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Salvador paused for a moment before finally recalling that “Commander Devin’ was none other than Sophie. He let out a slow breath. “Summon her in.”
“Commander Devin is granted an audience!” Derek announced loudly.
Sophie adjusted her hair and strode confidently into the hall. She was tall to begin with, but in her official uniform, she cut an even more impressive figure.
She knelt on one knee. “Greetings, Your Majesty. Long live the king!”
“You may rise,” Salvador calmly replied.
Sophie stood. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Salvador looked at her. ‘Lift your head. Let me see your spirit.”
Sophie hesitated briefly before slowly raising her head. The hall doors were closed, but there was a Night Pearl glowing from the crystal chandelier overhead. During the day, its light wasn’t usually noticeable. But with no natural light and the lamps unlit, the Night Pearl stood out.
Coincidentally, its soft glow fell directly on her face, revealing the bruise around her left eye.
Salvador’s heavy mood lightened a bit at the sight of her black eye.
Teasingly, he asked, “What’s this? Has the Chief Judge dared to lay a hand on you?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Mystic Army wasn’t easy to manage, especially the high??anking officers. The soldiers in the Mystic Army were chosen for their exceptional skills, and with skill came strong personalities??ome might even call them troublemakers.
When Sophie first took command, Michael hadn’t respected her either. She had to beat him in a duel to win his loyalty.
Salvador added, “There’s something else I need to discuss with you. I have other plans for the Crown Guard’s current commander, so I’m considering promoting Blake to that position. Do you have any objections?”
Sophie was caught off guard. Blake was originally part of the Capital Guard, so even if he were to be promoted, it should be within the same unit. Promoting him directly to be commander of the Crown Guard would be a big leap.
Besides, from what she knew, Blake wasn’t the only one who distinguished himself during the incident at Harmony Palace. Yet, he was the only one being promoted. And for it to happen on her first day as commander, people would surely assume she had a hand in it.
She was the Hell Monarch’s princess consort, yet she was promoting her former husband.
What would people think?
Sophie understood that being the Mystic Army’s commander wasn’t going to be easy. There would undoubtedly be more situations like this in the future, where her actions would be scrutinized and criticized. If she couldn’t handle the pressure, she might as well resign now.
“As long as it is your decision, Your Majesty, I have no objections,” she replied calmly.
Salvador smiled, a knowing smile that hinted at something more beneath the surface. “Good. Then, it’s settled. The Mystic Army’s office is in the Capital Guard’s headquarters. Once you get there, submit a recommendation letter to the Civil Department under your name. They’ll issue the official transfer documents. I’ll also formally establish an office for the Crown Guard. Of course, Blake will essentially only be the deputy commander. You’ll remain in charge.”
He was really using her name.
Goodness, Salvador wasted no time putting her on the edge!
Well, that was fine. If her relationship with Rafael wasn’t solid and they couldn’t trust each other, this would surely plant the first seeds of doubt between them.
Sophie didn’t argue. After all, Salvador wasn’t really asking for her opinion??e was practically issuing a direct order.
He gave her the position of commander, but at the same time, he promoted someone who had a grudge against the Hell Monarch’s household. It was a move meant to sow discord between Sophie and Rafael
Maybe Salvador thought this would give him a sense of security,
As Sophie left the palace, Derek watched her retreating figure with a worried expression. He wasn’t sure how many more tests of trust she and Rafael could withstand.
The truth was that Salvador could have appointed Blake directly without involving the Mystic Army’s commander. If he really wanted Sophie to handle the transfer, it didn’t need to go through the Civil Department??ust a simple notification would have sufficed.
But Salvador was trying hard to keep everything under his control, which only made things uncomfortable for everyone involved, including Blake.
After leaving the palace, Sophie headed straight for the Capital Guard’s headquarters. Since it was her first day on duty, Michael and Max were already waiting for her there with their men. Fortunately, no one seemed to pay much attention to the bruise around her eye. Or if they did notice, they at least had the decency not to stare.
The Royal Guard’s commander, Alistair, hadn’t arrived yet. Sophie knew who he was??liver’s cousin. Their family had many sons, with Alistair being the most talented among them.
Oliver didn’t have a good relationship with his relatives, especially Alistair. This was mainly because the latter was truly capable, while the former hadn’t achieved much and wasn’t able to bring any fortune or honor to the family after inheriting the earldom. In contrast, Alistair had risen swiftly through the ranks, eventually becoming commander of the Royal Guard,
If they were still under the previous king’s rule, the Royal Guard wouldn’t have been part of the Mystic Army, which would have given Alistair even more authority. While the Royal Guard technically fell under the Mystic Army now, Alistair didn’t seem to care.
But now that the units were officially merging and he would have to report to a woman, he probably wasn’t too happy about it.
Sophie had long since investigated these key figures within the Mystic Army, and Rafael had discussed them with her as well. So, when Alistair didn’t show up today, she didn’t mind. She could accept having sharp??dged subordinates as long as they didn’t cross the line.
Max didn’t exhibit any doubt toward Sophie. In fact, he was rather respectful. Max and Thomas’ mother, Alice, were siblings. In other words, he was Thomas’ uncle.
When Max and Sophie met for the first time, he approached her confidently and said, “Thank you, Commander Devin. It’s thanks to you and His Highness that Ivan was saved.”
“Ivan Lewis? That’s your nephew, right?” Sophie asked
“Yes,” Max replied.
Sophie smiled. “He did well. Has he been assigned to a post now?”
“He’s currently serving in the Crown Guard, which is also part of the Mystic Army now,” Max said.
Sophie hadn’t known this. She only knew that Felix and Thomas still hadn’t been assigned their roles.
“What rank?” she inquired.
“Second??ier guard, Your Grace,” Max responded.
Sophie nodded. “Tell him to do his best.”
The Southern Frontier campaign had been Ivan’s first battle, during which he had been captured. But afterward, he joined the Septimus Tetra reconnaissance team, where he earned some merits.
Naturally, Blake had also distinguished himself at the Southern Frontier, especially during the final recapture of Simonton City after the Victory Pass battle. Yet, he had been promoted to commander of the Crown Guard, while Ivan had only achieved a second??ier guard status.
There was little that could be done about that. Ivan had fought on the battlefield as just an ordinary soldier, while Blake had already been appointed as a general at the time, though various circumstances had led to his repeated demotions afterward.
Salvador still held high hopes for Blake. The king favored people like him, whose weaknesses were clear and easily manageable.
After meeting with the necessary subordinates, Sophie said, “I had an audience with the king today. He mentioned that the Supreme Court is short??anded, so we need to transfer some personnel from the Capital Guard to help them out. Michael, please manage this and report any issues directly to me without delays.”