Chapter 421: The war had begun.
Walking across the dark gray frontline, the soles of her boots continuously emitted a dull friction sound. Facing her was a bone-chilling cold wind, blowing strands of her cherry-pink long hair out of the furry hood.
Lyra quietly exhaled, a thin white mist rapidly rising into the air before vanishing in an instant. She raised her hand, the fingertip wrapped in a pure white glove caught the edge of her hood and pulled it down slightly. Everywhere she looked was dry soil saturated with moisture, no insects, not even a single blade of grass.
It was already dusty. Having finished dinner, Lyra had come to the outskirts of Liya Tower Fortress, distancing herself from the noisy crowd, enjoying this peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
As a noble baron awarded by the Emperor, an Honorary Knight who had brought glory to the Empire, and with her status as a middle tier Magnus along with repeated instructions from Astrid, Duke Charles had granted Lyra the utmost convenience.
Besides having a private residence, the Honorary Knight also enjoys relatively relaxed leisure time and freedom of movement, allowing Lyra to come outside the fortress before nightfall to enjoy the breeze and watch the sinking sun disappear beneath the horizon.
In her second month with the army, Lyra could clearly sense the constraints that had long troubled her beginning to loosen.
Perhaps it was the killing atmosphere permeating Duke Charles’s territory, deeply ingrained and subconsciously stimulating her spirit, pushing her to rapidly grow stronger in preparation for the imminent war.
Of course, it might also be the cumulative effect of her previous training. More likely, both factors were at play.
In just a few more days, the quality of Lyra’s mental power should break through her current level and reach the peak tier Magnus standard. Then, she will only be a single step away from becoming an Arcanist Mage.
Arcanist Mage, within the entire Empire, such individuals were genuine peak combat forces.
At that point, she wouldn’t only be able to act as a core force to suppress the offensive momentum of the Kingdom of Velys, but she could also stand by Astrid’s side without excessive hesitation.
In this world, strength might not mean everything, but as long as one was powerful enough, transcending social classes and being with the one you loved was no longer an impossibility.
She gently touched the sword at her waist. Thanks to the shared connection between the Sword of Light and its wielder, even though the metal patterns on the scabbard were covered by a layer of cloth, the metallic sensation was easily transmitted to Lyra.
"Good evening, Lyra."
Hearing someone call her name, Lyra turned around and saw the brown-haired girl standing not far away.
"Good evening, Miss Philice."
Surprised that this noble lady wasn’t resting in her room but instead braving the cold wind outdoors, Lyra released her hand from the sword and politely spoke.
"It’s so cold outside. Why didn’t Miss Philice return to rest earlier?"
As the Duke’s daughter, holding such a noble status, even if she usually enjoyed studying combat techniques and practicing swordsmanship, at this hour she should already be lying in a bathtub, comfortably soaking in a hot bath.
Hearing this, Philice fluttered her eyelashes slightly, her tone gentle.
"Lyra isn’t returning to her room either, but standing here, right?"
This wasn’t the first time Lyra had come alone to the frontline after dinner to watch the sunset.
Philice had paid special attention to Lyra recently. This pink-haired girl, serious and intense during sparring, was a resilient and powerful knight and instructor. But apart from training, Lyra’s usual manner of treating people felt exceptionally gentle, completely different from her battle persona, like a calm, unassuming stream of water.
Besides this, there was another thing about Lyra that Philice found somewhat strange.
She seemed to carry some hidden thoughts. While this state wasn’t exactly distant, her delicate features always bore a faint, indelible sorrow. During meals, she often chewed her food in silence, only responding when addressed, otherwise remaining quiet and lost in solitary contemplation.
She must be missing her family, Philice thought.
At such a dangerous time, choosing to come to the border for training, none of this year’s graduates from Elizabeth Academy of Magic hadn’t left their homes, each with distant loved ones and friends to worry about. Yet this raised another question in Philice’s heart.
Was it really necessary for the Empire’s Honorary Knight, a magical prodigy capable of creating her own spells, Baroness Lyra Beckett, to come here?
She could have stayed in the capital City, indulging in a life of luxury and extravagance, just like those idle Imperial nobles.
Why?
In response to Philice’s counter-question, Lyra offered no rebuttal.
"I just wanted to see the sunset."
Scenes like this, Philice, who had lived on the battlefield since childhood, should have grown tired of long ago.
Hearing this, Philice tilted her gaze thoughtfully, her eyes fixed on the distant sinking sun. After a moment, she nodded in agreement.
"It truly is a rare beauty."
Even as a child of the permafrost, yearning for warmth and morning light, she couldn’t deny the stunning beauty of this interplay of light and shadow, a sunset as brilliant as crimson tide.
"Has Lyra seen sunsets elsewhere?"
Hearing Philice’s inquiry, Lyra pondered for half a minute before slowly speaking.
"I’ve seen them in my hometown."
"A small village named Morin to the east. Watching the sun set in the west, it’s afterglowing across distant mountains and giant trees, also illuminating the unplanted land before my eyes."
At that time, she and Astrid sat on a hay bale. The latter wore a white dress, her smooth silver hair falling onto the back of Lyra’s hand. Her delicate, snow-white feet, clad in silver-strapped high heels, gently swayed before her, distinct casting, clear shadows.
"..."
Philice gazed at Lyra’s profile. Those sky-blue eyes rarely revealed such longing, as if, through her words, she could see that very scene.
After a long silence, Philice spoke first.
"Lyra, I’ve always been curious, why did you come here?"
"With the status of an Honorary Baron, you really don’t need to come in person."
Even for nobles simply wanting to gain prestige, merely attaching their name would suffice, no need to come personally.
Lyra hesitated slightly upon hearing this, surprised.
"Didn’t Duke Charles inform you, Miss Philice?"
She had assumed Philice already knew.
"Father is too strict. I didn’t want to ask him," Philice replied.
"And besides, such matters are better to hear directly from the person involved."
That was indeed reasonable.
Looking around, Lyra saw no suitable stones to sit on and sobbed, deciding to abandon the search.
"Actually, the reason isn’t that complicated."
"My former mentor told me that the most direct way to rapidly enhance combat power is to fight on actual battlefields."
"Not the restrained sparring where you stop at a touch, but real combat decides life or death. Only then can one maximally stimulate their potential and achieve a leap in strength."
Both the Head Maid and Professor Charlotte, two powerful figures without noble blood, had experienced life-or-death struggles. They were the best examples.
"To enhance your strength?" Philice mused after hearing this, then asked another question.
"But with Lyra’s talent, staying in the capital and improving gradually should be a better, safer choice."
High returns meant high risks. Life-or-death combat on the battlefield was like tying one’s head to their belt. For a young prodigy as brilliant as Lyra, given time to train steadily, she was certain to become a formidable force in the future.
She didn’t need to rush herself into danger.
Understanding the implication behind Philice’s words, Lyra moved her wrists slightly, her legs, covered in thick white stockings, alternately shifting back and forth to slightly relieve her stiffened joints.
"The Kingdom of Velys could invade at any moment. With my current level of magic, I can’t do anything."
When two great nations clashed, a middle tier Magnus meant nothing, perhaps just a slightly stronger ant.
"The greater one’s strength, the greater one can change."
At least reaching the peak tier Magnus level, infinitely approaching the threshold of an Arcanist Mage, only then might she protect those she wished to protect amid the chaos, only then would she have a seat at the table.
"Besides, I came to the frontlines to defend the Empire, to protect the people behind me and the land that carries both of us."
It wasn’t about satisfying herself with the hollow title of Honorary Knight, nor about enjoying praises from nobles. True knightly honor lies in selfless dedication, fearless in the face of powerful enemies, protecting the weak, using fairness in one’s heart as the scale, never swaying.
Hearing this, Philice blinked, her impression of Lyra improving even more. She slowly spoke.
"So that’s what Lyra thinks..."
After a few more exchanges, learning of Lyra’s ideals and ambitions, Philice couldn’t help but feel admiration rise in her heart once again.
Lyra’s mindset was truly a refreshing stream among the corrupt Imperial nobility, hard not to earn high regard.
"I first learned of Lyra’s name in the Empire Weekly."
"Princess Astrid’s closest friend, a genius mage only twenty years old, who broke through mid-battle to defeat Princess Iris Kroyd of the Kingdom of Velys..."
"If it wasn’t specifically mentioned that she was a genius commoner, I might really have thought Lyra was some noble lady from the capital."
Hearing Astrid’s name, a spark of light flashed in Lyra’s eyes before quickly fading.
"I’ve always been receiving help from Princess Astrid."
"She’s truly an incredibly gentle person. Not only did she arrange people to train me in combat skills, she also helped me solve many daily life problems. Even my residence in the capital was provided by Princess Astrid."
"Though she appears cold on the surface, her personality is actually very warm and especially thoughtful. She always notices many small details I overlooked."
"As the Emperor’s most beloved princess, she possesses the noble dignity and elegance of Imperial nobles, yet she doesn’t arbitrarily put on airs. She’s a very approachable princess."
"And... she’s also very beautiful. She’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen..."
Unconsciously, Lyra had spoken a great deal about Astrid. This was the first time Philice had seen the pink-haired knight so talkative, and all of it praise and admiration for someone else.
She had only seen portraits of the Imperial Princess in newspapers. The latter was indeed a beauty unmatched in the world. But her actual personality, Philice, had only come to understand it through Lyra’s words.
"The magical devices researched by Princess Astrid and Professor Charlotte have brought convenient light and warmth to the Northern Region. I didn’t expect that beyond her talent, her character would also be so excellent."
As she spoke, Philice watched Lyra’s eyes. Hearing her praise Astrid, Lyra’s clear, watery eyes openly showing ripple after ripple of delight.
They really are close friends... No wonder there are rumors they dine at the same table and sleep in the same bed...
"Lyra seems to really like Princess Astrid," Philice said.
Hearing the combination of "like" and "Astrid," as if her hidden feelings had suddenly been exposed by another, Lyra uncomfortably rubbed her ear, her voice soft.
"I... I really like her..."
"Like" wasn’t even appropriate enough, it couldn’t express the intensity and sincerity of her heart.
Even if Lyra tried to appear relatively natural, the pauses in her speech were still too obvious, especially since she had never shown such expressions before, only when speaking of Astrid did she become so strange.
Realizing that continuing the conversation might make her appear somewhat undignified, Lyra promptly changed the topic.
"Speaking of newspapers, that battle recorded on paper remains truly unforgettable."
The topic shift was a bit awkward, but since the fight was exactly Philice’s area of interest, she didn’t mind.
"By the way, Lyra."
"I want to know how the spell Iris released managed to control you."
"You mean [Kingdom]?"
"Yes."
"...From a physical standpoint, it should have used arcane particles to control gravity."
"And then..."
The sunset silently sank beneath the ground. Thick, ink-like darkness had, at some point, saturated the sky, enveloping the entire Liya Tower Fortress.
Feeling the wind on her cheeks grow stronger, scraping her skin like knives, Lyra finished speaking and proactively suggested.
"The temperature’s dropping. We really should return, Miss Philice."
"There’s daily training tomorrow."
With a sudden breakthrough, she couldn’t slacken her mental discipline. Returning early to meditate and restore her body to optimal condition will allow her to enter the ascension rhythm faster.
As an officer, Philice naturally understood this as well, and responded politely.
"Mm, it’s time to go."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Lyra turned to walk back into Liya Tower Fortress, when a dazzling light suddenly appeared in her vision.
Immediately after, another bright red beam shot into the sky. This was the low-tier apprentice-level light-element spell [Illumination], which, due to mixing partial other elements, displayed different colors. The launch position was from the watchtower not far from them.
The brilliant light illuminated both their faces. Almost in that instant, Lyra’s heartbeat skipped a beat.
To prevent confusion in wartime signals, Duke Charles had explicitly forbidden all mages along the border from loosely releasing Illumination spells.
At this very moment, several red beams shooting into the sky could only mean one thing.
After such prolonged war preparations, the Kingdom of Velys had finally chosen to launch a surprise attack against them.
The war had begun.