In Hel's bedroom at Heim Castle, Hel slowly opened her eyes.
Above her, Niv was gently massaging her temples.
Feeling Niv's cool fingers glide across her forehead, Hel finally felt a bit more awake.
"Niv, from now on, Morrigan will be under your control."
Hel slowly climbed off Niv's lap, shook her still-dizzy head, and gave instructions:
"You don't need to follow Morrigan further. Leave the deployment of the underground worms to the puppet horse. Morrigan's identity has been exposed; inevitably, some strong observer will be watching her from the shadows."
"Should I control her to cause some disturbance in the Free Country?"
"No need. Plans can't keep up with changes. Morrigan going to the Free Country now is meaningless. Just guide her back. It's time to deal with the War Witch problem."
"War Witch?"
Niv gently tapped her chin, recalling the intelligence she had received.
"The War Witch has personally appeared on the battlefield of the Hofman Territory. She has already broken through the defenses of the Empire's Third Legion and is heading toward Count Ashton's territory."
"So fast?"
It had been less than a day since Hel received news that the main Beastmen forces had met the Empire's Third Legion. And now the so-called Knight's Shield, the Third Legion, had already been broken?
"The situation might not be exactly as the master thinks. The Beastmen army didn't just break through the Third Legion's encirclement—they achieved a major victory on the frontline, almost completely scattering the Third Legion's formation."
"Are Beastmen really that strong? How much of their remaining forces are left?"
"The Beastmen suffered almost no losses. They deployed 350,000 troops this time, seven times the size of the Third Legion. Unlike previous expendable forces, all 350,000 are extraordinary beings.
Twenty thousand are first-tier Beastmen, 100,000 are second-tier, and the remaining 50,000 are higher-tier Beastmen.
Among them are 23 sixth-tier Beastmen and 120 fifth-tier Beastmen."
"That's quite a lineup. The Royal Court of Aila must have emptied their reserves."
Hearing this, Hel clicked her teeth. Such a massive force of extraordinary beings is daunting. Not even the Mandrake Principality could handle them, and even the Empire would feel pressured.
"If it were just higher-tier extraordinary beings, then yes, they've all been deployed.
But they didn't bring many first- or second-tier extraordinary beings—most were left behind."
"That's still strong. Even with the Beastmen going all-in, it's impressive the Third Legion held for a whole day. After breaking the Third Legion, traversing Hofman, bypassing Ashton, and reaching Heim territory, it would take roughly a day. And since this is a large-scale army movement, they won't arrive until tomorrow night at the earliest.
However…"
Helm pulled a map of the Mandrake Principality from her spatial ring and spread it across the bed. She gently pointed to a corner.
"Vivian and her group have already received support from the Church. Judging by their current pace, they won't detour to Heim territory—they're not even crossing the Mandrake River directly.
Also, I just used Morrigan to show up in Sepheris City, exposing her identity as a Death Witch. I can't see any reason for them to attack Heim Castle now."
Helm stretched lazily, speaking carelessly:
"Alright, it's getting late. Let's sleep early."
However, Niv's eyes stayed fixed on the map, thoughtful.
She had a sense of unease, suspecting things weren't as optimistic as Hel thought.
"Master, have you considered the possibility that Imshi isn't affiliated with the Supreme Church? Or perhaps her relationship with the War Witch is poor, and she doesn't intend to reveal Morrigan's information."
"That's possible."
Hel listened but didn't pay much attention. She folded up the map, lay back on the bed, rolled a bit, and snuggled next to Niv, lightly stroking her pale thigh, saying casually:
"Anyway, the shockwave from the top-tier spell I released was massive. Even if the War Witch didn't get Morrigan's information, she should've sensed something.
Executing that scale of death magic near the human royal capital—who else could do it besides a Death Witch? Could the Empire have hidden a Saint-class Beastmen ambush?
Unless she's foolish, she'd prioritize checking Sepheris City first."
"But Master, is it possible she really is foolish?"
Hel: …
…
In Count Ashton's territory, a black wave surged through the heartland.
It was a disciplined Beastmen army, bloodied and fearsome, clearly elite troops just returned from battle.
In the center of the army, Nikki sneezed.
She rubbed her nose with her small paw and looked around.
Aside from the stern-faced soldiers, there were no other beings on the plains.
"An illusion?"
Nikki muttered. She felt watched, but when she tried to locate anyone, she found nothing.
Behind her, on a soldier's banner, a fruit fly washed its face with its claw, staring unblinkingly at Nikki and her companions.
Suddenly, a commotion arose on the army's flank, lasting only briefly before calm returned.
Soon, a messenger arrived.
"Lord Po Jun Demon, Lord Jeremy's unit was attacked by a small enemy force, but all enemies have been eliminated."
"Jeremy's unit? Why did those pests resist after I beat them? Like annoying flies…"
Nikki angrily scratched her messy hair.
"Notify Elton's and Valentin's units to provide support. Ensure our supplies remain intact."
"Yes, my lord."
After dismissing the messenger, Nikki instructed the nearby Bug Woman:
"Release all your insects. I need to detect any movements within ten miles of my army."
"Yes, Lady Nikki."