Chapter 778: A Conversation Between Friends

Matilda Augustus—one of Emperor Rosetta’s finest children—was hailed as the empire’s elusive “high mountain flower,” the brightest jewel of Aldernan.

These dazzling accolades only amplified her already remarkable presence, inspiring awe in many and keeping most at a respectful distance.

Yet, despite her lofty status, she had her circle of close confidantes.

Standing before her now was one such friend: the heir of the Wendel family, inheritor of the title “Wolf General.”

“We’ve already exchanged formalities, so let’s relax a bit,” the imperial princess smiled gently, nodding toward Andersa. “It’s been nearly two years since we last met, hasn’t it? The last time you returned to the capital, I was away handling affairs in my fiefdom—we just missed each other.”

“Protocol must still be observed,” Andersa replied, easing slightly but still standing rigidly, her demeanor meticulous as ever. “The last time I came back… it was after the failed standoff at Paramel Heights. Not exactly a proud moment. If we’d met then, I might have felt a bit awkward…”

“I’ve heard the details of the Paramel Heights confrontation,” Matilda said with a hint of sympathy, dressed in a flowing black gown. “You can’t shoulder all the blame. The battlefield shifts in an instant. Your judgment at least saved nearly all your troops, bringing them back to Winterwolf Keep.”

“…It’s complicated,” Andersa sighed, recalling that rainy night.

The delegation accompanying Princess Matilda was soon settled, each member resting within Winterwolf Keep. Matilda and Andersa left the main hall together, stepping out onto the fortress’s towering walls. They strolled along the patrol path where soldiers regularly marched, walking the empire’s northwestern frontier line.

The biting winter wind swept over the ramparts, billowing the flags overhead. Yet the cold seemed to have no effect on these powerful high-tier supernaturals. Clad in armor and wielding a sword, Andersa’s steps were steady and purposeful as she walked along the outer edge of the wall, her expression grave, as if inspecting the fortress itself. Beside her, Matilda’s black court gown fluttered lightly—an elegant contrast to the harsh eastern winds and the fortress’s weathered stone. Yet on her, it felt perfectly natural.

The jewel of Aldernan moved gracefully along the ancient walls of Winterwolf Keep, as dignified and poised as if she were strolling through palace corridors.

“You look like you’re reviewing the troops, ready to lead your knights into battle at any moment,” Matilda observed softly. “Have you always been like this on the border?”

“This place could become a battlefield at any time,” Andersa said solemnly. “There’s no room for slack on the frontier.”

Matilda’s eyes held a trace of helplessness. She smiled faintly and shook her head. “Tell me about the Cecileans. What’s your impression of them? I was ordered to serve as envoy to that country, but all I know is the old Ansu—the new empire, Cecile, how different is it from Ansu?”

“Cecile… Cecile is far more dangerous than Ansu,” Andersa paused briefly, then continued as they walked. “Ansu was a decaying old beast—once mighty and glorious, but rotted from within by rigid systems and internal strife. It still has some fight left, but if you drag things out, it will die on its own.

“Cecile, however, is a fierce predator born from the flesh of that old beast. It’s developing and maturing faster than we imagined. They have a very intelligent, well-informed, and experienced ruler, supported by an efficient bureaucracy that helps him govern. From a military standpoint—my specialty—the Cecilean army has undergone deeper reforms than ours.

“No, ‘reform’ isn’t quite right. Their entire war system has been rebuilt from scratch. I’ve seen their mobilization speed and execution—efficiency that no old-style army could ever achieve, no matter how much it tried to reform. In this regard, perhaps only a few of our superpowered legions can match them.”

Matilda slowed her pace, looking at Andersa with surprise. “It sounds like… you’re not optimistic about the situation?”

“I’m just stating facts.”

“…With your temperament, you really don’t belong in the capital,” Matilda said with a resigned shake of her head. “Just your blunt honesty would earn you endless questions and criticism in the council.”

“Talking won’t increase our troops,” Andersa said bluntly. “Ansu was weak—that’s a fact. Cecile is strong now—that’s also a fact.”

“…Do you think Cecile is already stronger than us?” Matilda asked suddenly.

Andersa didn’t answer immediately. She thought for a moment, then said seriously, “I don’t believe so.”

“Oh? That doesn’t match your earlier ‘statement of facts.’”

“I’ve been gathering intelligence. Our spies there have suffered heavy losses but are still active. Using their reports, my advisory team and I have analyzed Cecile’s situation,” Andersa stopped and looked Matilda in the eyes, her gaze burning with intensity. “That empire has strengths we don’t. They excel in a more efficient bureaucracy and advanced magi-tech. But these take time to translate into real national power. They haven’t completed that transformation yet.

“Post-war order must be rebuilt. Many officials are overwhelmed. Populations need calming, ruined lands must be restored, new laws enforced. Their rapid territorial expansion and relatively small military mean many soldiers are tied up maintaining internal stability. Newly trained troops haven’t yet reached combat readiness—even if magi-tech is easy to operate, soldiers still need time to learn and adapt.

“They have advanced magi-tech, but blueprints pile up in factories because ore can’t be mined overnight, and steel can’t instantly become machines. Their emperor has established new schools, but how many students can be trained at once? How many will become workers, officials, or soldiers?

“At Paramel Heights, a single war fortress blocked our knights. We thought it was a trap prepared well in advance, but intelligence later showed it arrived less than an hour before us! Before that, Changfeng Fortress lacked enough soldiers and ‘Heavenfire Devices’!”

Andersa spoke rapidly, while Matilda listened quietly and attentively, not interrupting. When Andersa finished, Matilda asked, “So, what’s your conclusion?”

“Cecile is still weaker than us because we have several times their number of professional supernaturals, decades of stockpiled superpowered arms, griffon legions, mages, and knights. These can counter and even defeat their magi-machines.

“But training a mage takes over a decade, and once lost, they can’t be replaced quickly. They can produce a machine in moments, and soldiers operating them need only months or weeks of training. Last time, they deployed only one war fortress, but I strongly suspect their second is nearly ready to roll out! Do we have a second Iron River Knight Legion?

“As I said, Cecile’s advantage lies in their magi-tech and the so-called ‘Administrative Office’ system. These can’t instantly become national power, but once they do, we won’t have another chance!”

Andersa’s voice grew passionate.

On the ancient walls of Winterwolf Keep, buffeted by the winter wind, the young general commanding the Winterwolf Legion clenched her fists, as if trying to grasp a fleeting opportunity. She seemed desperate to warn the royal scion before her—to make sure she and the imperial family recognized the brewing crisis before it was too late.

“I’ve already written to His Majesty the Emperor and presented these views to Aldernan’s noble council,” Andersa said urgently. “Cecile is extremely dangerous—very, very dangerous. I can feel it. They’re still preparing for war, even as they send peaceful signals. The changes at Changfeng Fortress are obvious on the border. I believe their various actions—whether increasing trade, establishing embassies, exchanging students, railway cooperation, or investment plans—are all suspect…”

Before Andersa’s passion could rise further, Matilda suddenly interrupted, “I understand, Andersa. I understand what you mean.”

Andersa stopped, noticing a deeper meaning in Matilda’s expression—solemn, yet tinged with helplessness.

“Magi-tech and the Administrative Office will rapidly boost Cecile’s national power, making them a formidable enemy soon. Now might be our last chance to crush them—otherwise, every day we delay, that chance slips further away. That’s what you’re trying to say, isn’t it?”

Andersa nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“In Aldernan, similar conclusions have long been placed on the desk of the Obsidian Palace.”

Andersa stared at Matilda in surprise.

“Curious who reached the same conclusion as you?” Matilda looked at her longtime friend quietly, a hint of melancholy in her voice. “The very noble council you call ‘mere talk,’ and the emperor’s direct advisory group.

“They came to this conclusion three days after you left Aldernan.

“Andersa, the capital’s advisory groups are far larger than yours here. The gentlemen and ladies in the council aren’t fools—beneath the triple spires of the noble council, there may be selfish people, but never fools.”

Andersa’s eyes widened.

Faced with this unexpected truth, she felt no embarrassment or anger. Before such feelings could arise, her first thought was a question: “But… why?”

“Because it’s too late. That’s the only reason,” Matilda said quietly.

Andersa couldn’t help but say, “But we still hold…”

“If the world had only Cecile and Typhon, things would be simpler. But Andersa, Typhon’s border isn’t just guarded by Winterwolf Keep,” Matilda interrupted again. “We missed what might have been our only chance. After you left Aldernan, perhaps even after you withdrew from Paramel Heights, we lost the opportunity to easily defeat Cecile.

“Now, even if we hold the advantage, once war breaks out, our flesh will be torn apart by those steel machines.

“And in the south, the Highland Kingdom isn’t on good terms with us, nor are the Silver Elves… You don’t really think those forest-dwelling elves love peace just because they cherish art, do you?”

Andersa fell silent.

She was only one of the empire’s frontier commanders, able to sense some of the international currents—already more than many others.

But in the end, she could only see part of the picture. The empire’s vast, sprawling border was simply too wide for her alone to grasp.

Beside her, Mathilda spoke slowly, “We are no longer the sole great empire in the human world. There are no longer weak city-states or alien tribes nearby for us to absorb. My father, your father, the councilors, and advisors—they’ve all been carefully reviewing the Typhon Empire’s foreign policies over the past century, the current international situation, and some of the mistakes we’ve made. They’re now seeking ways to make amends. Count Holmark, who is responsible for dealings with the Gaoling Kingdom, is working hard on this—his trip to the Blue Rock Hills isn’t just about trading with Gaoling or the elves.”

For a moment, the city walls fell silent, the only sound the wind whipping the banners behind them.

Mathilda broke the quiet. “Now, you understand why I and this delegation exist, don’t you?”

“Sorry, Mathilda,” Andersa exhaled, “I was oversimplifying things.”

“Don’t worry— as a wolf general, you’re just doing what you must.”

Andersa nodded, but her expression was troubled.

“What’s wrong?” Mathilda asked, concerned. “Something on your mind?”

“Nothing,” Andersa sighed. “Just… a wave of awkwardness.”

(End of chapter)