Living As the Villainess Queen

“Your Holiness, the power of the divine spell is weakening. I will prepare to offer a new prayer,” the priest informed.

“Do so,” came the terse reply.

After the priest left to tend to the barrier spell, Sang-je’s expression soured. Already?

The report of the weakening barrier spell was akin to the news that the firewood had burned out and the campfire was on the verge of extinguishing. Sang-je was well aware that sustaining the barrier required a continuous supply of human life force. However, the rate of consumption far exceeded his expectations.

With the Holy City’s vast expanse, maintaining the spell consumes an extensive amount of resources. Should I have restricted the barrier to just the palace? No, that wouldn’t suffice, Sang-je mused, mentally calculating the logistics. At the current rate, over a hundred individuals would need to be sacrificed each month. Utilizing prisoners or drawing from orphanages and slums would soon reach its limit. Once exhausted, new victims would have to be found, inevitably leading to resistance, especially if they weren’t rootless individuals or from the lowest classes.

I need to strategize for the long term, Sang-je concluded.

Initially anticipating a protracted siege of the Holy City, he had believed the kings wouldn’t react significantly for several months. Sending envoys to summon Jin and Flora was a tactic to sow discord among the kings, not an expectation of immediate compliance with his demands.

Furthermore, considering Jin’s pregnancy with the heir of a king, the Fourth King wouldn’t easily relinquish his claim. Only after Jin gave birth, at the earliest, would he consider sending her to the Holy City.

Or they might attempt negotiation by sending Flora alone, Sang-je considered, assuming Flora was held in the Hashi Kingdom.