"Oh, bossman gottem," Maple cheered, having way more fun with the broadcast than she expected.
Eyna remained quieter, acting professional while commenting on the ongoing battle.
"That counterattack cost the Western Vanguard over twenty-five soldiers," she stated. The dragon could still hear the excitement in her voice. "But they still have more men standing."
"Well, of course, because Konrad had thirty less to begin with," Maple argued.
She got no response, not that she expected one. She didn't mind this lopsided dialogue.
It was a perfect opportunity to tease her rival in love. And take shots at the other ones.
"And then that knight guy threw away another twenty-five. It's all the angel's fault."
Feeling the purple eyes almost burning a hole in her, she flashed her a grin.
"If your master wasn't out of it like a zombie, he could've prevented that blunder."
She could tell that Eyna wanted to say something, but she was a professional commentator.
Even if she had a question—she knew nothing about the invasion force—she had to keep it in.
Unlike Maple, who could swap her images at will and do whatever she wanted, the exotic beauty had no magic at all. Mana passed right through her.
She had to work with what Konrad gave her.
But she was smart, disciplined, devoted to her savior, and a serious rival in his harem. Especially since the demoness seemed to have liked her—and hated Maple with a passion.
"Not fair," the dragon muttered, almost missing the next event.
"The Rogue Rejects reshuffle their leadership," Eyna announced. "Lord Halstadt's moving to the keep. He'll have an excellent view from the Old Tower—but will he have enough runners?"
"I can tell he's using telepathy, even if he locked me out," Maple moaned.
It all started like a game. She was curious about this otherworlder. But now, things kept escalating, and she couldn't help but become jealous. She wanted to win as much as Konrad did.
Except they aimed for different things.
And whatever the case, Lady Liliana didn't care about the rules.
But she also didn't want her sweetheart to cheat.
What a mess.
That girl was an enigma to her. She could more or less guess what the angel's deal was, but the demoness? She could've destroyed the world and remade it to her liking.
Instead, she toyed with this boy with the mark and hissed at anyone who got too close to him.
The girl kicked her ankle—quite courageous—and she realized she had action to broadcast.
"Oh boy, they attack from the south now," the dragoness noted, adjusting the illusions.
Konrad did a decent job setting it up for her. The syntax was way overcomplicated for her liking, but the circuits were clean. Easy to read, and all she had to do was to pour her mana in.
She burned through a lot, though.
For a human, this would have been an insane amount.
Even if that Zoltan guy said yes, and didn't disappear without a trace—
No way he could've run the show without her.
Konrad would better be thankful for her.
"Lord Halstadt noticed the advance, but will the reinforcements arrive on time?"
Eyna was still sitting on the edge of her seat. Her arms trembled, but it was adorable how well she schooled her voice so far. They couldn't have been more different.
Maple, that free spirit, powerful and wild, and this humble girl, a picture of a saint.
Not those saints, the ones hiding in their pocket dimensions and playing gods for this world. But the dragon would have risked saying she deserved such power more than those bastards.
Another tap on her ankles. Wow.
"I'm seeing it, don't worry," she complained. "But I'm being cinematic. You see? There."
The illusion followed a runner through the cramped corridor, carrying Konrad's decisive order.
He reached the gate where most of the Rejects had gathered.
Half the men then burst into a sprint towards the southern breach. They were eager, but tired and slow. Defending a fort this size with so few—and no archers—was worse than attacking.
"This might be a devastating loss," Eyna gritted out. "Lord Halstadt lost another Lieutenant."
It was Bor, and about ten tribesmen. But the reinforcements could pin the westerners in place.
It wasn't enough to kick the invaders out, but this time, it was Maple who caught the next twist before Eyna did. She pointed at an illusion screen with a smirk, and the tribesgirl gasped.
"The Rogue Rejects abandoned the gate," she yelped, no longer capable of sitting still.
Konrad didn't climb that Old Tower to coordinate the defenses.
He went to find the enemy duke, and now he was on his way to lead a desperate attack.
He took the demon's human half-brother and about two-thirds of his remaining forces. The question was only whether the Westerners noticed the movement before it was too late to stop.
"Lord Halstadt launched a brave gamble," Eyna commented, her neutrality out the window.
"Hey, that's how it started with his commander, too," the dragon teased her, but she knew it, too.
This was different. Rougher, more powerful, more desperate, but no less smart.
He left crumbs for his enemies to pick up, sacrifices, and deceit.
This battle had no deaths, after all. He didn't have to throw away actual lives.
"The Vanguard broke through the southern breach and is now marching on the keep," Eyna noted with a smirk. "They don't know that it's empty yet. Master's forces bypassed them, and—"
"You called him Master," Maple chuckled, watching the girl's dark skin turn a deep shade of red.
"And there is nothing between the Rogue Rejects and the westerner's duke now."
It was adorable how much she struggled to keep it together.
And her assessment was correct, too.
The remaining tribesmen played guerrillas in the fort. While they pretended to be the main force for the Vanguard to chase, the real fight reached its climax.
Konrad, Welf, and that giant they called Kade pushed the enemy duke into a corner.
No messengers in or out, the battle was as good as won.
But her savior wasn't satisfied with a regular surrender. He waved for his lieutenants to stay back, challenging the opposing leader to a personal duel.
"Macho to a fault," she noted with a smirk, zooming in on the action.
"An honorable duel will decide the fate of this battle," Eyna announced. But by the time she finished, it was already over. A fat, comfortable noble was no match for her Konrad.
He didn't win. He dominated.
Outsmarted, outmaneuvered, and then humiliated his opponent.
A lightning swing with his blade, and an actual duke kneeled before him, surrendering.
Something all the nobles of Kasserlane could see in that arena, thanks to her broadcast.
"So that's why he was adamant the tournament had to continue," Maple muttered. Her new master was smart and ruthless. The way she liked men. "Can't wait to see him in a real battle."
"The third victory belongs to the Rogue Rejects. Lord Konrad Halstadt," Eyna screamed, dancing on her narrow lookout tower. If the dragon hadn't caught her, she would've fallen.
"All right, puppy-girl. We won, now calm down," she said with a laugh.
But she felt like celebrating, too, for a very different reason.
War was coming to Kasserlane, and her master and savior was ready for it.