Unaware of the unpleasant shift occurring in the royal capital, a triumphant cry broke out over the ice-covered barren land of Voltern. The tips of swords were raised high in the sky, while military boots stomped enthusiastically on the blood-stained ground. After two and half months of grueling battle, the enemy was finally retreating—victory was finally at hand.

The blue flag of the Knights of Ventus that matched the color of the sky—Theorin Kingdom’s Southern Voltern—fluttered proudly in the wind, and was exquisitely accompanied by raucous roars of joy. However, the faint smile on Irene’s face as she watched the joy of her subordinates suddenly vanished and she felt her body stiffen. “Something is…”

The retreating enemy commander had halted his steed to turn and look back at them. Removing his helmet, his golden hair glinted brightly as it reflected the sun’s rays. When he moved to brush away his tangled hair, the golden strands seemed to shimmer as they caught the brilliant sunlight. Even with some distance between them, Irene could tell that the man’s gaze was fixed on her. His clear green eyes twinkled brightly and curved upwards, while the corners of his lips drew up into smooth arcs.

“Did he just… smile?” As if recognizing something in his gaze, Irene was struck with a sense of déjà vu. Overcome with a sense of urgency, she shouted, “Something is wrong. Gerrard!”

“Yes, Commander!”

“I have to go see my fath— Go see the Commander.”

“Why all of sudden…?”

“Lady Irene.”

Like the blue flag that flapped in the wind, Irene’s urgent gaze darted around until it landed on the man approaching her. “Clad?” The unexpected appearance of her subordinate, who’d been serving far from the frontlines, caught her by surprise. However, her gaze instantly sharpened when she noticed that he was accompanied by a group dressed in clothes ill-suited to their surroundings.

“News has arrived from the royal capital,” Clad reported.

“Something must have happened.”

“It’s a topic better suited for discussion elsewhere.” Clad cast a meaningful glance towards the men—capital officials bearing the kingdom’s crest on their tunics—standing a few feet behind him.

“Understood. Gerrard, wait here.”

“As you command,” Gerrard replied with a slight bow.

Irene led the group to an area with more privacy. She roughly tore off her gloves that were caked in blood and tossed them aside, before turning her eyes back to the men.

“Please read this first,” Clad said. As he watched Irene carelessly unfold the parchment and begin to scan its contents, he continued, “Lady Irene, your suspicions proved correct.”

“Those in the capital should’ve known about this.”

“Regardless, Duke Groin’s plan to force the country into chaos by instigating war with the Empire and leverage the opportunity to usurp the throne has failed.

“It’s good that the 3rd prince was successfully rescued.”

“It was only possible due to your swift judgment.” However, after praising Irene’s achievements, Clad’s face turned grave.

“Judging from your expression, it seems that not everything has been resolved.”

“Unfortunately, we failed to apprehend the duke.”

Irene lightly let out an irritable sigh and her face distorted into an expression of disgust. Putting aside the fact that the Duke of Groin was her eldest maternal uncle, his evading capture could only spell trouble in the future.

“All in all, the matter of rescuing the prince has been resolved for now, but…” Clad trailed off and muffled his words. He was acting out of character, and when Irene scrutinized him closely, he turned to look at the group behind him and said, “It’s best that you lot be the ones to inform her.”

As soon as Clad stepped aside, the group approached Irene and one man stepped forward. He struck her as familiar, and on second glance, she realized without much surprise that she’d encountered him a few times before. In fact, there were a few other recognizable faces mixed in the crowd.

“My name is Helink F. Burgun. I serve as aide to the 3rd prince,” Helink said politely, before offering up a letter with both hands.