Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
If this man had planned this from the very beginning, then he wouldn’t have waited so quietly over the years. He would have developed his own underground network.
That underground network was the most dangerous part.
Rafael’s mind drifted back to the Southern Frontier campaign. After his father-in-law and brothers-in-law fought hard and had already driven out Sandoria, they were able to return so quickly, which showed they had external support in terms of military funding and equipment.
So, the true mastermind could be working with Sandoria.
Coupled with what Sophie had said about Sandoria’s spies hiding in the gentlemen’s retreats in the capital, Rafael felt more certain that his suspicions were not far from the truth.
But if this was true, then it would be an incredibly risky move for the true mastermind. By aligning with Sandoria, he was not just handing over the Southern Frontier to them-he was essentially offering all of Starhaven to their grasp.
Unless, of course, he had a plan to keep Sandoria at bay and make them focus on the Southern Frontier only.
If that was the case, then Victory Pass might also need to be guarded. It was possible that he was also working behind the scenes with Westhaven.
For now, Rafael pushed these thoughts aside. He had to focus on the battle at hand.
At the same time, he sent a letter to Timothy in the Southern Frontier and Dominic in Victory Pass, warning them to be extra cautious. In his letter to Timothy, he made a special note to keep an eye on Oliver.
Oliver was like a poorly made firearm-while he might not be capable of great harm, he posed a constant danger of backfiring on his own side.
Once the letters were written, he entrusted them to Winona’s messenger, who was to deliver them with haste. He also sent an urgent dispatch to Salvador, warning of the unfolding situation.
The bandit suppression operation began.
Gilbert cooperated wholeheartedly, but his forces were sorely lacking. He suggested requesting reinforcements from Ebonflow. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Rafael; it was simply too risky to send a disorganized group to fight the private soldiers who had been operating in the mountains for so long. If they lost this battle, Gilbert’s head would be at stake. Even though he faced repeated rejections from Rafael, he kept bringing it up.
Finally, Everett lost his patience and roared at him. “If you’re not going to listen, then leave!”
The words nearly shattered Gilbert’s eardrums. His head buzzed for a while, and he almost thought he was going deaf. When the outside sounds finally came through, he felt as though he had narrowly escaped disaster.
The operation began with a forceful strike.
One team headed straight for the northern road of Stone Village, which was the way into the village. However, before this main force set out, other smaller teams had already moved into the mountains, surrounding the area from all sides. Their numbers were few, but their formation was strategic, creating a trap that left the enemy nowhere to run.
Still, the battle wasn’t an easy one.
There were too many places to cover, and the enemy was very familiar with the terrain. Fortunately, Everett had already sent people to block all the entrances to Stone Village’s secret passages. This forced the enemy into continuously fighting.
Meanwhile, Dylan managed to rescue the two laborers he had previously left in the small cave. He sent them to find others, urging them to leave the village without their weapons.
The two men were grateful, but cold and hungry. When they learned that a fight had broken out, they hurried off to warn those living on the edge of the mountains and help them escape.
But the laborers were few. The real strength of the enemy lay in the 5,000 private soldiers occupying the village, making the battle that much harder to win.
Hours passed before the second team took Stone Village, cutting off their supply lines and forcing the enemy into the mountains. If Rafael’s side could hold onto the food supplies, the enemy would be forced to forage, which would expose them.
After all, they were facing martial artists. Even the smallest movements in the wind could give them away. As for Gilbert, he waited at the northern road’s entrance, ready to capture any laborers attempting to escape. He couldn’t afford to let them carry messages to the outside world.
It was clear to Gilbert that such a large-scale operation would surely attract attention, and it was inevitable that someone from Lunvale would report the news.
However, Gilbert didn’t think that far ahead. He just felt this battle was extremely dangerous, and he couldn’t let the enemy get any reinforcements. After all, he knew these weren’t really ordinary bandits- they were rebel soldiers.
After the intense fighting, Rafael and the others took turns resting, preparing for the next phase of the operation-mountain warfare.
Sophie and Rafael were not on the same team. Everett had insisted they be separated for this mission. As he put it, “One team doesn’t need two commanders. A single commander leading a squad is just right.” But Rafael corrected his words, explaining that both he and Sophie were capable commanders, which was why they should lead separate forces.
After a brief moment of silence, Everett realized he couldn’t diminish his own apprentice’s abilities and agreed with his assessment.
The battle raged on for three days and nights before the remaining scattered private soldiers were all wiped out.
Of the 5,300 men, over 2,000 were killed, and 3,000 were captured.
The weapons and armor recovered from the mountains were transported to the Lunvale government office. After a thorough inventory and inspection, any items deemed of good quality would be sent to the garrison in Ebonflow. If they weren’t up to standard, they would be destroyed.
The news of this massive operation sent shockwaves through the citizens of Lunvale. Were there really so many bandits? Or could they actually be something else?
In the capital, Salvador had just received the victory report when the court was still in the middle of a heated debate. Some argued that the Hell Monarch had been reckless, suggesting that a disorganized group of men couldn’t possibly defeat well-trained private soldiers. They even proposed sending reinforcements.
Before any resolution could be reached, the victory report arrived at the capital and was delivered directly to Salvador.
After reading the report, Salvador’s smile stretched so wide it nearly reached his ears. Clapping in delight, he exclaimed, “The Hell Monarch truly lives up to his title as Starhaven’s War God. Even a disorganized group under his command can be transformed into elite soldiers.”
Though he said this, Salvador knew well that the so-called disorganized group wasn’t just a random bunch of people. Martial artists lacked unity, but once united, their destructive power became formidable. Naturally, Salvador was still concerned. He had always looked down on martial artists, believing them to be eccentric individuals with little interest in the royal court or the government.
But then, Rafael and Sophie had managed to unite them. Despite the huge difference in numbers, they pulled off a decisive victory.
Salvador couldn’t deny how terrifying their unity had made them.
When the news reached Valken, chaos erupted at Horizon Estate.
Yuvan was beside himself with fury, and he hurled a glass cup across the room.
“Useless fools! 5,000 private soldiers-how could they be wiped out without a word of warning? What is Tiberius even doing? So many men went to Lunvale, and he had no precautions in place! Not even a messenger to report this!”
His face was contorted in a fury so terrifying that even Harvey, standing quietly nearby, dared not speak. This was a blow they had not seen coming.
Yuvan’s group had been solely focused on the private army in Stonebridge County. None of them ever imagined that problems would arise in Lunvale.
Stone Village had been concealed so carefully. How could it have been discovered?
Lunvale should never have drawn any attention in the first place!
Its terrain was perfect-hidden tunnels and a stronghold backed by mountains on three sides. Yuvan had always thought that should their plans fail, they could retreat there and remain safe for years, gradually plotting their next move through the tunnels. The natural defenses were so formidable that they had been certain no one could reach it.
But that naturally fortified position-so easy to defend and nearly impossible to breach-had been taken down just like that.
The situation was grim, and Wayne spoke with a solemn air. “Your Highness, anger will not change what has occurred. What matters now is swift action. They will focus on Lunvale, and it’s clear the mistake lies with Tiberius. If he is captured and brought back to the capital, he will most certainly reveal your involvement.”
Yuvan’s brow furrowed deeply. “They are acting under the pretense of eradicating bandits. They suspect, but they have no solid evidence. The only link to me is Tiberius. What if we get rid of him on their journey back to the capital?”
Wayne immediately rejected the idea. “We shouldn’t consider that at all. The men Prince Rafael has now are all from the martial world. How many suicide soldiers do you think would need to die for such a cause? Forget killing General Tiberius-we’d be lucky to even sneak in for a glimpse.”