The Villainess's Reputation [Kingdom Building]

Without waiting for dismissal, he turned and walked the path out, his head lowered the entire way.

In the hollow stillness that followed, the unseen figure on the throne stirred once more. A low, breath echoed through the stone like the whisper of something ancient waking.

Turning slightly, though no eyes saw the motion, the Voice addressed one of the robed generals kneeling near the steps. "Sādhikā sōdharī—kutra?" (What of the search for the Saintess?)

The general bowed even lower, never raising his head to look at the throne.

"Prati kōṇēṣu anvēṣaṇam kṛtam, pramāṇam na labdham. Ādyaṁ janma sidhyati vā iti na niścitam."
(We have searched every region, Master. But there is no sign, no proof she even exists yet.)

There was a moment of silence.

Then the voice boomed with fury, no longer calm."Niṣiddhāḥ punar utpannāḥ—api sādhikā utpatti na jātā?" (The abominations have already begun to manifest, how can the Saintess not yet be born?)

The chains around the pulsing Heart rattled violently, as if echoing its master's wrath. The flames in the sconces flared high.

"Yadi sā jīvati, sā badhyatām! Prāgēva yēna vipatti jātā!"
(find her and end her. Before she becomes a problem.)

The general bowed until his forehead touched the cold stone floor. "Ājñā pratipālitā bhaviṣyati, Mahāprabho."(Your will shall be done, Master.)

Silence fell again. The throne's voice returned, quiet but steady now. "Purvabhāgē yad yuktam, tat samāptam. Paścima-pīṭhaṁ? Yōjana-prāptiḥ kutra?"(Enough of the Eastern Continent. What of the Western Continent? How far has our plan advanced?)

The Heart pulsed again, its rhythm echoing deeper into the mountain.

Reserve Fleet Holding Zone, Somewhere in the Ancorna Sea, Between the Mainland and Kim Dukedom

Count Jeremy reclined lazily on a plush velvet chaise within his private cabin aboard the Imperial Reserve Cruiser. A book rested open in one hand, a half-filled glass of red wine in the other. The gentle rocking of the ship had lulled him into a state of calm detachment.

But that calm was shattered. A sharp, panicked knocking erupted at his door.

With a frown, Jeremy groaned and swung his legs off the couch."What is it now?" he muttered irritably, fastening his robe as he moved to the door.

The door burst open before he could reach it. His Knight Captain, breathless and pale, nearly stumbled inside.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"My Lord—! Everything is in chaos! The Imperial Navy… it's gone. The whole battalion been destroyed!"

Jeremy blinked, still half-expecting this to be some elaborate joke.

"W-what are you saying?" he snapped, brushing past the man. He stepped onto the deck, and stopped cold.

The scene before him was a nightmare. The sea, once calm, was now choked with smoke and flame.

The entire Imperial Battalion was on fire. Some had already sunk, masts rising like skeletal hands from the waves. Others listed to the side as black smoke poured from their hulls. Screams echoed faintly across the water as men leapt from burning decks into the sea. The Solious Church's Crusader ships were no better, several were reduced to smoldering husks.

And the magic ships… their enchanted hulls twisted and charred, like corpses of divine beasts. It was clear: they had suffered the worst of it.

The only ship untouched by the inferno was Jeremy's own—drifting in the center like a single coin untouched by fire.

His voice was thin with disbelief. "What… what happened?!" His Knight Captain didn't answer. Instead, he stepped aside, revealing a battered figure escorted up from below decks, a Solious Paladin, limping, half-covered in soot and blood.

"This is the only survivor we could find," the Knight Captain said grimly.

The Paladin removed his helmet with a shaking hand. His expression was blank. Hollow. He spoke, voice raw:

"The prince is dead."

Jeremy stared at him, stunned. "What?" The Paladin nodded.

"Prince Nolan… is dead."

Jeremy's heart sank. "What?! How could that happen?! We had a full battalion, mercenary support, elite commanders—!"

The Paladin, still bloodied and barely standing, raised a trembling hand and pointed toward the distant horizon.

"There," he said hoarsely. "They are the cause."

Jeremy snapped his gaze to the direction of the pointing finger. He grabbed the binoculars from a nearby knight and raised them to his eyes.

What he saw made his stomach twist.

A fleet was advancing, organized, pristine, untouched by the devastation that had just consumed the reserve arm of the imperial navy. And more importantly, flying banners Jeremy recognized instantly.

"Landon..." Jeremy whispered, lowering the binoculars.

He turned swiftly to his Knight Captain, face pale but eyes blazing with urgency. "Prince Landon is backing Princess Ravenna! The fleet approaching is his!"

He shoved the binoculars into the captain's hands. "This is a lost cause. Turn the ship now. We are rushing back to the mainland. Immediately. Signal the retreat. Don't stop for anything."

The Knight Captain saluted and rushed to give the orders.

Behind them, the Paladin still stood near the edge of the deck, swaying slightly.

"They bribed the mercenaries to turn on us," he said quietly, just loud enough for Jeremy to hear. "They attacked their own side… even unleashed spellfire from their magic ships."

His voice trailed off as two guards arrived to escort him below deck for medical attention. But as they turned, neither Jeremy nor the crew saw the slight smirk curling at the edge of the Paladin's bloodied lips.

Inside his cabin, Jeremy burst in and shoved books and maps aside to clear his writing desk. Ink spilled over one parchment as he reached for a scroll already sealed with his house sigil. He grabbed a flower bundle and began furiously scribbling a message on the back.

"Disaster. Prince Nolan is dead. Fleet annihilated. Mercenaries have turned. Prince Landon supports Ravenna. We are retreating. The main command must be warned, this battle is over before it began."

He folded the parchment, rubbed the flower petals across it, and muttered the activation phrase. The message ignited instantly, consumed in a blue and red flame that shimmered before vanishing into sparks.

He stepped back, breathing heavily.

The smell of smoke lingered longer than it should have.