SHK CH 744 (Patreon)

While Sol was busy working on the fine details of his suit with Arachne,  Milia was also busy in her own way. Perhaps vastly more so than Sol. 

What was a wedding? This was a question that had many possible answers depending on the viewpoint of the ones getting married and the ones organizing said wedding. 

This was why Milia could give one answer in full confidence.

“Wedding is war,” Milia said with her hand behind her back. The skirt of her pristine black and white maid attire fluttered under the wind as she inspected the row of maids, battle maids, soldiers, and other such people with a severe expression. Many of the people present were also members of the Crown Shadow, but as always, they were completely hidden in the crowd. 

Walking with a large stride, Milia was giving judgmental eyes to some of the soldiers or newer maids who appeared to be too sloppy. 

Some of the soldiers with little experience were getting a little mad, but a shake of the head from their seniors calmed them down. They all knew that, while she had no official title, Milia was, for all intents and purposes, the right hand of Sol Luxuria. 

In the past, some people thought that she reached her position only thanks to her alluring body and by lying on her back in the Prince’s office. But her display during the war was enough to change the negative opinion of her. 

For Milia, this was usually a shame. There was worth in being underestimated. People always showed their true face in front of the ones they considered to be lesser and of no threat. 

But at this very moment, she was glad there would be no one dumb enough to challenge her. They did not have the time for such futility. 

“Madam, permission to speak.” A tall and muscular middle-aged man was the first one to question her. He was tall enough that he towered over Milia, but facing her, he made sure to lower his head as much as possible. Milia did not get angry.  “Knight Commander William [1]. It has been a while. I see you are back from your expedition.” 

In fact, she gave a rare, gentle smile to the old man. William was once a knight captain in the Black Knight order, who had been working under the Tyr family and was a loyal soldier to the crown. So loyal in fact that, when he doubted that the prince may have been getting manipulated by Clara, he did not hesitate to clash many times with the elven woman. Milia knew that back then, he had been ready to die for his conviction, and this made her like him all the more.

Loyal knights should always be cherished, after all. Even more so when they were war veteran. 

“Excuse me. Should I call you William White now?” She gave an even bigger smile. Sol had made many promises, and they were delivered. From a simple knight with no peerage, William became a noble with a hereditary title. 

Of course, it was only a simple Hereditary Baron title and some land on the frontier. But this alone was more than many soldiers could have ever hoped to obtain in the past. 

William shook his head, “I am still getting used to my new title, madam.” 

“Still humble, I see. Very well, permission granted. Speak.”

William straightened slightly, though he kept his posture respectful. His voice was steady, calm, and as disciplined as ever.

“There’s been unrest in the eastern villages. Rumors of monster sightings near the border. Minor ones—nothing large enough to warrant a formal dispatch—but it may disrupt the transport lines if left unchecked.”

Milia narrowed her eyes. 

The eastern region again. Milia thought, keeping her face impassive. It was with a supreme force of will that she did not start cursing out. 

This was the region that was previously under the Gorfard family's control. The loss of a noble family of such weight could never easily be filled, and it was clear that the enemies would not let this occasion go. 

Lustburg also shared its eastern frontier with Greed Dike, the land of dwarves, and Gluttony Foss, the country of the chimera.

“This close to the wedding?” She tapped her fingers against her elbow, her expression unreadable.

“I believe it’s exactly because of the wedding that unrest is growing,” William added. Despite his appearance, he was far from being all brawn and no brain. One couldn’t reach his position without some smart. 

Milia nodded. “Send a squad. Quietly. I don’t want this becoming a topic among the nobles once again.”

William hesitated a little, “I would like to request ten Power Armors.”

Milia stopped, her eyes narrowing, as she looked at William once again. All traces of a smile vanished from her face. “Knight Commander William White. Do you understand what you are asking? Can you take responsibility for possible losses?”

The Power armors created by Theresa could push a normal soldier to a level close to that of a Duke. Each armor was extremely precious and a jewel of technology that needed to be carefully taken care of.

William tensed under the stare of the diminutive woman. He was so much taller than her, but at this moment, he felt like she was dwarfing him. The weight of her crushing spiritual pressure was unlike anything that should normally be possible for a Duke rank.

But he held his ground. “I do understand that the Power Armors are strategic resources of great importance. But I believe it’s necessary. But they are also weapons created for the betterment of Lustburg.” 

He knew that Milia could easily silence him now. But if he let fear cloud his judgment, then it would be better to just die than continue living under such dishonor. “The monsters behind the frontier of Gluttony Foss are acting strangely, and the soldiers of Greed Dike that previously guarded the frontier adjusted their formation under the pretext of a commemorative occasion.”

Milia scrutinized his expression for a while before nodding, her pressure vanishing instantly. She realized once again that this man was honest to a fault. It was no wonder he wasn’t able to rise in rank before being noticed by Sol. 

“I received your plea. I, sadly, have no authority for such matters. I will pass the message to Secretary Clara and Secretary Athena.”

“This is more than enough.” William bowed gracefully. He had taken a risk exposing such a matter here, but it was a matter too urgent, and bureaucracy was too slow. The Head Maid was someone who could directly contact the prince. Getting her words means the prince would make a decision.

Milia ignored the bowing soldier and turned away, her heels clicking against the stone as she resumed her inspection. Her voice, however, still carried over her shoulder.

“You should rest for now. The approval will take a few days. Enjoy the wedding for now.”

William gave a sharp nod and left without further words. For a moment, he wondered if he should comment on the prince's wedding with a Witch. Thankfully, reckless he may but suicidal he was not. 

He knew better than to waste her time and give unsolicited advice.

***

Milia exhaled slowly. The wind had picked up again, ruffling her skirts. She looked over the courtyard filled with bodies moving in perfect rhythm—maids organizing supplies, soldiers drilling formations, scouts posting updates, even cooks finalizing menu rotations.

It was a battlefield of logistics. And she stood at its center. Her eyes became vacant. Many problems were rising one after another, and no matter how fast they erased one, new ones would pop up again. 

One of the small problems was the clear dissatisfaction many were showing at the news of Sol marrying Medea. She had noticed William White's hesitation, but she did not comment.

Witches had been infamous for nearly a thousand years now. Medea in particular was even used as a bedtime story to frighten young children for centuries. This kind of thing only stopped during Mars’ era. So while the younger population had mixed feelings about the witches, the older side of the population was definitely more negative. 

Most of the dissatisfaction was thankfully contained because of Sol’s accomplishment, but it still irked her somewhat. 

This was why Milia swore to make this wedding a success. This day needed to be absolutely perfect.

But, as if the universe decided to tell her to stop dreaming, somewhere in the shadows, a voice whispered behind her.

“We have a problem.”

She didn’t turn. “Report.”

“The Crown Shadow has infiltrated the kitchens, the musicians, and the guest entourage. No irregulars so far. However, there’s been a change to the guest list. Someone from the old noble faction has accepted an invitation. One who wasn’t expected to show.”

“Oh?”

She finally turned, eyes sharp. “Who?”

A small dossier was handed to her. She flipped it open. A name. A face, golden hair, and blue eyes. A seal she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Her eyes twitched, and she nearly screamed in frustration as the paper crumbled in her hands.

“…I see.” Her tone dropped.

There was no anger in her expression, only calculation.

“Prepare contingency Protocol Fourteen. Have Ketia and her unit move into standby and contact Lady Camelia, Lilith, Pandora, Persephone, and Arachne. Warn them that an old friend of theirs is visiting Lustburg.”

She stopped for an instant. “Decrease the surveillance on Miss Chloe as well.”

The shadow behind her bowed and vanished.

Milia smoothed out her gloves and turned back toward the line of soldiers. Her eyes became cold. It seemed like some pigeon getting restless. 

 [1]: A minor character that appeared in Book 4. Been like years for many readers, so not remembering him ain’t a big deal.