The column of civilians filled the road like an endless gray river.
The line stretched long like a serpent, moving slower than a tortoise, yet the people did not stop their steps, carved deep with despair and exhaustion.
Countless footsteps stirred up clouds of dust that dyed the sky a hazy gray.

With the elderly and children among them, increasing the marching speed any further was impossible.
The wailing cries of children and the pain-filled groans of adults blended into a truly horrific harmony.
With things like this, the soldiers’ morale had sunk straight to the bottom, and the fact that no one had deserted was a miracle in itself.

‘At least it’s a relief that we brought enough provisions so we’re not short…’

Since the season clung to the tail end of autumn, the cold crept in as soon as night fell.
In the end, we had no choice but to light campfires, and of course, we had to secure firewood ourselves.
Because of these and various other circumstances, the marching speed continued to slow.

“How much farther do you think it is to the royal capital?”
“At this pace, about half a month.”
“It’s already been over two months, and there’s still half a month left?”
“The march is far slower than expected, with the elderly and children, and the wounded worsening…”
“That’s enough.”

Count Harvan, who had been following just behind me, said no more.
Perhaps he had gained some insight after the capture of the princess, because he had taken it upon himself to act as my adviser and strategist.
At first I suspected ulterior motives, but he was unexpectedly helpful, so I kept him close and made decent use of him.

“How are the scouts we placed in the rear?”
“Any sign of an imperial pursuit?”
“There have been no such reports yet, and at this point, there should be no immediate threat from the imperial army.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“If they intended to pursue or ambush us, they would have done so already.”
“Didn’t the imperial troops guarding the pass let us go without resistance?”

I nodded quietly.
I never expected that ten thousand imperial soldiers had been guarding the road between the royal capital and the count’s territory.
If we had been ambushed by them, the worst case would have been total annihilation.
Yet they let us pass without resistance and even provided some supplies.

[We cannot give much, but please take this as a token of goodwill.]
[We are about to rejoin the main force ourselves.]
[Helping those who help the people will not tarnish His Majesty’s reputation.]
[Please consider this our respect for a knight who chose a noble yet thorny path.]

Fck.
If it weren’t for this fcking defeat regression, I’d surrender to the empire on the spot…
It was truly regrettable, but there was nothing to be done, since we couldn’t change course right now.
And though I felt sorry for the imperial troops who gave us supplies, their words allowed me to extract some information.

“The imperial troops guarding the pass said they were joining the main force.”
“Are they planning to station all their forces in the east?”
“The east has long been the kingdom’s breadbasket, with fertile land and strong harvests.”
“They may be planning to establish permanent farmlands there and prepare for a long war.”
“It just keeps getting worse.”
“We’re already at a numerical disadvantage, so does that mean we’ll eventually have to go on the offensive?”

If there was anything I had learned through months of f*cking hardship, it was this.
A commander has to see farther than others.
If you’re too busy plugging the holes right in front of you, you can’t think of the next move.
In the end, you get played by the enemy and lose.
That was why I was now discussing the empire’s next move with Count Harvan.

“At least we gained something, so for now, we’ll regroup at the royal capital and decide our next move after thorough discussion.”
“A wise decision.”
“I will follow you to the end, staking my life.”

In the past, I would have left everything to the prince and stood behind him, sucking my thumb.
But I realized that such irresponsible avoidance endangered not only my own life, but also the lives of those who trusted and relied on me.
I may not be able to choose the direction, but at the very least, I will choose the path I walk.

Thanks to the imperial army lifting its encirclement and retreating, the royal capital enjoyed a brief moment of peace.
But even that fleeting peace did not last long.
Reports came in from the scouts stationed along the roads to watch for an imperial advance.

An urgent intelligence report that a column numbering in the tens of thousands was advancing toward the royal capital.

The royal castle fell into chaos.
In this situation, the first to voice an opinion was Crown Prince Andre.
Hardened by constant sword training, his body looked like solid rock, and courage radiated from his arms.

His white hair shone with vitality, and his blue eyes brimmed with confidence.

“Your Majesty.”
“There is no doubt that Blackguard betrayed the favor bestowed upon him and made a secret deal with the empire.”
“Otherwise, how could he bring such a massive group all the way here?”

Fortunately, the kingdom’s scouts could at least distinguish armed troops from refugees.
The problem was how he could possibly lead that many civilians to the capital.
And Crown Prince Andre was sharp enough to easily infer that there had been some sort of deal between Blackguard and the empire.

The problem was that he used that sharpness to entrench his own power.
Kneeling respectfully before the throne, Crown Prince Andre offered his counsel.
At a glance, he looked like a loyal retainer sincerely devoted to the nation.

“Until Blackguard proves his loyalty, seal the gates tightly and do not let them enter.”
“Then his true intentions will be revealed.”
“How can we trust someone who disobeyed royal orders and made a deal with the empire on his own?”

“I believe there is also a strong possibility that he made an entirely different kind of deal, Your Majesty.”

The king, who had been listening silently from the throne embroidered with gold thread and draped in red cloth, soon smiled.
The words spoken by his vassals were sweet like honey, pleasing to hear.

“I believe your thoughts are correct.”
“For now, seal the gates tightly, and then—”
“That must not be done.”

Just as the discussion was about to conclude as if the answer were already decided, someone splashed cold water on it.
In contrast to Crown Prince Andre, a woman stood there with white hair as fragile as ice reaching her waist and blue eyes shining with jewel-like clarity.
She possessed an icy beauty that looked as if it might shatter at any moment.

“Your Majesty.”
“The empire has not only mages, but Masters said to cleave the heavens and shatter mountains.”
“How could one possibly escort a princess to the royal capital against such forces?”
“And yet it was Blackguard who captured the princess from them.”
“Are you saying he cannot even bring her to the capital?”

At a question not worth answering, her face openly twisted in irritation.
Her once-bright blue eyes were already heavy with fatigue, dark shadows forming beneath them.
And whose fault was this in the first place?
If only you hadn’t beaten the imperial envoy to death for such a trivial reason…

“Your Majesty…”
“Should you not simply admit it?”
“Are you not merely afraid of Blackguard setting foot in the royal capital?”

Perhaps it was exhaustion.
Or perhaps the farce of a play performed with a predetermined answer was simply disgusting.
She spoke words she would normally never say aloud.
Struck at the core, Crown Prince Andre’s face hardened like stone.

“I know Your Majesty is not foolish enough to fall for such shallow provocation.”
“And yet you side with it because—”
“Enough!”
“…Your Majesty.”

The one who stopped Anna as she was about to pour out her heart like a broken dam was the king himself, seated upon the throne.
Even so, she was not so unhinged as to openly defy a royal command.
The young woman closed her mouth, and the king nodded as he spoke.

“Princess Anna, return to your chambers.”
“I understand your concern for the nation, but the crime of defying royal command outweighs all else.”

At the one-sided order of dismissal, Anna bit her lip.
Looking back, it had always been like this.
No matter how much she wished to use her abilities for the country, everything was dismissed simply because she was a princess.
She was not even allowed to form a faction.
All the royal capital wanted from her was one thing.
To be sold off to a good place.

Of course, there was the more pleasant term of political marriage.
But in essence, it was no different.

‘So this is how we fall…’

If a loyal retainer who risked his life to protect the country and its people was cast aside, who would ever be willing to die for this nation again?

After pondering for a moment, Anna bowed to the king on the throne and turned to leave.
But her destination was not her quarters, but the direction of the stables.

Rather than watching the nation’s fall, she would fulfill her duty even if it meant joining the ranks as a common soldier.

[Critical error detected]
[Forced defection event triggered due to greed exceeding regulations]
[Scenario change requested]

[Request accepted… searching for a scenario with greater bloodshed…]
[Search complete: previously unmet conditions have been satisfied]

[Scenario changed from Fallen Kingdom’s Princess to Continental War Scenario]

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