Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
After Derek left, the couple looked at each other in confusion. They served the empress dowager, and the king even graciously allowed her to stay with them at Hartstone Estate. They were generally on good terms, so why were they being punished without explanation?
They hadn’t done anything wrong, or dared to do anything wrong.
It was truly strange!
In the depths of winter, heavy snow had blocked the path of Blake’s troops. Although they had rushed out of the capital, the snow had fallen continuously for two days, covering everything with a thick layer. The severe cold wasn’t the only issue; progress had been severely delayed due to the heavy snowfall Each step was difficult, making it hard to pull one’s foot out of the snow.
The Southern Frontier had experienced some snow, but fortunately, it wasn’t much. The new recruits, numbering thirty thousand, had almost completed their training. Weapons and armor were being hastily prepared in Tower City, and they hoped reinforcement would reach the front lines before Westhaven’s forces arrived.
Rafael had come to find Sophie, strictly ordering her to return to the capital. However, Sophie claimed she had already enlisted, and that returning to the capital would make her a deserter. The Duke of Northwatch’s family had no deserters.
Rafael had no way to deal with her, and instructed them to look out for each other. Once the fighting started, their skills might not be fully effective, as battles in such conditions often turned chaotic with friend and foe entangled together.
When Rafael visited Sophie, it terrified Cynthia. She thought the commanding officer looked like a savage.
“Is it just him? I think most of these soldiers look like savages,” Violet commented lightly.
Indeed, these soldiers had spent three years on the battlefield at the Southern Frontier. The original commander was Sophie’s father, and now, it was Rafael.
“It’s alright. Savages are tough fighters,” Bun said.
The war began on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the eve of the New Year.
llyrian’s gates swung wide open as countless Sandorian soldiers poured out. Some of them were from Westhaven, others from Sandoria. They all wore the same armor, making it impossible to distinguish between them.
For the first time on the battlefield, the five of them were somewhat at a loss. War was nothing like martial arts tournaments. Close combat was brutal, with no fancy moves-everyone just swung blades to kill.
Rafael and his army couldn’t retreat, as falling back meant returning to Tower City. Tower City had already been reclaimed, and retreating there would make it vulnerable to attack. The fight had to be waged in the open fields.
Sophie quickly found her rhythm. Her blood seemed to have awakened, and she charged straight into the enemy ranks. With her Rose Spear darting with deadly precision, she pierced through enemies’ throats, almost always with a single fatal strike.
She had considered capturing the leader first, but her extensive reading of military texts had taught her that a general in golden armor on a fine steed might not always be the real leader. It could be a decoy. Her first battle was a brutal one. She fought from dawn till dusk until she was utterly exhausted. She felt she had used up every ounce of her strength, but the enemy seemed endless.
Her body was covered in blood-the enemy’s blood. She had been slashed once on the shoulder, but her wooden armor had absorbed some of the impact, leaving only a surface wound. The Sandorian forces retreated into llyrian as night fell, and the gates were shut.
The first battle was a victory for Starhaven,
Sophie and her companions lay on the ground, too exhausted to move. They were all covered in blood. If not for their breathing, they might have been mistaken for corpses.
Timothy and his men began to clear the battlefield. Starhaven had lost three thousand and two hundred soldiers, with the number of wounded still to be counted.
Sandoria’s casualties were around six thousand soldiers, with three hundred captured. However, the six- thousand figure was a conservative estimate, as Sandoria had taken some of their dead with them during the retreat.
Violet lay on the blood-soaked ground. She struggled to catch her breath as she asked, “Sophie, how many did you you kill?”
“I lost count after thirty,” Sophie said, raising her arm. The Rose Spear felt incredibly heavy.
War was truly exhausting.
“I counted-I killed fifty!” Bun tried to jump up with a fancy flip, but ended up face-planting to the ground instead. Because there were too many people on the battlefield, Bun’s sword had been knocked away. He ended up using his fiste feet to fight before finally retrieving his weapon after the enemy forces had retreated.
“I killed sixty-three,” Violet reported.
Rafael’s deputy, Dylan, approached them, covered in blood and grime.
Sophie sat up first, then used the Rose Spear to help herself stand. “Deputy Ziegler!”
“Sophie!” Dylan’s eyes sparkled with surprise and excitement. “Do you know how many enemies you’ve killed?”
“No, I lost count,” Sophie replied.
Dylan clapped his hands in delight.
“The marshal personally counted the enemies you killed. You used your spear to pierce their throats-just counting those, there were over three hundred! That doesn’t even include those you didn’t stab in the throat. You’re amazing! Is this really your first battle? All the generals say you’re just like your father, General Devin!”
“Did I really kill that many? I didn’t keep track, but I’m so exhausted,” Sophie said, struggling to stay on her feet. She was unsure if it was cold or fatigue making her legs tremble.
Sophie seemed about to sit down again, so Dylan urged, “Come quickly! The marshal wants to see you!”
Bun sprang up energetically. “The marshal wants to see us? We should go then.”
Earlier, they’d been told that killing thirty enemies would earn them a promotion. Bun had definitely killed fifty, and Sophie had done exceptionally well, proving herself as the best fighter among them. They helped each other into the command tent, only to find several generals already seated inside, including Timothy.
Bun stopped in his tracks, realizing there was no room left. The sudden halt caused everyone behind him to stumble and fall. There was now a chaotic heap of live valiant youths on the ground, eliciting laughter from everyone.
Violet, annoyed by the spectacle, kicked Bun sharply.
Rafael also laughed. His gaze fell on Sophie, and his eyes were particularly bright. “Sophie, you were outstanding!”
Sophie was too exhausted to be modest, so she simply smiled wearily.
“Sophie, you have General Devin’s spirit!” Timothy said happily.
He was also thrilled, and clapped Sophie’s shoulder with such force that she nearly fell to her knees. She steadied herself, determined not to embarrass her father. “Sophie, hear my decree!” Rafael rose and walked up to Sophie, his imposing figure almost overshadowing her.
His gravelly voice carried a weight of authority.
our command,
“I hereby appoint you as a regiment commander! You’ll have a thousand soldiers under your and you have full control over them. As for the others, they are appointed battalion commanders with a hundred troops assigned to them, and they’ll all be under your command.”
The newcomers were unfamiliar with military ranks, so they began counting. A battalion commander commanded one hundred soldiers, while a regiment commander commanded one thousand soldiers. With that logic, it was clear that Sophie had just been promoted to a very high rank and was now their superior.
However, it didn’t change anything. After all, Sophie had already been their boss back in Meadow Ridge.
Sophie’s eyes widened in astonishment. Had she really been promoted so quickly, and to such a high position at that?
Rafael was clearly pleased. After praising Sophie in front of the other generals, he dismissed them, wanting to speak with her alone.
In the command tent, only Rafael and Sophie remained.
Despite her exhaustion, Sophie had been newly promoted to regiment commander. As such, she tried to maintain her composure and stood straight to face Rafael. “Marshal, do you have any orders?” “Have a seat, and let’s talk.”