Villainess and Grimoire - Chapter 96 – General Aurora Arc

Year 5009 after the system day 6 of the sun season in the southern outpost during the morning.

As soon as Aurora wakes up she sits and takes a look around finding Momo and Ming still asleep nearby.

She gets up walking in inaudible steps towards Momo, reaching her and looking at her from up close by bending forward.

‘For causing a ruckus yesterday you sure have the decency to still be asleep with a smile on your face, and even drooling… disgusting,’ she pokes her tiny nose making her turn around splashing her cheek on the wetness of the pillow underneath.

‘That shall be your payment from the ruckus yesterday, be glad it wasn’t anything worse, though I guess that if Iris didn’t kill her she must have some sort of value… or probably not.’

Aurora spread the hair from the girl right eye,’ actually, my sister isn’t like that, in fact, Iris is kind, I’m sure that she would be murdered if an innocent and naive human-like this Momo girl, would approach and attempt to hurt or kill her,’ she turns around and returns to the bed, where there are some fresh clothes changing into them.

‘Even with the guards that keep a lookout for me outside my tent, I should still be wary to not be assassinated myself, resting function in human form or book shape doesn’t keep my awareness up, like I used to have in my past life as the being I was, though I usually do wake up if anybody touches me so there’s that, even though if someone mana coats a weapon and wakes me up by slicing me up… Well, that’s pretty much the end of me.’

She starts walking outside of the tent where a small light can be spotted coming it,’ Yet today there must be a terribly beautiful day, possibly a hot summer one with a clean sky.’

‘Makes me wonder if Iris is taking sunbaths at tonne village if she’s still training there, well seeing as I haven’t gotten experience from her side that must be so,’ right before she takes the last step necessary to leave the tent she stops and looks back at Momo.

‘This girl said she came here to help, but assist in what? Is there anything she can do? Unlike Alicia or Iris, her body looks weak, her brother however has good muscles, and even has a good weapon one of those from the goddess Aria, even though I can’t quite imagine how one would fight with a fishing rod, I can’t help but be curious towards it.’

She resumed her pacing bathing her body with the sunlight after two more steps.

Despite coming from the darkness into the bright light, her blue eyes didn’t blink or remained closed for a while for them to get used to it, nor do they get blind by the sunlight, these small details forced Aurora to practice, faking such things including breaks to eat and going to the bathroom, so that those who spend time with her wouldn’t find suspicions, and even then they’d still find it strange for her to work for so many hours per day.

‘Fifteen days to go for the completion of my next plan, hit and run tactic while luring them into magic-made traps, I bet the goblins are going to love it to the point of embracing them with their lives.’

“Good morning general Aurora, I have a message from the association merchant leader.”

“What did he say or want major Rondo?”

“Right, he said he would return in some days with a good proposition that you wouldn’t be able to refuse.”

“Oh? Well, I’ll be looking forward to it, speaking of which did he convey it to you personally?”

“Yes ma’am, may I ask why?”

“You must as curiosity is human third nature, how would you describe his tone and expression when he said that?”

“He felt confident I suppose, couldn’t really tell by his expression as it seemed normal, and I don’t really know him enough to be certain.”

“That’s great, it would be a disappointment if he broke down with that little, I’m truly looking forward to our next meeting,” Aurora smiled innocently while walking closer to the wall as Rondo followed after her, at this point she couldn’t help herself but showing opposite expressions to how she felt after constant faking, after all, the only person she could be her true self was currently far away to the east where none of the armies reached, and that included Astia village along with the territory around it.

Out of all the three armies, Prince Marty’s one was the closest, and even then they were at least an hour from marching.

Slowly as time passed the three armies were getting new soldiers increasing greatly. Those who favored the old king ways went under the banner of the second Prince, the many noble houses who we’re afraid to lose their place along with a great part of peasants they owned, human slaves were also brought in, along with mercenary groups who are loyal to whoever pays most which would’ve been Aurora army, except she wasn’t interested in them so they had come towards this army as a second option revolted for the rejection they had received, since Aurora had done it on purpose as such feelings were very beneficial to increase the morale of the soldiers if done well, she didn’t see the two armies as opponents but as allies do making them stronger would certainly pay off in the future.

Those who go against the laws of Lumen kingdom end up becoming criminals, and depending on the severity of the crime they are forced to become slaves who can later be bought for Labour, Prince Marty general the head of the red family often uses them through his southern east mines, not too far from Astia village that extends northeast close to the mountains.

Death sentences are applied solely when a crime is committed against either the noble rose families who stand on the pinnacle of society and obviously the royal family.

The court law is usually enforced by a court judge from the golden family who are known for their fairness through the generations they’ve served the kingdom, currently, Angelica husband is the master judge named Leonardo, and the only one who could make a decision between a high-level crime, between for example the royal family and someone from a rose family as they are excepted of being executed, but not exempt of severe punishment.

Everything else was usually set by allowing the one with most power and influence to win the debate, thus in Aurora’s case who had the highest degree of authority close to prince Julius’s, only 3 others in the entirety of the kingdom could contest her reason why the merchant leader who despite his high position in society was scared to death close to fainting.

“With the increase of our army to a total of 709 thousand it is time to step up in the arsenal and weaponry, having to manage everything on my own is a little rough, but once the high ranked of the member including you Rondo major what has to be done, this will become a self-sufficient army capable of destroying any force of equal size.”

“You just General Aurora, had it not been for everything you’ve been teaching us, the moment we’d run into a big problem or a situation we couldn’t find a solution to would be the end of us.”

“That’s why you’re all being trained so that one day you can reach where I am.”

“You’re too humble general, I’m 28 years old and I can tell that even if I had studied my entire life, I wouldn’t have come up with the training, theories much less these formations you’ve been passing onto us.”

“If all your eyes had seen was war since your birth…” she looks beyond the wall yet not quite as she loses herself in a certain memory.

“General?” The man looked confused as she stopped talking to which she looks at him coldly upon waking up and saying while pointing diagonally towards his face,” if by chance, death chased after you every single day of your miserable life, you would be forced to put your brain to work, to think on every possibility on how you were going to die, to search for a solution to survive.”

Rondo gulped and spoke,” if that had been my life since birth I suppose you’re right, but we only have a big war every 100 years with some skirmishes against hordes of monsters and beasts who appear from time to time from the south.”

She lowers her arm and dedicates her gaze to him noticing how clean his armor is.

“I was one of those who became enraged with my own self for hearing your speech, the second one where you called humans lazy, I’ve worked my entire life, but I realized a few things back then.”

“Did you?” She asks curiously returning to a normal expression.

“I realized that I had been hiding in the fake peace we humans obtained thanks to the goddess, and the sacrificed heroes, and soldiers of the past, so as a man, no as a human I figured I wouldn’t allow a little girl whom I thought knew nothing of war to be alone in the battlefield as I too have kids and want to secure a good future for them.”

“You’re allowed to have pride and confidence in yourself for standing where you are today, but you may only use pride after you truly master how to command your share of men.”

Upon hearing such dignified words he bows his head while placing his hand on his heart who beat faster as he had never heard a compliment from Aurora before and spoke,” you have my absolute gratitude general Aurora.”

“Your gratitude has been received though I must warn you that it is wasted on the likes of me.”

“On the likes of you!?” He shouted angrily and confused,” as your underling, and you being the person whom I respect the most in this entire army, I do now allow you to speak badly of yourself, everything you’ve done, all the work and hours spent to take us to this stage, there’s no one else who could fathom to perceive half of what you do! That’s how amazing of a girl, no a lady you are!”

With a sorrowful expression filling her face she went silent as she heard such words.

“I do understand Aurora that for someone extremely young such as yourself that you may go to the extent of even having nightmares towards everything that you’ve seen, all the bloodshed, the allies and enemies turning into corpses, the recent battle where thousands returned their souls to the gods, I know that it must be overburdening, that your shoulders, your head, no! Your entire body must feel like it has the world on top of it, but even then you must not halt or give up, I am here as a major and I’ll do my best to master your ways, I promise to become the best leader in this army after you, and alleviate your responsibility.”

As Aurora looks down her eyes glitter and then opens her mouth about to say something, and then it closes clutching the hands as tears fall softly on the feet and on the ground splashing calmly to the sides.

‘If you weren’t so peerless young lady I would’ve asked the prince Julius myself or his advisors to remove such a delicate child from the army, but sadly we need you…’

“Take your time crying, I’ll be here if you need anything young lady,” he takes a step at her and bows slightly at her causing a shadow to cover her momentarily.

“One day after the war is over I’ll introduce you to my children and let them know how amazing of a human you are.”

With a trembling voice she mutters softly,” that… would be nice.”

whitesculpto