*** Snowkeep – Southern Road ***

The wind cut like a blade.

Cassia lowered her visor, the fur of her cloak whipping behind her as her horse trudged through the endless snow. The sound of hooves muffled against the snow, the banners of the Thirell Duchy half-frozen, stiff in the frigid air.

Behind her rode a small detachment, thirty knights in full armor, bearing her father's sigil. Their breath came out in clouds of frost, their mounts tired but disciplined. The sight of Snowkeep's towering walls glimmered faintly ahead, a shadow rising from the mist.

"Finally…" she muttered, voice faint beneath her helm. "It feels colder than usual."

One of her knights spurred forward. "Milady, the scouts report the outer hamlets have already been cleared. Civilians evacuated toward the inner city."

Cassia nodded. "Fast as always, I see."

The closer they came, the more alive the air became: smoke from the forges, hammer strikes echoing from beyond the gates, the smell of burning coal and steel filling the air. The duchy was preparing for war.

When the gates opened, Cassia removed her helmet. Her hair spilled down, glinting with the faint sheen of frost.

At the gate waited Fenrix.

He gave a mock salute, smirking. "The flower of the south has returned."

"You... what are you doing here?"

"I'm a new hire," he said. "Don't worry, I hold no loyalty towards my former master."

Cassia looked past him, up toward the inner keep where the banners of Thirell swayed over the snowy parapets.

"For your own good, I hope you're telling the truth."

Fenrix's grin faltered slightly as he noticed her expression, an expression that promised death, and it was clear that she wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he ever crossed Justinian's path.

"Come," he said quietly. "He's been expecting you."

*** Snowkeep – War Room ***

The map had changed since Cassia last stood here.

New markers dotted the northern roads, cavalry routes, siege positions, and supply paths. Everything was prepared with mathematical precision, the kind that only Justinian's hand could manage.

'Everything's been planned... all possible routes...' Cassia murmured.

He stood at the far end of the table, silent, his eyes focused on the parchment in front of him. The candles around the room flickered in rhythm with the storm outside.

Cassia entered without announcement.

"Justinian..."

Justinian looked up, his expression briefly softening. "I see you've made it safely."

"You aren't surprised why I'm here? For all you know, I could have been stuck in my father's palace."

"I expected both," he said, almost smiling. "Did he approve of you coming here?"

"He didn't stop me."

"So you have a rebellious streak..." Justinian joked.

Cassia crossed her arms, shaking her head with a smile. "So, what's the situation?"

Lucan, standing nearby, spoke before Justinian could. "The enemy has begun constructing forward camps two days north of the Ilden River. Scouts report they're setting up siege engines."

"Already?" Cassia frowned. "That's faster than expected."

"They're priests," Lucan said. "Fanatics don't sleep."

"I could say the same to you, Lord Lucan," Cassia replied.

Justinian finally turned toward her, his tone calm but deliberate.

"That gives us less than a week before they attempt their first push. We won't be able to rely on surprise tactics like before..."

Cassia's eyes flickered with something sharp. "But you already have a plan, don't you not?"

"Of course..."

Justinian smirked, his gaze flicking subtly to the side, to a panel only he could see.

[Prestige: 24,535]

'I'll have them see what true divine warfare looks like.'

A silence passed between them, heavy, but not cold. The kind born of mutual understanding.

Lucan looked between the two and cleared his throat. "I'll… prepare the deployment orders."

He left quickly.

Once they were alone, Cassia's posture relaxed. "You look worse than usual."

Justinian gave a humorless chuckle. "I've been busy; I also didn't have someone to tell me when to stop working."

"Have you grown dependent on me? Justinian." She teased.

He glanced at her, and for a moment, she saw it, the exhaustion beneath the sharpness, the weight behind his eyes that not even command could hide.

"I guess you could call it that," he said softly. "You're the only one brave enough to scold me for my antics, after all."

Cassia stepped closer, hugging him. "I've missed you..."

She muttered words that Justinian didn't expect to come out of her mouth; it was an unexpected warmth after weeks of no contact.

"What's with you?" Justinian laughed, reciprocating her embrace.

"Last time I left you out of my sight, you nearly died! So don't blame me for getting emotional..."

"I'm not that dumb, you know?"

"I know..."

*** Northern Border – Crusader Encampment ***

The banners of Arethrus rippled in the snowstorm.

Marquis Raven stood before his command tent, cloak whipping violently in the wind. Before him, siege towers and catapults were being assembled, their wooden frames gleaming with oil and holy sigils.

"Status?" he asked without turning.

"Engines are ready within the day, my lord. The ground's frozen, but the machines can handle it."

"Good," Raven said, his tone like iron. "Have the clerics bless every bolt and arrow. If that heretic believes his walls will save him, he'll learn how fragile stone truly is."

Father Verdant approached, his crimson-trimmed robes glinting in the firelight. "And the infiltrators?"

"Slaughtered," Raven replied curtly. "But it doesn't matter. The walls will fall by divine will."

He turned toward the dark horizon, where the faint glow of Snowkeep burned through the blizzard.

"S-slaughtered...?"

"Was my first answer not clear, Father?"

"B-but how!? Those were white cloaks, how could..."

Father Verdant looked downward, his hands shaking. He knew personally how effective those infiltrators are, but to hear that all of them got slaughtered in their second mission to infiltrate Snowkeep.

It was unbelievable.

"It's undoubtedly the devil's doing... how would a crumbling capital like his massacre them?"

"Y-you're right... my lord, it must be."

FWOOSH!

A sudden sound of a trebuchet firing rang out in the east, enough to catch the attention of everyone in the camps, and to their surprise.

An enemy army was already on them.

But... for some reason... the banners were mixed?

"It's an ambush!" Marquis Raven yelled out, rallying his army.

Meanwhile... at the foot of the trebuchet.

It was Elberich's mercenaries, already en route to attack the encampment, to delay their preparation, or better yet, to annihilate them.

They were an expendable army, but they didn't know that; they were told that Elberich would back them up after an hour had passed.

But in truth, Elberich didn't care.

*** Farsen - Elberich's Manor ***

"I wonder... would Lord Justinian approve of this tactic?"

Elberich let out a heavy sigh, his chest heavy.

He knew in war there could be sacrifices, but despite that, it was still difficult to experience and command firsthand.

But if he were to be Justinian's vassal, and if he were to make up for his old crimes, he wanted to make sure to give Justinian as enough time and preparation as possible.

"I hope you enjoy my gift, my duke..."

He sipped his tea, his hands trembling.

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