Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Salvador’s eyes held a hint of admiration as he said, “In just twenty or thirty moves, you managed to sever their tendons? Even fighting together Blake and Freya couldn’t restrain the assassins and ended up losing several people in their estate. Sophie, your skills are far superior to theirs. If you were a man, you could certainly follow in your father’s footsteps and become a renowned general.”
Sophie shook her head. “I only wish to accompany Ryan as he grows up. He is my only blood relative now.”
As Sophie spoke, she kept her eyes lowered, so she didn’t notice the mixture of relief and regret in Salvador’s gaze.
If she were a man, she would undoubtedly have become a renowned general like her father. Even as a woman, she could still manage the Hell Monarch Army and Devin Army. Yet, she was the beloved of Salvador’s brother. Rafael had gone to great lengths to marry her, thus stifling her potential to soar and be in control of military matters.
The position of deputy commander of the Mystic Army was a mark of her status, but fortunately, she was sensible and did not misuse this role.
Salvador gazed at her delicate face. “I know that Rafael has established his household soldiers, and their instructor is an apprentice from a Meadow Ridge guild, right? Also, the young woman from the Spencer family, who is an apprentice of the Inferno Guild, is staying with you, correct?”
Sophie replied, “Yes, Your Majesty. The instructor’s name is Travis. He once fought alongside me at the Southern Frontier, and you awarded him a hundred gold coins. His guild consists entirely of women who live in difficult conditions, so his master sent him to the capital to seek employment and support the guild. As for Violet Spencer, she’s an old friend from my youth and is temporarily staying in the capital to keep me company.”
Salvador nodded. “It’s fine. I was just asking casually. You may leave now.”
Sophie saluted. “Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll take my leave.”
After leaving the royal study, she let out a small sigh of relief. It was fortunate that she had personally gone to Valor Estate.
If Violet and Travis had gone instead, Salvador might have become even more suspicious since they all lived in Hell Monarch Estate. After all, martial artists carrying weapons and moving about at night was against the law.
–
Since the war, the border city of Sandoria had been heavily guarded, especially now that negotiations with Starhaven were underway. Sandoria’s aim was to exchange the prisoners in their custody for the city of Simonton. Consequently, the dungeon where the prisoners were held was guarded by a substantial force. After being in Sandoria for several days, Rafael and his team had finally pinpointed the location where Septimus was imprisoned a heavily fortified outpost on the edge of the city. They had also thoroughly mapped out the prison’s layout within the high walls. However, they didn’t know about Oliver’s five-day deadline, and what’s more, tomorrow would mark the end of this period.
Rafael knew that Victor would be meeting with Oliver for negotiations again the next day. Even though the prince wasn’t aware of the exact deadline, he suspected that Oliver wouldn’t follow his orders to delay the negotiations further.
Rafael decided that while Victor was occupied with negotiations at Fangridge Mountain tomorrow, it would be the perfect time to execute their rescue plan.
Victor was known for his large entourage of skilled guards, and he would likely take most of them with him to the negotiations. Having spent so much time on the Southern Frontier battlefield and having suffered defeat against the Hell Monarch Army, Victor harbored a natural fear and hatred for them.
If Oliver refused the negotiations outright, Victor would likely leave quickly and be back by late tomorrow night.
So, it was crucial to see if Oliver would stall during the negotiation process. If he adopted a vague stance, he might be able to keep Victor at Fangridge Mountain until the day after tomorrow. That would give Rafael and his team more time for the rescue.
Jacob had the rescue operation planned out. The plan was to have one person waiting outside to provide support while the other three would breach the prison to rescue Septimus. Dylan was assigned to stay outside and handle the situation. The operation was scheduled for dusk, when the guards would be changing shifts.
The three people going in were skilled fighters, but breaking into the heavily guarded fortress and rescuing the prisoners from the dungeon would still be quite challenging. However, Rafael and Everett had previously snuck in at night. Although they hadn’t reached the dungeon, they were familiar with the general layout and the guards’ shift rotations. That gave them a reasonable chance of success.
Meanwhile, in a wooden hut located near Bell River on the outskirts of the border city, ten men were gathered around a low table. They were rough-looking, had beards, and were dressed in fishermen’s attire. Their faces were weathered and darkened by the sun, similar to the local fishermen.
They huddled around a blueprint laid out on the low table. The blueprint had been hard-earned they had captured a craftsman who had participated in the construction of the military post years ago and coerced him into drawing it.
However, the craftsman had only been involved in the construction, so he didn’t have the original plans. The drawing was made from memory and now, the craftsman was locked in a back room. He would be released after the rescue was completed.
“Tomorrow night should be our last chance,” one of the men said, pointing to the blueprint with a serious and composed expression “But the rescue will be tough, and we may at die in there. We only know the building’s layout and nothing about its defenses. The dungeon will undoubtedly be heavily guarded. With only ten of us, we’re facing impossible odds.
“So, I’ll ask you all: those who agree to go on the Rescue mission, raise your hands… Those who don’t agree should take the opportunity to leave when Marshal Crow departs the border city tomorrow. Return to
Simonton City to reunite with your families.”
The man on the left frowned. “Tom, what are you saying? We are members of the Septimus Tetra reconnaissance team, and we won’t abandon anyone. During the war, we might have survived by any means to get intel.
“But the battle is over now, and the Southern Frontier has been reclaimed. We can’t leave Law behind to be tormented. If we go back, we go together. If we die, we die together.”
“That’s right,” the others chimed in. “All eleven of us if we die, we die together. If we live, we live together.”
Tom’s eyes brimmed with tears. Over the years, he had hidden and disguised himself, blending into various parts of the border city. He had braved the sun, rain, snow, and frost. He was no longer the distinguished Thomas Farrell of the past. He was just plain old Tom now.
Alongside him were Hom, Felix, Josh, Ben, Bruce, Ivan, Scott, Wilfred, and Tobias. There were two pairs of brothers in their group-Josh and Ben, as well as Scott and Wilfred.
Since the establishment of the Septimus Tetra reconnaissance team, they had no distinctions between general and soldier. They were equals, united by a single purpose to relay the intelligence they gathered.
Tom slammed the table. “Alright, we’ll move out at five in the evening tomorrow!”
–
On the evening of June eighteenth, the ten men raised their coarse cups that were filled with cold water. For years, they hadn’t had coffee or a drop of alcohol.
In the border city, coffee was a luxury they couldn’t afford. And though cheap, they didn’t dare touch the local wine. They feared that even a single sip might lead them to reveal their identities in their drunken state, which would lead to their doom.
The only time they had bought alcohol was when they learned about the deaths of Hector and his six sons. Even then, they hadn’t drank it, but instead poured the liquor onto the ground in tribute to their fallen leader. That night, they had spent hours sobbing under their blankets.
But they were only allowed a single night of mourning. The next day, they had to dry their tears and continue their perilous journey, as the Southern Frontier had yet to be reclaimed then.
After the Southern Frontier was recaptured and Victor brought his troops to the border city, it became impossible for the Septimus Tetra reconnaissance team to send messages. Crossing the border had also become exceedingly difficult. Previously, they had mingled with convoys carrying food and goods to Simonton City to deliver intelligence. Now, they couldn’t even manage to blend in and escape.
After Starhaven reclaimed the Southern Frontier, they spent their days trying to find a way to escape. They had run all over, which led to Law being captured.
Law was likely subjected to severe torture after his capture, but he never betrayed them. Otherwise, the Sandorian soldiers would have already found them. Law’s resolve was unyielding, preferring to die rather than surrender. The men of the Septimus Tetra reconnaissance team weren’t afraid.
Kicking off their sandals, all ten of them bent down to put on the new shoes they had made themselves. They shed their ragged clothing and donned their new clothes, which they had sewn from black cloth they had bought.
They had once been soldiers who fought on battlefields with swords and knives, so how could they have any skill in sewing? Yet, over the years, they had been unable to afford ready-made clothes and had to make their own from scraps of fabric. Having asked the local old women for advice, they had all gradually learned the craft.
Once, they had no weapons. They had come out of the prisoner camp with nothing, their clothes torn to shreds from beatings. After several years of hardship, they now possessed their own reliable swords. When not on intelligence missions, Tom and Law led the group deep into the mountains to practice their skills.
They were like resilient weeds surviving in the desert. Their loyalty and sense of duty were the only things that had carried them this far.
The moon that night hung high in the sky. It was bright and clear, its light dimming the stars beneath it.
The group knelt and saluted in the direction of their kingdom,
Starhaven. If this mission failed, they would be buried here in the border city. If that happened, they hoped their spirits would return to their homeland to see their loved ones once more.
With a sense of tragic determination, they set out. They knew every road in this border city so well that they could walk it with their eyes closed.
Rafael and his team had already been lying in wait near the garrison, ready to move as soon as the guards changed shifts.
It was almost time.
Dylan stayed at the eastern corner, where there was a platform on a high wall that could be used to station archers. However, due to the heavy troop presence, no archers were currently stationed there. If the rescue was successful, this Spot would be the most convenient one for Dylan to provide support from.