Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 554: “The blazing sun falls from the heavens, the divine judgment resounds across all eight directions.”
"Your Highness the Regent, all soldiers defending White Maple Town have been equipped with corresponding magi-energy weapons, and the anti-air and defensive magic circles are fully operational, ready for inspection at any time."
"Hmm, I understand."
With a slight nod indicating she had finished listening, Astrid walked slowly along the streets of White Maple Town. Her noble black dress, shaped like lotus leaves, was concealed beneath an elegant parasol. The sound of high heels tapping against the ground echoed through the air like silver beads falling onto a jade plate, just from the sound alone, one could tell the wearer’s identity was undoubtedly prestigious.
Amalia had previously issued decrees and spent vast sums recruiting soldiers. Now, the fruits of those efforts were finally showing. This batch of newly trained troops had been deployed across multiple towns along the second defensive line, forming the primary military force to resist the Church Knights’ advance.
Although most of these recruits are at the early tier to mid-tier Knight levels, with only a few elite private armed forces hired from noble families reaching the strength of Grand Knight, and their organizational discipline remained average, they could still leverage their pre-constructed fortifications and individual magi-energy weapons to fight far beyond their true levels.
At the very least, when facing the icy cavalry charge of the Church Knights, they will not fall as easily as grass before a scythe.
In a few more days, all veterans, including Lyra Beckett, who evacuated from Liya Tower Fortress aboard airships will return from their leave and rejoin the front lines, reinforcing the defenses while training the new recruits, fully integrating their combat roles.
Astrid exhaled slightly, a thin wisp of white mist forming before her. A faint chill brushed against her neck, sending a shiver across her skin.
It was fortunate that the Empress currently seated on the throne was Amalia Valeria. Had the throne been claimed instead of some ignorant, dissolute crown prince, the Kingdom of Velys would long ago have followed the original storyline, achieving its strategic goal of annexing most of Duke Charles’ territory, thrusting like a sharp blade into the heart of the Empire.
Now, with the storyline altered, the Valeria Empire has preserved its strength to the greatest extent possible, buying precious time for millions of civilians to evacuate and continue production through the soldiers’ sacrifices.
The final moment for judgment upon the sinners drew near.
Meanwhile, in Rockster Village, the high-ranking leaders of the Church Knights, having established a preliminary foothold with [Holy Radiant City], gathered together to discuss their next course of action.
"According to intelligence gathered earlier by His Majesty the King and His Holiness the Pope, the village named Rockster lies directly east of White Maple Town. Enemy reconnaissance along the route suggests this path was likely used to transport supplies to Liya Tower Fortress. Beyond that lies Ruthro Corridor, leading into the mountainous northeast of the Empire, where several major military strongholds are stationed."
"Breaking through the Ruthro Corridor would force us to confront large defensive armies, while the expected gains would be minimal. The northeast of the Valeria Empire is sparsely populated, with poor farming conditions making food resupply difficult. Moreover, this does not align with His Holiness’s original eastern campaign objective, maximizing the spread of our faith."
"The only potential benefit might be seizing a rich mineral vein. It is the largest mining source within Duke Charles’ domain, with abundant dark crystals scattered across the mountain ridges, usable for crafting armor and weapons."
The speaker wore white holy armor, square-framed glasses, blond hair, and blue eyes, with a wing-shaped silver pauldron on his right shoulder. Bathed in sunlight, he radiated an air of scholarly elegance. This was Knight-Captain Corton, commander of the Church Knights who had long opposed Liya Tower Fortress and executed the plan to eliminate as many defenders as possible.
After the main forces of one of the Four Knight Orders, the Temple Knight Order, were annihilated by magi-energy cannons, Corton had become the de facto commander of the two reorganized knight orders. Above him stood only the regional bishop who set extensive strategies, the Light Saintess Monica whose role was more inspirational than tactical, and the distant, lofty Light Pope.
"The bishop’s suggestion is to seize Losterling City, an important commercial hub within Charles’s territory, before the blizzards fully set in, turning it into our forward outpost and supply base."
Corton placed a finger on the map, pointing at a cluster of loosely marked towns inked in dark.
"Even if they attempt a scorched-earth strategy, they cannot afford to abandon such a grand metropolis."
Evacuating a city was fundamentally different in difficulty from evacuating villages. Losterling City stands at a vital transportation junction, a trade hub with infrastructure far surpassing ordinary cities. Coupled with its massive urban population, no matter Amalia’ personal considerations, abandoning Losterling City was simply impossible.
"The Valeria Empire undoubtedly anticipated our next move. According to reports from our vanguard units, White Maple Town has already established defensive networks, with numerous magi-energy weapons pre-mounted on the walls."
Following Corton’s indication, the red-haired Knight-Captain shifted his gaze to the map, then spoke after a pause.
"Corton, our previous plans failed. The Valeria Empire’s surviving forces escaped the encirclement using airships."
"If those remnants are reinforced, they could become a significant obstacle to our advance."
"Especially after capturing Liya Tower Fortress, our logistical supply lines have begun to strain. Even though His Holiness pressured the King into compelling nobles to provide food for the expeditionary army, the sheer spatial distance remains an unavoidable challenge." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
By this stage of the war, Kales could already feel the growing fatigue within the Church of Light. The Valeria Empire had prepared for war years in advance. Layer upon layer of fortresses and defensive networks were steadily eroding their military strength. The sudden emergence of magi-energy weapons in recent years had been like a thunderbolt, jolting many of the kingdom’s nobles awake.
Their individual quality soldier was indeed high, but not insurmountable. Especially for ordinary soldiers below the Magus tier, apprentices and Sorcerers wielding powerful magi-energy weapons could easily stand toe-to-toe with foes one minor rank above them. This gap was visibly narrowing.
"Can we really capture Losterling City within a month?" Kales raised his head, looking toward Corton.
In his view, unless Duke Charles suddenly died, causing chaos within the Valeria Empire’s defensive forces and leaving their gates wide open for a short period, there was only the slimmest chance of breaching Losterling City before the cold waves arrived.
Of course, that also requires the Empire’s Regent not to interfere, simply allowing it to happen.
Was that possible?
Hearing Kales’s question, Corton replied firmly.
"Whether possible or not, we must try."
"Kales, since the Holy War began, none of our strategic objectives have been executed exactly as planned."
The initial plan to quickly seize Liya Tower Fortress had collapsed upon the arrival of the silver-haired Regent and the subsequent surge in enemy morale. The follow-up annihilation operation was then completely shattered by the Empire’s secret weapon, the swarm of magi-energy airships.
"We must take Losterling City before the blizzards arrive, even if we must expend Legendary-level forces to do so."
"This is His Holiness’s order. He wants to see the people of Losterling City converted to the Sanctum, believing in the omniscient and omnipotent Lord of Light, before spring next year."
A metal gauntlet traced slightly across the map, stopping at the central city behind the cluster of towns. Corton’s tone was resolute.
"I’ll dispatch scouts to search for blind spots along this defensive line. The chance is slim, but given the current situation, it’s worth attempting."
Even if no gap is found, identifying a sector with relatively weaker defenses would still be invaluable intelligence.
Hearing Corton’s words, Kales gave a slight nod, then brought up another matter.
"Corton... what was the bishop’s decision regarding the knights’ compensation...?"
In this entire war, the heaviest casualties were suffered by the Church Knights and city defenders. Kales’s own knight order, having been devastated by magi-energy cannons, had suffered a casualty rate so high it would chill anyone who heard it.
As the commander of these knights, even though the true cause of failure lies in intelligence, Kales still feels personally responsible.
As a commander, he had distributed all his savings to the families of the fallen soldiers. But in truth, an individual’s wealth and resources were inherently limited. He was merely a knight, not a noble or wealthy merchant who could plunder the people’s livelihood. The money each family received was meager, nowhere near enough to replace an adult breadwinner.
As for the Church of Light, they had not yet conducted large-scale funeral compensation. What they offered instead were hymns praising the knights’ "heroic martyrdom," a newly printed copy of sacred scriptures using magic, a new burial plot beside the church, and a few consolation gold coins symbolic.
The regional bishops generally believe the Holy War had entered its most intense phase, and all productive activities should serve the frontline war effort. There was no need to worry about the fallen warriors, they would naturally enter the divine kingdom and return to the Lord’s embrace.
Another explanation was that knights embodied all virtues, and one of those virtues was frugality. Thus, their souls will support the Church’s decision to dedicate all worldly gains toward the cause they had fought for, the war launched in the name of spreading faith.
"They believe it’s not yet time to distribute compensation," Corton said.
"The kingdom’s able-bodied youth have largely enlisted, reducing the workforce available for production..."
As for the nobles, they care little, they would still demand the same amount of grain, if not more. With production declining and demands rising, the amount of grain donated to the Church by commoners naturally decreased.
Ordinarily, knights would also engage in farming, herding livestock, and other productive work during peacetime. Now trapped in this war quagmire, they had no such opportunity.
"But the families who lost sons, husbands... without some financial support, their lives will be extremely difficult..."
Especially now, with the kingdom mobilizing its entire nation for war, the pressure on commoners will only grow heaviest. No matter how lofty the faith, faced with harsh reality, most people will find it hard to remain steadfast until the end.
Those widowed, those who lost their children, facing a life of suffering and sorrow... could they truly continue to believe in the Church, in the Lord, from the depths of their hearts?
Feeling a hand pat his shoulder, Kales turned to see Corton’s hand resting there.
"It’s time for inspection, Kales."
"[Holy Radiant City] is our greatest asset against the storm. We must ensure it operates flawlessly."
"As for the compensation issue, after the war ends, the bishops will surely provide an answer."
Hearing Corton’s words, Kales spoke softly.
"I thought you’d tell me this handling method isn’t entirely unacceptable."
Using spiritual comfort to replace material compensation.
Corton did not respond, silently staring at the map before him, as if pondering where to strike next for maximum effectiveness.
.........
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Velys, Seville City, an elderly man dressed in a white robe sat on a pew church, holding a new scripture with a black cover.
"Your Holiness, the Saintess is currently inside Liya Tower Fortress with the Sacred Relic. According to Lady Monica’s words, with the relic’s assistance, she can greatly enhance the efficiency of light magic, significantly significantly the recovery speed of the wounded."
The man addressed as the Pope nodded, hands resting on his knees, remaining silent.
The Sacred Relic was the holiest treasure of the Light Sanctum, there was no way it could be brought onto Valeria Imperial soil. Even if Monica wished to do so, like the Pope, he would never permit it.
"Go request an audience with His Majesty the King. I have urgent matters to discuss."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
Listening to the footsteps of the nun fading away, after a moment, the man reopened the new scripture. A feather quill dipped in ink appears between his fingers, slowly writing on the title page.
Last night, the Lord’s will had once again descended upon his mind.
When the pen moves, clear horizontal and vertical strokes of English characters appear on the paper. Although the man could not read or comprehend what he was writing, these characters, sharing similarities with the old scriptures, were undoubtedly Elders Speech.
As the Elders Speech took shape, a line of common translation appeared beneath.
"The blazing sun falls from the heavens, the divine judgment resounds across all eight directions."
This was a common-language magic incantation never before used in ordinary light-element spells.
