Goddess Kaleidoscope

On his way to negotiate with the Durans in the barbican, the special envoy happened to encounter this group. They were stopped outside the city guards' lines, and their commotion attracted a large crowd of onlookers. The one leading the group and shouting the loudest was none other than Chancellor Goethe's youngest son, yelling that he wanted to kill all the inferior people.

Seeing this, the envoy quietly led his men around these young men, because if they knew what he was going to negotiate with the Durans, those young masters would probably rush up and kill him immediately.

Unlike impulsive young people, politicians consider more practical issues. From the moment the cannonballs landed above the palace, Chancellor Goethe knew that the anticipated outcome of the conquest of the northern kingdom was impossible, and that continuing would only plunge the empire into a quagmire from which it could not extricate itself.

Therefore, even if they were unwilling, the empire had no choice but to compromise.

Faced with the Durans' undisguised oppressive attitude, the envoy did not sit on those deliberately disgusting stools, but stood upright about ten meters away, loudly announcing his identity and name, and conveying the Empire's message.

In short, the Empire is willing to begin ceasefire negotiations with the Kingdom, but only on the condition that Duran's army cease shelling and withdraw from the Imperial Capital. In return, the Imperial army will make way for them to leave safely.

Upon hearing the negotiation terms offered by the special envoy, Duke Kruder merely sneered. Having dealt with the Imperials for most of his life, he knew their nature all too well. For these arrogant Imperials, this was indeed a huge "concession."

"Your country's diplomatic strategy is still the same as always. Even when you are at a disadvantage, you still have to ask for exorbitant prices first."

"I admit that your country did gain some military advantage by taking shortcuts, but that does not mean that our empire is at a disadvantage."

"Is that so? Then it seems there's no point in negotiating. Show them out."

"Huh!? Wait a minute..."

The envoy, who was prepared to "bargain," did not expect that the other party would not play by the rules. Duke Crude got up to leave, and the envoy, who was left standing there, was about to ask him to stay, but before he could say anything, several loud rumbling noises suddenly rang in his ears, which startled him and the others and made them shrink back.

"You, you, this..."

Thus, the first round of negotiations between the two sides broke down after only a few minutes. The special envoy and his party were slinked out of the barbican, and the expeditionary force conveyed their dissatisfaction to the empire with cannons. Several more rooms in the palace collapsed as a result.

The breakdown of the first round of negotiations was intentional on Lud's part. He knew that the Empire would not back down immediately after being hit by a few shots. Even if Chancellor Goethe wanted to compromise, he would deliberately put on a tough stance as if he were the one with the advantage. Therefore, Lud responded with toughness in return.

Meanwhile, back in Durand, King Canary III had learned of the attack on the capital and the subsequent actions of various factions through secret communication. This further solidified the emperor's already weakened will to continue fighting, making him even more determined to withdraw his troops from Durand as soon as possible.

The empire cannot afford to risk a war that is destined to end badly for the sake of saving face, and waste several elite legions here.

As for the reason for the retreat, resisting the barbarian invasion is a very good excuse. As long as the people at home believe that it is not that the empire cannot defeat the Duran Kingdom, but that the southern barbarians have shamelessly launched a sneak attack at a critical moment, and the imperial army has been forced to retreat in order to protect its people.

King Canariel III then convened a meeting of his generals to devise a sound withdrawal plan. At this point, Marshal Jagger cautiously inquired of the emperor, "How should we explain this to the Cult of War?"

"Explain? They're the ones who should be thinking about how to explain. They promised immediate results, but it's been four days and there's been no reaction from the other side. Nothing. It's over."

When the emperor mentioned the special envoy of the God of War, he couldn't help but look disdainful. He boasted so loudly, saying that he could make the enemy's fortress fall without a fight in just three days. In the end, it was his boastful words that fell without a fight.

Looking at the dwindling food reserves and the declining morale of the officers and soldiers due to the prolonged siege, Canary III knew very well that the retreat could no longer be delayed.

With three main army corps, 10,000 Imperial Guards, and second- and third-line auxiliary troops responsible for miscellaneous tasks, the Empire's army at the foot of Yodl Fortress now numbered 80,000 men. This did not include the remnants of the trapped Second Army Corps and the logistics troops that transported supplies back and forth.

With so many people eating, drinking, and using the facilities every day, the consumption of various supplies is definitely not a small amount. If logistical support were smooth, it would be fine, but the problem now lies precisely in logistics.

First, the supply depot on the other side of the border was destroyed. Rodriguez burned enough food to sustain an army of 100,000 for three months. Then, the local people in Durand also rose up in rebellion. The guerrilla warfare that broke out one after another increased the pressure on logistics day by day.

It is worth mentioning that the imperial high command later summarized the reasons for the failure of this war. They initially thought that the reason why the Duran people resisted far more strongly than other conquered small countries was because the Duran Kingdom, as a major country, had a more patriotic people than those third-rate small countries.

It turned out that this was not the case after investigation.

Originally, the common people of Duran, like those in other countries, had long been submissive and accustomed to being exploited, not caring who was above them as nobles. But the imperial occupying forces went too far, leaving them with nothing but destitution.

Especially the auxiliary soldiers in the second and third-line troops, these non-Canari soldiers mostly came from small countries that had been conquered by the empire, and volunteered to serve in the empire's army in order to become "honorable Canaris". The fanaticism of the converts made these traitors eager to show their loyalty to their masters, so they were particularly fierce in battle and particularly inhuman in the occupied territories.

Thanks to this pack of mad dogs that bite indiscriminately, the common people of Durand have been forced to develop a sense of "national consciousness"!

After a brief discussion, the withdrawal plan was quickly finalized. The emperor would use the pretext of a large-scale invasion by the southern barbarians to lead his army to withdraw from Duran territory, and on the way back, he would rescue the remnants of the Second Army Corps.

Some generals worried that the Durans might break out of the fortress and pursue them if they saw them leaving. Canary III stated that he would personally lead the Dragon Knights and the elite of the Imperial Guard to cover their retreat. If the Duran army didn't pursue, all was well; but if they dared to emerge from the fortress, they wouldn't be so ruthless.

Thus, the order was issued before nightfall, and most of the officers and soldiers remained relatively calm. After all, the brutal siege of the fortress had been going on for so many days, and with the Wyvern Knights unable to play a significant role, the Empire, as the attacking side, could only resort to traditional combat tactics, resulting in heavy casualties.

The soldiers of the empire went to the battlefield because they longed to rise above their station through military merit, not because they wanted to die.

So the troops began to move according to the military order, which surprised the representatives of the God of War who had not been notified in advance. The special envoy rushed to the main tent to ask to see His Majesty the Emperor, but was blocked by the Imperial Guards on guard and they refused to let him pass.

"His Majesty is resting and will not see anyone."

"I am a special envoy of the God of War Cult, and I have urgent business to discuss with you."

"No one!"

Seeing the captain of the guards' cold face and unyielding attitude, the envoy, while annoyed, also understood that the emperor's reluctance to see him was likely related to the boast he had made a few days earlier, which had ultimately proven utterly useless. However, the envoy felt innocent, as he too had been deceived.

No! To be more precise, they were deceived by someone who was "not human"!

Throughout the war of aggression launched by the Empire, the Cult of War God stood on the side of the Empire, contributing both manpower and resources, and even sending out "chosen ones." Yet, the war ended up like this, which was embarrassing not only for the Empire but also for the Cult of War God.

It's important to understand that the original plan of the War God Cult's leadership was to side with the Canary Empire in order to win all. As long as the empire conquered the kingdom, they, as the state religion, could also gain a status above other sects on the land that originally belonged to the Duran Kingdom.

Neither the Empire nor the Cult of War believed they were a powerful alliance and never considered the possibility of being "unable to win."

Given the current unfavorable situation, the Empire, considering its own interests, decided to withdraw its troops. The losses, in fact, are still within an acceptable range for the Imperial leadership. After all, they only failed to win; half the kingdom was decimated by the Imperial army, and the overall casualty ratio is still advantageous for the Empire.

But the situation for the War God Cult is not so optimistic!

In the past, the War God Cult never took sides; regardless of who attacked whom, they would help both sides and have a fair assessment of the outcome. But now, the War God Cult has intervened and taken sides, yet the battle has turned out this way, leaving many forces following the war completely astonished.

If the Empire ultimately fails, the Cult of War will not only lose the entire Duran Kingdom's large parish of over 20 million people, but will also suffer a severe blow to its reputation worldwide. Many believers may even experience a collapse of their faith as a result, which is unacceptable to the cult's leadership.

So when the battle became intense, the War God Cult was even more anxious than the emperor. And it was at this moment that some mysterious forces suddenly approached the envoy and offered to provide him with some "assistance".

To be honest, the special envoy was initially conflicted. Although the reputation of the Cult of the God of War was not exactly glorious, it was still a reputable sect. As a purple-robed bishop, even if he could not see through the true identity of the "visitor" at a glance, he could clearly sense that the other party had a huge evil aura hidden in him.

However, the envoy ultimately couldn't refuse the other party, because the "evil aura"... was truly immense!

The special envoy felt uneasy afterward, since colluding with evil is something that cannot be exposed. Once it is revealed, it will be more than just a matter of being disgraced. But the special envoy could not care about that anymore.

That's why the special envoy advised the emperor that he had a good strategy to defeat the enemy.

But now four days have passed, and everything at Yodl Fortress is as usual. The Emperor thought the envoy was exaggerating, and his impression of him had plummeted. So he simply avoided meeting him, leaving the envoy with the cold shoulder.

Back in his tent, the envoy was furious. He raised his hand and slapped a passing disciple twice. The young man was completely bewildered, having no idea what he had done to offend his master.

Just then, a string of deep purple wind chimes hanging in the room suddenly rang. The envoy glanced at the wind chimes and angrily yelled at his apprentice.

"I find it annoying to look at, get out!"

The envoy scrambled out of the tent, and as soon as he left, a person in a black robe emerged from the shadows in a corner of the tent. The hood was lifted, revealing a bewitching female face.

Upon seeing the other party, the envoy questioned him in an annoyed manner.

You lied to me!

"Sir, I didn't lie to you. We've done everything we promised."

"Then why hasn't the other side reacted? You confidently told me that as long as you made a move, the fortress would fall on its own in three days at most. And what happened? Four days have passed already!"

"Please don't be angry. We didn't expect things to turn out this way. If I had really lied to you, how could I dare to appear in front of you again?"

"Humph!"

The alluring woman spoke, then gracefully walked to the envoy's side, pressing herself against him and pulling his hand inside her robe. The envoy's expression immediately turned lustful; the exotic fragrance emanating from the woman intoxicated him, and his gaze unconsciously became somewhat unfocused, completely unaware of the bewitching purple light flickering in the woman's eyes.

"My lord, I'm here to help you. You must trust me."

"I...I believe you..."

Seeing that the envoy was completely under her control, the woman in black robes revealed a disdainful sneer, thinking that even if he was a purple-robed bishop of the God of War Church, he was still just a man, and He was best at dealing with men!

At daybreak the next day, the main force of the Imperial Army set off south, and their unusual movements were quickly detected by the Kingdom's army at the fortress. Upon learning of the enemy's retreat, King Duran's first reaction was to give chase.

Our own country isn't a public toilet. How can you imperialists come and go as you please? We have to give them a hard time!

However, just as King Duran was about to give the order, the Queen, who rushed back from outside, stopped him on the spot. Several ministers who were still relatively clear-headed also stepped forward to speak up, urging His Majesty not to act impulsively.

The ministers felt that the imperial army's retreat might be a trap, and that the kingdom was already exhausted. The garrison in the fortress was said to number 50,000, but in reality, the number was much higher, with only about 10,000 being truly combat-ready, and less than 2,000 of them being cavalry suitable for the pursuit.

This small force is good enough to hold the fortified city, but if they were to go out and fight the Imperial army in open battle, it's hard to say who would win.

Seeing that the Queen and ministers all said so, King Duran, who had calmed down, did not order a pursuit. However, he was still very angry, so he asked his ministers if they had any good ideas on how to make trouble for the retreating imperialists. The Queen pointed outside and laughed.

"Someone is already making things difficult for the Imperials."

On the other side, the elite Imperial Guard, personally led by Canary III, was responsible for bringing up the rear of the column. Their marching speed was slow, but their formation was neat and orderly, ready to change tactics and switch to battle mode at any time. Unfortunately, they did not encounter the expected Durandians, but instead encountered certain things that were "not human" in every sense of the word.

As those familiar, enormous figures swept across the sky above the army formation, the "pain mask" appeared on almost every face.

"It's them again! Again?"

Looking at the several dragons circling overhead, Canary III frowned and observed for a moment. Seeing that they did not bring the familiar "giant barrels," he felt a little more at ease. However, he soon noticed that there seemed to be a person sitting on the back of one of the dragons.

Just as he was wondering what kind of trouble the other side was up to, a melodious tune suddenly came from the sky. Upon hearing the melody, the Canary soldiers on the ground were all taken aback, because the music was not unfamiliar to them; it was very traditional Canary music.

However, this "hometown tune" is usually only played on certain special occasions, such as... funerals!

After a brief moment of surprise, Canary III immediately understood what the other party was doing and muttered speechlessly.

"Master Lude, when it comes to being disgusting, you're the one!"

A three-headed dragon hovered above the Imperial army, continuously playing the "Canary Mourning Music Series" on a loop using amplification magic. This gave the Imperial soldiers, who were marching normally, an unsettling feeling—why the hell do we look like we're having a funeral procession?

Being subjected to all sorts of disgusting acts, yet unable to retaliate in kind, is perhaps the most painful thing in the world. Some soldiers couldn't bear it any longer and simply stuffed their ears with scraps of cloth.

The Empire's tens of thousands of troops retreated less than twenty miles in a single day, a very slow pace indeed. Fortunately, the journey was uneventful. The Kingdom's army at Yodl Fortress seemed to be aware of the disparity in combat strength between themselves and the Imperial legions, and only sent some scouts to follow them at a distance.

This left Canary III somewhat disappointed. The reason his army marched so slowly during the day was to lure the royal army into ambush, then launch a surprise attack. Unfortunately, King Durand did not fall for it, presumably persuaded by his capable ministers.

Canary III planned to march slowly for another day. If the Durans still didn't catch up, he would resume a normal marching pace, quickly approach the location of the remnants of the Second Army Corps, and then head straight back.

The situation at home could no longer be delayed. The barbarians to the south, Duke Steiner to the east, and the Durand expeditionary force that had invaded the capital had turned the entire core of the empire into chaos. If he didn't go back soon, his home might be destroyed.

After nightfall, Canary III dismissed his attendants and lay down fully clothed on the soft couch to rest with his eyes closed. He dared not relax too much during the retreat, so he didn't even take off his clothes to sleep.

Although physically and mentally exhausted, Canary III couldn't sleep. Ever since he last saw Rude and learned that his daughter was still alive, whenever he had a moment of free time, his mind was filled with thoughts of his daughter, Romian, and he would recall all the beautiful memories he had with his beloved wife, Liana. In the end, he would secretly shed tears.

On several occasions, Canary III even considered renouncing the throne just to see his daughter, but reason ultimately prevailed. He himself had no attachment to the throne, but having taken it, he felt obligated to his subjects.

As for bringing his daughter to live with him, Canary III did have this idea, but he quickly dismissed it. Just as Rude had said when they first met, it was not safe for Romian to be with him. The deep-rooted racial prejudice in the empire made it impossible for the subjects to accept a princess with demi-human blood.

Therefore, for his daughter's safety, Canary III had no choice but to avoid seeing Romian and endure the torment of missing her alone.

As Canary III lay on the soft couch, heartbroken, a gust of cold wind swept by, and a cloud of black mist seeped in through the gaps in the tent, taking on a human shape in the shadows and walking toward the emperor with his eyes closed.

In a daze, Canary III seemed to smell a faint scent of jasmine that he missed dearly. When he opened his eyes, he saw a person standing in front of him, a woman he had longed for for many years but could no longer see. Canary III couldn't help but think that he was dreaming.

"Leona!?"

"Your Majesty, my Your Majesty."

The woman smiled and waved to the emperor, her voice seemingly possessing a captivating magic that caused Canary III to drift into a daze, repeatedly murmuring his deceased wife's name before rising and walking toward her.