Melora raced down the halls. The knights stationed throughout the castle simply saluted her but did not dare stop her. She smmed the doors open. Sitting behind a rge table surrounded by different aides was her father. His jet-bck beard and hair made him imposing and aligned with his cold demeanor. She sometimes wondered if her father ever had a heart; all he cared for was results, nothing else.

  “Father, why would you agree to a btant provocation from the Empire?”

  “Leave us.”

  A soothing but bulky voice emitted in the room as the aides bowed and left. He continued to stare at the documents in front of him. Melora’s eyes did not move away from his figure as she awaited his response.

  “It has always been our duty to subjugate the monsters before mating season so they don’t overpopute and become a problem down the line.”

  “I understand that, Father, but it is halfway across the continent. We have never accepted such orders from the Empire. Why now?”

  “We may be a grand duchy, but we still serve the Empire, even if our retionship is strained currently.”

  “Father, please, we cannot trust them. They are snakes in human clothing. I implore you to reconsider your decision.”

  “You may be strong—perhaps you will be the strongest to ever walk this nd—but you are still young and do not understand simple politics.”

  The grand duke pced the papers down and finally looked at his daughter, whose eyes contained fury.

  “That is why I am sending you together with some of our elite knights. It will suffice since it’s only a monster subjugation.”

  “Father, help me understand why you have taken such a decision.”

  “That will be all. You are dismissed. You leave at dawn.”

  Melora’s fury did not subside, but she left the room, closing the door behind her with force as one of the paintings fell down. Melora spent that night preparing for her departure. She took a moment to stare at a painting of her te mother. Complicated emotions arose from her heart. That was when a knock on the door could be heard.

  “Come in.”

  A middle-aged man suddenly appeared in the room, carrying his staff. He had white hair and a finely groomed beard.

  “I heard you were leaving for a monster subjugation.”

  “Yes, I am, Stefan. My father still refuses to expin anything and simply sends me around.”

  “I am sure the lord has his reasons.”

  “Exactly, he has his own reasons. If I am going to be the grand duchess, he needs to at least trust me.”

  “These things take time, dear.”

  “I am nineteen, Stefan. I just had my coming-of-age ceremony. That time should be now. Have I not proved enough to him? I have been protecting our duchy and its people since I was fifteen.”

  “I understand your frustrations, but please be patient. Maybe after this subjugation, he will be more open.”

  “Nothing will change, Stefan, but thank you for cheering me up.”

  “You are welcome. I also sneaked you some cake before the trip.”

  Stefan revealed a pte with a decent-sized chocote cake with some cream topping. Melora was pced under a strict diet by her father to enhance her swordsmanship growth, but Stefan, her mentor, always sneaked her some pleasantries.

  “Thank you, Stefan.”

  The two embraced as he vanished. Before sunrise, she donned her dark armor with the family crest, a roaring dragon. She made her way to the stables, where the rest of the knights in grey armor waited. She got on her horse and made her way to the Empire. It took them around five days to reach their destination while using the fastest horses. They were greeted well upon their arrival. Young noblemen flocked to her side, praising her beauty and strength as a knight.

  Melora simply smiled for formalities, but deep down, she hated each and every one. These people were lesser than the monsters she killed. For more than a century, they had been spreading diseases, disrupted trade with other countries, and ensured their people continued formalities. Some specute the reason for the conflict was because the Empire of Segar grew resentful of the fact Credoa was blessed with many resources and the god of War. Credoa always produced the finest knights, which the Empire always lusted for. If they had just half of their troops, they could have conquered the entire continent. They attempted all forms of bribery and gift-giving to persuade the grand dukes and duchess to release their troops, but the prideful Credoans never gave in. So they opted for more aggressive methods. A century ter, they still stood strong.

  Early in the morning, both fgs flew. For the first time, both imperial and the Grand Duchy armies marched together. It was another four-day march till they reached the border of the great forest of Hezia. The commander for Segar advanced.

  “Today, the Empire conquers this forest.”

  The armies advanced inside. It was a normal subjugation, and the monsters were simply orcs and goblins. Melora was annoyed at why they were needed in the first pce; she could have used this time to train or do something more productive. As they advanced further into the forest, she suddenly felt something was amiss. She gave her knights the sign to stay alert and group up. It felt as if they were surrounded by the Imperial army. That was when the orcs appeared in droves, being led by Kuso. More than hundreds poured out and surrounded the entire army.

  “My knights, get ready for battle. Today they will learn of the dragon’s bite!”

  They all unsheathed their swords, but that was when something stabbed Melora in the thigh. She looked down and saw a needle sticking out. She turned to the knight on the right, who wore a face of regret.

  “What did you do?”

  Melora felt weak all of a sudden as she stumbled. That was when one of her knights got stabbed by an Imperial.

  “You dare betray us in an expedition? This means war!”

  “All your people will hear is how you valiantly died fighting orcs.”

  In one swing, four imperial guards fell to their deaths. The remaining loyal knights did not hesitate to cut down their brethren who betrayed them.

  “Do not engage; let the orcs have their fill.”

  “I will kill you all! I swear on my mother’s grave.”

  The imperial army moved as the orcs slowly stepped forward, carrying different weapons.

  “Come at me, you fucking sheep! I will send all of you to hell.”

  The battle ensued as the remaining knights cut down the droves of orcs as they protected Melora. The poison spread through her body quickly as it started to affect her magical energy. Her once brilliant white mana started to flicker. Regardless, she still continued to fight, beheading multiple orcs, but her comrades started to fall. She screamed their names, urging them to get up, but the orcs overwhelmed them. The fight continued all the way to the next morning. The sun revealed the carnage. Orc bodies y everywhere, and the one who stood on top of them was Melora, the remaining knight. She coughed up blood as she held her bloodied sword while nursing several open wounds. Kuso stepped forward, ready to deal the final blow, but Melora colpsed. Kuso decided to take her as a trophy.

  “That is how I ended up here,” Melora concluded the story.