[Frontier Lustburg/Wratharis]
If watched from a bird's viewpoint, the frontiers between the different countries were rather easy to discern.
Near the center was Lustburg. It was a neighboring country and shared frontiers with Southern Pride in the northwest, Envilya in the southwest, and Wratharis in the west.
At the same time, it shared a frontier with Greed Dike in the east and with Gluttony Fost slightly in the northeast.
The reason why Lustburg shared its border with so many countries was because of its earlier expansion under the reign of Jupiter. Back then, Lustburg had been on the verge of conquering the whole world.
Sadly, they had lost many parts of this territory over the years after the alliance with the witches was terminated and Jupiter died.
As for Slothein, the angels shared no border with any kingdom as they had taken full control of the sky, and no one had ever dared to truly declare war on them outside of Echidna.
Obviously, while Lustburg and Wratharis shared a border, since each kingdom was continent-sized, the border was very hard to control, and there existed many key points that needed protection.
One such key point was the White Tiger Fortress. It was the one that gave direct road access to the center of Wratharis.
It was also a very important trading route and, while not the only one, accounted for 20% of the entire trading commerce alone.
One could imagine that losing that fortress would be a real blow to Wratharis, and this was why, on this day, a small team was getting ready.
—--
Walking with his feet deep in the snow, a young man cursed as he kicked a large rock, breaking it at the same time.
“Blasted weather! Why now of all times?”
His face flushed with anger as he looked up at the sky, wondering if the goddesses were against them.
One week. It had been one entire week since they had decided to take down the Twilight Fortress, but to no avail.
The beastmen had simply too many advantages, and when adding the protection of a fortress, things became even more complicated.
This was even more so since the war was not officially announced yet. They could not mobilize a large group of soldiers, and the only way to go was to infiltrate with a group of elite warriors.
“At least, that was the plan until the fucking snow started to come.”
The young man mumbled with a vexed expression.
Humans were inherently weak.
This was a sad fact and a reality that could not be overcome.
For the people of Wratharis, who were born on the sea and braved all kinds of environmental hazards, a little snow was basically nothing much.
But for a human, things were completely different. They were already happy to have enough visibility.
Fighting became considerably harder. They could not see anything under the blizzard, and walking consumed more energy. Even breathing was difficult.
In short—It sucked. It really sucked. And there was nothing they could do to change the situation.
As the young man walked while complaining under his breath, he stopped as he observed a young woman walking past him as if she were gliding on the snow.
She had dark skin with strange markings all over her body, giving her a rather exotic appearance.
Her golden eyes were piercing, and her long silver hair matched perfectly with the snow-filled world in the background.
But the most eye-catching feature she had was, without a doubt, her beautiful maid attire. Seeing a maid in a place that would soon turn into a battlefield was always a sight to behold.
One would wonder whether she was lost or simply stupid.
—At least until they fought her.
Admiring the delicate beauty of the young
woman for a while, the young man finally sighed and asked, “Where are you going today, Nuwa?”
Nuwa, who had been walking while holding a tray, stopped before turning towards the young man.
Her golden eyes curved in a mysterious smile as she tilted her head.
"Nothing. Just talking to the wind as always. Do you know where Gerard is?"
"Outside of the encampment. A few of those bastards tried to raid us at night. Thankfully, we have Sir Ger– *Ahem* I mean, we have Gerald."
The young man cleared his throat while looking around, making sure no one heard him.
Gerald had a great reputation in the army in the past. But now that he was a war criminal and had been stripped of all his positions, many people didn't know how to interact.
The only one who went to him without hesitation was Nuwa.
"Thanks."
Nuwa waved her hand and smiled brightly for an instant before her expression switched to full indifference, and she walked away. An action that did not surprise the young man.
It was disturbing at first, but soon everyone was just of the opinion that she suffered from possession or personality disorder.
Just as he was about to leave, a screen flickered high in the sky, causing all the soldiers at the border, humans and beastmen, to look up.
[Hello, my dear citizens.]
A majestic voice drifted in the air, causing Nuwa's eyes to darken a little while everyone looked up with a certain hint of respect.
After all, the promise the prince made the last time really made them feel like it was worth sacrificing their lives.
[This time, I do not come to share additional rules but rather to bring only one fact to you all.]
As the prince spoke, he took a step aside, and a woman wearing armor with golden fur and a tail appeared.
The moment she opened her eyes, everyone let out a loud gasp.
"A Blessed…"
[As you can see, Setsuna Ira, my childhood friend and fiancée, has now obtained the position of Blessed. She is also the legitimate princess of Wratharis and the sole survivor of the massacre orchestrated by the Usurper.]
His voice boomed, and all those who listened to him had their minds shaken.
This was even more true in the Capital of Wratharis.
After all, for some reason, a screen had appeared there as well.
Taking a step forward, Setsuna looked ahead with piercing eyes.
[My dear citizens…I will take back the throne that belongs to me. I do not ask you to fight for me... All I ask is that you do not fight for the usurper. Do not let the blood of our brethren flow because of an unworthy man.]
Her eyes blazed with fury and conviction.
[As for you, usurper king, heed my words.
As the killer of my father, the two of us cannot share the same sky. In this war, you will fall, and my blades will plunge into your heart.]
After those words, the projection finally vanished.
Watching everything from the start, a light flickered in Nuwa's eyes as she muttered.
"Finally, the war is about to start."
This was going to be fun, she thought as she walked away.
(AN: Hello, everyone. I was taking a small pause since I finished Vol 12. Now it's time to write again.)
