I'm the Villain, But the Heroines Keep Choosing Me-Chapter 171: The Road to Convergence

Dawn came too early and with too much formality.

The eastern gates were crowded with palace officials, military escorts, and what looked like half the city’s population turned out to watch their queen depart. Lyristae stood at the center of it all in traveling clothes that somehow still managed to look regal, accepting well-wishes and giving last-minute instructions with practiced efficiency.

Damien, Seria, and Elara waited by the imperial transport – a large enclosed carriage designed for speed and comfort, pulled by horses that were definitely enhanced with some kind of magic based on how they stood too perfectly still.

"This is excessive," Seria muttered, watching another wave of citizens approach to bow to Lyristae. "We’re just going to the capital, not leading a military campaign."

"She’s their queen leaving during a crisis," Elara said. "They need the reassurance of seeing her off properly."

"They need her to actually leave so she can help solve the crisis causing them anxiety in the first place."

"Logistics and emotion don’t always align."

A commotion near the gates drew attention. General Kardos had arrived, along with several other military commanders. They approached Lyristae with formal bows.

"Your Majesty," Kardos said. "The council asked me to deliver final security briefings before your departure."

"I received the briefings yesterday, General."

"Additional intelligence arrived this morning. Regarding demon movement patterns near the eastern border."

Lyristae’s expression didn’t change but Damien caught the slight tension in her shoulders. "How significant?"

"Potentially concerning. May I speak with you privately?"

She glanced toward Damien, then back to Kardos. "Anything you need to say to me can be said in front of my traveling companions."

"Your Majesty, the intelligence specifically concerns—"

"General Kardos." Her voice dropped to the temperature she used when ending discussions. "We’ve been over this. Either share the intelligence or don’t, but stop wasting both our time with diplomatic dancing."

Kardos’s jaw tightened. He pulled out a sealed report and handed it to her. "Scout reports from the eastern watchtowers. Demon forces regrouping approximately forty miles from our border. Smaller numbers than the siege force but organized and apparently waiting for something."

Lyristae scanned the report quickly. "Waiting for what?"

"Unknown, Your Majesty. But the timing is suspicious. They appeared three days after the siege ended. Almost like they were delayed and arrived late to join the main force."

"Or they’re a secondary wave," Damien said, reading over Lyristae’s shoulder despite Kardos’s obvious displeasure at his proximity. "Testing response patterns after the first assault."

"That’s one interpretation," Kardos said coldly. "Another is that they’re waiting for intelligence about our defensive weaknesses. Intelligence that could be provided by someone with access to our military briefings."

The accusation hung in the air like smoke.

Lyristae’s hand moved to rest on her sword hilt – a gesture so subtle most people wouldn’t notice it. Damien noticed it. So did Kardos, whose expression flickered with something that might have been satisfaction at finally getting a reaction.

"General," Lyristae said, her voice absolutely level. "Are you accusing someone in my presence of treason?"

"I’m noting suspicious timing and suggesting we exercise appropriate caution."

"Noted. Your concerns are logged. Again." She handed the report back. "Increase eastern patrol rotations. Deploy advanced scouts to monitor demon movement. If they attempt border crossing, engage with full defensive protocols. Any other questions?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"Good. Then we’re departing. Defend my kingdom, General. That’s what you’re good at."

The dismissal was absolute. Kardos bowed and withdrew, but not before giving Damien a look that promised this conversation would continue at some point.

Lyristae turned to her people, giving a brief farewell speech that was simultaneously reassuring and pragmatic, then finally made her way to the carriage.

"That was tense," Elara said quietly as they boarded.

"That was Kardos being Kardos," Lyristae replied, settling into the seat across from them. "He’s not wrong to be suspicious. He’s just suspicious of the wrong things for the wrong reasons."

The carriage lurched into motion. Citizens waved, guards saluted, and Valdara slowly receded behind them.

For several minutes, nobody spoke. Lyristae stared out the window with that distant look that meant she was thinking about seventeen things simultaneously and solving none of them.

Finally, Seria broke the silence. "How bad is the eastern demon presence actually?"

"Bad enough that Kardos felt the need to brief me about it publicly as a political statement." Lyristae pulled her attention back inside the carriage. "The timing is suspicious but probably not in the way he thinks. Demons don’t typically regroup after a failed siege. They scatter, retreat to their territories, maybe try again in a few years. This force arriving late and then waiting suggests coordination."

"Someone telling them to hold position," Damien said.

"Exactly. Which supports your conspiracy theory and makes Kardos’s suspicions even more irritating because he’s looking at the wrong culprit." She rubbed her temples. "Sorry. I’m letting him get to me."

"He accused you of being compromised by personal involvement and suggested your lover might be feeding military intelligence to demons," Seria said. "You’re allowed to be irritated."

"I’m a queen. I’m supposed to be above petty irritation."

"You’re a person who happens to be a queen. The person part gets irritation rights."

"That’s a very practical philosophy."

"I’m a very practical person."

The road to the Imperial Capital was well-maintained and relatively safe – as safe as anything got during an empire-wide demon crisis. They’d pass through two other kingdoms before reaching the capital, each with their own security protocols and inevitable delays.

The Emperor had provided papers that should expedite border crossings, but theory and practice didn’t always align.

"How long is this journey?" Elara asked.

"Four days if everything goes smoothly," Lyristae said. "Five or six if we hit complications. The enhanced horses help but there’s only so much you can do about distance."

"Wonderful. Four days in close quarters."

"The carriage is spacious enough. And we’ll stop at inns for proper rest. It’s not ideal but it’s better than riding for four days straight."

They fell into silence again. The carriage swayed with the road’s rhythm, sunlight streaming through windows, the sound of hoofbeats and wheels creating a steady background drone.

Damien found himself drifting, the combination of early morning and yesterday’s stress pulling him toward sleep. He was vaguely aware of conversation continuing around him – something about supply logistics and border checkpoints – but couldn’t quite focus on it.

When he woke, the sun had shifted position significantly. Seria and Elara were quietly reading something. Lyristae was watching him with an expression he couldn’t quite read.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"Two hours," Lyristae said. "You needed it. You’ve been running on adrenaline and stubbornness for days."

"That’s most of what I run on generally."

"I’ve noticed."

He sat up properly, trying to shake off the fog of unplanned sleep. The landscape outside had changed – they were passing through farmland now, fields stretching toward distant hills.

"Where are we?"

"Approaching the border with Thornmarch," Seria said without looking up from her reading. "Should reach the checkpoint in an hour or so."

"Any issues expected?"

"Thornmarch has decent relations with Valdara and the imperial papers should be sufficient. But border guards are always unpredictable during crisis situations."

She was right to be cautious. When they reached the checkpoint, the guards were professional but thorough. Imperial papers were examined, travel manifest verified, each passenger identified.

The guard captain – a weathered woman with the look of someone who’d seen too much recently – paid particular attention to Damien.

"Lord Valcrest," she said, not a question. "The shadow wielder."

"That’s one way to describe me."

"You killed the demon lord at Valdara."

"I did."

She studied him for a long moment. "My sister was on those walls. She lived because you broke their army." She handed back his papers. "Safe travels, Lord Valcrest. Try not to kill any demon lords in Thornmarch – we prefer to handle our own problems."

"I’ll restrain myself."

They were waved through without further issue. The carriage resumed its steady progress through Thornmarch territory.

"That went better than expected," Elara said.

"Give it time," Seria replied. "We have three more border crossings to get through."

As afternoon shifted toward evening, they stopped at an inn that had clearly been prepared for their arrival. The innkeeper was nervous but professional, showing them to private rooms on the upper floor.

"Dinner will be served in an hour," she said, wringing her hands slightly. "We’ve prepared our best rooms, Your Majesty. If there’s anything you need—"

"This is perfect, thank you," Lyristae said with enough warmth to put the woman at ease. "We appreciate the accommodation."

When the innkeeper left, Seria immediately began checking the rooms for security issues while Elara examined the windows and sightlines. Both of them moving with the practiced efficiency of people who’d traveled in dangerous situations before.

Damien found himself in a room with Lyristae, who’d requested they share. She was already at the desk, pulling out papers from her travel bag.

"You’re working?" he asked.