Chapter 170: An Unexpected Winfall

- Central Abelis, Near Kalon Village, Several Hours Later – Rose's POV –

Cannons, they had fucking cannons! At first our assault had gone smoothly; with the help of Suu Jung, and the rest of the maids he was commanding, we’d quickly eliminated the guards along the outer walls of an old fort without raising any obvious alarms. After that, however, was when all hell broke loose.

With a deep rumbling noise announcing their arrival, dozens of metal tubes that I quickly recognized were rolled out and pointed through the battlements at our exposed forces. Reacting quickly, I was able to save the majority by taking cover behind a tower that collapsed in the first volley but every time we so much as poked our heads out of the cover nearly a dozen cannonballs would fly our way, and we were quickly running out of time as I’d seen a force nearly double our own forming up in the courtyard beyond the inner wall. We needed to act soon.

[Young Miss! We need to act soon, or we’ll be cornered here! Should we retreat?!?] - Annabelle

[We can’t do that now! These damned things are being stored here! We don’t know how many have already been sent to the battlefield but if we leave now, we’ll never be able to attack this place with the forces we have!] - Argent

[But if we stay, what can we even do?!? They have fucking cannons!] - Karen

[...another weapon from Earth... engineer here?] - Shade

[I doubt it, this fort isn’t large enough to have a research area.] - Karen

[Annabelle, do you think we could draw their attention for enough time for the rest of our forces to deal with the ones on the top of the wall?!?] - Rose

[Young Miss?!?] - Annabelle

[Yes, or no?!?] - Rose

[If- If those distracting these cannons include everyone here... yes, I believe we can... But if I allow you to take such a-] - Annabelle

[It’s fine if it’s a risk! I told everyone here that I would put their lives above everything else and I’ll do that even if I must put my own on the line!] - Rose

So, we could do it. I thought about asking about the possibility of a full retreat but the desperation in Annabelle’s eyes when she suggested it previously told me all I needed to know. We couldn’t escape here without significant loss of life. If we retreated, she planned to take me with her alone. The only thing holding her back from doing that even now was that I would resist and, even though she could overpower me easily, I would still lower her chances of getting me to safety. That fact was the only reason she even considered what I asked. I knew that she likely wanted to lie to me about our chances, her duty to me overshadowing everything else, but the seriousness of our situation forced her to give her actual opinion.

And if we had a chance, I’d do everything in my power to make sure it became a reality.

- Central Abelis, Near Kalon Village – Rose's POV –

The preparation was simple, everyone here was a seasoned war veteran at this point. We’d been fighting for several months at this point and most of the soldiers present had seen me in the last major battle. I was a hero to them, as much as I didn’t believe I deserved it, and they trusted me with their lives because of that. Even the ones that hadn’t seen me on the battlefield on the Plains of Opportunity looked at me with such trust in their eyes that I knew that they’d march to their deaths if I ordered them to.

It was only now, while I was doing exactly that if I failed at distracting the Church forces, that it really hit me what it meant to lead soldiers into battle. I finally understood the guilt that the prince had talked about, and I knew that no words would ever suffice for the level of responsibility that gave me for each and every death we’d already had and those that would follow even if everything went perfectly. I’d underestimated war, even with everything, I’d underestimated what it meant. But I’d be damned if I didn’t make sure every single one of these fine women made it home, even if it led to my own death!

[Soldiers! Comrades in arms! When we woke up this morning none of us thought we’d be in a fight for our lives! Those damned Church dipshits had been pushovers so far and none of us thought anything would be different! Nothing has changed! They’re still over there, hiding behind a block of steel like cowards! Do we give up in front of these shivering children?!? I say no! I say we go over there and teach those racist bastards why our people struck fear into all we faced! I say we teach them why we have an Empire!!! Charge!!!] - Rose

[RAAAAAH!!!] - Everyone

Charging out of cover at full speed flanked by Annabelle, Argent, Karen and Shade I unleashed hell on everyone in view with my spells as we headed straight for the fools hiding behind their cannons on the walls. The looks of surprise that quickly turned into terror as we quickly closed the distance, their cannons struggling to aim for us as a few of the bolder Church soldiers managed to fire theirs I smirked as I saw the rest of those under my command, led by Urz, swarmed up the exposed battlements as the Church forces panicked. Even those in the courtyard beyond the wall, those preparing for rushing us, seemed shocked by our sudden rush as our small group cut through their unprepared frontline. Explosions rocking the terrain behind us as the few cannons that managed to go off before we reached them only to wildly miss the situation still looked grim as I saw several lamia dragged down by sheer numbers, still alive but likely not for long. Even with everything I would still lose good women!

[Dammit! Die you racist bastards!] - Rose

Not even bothering to pretend I was chanting I unleashed my full force on everything around me, the hail of fire annihilating everything in a cone in front of me as the Church forces started to break from fear only for those towards the rear to block their retreat as the more elite forces started forward to intercept our trail of destruction. We’re going to lose! NO!

[Don’t rush forward, Young Miss!] - Annabelle

[Rose! No!!!] - Karen

[Die monster bitch!] - Elite Church Soldier

Suddenly realizing that I’d rushed forward too far I turned too late to see that I was surrounded by shield-bearing soldiers in plate armor that even my powerful tail could only take down with quite a bit of force. This realization came far too late however to change anything as a large man with a charred shield swung an enormous sword straight for my exposed neck as I froze.

Only to topple to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut a moment later, the large shaft of an arrow pierced cleanly through his plate armor. I’m... alive?

[I heard some beautiful women were in trouble, but it looks like I made it in time! I demand sexual favors as my rewa- OW! Even now, Mal?!? I think I deserve at least a kiss, right?!?] - Veronica

[Stop being an idiot, Ve- Ahem, I mean, your highness, stop playing around and finish off those fools that dare to dream of conquest.] - Malaise

[Veronica?!? Malaise?!?] - Rose

[We’ve come to save you, my princess. Just give us a moment to clean up the trash. Right, everyone?!?] - Veronica

[Yeah!!! I’m looking forward to the orgy!] - Succubi Archers

[Orgies are only for those that do well! Everyone, attack!] - Veronica

Standing there, surrounded by dozens of voluptuous women of all sizes and shapes, were two I knew very well, two that I hadn’t seen in months.

- Central Abelis, Fort Kalon, An Hour Later – Rose's POV –

What followed was a complete rout, caught off guard by the arrival of the succubus force led by Veronica the Church soldiers quickly fell to our combined force and, while most surrendered when it was clear they were finished, a few of the more devout fought to the death. The only consolation was that, despite several severe injuries that would take months to heal with magic, none of the soldiers under my command had died. Even the woman I’d seen fall earlier had ended up with a stomach wound that was being managed by our healers. The look of reverence in her eyes when I visited the medical tent to check on her drove me out almost as fast as I’d arrived. It seemed that the victory, despite only occurring because of the arrival of Veronica and her forces, had further cemented in her mind that I was some kind of hero. And she wasn’t the only one, the expressions of awe and near worship continued throughout the makeshift camp we’d pitched in the courtyard of the partially ruined Fort Kalon as we waited for the prince to arrive with the rest of the army, our prisoners locked in the ruins of the keep after we’d made sure it didn’t have a back exit.

[Seems you’ve become something of a hero since we left? Are you okay? How are you holding up?] - Malaise

[Yeah, your subordinates wouldn’t shut up about how much respect they have for you. Something about being an incarnation of The Lady or some other nonsense...] - Veronica

[Tch! Yeah... the more devout lamia keep calling me The Lady’s eyes on the world, something about how none that follow me can die.] - Rose

[You have to admit that having no one killed in a battle like that lends a bit of credibility to that sort of claim. Although I would’ve said I was an atheist before all of this to be honest...] - Karen

[Putting all that aside, what are you doing here?!? Shouldn’t you be safe up north? There’s no way this won’t get out, what if this drags your people into a war that they shouldn’t be in?!?] - Rose

I was happy to see them. Truthfully, seeing them swoop in to save us like that had filled me with happiness and relief, even though I knew that it would only mean that even more people would be dragged into the horrors of war I couldn’t help myself. And that moment of relief filled me with even more guilt at the thought of how many would be killed because of it. That’s why what Veronica said next shocked me to my core.

[Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it. Mother brought our entire army with us. As far as I’m aware she’s likely attacking the main force of the Church as we speak. Her and about 100,000 of our strongest, aside from the ones she forced me to take as guards of course.] - Veronica

[Woah...!] - Urz

[100,000? That many? Wait, no, why?!?] - Rose

[I can explain that one, Rose. Much better than this idio- I mean, than her Highness can...] - Malaise

[Hey?!? Just because I’m not all that smart doesn’t mean I can’t do anything! Wasn’t I the one that convinced momma that we couldn’t stay out of this after all?!?] - Veronica

[Sure sure, you’re very smart and everyone knows it. Anyways, like this idi- Ahem, like her Highness just said her Majesty, the Queen, was originally going to stay out of the conflict as she felt it was in our best interests to stay neutral or invite attack from the Church as well. Veronica was the one that managed to convince her that we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the war, something about ‘not wanting to lose her beloved friends’ I believe it was.] - Malaise

[That can’t have been all? I’ve never met the Succubus Queen personally but from all indications I’ve heard that she’s quite cautious and logical, she isn’t the type of ruler to be swayed by emotions like that.] - Annabelle

[Mother may also have mentioned that, if the Church won, we’d be their next target once they recovered.] - Malaise

[...Church stubborn...] - Shade

[Yeah, that would explain it. Father has always told me that the Succubi tend to try to stay out of major conflicts in general but if the Church wins here, I doubt they’ll care too much about that.] - Argent

[E-Exactly! That’s exactly what I told momma! Yep!] - Veronica

[Uhuh... so the Queen decided to help out then?] - Karen

[Not only that. She’s decided to officially join the Alliance. As of now each of the major non-human powers are allies.] - Malaise

[What?!?] - Everyone