Chapter 320

Chapter 106 Light and Darkness Part Three

It had been nearly ten days since the ironclad guards attacked the city and Peylo left the academy.

For Sophia, this was an excruciating period. Although she didn’t show it on the surface, her heart was filled with unease and fear during these ten days.

Her mother and brothers had long left the royal city. Her noble friends who used to be close to her also gradually left. Families with some connections had their children leave the academy as well. Every day when she arrived at the classroom, she found fewer people. This phenomenon became more obvious after the catapults were fired at the southern wall. On rest days, there were almost no nobles to be seen in the academy anymore.

But Sophia remained.

Making this decision was extremely difficult. In the first two days, she was almost unable to sleep. Hearing news of one familiar person after another leaving, Sophia even felt a hint of regret.

If only she had gone with her mother…

But such thoughts only flashed through her mind in the first two days.

Sophia was terrified by the commotion on the southern wall. Before this, she had only heard about war in storybooks and never imagined that she would face such a situation. Most people in the city probably hadn’t either.

This is the royal city…

But what she saw that day was a terrifying fireball crashing into the wall, likely killing many people instantly. It wasn’t like those young hotheads who boasted about a little flame; this was far beyond their level.

Sophia wasn’t unfamiliar with truly powerful people. The teachers at the Royal Academy were renowned and incredibly strong. But after that day, she couldn’t help but wonder if even the teachers would die if they were hit by such an attack…

Even if one’s strength is formidable and one is closely aligned with order, in the face of a great army, those heroes become no different from ordinary soldiers. Otherwise, why wouldn’t the Queen simply slay them all with her sword?

The Queen is a Knight of the Church, the strongest person in the royal city.

Sophia was stunned.

But soon, she adjusted her mindset.

Sophia thought, I am different from those who have left.

They fled because they were afraid. I am afraid too, but I won’t run away.

How could someone achieve anything if they choose to escape out of fear? How could they shoulder the responsibilities of their family?

Sophia knew that her father secretly supported the Queen. In such critical times, this was the perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate his abilities and loyalty. He had many things to do, but the most urgent task was storing the emergency supplies and food in the northern warehouses. Many of the residents outside the city were also being accommodated there, all under his jurisdiction.

The city was certainly not going to fall, but no one knew how long the fighting outside would last. Over time, food and medical resources within the city would surely run short. Her father, who was responsible for managing the backup stocks, would become very important. If he did well, the Queen might let him off her hands. After the war, he might even consider moving closer to the palace.

But there weren’t many reliable people around her father.

The longer the war dragged on, the more complicated things became. Those smiling faces before might not be trustworthy now. Recently, someone had somehow learned some information and went to see her father with ill intentions. Sophia knew about these incidents. At such times, words and actions needed to be even more cautious. Position was crucial, and one mustn’t try to please everyone or act on their own initiative.

So in the following days, Sophia hardly went to the academy. She took leave, bid farewell to the two silly girls still in the dorm, and went every day to where her father handled official business, volunteering to be a messenger. From morning till night, she accompanied him, running errands and delivering messages. Although most of the time she just ran around, this kind of work required absolute trust; there was always a risk of leaking sensitive information.

Sophia was very cautious. Each time, she would make sure to hand over the letters personally to the messenger, never allowing a servant or maid to collect them on behalf. If she couldn’t find the person, she would wait or find a way to locate them, then return immediately to report to her father, giving detailed accounts of the recipient’s response and even describing subtle reactions. When oral transmission was needed, she memorized every word accurately and conveyed it herself.

Sophia enjoyed seeing her father’s increasingly approving face and cherished the change from his initial reticence to later sharing information and discussing serious matters with her. She knew her father began to view her as a colleague rather than just an unformed daughter, which made her very happy.

Gradually, her father started assigning her more important tasks, sometimes even letting her listen in on meetings and telling her about the situation outside the city every evening.

The ironclad guards attacked daily, day and night, with almost no respite. They dug tunnels to bypass the moat and walls, intending to enter the city underground, but the plan seemed to have stalled once discovered. The army soon showed signs of fatigue.

The enemy’s internal stability was shaky. Her father mentioned that the old Duke was arrested after that night. Some feared his promises couldn’t be kept, leading to unrest. The credibility of the Clive family plummeted, and the eldest son leading the troops outside appeared to have killed some people, which eventually calmed things down. However, this was merely a temporary fix. Promised reinforcements were late, and the morale of the ironclad guards declined each day. Defeat was imminent.

Several earls, barons, and the city governor who attended the Queen’s birthday banquet did not leave. Instead, they sent ravens with messages to distant territories. Reportedly, the reinforcements were already on the way, totaling nearly thirty thousand soldiers.

Before this, the Queen had sent several messengers out of the city, instructing them to rally wandering bards to persuade nearby villages and towns to arm themselves against the looting bandits. Such efforts might soon bear fruit.

Her father spoke at length. Some things Sophia understood, while others she asked repeatedly until she grasped them fully. Soon, she realized: this siege wouldn’t last long; the Queen would soon win.

With this knowledge, Sophia relaxed.

She worked even more diligently for her father, entering the palace several times and even meeting the Queen once.

This thrilled her for a whole day.

She was truly a beautiful person.

Not much older than me, yet so commanding, I don’t dare speak loudly…

But this was a good start.

None of her noble friends had ever met the Queen, but Sophia had. Because she stayed instead of fleeing, she had this opportunity.

Perhaps if she ran a few more errands, the Queen would remember her?

Remember that the Jastine family has a girl who stayed behind while others fled the city, actively helping her father manage affairs and contributing to the defense of the royal city.

Thinking of this, Sophia couldn’t contain her excitement.

But soon, she remembered that night when the noble elites surrounded a petite girl walking beside the Queen. That clumsy girl, Peylo, who usually just ate.

The youngest daughter of Duke Valen Empire Scalliger, the true princess of Shantelle Castle.

Upon hearing this, her father warned her to handle the relationship carefully.

Sofia couldn’t understand what Peyalo’s capabilities were that allowed her to be so close to Her Majesty. Even her father, the mighty King of Deception, wouldn’t receive such special treatment if he came to the capital city… Her Majesty usually didn’t like getting close to others, and she hadn’t heard of anyone who could enter formal venues side by side with her, unless they were also a king.

But Peyalo…

Sofia knew there must be things she didn’t know about, but she couldn’t figure out what it was or why Her Majesty valued Peyalo so much… What could she possibly do! She looked so foolish, maybe she could be tricked away with some food… It was hard to imagine she was a duchess’s daughter… Had she been spoiled as a child?

That day, the Holy Maiden’s group came looking for her, seemingly with urgent matters, and took her away.

Since then, Peyalo never showed up again.

Sofia felt that she might have left the capital city.

She remembered that day was when the Iron Guard was attacking the city… Could it be that her father had sent Peyalo to safety through the church’s channels?

The more Sofia thought about it, the more possible it seemed.

But to persuade the Holy Maiden’s group… Lady Margaret, the current Holy Maiden, wasn’t easy to talk to, right? The Duke’s network and influence were terrifying… No wonder Peyalo didn’t want to go through her channels…

Having such a father must be a blessing.

Without any complaints or dissatisfaction, Sofia silently resolved to achieve such success on her own someday and protect her daughter just like that.

As for a son, forget it. Men must be independent and strong, otherwise, they would end up like those foolish nobles at the academy.

But this good mindset was shattered by sudden news.

The Iron Guard reinforcements arrived, outside the city on the plain fifty miles away, rushing towards them, numbering around two thousand.

Sofia remembered the expression on her father’s face when he told her this news, his worried face. She understood that things weren’t so simple. Indeed, hours later, she heard that Old Raymond’s city had fallen. The Iron Guard had chained up over twenty people from his family, from the matriarch to the servants, all wearing prisoner clothes, being driven forward by spears towards their location. They were late because of this reason.

Half of Sofia’s heart turned cold; she understood that almost everything depended on Old Raymond.

That day, her father had an anxious look all day long. When she asked him about the situation later, he didn’t say anything. Then she heard the news that Her Majesty had been assassinated.

The assassin was Old Raymond.

While she couldn’t judge the truth of the news, chaos erupted within the city.

It all happened too suddenly, even her father was stunned. Staying in the northern district, he lost contact with the outside world since the chaos began, only knowing that the walls were in disarray, fighting everywhere, countless deaths. In just one night, the enemy seemed to have reached the palace, and Her Majesty was seriously injured, with rumors saying she had died.

Her father stayed awake all night. Sofia stayed with him, unable to sleep either.

By dawn, a group of soldiers came looking for them. Her father hid himself in the study next to the office and instructed her not to come out no matter what, to find an opportunity to escape.

At that moment, Sofia was extremely scared.

Her trembling lips watched her father’s distant figure disappear without being able to say a word.

She hid in the study for a long time until daylight. She heard the chaotic shouts outside, many people escaping. Sofia wanted to run too, but for some reason, she couldn’t move her legs, feeling weak.

Then her father returned. The moment the door opened, Sofia saw his slightly aged face and threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Her father comforted her, saying it was fine, those soldiers had left, and they hadn’t done anything to him. They said the Duke was winning and advised her father to prepare to escape when the storm passed, mentioning that someone among them had once received help from her father.

But her father insisted on staying until the very end, not believing Her Majesty would lose. He still required her to leave and hide in the church just two streets away, which was the safest place. He would handle the rest.

Sofia hesitated for a moment.

She wanted to stay with her father, but she was too afraid.

In the end, Sofia slipped out through the back door, trying to avoid the crowd, and quickly ran towards the church. She swore she had never run so fast in her life, gritting her teeth and struggling to escape, her hair flying wildly, disregarding any dignity or etiquette. She had never envied Sarah anything, but at that moment, she wished she had Sarah’s strong physique.

Sofia stumbled, tearing her dress, and her knee bled. She lay on the ground in pain for a long time before she heard a loud rumbling overhead. Sofia raised her head and saw a black meteor streak past and land in a nearby alley, seemingly on some roof.

She didn’t know what it was, never having seen such power before. At that moment, she didn’t want to think much, only wanting to reach the church safely. She struggled to her feet and limped forward.

Boom—

A violent explosion rang out.

Sofia’s heart trembled. Where she could see, the buildings across the street, which had been mostly blocked, suddenly lit up with a pale light. Dust and smoke rose into the air, with black sparks floating upwards.

Sofia couldn’t see what happened, only understanding it was something terrible. The shouting grew louder, and the soldiers who had come looking for her father earlier seemed to have gone there. Sofia’s fear intensified, and she bit down harder, enduring the pain and running forward. Just as she was about to exit the street, another terrifying fireball rose into the sky.

Then came the shrill, spine-chilling screams.

They died…

Fear made Sofia’s body shake uncontrollably, her teeth chattering, her mind blank. She didn’t know whether to keep running or hide, how to survive. She stood at the street entrance, like a fool, watching as shadows darted nearby and were intercepted by descending black flames.

It seemed to be a girl.

She had black flame wings, swooping down with a sharp wind, black fire and smoke spreading on the ground. White-green smoke lingered, quickly entering her body. She looked like a bloodthirsty demon from stories, but wore a loose, somewhat comical nun’s robe, holding someone in her arms.

The fierce wind hit her face, making it hard to open her eyes.

Next moment, a sharp cry sounded from ahead.

Sofia covered her ears.

When she reacted, the figure in front of her had already had its legs cut off by the girl, who stood on the enemy’s face.

“Gate of Truth…”

The girl’s delicate and pleasant voice echoed in Sofia’s ears, incredibly familiar.

“Pey… Peyalo…”

She instinctively called out.

Then she saw the girl turn her head, preventing Sofia from seeing her face, her wings unfolding behind her. At that moment, the man underfoot roared, crimson fire bursting forth.

The girl turned her head, shielding her face, and her wings spread wide.