In the Name of Empress-Chapter 542 - 335: Requiem by the Riverside, Homeward Bound in the Snowstorm
The siege of Val City was a battle that is difficult to describe.
Although both sides proclaimed victory afterwards, it was merely propaganda; in reality, both sides partially achieved their strategic goals but also suffered heavy losses.
During the post-war summary, the senior leaders of both sides wore expressions as if they had lost their parents, with severe disagreements even within their respective camps.
The generals of the Freedom Alliance might be disgusted by Christine’s cold and ruthless nature, yet no one denied her command ability.
Only she could orchestrate the orderly movements of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of troops—something others could not achieve.
With Christine "dead," what would they do?
Fortunately, Sif and Alina promptly issued orders, commanding Bordeaux and Vichy to take over their national armies’ command authority, construct defensive lines on the spot, and continue to hold firm.
Without Christine, the others neither had the ability nor the prestige to lead the allied forces of multiple countries, so breaking apart to fight individually was actually the best option.
Even though Christine was lost, and the Holy Spring temporarily inoperative, they managed to hold Val City and crush the most elite forces of the Vladimir Empire, the Mad Cavalry—so there were gains.
Despite the heavy hearts, the generals proceeded methodically to construct defensive lines in preparation for a steadfast defense.
Most people did not know that December 31 was the day of return; the Transcendent and the mundane, while living under the same blue sky, existed in different worlds.
While morale was low in the Freedom Alliance, the Holy Alliance was faring no better.
When the airship was shot down and Christine was frozen, Angelina even thought the battle was all but over, but the course of events defied her understanding.
The allied forces seemed to have gone mad, launching all their attacks against the Vladimir Empire.
They intentionally bypassed the defense zones of the Prudon Kingdom and the Tirol Kingdom, and these two treacherous allies watched the Freedom Alliance pass through as if completely undefended.
The battle appeared fierce and was indeed fierce.
But the fierceness was only relative to the Vladimir Empire and the Jin Yuan and Sussex of the Three Kingdoms. Their allies, in this fierce battle, turned into onlookers sitting in VIP seats.
Sofia personally took action to down the airship’s command center and took out Christine, yet she herself had to enter slumber to restore her physical and mental energy.
Compared to the battlefield setback, Angelina was more worried about Sofia’s safety.
With the collapse of the Mad Cavalry and the breakup of the guard infantry, she had to order the abandonment of the main camp, with all units alternately covering a retreat.
The idea was good, but unfortunately, they encountered opponents who disregarded martial ethics.
After the main camp’s flag was cut down, the allied forces had the Sea Demon Munina sing a mournful third movement, interspersed with loud Rurik language calls.
"Our army is defeated!"
"The Empress has passed away!"
This was a despicable lie, but with Sofia asleep in an ice sculpture, she couldn’t come out to be seen.
To push out her ice sculpture was to confirm her death rumors.
The Empress of the Frosty Winter trapped in an ice sculpture with unopened eyes—how could she claim she wasn’t dead?
These Rurik-language rumors, spoken with a clear Hansa accent, were obviously the work of the allied forces but crafted exceedingly maliciously, directly targeting the Rurik People’s weak spot.
Those who are often harmed by defamatory rumors know all too well that starting a rumor takes just a mouth, but debunking it can exhaust one entirely. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
In this chaotic battlefield, these venomous rumors were impossible to clarify.
The Rurik People were martial and revered strength, their adoration for the Empress rivaling the gods.
They worshipped Sofia, so when she went missing and was presumed dead, their morale disintegrated in an instant, retreating across miles.
If not for the fear of standing out too much and getting encircled by the Prudon and Tirol Kingdoms, the pursuing troops would never have let the now-routed Vladimir Empire’s army escape.
After pursuing for nearly twenty miles, Jes and the others, under orders from Bordeaux, reluctantly returned to camp with seized spoils.
From launching desperate charges and capturing the main camp to wild pursuits, the Vladimir Empire’s allies merely watched, as if it had nothing to do with them.
Similarly, the Freedom Alliance Army deliberately avoided engaging them, without disturbance.
It seemed strange, but it wasn’t strange at all.
The philosophy that allies are meant to be sold at critical moments is the Sussex people’s diplomacy.
An alliance is only effective until it’s torn up, the Jin Yuan people’s proverb.
Allies are extremely dangerous in victory; in defeat, they are more dangerous, an Odin people’s saying.
The Rurik people’s belief is that the bear’s only allies are its claws and teeth.
In this era, national credibility was still a joke; most countries viewed treaties and allies with little difference.
When everyone started doubting their allies, military actions could not continue.
That night was silent as death.
After days of fierce battle, the battlefield was no longer noisy, with only a few severely wounded and dying soldiers and fallen warhorses whinnying and howling, adding a harsh note to the already brutal battle site.
The crimson moonlight illuminated the land, and a beautiful sea demon maiden climbed to the riverbank in a corner of the battlefield, leaning against a boulder, letting her clear voice resonate across the entire field.
Crystal-clear tears welled in the corners of the sea demon maiden’s eyes, gently sliding down.
This war had claimed too many lives, including a thousand from her clan in a conflict that should have had nothing to do with them.
But she had to lead her clan into battle.
In a fight determining the survival of two major camps, not fighting meant no share in the post-battle spoils.
Munina Gram, the new leader of the Graham Clan, understood this all too well.
