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Chapter 299 part 1

Asteria’s arrival at the Romal Empire’s Eighth Legion’s camp in the Vastazi Hills was remarkably swift.

After swiftly completing greetings with the legion’s staff, including the corps leader Marquis Magnusolf, she walked among the tightly packed soldiers. Despite their lowly status, barely allowed a glance at her, she expressed sincere gratitude and appreciation, engaging them with a caring voice.

Marquis Magnusolf and others unfamiliar with Asteria, were greatly flustered by her actions. However, no objections came from Kyles or the chief chamberlain, her most powerful advocates. They followed Asteria closely, ensuring no one could intervene.

As a result of several battles with the Demon King’s army, the Romal Empire’s Eighth Legion had suffered many casualties, and those who still had a chance of survival were being treated in tents set up in the hilly area, which served as field hospitals.

Inside, partitioned by stakes driven into the ground, ropes, and talismans that purified the air, the smell of blood from soaked bandages, the stench of festering wounds, and the moans of unbearable pain filled the air.

Although many army doctors and legion-affiliated priests worked hard to keep death at bay, which no one could avoid, the gloomy atmosphere was undeniable, as if even the bright sunlight was dimmed.

Asteria’s unexpected visit disrupted Magnusolf and the others, and the medical staff was in a panic over the princess’ visit.

The doctors and legionnaires on the scene told Asteria in no uncertain terms that this was not a suitable place for a princess to visit, even if her mother’s status was low, but Asteria responded with a gentle smile, showing her iron will by saying that she could not encourage the heroes who fought for the empire without visiting them.

As a princess, or rather, as a model of nobility, Asteria’s words and actions reflected her firm resolve and even those who had tried to stop her had no choice but to make way for her.

The exceptions were Kyles, the chief attendant, and a few other direct subordinates of Asteria, who knew that she was doing this as part of her calculations to win over the people’s hearts, as well as Gwandan and Amria, who were disguised as maids and wearing armor and helmets to hide their faces, but they had no intention of stopping her in the first place.

When the arrival of Asteria, who surpassed the image of a princess that the people of the empire could imagine, was announced, the soldiers lying on their beds in pain genuinely believed that the smell of blood and pus, and the pungent smell of chemicals, had disappeared, replaced by an elegant fragrance and a dazzling aura.

Just by showing up, Asteria, the woman, made the wounded soldiers forget their suffering and pain. It goes without saying that this was a calculated move, taking into account the influence that the existence of a princess would have.

At the sight of Asteria and Kyles, who was guarding her side, the soldiers were so awestruck that they lowered their heads as much as their bodies allowed on their beds or even tried to get out of bed and prostrate themselves, but Asteria stopped them with her not-so-loud voice.

Although it was unlikely that her voice would reach from one end of the tent to the other, there was no wounded soldier who missed it, as the only other sounds were the occasional groans from between clenched teeth.

Asteria not only approached each wounded soldier and spoke to them, but also touched their wounded bodies, held their hands, and asked them where they were born, raised, and how they came to this battlefield. She listened intently to their past and present, their fears, regrets, and suffering on the battlefield, even though she realized that it was like shooting herself in the foot, considering that this was the front line against the Demon King’s army and every second counted.

Even so, no one tried to stop Asteria anymore.

Asteria’s encouragement and gratitude to the wounded could not be completed in a single day, and that day, it was decided to wrap things up at dusk.

Asteria’s top-quality dress was stained with the red of the wounded soldiers’ blood, as well as the yellow and greenish stains of chemicals and pus. This was the result of her going around encouraging the wounded soldiers without worrying about getting her dress dirty.

After a brief break for a change of clothes, Asteria was scheduled to meet with Magnusolf and other leaders of the Eighth Legion to discuss the information gathered from the previous battles and the future course of action.

In a room prepared in the command center, which was surprisingly sturdy for a hastily built structure, Asteria was being changed by her maids with their practiced hands.

The windows of the room were tightly shut, as if to keep out any prying eyes, and more than half of the maids in the room were also warriors who had undergone rigorous training to deal with emergencies.

And the room prepared for Asteria! The floor, ceiling, and walls were decorated with elegant designs that were unimaginable for a front-line command center, and the elaborate embroidery of gold and silver threads on the thick carpet was so delicate that it was breathtaking.

The golden incense burner emitting a slightly sweet-smelling smoke, as well as the paintings hanging on the walls, were all symbols of the Romal Empire’s wealth, and each one would have cost a mountain of gold coins.

If one were blindfolded and led here, one would believe it to be a room in a palace, even after the blindfold was removed.

In the bathroom attached to such a room, Asteria was gracefully reclining in a bathtub filled with hot water infused with scented oil. The transparent water, steaming with vapor, was filled with petals of various kinds of flowers, and the bathroom was filled with an indescribable fragrance.

Several maids were waiting in the bathroom so that Asteria could call them at any time.

Of these, two of them were gently massaging Asteria’s tired body, their delicate fingers moving directly on her skin, immersed in the hot water.

Although the people in the room were all women, and only those who knew the circumstances were present, Asteria showed no sign of shyness. Not because she trusted the maids…

If Asteria had been capable of such a state of mind, her treatment of Amria would not have been as it had been, but rather, it would have been the ordinary kind of treatment given to an enemy in a struggle for the imperial succession.

The answer, when revealed, was simple and cold.

To Asteria, the maids who were now cleansing her body, which had been touched by the voices of the wounded and the smell of blood, were beings no more worthy of recognition than objects.

Shyness is something that one feels only when dealing with someone who is at least close to oneself.

Since the maids were golems, tools that had blood, breath, beating hearts, and could communicate, but were no different from golems to Asteria.

Instead of Asteria, there was a woman who shyly averted her gaze at the sight of her shamelessly naked body. It was Amria, who had been invited by Asteria to continue her disguise.

Although they acknowledged each other as completely different people on the inside, the younger sister, at least, felt embarrassed when she saw someone with the same face as her own exposing her body in front of so many people, as if she herself was being seen.

Behind Amria were Yachiyo and Fuka, who had disembarked from the ship and joined her, as well as Lynette, who looked half-amused at the scene.

The others, Gundeus, Kyrlinne, Gwandan, and Kyles, were on guard duty in the corridor outside the room.

「How was it, Amria? Was visiting the injured soldiers too overwhelming for you?

Or perhaps you are used to the smell of blood and medicine, and the constant sound of suffering, because I heard that you were helping to treat the refugees in the settlement at the end of the world?」

Asteria asked her sister teasingly, without a trace of the disgust or concern she had felt for the soldiers who had just wet her clothes. Amria let out a short but heavy sigh, as if she had forgotten about the wounded soldiers.

「The people I met in that settlement were those who had been unjustly driven from their homes, had nowhere to go, and were still trying to live their lives. But the people I met just now were not being chased, but were the ones doing the chasing.

And the reason they were injured was not because their homes were burned down for no reason, but because they fought against the invaders to protect their country, which is something to be proud of.
」

「So, no need for pity or sympathy?」

「No, it’s not like you to jump to conclusions, big sister. But even so, both groups of people are suffering and in pain. They are lives that fear death and try to live hard.」

「I see, you’re saying saintly things. Would you be better suited to be a saint than a princess?」

She wasn’t teasing or being sarcastic. She was seriously considering the possibility. Even Asteria thought that this sister of hers was different from her in terms of her sensibilities. She didn’t feel like pursuing it any further, though it was interesting.

「You’ve become less reserved towards me lately. We can have normal sisterly conversations, can’t we?」

「Normal sisters, huh?」

When Amria thought of sisters, the closest ones she could think of were Lynette, Gundeus, and Kyrlinne, the three unrelated maid sisters, but even Amria hesitated to describe them as “normal sisters” despite their good relationship.

For better or worse, there were few people around Amria who fit the definition of normal.

「I don’t particularly aspire to be normal.

That’s enough bathing for now. I’m going to attend the war council with Marquis Magnusolf　and the others. Amria, you will also attend in that disguise. I will also allow your guards to attend.」

Asteria stood up from the bathtub, her naked body covered in water droplets, and as she was led out by the maids, the other maids quickly approached her and surrounded her body, wiping it dry in no time.

Amria bowed her head slightly to her sister, who could be seen between the maids.

「I understand. I will do as you say, sister.」

It was a voice that anyone could tell was full of implications. It seemed that this sister’s patience and endurance were reaching their limits.