Book 3.5: Chapter 20
A feeling of loneliness will always fill the air on the battlefield late at night. The humans had fire torches alight. The soldiers that did battle for the entire day didn’t even have the energy left to speak, so they sat around a fire and fell into a daze. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to rest, but rather because they were waiting to leave the battlefield. The empress gave orders for the soldiers from the five platoons who fought a tough battle during the day and suffered heavy losses to all leave the battlefield. They were ordered to return to the country, replenish their men and resources to avoid older soldiers dying and decreasing morale. The four platoons that were supposed to arrive tonight were to replace their positions in the camp. Right now, they were orderly leaving the battlegrounds.
The army’s morale took a big hit when they found out their empress got wounded during her battle with the elf queen during the day. While they basically achieved their goal for the day, the morale in the camp was like that of defeat. The red uniform army saw the empress as a being that would never be wounded, a goddess of battle, a goddess. However, she was wounded before their eyes today, albeit the enemy also getting wounded.
They weren’t too concerned about the empress winning or losing, but rather how her wound was. Countless soldiers gathered before her tent to check up on her despite their fatigue. The Valkyries held their long swords in their hands to keep them away. They didn’t act impulsively, nor did they cause a ruckus. They just quietly sat on the ground.
The empress set down the towel she was biting, wore her shirt on and asked Castell: “Castell… What is our morale like?”
Her smooth and shiny white skin looked alluringly supple under the light. However, the red blood on the blood-soaked bandage, the black blood, and even her skin the in basin left one helplessly concerned. The empress didn’t see a doctor. She instead, bit down on a towel and dug out the dirt Vyvyan smothered on out using a knife. She cut open her dead skin and burnt flesh, and finally applied medicine to her wound.
“The men are worried about your injuries so our morale has dropped a lot.”
Castell replied honestly. There is to be no lying in the army. Further, the empress never blamed anybody if their situation wasn’t looking good.
“Is that so? Well, I need to head out there then.”
The empress stood up, wore her battle robe back on and then stamped her feet. She was very careful with her movements, worried that her wound would open up again. She looked pale. The empress was aware of that. She covered the blood on the ground, touched her forehead and lips, and then took in a deep breath. She touched the wound on her chest and then walked out with confidence.