Read Novel Full Chapter 1079: Return
Chapter 1079: Return
"They ran away!?"
Orlan’s eyes widened in shock.
"That’s right." Fenric nodded with a wry smile. "They left last night."
Orlan hurriedly turned toward the window and looked out at the dark sky. However, a faint orange glow on the horizon told him that the sun was about to rise.
"Damn... I’ve been asleep all day!" he muttered in frustration.
Noticing his unease, Fenric patted him on the shoulder.
"It’s all right. Even if you’d tried to stop Duke Malvain, you would’ve only put your life in danger. He took the Black Veil unit with him to the Holy Empire of Valtanir to save his own skin," Fenric said reassuringly.
Orlan let out a long sigh and nodded.
"You’re right. Thanks for letting me know."
***
Orlan walked out of the Malvain family mansion and found the nobles and their soldiers asleep on the ground as they waited for him to return.
As he descended the stairs and approached them, one of the nobles suddenly opened his eyes. The moment he saw Orlan, his eyes lit up.
"Marquis Orlan is back!"
His shout startled the others, who hurriedly got to their feet and gathered around the mansion’s gate.
"How did the meeting go, Marquis Orlan? Did you find out anything?" a wrinkled-faced Count asked.
Orlan didn’t answer right away. He opened the gate and walked out, making the nobles step aside to let him pass.
He looked at them one by one, noticing the hope in their eyes, and gave a bitter smile.
"Duke Malvain has confessed. He really is a traitor."
At those words, everyone’s expression changed. They exchanged glances, their eyes burning with rage.
"I knew it! He must be a traitor! There’s no way the enemy could have breached the southern region so easily otherwise!" a Baron exclaimed, his voice filled with hatred.
"What are we waiting for? Let’s storm the mansion and capture that traitor!"
"Come on! Let’s catch him!"
Their shouts echoed throughout the front courtyard of Duke Malvain’s mansion.
"Wait a minute!"
Orlan hurriedly stopped them.
"Duke Malvain is gone."
"What!? Gone?"
Their eyes widened in shock.
"That’s right." Orlan nodded before explaining everything that had happened.
The pent-up anger finally boiled over.
"Damn it! He’s such a coward! How could he run away after causing all this trouble!? This is unforgivable!"
"That’s right! We have to report him to the Imperial Palace! We can’t let him get away with this!"
The nobles started making a fuss again, and Orlan could only shake his head helplessly.
"I’ll send a report to the Imperial Palace. You can all calm down now."
Hearing this, the nobles finally agreed, though they were still reluctant.
After all, Orlan held the highest rank among them. A letter from him would carry enough weight to make sure Seira took action as soon as possible.
Once he had explained what needed to be done, Orlan dismissed them. The 150 soldiers they had brought along also left with them.
The area soon grew quiet. Only Orlan and a few soldiers from his household remained.
He turned to look at Duke Malvain’s mansion behind him, his expression complicated.
"The power vacuum in the southern region will spark a major conflict," he murmured. "I hope this doesn’t make things even worse down the line..."
...
Three days later...
The rest period was over, and the 24,000 soldiers began their journey back.
Since they were also escorting tens of thousands of prisoners, they arranged themselves in a formation with the captives at the center.
Cavalry and infantry units surrounded the prisoners as they marched.
Meanwhile, the mages and archers took up positions in the rear, staying alert in case enemy forces attempted an attack, though such an attack was unlikely.
Every Valtanir soldier had a magical mark imprinted on their necks to prevent them from fighting back.
If they dared to defy the mark’s restrictions, their bodies would spontaneously combust, burning them to death.
"The war is finally over," Evalyn said with a long sigh.
Elina and Freya smiled at her words.
"You’re right. War really is exhausting," Freya replied, shaking her head.
"What are your plans after this, Sister?" Elina asked.
"I’ll go back and rest for a week. After that, I’ll return to the northern border," Freya replied calmly.
The situation in the northern region was still far from safe. The threat posed by the Holy Valtanir Empire’s troops stationed there remained.
Freya didn’t dare let her guard down, especially after their victory in this war.
The enemy might launch a counterattack to avenge their defeat.
"Back to the northern border, huh?" Elina rubbed her chin. "Is the situation there really that tense?"
Freya nodded.
"It’s not just tense. It’s already reached the point of war. The only reason Valtanir’s forces haven’t gone all out is that they’re still holding back. Maybe they’re weighing their options."
"They’re really annoying," Evalyn complained. "Your Highness, how about I go with you to the border? I’ll slaughter them all with my sword."
Freya was surprised by her offer.
Come to think of it, it wasn’t a bad idea. Evalyn was incredibly strong, and she had already proven her strength on the battlefield.
Freya gave a faint smile.
"We’ll see."
...
"Eat up."
Isabella handed Seira a bowl of porridge.
"Thank you."
Seira accepted it and began eating.
"How are you feeling? Does anything still hurt?" Isabella asked with concern as she sat down beside her.
Seira swallowed a mouthful of porridge and shook her head.
"Everything’s fine, but I still feel really tired sometimes."
Isabella’s expression tightened for a moment, but she quickly relaxed.
"It’s okay. Just get plenty of rest. You’ll make a full recovery in the next few days."
Seira felt a little suspicious after catching a glimpse of Isabella’s strange expression.
However, she chose to remain silent and continued eating.
The two of them then chatted about various things.
Then suddenly...
"Mother Isabella, can I ask you something a little sensitive?"
Isabella blinked twice before nodding.
"Of course."
Seira smiled as she set her bowl of porridge down on the nightstand.
"I’ve noticed that you leave every few months. Can I ask where you go?"
Isabella remained calm at the question.
"I return to my hometown on the Eastern Continent," she replied. "Is something bothering you?"
Seira shook her head.
"No, Mother. I’m just curious."
She leaned back against the headboard, her beautiful pink eyes gazing gently at Isabella.
"I’ve heard that the Eastern Emperor has twin daughters named Kaede Taira and Yuki Taira. As it happens, I met Princess Kaede a few months ago. And do you know what, Mother?"
Seira interlaced her fingers, her smile growing wider.
"Her face looks just like yours. So much so that I almost mistook her for you."