The sunset’s afterglow bathed the houses of Ushi City in a layer of red, like blood.
Hill Yu led her people out from the last stronghold.
She glanced at the trembling ‘peasant’ bound beside them.
“Is this the last one?”
Hill Yu asked.
“Y-yes, Your Highness! This is the last stronghold I know of.”
The man knelt on the ground, his face full of pleading.
“Still the same question. The Vice City Lord Mike Millen used Ushi City’s wealth to support you all…”
“…And now he gathers you together again. For what purpose?”
Hill Yu questioned coldly.
On the ordinary longsword in her hand, chilling blood dripped.
Drip.
Drip.
She hadn’t used her Ice Orchid; Hill Yu treasured her beloved sword.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, she always used such standard iron swords instead.
The bloodstains on the blade were those of the traitors.
Now, she had already led her people to dismantle each of the strongholds Mike Millen had hidden within the city.
Scattered, their numbers were not many and wouldn’t attract attention.
But together, there were over a thousand of them!
From each stronghold, a good amount of money and weapons had been found.
With swift surprise attacks, these private soldiers waiting for Mike Millen’s orders had no chance to resist.
Moreover, with Ushi City under lockdown, Hill Yu would first kill the messenger birds used for communication at every cleared spot.
Now, Mike Millen’s hidden forces in the city had been cleaned out by Hill Yu.
And yet he himself remained oblivious!
“Y-Your Highness! How would we know what Lord Mike intended? He told us to wait in the stronghold for orders, so we did…”
But before the orders could arrive, they were swept up by Hill Yu.
“How many of you outside the city haven’t entered yet?”
Hill Yu asked again.
At this, the private soldier hesitated for two seconds.
As he struggled to speak in terror, Hill Yu sliced off his head with a single stroke.
Then she pointed her sword at the next person.
“You speak!”
The cold glint in Hill Yu’s eyes was like abyssal black ice, terrifying the next private soldier into wetting himself.
“I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Spare me, Your Highness!”
He kowtowed desperately, spilling everything he knew.
“There are at least several hundred that I know of. Lord Mike’s forces can’t be just us at the mines. So I dare guess there might be nearly two thousand!”
Buzz~!
Hill Yu’s sword tip moved a few inches closer to his neck, nearly piercing his skin.
The man screamed in terror.
“Your Highness! Every word is true—I really don’t know how many more people Lord Mike has outside!”
“It’s just that half of us from the mine came, and the rest stayed to guard it.”
Beside them, Annie Donald asked curiously,
“Why didn’t all of you come?”
“G-Great Lady, please judge clearly!”
The private soldier replied, trembling.
“First, the higher-ups said bringing too many people would attract attention and ruin the plan.”
“Second, if everyone left, the mines would fall into chaos.”
“Those miners aren’t obedient. Not long ago, there was the Escape Incident.”
“If all left, the miners would cause trouble everywhere, making things worse.”
“Third…the higher-ups said some brothers had to be left outside for backup…”
“Backup?”
Annie demanded,
“Backup for what?”
“I truly don’t know!”
The private soldier prostrated himself, crying for mercy.
“Heh. I’ll explain.”
Hill Yu looked coldly at the captured private soldiers before her.
“Mike Millen… he planned to rebel with you all! Those outside were for supporting the rebels!”
That single word weighed a thousand pounds, crushing everyone to the ground in terror.
Not a single sound was heard.
Cold sweat ran down their backs, even the City Defense Army guarding them shivering.
“You have not yet crossed that final line, but you stand at the edge of the abyss.”
“Once Mike Millen rises in revolt, you private soldiers will be declared traitors—guilty of treason, condemned to extermination!”
Hill Yu’s resolute voice echoed, and the private soldiers collapsed, wailing and cursing Mike Millen.
“Your Highness, we truly did not know!”
“It was that old traitor Mike Millen, deceiving us all!”
“Your Highness! Though we are his private soldiers, we are loyal citizens of the Empire and Royalty!”
The private soldiers cried out for mercy, one after another.
Now disarmed, any resistance would see them cut down by the surrounding City Defense Army.
Whether their repentance was genuine or simply because they were outmatched, Hill Yu did not intend to trust them.
However, she also had no plans to kill them.
Sometimes, dog-eat-dog brought the greatest benefit.
“Since you all claim to have been deceived, now you have only one path.”
Hill Yu pointed at the crowd on the ground.
“Follow me to storm the Vice City Lord’s Mansion and capture Mike Millen alive! You still have a chance for redemption.”
“If you harbor thoughts of luck, or betray us in battle, you will be executed a thousand times over, your families exterminated as traitors!”
At these words, none of the private soldiers dared to resist.
“We are willing to abandon darkness for the light, and follow Your Highness to slay the rebels!”
The group pledged.
But how many truly meant it, Hill Yu did not know.
Perhaps some among them were innocent.
But if Mike Millen succeeded, most would gamble everything and truly become traitors.
Though there was no ‘if’, as private soldiers of Mike now, even the innocent had become guilty.
Blame it on boarding Mike Millen’s ship of treachery.
“Take them away! Guard them strictly!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
***
As night fell once more, inside the Vice City Lord’s Mansion.
Mik Englandram and Mike Millen could no longer sit still.
“Well? Still no replies?”
In the afternoon, they had received a few letters from various strongholds.
All asking what Mike Millen planned next.
But after sending the messenger birds back, there was no further word.
Now, they were both deaf and blind!
They had no idea what was happening outside, nor what Willis was doing!
“No good! We can’t wait any longer, old friend!”
Mik Englandram’s face hardened.
“This must be Willis’s doing!”
“Damn, I underestimated her! I thought she was still the same as always in Ushi City—big-chested and brainless. Who knew she’d have so many tactics against us!”
“You’re saying…?”
Mike Millen hesitated.
“Tonight! Damn it all!”
Mik Englandram’s voice was filled with murderous intent.
“Since it’s come to this, we’ll send people through the secret passage to contact all strongholds, and attack the Castle Lord’s Mansion together!”
“As long as we kill Willis and Hill Yu, Ushi City will descend into chaos!”
“We’ll escape in the confusion and enjoy riches and glory!”
Mike Millen pondered for a long moment, feeling that given the crisis, there was only one path left.
Still, he hesitated.
“The Castle Lord’s Mansion is easy to defend and hard to attack. Even with over a thousand men, we can’t break through Hill Yu’s five hundred soldiers quickly.”
“Old friend, at this point, do you really think Willis will let us go? It’s do or die! There’s still one chance!”
Mik pressed.
“Wait, let’s ask the lord for instructions first.”
Under Mik’s anxious gaze, Mike hurried to the back of the mansion.
After a while, he returned, his face calm.
“What did they say?”
“The lord has agreed to our plan. Let’s proceed.”
For safety, he added,
“If the Imperial Princess dies, the City Defense Army will surely blame us, hunting us down with everything they’ve got.”
“If we’re to act, it should be in the second half of the night!”
“By then, the City Defense Army will be exhausted, and we’ll have enough time to escape after succeeding!”
“Good! Let’s do it!”
Having reached an agreement, the two began their preparations.
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