"Dammit! That damn dragon girl! And the Minister! How dare they say 'you can retreat to the capital for refuge' first!"
Count Filz sat at his desk, unable to contain his fury as he listened to the scout's report.
He had sided with the Minister for profit, and now the Minister not only had no intention of helping him but was telling him to return to the capital?
If he went back to the capital now, he wouldn't be a fellow conspirator anymore—he'd be a down-and-out noble seeking shelter!
The thought made Filz grit his teeth.
He had thought a marquis's territory would be enough to satisfy that dragon girl's appetite for a while, but who would have guessed she'd attack in less than a month?
It left him no time to continue exchanging interests with the Minister.
But now wasn't the moment to dwell on that. If he didn't leave quickly, his fate would likely be no different from Marquis Merville's.
At this point, fleeing was his only option.
"Assemble all soldiers! Order them to stand ready! Hold the city walls! These shameless traitors could never comprehend the empire's strength and heritage! General Esdeath will soon arrive to annihilate these pitiful enemies!"
After giving the command, he sent the scout to deliver the orders, then summoned his steward and guards to gather all valuable assets from his estate.
According to the scout's estimates, the dragon girl's forces were about two days away—plenty of time to pack his belongings.
Esdeath believed in the supremacy of the strong, but that didn't mean she lacked consideration for those weaker than her.
In truth, she understood clearly that strength was relative. While she viewed Wave and Kurome as weaklings, from an objective standpoint, both were undeniably powerful.
She showed exceptional favor to her subordinates—her 'assets'—especially when they were strong.
Even though she and Wave had already eaten their fill, seeing Kurome still happily helping herself to more dishes, Esdeath felt no dissatisfaction. She simply chatted while waiting for Kurome to finish.
In non-combat settings, her presence remained intimidating, but to powerful individuals like Wave and Kurome, that aura felt trivial.
Instead, her consideration and warmth stood out more clearly.
Having campaigned for years and traveled everywhere, Esdeath always had plenty of stories and topics to share.
Most of them were along the lines of, 'That time I met someone pretty strong,' 'Their screams were rather pleasing to the ear,' or 'Hunting that Danger Beast holed up in such-and-such place was incredibly satisfying.'
But for Wave, a country boy from the coast, and Kurome, an assassination squad member who'd only operated in the capital and surrounding cities, these tales were thrilling enough to count as adventure stories.
Since they were eager listeners, Esdeath was happy to share.
Only when she got carried away describing interrogation methods and startled Wave did she rein herself in, switching topics.
She thought to herself that such 'girl talk' should be saved for when she and Kurome were alone, without Wave around.
Kurome didn't see any issue with it—as part of the assassination squad, she often had interrogation duties herself and had even picked up a few tips from Esdeath.
It wasn't until Kurome was completely full that the three left the restaurant. As they headed to the square to find a suitable inn, they stumbled upon an unexpected scene.
A soldier was posting conscription notices on the most prominent board in the square, informing all active and retired soldiers that a war was coming.
The enemy was the rebel Eblana, who would arrive here in two days.
To the civilians and soldiers, the name was utterly unfamiliar. Most civilians glanced at it without much concern, and a few soldiers treated it as just another routine defense operation.
But a larger number of soldiers, along with a handful of citizens, caught the scent of blood in the air.
They didn't know who Eblana was, but the city lord's urgent conscription radiated a sense of crisis.
While the notice weighed heavily on the minds of the people and soldiers, for Esdeath, it sparked excitement.
To think, before she could even seek them out, they were already coming her way.
"General Esdeath?"
Wave hadn't expected this development either.
Should they still go to Marquis Merville's territory? If they did, they wouldn't find anyone there.
But confronting the enemy directly now was different from the situation at the Marquis's estate—this time, Eblana would have an army with her.
It really didn't seem like the right time to pick a fight...
"What a perfect opportunity."
Esdeath, however, broke into a smile. "I was only planning to test the waters casually, but now it looks like I can enjoy myself a little more."
"Huh...?"
Wave's eye twitched. "Wait, General? Don't we lack formal authorization for an attack?"
He was a passionate young man, and he'd joined this mission due to his captain's invitation and his own sense of justice, but covert operations and open warfare were completely different.
With covert ops, you could at least deny involvement later—on the battlefield, there was no room for that kind of evasion.
Kurome shot a glance at Wave.
When Wave had first tagged along, she'd thought he wasn't as straightforward as he seemed—that he knew how to adapt. But now it looked like he only understood half of it.
"No need to worry. The Minister won't say anything."
Esdeath tossed out the remark casually and began walking toward the count's estate.
Even if she truly disobeyed orders, what could the Minister do about it?
Besides, she wasn't disobeying now—she was just acting on her own. At most, she'd file some paperwork afterward. Was the Minister really going to turn against her over something like this?
Wave didn't know what Esdeath was thinking, but seeing the two women already moving ahead on their own, he could only resign himself to following them.
If the empire came looking for trouble later, he'd just have to find a way to shoulder as much responsibility as possible...
While packing up his valuables, Filz was completely stunned when he heard Esdeath wanted to see him.
The surprise wasn't his alone—the guards and steward in the estate were equally dumbfounded.
So Count Filz hadn't been bluffing? General Esdeath really was here?
After the initial shock came sheer elation.
He had no Teigu users on his side—not a single powerful fighter like that. Even his troops numbered only around a thousand, and even with full conscription, he couldn't exceed three thousand.
In such a state, clashing with that dragon girl would mean certain destruction.
But with Esdeath holding the fort, everything changed.
He flattered and fawned over Esdeath, eagerly welcoming her as an honored guest and immediately presenting the treasures he'd just packed for his escape as a gesture of goodwill.
Esdeath had little interest in such things and initially thought to give them to Wave and Kurome, but neither showed much enthusiasm either.
So she simply told Filz to send it all to the capital for Ran to manage, then headed to where the soldiers were stationed.
Well... she hadn't expected much, but the army's quality still left Esdeath deeply displeased.
Fortunately, she wasn't obligated to protect this place at all costs.
Three days passed quickly.
Standing atop the city wall, watching the blue-purple flames glowing in the distance over a kilometer away, their heat already palpable, Esdeath could hardly conceal the joy and fighting spirit in her eyes.
Eblana, too, had noticed Esdeath on the wall. The two locked eyes across the distance, their auras as powerful beings drenching those around them in cold sweat, freezing them in place.
Frost crept along the battlements, while deathly flames scorched the earth below.
Before the battle had even begun, several soldiers had already fainted.
"Far beyond my expectations..."
Esdeath's smile simply wouldn't fade.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.