speak.

"No problems. Astrid looks very elegant right now."

Bathed in silver radiation, a moonlit beauty blooming quietly like an orchid.

Astrid didn’t linger on it. Her topic pivoted quickly back to what they hadn’t finished.

"Hebrew can’t possibly know more about the relic than we do. But the instigator behind him, Brennild, might. According to that surviving ancient-human tome, Brennild is the younger twin sister of Moserria, who held the Authority of Light. She is one of the rare twins among the godkin. If so, this divinity, once belonging to Moseria, very likely holds secrets known only to her and him."

"Based on that, Hebrew’s actions contain an internal logic. Perhaps in Brennild’s design, the Pope retrieving the relic would greatly increase the kingdom’s odds of victory."

"Even if not, it could still push both sides’ casualties to a new height, making it easier for her to absorb more nourishment and return to her prime sooner."

As Astrid’s words fell, Lyra naturally took over.

"Then we must keep Hebrew here, to prevent him from coming into contact with the relic."

Back when they discussed how to deal with the relic in Monica’s hands, Astrid and Lyra had spoken in detail. Lyra’s strength was still insufficient; she couldn’t fuse with or absorb the relic.

Only two options remain: one, keep it on the front line, providing large-scale light-attribute amplification to the new Church’s knight order, granting a certain buff to the battles ahead; two, send it back to the safest place, Capital City, to be kept by Empress Amalia.

In the end, Lyra mentioned that in a truly desperate situation, she might be able to use it to create a miracle. That faint edge overrode Astrid’s more conservative strategy.

"For now, it can only be this," Astrid said softly, gently comforting Lyra. "And for the expeditionary army, it isn’t entirely a bad thing."

"At least we’ve drawn the Pope out of the city and forced an encounter battle in the wild. Without defensive arrays, the defenders lose their inherent advantage. We can fight without holding back, without worrying about causing unnecessary casualties."

Perhaps Hebrew had considered this as well. In her conversation with Monica, Astrid had once asked about the Pope’s specifics. Monica’s reply surprised Lyra. In the Saintess’s eyes, the past Pope had been a capable man who ascended the papal throne through ability and prestige, kind and magnanimous, extraordinarily talented, with profound attainment in light magic, utterly unlike his current image.

Everything changed only after he began receiving "dreams" from the "Lord."

In short order, the Regent’s military order, delivered by the head maid, spread through the army system to every Arcanist Mage in the city. The city’s aerial no-fly order was lifted, and several Arcanist Mages flew out from their buildings, hovering in the night.

Lyra looked at the city skyline. Those powerful presences spread through the air, especially the deeply hidden academy headmaster. Even without targeting her, his aura alone pressed upon her like a mountain.

"Astrid, are you going too?"

"Yes. Everything proceeds according to plan. I’ll hide in the dark as a safety line, in case Brennild appears."

The divine tongue was suspected to be a weapon aimed at gods. As likely the only human in the world capable of understanding and chanting divine magic, Astrid naturally couldn’t hide far away like certain high-ranking aristocrats within the army.

And last time... it had been because the Regent’s status was too exalted, she couldn’t be allowed even the slightest injury, that Astrid hadn’t been able to stay by Lyra’s side at all times, leaving her to face Hebrew alone...

This time, she wouldn’t.

"Don’t worry, Lyra. I’m an early tier Arcanist Mage proficient in dark elements. I’ll be fine," the silver-haired beauty said softly, controlling the wind wings behind her to lift herself into the air.

With the head maid, who possessed ancient spellcraft and the strength of an early tier Crusader, guarding her side, Astrid truly had obtained the ticket to step onto this terrifying battlefield.

"..."

Knowing that bringing her along was the best plan, Lyra fell silent for a moment and did not stop her, only following behind as they rose together, the moon carrying them farther from the earth.

"Your battlefield experience is still too little... so..."

"Be careful, Astrid."

Joining the main force, Lyra turned back and watched that silver-white figure vanish into the night through dark-element magic. She summoned a holy, flawless sword of light, and only after confirming that even she could no longer accurately sense Astrid’s presence did she finally relax, hurriedly to the front line.

"Although an accident occurred and the battle has arrived a bit early, I ask all of you to keep your guard up."

"Next is the battle that will decide who holds the royal city."