Blossom City—a city located at the junction of the Selphis Straight and Mandrake Straight.
Although it sits on the flat Selphis Plains and isn't a major transportation hub, it serves as an important supply station for traveling from the Capital of the Sacrifice Kingdom to Mandrake City.
Ever since the Beastmen invasion, the city gates had been tightly closed, constantly on alert for any Beastmen incursions.
On the city walls, two elegant figures stood, watching the dense ranks of approaching Beastmen below, chatting lightly.
One of them was the second daughter of the Duke of Mandrake, and the other a long-haired beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes. On closer inspection, she bore a striking resemblance to the wise Gray Fox, who had been killed by Hel.
"Brenda, do you know why, even though we have an army that could easily crush these Beastmen, we still choose such a laborious and thankless method to deal with them?"
The long-haired beauty spoke slowly to the second lady, her voice crisp and pleasant, with a faint trace of laziness.
Brenda, hearing the question, looked somewhat nervous. The pride she usually carried in the Mandrake Duchy was gone, and she spoke with utmost respect:
"I do not know, Princess. Please enlighten me."
"Stop calling me Princess. After all, you're my cousin. Just call me your sister from now on."
The long-haired beauty, or rather the Sacrifice Kingdom's Third Princess Aistherin Selphis, lightly patted Brenda's shoulder, a trace of reproach in her tone.
Brenda became even more restrained at these words.
Among the kingdom's younger generation, if the sixth prince Gray Fox was considered the future sage and the intellectual pillar of everyone, then the Third Princess was clearly the martial powerhouse.
By the age of 25, she had already reached the level of a fifth-tier Grand Magister. With more time, she might even break into the sixth-tier and become a king-level powerhouse.
Thus, aside from the Crown Prince, she was the most prominent heir apparent in terms of potential.
"Ah." The Third Princess patted Brenda's shoulder again, then asked another question:
"Brenda, do you know why, among the many children of the Grand Duke of Mandrake, I insisted you come with me?"
"Because… of my gender?" Brenda answered hesitantly.
"You could say yes, and you could say no. Honestly, compared to my foolish cousin who only eats, drinks, and plays, I trust you more. You know very well that your brother doesn't have the ambition or strength to truly rule. Even if you support him to rise, he won't last long without your backing. But if you personally become a Lady Duchess, you can protect your brother while fully controlling your own destiny, never again being a pawn of political marriage."
As she said this, the Third Princess straightened Brenda's slightly messy hair and spoke in a tone full of persuasion:
"I will inherit the throne in the future, and you will be my most reliable Lady Duchess. How do you like this proposal?"
Brenda hesitated for a moment, but her expression quickly grew firm. She placed a hand over her chest and knelt on one knee before the Third Princess, pledging her loyalty.
Just as she knelt, a sudden commotion arose in the distance, growing louder and more chaotic.
The Third Princess furrowed her brow but personally helped Brenda to her feet.
"I accept your loyalty, my dear sister. But it seems something is happening over there. We should go see for ourselves."
Holding Brenda's small hand, she walked toward the source of the disturbance, soon realizing the reason for the chaos.
Not far to the south of Blossom City, stiff figures were approaching in endless lines.
Wherever the eye could see, their shapes stretched endlessly.
"Are those… undead?" Brenda exclaimed.
The Third Princess, however, remained composed.
Most of the Selphis-Mandrake territory was blocked by hills, with the only entrance located south at Seifer City.
Since they were encountering undead here, it could only mean that Seifer City had fallen.
A rare gravity settled over the Third Princess's face, mirrored by Brenda's equally grim expression.
"The walls of Seifer City are engraved with exorcism runes. Normally, these undead wouldn't attack directly. Moreover, the garrison is led by veteran fifth-tier knight Jonas. Without higher-tier undead, Seifer City would be impossible to take."
A chill ran through the Third Princess as she considered that, if the defenses of Seifer City had already fallen before they could even send a distress signal, what hope did the smaller Blossom City have?
"Arina, prepare the gryphons. I need to report this to Father immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness."
One of the female guards following the Third Princess acknowledged the command.
The Third Princess then looked at Brenda, noticing her worried expression. Understanding her thoughts but acknowledging the urgency of the situation, she said reassuringly:
"I know you're worried about your brother, but Golden City is still under the watch of Knight Cassius. I trust he won't ignore your brother."
Meanwhile, in Golden City, there had been no undead incursions. However, in a dimly lit room, Third Prince Ducan felt a chill run through him as he read the message delivered by carrier pigeon:
"The Mandrake River connecting to the Free Nation has frozen. Massive numbers of undead have crossed into the heart of the Mandrake Territory. The stationed troops cannot withstand them. The southern encampments have fallen entirely. Undead are now marching toward Golden City. Even Knight Cassius, a fifth-tier powerhouse, cannot contend with so many undead. If he escapes, none of us will."
The Third Prince's expression grew darker and darker.
"The entire Mandrake Territory is overrun with undead. Retreat is impossible. Holding Golden City would be a death trap. Our only option is to flee toward the Free Nation. Once past this wave, the Free Nation will provide temporary safety, then we can return to the Sacrifice Kingdom via Seifer City. No… the Sacrifice Kingdom is far too dangerous now. I must stay away."
He stared at the map on the table, finally focusing on the Dessert Kingdom, Dizeret, west of the Free Nation.
"It seems this is the only place I can hide for now."