Chapter 00044: A Banner
# A Banner
Chapter 44
Novel: AFK Game: Portal to Another World
Chapter 44 – A Banner
Princess Viola looked to be in good spirits, not at all defeated by the fall of the Capital.
Seeing this, Wendy silently let out a breath of relief.
She lowered her head and saluted.
“Your Highness, I’m so glad you’re safe and sound.”
“It’s been a long time, Wendy… must be since the last National Celebration.”
“That’s right, Your Highness. It’s been four years already.”
Wendy’s family were among the landed nobility and, under normal circumstances, weren’t permitted to visit the Capital.
So the last time the two had met was the national celebration four years ago in the Avarus Demon Kingdom.
She let Wendy sit on the opposite side of the sofa.
Her butler, Reina, quietly set down her pack and stood behind her mistress.
“To think the first one to find me was you. I thought it would be the pursuing soldiers.”
“I heard Your Highness had fled north after leaving the Capital, then lost all trace. I figured you might’ve come to the Leon Territory.”
At that moment, Zola, who stood behind Princess Viola, asked:
“How did you get here? The Canyon Path was already destroyed.”
“Yes, it’s been completely obliterated. Supply wagons can’t get through at all. But if one travels light and carefully, it’s still possible to sneak through the rubble.”
She was warm toward Viola, but kept cold with Zola.
That’s because Wendy was quite envious of Zola.
She had also once hoped to become one of the Royal Guards, yet lacked any talent in martial arts.
“How is the Marquis?”
“Grandfather passed away not long ago. Father is managing Sailing Harbor now.”
Viola looked a little disheartened.
“I see...”
Marquis Thor, Wendy’s grandfather, had been the most outstanding general in the Avarus Demon Kingdom, completely loyal to the royal family.
Any other lord might choose to submit under pressure, but Viola knew he never would have bowed his head.
Upon reflection, it wasn’t all that surprising.
The old Marquis was nearly ninety.
Given the local standards of hygiene and medicine, passing on at that age was almost expected.
“Your Highness, there are still many in the kingdom resisting. It’s just that there’s been no royal figure to lead them. I came to find you, hoping you could take up that role—to lead us and drive the invaders away.”
“I know. But I can’t leave. Not yet.”
Wendy looked confused.
“Why not?”
“Because I still have unfinished business here. I must stay.”
“Your Highness…”
Wendy’s tone grew more serious.
“I’ve come with one piece of good news and one bad. The good news you already know—the kingdom has not yet fallen, and people continue to fight. But ironically, that’s also the bad news. Many nobles may not surrender to the enemy, but the common folk… may not feel the same way.”
She went on:
“To resist the invasion, lords around the realm have had no choice but to levy extra taxes to sustain their militaries. At first, the people contributed willingly, stirred by patriotism. But very quickly, once they realized the war wouldn’t end anytime soon, weariness and resentment began to spread. Some now wonder whether rule by nobles or the enemy really makes a difference in their lives.”
This was the grim reality.
The Coalition of Four Nations would need a long time if they hoped to completely subjugate the Avarus Demon Kingdom.
Meanwhile, if the kingdom wished to maintain its independence, conflict would be unavoidable.
The Coalition had already looted the wealthiest Capital.
Compared to the local lords still resisting, their funding was relatively plentiful.
One could even say that they had time on their side.
Fortune, geography, and unity—the first two were never guaranteed, which made unity among the people the deciding factor.
Even if the Capital had fallen, that didn’t mean the kingdom must perish.
But if the kingdom lost its people’s hearts, then Avarus would truly be erased from history.
“Commoners do not care for noble honor. Patriotism exists, yes—but it can’t outweigh daily survival.”
Wendy gave a little flick of her staff.
“There’s no point in blaming them. For the people, staying alive is what matters most.”
She appeared to speak bluntly, but as the granddaughter of the kingdom’s greatest general, she had an astute grasp of the situation.
“Your Highness, only if you stand up and rally the resistance scattered across the land will we have a real chance of driving the invaders out quickly.”
“I understand. But I still have the same answer—I have work to finish here. I can’t leave.”
Wendy could see things clearly.
As a princess cultivated through elite education, did Viola not understand?
Of course she did.
She had foreseen such possibilities the moment she led her soldiers in escape from the Capital.
“I don’t get it. What could be more important than the kingdom, Your Highness?”
“I do this precisely for the kingdom.”
Viola explained:
“At first, I came to Count Leon’s territory just to station my troops temporarily, so they could rest. My plan after that was to head for Sailing Harbor to find your grandfather, Marquis Thor.”
“Then why are you still here? Is it because of too many wounded?”
“No. It’s because I received a Divine Revelation from Lord Demon God.”
“The Demon God? I saw a sermon in the plaza earlier. Is He real?”
“I had my doubts as well. But once I witnessed the miracle myself, I knew that His eyes are upon me.”
She gave a rough account of everything that had happened.
Wendy furrowed her brow as she digested it all.
“I’ve heard that in the occupied territories, Priests of other gods are preaching—using religion to pacify the people. If the faith in the Demon God can spread, then we can counter them. But there’s no need for you to remain here.”
Leon Territory only had around ten thousand people.
Even counting nearby villages, the population was still small.
“If you came with me to Sailing Harbor, I’m sure Lord Demon God would be pleased as well. There are far more believers to be found there.”
“But Sailing Harbor is under attack right now, isn’t it?”
Viola knew well—the Coalition of Four Nations would never ignore such a critical northern port.
“War will impact the faith of our Lord.”
“Then let Him act. If a miracle is shown, it would make gaining followers much easier.”
Wendy believed Viola, but not in the Demon God.
Her reasoning was purely pragmatic.
“No. Our Lord is the one we follow—not a convenient tool. We pray to Him for guidance and aid, but we must not expect Him to do everything for us.”
Viola saw Wendy unmoved, so she tried another angle.
“Besides, I intend to turn the Leon Territory into a base of our counteroffensive. I never said I planned to hide here forever.”
“True. The terrain here is easy to defend and hard to attack. If used as a rear base, it’s very secure. News of Your Highness’s presence here would have the same morale-boosting effect as if you had appeared at Sailing Harbor.”
That reasoning barely managed to persuade Wendy.
But she added:
“Won’t the local lord here have a problem with it? If he’s unhappy, I’ll gladly go complain to his face.”
Zola explained:
“Lord Leon recently attempted to assassinate Her Highness. He’s now been strung up outside the northern gate.”
“……”
Attempting to assassinate a royal is a grave crime.
The law required the culprit’s corpse to be hanged in the wild after execution—left there until it rotted to the bone before being taken down.
“That we were able to uncover his treachery—it was all thanks to the Divine Oracle of the Demon God.”
Viola spoke of this with visible pride.
“I know you might not believe it—and that’s fine. But if one day you receive His blessing, you’ll understand—He is a god of strength, wisdom, and great compassion.”
Wendy didn’t buy into any of that.
True, she knew gods did exist.
But their actions were deliberate and often self-serving.
Why would one of them help a princess fallen from power without cause?
Still, seeing how devoted Viola was, Wendy didn’t argue.
“So, Wendy—will you stay here and help me? Or return to Sailing Harbor?”
“Of course I’ll stay.”
Wendy stood and gave a slight dip of her skirt, bowing her head.
“Wendy Pat Thor, declares her loyalty to Princess Viola Avarus. Until the last drop of blood leaves my body.”
(End of Chapter)