Chapter 49: The Knight’s Dream, The Princess’s Reality

Inside the tent, the young girl lay upon her bed, her beautiful eyebrows lending a touch of heroism to her otherwise delicate features.

In her dream, she and the Princess had met in another realm, where they had pledged their engagement in childhood, poised to embark on a life of blissful happiness.

It was a world devoid of war and strife, where Bai Yu was merely an ordinary girl, no longer burdened by her role as Knight-Captain, constantly rushing to the battlefield.

All they needed was to live together, forever entwined in happiness.

Yet, ultimately, it was nothing more than a fleeting dream; upon waking to reality, she remained the Knight-Captain, and a future with Bai Yu was, regrettably, an impossibility.

Bai Yu was destined to marry another princess from a foreign kingdom; that, she knew, was the true and inevitable conclusion.

Cecilia rose from her bed, her gaze falling upon the armor hanging beside her, a profound anxiety gripping her heart.

Just then, a female soldier entered the tent, addressing Cecilia with a palpable tension in her voice.

“Knight-Captain, the demon gathering grounds are only two hours away. We’re scheduled for our first engagement today.”

Her expression was fraught with tension, her eyes wide with fear; it was, after all, her first time on the front lines, and as a scout, a natural apprehension of death was to be expected.

Cecilia, sensing her distress, did not press the matter, simply acknowledging the information before dismissing her.

Cecilia rose, drawing a deep breath as her gaze fell upon Bai Yu’s photograph in her hand, a magical imprint created by a technology only recently developed within the empire, with such enchanted tools commanding exorbitant prices.

Yet Cecilia had acquired one without hesitation, solely to preserve Bai Yu’s image, yearning to gaze upon her face whenever the desire struck.

She gently caressed the photograph, the silver-haired girl within it smiling faintly, her gaze towards the lens stirring a profound, aching emotion within Cecilia.

Ultimately, Cecilia tucked the photograph away, reminding herself that her immediate task was to eradicate the demonic forces, for only through their defeat could the empire’s security, and thus Bai Yu’s safety, be truly assured.

Donning her armor, she sheathed her sharp knight’s sword and slowly, deliberately, stepped out of the tent.

Outside, all the soldiers were bustling with preparations, readying themselves to launch an assault against the demonic hordes.

Gazing upon the young women before her, Cecilia couldn’t help but sigh; they were all in the prime of their youth, their precious lives undeserving of being squandered on the battlefield.

Indeed, every soldier present was a young maiden, a fact that held no particular significance in Cecilia’s worldview, for it seemed to be the inherent order of this world.

Cecilia mounted her warhorse, and after delivering her pre-battle declaration, she rode away from the rear camp, swiftly advancing towards the foremost front lines.

****

Meanwhile, Bai Yu, astride Xiao An, burst forth from the dense forest, a picture of dishevelment.

“Damn it, this is such a pain!”

Bai Yu muttered curses under her breath, glaring at the map in her hand, tempted to tear it to shreds.

Only now did she truly grasp the invaluable convenience of the real-time positioning function from her original world.

Without that crucial function, claiming she could barely move an inch would have been an understatement.

She had lost count of how many circles she’d wandered through the forest, even spending a night huddled inside a tree hollow, before finally, painstakingly, finding her way out.

She simply couldn’t recognize the way, utterly unable to navigate.

At last, she conceded her status as directionally challenged; even with a map in hand, she remained utterly lost.

Should she venture out again, she absolutely had to find a way to acquire an arcane art or a wondrous item capable of providing positioning or directional guidance, lest she genuinely feared losing herself entirely one day.

“Awoo… Awoo…”

Xiao An’s fur had dulled, a clear testament to her tireless exertions throughout the forest.

Bai Yu stroked her head, acknowledging the immense effort Xiao An had undoubtedly expended.

Bai Yu retrieved some cookies she had brought from the palace, pushing a few into Xiao An’s mouth as a well-deserved reward.

“Good girl, we’ll be there soon.”

Bai Yu sighed, noting that their estimated arrival time was significantly later than planned, and a pang of worry struck her as she wondered if Cecilia had already encountered the demonic forces.

Yet, this delay was not entirely without its advantages.

Bai Yu glanced behind her, where a dense throng of Shadow Beasts followed, standing together in an oddly orderly fashion.

Most of them were Shadow Bats, with a single Shadow Wolf among them, though Bai Yu had utilized the majority as upgrade material to advance Xiao An’s rank.

Now, Xiao An had truly become a bona fide Rank Three Shadow Beast.

Her fur had grown even more lustrous, a shimmering silver that matched Bai Yu’s own hair, yet her eyes remained a stark, abyssal black, the sole telltale sign of her true nature as a Shadow Beast.

The crescent moon mark on her head had deepened, and mysterious runes now encircled it, imbuing her with an even more profound and enigmatic aura.

The remaining Shadow Beasts were mostly scattered creatures Bai Yu had slain in the forest, predominantly Rank One, with only a rare few reaching Rank Two.

It was fortunate that most of the Shadow Beasts entering this unfinished world were of relatively low rank; otherwise, Bai Yu would not only be incapable of assisting Cecilia but would likely find self-preservation a formidable challenge.

‘I should go find Cecilia first.’

Bai Yu patted Xiao An’s flank, urging her to surge forward into the distance, for according to the palace staff, Cecilia’s camp lay somewhere just ahead.

Bai Yu rode Xiao An across the sweeping plains; there were no Shadow Beasts in sight, likely having been dispatched already by Cecilia and her troops.

After only a short gallop, Bai Yu spotted wisps of smoke curling into the sky in the distance, a sure sign of the military camp.

‘Finally arrived!’

A wave of excitement surged through Bai Yu’s heart; she was finally going to see Cecilia.

Bai Yu patted Xiao An a few more times, attempting to urge her to an even greater speed.

Xiao An displayed an unhappy expression, yet she still quickened her pace.

Only upon nearing the military camp did Bai Yu sense that something was amiss.

‘Why are there so few people?’

Bai Yu entered the military camp, observing only a handful of female soldiers on guard duty, with another person busily preparing food.

Upon spotting a stranger riding a wolf into the camp, the guards immediately rushed forward, preparing for battle.

However, the moment they recognized the newcomer, their eyes widened in collective astonishment.

Their minds raced, grappling with the bewildering question: ‘How could Her Royal Highness the Princess possibly be here?’

“Your Highness, is that truly you?”

One of the female soldiers asked timidly, barely daring to believe the scene unfolding before her eyes.

“Of course it’s me, who else would it be? Where’s Cecilia?”

Bai Yu felt a touch of exasperation; these female soldiers before her seemed as simple-minded as the palace NPCs, though their intelligence was marginally higher, at least allowing for normal communication – a necessity, given they were about to engage in battle.

Moreover, it was only upon seeing them that Bai Yu finally, truly believed all beings in this world were indeed female.

This arrangement suited her well; though Bai Yu had originally been male, her transformation into a Witch had undeniably influenced her, fostering a deep aversion to men, and she found herself genuinely fond of a world populated solely by women.

“Greetings, Your Royal Highness the Princess!”

The two female guards immediately knelt, bowing reverently to Bai Yu.

“Wait.”

Bai Yu immediately felt a touch of awkwardness; although she was a princess in this world, she hadn’t truly internalized the role, and being formally greeted in such a manner still left her feeling profoundly uncomfortable.