Cloud Thinking

Blood Moon Wasteland —

The northern wastelands presented a desolate, iron-gray hue in the early winter winds.

Shattered Bones Fortress—the former territory of Lord Baron Harris—is now a desolate and bleak place.

On the square in front of the fortress gate, the bloodstains had just been roughly washed away, mixing with the soil to form a dark red mud, but the air was still filled with a strong smell of blood.

Several corpses dressed in noble attire were hastily piled in a corner and covered with burlap; they were Baron Harris and his sons.

They were executed at dawn by order of "Princess Helia"—Iros—for their years of tyrannical rule, massacres of their subjects, and even collusion with monster smugglers.

Iros stood on the terrace of the castle's main building, looking down at the soldiers busily reorganizing and the civilian officials rushing to take over government affairs.

She wore a dark gray hunting outfit that allowed for easy movement, with a dark blue cloak over it, and her fiery red braids remained perfectly in place despite the cold wind.

His sapphire blue eyes held an almost cold calm, as if the bloodshed that had just occurred below was no different from cleaning up a pigsty.

"Your Highness, the territory's accounts and evidence of crimes have been preliminarily sorted out and sealed. As you instructed, they will be temporarily taken over by the newly appointed Civilian Affairs Officer, Bloom, until he is formally appointed in the capital."

A young clerk reported respectfully, his voice tinged with barely concealed nervousness.

“Very good. Tell Bloom that I need to see a detailed plan for the resettlement of the inhabitants and a plan for spring planting within three days.” Iros’s voice was clear and calm. “The land that Harris seized is to be measured immediately and distributed to each household. Those who resist will be punished the same as Harris.”

"Yes, yes!" The clerk hurriedly withdrew.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats grew louder as a scout, covered in dust and almost tumbling off his horse, rushed to the terrace and shouted:

"Your Highness! Urgent military intelligence! The monsters on the western edge of the Black Forest... have rioted! On an unprecedented scale, they have breached two lines of defense and are spreading towards Shattered Bone Fortress and nearby villages!"

The terrace was deathly silent.

We just dealt with the nobles, and now the monsters are attacking?

Iros frowned slightly, but there was no panic in his eyes, only impatience at having his plans interrupted.

“Commander Carlisle.” She turned to the Royal Knights commander who had been standing silently beside her.

Not long ago, Eric was worried that Helia would have no one to rely on, so he sent Carlisle over, ostensibly to assist her, but Iros knew in his heart that it was actually to monitor her.

Even so, there was nothing she could do about it, because neither her current status nor the way Helia and Carlisle interacted in her memory would allow her to openly antagonize the other party.

She hadn't forgotten her bet with Helia.

“Your Highness, while the Black Forest monsters do cause periodic disturbances, such a large-scale attack, heading straight for human settlements, is highly unusual,” Carlisle said in a deep voice, his expression serious and businesslike. “I suggest we immediately organize a defense, send people to request reinforcements from the rear, and investigate the cause of the anomaly.”

Iros shook her head, her gaze fixed on the western horizon, where an ominous gloom seemed to gather.

"Requesting reinforcements is too slow, and reconnaissance delays our battle. Now that the monsters have emerged from the forest, they are a threat."

"Threats must be eliminated before they cause greater damage."

She turned, her cloak drawing a clean arc. "Gather all available soldiers, including your knightly order. I will personally lead the troops and set off immediately to suppress the rebellion."

"Your Highness!" Carlisle exclaimed in surprise, "The cause of the monster rampage is unknown, and launching an attack rashly is extremely risky!"

"Moreover, our army has just experienced... and has not yet had a chance to rest."

“Precisely because we have just gone through an operation, our morale is high.” Iros interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “Delaying will only turn more villages into ruins and plunge our people, who have just seen hope, back into fear.”

"Commander Carlisle, carry out the order."

Her decision-making was astonishingly fast, even bordering on autocratic.

Iros did this simply because we are at a critical juncture.

She had just dealt with the local lord when the monsters rioted. If she failed to resolve the matter in time, given her current predicament of being surrounded by enemies, she feared that the nobles would rise up against her, claiming that her reforms were the fuse for disaster.

She wouldn't allow those disgusting vampires to find fault with her in any way, and she would never yield to any enemy who tried to stand in her way.

As Carlisle looked into her overly calm blue eyes, the doubt that had been lingering in his mind since Harris's execution that morning resurfaced.

Compared to six months ago, Helia's style of doing things has become even more ruthless in its efficiency, and there is an indescribable certainty that seems to disregard "casualties" and "risks".

Was she always this cold-hearted? As Carlisle asked himself this question, he vaguely found the answer.

But military orders are absolute.

Carlisle suppressed his doubts and clenched his fist, pounding his chest: "Yes, Your Highness."

The battlefield on the edge of the Black Forest has become a living hell.

Unlike ordinary magical beasts, this group of monsters emerging from the depths of the forest consisted of: "Spine-Eating Beasts" that resembled giant wolves but were covered in bone armor and had exposed fangs; "Winged Bats" that could glide short distances and spew corrosive acid; and even a few "Earth Bears" that were like moving hills with skin like rocks.

Their behavior has an eerie sense of coordination.

They will feint attacks, encircle, and even prioritize attacking commanders and spellcasters within the formation.

Although there was no explicit tactical communication like that of intelligent beings, the rudimentary, instinct-based yet transcendental cooperation sent chills down the spines of even the most well-trained soldiers.

Even more frightening is their reaction after being injured.

A spine-devouring beast was pierced through the abdomen by a spear, but it did not fall down or go berserk immediately. Instead, it whimpered and retreated, covered by two other companions, slowly retreating into the rear of the herd.

This is something no ordinary monster could do!

"Left side! Shield wall, hold! Archers, concentrate fire on those winged bats!" Iros's voice rang out clearly across the chaotic battlefield.

She didn't hide in the rear, but went to the front line herself. Theodore in her hand shone with a dazzling crimson magical light. Every move she made was precise and ruthless, taking the lives of a group of magical beasts.

Her movements were efficient, concise, and without any excess, like the most sophisticated killing machine.

However, the fighting remained fierce.

The sheer number of monsters and their unpredictable tactics put immense pressure on the human defenses.

"Commander! The Third Company can't hold out! Requesting reinforcements!" an officer with a bloodied face roared.

Carlisle had just slain a Spine Devourer when he heard the sound and looked over to see that the left defensive line was already in dire straits. The soldiers were being attacked by monsters that outnumbered them several times over, and people were falling one after another.

"Your Highness! The left flank needs reinforcements!" Carlisle shouted to Iros.

Iros was just about to blow the head off a winged bat with a fireball when he heard this. His gaze swept across the left flank, then looked at the pressure assessment of the center and right flanks, and he made a judgment almost instantly:

"Order the Third Company to retreat to the center and abandon the outer positions on the left flank. Move the reserves to fill the gap in the center, and have archers cover the retreat path on the left flank."

“Abandon the position? What about the villages behind it…” Carlisle was stunned.

“The village can be rebuilt, but our manpower cannot be exhausted here.” Iros’s voice was icy. “Execute.”

This order meant sacrificing some soldiers who couldn't evacuate in time, and allowing some monsters to break through the defenses and harass the rear.

Carlisle's heart sank.

This was indeed an "efficient" decision, maximizing the preservation of overall combat effectiveness, but... it was too ruthless.

Moreover, at the beginning, Helia clearly ordered the troops, who had not yet finished resting, to attack under the pretext of protecting the village, but now she is ordering them to abandon their positions and retreat...

This is a contradiction.

Princess Helia of the past would also make difficult choices, but she would never have decided to sacrifice some of her subordinates so quickly and without hesitation.

On the contrary, she was the kind of person who would rather sacrifice herself to save others.

How could this be...?

The battle continued amidst bloodshed.

In the end, thanks to Iros's formidable personal strength and ruthless, efficient command, the horde of beasts was driven back, leaving behind a ground littered with the corpses of humans and magical beasts.

Sunlight pierced through the smoke of battle, illuminating this battlefield of carnage.

The atmosphere was terrifyingly heavy when the casualties were tallied.

More than 100 soldiers were killed and many more were wounded.

Although the corpses of monsters littered the ground, unsettling roars still echoed from the depths of the forest.

Iros stood on a slightly raised earthen slope, wiping the blood from his hands.

She was almost spotless, with only a few drops of splattered beast blood on the edge of her cloak and the back of her hand.

She looked down at the soldiers busily treating the wounded and collecting the bodies of their comrades, her eyes remaining calm, as if the heavy casualty figures were just an entry in a report.

“Your Highness,” Carlisle approached her, his voice hoarse, “the monster’s behavior is unusual; there’s something fishy going on. Should we first reinforce the defenses and investigate further…”

“No need.” Iros interrupted him, casting his gaze toward the deep black forest. “Anomaly? It’s nothing more than some kind of magical influence, or perhaps a higher-level magical beast is at work.”

"Whatever it is, if it poses a threat, then eradicate it."

"Order that those with minor injuries rest on the spot, and those with serious injuries be evacuated." Her voice was cold. "The rest of you, come with me into the forest in one hour to clear out the remaining survivors and find the source."

"Your Highness!" Carlisle finally raised his voice, "The soldiers have just fought a fierce battle and desperately need rest! The situation in the forest is unknown; venturing in rashly would be suicide!"

Iros turned to look at him, and for the first time, Carlisle's figure was clearly reflected in those sapphire blue eyes, but the emotion in them sent a chill down Iros's spine.

It wasn't anger, nor was it the dissatisfaction of being offended; rather, it was a kind of... indifference, as if a higher being were looking at an ignorant creation.

“Commander Carlisle,” her voice was soft, but every word was clear, “the threat will not disappear just because you are tired.”

"Today's sacrifice is to prevent a greater sacrifice tomorrow."

"If we stop because of fear of injury or death, then all the blood we have shed will have been wasted."

Are you questioning my judgment?

Carlisle opened his mouth, looking into Iros's inhumanly calm eyes, then at the exhausted soldiers below, their eyes filled with fear.

Finally, he clenched his fists and lowered his head.

"...I dare not. Yes, Your Highness."

The seeds of doubt had been sown deep in his heart.

The princess before us is undeniably powerful, but her transformation... is truly chilling.

Just as the atmosphere was tense, a new commotion came from behind.

A group of people dressed in white robes with green patterns from the Church of Benevolence, escorted by a small squad of imperial soldiers, arrived at the edge of the battlefield.

Leading the group was Stella, dressed in a simple mage's robe, with a gentle demeanor and calm gaze.

The Church of Benevolence excels at healing and dispelling negative energy, and is also responsible for monitoring and responding to abnormal monster activities.

After receiving reports of unusual activity in the Black Forest, they set off from the nearest church to provide support, led by Stella, who happened to be participating in a church exchange activity nearby.

Stella's gaze immediately swept past the chaotic battlefield and landed on the familiar yet unfamiliar figure on the earthen slope—her "sister" Helia.