Chapter 384: Reflection
Elizabeth sat by a crackling fire, listened to the forest ambience, and reminisced. It was incredibly lonely, yet therapeutic. Ever since she embarked on her journey from New Havens more than a year ago, every day was filled with hardships. Her family was gone, her home was destroyed, and she was kidnapped by the Xingyuu Empire. Then Lord Korogin passed, she endured a nightmarish royal training schedule, and she clashed with the Grand Nobility Households. Lord Wenmord and the Whispering Shadow also made their appearance, and her Core was destroyed in the process. It took months of effort and tutelage from her teacher to rebuild her Core and survive. Finally, she became the so-called Royal Army General responsible for leading the war against the Li Family and the Imperial Council. Her journey was truly not an easy one… Although it was not perfect, she did enjoy this rare moment of peace and quiet.
She sighed as she thought back to her times on New Havens. Back then, whenever she needed time alone, she would head to the forest and relax. It was probably her brother that taught her this bad habit. When they were young, they often played in the forest, sometimes until nightfall. There was one time when Edward twisted his ankle on a vine, forcing her to carry him all the way back home… The earful that their mother gave them because of it, Elizabeth dreaded to remember! She went crazy over it! After that incident, Edward stopped going, but Elizabeth learned to love the serenity of nature. She would continue to sneak out and return without any the wiser. It was her little haven away from home! Sitting here like this, by herself, in the middle of the woods made her realize how much she missed those simpler times… It made her realize how much the position of queen did not suit her. This was not the awe-inspiring journey that she wanted…
Nevertheless, I will still do what's expected of me. There are many people counting on me, so I can't be selfish, she thought. I guess this is what happens when I'm by myself. I think about the strangest things. She gave a self-deprecating laugh. Regardless, it was good to self-reflect and reorganize her thoughts.
An animal howled in the distance, which startled Elizabeth, and her hand instinctively felt for her bow. After nothing showed up, she exhaled. That mysterious benefactor who rescued and treated her never showed up again; however, considering how chaotic the Battle of Liguang was, especially in the final stages, very few people could intervene. Elizabeth had an idea of who it might be, but the problem was figuring out their motive. What did they have to gain from this? She turned to glance at Imperian Qiang. His situation was also problematic. He was supposed to be the patriarch of the Li Family, one of the key figures in this war, but look at him now. He was betrayed! This meant that the Imperial Council and the Li Family joined hands to fight against the Alzar Kingdom! The fighting would get more and more intense.
Nothing ever works out as planned, does it? Lord Korogin must be cursing up a storm, she thought fondly.
Lord Korogin had devised the original version of their current war strategy, and it was a highly comprehensive and detailed one too. He planned for countless possibilities, numerous countermeasures, and varying alternatives to growing developments. He also proposed many theories and ideas that the army continued to adopt to this day. He was not the Master of Strategy without reason! This war strategy was also the final plan that he and General Illion enacted together before his untimely death. And though it ultimately failed, Prince Dannark and Lord Illion carried on his legacy, and used it as a foundation for the current war strategy. Elizabeth also wanted his strategy to succeed as a way of honoring him. She wanted to take down the empire with Lord Korogin's help! Alas, it could not keep up with change. The appearance of the Featherwind Sect was something nobody could have expected!
And there's also the inheritance race, she remembered as she fiddled with the Holy Reingolian Medallion around her neck.
She wondered how Lord Archibon was doing. In theory, recruiting the remnants of the Lannisail Household to lead her faction was a good idea. Firstly, they were a highly capable and knowledgeable group of people that knew their way around the political battlefield. Secondly, since Elizabeth became their sole backer, their loyalty would become unquestionable. Thirdly, they were investigated to have no connections with the Whispering Shadow. Elizabeth admittedly focused more on the third point out of sympathy, yet it should still bear more fruit than it did now. Unfortunately, she underestimated the stigma of the Whispering Shadow. Just by association, the entire Lannisail Household, both innocent and guilty, were dragged down together. Everyone was ruined! And to some, reputation was worth more than their lives. They would rather die than live a life of shame!
Lord Archibon worked painstakingly to pacify the internal disputes and handle the external matters, but he stumbled at every step. He was never a wily old political fox, and his knowledge and intelligence only brought him so far. Elizabeth tried to help any way she could, but she was simply too busy dealing with royal matters. Her training occupied her mornings, afternoons, and evenings, which left no time to delegate elsewhere. The results were thus evident. Even with the Royal Family's backing, their faction was only a pitiful third in the race! While there might have been some chance to catch up had she been present, now that she was in the Xingyuu Empire… that chance was reduced to zero. It was obvious that she would not become the next monarch of the Alzar Kingdom. She knew that before she came here, of course. It was her decision after all. She would have to properly apologize to Lord Archibon when she returned. As for the next monarch… it was not hard to guess considering her grandmother's thought process. It should be that person.
I really did come a long way, didn't I? Elizabeth mused to herself.
For the first sixteen years of her life, she was a simple farmer girl, who knew nothing about the true world below the clouds. She was an ignorant little child. However, now that she experienced this much, it felt surreal. When she finally looked back, she realized how far she walked. This past year was more eventful than her sixteen years on New Havens! And her journey was just beginning. The Second Great Kingdom War… The inheritance race… And the mystery surrounding her Whiteangel Bow… She would figure everything out eventually! That was her goal!
"Ugh…"
"Who was that?" Elizabeth jumped up before realizing it came from within the cave. Someone else had finally woken up! She ran in to find Benedict coughing and shouted in worry, "You're still injured! Don't push yourself too hard!"
"Elizabeth… is that you?" Benedict mumbled with hazed eyes. He had trouble understanding the scene before him.
"Yes, it is. I'm glad that you're awake! Hold on, let me get you some water and food to eat." She returned shortly. "Here. Take it slowly. Can you eat it yourself?"
"I can do it myself… Thank you." He drank water in small gulps, parching his dried throat, and only then did some of his energy recover. "Where are we? Did someone save us?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know, but we should be safe for the time being, so rest up. Once the others have recovered, we'll try to regroup with the kingdom's forces. They should still be looking for us."
"Alright… How did you recover so fast, Elizabeth?"
"It wasn't me. When I woke up, I was like this already, though I don't understand why. That said, my Core is still unstable, and I have many lingering injuries. It will take time for me to fully recover."
"It's fortunate that we got off this lightly… That battle was…" He coughed violently. "Either way, I'm glad to see that you're okay, Elizabeth. That's all that matters."
"I'm glad that you're okay too, Benedict," she replied with a smile.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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