After choosing to leave, they regretted it.

The Knight Commander observed Leah's somewhat unhappy expression and asked cautiously:

"...Lady Leia, everyone is awaiting orders regarding follow-up arrangements."

"Follow-up arrangements? Uh..."

Leah was stunned for a moment.

Aize's move really made her a little upset, so much so that she forgot about the important things.

The first goal of this expedition was to defeat the Great Witch and her army stationed in the Anlin Plains. That had been accomplished, and now...

What should I do next?

It should have been included in Aize's detailed battle plan, but unfortunately, she only saw the part about successfully defeating the target and didn't even look at the subsequent part.

After all, the "but" following the conclusion you want always makes people lose desire.

By the way, the map recording all the information collected by Aize had just been thrown away by Leah, and was now lying crumpled in a dark corner like a piece of waste paper.

So even the last minute thought can’t be done.

"Hmm... next..."

His hesitant look made his subordinates feel a little annoyed. He sighed slightly and reminded:

"Lady Leah, according to the plan set by Lord Aize, it's time to start preparing for retreat."

"……retreat?"

Leah's expression froze.

This battle was very chaotic from the very beginning, so the plan formulated by Aize was generally a quick attack and quick retreat - using the highly mobile knights to seize the flaws to defeat the opponent, and then quickly withdraw.

If you drag your feet and let the other party come to their senses, you will be at risk of being surrounded from multiple sides or even wiped out.

Therefore, this was more like a precise decapitation operation rather than a real attack. This was also the reason why Aize was extremely opposed to this action - it was too risky, and it was completely a gamble with the lives of the entire army.

However, Miss Brave clearly had her own ideas.

Faced with her subordinates' remarks, the composure she had tried so hard to maintain suddenly broke down, and she almost slammed the table and stood up immediately.

"Retreat!? Are you kidding!? We spent so much to capture the Anlin Plain. As long as we hold it, we can directly attack the demon territory from here and end the war in one fell swoop! Why retreat at this time!?"

Leia has been troubled by the huge casualties this time - even if she has tied Silver Star's record on paper, if her side cannot move for a period of time, it will only be a matter of time before they are overtaken again.

So, no matter what, you can't just go back like this.

If the victory could be expanded directly to the Demon Tribe's homeland, not only would the loss this time become insignificant, but no matter what contribution Silver Star made in the future, it would never surpass his own.

The knight was stunned for a moment, then slightly shifted his gaze and shook his head:

"But we don't have enough supplies, and Lord Aize said that..."

"Aize aize aize! You thought I was fake? You see, that guy is not only not a hero anymore, he's even shamelessly deserted!"

Leah interrupted unhappily.

There was another reason she was against retreating—it was a plan that Aize had devised.

It would be fine if we were in the same team before, but now that he has run away, I still have to listen to this coward's opinions? That's really disgusting.

So are these guys below.

Compared to himself, the captain of the brave team, the warriors below seem to have a closer relationship with Aize. This is a good opportunity to correct their misconceptions and let them know who is in charge.

Thinking of this, Leah raised her head and said to the Knight Commander in front of her with a proud expression:

"What? Do I need to remind you who is the hero and who is the commander of this team?"

"……Need not."

"Alright, pass the order down. Arrange vehicles to evacuate the bodies of the fallen and the seriously injured. The rest of you will build a defensive line on the spot to prevent a counterattack from the demons!"

"Also, immediately send a message to the surrounding lords and nobles, requesting them to provide the next batch of supplies. Understood!?"

"...as you command."

This is not that easy.

But faced with the arrogant Leia who was using her title of hero to argue, the experienced warrior and commander had nothing to say. He could only nod silently and then leave the tent.

Outside the tent, several other knight commanders were waiting. Excluding those who were unconscious or killed, all the cadres except the brave men in this small expeditionary force were gathered.

"I can't figure out how Lord Aize managed to tolerate this guy for two years."

The team leader in charge of the report sighed tiredly and looked at the others with an unhappy look.

"As agreed, report to me and when you get back you all have to take turns buying me a drink, understand?"

The army under the brave team "Goddess Blade" was almost all formed by Aize alone, so these warriors are closer to him than to the nominal captain Leah.

Aize's undefeated record, as well as his gentle, low-key and approachable personality, also made him extremely trusted by his subordinates.

However, now that Aize is gone, the person he reports to has become Leah.

This means that there must be an unlucky person to go to jail in front of her instead of Aize.

Such a task frightened these experienced veterans. After staring at each other in amazement, they decided to solve the problem by drawing lots.

The additional condition is that the others have to treat the person who draws the "good lot" to a drink.

So, what happened above happened.

After hearing his speech, the others nodded immediately.

"Of course, of course. It's a deal."

"But on the other hand, please take care of the reports for the next few days~"

"I have some blood pressure medicine handed down from my ancestors. It was originally prepared for Lord Aize. How about... you take some?"

"Go! Go! Go--"

The victim, whose nerves had just been tortured, waved his hands unhappily.

"Compared to this, I don't know what happened to Lord Aize now. Sigh, if you want to leave, at least tell us..."

Chapter 4 The Princess's Little Plan

When Heidi opened her eyes on the camp bed, she found herself lying in the medical tent of the camp, surrounded by wounded soldiers wrapped in bandages and busy medics.

Plus the strong smell of blood and medicine that almost makes people vomit.

"Well--"

I propped myself up and sat up in bed, looking outside. The dusk in my last memory had turned into night, with only a few oil lamps providing faint light.

This means that he had been unconscious for at least several hours.

Even so, my body still felt numb from time to time, which also showed how serious the injury I suffered yesterday was.

"That damn witch is so cruel!"

Heidi Yalter, a member of the Goddess Blade team, is also one of the twenty heroes in this world.

What’s special is that she is not from another world, but a chosen local.

She is even the princess of the Kingdom of Arte.

Despite having this identity, Heidi was assigned to a heavy armored profession called Guardian in the Brave Lineage. To put it more bluntly, it is a tank, the kind that holds the line at the front.

She was puzzled and dissatisfied with this.

For example, this time, as she was at the front of the team, she was knocked down shortly after the battle began because she was hit by dozens of spells in a row, and has been lying there ever since.

"Really? I'm a princess after all. Shouldn't I be given a more elegant job? Like Rosaline..."

The princess's face is not just face, it also represents the prestige and dignity of the royal family.

He was always at the front in every battle, crawling around until he was covered in dust and wounds, which was really not a good look.

It is said that some nobles have privately given her titles such as "Human Shield Princess" and "Sandbag Majesty". It gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Heidi sighed and got out of bed. She responded to the salutes of the soldiers along the way and walked outside. The scenery in the dim moonlight made her frown.

The once bustling camp now seemed very deserted. Even the patrolling guards were few and far between. Wounds were everywhere within sight, and faint wailing could be heard almost everywhere.

You don't even need to read the report to know how devastating the loss is.

Of course, this wasn't beyond the expectations of Aize's pre-report, but the numbers on paper and the actual impact of being there were completely different. Heidi held her forehead and sighed deeply.

"...How will we explain the loss of the assembled knights when we return?"

Reality is not a game. In a strategy game, as long as you mine enough ores and open the barracks, you will have an endless supply of fearless troops to command and consume.

But in reality, the army, especially the elite knights, guards, combat magicians, etc., are all very valuable assets. Even for a brave man, it is not an easy task to get these soldiers from the church or the nobles.

Now, the army in his hands has suffered such a huge loss. Even if he has achieved the outstanding achievement of killing the great witch, it is bound to be used as an excuse to make trouble after he returns.

However, Heidi wasn't really worried.

After all, Aize is here, so just leave everything to him.

Although his fighting ability is not good, Aize's ability to deal with these troublesome things is at the genius level.

Thanks to him, in the past two years, Goddess Blade has always received the most support and has never been defeated in any battle. Heidi has gained a lot of reputation almost without doing anything.

And it doesn't stop there.

The Kingdom of Arte, to which Heidi belongs, is located right at the border between human and demon territories.

In the dark years before the arrival of the hero, the Kingdom of Arte, which was the first to be hit, suffered unprecedented losses. Half of its territory fell and the royal family suffered heavy casualties.

As a result, the royal family declined and the nobles took the opportunity to build up their own armies, which almost led to a civil war due to the usurpation of the throne. Heidi was helpless and almost in despair.

However, with a series of operations by Aize, his originally shaky position was actually stabilized and even improved.

So, Heidi likes Aize very much.

How could Heidi not like a tool who is always available, handles all troubles perfectly, efficiently and accurately, and does not ask for anything in return?

To be honest, Heidi doesn't like Leah as the captain. After all, she is arrogant and brainless, but in this matter, she really has to thank her boss.

After all, if she hadn't persecuted and PUA him so cruelly, how would he have had the chance to establish a good relationship with Aize, and naturally there wouldn't be the current situation.

That’s right, Aize likes himself.

At least that's what Heidi thought.

Otherwise, why would you help yourself like this?

It made sense when you thought about it. After all, in this team, he was the only one who would not torture Aize's blood pressure, and the only one who could talk to her when she was depressed.

It's normal for boys to like people like this, right?

Therefore, Heidi gritted her teeth and got engaged to Aize.

On the one hand, it is to drive away potential pests that may dig into one's own corner, on the other hand -

Aize's methods are quite famous in the aristocratic circle. As long as they are bound to him by a marriage contract, those who want to rebel will have to think twice no matter how daring they are.

Also, Aize himself doesn't seem to be interested in women, so he won't use this engagement to ask anything of me. Is there a more perfect win-win situation (Heidi wins twice) than this?

nonexistent.

Thinking of this, Heidi looked at the situation in front of her again and shook her head.

"...Come to think of it, it's been hours, and the camp is still in such a mess. What the hell is that guy doing? Is he even working properly?"

It's not possible that he was knocked unconscious and still hasn't woken up, right?

If this is true, then Heidi really has to go and see him. After all, he is her "fiancé" and she still has to maintain the superficial relationship.

Thinking of this, Heidi walked towards the tent where the central command center of the fortress was located, and then -

"Alas, I don't know what happened to Lord Aize. The way back is not safe. He doesn't even have a horse to ride!"

"After all, Master Aize is a hero. There's no need to worry about this..."

"But he was so badly injured! When I first brought him back, he couldn't even speak! When have you ever seen a hero spit out so much blood?!"

"Well, if you want to leave, at least tell us. We can send some people to escort him... At least send him to Tafia!"

In the darkness, several knights gathered together to discuss.