Inner Garden — Aschenfall Fortress
The afternoon sun filtered through the windows.
A small table was set with steaming tea and simple pastries.
Lilith sat with a relaxed posture, pouring two cups.
Aria across from her, tense.
"Relax, dear," Lilith said softly. "It's just tea."
Aria took the cup with trembling hands.
"Why did you invite me here?"
Lilith smiled.
"Because we need to get to know each other better. We're... companions now."
She took a sip of her tea.
"And because I need information that only you have."
Aria nodded slowly.
"About the heroes."
"Exactly."
Lilith set down her cup.
"Tell me about Eldric. His power. His weaknesses."
Aria took a deep breath.
"Eldric has an ability called 'Line Breaker'."
She paused.
"When he activates it, a crimson aura surrounds him. He can charge in a straight line through any obstacle."
"Any?"
Aria nodded.
"Walls. Shields. Formations. Everything breaks before him."
Lilith took mental notes.
"Weaknesses?"
"He can only charge in a straight line. He can't turn. And after using it... he's exhausted for a few seconds."
Lilith smiled.
"Useful. And Marcus?"
Aria took a sip of tea before continuing.
"Marcus is the 'Sacred Shield'. His power creates a barrier of divine light."
"How strong?"
"Nearly invulnerable. I've seen it repel magic, arrows, even attacks from lesser dragons."
Aria lowered her gaze.
"But it has a limit. If it takes too much damage at once... it breaks. And it takes hours to regenerate."
Lilith nodded.
"Selene?"
Aria tensed at that name.
"Selene... is an archer like me. Her power is called 'Moon Arrow'."
She touched her shoulder unconsciously, where she still had a bandage from an earlier wound.
"Her arrows are imbued with lunar magic. They pierce armor. They pierce magical defenses. They can even..."
She hesitated.
"They can even pass through solid objects to hit the target behind."
Lilith raised an eyebrow.
"Impressive. And weaknesses?"
Aria thought.
"She can only fire three moon arrows per day. After that... they're normal arrows."
"Understood. And Drake?"
Aria shuddered slightly.
"Drake has 'Dragon's Fury'. He can partially transform."
She described in detail.
"His skin becomes scaly. Claws grow. Reptilian eyes. Strength increases tenfold."
"How long does it last?"
"Ten minutes. But the physical cost is enormous. Afterwards he's vulnerable."
Lilith nodded, satisfied.
"Excellent information."
She poured more tea.
"Now... tell me about you."
Aria blinked.
"About me?"
Lilith smiled.
"Your power. The arrows that teleport."
Aria explained.
"I can shoot an arrow and make it appear somewhere else. Within a radius of a hundred meters."
"Limitations?"
"I need to visualize the arrival point. And I can only do it five times a day."
Lilith studied her in silence.
Then she noticed something.
Aria was touching her chest unconsciously.
Right over her heart.
A nervous gesture. Repetitive.
Interesting.
Lilith said nothing.
But she filed it away mentally.
"Thank you for the information, Aria."
She stood up.
"Rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."
Aria nodded and left.
When she was gone, Lilith remained alone.
Staring at Aria's empty cup.
"You touch your chest when you're nervous."
She murmured to herself.
"Why?"
She stored the question away.
For now.
---
Iron Gorge — Same Day
Adelheid was supervising the construction of defenses.
Soldiers were raising reinforced wooden barricades.
Others were digging trenches.
A third group was installing rock traps on the cliffs.
Gorman approached with blueprints.
"Commander. The archer positions are ready."
Adelheid reviewed the blueprints.
"Good. And the traps?"
"Twenty pressure plates. They'll trigger controlled collapses."
Adelheid nodded.
"Perfect. How many men can we position here?"
Gorman calculated.
"Seventy on the front line. Thirty archers in the heights. Twenty in reserve."
Adelheid frowned.
"Against two hundred elite soldiers and four blessed heroes."
She looked at the gorge.
"It's not enough."
Gorman hesitated.
"Commander... we've never faced blessed heroes. Do you think we can...?"
Adelheid interrupted him.
"We can't. Not with conventional force."
She turned to him.
"That's why we won't fight conventionally."
She pointed at the terrain.
"This gorge is our advantage. Narrow terrain. Protected flanks. High ground."
She walked, pointing out positions.
"We'll force a funnel. We'll make them come in a column, not a wide formation."
"And the heroes?"
Adelheid smiled faintly.
"That's what we have the empresses for."
She looked toward the distant fortress.
"Three empresses against four heroes. Unequal."
She paused.
"But not impossible."
Kaito appeared on the path, approaching.
"Adelheid. How are the defenses coming?"
Adelheid straightened up.
"According to plan, Commander. We'll be ready in two days."
Kaito nodded.
"Good."
He looked at the gorge.
"Worried?"
Adelheid didn't lie.
"Yes. We've never faced blessed heroes."
Kaito stepped closer.
"That's why we have cursed empresses."
Adelheid looked at him.
"Commander... do you really think we can win?"
Kaito was silent for several seconds.
"I don't know."
Adelheid blinked.
"But I know we have no choice," Kaito continued. "Either we win here... or Neudämmerung falls."
He looked directly at Adelheid.
"And I won't let that happen."
Adelheid felt something warm in her chest.
"Understood, Commander."
Kaito pointed at the map.
"Show me the positions."
---
Training Grounds — Naporia
The sound of clashing steel filled the air.
Naporia stood in the center of the field.
Surrounded by ten veteran soldiers.
All attacking her simultaneously.
Naporia dodged. Blocked. Counterattacked.
With no apparent effort.
In thirty seconds...
The ten were on the ground.
Disarmed.
Naporia wasn't even sweating.
"Get up."
The soldiers stood, aching.
One spoke.
"Commander Naporia... this is impossible. We can't fight like this."
Naporia walked toward him.
"Impossible?"
She stopped in front of him.
"When you face Avernor's heroes, do you think they'll fight fair?"
The soldier lowered his gaze.
Naporia raised her voice so all could hear.
"Listen up! War is NOT fair. War is NOT honorable."
She walked among them.
"War is surviving when the enemy wants to kill you."
She pointed at one.
"If you find a weak point, you exploit it."
She pointed at another.
"If you can attack from behind, you do it."
She pointed at a third.
"If you can win without fighting, even better."
She stopped in the center.
"We're not here to be knights. We're here to WIN."
She paused.
"Because if we lose... our families die. Our home disappears."
The soldiers exchanged glances.
One of the veterans, a large man with scars, stepped forward.
"Commander. With all due respect... you don't understand our traditions. We fight with honor because..."
Naporia interrupted him.
"Because what? Because it's noble?"
She laughed without humor.
"Honor doesn't stop a sword. Honor doesn't protect your children."
She approached the veteran.
"But if you insist on honor..."
She drew her sword.
"Prove to me that your honor is stronger than my efficiency."
The veteran hesitated.
"I... don't want to fight against..."
Naporia attacked.
Not to kill. But fast.
The veteran barely raised his sword in time.
Naporia pressed him. Ruthlessly.
The man retreated. Blocked. Tried to counterattack.
Naporia deflected every blow with ease.
In twenty seconds...
The veteran was on his knees. Sword on the ground. Arm dislocated.
Naporia sheathed her sword.
"Your honor just left you defenseless."
She looked at everyone.
"Anyone else want to question my methods?"
Absolute silence.
Naporia nodded.
"Good. Now... we continue training."
And so they did.
Without further complaints.
Because they understood.
Naporia wasn't training soldiers.
She was training survivors.
---
Archer Field — Aria
Aria was with a group of twenty archers.
Demonstrating her skill.
"Watch."
She shot an arrow toward a target fifty meters away.
The arrow flew... then disappeared.
It reappeared behind the target.
Piercing it from behind.
The archers murmured, impressed.
"How...?" one asked.
Aria smiled faintly.
"It's my summoned hero ability. I can teleport my arrows."
She shot another.
This time to the left.
The arrow appeared on the right, hitting a different target.
"Useful for flanking without moving."
The archers practiced.
Some tried to imitate her precision.
Others simply admired.
But Aria...
Couldn't fully enjoy it.
Something was eating at her inside.
Guilt.
I'm helping them prepare for war.
What if my information is wrong?
What if Eldric already knows I'm here?
She touched her chest unconsciously.
Where she felt... something.
Something she couldn't identify.
As if...
As if something was wrong.
But she shook her head.
It's just paranoia.
She continued training.