Arc 4 Chapter 5 : Prince's Arrival

[??? POV]

At night, as usual, I returned home after finishing my work in the military logistics division of the Republic of Venetia.

I had been in this position for four months now, ever since they had ordered me to carry out this mission.

“Hey, Balian. I saw an Imperial vessel docked at the harbor. What do you think they came here for?”

The person speaking was my colleague.

The two of us were walking home after work, and fortunately, her house happened to be in the same direction as mine.

“I suppose they're here to protest our new policy. Isn't its purpose pretty obvious? To undermine the Empire's trade, right?” I replied.

To be honest, I didn't understand much about the matter.

However, ever since the policy had been implemented, I had noticed that Imperial merchants had become a rare sight throughout the Republic.

“Perhaps,” my colleague replied. “We should teach those arrogant Imperial people a lesson.”

People from the Empire often caused trouble in other nations.

That was because the Empire was said to be the strongest nation on the continent, causing its citizens to boast endlessly about their nation's superiority whenever they encountered people from other countries.

I suppose everyone was like that to some degree.

Much like noble families who looked down upon commoners and considered themselves superior simply because they were born with so-called blue blood.

A group would always seek to place itself above another, boasting about its superiority over those it considered inferior.

“Balian, look.”

My colleague pointed toward the town square, where a large crowd had gathered.

“What's everyone gathering for?” I muttered.

“Let's go see,” my colleague suggested.

We approached the crowd.

A man wearing a badge commonly associated with Heralds was standing upon a raised platform.

“Listen to me, people of Venetia!” the Herald shouted. “I am here to read a statement from President Luciano regarding our nation's relationship with the Aragon Empire!”

Everyone present fell silent, unwilling to miss a single word spoken by the Herald.

The Herald then took out a scroll and unrolled it.

“Good evening, citizens of the Republic Venetia! I apologize for interrupting your evening activities with this announcement!”

The Herald began reading the President's message.

“But there is something I must tell you as quickly as possible, because it concerns the future of our beloved nation!”

The crowd grew increasingly curious about what President Luciano wanted to announce.

“Tonight, an envoy from the Empire arrived and declared war upon our nation!”

The instant those words left the Herald's lips, the crowd erupted into whispers and discussion.

Some looked shocked.

Others seemed excited.

There were even those who simply stood there in silence, apparently unsure of how to react to the news they had just received.

However, everyone fell silent again when the Herald raised his hand, signaling that he had not yet finished reading the message.

“People of Venetia! In the face of this conflict, we must stand united, remain courageous, and stay strong against the challenges that will determine the future of our nation! No matter how long this war lasts, we—the people of Venetia—will never surrender! We will overcome this challenge and become the most feared nation in the world!”

“That's right! We aren't afraid of the Empire!”

“We will win this war and become the strongest and wealthiest nation in the world!”

The people began shouting with burning enthusiasm as they prepared themselves for war against the Aragon Empire.

Their morale was at its peak.

“Everyone! Let us show the Empire the true strength of the Venetian people in this war!” the Herald shouted.

“Gloriooo Patriossaaa!”

“GLORIO PATRIOSSA!”

“GLORIO PATRIOSSA!”

Everyone joined the traditional Venetian battle cry.

Even my colleague shouted alongside them, causing the entire square to thunder with their voices.

I slowly stepped backward and left the gathering.

A red light suddenly appeared from inside the pocket of my clothes.

Seeing it, I immediately hurried back to my residence.

Once I arrived, I locked the door and windows tightly before taking the object from my pocket.

It was an artifact that my Boss had given me through one of his agents a month ago.

I channeled Mana into it.

The red light then changed into a dark-blue glow that began blinking repeatedly.

I immediately began recording the information conveyed by the flashes.

This was a method of communication created by my Boss.

The artifact used specific codes so that the information could not be understood by anyone else.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

I began decoding the message.

Begin Operation.

That was what the Morse code sent by my Boss said.

The messages transmitted through this code were designed to be short, concise, and clear, allowing the recipient to translate them as quickly and efficiently as possible.

My task was to provide information regarding the logistical supplies of the Republic of Venetia's forces that would be used to attack Imperial territory through the Montana Mountains.

[Aliya POV]

My training had ended a month ago, yet Lord Raul still hadn't contacted me about what I would be doing in the future.

I was afraid he might consider me useless.

Because of that, I had been training even harder over the past few months.

I didn't want to lose my chance to avenge my family.

I had heard from several agents under KJ's command that the condition of the nation where I was currently staying was growing worse with each passing day.

I didn't want the nation built by my family's dynasty to continue weakening until it became nothing more than prey waiting to be exploited by stronger nations.

The Kingdom of Kuwalid was the last inheritance of my family that remained.

It was the only legacy that still showed the world that my family had once been prosperous and respected.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Suddenly, I heard someone knocking on my bedroom door.

Usually, if it wasn't Madam Khalissa, then it was Umaya who would come directly to my room.

“Come in.”

After I spoke, the door opened.

A black-haired man wearing a white dress shirt, a tie, and a black vest stood before me.

“Princess Aliya, I'm sorry to disturb you during your rest,” the man said politely.

“L-Lord Raul! I'm sorry I didn't greet you properly.”

I hurried toward him.

“I thought it was Umaya or Madam Khalissa knocking.”

Hearing my hurried, panicked response, Lord Raul smiled.

“There's no need to worry about it, Princess. May we talk for a moment?”

He still called me Princess, even though technically I was now nothing more than a slave working for him.

Why did he do that?

Was there some particular reason behind it?

“Of course. Please, sit down, My Lord. I'll prepare something for you to drink first.”

Lord Raul sat down while I prepared a cup of warm tea for him.

What did he want to discuss with me?

Could this finally be the moment when he assigned me to a field operation?

After preparing the tea, I sat down across from him.

“My Lord, why have you come to see me personally?” I asked.

“Princess, how has your training been going?”

He answered my question with another question.

“Everything has gone smoothly. I learned how to prepare several potions after training under Olen Musk last month,” I replied. “I believe I'm ready to undertake a field mission now.”

For months, I had been learning how to become an agent under the guidance of KJ and Lord Raul.

KJ taught me several martial arts techniques, while Lord Raul taught me how to charm targets and manipulate conversations so that they would reveal important information.

In addition to combat training, I had also learned how to prepare various potions that could make my missions easier to carry out.

Olen Musk had provided me with several pieces of equipment, and I had already become proficient with them.

“I see.”

Lord Raul looked directly into my eyes.

“I want you to do something for me, Princess.”

“Starting tomorrow, you will work at an entertainment establishment operated by Prince Ramon de Aragon. While there, I want you to conduct intelligence operations while approaching someone.”

“Approach someone?” I asked, wanting a more detailed explanation.

“A fox-type orange-furred demi-human with a sun tattoo on their back,” Lord Raul replied.

A demi-human?

These creatures were hybrids of humans and animals.

I didn't know much about them, but most of them came from the Great Zuvia Forest, which was located not far from the Kingdom of Pulishia.

“Once I find the target, what should I do?” I asked.

“He is the person controlling Prince Ramon from behind the scenes,” Lord Raul replied as he took a sip of the tea I had prepared.

“I want you to approach him. Gain his trust. Make him comfortable enough with you that he eventually reveals his plans to you.”

“Understood. I will do my best to complete this mission successfully,” I replied.

“Thank you, Princess.”

Lord Raul stood from his chair and turned his back toward me.

“By the way, where is Umaya? I haven't seen him anywhere.”

“Ah, as for Umaya… he's—”

Before I could finish answering, Lord Raul suddenly turned around and threw a swift punch directly at my face.

However, thanks to the extensive training I had undergone, my body reacted instinctively.

I dodged the punch, seized Lord Raul's arm, and slammed him onto the floor.

I didn't stop there.

I climbed on top of him and restrained his movements, just as he had taught me during our training sessions.

“Ughhh… You really are ready for this mission, Princess,” Lord Raul groaned in pain.

“Fufufu~ Of course. I'm not the weak woman you used to bully during every training session anymore.”

I smiled mischievously at him.

In truth, if Lord Raul actually wanted to defeat me, he could have done so effortlessly.

After training with him several times, I knew very well how powerful he truly was.

I supposed he had done this only to strengthen my confidence before sending me on my first mission.

And perhaps there was another reason he always called me Princess.

He wanted me to remember who I truly was—the Princess of a kingdom—and forget about Aliya, the cheap prostitute and dancer who could be used by anyone.

He really was a considerate person.

Although his way of showing that consideration was a little strange.

I smiled as I looked at his face, thinking about all of this.

He was the person who had given me a purpose in life when I was drowning in despair, forced to live a miserable existence.

He was the one who had freed me from slavery and restored the dignity that had been stolen from me by the people who had usurped my family's throne.

My palm gently caressed his face.

The warmth that passed between our skin made me feel comfortable almost instantly.

For some reason, I lowered my head while staring at Lord Raul's lips.

My heart began beating faster.

I could feel sweat forming on my body, though I couldn't tell whether it was because I was nervous…

Or because of another reason I refused to acknowledge.

BANG!

“Sis Aliya, are you doi—”

Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open.

I heard a voice that was all too familiar.

I glanced to the side.

There stood my younger brother, Umaya.

His mouth was hanging open, and his face was filled with confusion as he stared at the sight before him.

His older sister was straddling Lord Raul, our faces dangerously close to one another.

“A-ah, sorry! I-I didn't mean to interrupt you two!”

He turned around and began moving to close the door.

“Umaya, don't leave yet,” Lord Raul called after him. “There is something important I want to tell you.”

Fully realizing how awkward our current situation looked, I immediately stood up and moved away from Lord Raul.

He rose as well and approached my younger sister.

“I-Is this about giving me your blessing, Boss Raul?” Umaya asked nervously, refusing to look directly at him. “I-I don't mind if Sis Aliya is with a wealthy young man like you.”

“This isn't about that,” Lord Raul said.

He then took out a sheet of paper.

“I want you to do something in the Kingdom of Kuwalid. The details of the plan are written on this paper.”

Umaya took the paper from Lord Raul's hand.

His expression changed to one of surprise after reading the instructions.

“Can I entrust this to you?” Lord Raul asked.

“Of course, Boss! I won't disappoint you with this mission!” Umaya replied loudly.

“Good. I look forward to satisfactory results from both of you.”

After giving us our respective mission instructions, Lord Raul left the room, leaving only my brother and me behind.

[Siena POV]

After spending the entire day in meetings to plan our war strategy against the Empire, several people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I were waiting at the harbor for Lord Mancini to return from his diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Draconia.

For some reason, I had been asked to accompany them despite being responsible only for military affairs.

One day had passed since the Empire declared war, yet there had been no military movement from them.

They were probably gathering their forces before mobilizing them toward our borders.

We were doing the same.

After our discussions, the Republic of Venetia had decided to adopt a defensive strategy while waiting for troops from our allied nations to arrive before launching an offensive against Imperial territory.

“Look. Lord Mancini's ship has entered the harbor,” an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

I looked toward the vessel.

Someone stepped down from it.

However, the person remained standing there, seemingly waiting for someone.

Not long afterward, another man with black hair disembarked from the ship and approached Lord Mancini.

The two of them then walked toward us.

The black-haired man smiled at me and extended his hand.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Siena,” the man said.

“My name is Vlad mel Dracus.”

He smiled confidently.

“The future husband who will become your life partner after this war.”

My eyes widened.

I stared at him in disbelief after hearing those words.

“...What?”

My mind struggled to process what I had just heard.

“Could you repeat what you just said?”

Future husband?

Life partner after the war?

What exactly had Father done without telling me?