Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
He estimated that the Westhaven forces wouldn’t venture into the plains. Having traveled such a long distance, they wouldn’t dare to risk conflict with the nomadic tribes residing there, especially with soldiers in tow.
As for the mountains adjacent to the plains, the route carved out by the great peaks was the retreat path of the Sandoria forces. Heading in that direction meant heading toward Sandoria, and Liam wouldn’t have taken Freya there.
The only possible places left were the mountains and the desert.
At this late hour, searching the mountains was impractical-how could one find anything among so many peaks?
The only viable option was to search the desert. If the Westhaven forces were in the desert, they wouldn’t venture too deep. After all, the harsh winter made the desert freezing at night.
Sophie didn’t stop Blake. Though he was desperate to find Freya, he wouldn’t actually lead his soldiers deep into the desert. It was likely he would search the areas near the desert instead. Blake took over a thousand men with him, torches in hand, and headed towards the desert.
“Is it true that the Westhaven forces captured Freya?” Violet asked.
Sophie nodded. “It’s almost certain.”
“Then what’s the point of waiting here? We might as well let the Westhaven soldiers kill her,” Violet said, barely concealing her satisfaction at the thought of Freya meeting a grim fate. Putting aside Freya’s actions, just her haughty demeanor made Violet feel she didn’t deserve an easy end.
As Sophie watched the fire slowly dim, she added a few more logs. The flames quickly devoured the dry wood, sending up bright flickers of light. The scene before her brought back a painful memory- returning to Northwatch Estate and finding it filled with corpses and bloodstains.
The ache in her heart surged again, so intense that it made breathing difficult.
How she wished for Freya’s death!
But simply killing her might not be the most satisfying revenge. Sophie thought Liam might share this view.
She was certain Liam wouldn’t kill Freya, Rafael had given orders to wait here, and it was likely because Liam had said something to him.
Rafael had previously mentioned having spies in Ilyrian City, so it was reasonable to assume there were spies in Simonton City as well. Waiting here was both Rafael and Liam’s directive.
By late night, everyone was exhausted. They were sleepy and hungry, though the cold was no longer a concem with plenty of firewood available. Supplies had arrived from the rear-simple bread and beef jerky. But in the midst of a battlefield, any food that could fill their stomachs was welcomed.
Timothy had brought the supplies, and conveyed Rafael’s orders to Sophie. “The marshal ordered you to continue waiting here. He says you can relax a bit and take turns sleeping.”
“Do we re really need this many people here?” Sophie asked.
“The marshal believes it’s necessary. He said not to easily trust a certain someone’s assurances,” Timothy replied.
With this statement, Sophie was certain that Rafael and Liam had reached some sort of pate agreement. He seemed to know everything.
Timothy was somewhat puzzled, unsure why Rafael had ordered them to wait. However, military orders were absolute, and he followed them without question.
After delivering the supplies, Timothy returned to the city. Although the Southern Frontier had been recaptured, the battlefield still required cleanup, and the bodies of fallen soldiers needed to be buried. There was much work to be done in the aftermath.
Victory on the battlefield always brought joy, but it was accompanied by sadness and pain. The comrades who fought alongside them-perhaps the closest one-would never see the victory. Their eyes would forever be closed.
Before dawn, Blake returned with his men, who were utterly exhausted. Michael distributed the food to them.
They sat down to eat, but Blake didn’t touch his food. He gazed at the rising sun, which indicated a clear day. It was the best weather they had seen since arriving in the Southern Frontier.
Yet, his mood was incredibly heavy. They had found nothing in the desert, and couldn’t continue searching indefinitely. They had no choice but to return.
He glanced at Sophie several times. She was resting her head on Violet’s shoulder, clearly exhausted. She was injured, and someone had bandaged her wounds, though it was uncertain how serious her injuries were.
After a while, Blake stood up and walked over to Sophie. He asked softly, “Are your injuries serious?” Resting her head on Violet’s shoulder, Sophie didn’t respond and showed no change in her expression.
Violet shot him a look of utter disdain, and silently mouthed, “None of your business. Go away.”
Understanding her lip movements, Blake was angry and embarrassed. Fuming, he turned and went back to sit down.
Violet rolled her eyes. What was that? Not just anyone could come over and concern themselves with Sophie.
Sophie wasn’t that cheap!
They waited until the sun began to set, painting the sky with twilight hues.
At that point, Blake could no longer sit still. Seeing Sophie standing up, he hurried over. “I plan to head to the plains before it gets dark.”
Sophie glanced at the setting sun, feeling a mix of warmth and chill, which made her exceptionally uncomfortable.
“If you’re going, you don’t need to inform me. I command the Mystic Army, and you’re not part of it, she said, then lifted her chin and gestured to his soldiers. “You’re their general.”
Blake stared at Sophie. He couldn’t continue speaking, as she had rendered him speechless.
She was right. She was the deputy commander of the Mystic Army and a fifth-ranked general of the court. Every word she spoke carried weight.
He didn’t have many men with him, and had hoped the Mystic Army would join him. His own troops were exhausted, but the Mystic Army had rested here for quite some time. He believed that if they encountered the Westhaven forces or nomadic tribes, they could fight.
In a low voice, he pleaded, “I want to lead the Mystic Army, even if I have to beg you, Sophie. I know I’ve wronged you before. You can punish me however you want. But we’ve been waiting for nearly two days! Freya can’t hold on much longer. I know you hate her, but we’ll make amends together once we find her.”
Sophie’s gaunt face remained cold. “This has nothing to do with personal grudges. The Mystic Army cannot advance any further.”
Blake clenched his fists. “Sophie, I’m already begging you! What more do you want from me?”
Violet sneered, and spat sarcastically, “Is begging supposed to be impressive? Your plea is so sinc?re, we’re tempted to beat you up ourselves! If the Mystic Army joins you in the plains and you encounter the Westhaven forces or those tribes, will you fight or let them handle it?”
“Be quiet!” Blake’s anger reached its peak, and he finally couldn’t contain his fury. “Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that?”
Violet lifted her chin in contempt. “What a joke! Do I need any special status to talk to you? How about you measure your own worth? Are you even qualified to be so presumptuous in front of me?” Blake was utterly furious. “Sophie, control your people. Don’t let every stray dog bark at me!”
It was Bun who sprang up first. His fists were large, and he quickly launched himself at Blake. Almost immediately, his fists began to rain down on Blake’s head, face, and body.
Travis was slightly slower to react. Nonetheless, he moved with impressive speed and delivered swift and powerful blows with his legs.
This relentless assault left Blake unable to defend himself. He could only hunch-over, using his hands to protect his head as he endured the beating from the two men.
“Damn it! I’ve wanted to hit you for a long time! If it weren’t for my military status, I’d have taken action the first time I saw you two!” Bun spat out.
“Do you really think so highly of yourself? With your character, you dare to be fickle! We men make promises and stick to them, even if it means death! You made us look bad!”
“You said you’d accept any punishment Sophie gave you, didn’t you? Well, now you’re being punished! Take it and learn to be a decent person for the rest of your life!”
All the soldiers watched the scene unfold, including Blake’s own men. They wanted to intervene, but knew that Bun and Travis were formidable, and they were standing up for Sophie. The Mystic Army was also there to protect their general.