Hearing Liya's words, Cassandra's expression immediately darkened and became much more serious. Her brows clearly drooped as she stared coldly at her, "Are you threatening me?"
Liya returned to that smiling, squint-eyed expression of hers.
"A threat? No, no, no."
"This is a statement, Lady Cassandra."
Looking at Lady Cassandra's gloomy expression, Liya instead carried an air of casual indifference.
Seeing Liya like this, Lady Cassandra couldn't help but clench her fists tightly, a trace of coldness flashing through her eyes.
The female guard beside her sensed Lady Cassandra's hostility. Her body tensed slightly, and an extremely powerful aura surged outward like a flowing river.
The surrounding air seemed to tremble under this terrifying pressure.
"Stop it, Elsa."
Lady Cassandra knew very well that if her guard made a move against Liya, it would mean the Lesser family and the Clavenna family had completely torn all pretenses apart.
And this place was Clavenna territory.
If a fight really broke out, Cassandra knew she wouldn't gain anything from it.
Although there were many knights around, Cassandra also knew they weren't here to help her.
Even if they were, their combat strength was far too low to be of any use.
As a member of the royal family, Cassandra understood better than anyone.
The Royal Knight Order existed only to restrain ordinary people.
Not to mention…
Lady Cassandra's gaze fell on Liya's gloves.
She narrowed her eyes, her brows knitting tightly.
She could sense that within those gloves, there seemed to be an extremely powerful force.
Like a sleeping beast, its strong pulse beating steadily.
But after the demon incident in the capital some time ago, Cassandra no longer wanted to lose a second son.
She crossed her arms, her fingers tapping continuously against her shoulders.
"What will it take for you to release my son?"
Liya smiled faintly as well.
But her smile was like a sharp blade.
Waiting for the best moment to pierce the other person's heart.
"Five hundred million Geo."
"What..."
"One hundred sets of monster armor made from Mostri bones, along with matching Mostri horns, and sword blades specially forged from Vesuvius volcanic molten iron."
[T/N: For those who forgot this mountain's name, the Mount Vesuvius is the mountain where Viktor first defeated the volcanic monster, Guldon]
"How does that sound?"
Mostri are extremely ferocious and rare monsters that can appear anywhere in the world.
Precisely because of this, Mostri possess incredibly powerful physical abilities.
As a result, adventurers or armies find it exceptionally difficult to exterminate them.
Moreover, they have no fixed habitats.
Today, a Mostri might appear in the forests beyond the Empire.
Tomorrow, it could show up hundreds of miles away by a river on the plains.
This kind of monster is notoriously hard to track, meaning they must be searched for across every corner of the world.
One hundred sets of Mostri armor means materials dropped by one hundred Mostri.
In an entire year, the Lesser family's hunting teams might not even encounter this kind of monster ten times.
And as for the molten iron of Mount Vesuvius…
Hearing the name of this material, Cassandra froze for a moment.
This kind of molten iron requires going deep into the most dangerous inner regions of a volcano.
Moreover, the volcano must be erupting, so that such naturally formed molten iron can be extracted from the internal iron ore.
And Mount Vesuvius had long since become a dead volcano.
Logically speaking, this material should have been impossible to mine.
But…
Some time ago, when there were reports that Mount Vesuvius was about to erupt, the Lesser family's mining team discovered a portion of molten iron ore deep within the volcano.
It seemed that the prolonged high temperatures inside the volcano had deliberately formed a new vein of molten iron ore.
But… how did the Clavenna family know that they had mined that ore?
Suddenly, Lady Cassandra's expression stiffened.
The blades that could be made from that molten iron.
No more, no less, exactly one hundred sets.
And Liya had just happened to say that number.
'Is it a coincidence?'
No.
The person who nearly triggered the volcano was Victor.
A sense of being calculated against wrapped around Cassandra's head like dark clouds.
She bit her lip and said somewhat reluctantly, "Aren't you going a bit too far?"
"You should know, this is kidnapping!"
Although Cassandra hadn't participated in the family's business dealings, anyone could understand the value of these things.
They were unimaginably expensive.
"Lady Cassandra, don't forget the grudges between your family and ours." Liya crossed her arms, her tone calm.
"Even if it's a crime, it was Jace Lesser who first sent people to attack Clavenna territory."
"What's more, deliberately capturing demi-humans outside the borders, luring elves, and being suspected of detaining employees of our Clavenna family."
"These crimes alone should be enough for your son to die twice on the gallows, wouldn't you say?"
Liya listed Jace's crimes one by one, leaving Cassandra silent.
She knew that no matter what she said now, as long as Jace was in their hands, they could come up with countless reasons.
Just then, Liya pulled out a damaged handgun from her waist.
Although the barrel was bent to the point that its original shape was almost unrecognizable.
The knights felt curious and craned their necks to look closer.
But because of the distance, and because Liya had chosen her angle well, with deliberate obstruction, no one could clearly see what it was.
"Lady Cassandra, you're also from the Lesser family. You should know better than I do what this is."
Seeing the object in Liya's hand, a trace of shock flashed through Lady Cassandra's eyes.
"Why do you have..."
"I already told you. Your child, Jace Lesser, tried to send people to kill me."
"And this is naturally the spoils of war that I collected." Liya smiled and put the gun away.
"I'll give you some time to prepare. When the time comes, my brother will personally come to collect the payment."
"I hope you won't be stingy with the money to buy your son's life."
With that, Liya gracefully twisted her waist, turned around, and walked back into the estate.
The knights watched Liya's departing figure, yet not a single one dared to step forward and stop her.
Only after Liya's figure completely disappeared did Cassandra feel her vision darken as she fell backward.
Fortunately, the female guard caught her in time and helped her up.
That oppressive aura Cassandra had earlier had completely vanished. Her mind was filled only with the image of that damaged handgun.
Supported by Elsa, Lady Cassandra entered the carriage, her face pale and her expression desolate.
———
Emperor Aubrey sat on the throne, listening as the ministers below continuously reported information.
"Your Majesty, Count Victor has kidnapped the Lesser family's heir. This matter… should you personally step in to handle it?"
"Victor burned down the Lesser family's estate. Now there's nothing left but ruins."
"Your Majesty, Victor is also using Jace to threaten the Lesser family, demanding an exorbitant compensation. This behavior truly shows no regard for the law."
"We ask Your Majesty to investigate clearly."
The ministers reported one after another based on the knights' accounts, carefully probing the conflict between the Clavenna family and the Lesser family.
They wanted to know what the Emperor's stance was at this very moment.
Aubrey absentmindedly tapped the armrest with his fingers and looked at Gwen beside him, "Gwen, what do you think?"
"Your Majesty, I believe this matter… still has hidden details."
Hearing her words, the Emperor slapped the armrest of the throne and burst out laughing.
"Earlier you said you were a knight and didn't participate in politics."
"Yet when it comes to Victor's affairs, you're more involved than anyone."
Gwen lowered her head, her face slightly flushed, not daring to argue back, "Your reprimand is justified."
The Emperor shook his head and said, "It's a pity Levi went on a long trip recently. Otherwise, I could've asked him what he thinks."
Seeing the Emperor's reaction, the ministers began to grow anxious.
'What exactly is His Majesty thinking?'
This matter had already become extremely serious.
What kind of existence was the Lesser family? They were nobles who practically controlled the south with one hand.
They held the southern economic lifeline and were extremely wealthy.
And the Clavenna family was equally important, primarily because of Victor.
Everyone present understood Victor's identity clearly.
No matter whether it was the Lesser family or the Clavenna family, once internal conflict broke out between them, it would be a major loss for the Empire either way.
At that moment, a eunuch slowly entered the hall and came before the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, Lady Cassandra requests an audience."
The ministers immediately perked up and looked toward the entrance of the great hall.
Lady Cassandra lifted her skirt and walked forward gracefully.
She faced the Emperor, and the Emperor likewise met her gaze.
Although they were siblings, the feeling they gave everyone present was that of complete emotional detachment.
The royal family was merciless.
Cassandra bowed slightly, "Your Majesty."
"Cassandra, you don't need to bow."
Cassandra straightened up and said calmly, "Your Majesty, Jace has been kidnapped by Victor, and he has also threatened the Lesser family, demanding a large compensation."
Her voice was calm, yet her words seemed to carry a faint anger.
The Emperor sat on the throne, quietly listening as she finished speaking.
His fingers continued tapping against the armrest.
"So, are you asking me to mobilize troops to arrest Victor, or…"
Suddenly, Aubrey's gaze became incomparably sharp.
Like a blade capable of cutting heaven and earth, suspended above Cassandra's head.
"Are you asking me… to take action personally?"
Under this terrifying pressure, the ministers around them all trembled slightly.
Even the nearby guards bent under the oppressive force.
Yet even under such a dreadful aura, Cassandra showed no fear. She merely lowered her head and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am not here to ask you to send troops."
"You are my imperial brother. As family, you understand my temperament best."
A trace of cold light flickered in her eyes. "I have already lost one child, and now I cannot lose a second one, Jace."
The Emperor fell silent.
His sister, Cassandra Sol.
Although she had now taken the surname Lesser, the blood of Sol still flowed within her.
And the ministers who knew Cassandra well also trembled slightly.
Their thoughts couldn't help but return to that memory.
The former princess, Cassandra, was no decorative flower.
She was known as the "Saintess of War."
In her youth, Cassandra had endured the trials of countless wars.
She was powerful as well.
But Cassandra's power was different from everyone else's.
Because she was neither a mage nor a warrior.
Cassandra herself was weak, so weak that she was even weaker than those soldiers used as cannon fodder.
Yet she possessed an extremely special ability.
[Level Up]
She could grant massive boosts to soldiers who participated in battle.
Whether it was stamina, energy, endurance, or resistance.
For a normal third-tier warrior, their strength could temporarily be boosted to the level of a quasi–fourth tier.
The only drawback was that they could not gain the combat skills or experience of a true fourth-tier fighter.
Because of this, Lady Cassandra had countless followers and protectors.
Simply because her ability was far too powerful.
[T/N: A 5 star support... Must pull.]
At this point, many ministers in the hall fell silent.
Cassandra looked at the Emperor one last time and took a deep breath.
"This will be my final resort."
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will not make things difficult for you."
As her words fell, she no longer looked at the ruler seated on the throne. She turned around and walked out of the great hall.
Cassandra, a former princess with special powers, and a woman.
Whether it was war or marriage, none of it had ever been her choice.
Cassandra had never truly made a decision for herself. To her, every choice had already been decided.
Only once had she wanted to choose the person she loved.
But that person rejected her.
So she compromised.
She was willing to sacrifice everything, simply because she was a princess of the Empire.
And this time, Cassandra returned to the palace as a mother.
As if telling everyone... this time... she was no longer willing to compromise.