Axel expected that so of the soldiers or even Rico would cause trouble during their three-day stay. However, contrary to his expectations, nothing significant occurred.
In fact, the empire’s soldiers even assisted the farrs with their fieldwork. Remarkably, they did this voluntarily, without the influence of the Curse of Obedience.
This behavior was sothing Axel couldn’t logically explain.
They were the enemy’s army, cursed to obey commands without question. If Axel were in their position, he would undoubtedly harbor resentnt toward his captors!
Aside from their unusual actions, life continued as usual.
Everyone’s daily routine remained largely unchanged.
There was morning sword practice, afternoon magic practice, etings, and various other tasks. At night, before going to sleep, they tested out different recipe combinations or spent ti flirting with one another.
It had been an almost unchanging lifestyle...
"Alright, it’s ti to set off!"
Until this day.
Today marked the beginning of the Empire’s troops’ march back to the Empire.
Of course, Axel had already helped them significantly, increasing their chances of survival. But that wasn’t all. Accompanying them was a specific team from the Valkyrie Knight Order who had decided to join the journey.
Axel turned to the lead person in question and frowned.
"Eve, are you really sure about this?" he asked for the umpteenth ti. "You know there’s absolutely no need for you to risk yourself by going back with them, right?"
In response, the little princess—now disguised as a mber of the Empire’s army—nodded. "Yes, Sir Axel. I’m sure."
This decision ca as a surprise to Axel, but for the girls, it had been building over several days.
"I... want to see the Empire. I want to understand how they live even after they’ve destroyed everything we’ve ever had," she said, her face a mix of resolve and pain. "It’s just a personal reason, not out of vendetta, so there’s no reason for worry... And I can’t trouble Sir Axel with this."
"..."
Of course, there was no way Axel wouldn’t feel troubled.
He knew that traveling to the Empire was dangerous, which was why he originally intended to send only Navi and Mimir.
If she were discovered later, things could get ugly.
Thus, in addition to her, Axel also sent the entire sniper squad with her, all equipped with copies of Hecate and ard to the teeth with various enhanced accessories and armor.
The inclusion of their disguise armor ant they were wearing multiple layers. However, given their stats, it didn’t really bother them much. Furthermore...
"Don’t worry too much, Sir Axel," said one of Eve’s companions, smiling handsoly. "I’m with her, so even in the worst case, I can take her with and escape!"
"Arianne..."
As Eve’s knight, she certainly wouldn’t dare to be left behind.
Her purpose is to protect Eve above all else. There’s no way she would allow the little princess to wander into dangerous territory without her supervision.
Thus, in addition to the more than 180 mbers of the Empire’s army, ten troops from Axevaria Kingdom—including Eve and Arianne—joined the mission.
While it was a small team, their formidable stats ant there was little to fear. Even unard, nothing out there could hope to match the girls!
Still, Axel was filled with worry.
It was a feeling he couldn’t shake, after all.
He couldn’t stop Eve, as doing so would undermine her purpose and resolve.
Forcing her to stay would be akin to denying her true self, reducing her to rely a "doll" ant to remain by his side. It would suggest that she was only present to allow Axel to leverage her princess status for his own rise to kingship.
But that was far from the truth.
While it may have been the case initially, Axel now genuinely cared for Eve as an individual.
Moreover, he could technically ascend to kingship on his own if he chose to. He didn’t necessarily need anyone’s assistance to achieve that, given his oh-so-powerful system.
However, if he did that, Eve would lose her chance to restore her fallen Klint Kingdom.
That would put to waste all the effort and "waiting" they had invested...
"...Alright."
In the end, Axel relented.
"But you must contact every night, one hour after sundown, through Navi or Mimir. If you miss even a single day, I’ll co to bring you back, even by force."
Eve smiled, sensing that Axel was being overly protective.
Yet, at the sa ti, she felt warmth in her chest. She understood that his concern stemd from his genuine care for her.
"Sir Axel... Please close your eyes." Eve requested as she moved directly in front of him.
Of course, Axel wasn’t oblivious to Eve’s intentions. He knelt on one knee, facing her and closing his eyes.
Slowly, Eve cupped Axel’s cheeks with both hands and leaned in, planting her lips softly against his. It was a gentle, fleeting kiss—brief yet resonant for both of them.
The warmth they shared in that mont brought a smile to Eve’s face.
"Ehehe..." she giggled charmingly as she stepped back.
Axel opened his eyes, a soft gaze on his face, and smiled back at her.
Shortly after, the Empire’s troops began their march. At the front, fifty knights rode on horseback. In the middle, around thirty carriages carried supplies for 200 people, along with several dozen horses ant to last a month. Bringing up the rear were foot soldiers, including Eve’s team.
Axel observed them from atop the walls, watching their formation advance under the cloudy sky. A frown creased his lips.
"Sir Axel..."
"Husband..."
Nina and Ria tugged at either side of his suit in unison, as if to bring him back to the present.
Axel looked down at the two girls and smiled.
"Don’t worry, I’m fine," he said.
He had no reason to worry anymore...
After all, he...
...
Hours later, the Empire’s army reached the river.
Even though it had been quite a wile since it last rained, it was still flowing with water, making the crossing difficult.
To be specific, the carriages faced the greatest challenge, while the soldiers could simply wade across at the narrower end.
However, this ti was different.
"Oooh!"
To expedite the process, the Sniper troops displayed their impressive strength.
They effortlessly lifted each carriage, leaving the horses behind, and carried them across the river without breaking a sweat! Given the heavy supplies inside, the carriages must have weighed several tons at least, yet the girls appeared unfazed by the weight.
Princess Sophia and Rico witnessed this as well.
Their reaction was straightforward.
"So it wasn’t just His Highness who possessed such incredible strength..."
Resignation washed over them.
They could only say, "As expected," and move on!
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