Chapter 211: Plotting Princesses

Evening.

In the middle of the wasteland, a camp was established.

It was the camp of the Empire’s army, numbering around 3,700 soldiers.

With such a large force, they were not only besieged by numerous zombies, but they also faced more formidable monsters than the Amalgams: the colossal Skeletoncheires. Three of these massive creatures spawned simultaneously, a direct consequence of their overwhelming numbers.

Technically, they were no longer zombies; instead, they were monstrous constructs formed from the grudge-filled bones of millions of corpses, rising as 50-meter-tall humanoid figures.

These giants posed a significant threat and were extremely difficult to handle.

However, they were not without weaknesses.

First, the “flare” cast by Tiffany’s mages emitted holy light, causing the zombies to falter and halt their advance.

Next, the soldiers held the monsters at bay using semi-holy gear, allowing the mages to finish them off with a powerful attack. The colossi would then collapse, disintegrating into dust and smoke.

Of course, such tactics came with the risk of injuries and, at worst, casualties.

Eve wouldn’t accept that.

Instead, her team eliminated the threats before they could get close.

They sniped accurately, targeting the glowing core in the center of the creatures’ “skulls.” They took down not only the three Skeletoncheires but also the numerous Amalgams and Giant Zombies that appeared alongside them.

Once only the normal zombies remained, Eve’s team finally withdrew, letting out a deep sigh.

Their job was done. As they left the defense to the rest of the Empire’s army, Eve’s team returned to the central tent.

Only Eve entered, with the eight girls scattering, standing on watch around the tent instead.

Inside, several figures were present.

“Is it over?” asked Sophia, the first to speak.

“Yes,” responded Eve with a smile. “As expected of that artifact. I can’t believe it could one-shot a Skeletoncheires…”

Eve merely nodded.

She didn’t have the time or inclination to explain what a gun was to her, especially not now.

“Alright, we’re all here now,” Ria began, a thin smile on her face. “With this, we can finally start plotting our plans for the Empire.”

The original plan was for Sophia to return and announce her failure to retrieve the artifact she sought, along with reporting the deaths of Kyle and his wyvern squad at the hands of the artifact’s “guardian.” They intended to spy from within the Empire and gradually bring it to its knees.

However, they now had a more effective and expedient approach.

“Tiffany, we’ll be using you to infiltrate the Empire,” Ria stated.

Tiffany’s orders were to monitor Sophia and Kyle, ensuring they weren’t conspiring against the throne. With 5,000 troops and Kyle’s wyvern squad, they could pose a significant threat.

“M-Me?” Tiffany stammered, clearly taken aback.

She was just a mortal, after all.

Yet, the goddesses around her had chosen her for this task!

Eve, Ria, Nina, Arianne, and the others claimed to be goddesses, even though they technically weren’t.

This little white lie served a dual purpose: to keep Tiffany in line and to create a distinction between themselves and the people of the Empire. Given their impressive abilities, it wasn’t entirely untrue to consider themselves godlike, as no mortal could match them anymore.

As for Fenrir—the one “true” god among them—she had already returned to Axevaria Kingdom, realizing there was nothing more for her to do there.

Only Nina and Ria chose to remain, their curiosity outweighing any caution.

“Yes, you,” Ria confirmed. “Since you were sent by the Emperor to check on the two, it makes sense for you to take the lead.”

Tiffany bowed deeply, responding with reverence, “I—If that is what the goddess desires, I will comply!”

Of course, refusing was not an option.

Like Sophia, she was already under an Obedience Curse, and they had ensured she had no means to remove it—no holy water, no artifacts, nothing.

With that, they had gained another pawn.

Seeing her willingness, Ria turned to another figure and asked, “Arianne, what do you think is the best course of action?”

“Right now?” Arianne raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“Hmm… First, we need to find a way to infiltrate the Empire,” she said. “We could borrow backup armor for disguises, but as women, we are easily recognized.”

“What about casting an illusion over ourselves to avoid standing out?” Nina suggested, raising her hand.

“That… might work,” Arianne replied, though not entirely convinced. “However, if they have detection systems at the gates, it could fail—possibly even backfire.”

“Ah, there’s no need to worry about that.”

This time, Sophia chimed in with a smile.

“The Empire’s gates aren’t protected by artifacts, only by inspectors. Manual inspections can be bypassed by members of royalty, like me and Tiffany. So we shouldn’t have any trouble getting in.”

“I see. That’s great.” Ria nodded. “So, after we enter, Tiffany will greet the Emperor and report on her task’s progress, but… what should we do about that?”

“…Huh?”

Right.

Tiffany’s task was to check on the prince and princess to see what they were doing and/or plotting. However, Prince Kyle was long dead, along with the wyvern squad. With only Princess Sophia alive and a fraction of her troops remaining, she could face punishment if she returned without a satisfactory report.

This sparked a debate, with various suggestions flying around.

Ideas such as hiding the truth or trying to deceive the Emperor emerged. The girls brainstormed creatively, but in the end, only one idea took root.

“Alright, let’s summarize!” Ria clapped, taking the lead once more. “So, the script we’ll be following is…”

“Excuse me, princesses!”

Just then, a voice called from outside their tent.

Arianne, closest to the entrance, opened it and let the man enter quietly.

“Yes?” she asked.

Without missing a beat, the man knelt before Arianne, bowing his head, and pleaded earnestly.

“If you’re going with that plan, then please, please, use me and my men instead!” he said, his voice filled with urgency. “In exchange, I only ask for one favor!”

His desperation caused the girls to exchange concerned glances.

Only Arianne smiled and patted his shoulder like an old friend.

“First, speak. What is it that you want from us?”

The man paused, staring at Arianne with his piercing red eyes.

A short, straightforward request.

“Please save us!”

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