The Girl Who Hacked The Magic System

"Your Highness, the army from this viscount is a bit haphazard. They didn't prepare mantiments in advance and are relying on taking what they need from the villages in their way to Beaudorf."

As the troops move on the fields, the movement in the office gets more hectic. Troops are sent in small detachments to either attack a provisions convoy or to rally the people in the countryside.

"What's its size?"

"Eight hundred men."

"Eight hundred? How did a viscount get that many?"

"They seem to be conscript levies. Morale doesn't seem very high, and they aren't well equipped."

Fuck those nobles.

An army like that we could crush easily ourselves. But I don't want to taint the soil with the blood of people who have been forced into this war against their will.

"How many actual fighters does he have?"

"Less than thirty."

"How's the state of the domain?"

"We weren't able to survey it, but we've seen thick smoke, so maybe there has been some burning of villages."

Fuck those nobles. Again.

I turn to the officer who has been monitoring the situation in Otbert's office.

"Ludger, how long do you think that the leaders will take to assemble in their meeting?"

"From the pace of their troops, I would say three hours, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Ludger."

I turn back to the officer who brought me the report about the viscount.

"Do we have a portal ready near that army?"

"We do, at a point on the road that they will be reaching in fifteen minutes."

"Okay. Ingela, Lovelace, you two come with me."

"Finally some action!"

"You're going to take on the eight hundred alone?"

Yaci seems a bit flustered with my decision.

"No, silly. We'll just snipe the viscount and the knights."

"Oh, okay."

The officer leads me to the portal he mentioned, and the three of us cross it.

"What's the plan, Aurea?"

"What I said to Yaci. We don't harm any peasant, under any circumstance. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"You can drop the 'your highness' thing when we're alone, Ingela."

"But this is an actual mission in the middle of a war, and you're giving me an order."

"You have a point... Lovelace, please scout the army ahead."

"Right."

Though the army is said to arrive in fifteen minutes, we are at a point of the road where it takes a sharp turn, and the visibility is cut by a hill. I can see why the portal was put here, a perfect spot for an ambush.

Lovelace casts her strengthening aria on the three of us, while I cast the one to make us lighter. Then, she jumps to the hill until she can get a suitable position for watching without being seen.

A few minutes later, she's back.

"It seems that the viscount is at the lead of the march, flanked by most of his knights. There are three knights at the end of the army and two at each side."

"Yeah, those are probably there to ensure nobody deserts. We wait in the road. I'll cast an illusion spell to make us invisible. I kill the viscount, and you two the knights in front. Make sure to not hit the peasants. Wait for my signal."

"Right!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

:::

Another few minutes later, the army takes the turn and appears in front of us. It's pretty obvious who the viscount is; one can surmise just by looking at who has the shiniest armor.

Not shiniest as in best armor. But literal shine from the several gemstones reflecting sunlight. An armor that is much more for show than actually useful in battle.

It doesn't matter, as he's dead as soon as he gets five meters from me.

Less than a second later, the knights also fall dead from their horses, while the peasants still haven't processed what's happening.

At my signal, Lovelace and Ingela go to get the remaining knights that are at the flanks and at the end.

I walk calmly to the horse that was being ridden by the viscount, relieve it from the dead weight, and then mount myself.

The peasants are frozen with surprise and terror, looking at the sides and at each other, unsure of what to do.

But it's okay. I wait for my companions to finish their jobs and use an aria to better convey my voice.

"Do you people know who I am?"

My question seems to bring them back to reality, and someone in the back row shouts.

"It's the daughter of the Saint! Princess Aurea!!!"

I try my most charming and comforting smile.

"Exactly. Now, I ask you. Why are you all here?"

Before I can properly finish the question, the person who first recognized me falls to his knees. Then others. Soon the whole army are on their knees and with their heads lowered.

One of the men speaks with a loud voice. He has a commanding presence, so he must be a leader of a village or something.

"I'm really sorry, Your Highness. We all are. We didn't want to take up arms against you, but we were forced to. The viscount took our families hostage and set one of the villages aflame. So please, have mercy on us!"

Fuck! It's even worse than I expected.

"Are your families still being held? Did he leave knights behind?"

"They are all on his keep, but all knights came with the army. He left some ruffians taking care of them."

"Wait. He left his keep under the command of ruffians and went away? I think that that's the stupidest thing I've heard all day. Well, do you want to go back to your villages and families?"

"Yes, we do..."

"Then, raise your heads, as you did nothing wrong. No, you are the ones who were wronged here. Ingela, go to the office and tell them to send a squad here."

"Yes, your Highness!"

She goes to the portal and disappears, to the complete astonishment of the former army.

Soon after, Ingela comes back with a squad of a bit over twenty people, having both beastkin and humans among them.

To most people here, it's the very first time seeing a beastkin person. Of course, they heard about the new law and the Church's promulgations, but they couldn't care less about it all.

They are farmers and artisans, living a life harsh enough to not have time to worry about if other races are people or not.

After all, even though there are slaves, they are more like pricy pets and house servants. The actual labor is handled by free people. So, to everyone here, slavery is simply not a part of their daily lives.

After everyone on the squad is grouped, I talk to them, loud enough so everyone can hear.

"These people have been forced into a war they don't want. Their families have been taken hostage and are in a keep guarded by ruffians. So, your job is to go with these people and rescue their families, then escort them home and hold the keep."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Then I turn again to the former army.

"This is a squad of very competent soldiers whom I've trained personally, so I can attest to their seriousness and rightfulness. You can go with them without fear. I can't join the rescue, because there are other battlefields that demand my attention, but I wish you all a safe return home!"

The men don't know if they should cheer, cry, say thanks, or talk between themselves, so they try to do all that at the same time. I smile and wave, then I dismount from the horse and go back to the office with Ingela and Lovelace.

This is one battle won.