Chapter 84: The Restoration Army
“Oh, is that all? Just bandits? Nothing to be afraid of,” Leona said confidently, squeezing her legs against the horse’s flanks (her legs were too short to reach its belly) and urging it forward. “Let’s go, East Wind! A glorious knight wouldn’t retreat from mere bandits!”
Leona’s beloved East Wind responded instantly, proudly raising its hooves and trotting forward with a brisk pace.
The robbed merchant rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Damn it, those hypocritical nobles will do anything for show. Even a little girl who hasn’t even grown hair can be knighted. Just another spoiled brat from some noble family.”
His voice was low, seemingly inaudible to others. But Leona, as the world’s strongest Dou Warrior, had superhuman hearing, honed by her Dou Qi. “What was that? Did my lack of hair eat your bread? Want me to teach you a lesson?” she glared at him.
She lifted the sleeping Abyss from East Wind’s back, pretending to throw him at the merchant, who quickly scurried away, shrinking his neck in fear.
Leona and Flora, of course, weren’t afraid of any bandits. Leona’s combat prowess was unquestionable, and Flora could easily use her Repentance spell to turn bandits into paragons of virtue, ensuring they wouldn’t stray from the righteous path for two hundred years.
Thus, the two girls, standing at the pinnacle of the world’s fighting force, continued their journey without fear, even though they encountered several dejected merchants returning empty-handed after being robbed.
…
The shortest route from the Western Empire’s capital to the Eastern Empire passed through the Western Empire’s newly acquired territory—the land recently seized from the Kingdom of Ossi. The area where the merchants had warned them about bandit activity was within this territory.
Many citizens of the former Ossi Kingdom, now forcibly incorporated into the Western Empire, were resentful. They refused to cooperate with the new administration, and some even resorted to banditry, hiding in the mountains. The Western Empire’s officials couldn’t simply kill these uncooperative people. If they resorted to violence against those who hadn’t committed any crimes, the bandit problem would only worsen.
Therefore, the Western Empire could only rely on compulsory education and minor reforms to gradually assimilate these rebellious Ossi people over generations. As for the current bandit problem, they only dispatched troops to escort large caravans. Smaller merchants, unwilling to spend a fortune on guards, hired only a few low-level mercenaries to protect their goods, making them easy targets for bandits.
Rumors spread that these bandits weren’t ordinary criminals but a force specifically targeting the Western Empire’s citizens and resources, funneling their loot to the “Restoration Army” of the Ossi Kingdom. This theory was supported by their unusual discipline and their reluctance to kill. They only robbed goods and wouldn’t harm anyone who didn’t resist or simply fled. This policy effectively reduced the Western Empire’s desire to pursue them relentlessly.
Leona and Flora, encountering several returning merchants along the way, learned more about this “Restoration Army.”
A few years ago, when the Western Empire invaded the Ossi Kingdom, the old King of Ossi had chosen to fight to the death. This decision, although popular among the people, was clearly suicidal. The Ossi Kingdom, only one-sixth the size of the Western Empire, stood no chance against its well-equipped army. Many within the court and among the people opposed the King’s decision.
The resistance led by the old King hadn’t even lasted a month when the leader of the pro-surrender faction, the King’s own son, the Prince of Ossi, staged a coup. He led a group of loyal soldiers, stormed the royal headquarters, captured his father, forced him to abdicate, and then, upon ascending the throne, swiftly signed a treaty with the Western Empire, ceding territory in exchange for peace. Although the treaty forced the Ossi Kingdom to relinquish a large and strategically important portion of their land, it ended the war.
The old King had another child, a daughter. The Princess of Ossi was a staunch supporter of fighting to the death. After her brother usurped the throne and signed the humiliating treaty, she immediately disowned him.
The new King couldn’t allow her to remain a threat and quickly declared her a traitor, sending soldiers to arrest her.
However, the princess wasn’t naive. She had anticipated this outcome after disowning her brother. Before the King’s soldiers arrived, she escaped the capital with the help of her supporters, successfully crossing the new border and establishing a force in the lost territory, calling it the “Restoration Army,” aiming to reclaim the Ossi Kingdom from the usurper King.
But this army was shrouded in mystery. They hadn’t launched any attacks and remained only a legend among travelers. Rumors spread that the princess, after forming this army, began having strange dreams that plagued her sleep, rendering her unable to lead. Some speculated that the new King had hired black mages to curse her, but this explanation didn’t satisfy Leona’s curiosity.
“Black mages? Why do you blame everything on black mages?” Leona asked, frowning at two dejected dwarf merchants sitting by the road.
“Oh, beautiful lady, these are just rumors we’ve heard,” one of the dwarves said, spreading his thick hands. “Some even say the princess is already dead, and the current leader of the Restoration Army is her maid.”
“Others say she’s just having erotic dreams, nothing strange at all,” the other dwarf added.
“Your stories are unreliable,” Leona said dismissively.
“We’re being completely honest,” the first dwarf said with a nervous chuckle. “We wouldn’t dare lie to such beautiful ladies. Every word is true gold.”
“Tsk, lecherous dwarves. Even after being robbed, you still can’t resist flirting with girls.”
As Leona spoke, her ears twitched.
She listened intently, then looked up, her expression alert. “You two, hide quickly. A group of people are approaching. They seem to be armed. They might be bandits!” she warned the dwarves.
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