Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
“We’ve already sent for Ms. Ivy to treat Roxana’s parents. The Hell Monarch’s household will cover the cost of the medical treatment. As for the rest, it was her eldest brother and sister-in-law’s idea. Since they were the eldest in the family, they were afraid the burden would fall entirely on their shoulders.
“They decided to find a way to get money quickly, and the fastest way was to sell someone. Roxana’s age was right for this, so someone had already taken an interest in her. It would’ve been settled right then, but thankfully, Ms. Perez got there in time. Otherwise, they’d have sold her off already.”
After a pause, Lily continued, “Ms. Perez is still there, and Ms. Ivy hasn’t left yet. The family is deeply grateful now, but I’m worried. Her eldest brother and sister-in-law aren’t good people, and I fear they may try to sell her again in the future. That’s why I gave them the money to settle it. For now, I haven’t told her parents about any of this-I’m afraid it would only make their condition worse if they knew.
“As for what to do with the girl, whether she stays in the estate as a maid or returns to the academy- that’s for you to decide, Your Grace.”
Lily’s explanation was clear and concise.
Sophie nodded thoughtfully. “She cannot stay as a maid. She will return to the academy. It’s better this way-no distractions. If she focuses on her studies, she’ll have a bright future.”
Sophie had made a bet with Gerald, claiming she would train female generals and officials. Even so, it wasn’t really a bet-it was a genuine desire of h?rs to see women take charge. Training female officials was challenging, but with
Starhaven’s current circumstances, there were already women on the battlefield-one was Freya, and another was herself. If Roxana had the courage and determination, she could follow this path too.
Before dinner, Sophie took a moment to speak with Roxana privately. The young girl was still anxious and couldn’t help but worry about her parents.
“I know you’re concerned about your parents,” Sophie began gently. “You want to protect them, but when you don’t have the strength to do so, it’s just empty words. The only way to protect those you love is to become strong yourself. And from this, I hope you learn one more thing: first, take care of yourself. Once you’ve learned to love and protect yourself, you’ll be able to do the same for others.”
Roxana’s eyes welled with tears, but she forced herself to hold them back. She fought to keep her voice steady, and with a shaky breath, she whispered, “I understand. Thank you, Your Grace.”
Sophie held Roxana’s hand and spoke to her for a long time, but never once did she speak ill of Roxana’s family.
Violet and Cynthia were listening outside. When the conversation ended, Sophie had Lulu take Roxana downstairs to settle her in.
Once they were alone, Violet asked, “Why tell her to protect her family? She should know how cruel her family has been to her, or she’ll be bound by them for the rest of her life.’
Sophie took a sip of water, her eyes clouded with sadness. “Vivi, this is a common story. Many common families find themselves in such situations. When faced with hardship, the first thing they think of is selling their daughters or sisters. They don’t see it as cruelty. To them, selling a girl as a child bride or a maid in a wealthy household is just a way out.”
She paused, then continued, “It’s not uncommon for some families to trade their daughters in marriage to secure a wife for their sons, but at least Roxana’s parents aren’t like that. They tried everything to earn money her mom sold goods in the market, and her dad did odd jobs. They even risked their lives climbing the mountains to gather herbs. I truly believe they never considered selling her. If they had, they wouldn’t have sent her to the academy in the first place.”
Violet frowned. “But her eldest brother and sister-in-law didn’t want to take responsibility. Her third brother wanted to sell her to marry, all for his own selfish gain. Shouldn’t she resent them?”
Sophie sighed softly. “It’s hard to sever ties with family, especially when you’re so young. Roxana has a lot to learn, and she’s still worried about her parents’ injuries. She’s only eleven. That’s too much for her to carry right now. We don’t need to plant hatred in her heart. As she grows older, she’ll understand, and she’ll see who deserves her anger. Whether she chooses to stay close to her brothers or distance herself, that will be her decision.”
Violet thought for a moment, always willing to weigh the words Sophie said.
“You’re right. We shouldn’t get too involved in her family matters. After all, not everyone in her family is bad. Her parents have sheltered her despite their poverty, and they didn’t make her work. They even sent her to the academy. That shows how much they care for her. She’s always smiling, which shows how much they dote on her.”
Sophie linked arms with Violet and Cynthia, the three of them walking out together. “Exactly. So we’ll let her handle it when she’s older. What we can do for her now is teach her with all our hearts.”
“And take care of her,” Cynthia added with a smile.
Cynthia had just returned from Meadow Ridge, with a heart full of righteousness and a strong sense of justice. She was always eager to protect the weak.
And so, Roxana settled into Hell Monarch Estate. Sophie was originally in charge of teaching martial arts, so technically, Roxana should have been her apprentice. However, the Pathfinders Guild accepted apprentices based on the preferences of the mentors, and there were no formal criteria.
Since Cynthia had expressed her desire for a pupil of her own, she took Roxana under her wing. Whether a child would succeed in the future could often be seen from their mental resilience.
Despite Roxana’s worries and sadness, it didn’t affect her diligence. Instead, she displayed remarkable determination and persistence, working even harder than before.
She woke up before dawn to study, practiced martial stances for half an hour, and then returned to the academy. Roxana’s dedication even made Cynthia feel guilty-she hadn’t been nearly as diligent herself back in the day.
On the tenth day of February, Jacob received a message by carrier pigeon.
It was from Kyle, reporting that Rafael and Dylan had entered the mountains two weeks ago and hadn’t returned. They had searched the area but found no trace of them. The place they had entered was surrounded on three sides by mountains, with endless, rotting hills. Kyle was worried they had encountered danger, and in the end, sent the pigeon back to the capital to request reinforcements.
Sophie had been worried about them from the start, anxiously waiting for any news. When the pigeon arrived, a deep, heavy dread settled over her. The worst possibilities flashed in her mind, one after another, until she stopped at the most horrible of all-the thought that she might never see Rafael again.
Her entire being seemed to have fallen into an ice-cold pit, fear seeping into her very bones. It was as though an invisible hand had seized her throat, leaving her gasping for breath and trembling uncontrollably.
Having endured the loss of her dad and brothers and the annihilation of her entire family, she knew all too well the suffocating terror of losing loved ones-it was like drowning in a flood of despair.
It took Sophie an hour to pull herself out of the paralyzing grip of fear. Afterward, she mounted her horse and rode straight to the palace. She needed a reason to leave the capital.
Salvador had received two letters from Rafael. The first letter reported an unusual village they had come across, and they suspected that the villagers were the private army they were looking for. Salvador had sent a secret order for Rafael to investigate the area.
The second letter described their initial foray into the mountains, where the defenses were tight, confirming the presence of a private army. However, they had not yet found the weapons or supplies. Salvador had sent another order to continue the investigation, with a directive to destroy any weapons and supplies found.
Since then, there had been no word from Rafael.
Salvador was, admittedly, a little worried. Sending just a few people to scout several mountain ranges, without knowing the size of the enemy force or whether they had martial arts experts among them, was undeniably risky.
At the same time, he also saw it as an excellent opportunity. If they could locate and destroy the weapons, they could immediately mobilize troops under the guise of quelling bandits. This approach would avoid unnecessary fanfare and potentially reduce casualties.
Hearing from Sophie that there had been no news for half a month only deepened his concern. But without information, it was impossible to take action-he couldn’t dispatch troops until he had verified the situation.
He issued an edict, instructing Sophie to lead a group to Jasford City to oversee the delivery of a shipment of luxurious brocade. This particular shipment was intended as a gift to Westhaven and couldn’t be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.
It was well-known that the area surrounding Jasford City was rife with mountain bandits. The surrounding hills offered ideal vantage points for the bandits, who would then descend to rob passing merchants. Therefore, sending Sophie with the Mystic Army to escort the brocade was the perfect cover. However, there was no need for a large force. He assigned 50 men to accompany her, and the rest-whatever extra help she required-she would have to arrange on her own.
Violet, Cynthia, Bun, Alana, and Leah, along with Isaac and Claire, were all packed and ready to go. Meanwhile, Mabel, Iris, and others remained in the capital to manage the affairs there.
The Mystic Army had previously escorted tax money shipments, so their departure did not raise any suspicions. After all, the team wasn’t particularly large.
Jacob had initially wanted to accompany her, but Sophie told him that Kyle had already sent word back to Meadow Ridge. ?verett would surely send reinforcements, so it was better for Jacob to stay in the capital to maintain order. If anything urgent came up, he could quickly mobilize more men.
As she set out, Sophie wore the bracelet her seventh uncle had sent her, with a red whip coiled around her waist. Holding the Rose Spear firmly, she mounted her horse with ease. Her attire was a simple green tunic over soft armor, her hair tied up in a high ponytail that gave her a sharp and commanding look.
Jasford City was nearly a hundred miles from Lunvale-a distance that wasn’t too far, yet not too close either. For the Mystic Army, it was manageable. They planned to rest in Jasford City for a day, allowing their horses to recover. That way Sophie and her group could at least reach Lunvale in one day’s ride.
Lunvale was a relatively prosperous inland city. It wasn’t near the sea, but a river flowed through the city.
There was a village in Lunvale called Stone Village. It was a very remote place, still without proper roads, with only winding, narrow paths climbing up and down the mountains. Along the way, there were several other villages, but the nearest one to Stone Village was nearly 15 miles away. Those 15 miles were mostly steep, mountainous paths that required climbing cliffs and traversing treacherous terrain to reach the heart of the area.
The road from the north was the only somewhat passable route. Any attempt to enter from another direction would be nearly impossible.
The mountains around the village were tall and treacherous, with some areas rarely touched by human feet. The old forest, shrouded in perpetual mist, made it even more dangerous. The air was thick with miasma, and most people avoided entering, despite rumors of rare herbs and strange beasts hidden within. No one dared risk their lives to make money from such ventures.
Once, Stone Village had been a relatively normal village. It was sparsely populated, with the young and able-bodied men heading down the mountains in search of work, leaving behind the elderly and the sick. However, a devastating plague had killed many of the villagers. The exact cause of the village’s transformation was unclear, but rumors said that outsiders, homeless and without proper identification or records, had ended up there and settled in the unlucky Stone Village.
Over time, the population grew.