Crushing the Demon King's Army (4)
“His Majesty's illness has worsened.”
“Th-there are suspicious movements from other kingdoms!”
The demon army drawing near. The emperor's sudden health decline. The threats from other nations that had become reality the moment he'd left the south unattended, even if just briefly.
The imperial court was plunged into utter chaos.
If things continued like this—
“The millennium-spanning empire...”
One noble trailed off, unable to finish. Even those who would normally brand such talk treasonous stayed silent. The crown prince gnawed anxiously at his nails.
That was when it happened.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Y-Your Majesty!”
The emperor, who should have been bedridden with illness, appeared in perfect health—nay, healthier than before his sickness.
The crown prince's eyes widened as he rushed forward.
“Father!”
But the emperor spared him no glance. His gaze fixed on something farther away.
The crown prince slowly turned his head.
The doors swung open, revealing a figure.
“P-Princess?”
“We were told her fate was unknown...”
The crown prince staggered back from Lizbet as if seeing a ghost.
How?
This time, he'd sent knights to secure the throne once and for all. Even if she survived, she should be fleeing for her life. Returning to the palace now made no sense.
“Your humble daughter has fulfilled Your Majesty's command and returned.”
“!”
The nobles' eyes bulged wide. Soon, those gazes turned to hope.
“I-is it true?!”
“Thank the gods! Truly, thank the gods!”
“...Impressive.”
The emperor's eyes darkened. Lizbet remained quietly prostrated.
Then, a grim-faced noble spoke. It was Sezarek, captain of the imperial knights.
“However... it's too late.”
All eyes turned to him.
“Even departing from the Liannen Kingdom this instant, it would take at least a month to reach Luenhart Territory.”
“...”
“The southern forces would arrive sooner.”
The emperor declared, “The southern forces will be sent back.”
“Y-Your Majesty. But—”
The crown prince broke into a cold sweat as he remonstrated. The other nobles, already committed to his side, followed suit.
“Your Majesty! The southern reversal heroes are racing from afar even now to lend you their strength!”
Sezarek agreed. “They speak true. We need the southern forces, if only to buy time for Liannen's troops.”
“...No longer necessary.”
What does that mean?
As confusion spread, clear footsteps echoed.
They grew closer—and revealed their source.
“Women...?”
“What in the world...”
Two unbelievably beautiful girls. The silver-haired one stepped forward and prostrated before the emperor.
“Sisilia Windsor, vice-captain of the Windsor Knights of the Liannen Kingdom—here at Your Majesty's request.”
Sisilia lifted her head on her own and flashed a bright smile.
“Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty.”
The emperor held a long silence despite her brazen demeanor.
“V-vice-captain?”
“What's the Windsor Knights?”
“...More importantly, how is a woman vice-captain? And she looks so young.”
“Sir Sezarek. Is this possible...? Why do you look like that?”
Sezarek wore an expression like a child in awe—admiration and joy.
Suddenly, one noble pointed and shouted, as if struck by brilliant insight.
“R-reinforcements! She just said from the Liannen Kingdom! She's brought reinforcements!”
“Ooh—!”
The nobles cheered. Lizbet's face brightened far more than when she'd arrived.
In this situation, reinforcements were an unalloyed boon.
“What cause for celebration?”
But the emperor doused the mood with cold water.
“This may be the moment the empire's future is stolen!”
At his rage-filled voice, the nobles snapped to attention.
“N-no way—Princess.”
An elderly senator staggered toward Lizbet.
“Did you... sign the treaty?”
“!”
The nobles knew the absurd demands Liannen had made. How furious they'd been upon first hearing them? Some had even demanded immediate invasion of Liannen.
Lizbet offered no reply.
The nobles groaned.
“No matter how dire the empire's straits, to offer up our future!”
One spat in fury. But that only provoked the emperor.
“Then must we be ravaged by demons as is?! Do you have a better plan, to spout such drivel?!”
“...Your Majesty, may I ask something of Liannen's envoy?”
“Proceed.”
The noble approached Sisilia at once.
“What is the size of your forces? Can you truly halt the demons?”
The most crucial question. If Luenhart fell, the empire would suffer irreparable harm. The treaty was a concession assuming the damage ended there.
Sisilia smiled faintly.
“Yes. Per the contract, the demons' offensive ends here.”
“Force size?”
Her smile deepened.
“Just us two.”
A heavy silence blanketed the hall.
“What?”
Sisilia kindly repeated herself twice.
“Liannen Kingdom's reinforcements: just us two.”
Even the emperor couldn't hide his shock.
“Wh-what? Just two? Two?!”
“What nonsense is this?!”
“Your Majesty! We've been deceived! They mean to devour the empire whole!”
Chaos erupted. Understandably so.
Unable to handle the demons, they'd signed an absurd treaty for aid. Yet only two young girls? Unthinkable from the empire's perspective.
“Are you mocking us?!”
“How dare you trifle with the empire!”
Red-faced nobles hurled abuse at Sisilia. The emperor clutched his brow, pale as death. He saw it all as a ploy.
Lizbet was equally flustered. As the pandemonium peaked, one noble grabbed Sisilia by the collar.
“You lowly wench, how—”
Sisilia was pissed.
At being called a wench? No. She was one.
Lowly? Nor that. Contextual for the era.
But the grip strength irked her.
“—!”
Sisilia smashed her fist into the noble's jaw.
The hall fell deathly still.
She strode to the collapsed noble, seized his collar, and unleashed merciless blows.
Thud. Thud.
As all froze in shock, Sisilia dusted her hands, tossed him aside like trash, and stood.
“Let go before I hit you.”
She'd already pummeled him plenty.
The nobles gaped in absurdity.
Sisilia surveyed them.
“Laugh at me if we fail.”
Her aggressive Sword Princess mode had slipped out, but no choice.
Nothing quelled chaos like primal force.
And a beating Sword Princess had her fans.
“Sit tight and watch till then.”
But a stopgap. Ultimately, one solution.
“How two knights slaughter a hundred thousand demons.”
Prove it.
For reference—Sisilia, who'd never yielded her rank-one spot.
Every moment demanded proof.
Slaughtering 100,000 demons with just two. Not as Sword God, but solely with Sword Princess stats and skills—victory in war.
The formula was already in her head.
So heading to battle, she felt no tension.
Near their destination, Sisilia abruptly said to Beatrice.
“When's Betty gonna level up?”
“Sword Demon, I mean. You need to grasp your extreme art and earn the title.”
She beamed.
“Hope you do it this time.”
“Ah, haha... I'd love that, but... still a ways off, right?”
Beatrice mumbled timidly.
Sisilia made it sound simple, but reaching Sword Demon wasn't easy.
Still, to lighten the mood, she joked.
“I'm counting on you, Sisilia. You'll guide me right?”
Sisilia sighed.
“Gotta play nanny at my age too.”
“...Says the 17-year-old talking like she's 67.”
Sisilia, fearing no demon, dreaded one thing terribly.
“I-I'm not hurt. Unlike some 20-year-old granny.”
“Everyone says that. I never thought I'd hit 20 either.”
Beatrice savored rare victory.
...Yet the aftertaste was bitter.
Liannen women's