Son of the Hero King

Chapter 744

While Sol was busy working on the fine details of his suit with Arachne, Milia was also busy in her own way. Perhaps vastly more so than Sol.

What was a wedding? This was a question that had many possible answers depending on the viewpoint of the ones getting married and the ones organizing said wedding.

This was why Milia could give one answer in full confidence.

“Wedding is war,” Milia said with her hands tucked behind her back. The skirt of her pristine black and white maid attire fluttered under the wind as she inspected the row of maids, battle maids, soldiers, and other personnel with a severe expression. Many of the people present were also members of the Crown Shadow, but as always, they were completely hidden in the crowd.

Walking with a large stride, Milia zeroed in her judging gaze on some of the soldiers or newer maids who appeared to be too sloppy.

Some of the soldiers with little experience were getting a little mad, but a shake of the head from their seniors calmed them down. They all knew that, while she had no official title, Milia was, for all intents and purposes, the right hand of Sol Luxuria.

In the past, some people thought that she reached her position only thanks to her alluring body and by lying on her back in the Prince’s office. However, her display of pure, unadulterated might during the war was enough to change the negative opinion of her.

For Milia, this was usually a shame. There was worth in being underestimated. People always showed their true face in front of the ones they considered to be their lesser and of no threat to their well-being.

However, at this very moment, she was glad there would be no one dumb enough to challenge her. They did not have the time for such futility.

“Madam, permission to speak.” A tall and muscular middle-aged man was the first to question. He was tall enough that he towered over Milia, but facing her, he made sure to lower his head as much as possible. Milia did not get angry. “Knight Commander William [1]. It has been a while. I see you are back from your expedition.”

In fact, she gave a rare, gentle smile to the old man. William was once a knight captain in the Black Knight order, who had been working under the Tyr family and was a loyal soldier to the crown. So loyal in fact that, when he doubted that the prince may have been getting manipulated by Clara, he did not hesitate to clash many times with the elven woman. Milia knew that back then, he had been ready to die for his conviction, and this made her like him all the more.

Loyal knights should always be cherished, after all. Even more so when they were war veterans.

“Excuse me. Should I call you William White now?” She gave an even bigger smile. Sol had made many promises, and they were delivered. From a simple knight with no peerage, William became a noble with a hereditary title.

Of course, it was only a simple Hereditary Baron title and some land on the frontier. But this alone was more than many soldiers could have ever hoped to obtain in the past.

William shook his head, “I am still getting used to my new title, madam.”

“Still humble, I see. Very well, permission granted. Speak.”

William straightened slightly, though he still kept his posture respectful. His voice was steady, calm, and as disciplined as ever.

“There’s been unrest in the eastern villages. Rumors of monster sightings near the border. Minor ones — nothing large enough to warrant a formal dispatch — but it may disrupt the transport lines if left unchecked.”

Milia’s eyes immediately narrowed at those words.

The eastern region again. Milia thought, keeping her face impassive. It was with a supreme force of will that she did not start cursing out.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The eastern region was previously under the Gorfard family's control. The loss of a noble family of such weight could never be easily filled, and it was clear that the enemies would not let this hole in their defense go by any means.

Lustburg also shared its eastern frontier with Greed Dike, the land of dwarves, and Gluttony Foss, the country of the chimera.

“This close to the wedding?” She tapped her fingers against her elbow, her expression unreadable.

“I believe it’s exactly because of the wedding that unrest is growing throughout the kingdom,” William added. Despite his appearance, he was far from being all brawn and no brain. No one was able to reach the position he had reached without a good head above their shoulders.

Milia nodded. “Send a squad. Quietly. I don’t want this becoming a topic among the nobles once again.”

William hesitated briefly before relaying his thoughts, “I would like to request ten Power Armors.”

Milia stopped, her eyes narrowing, as she looked at William once again. All traces of her previous smiling countenance vanished without a trace. “Knight Commander William White. Do you understand what you are asking? Can you take responsibility for the possible losses?”

The power armors created by Theresa could push a normal soldier to a level close to that of a Duke. Each armor was extremely precious and a jewel of technology that needed careful maintenance and to be kept under strict surveillance.

William tensed under the stare of the diminutive woman. He was so much taller than her, but at this moment, he felt like she was dwarfing him. The weight of her crushing spiritual pressure was unlike anything that should normally be possible for someone in the Duke realm.

However, he held his ground, his eyes growing even firmer than before. “I do understand that the Power Armors are strategic resources of great importance. But I believe it’s necessary. Ultimately, they are weapons created for the betterment of Lustburg, and I believe the present situation warrants their deployment.”

He knew that Milia could easily silence him now. However, if he let fear cloud his judgment, then it would be better to just die than continue living under such dishonor.

“The monsters behind the frontier of Gluttony Foss are acting strangely, and the soldiers of Greed Dike that previously guarded the frontier adjusted their formation under the pretext of a commemorative occasion.”

Milia scrutinized his expression for a while before nodding; her pressure vanished instantly with that gesture. She realized once again that this man was honest to a fault. It was no wonder he was not able to rise in rank before being noticed by Sol.

“I have received your plea. I, sadly, do not have the necessary authority for such matters. I will pass the message to Secretary Clara and Secretary Athena.”

“That is more than enough.” William bowed gracefully. He had taken a risk exposing such a matter here, but it was a matter too urgent, and bureaucracy was too slow. The Head Maid was someone who could directly contact the prince. Getting her word meant the prince would be directly hearing his plea and decide on the matter.

Milia ignored the bowing soldier and turned away, her heels clicking against the stone as she resumed her inspection. Her voice, however, still carried over her shoulder.

“You should rest for now. The approval will take a few days. Enjoy the wedding.”

William gave a sharp nod and left without further words. For a moment, he wondered if he should comment on the prince's wedding with a witch. Thankfully, reckless he may but suicidal he was not.

He knew better than to waste her time and give unsolicited advice.

* * *

Milia exhaled slowly. The wind had picked up again, ruffling her skirt. She looked over the courtyard filled with bodies moving in perfect rhythm— maids organizing supplies, soldiers drilling formations, scouts posting updates, and even cooks finalizing menu rotations.

It was a battlefield of logistics. And she stood at the very center of that battlefield. Her eyes became vacant. Many problems were rising one after another, and no matter how fast they erased one, new ones would pop up again.

One of the small problems was the clear dissatisfaction many were showing at the news of Sol marrying Medea. She had noticed William White's hesitation, yet she chose not to comment, thinking it a waste of time.

Witches had been infamous for nearly a thousand years now. Medea in particular was even used as a bedtime story to frighten young children for centuries. The incessant talks only stopped during Mars’ era, but the prejudice remained. So while the younger population had mixed feelings about the witches, the older side of the population was definitely more negative.

Most of the dissatisfaction was thankfully contained because of Sol’s accomplishments, but it still irked her somewhat.

This was why Milia swore to make this wedding a success. This day needed to be absolutely perfect.

However, as if the universe decided to tell her to stop dreaming, somewhere in the shadows, a voice whispered behind her.

“We have a problem.”

She did not turn at the voice’s advent, only uttering a calm, “Report.”

“The Crown’s Shadow has infiltrated the kitchens, the musicians, and the guest entourage. No irregulars so far. However, there’s been a change to the guest list. Someone from the old noble faction has accepted an invitation. One who wasn’t expected to show.”

“Oh?”

She finally turned, eyes sharp. “Who?”

A small dossier was handed to her. She flipped it open. A name. A face, golden hair, and blue eyes. A seal she had not seen in a long time.

Her eyes twitched, and she nearly screamed in frustration as the paper crumbled in her hands.

“… I see.” Her tone dropped several octaves, colder than the north wind.

There was no anger in her expression, only calculation.

“Prepare contingency Protocol Fourteen. Have Ketia and her unit move into standby and contact Lady Camelia, Lilith, Pandora, Persephone, and Arachne. Warn them that an old friend of theirs is visiting Lustburg.”

She stopped for an instant. “Decrease the surveillance on Miss Chloe as well.”

The shadow behind her bowed and vanished.

Milia smoothed out her gloves and turned back toward the line of soldiers. Her eyes became cold. It seemed like some pigeon were getting restless.

[1]: A minor character that appeared in Book 4. Been like years for many readers, so not remembering him ain’t a big deal.