The high-stakes political game in the Imperial Capital was heating up, while the lower-tier game in the North was proceeding with equal fervor!
Hierro led a coalition of noble forces to attack Rosen Territory directly. They began by throwing a virus from outside the city gates.
The virus spread instantly at the gate. Several guards took only a single breath before their lives were forfeit… Their bodies rotted as they slowly withered away.
The coalition soldiers also pushed their siege towers forward, inching toward the city gates step by step!
Yinan watched the guards collapse at the gates, his expression untroubled. This was the nature of war — there were always gains and losses.
The coalition’s morale seemed to return as they summoned their courage to surge toward Rosen Territory. They shouted and clamored, vowing to cut off Yinan’s head!
Luo Ling led her Violet Light Shield Soldiers as they fanned out. Each time she unlocked a unit ability, she gained it automatically.
This group of shield soldiers scattered across various points along the city walls, unaffected by the toxic gas. They drew their javelins and hurled them at the soldiers pushing the enemy siege towers!
The javelins shot down from the walls like meteors, whistling through the air as they pierced the coalition soldiers with pinpoint accuracy.
Whenever 100 shield soldiers threw their weapons, they took exactly 100 lives. As long as a soldier was hit, they died on the spot!
This significantly slowed the noble coalition’s pace. Hierro flew into a rage as he watched his soldiers collapse around the siege towers.
His supply of poison was nearly exhausted, and he needed to save the rest to defend against those heavy-armored units. However, failing to even breach the city was a frustrating setback!
“Keep going! If one dies, replace him! We must break these gates today!”
Under Hierro’s frantic urging, the noble coalition rushed toward the siege towers like an incoming tide.
Despite the steady rain of javelins claiming lives, those in the rear gritted their teeth and charged forward, desperate to push the towers closer to the gates.
Yinan gathered a group of his own soldiers and had them don airtight clothing. These garments were completely unsuitable for a battlefield; the men even found it difficult to breathe.
“You lot, take those virus-infected corpses and load them into the catapults. Fling them at the enemy. I intend to return poison for poison!”
Though the soldiers in the airtight suits moved with difficulty, they quickly carried out the order.
One soldier, seeking a bit of comfort, had pricked a small hole in his suit for ventilation. The moment he approached a corpse, blood began to stream from his nose.
Seeing this, the other soldiers were terrified and hesitated to continue.
“I will kill anyone who stops!” Yinan commanded, his archers already training their bows on the group from a distance. “If you die, I will take care of your families and ensure they receive the best treatment!”
The soldiers dared not delay any longer. Enduring the agonizing damage to their internal organs, they began hurling the corpses over the walls one by one…
As the work progressed, those soldiers also began to slowly collapse.
Yinan supervised them with a cold, expressionless face, completely indifferent to their plight.
‘As long as the objective is met, the sacrifice of some lives is necessary.’
As the tainted corpses rained down, the noble coalition’s ranks fell into chaos once more. The virus began to spread through their vanguard.
Panic-stricken, the soldiers tried to flee back toward the main camp, but Hierro stopped them. If they returned now, wouldn’t they bring the virus with them?!
“Stand your ground! Anyone who retreats will be executed on the spot!” Hierro roared, brandishing his longsword.
Inside the city walls, once the last of the corpses had been thrown, Yinan gave a direct order to the archers to kill the men who had handled the bodies!
These soldiers were already on the verge of death, ravaged by the virus. They lacked the strength to dodge, and their bodies were instantly riddled with arrows as they slumped to the ground.
“Lord, this…” A general witnessed the scene, his heart aching as he spoke up hesitantly.
Yinan gave him a frigid look. “War is this cruel. They were already infected and wouldn’t have lived long. Rather than letting them carry the virus back inside, it is better to resolve the issue early…”
The general lowered his head, not daring to say another word. He wondered if his Lord’s heart was truly made of stone.
***
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Council, the nobles were not embroiled in their usual heated arguments. Instead, there was an eerie silence…
Nancy sat beside the Little Empress, accompanied by her close friend, Aethelgard, the Saintess of Purity. Nancy looked at the gathered nobles with a grim expression, as if ready to execute the first person who dared to challenge them.
A countess might not have such standing, but a Saintess certainly carried that kind of weight!
Saintesses did not belong to any empire or the Holy See; they were free to choose whom they supported.
The reason they were recognized across the entire continent was due to a tradition passed down from ancient history, so old that few could remember its exact origin.
Whenever a Saintess neared the end of her life, she would find a successor and pass on her mission and authority.
In contrast, Witches fought for their right of succession, eventually winning the approval of the previous title-holder to inherit their power.
The relationship between Witches and Saintesses was incredibly complex — a matter that couldn’t be explained in few words.
Regardless, every Witch and Saintess possessed extraordinary strength. This was a fact acknowledged across the continent; they were formidable combatants, and no one wanted to provoke them unless absolutely necessary.
Most of the nobles had only just discovered that Nancy, the “Night Rose of the Imperial Capital,” was actually the Generous Saintess!
To make matters more pressing, she had brought her friend along to bolster the Empress’s presence!
However, the Grand Dukes were not intimidated. Their ancestors had helped the Emperor expand these lands thousands of years ago. With such deep-rooted heritage, they did not fear the Saintesses.
The Grand Duke of the West looked at Aethelgard, the Saintess of Purity, his tone polite but sharp. “Lady Aethelgard, I can understand Lady Nancy’s presence here as a Countess and a member of the council, but you…?”
The implication was clear: an outsider had no right to be there.
Aethelgard looked up slightly, a cold light flickering in her eyes. Faced with the Grand Duke’s provocation, her expression remained calm. “Grand Duke Gold Sand, as a renowned nation on this continent, the matters discussed by the Isold Empire concern all living beings. If that is the case, why would you bar someone who cares for the world’s welfare?”
The Frost Wolf Grand Duke sneered. “Are you saying that the rise and fall of the world is everyone’s responsibility? If that were true, wouldn’t every commoner feel entitled to chime in on imperial affairs?”
His words were incredibly blunt, clearly intended to drive her out.
Aethelgard gave a soft smile, one as gentle as the first snow of spring. “Frost Wolf Grand Duke, if we follow your logic — that only those with hereditary titles in court may discuss the empire — then who is left to listen to the voices of the people? I may not hold a title in this empire, but my heart’s desire to seek the welfare of all beings is not a fraction less than anyone seated here!”
The Frost Wolf Grand Duke laughed as if he had heard a ridiculous joke. “I know this is how you Saintesses carry yourselves. But… if you are allowed to participate in this council, does that mean I can invite others to join as well? For example… Tiffany, the Witch of Wrath?”
A faint murmur of unrest immediately rippled through the council hall.
The Witch of Wrath’s fearsome reputation was known to everyone present. Though she appeared harmless in front of Yinan, she was notoriously unpredictable and ruthless. If she truly joined the Imperial Council, the situation would spiral into absolute chaos.
[Teresa’s image has been placed in the author’s note]