Nateaser: Reborn As My Love Interest

Elder - Chapter Sixty Six

This was unexpected.

"Lady Elder, the men are in position." I received the telepathic report. I just had to take the wizard's word for it. The knights were probably hidden beneath the trees, but the stone of domination was also in my hand. As it pulsated, it seemed like the lizardmen were already in combat, yet I couldn't see anything around the village. To miss an entire reptile swarm engaged in battle? Something was not right.

"Hold your position, do not attack yet." I sent them my command. I flew way up high on my gargoyle's back. It should have been easy to observe what was going on. But it felt like I looked at the wrong place. I had to make sure. "Tell me what you see."

"Um, the village is in front of us, walled, with ditches, and a rice paddy is in the way too." The field wizard noted. Yes, that must have been the same settlement I observed. But where were my other pawns then? I couldn't open another channel to them at the same time.

"Don't you hear the sounds of battle?" They might have used some sort of illusion to hide their village from me, though it seemed unlikely. Or did they fight inside the woods? The response seemed confused too.

"It's all quiet here. We are hiding at the edge of the forest. A few guards on the walls. Awaiting your orders, my lady." The answer did not satisfy me. The lizards were fighting somewhere. Who did they encounter? And where? I couldn't authorize an attack before I found out. I saw the village and a road leading to it and decided to follow it.

I sent my gargoyle into a steep dive and soon spotted the imperial network and an encampment at the crossroads. It was a mile or two from the village, and I finally found the lizard swarm. They were indeed fighting, but I had no idea whom. Well, it didn't matter, if they were that close, the tribe had to be involved in a way.

My troops were the elite knights of the Royal Company, their armor was the thickest. Nothing could penetrate it, whether they fought from horseback or dismounted. Stern was wise to send them in before he brought me the news. They were able to get here in a single day. I ordered him to stay in Sanctuary though. I didn't want the people to get the wrong ideas while I was away. Here I only had to worry about the Goddess, this primitive tribe did not concern me.

Lambert did not pose a threat for now either, but I remembered that deep wound the cat girl inflicted on me. This is why I kept my distance. At least until the ground troops could confirm she was there, but should I send them in while the reptiles were stuck in a different place? Who was in that camp? It must have meant, the tribe's defenses were down, right? I didn't want to rush my decision.

"We should go in while we still have the element of surprise." The telepathic message suggested though. "These are knights, not assassins, I'm not sure, how long they can remain hidden in the woods."

I was willing to sacrifice a few soldiers to beat her after all. And the entire swarm of reptiles, if I had to. At least I knew that the rouge court wizard knew no useful offensive spells, he was a coward anyway.

There was only one, that could harm me. If the soldiers destroyed her, well, the worst-case scenario is that they get wiped out, and I'll try a different approach later. I needed to know, how solid their defenses were, and if she was home in the first place. The lizards technically fulfilled their purpose now. They weakened the village, and my men were roaring to do their part too. I couldn't deny them the glory.

"Attack the gate. Frontal assault." I gave the order, still diving. "I will join you soon, make sure you breach their defenses until then."

"Aye, my lady." The wizard confirmed, and the connection was severed. I quickly touched the magic crystal, curious about who the reptiles fought and how they were doing. I needed this information before fully committing to the attack.