The Villainess's Reputation [Kingdom Building]

"With that out of the way," Ravenna said, her long fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood of the table, each strike echoing like a drumbeat that pulled everyone's attention back to her. "We need to address the aftermath of the war first."

Hughes rose from his seat with a steady nod. His broad shoulders were weary but disciplined, the quiet authority of a man accustomed to carrying the burden of command. He set a neat stack of battle reports upon her desk before lowering himself back into his chair. "Our forces sustained minimal damage," he began, his voice firm. "Thanks largely to our success in preventing the majority of the Imperial fleet from ever making landfall. Their strength was crippled before the real fight could even begin."

Ravenna's eyes glinted with approval, though her expression remained unreadable.

"What about the mercenaries we employed?" she asked without looking up, her voice calm, measured.

John stepped forward, placing his own sheaf of documents beside Hughes's reports. "They were permitted entry into Kim City and given lodging for a single night, as was required by our contract," he explained. "But once the Imperial ships retreated, I ensured they were dismissed and escorted from the dukedom. They are no longer within our walls."

Sarah, her brow furrowing, interjected. "So they've seen the city's condition with their own eyes."

"It was inevitable," Ravenna said, her fingers still tapping lightly upon the desk. "The moment we hired aid from the mainland, secrecy ceased to be an option. Word spreads. And mercenaries, above all, sell information as eagerly as their blades."

Her gaze lifted at last, sharp as a Raven's. "We can assume, without doubt, that news of Kim Dukedom's development has already reached my siblings… and my father. Not only that, but word of the Saintess, of our victory, and of Nolan's death is spreading like wildfire even now."

The room grew tense, silence pressing in as John settled back into his seat.

Marie, sitting stiffly beside Ravenna, lifted her chin as though trying to steel her nerves. She wanted to learn, to be more than the nervous girl at her master's side. "Then… doesn't that mean we're safe from further attacks for the time being?" she asked carefully. "We defended against two Imperial battalions. With news of the city's advancements, won't the nobles think twice before attacking us again? They'll hesitate, won't they?"

A faint smile touched Ravenna's lips, but her eyes carried the cold patience of a woman who had seen far more of the world's cruelty than Marie could yet grasp. "It has bought us time, yes. It has postponed hostilities… but it has not erased them. Do not mistake hesitation for fear, Marie."

Her words lingered in the air, heavy as iron. Everyone present understood. The dukedom had survived, yes, but in the eyes of the Empire they were still a single remote territory, dangerous, perhaps, but not yet untouchable.

Marie, however, frowned, confusion creasing her features. "But why?"

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"Because of the Order of Expansion," Ravenna cut in smoothly, her tone patient but unyielding.

Marie blinked, repeating the words in a whisper, as though tasting them for the first time. "Order of… Expansion?"

Ravenna turned her head toward her disciple, her long hair glinting in the pale light of the chamber. "Yes. Remember As long as it binds us, we cannot move against another Imperial territory of our own volition. Any war we start would be seen as rebellion, an act of treason that would draw not just my siblings' ire, but the Emperor's full wrath, and the might of the Imperial Army. It is a leash, carefully designed to keep my ambition in check. Something my rivals can abuse easily."

The silence grew heavier still, the weight of those words sinking into the bones of everyone in the chamber. The Order of Expansion was both reward and curse; until fulfilled, Kim Dukedom's hands were tied.

But then Ravenna leaned forward, her tapping ceased, and her eyes gleamed with the spark of a strategist who had already walked three steps ahead. "Which is why," she said softly, "I have already devised a solution."

Her smirk curved like the edge of a dagger as she tapped the table once more, this time with deliberate finality.

"I have sent a letter to Kenric Jade," she announced. "We will annex Otto City… and with that, we shall fulfill the Order of Expansion."

The words struck the chamber like a thunderclap. The room fell utterly still. Not a cough, not a shuffle of movement, not even the sound of breathing dared to break the silence. It was as if a meteor had crashed down in their midst, leaving only the sharp crackle of tension in the air.

Aurora's lips parted first, her eyes wide with disbelief. "T-that's… Ravenna, you can't—"

Her words were cut short as Ravenna turned her gaze upon her. A cold glare, sharp enough to freeze the blood in her veins, silenced the protest before it could take form. "The hows and ifs," Ravenna said, her tone like steel wrapped in silk, "are for me to concern myself with. You do not need to worry about it. I gave you asylum. That means your safety is my responsibility, and I will protect you."

Aurora drew in a long, deep breath, then exhaled slowly, the fight draining from her shoulders. She glanced briefly at David, her knight-captain, as though to silently urge restraint. David answered her wordless command with a slight nod before rising. He placed his report carefully atop the growing stack of documents on Ravenna's desk, then resumed his seat, his expression calm but edged with the weight of grim responsibility.

"Once the hot-air balloons fell," David reported, his deep voice steady, "the battlefield descended into chaos. It was in that confusion that we managed to capture Edward Jola himself, along with twelve other commanders of the Imperial fleet. They are presently secured in the castle's dungeon."

Ravenna's eyes narrowed in interest. "That many?" she asked, her voice low but sharp with surprise. Capturing twelve commanders was no small feat.

David, however, shook his head humbly, his words cutting down any chance of self-congratulation. "Do not mistake it as our strength, Your Highness. It was not the skill of six knights in a small boat that won such a prize. Once the divine light manifested across the island, they surrendered themselves without further resistance."

Alice exhaled, her hand pressing against the neat stack of ledgers she carried. "It was wise of you, Your Highness, to order only the capture of high-ranking officers," she said, her tone lined with relief. "Had we been forced to accommodate the entire surrendered fleet, the administrative chaos alone would have been unbearable. Feeding, housing, and recording thousands of prisoners would have bled us dry."

A small, knowing smile curved Ravenna's lips. "Exactly," she said, her voice laced with satisfaction. "There is no need to burden ourselves with the excess when we already hold the heads of the serpent." She tapped the table once, a crisp sound that echoed in the chamber, drawing every eye back to her.

Her smirk sharpened. "And now, I believe it is time we had a proper conversation with the man who lit the spark of this war."

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes glinting with predatory interest.

"With Edward Jola."