"Your Highness, the latest battle report!" A military officer handed a scroll to Princess Yun Ying.
Yun Ying took it and swiftly unrolled it, scanning its contents quickly. Her brow furrowed instinctively.
"This is bad! Notify the troops to prepare for deployment! The injured will come along as well! Let them rest when we reach the battlefield!"
Due to the presence of spies, even though the opposing side wasn't sure whether Tier 5 and Tier 6 powerhouses had been injured, that didn't stop them from probing. So, the other two empires tacitly acted as if they had reached an agreement.
The previously maintained tripartite balance was instantly broken. The two armies immediately launched a flanking assault on the borders of the Cloud Dragon Emperor Empire.
Because the usual pressure was suddenly disrupted, the frontier's burden unexpectedly increased.
Thus, the elite troops who had originally been in training were now being deployed straight to the battlefield.
Yun Ying's unit was initially meant to be a reserve force—after all, the border had its own designated soldiers.
Other nations had similar plans: wage war while cultivating reinforcements.
But now things were different. It was as if their hidden trump card—the small king—had been revealed.
What's left are just weak cards, so why wouldn't the enemy test their limits?
So Yun Ying made an immediate decision to head out and assist. As for the injured, although they had no combat power for now, after a day's rest they could still move. They could recover on the way and rest directly at the frontlines.
Once they were well, they could return to battle, creating the illusion of no weakness and preventing the enemy from spotting any flaws.
And if the enemy, after probing, found the small king still intact, they'd naturally retreat.
"Your Highness, you…" A nearby Tier 8 powerhouse, still clearly uncomfortable, froze slightly when he saw Yun Ying don her armor.
"As the commander of the unit, I must go to the battlefield myself! Don't worry, I'll protect myself!" Yun Ying's expression was resolute. It wasn't her first time going to war—she had been to the frontlines at age ten.
Back then, she had returned pale and shaken. But things were different now.
She was sixteen years old and already a Tier 4 warrior. The circumstances had completely changed.
"...Your Highness, I'd better notify the vice-captain of the knight regiment to accompany you!"
He himself was the vice-captain, but yesterday, Fang Chen had used him like a weapon and smashed him around. If not for his solid Tier 8 strength, he'd probably still be lying down. Even though he was standing now, his body was extremely weak.
"In that case, I'll go with you," came a firm voice.
"Captain!" the Tier 8 soldier exclaimed, stunned to see none other than the Tier 9 Barre approaching, accompanied by Allen.
"No, you can't go!" Before he could celebrate, Allen interrupted him directly.
"Why not?" Barre frowned. Although the princess was bold, the battlefield was no joke.
"If you go, the entire situation will be exposed. Do you think the enemy is as foolish as you?"
Allen rolled his eyes, throwing in an indirect insult.
His status was different—he was a Tier 9 powerhouse, the captain of the Cloud Dragon Emperor Empire's knight regiment. If he showed up, it would confirm the disappearance of their trump card.
The enemy wouldn't retreat—instead, they'd dispatch their own Tier 9s to kill him on the spot.
"...Then what do we do?" Barre rolled his eyes and rubbed his head in frustration. They couldn't possibly send the future-hopeful princess out alone—it was too dangerous!
"Isn't there a better candidate right here?" Allen smiled faintly, pointing to Fang Chen as he spoke slowly.
"Him? That magical beast?" Barre looked at Fang Chen's form with a conflicted expression, clearly torn.
"..." Fang Chen wordlessly rolled his eyes and shifted slightly to show them his back—his meaning clear: No way. Going to the battlefield is nowhere near as comfortable as lounging here.
"You sure he's really up to the task?" Barre's eyelid twitched as he watched Fang Chen's reaction.
"Well, don't judge him just by how unwilling he looks. Sure, he doesn't want to go, but he's far more reliable than you think. And be honest—has he ever done anything to harm us?"
After observing for a year, Allen found that despite Fang Chen's intimidating appearance, he had never harmed a single person—not even during street walks.
More than once, Allen had watched secretly while Fang Chen was alone with the princess. Aside from flicking Yun Ying on the forehead, he had never done anything else.
Even when he had clear chances to escape, he never acted on them.
He was… he was basically like the third prince. A total couch potato.
Plus, he seemed to have a strange, unintentional charisma—even Tier 8 powerhouses somehow ended up following him like subordinates. Allen couldn't help but feel helpless.
Even during the recent battle, Fang Chen hadn't truly killed anyone. His strikes were precise—no lasting injuries, no severe damage. At most, he left people lying down for a week.
So, from Allen's perspective, even if you considered this magical beast as a person, he was an excellent one.
"..." With Allen's reminder, Barre suddenly realized—had he really been the one on guard all this time?
As for being a spy? Don't be ridiculous. Who would send an Earth Lizard to be a spy? If it were a bird, maybe.
But this magical beast had been personally encountered by Barre himself. It was absolutely impossible for it to be a spy.
"Besides, what do you think, Your Majesty?" Allen suddenly turned toward the palace gates.
At some unknown moment, the Emperor had arrived. Since his daughter was preparing for battle, it was only natural he'd come to see her off.
"Father!" Everyone instinctively knelt—that was basic etiquette.
"No need, rise. I'm just here to see if my daughter is ready to go chase her dream."
The Emperor's warm smile softened Yun Ying's eyes.
That's right—her dream was to become a general who could guard the border. That's why the Emperor appointed her as commander.
He then slowly turned his gaze toward Fang Chen, who sat with eyes closed.
Sensing something, Fang Chen slowly lifted his head and met the Emperor's gaze.
The last time they met was a year ago. Back then, he had ignored him and let him look all he wanted.
But now, things were different. Both Fang Chen and the Emperor had contemplative glints in their eyes.
What the Emperor was thinking remained unknown, but Fang Chen was wondering—
What am I supposed to gain from all of this?
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