At Talulah's words, several people thought she had misspoken. Ch'en Hui-chieh frowned at first, but after a moment of consideration, understanding dawned on her face.
"I see. Talulah, you're targeting the power vacuum inside the city caused by the Duke of Wellington's large-scale withdrawal, brought on by the strange calm in Londinium." She nodded as she continued, "The Duke of Wellington is one of Victoria's old dukes. Now that he has overextended his forces, this is the perfect opportunity for us to infiltrate."
Alina carefully recorded every word.
Talulah gave a calm nod. "Our entry into the Duchy of Wellington will not be high-profile. We proceed quietly. First, we investigate the current situation within the duchy, then formulate our strategy accordingly."
"Xiao Ran Asagiri."
Xiao Ran A rose and stepped forward. Since the players from Northern Ursus had been accepted into Tomorrow's Development, their strength had grown rapidly, though they had yet to reach the very top tier. They believed the gap would close in time. Now he, xqc, and the other veteran Northern players were scattered across different divisions and professions within the organization. When word spread that Talulah intended to stir trouble and teach the nobles a lesson about justice, even joking about hanging them from streetlamps, the players quickly formed a team and gathered under her banner.
"You will lead the adventurers," Talulah instructed. "We will enter the Duchy of Wellington in batches, without drawing attention. Disguised as merchants. No exposure."
"Yes."
Xiao Ran A accepted the order with visible excitement and withdrew. Talulah surveyed the operators of Tomorrow's Development. Many had followed her from the northern border of Ursus during the Reunion days. Seeing the anticipation in their eyes, she spoke in a steady voice.
"Meeting adjourned. Prepare to move."
"Yes!"
Talulah exhaled softly and sat back down, studying the map once more. "The Duchy of Wellington lies close to Londinium. In a sense, Londinium's refusal to admit the Duke stems from fear of his power."
"At this time, the advance group, including Vina and her people, should have already reached Londinium," Ch'en Hui-chieh said. "According to reliable intelligence, while Eblana was in motion, the Duke of Wellington conveniently pressured surrounding Victorian nobles, preventing them from sending reinforcements. Setting aside the suspicious timing, he has been one of the strongest advocates for war in this conflict. His ambition to seize Londinium is obvious."
Alina let out a soft sigh. "The war never truly ends. All we can do is assist His Highness as best we can."
Talulah inclined her head slightly. She stepped out of the office into the open air. The abandoned village that served as their temporary headquarters was quiet, long devoid of residents. Soon, they would depart for the Duke of Wellington's territory.
She lifted her gaze toward Londinium's direction, silently wishing Vina and His Highness fortune in the coming battle.
Vina stared at the towering city walls, her expression caught between nostalgia and unease. Years had passed, and she had finally returned to the city that had given her life and shaped her destiny.
Hellagur narrowed his eyes. Both the walls of Londinium and its gates were crowded with Victorian soldiers in uniform. Among them moved Sarkaz troops in similar attire. The two groups kept a noticeable distance from one another while jointly maintaining order at the city entrance. Compared to the Victorian soldiers, however, the Sarkaz carried themselves with far greater aggression.
"They are the Victoria City Defense Force. I remember they were always at odds with the Military Commission, yet now they're sharing responsibility for the city's defense." The voice from Horn, clear surprise on her face. "Have they reached some sort of agreement?"
"No. The Military Commission still holds the upper hand."
Hellagur, with his military background, quickly spotted the key detail. "The Sarkaz behave far more brazenly than the Victorian soldiers. The Victorians are turning a blind eye. That suggests they're swallowing their anger."
He continued, "Now that the Military Commission controls all of Londinium, I doubt the Victoria garrison has any room to negotiate."
Horn fell silent. She lowered her gaze and slowly shook her head.
For a Victorian soldier, dying on the battlefield in defense of her homeland was an honor. She could not blame the Victoria garrison for choosing not to resist; she had no right to impose her own standards on others. All she could do was fulfill her own duty.
"Don't lose heart. Victoria hasn't fallen that far."
Hellagur spoke evenly. "A soldier's duty is to obey orders. The one who gave that order was not a fellow soldier, but their superior."
"I understand."
Horn straightened her posture. "Given the current situation… Vina, I don't recommend that we join a convoy to enter the city. Our identities are too sensitive."
Vina lowered her gaze and nodded. Her background would not withstand close scrutiny. If any critical detail were uncovered, it would deal a devastating blow to their infiltration. As for Horn and the Tempest Platoons, they had been placed on the death list after the fall of County Hillock years ago. Why was she here now? Where had she gone, and what had she done during her disappearance? None of those questions could bear investigation.
"Vina, you're a native of Londinium. Do you know of any other way into the city?"
"I know of two secret passages," Vina replied. "But I can't guarantee the Military Commission's Sarkaz haven't discovered them by now. Even so, using a hidden passage is safer than forging documents."
"…Understood. Let's move."
The group of more than one hundred disguised themselves as ordinary civilians and merged into the flow of people entering the city. Gradually, they slipped toward the rear and quietly broke away from the crowd.
"Where did all these civilians come from?" Neon asked in surprise. "The war is about to begin. Why are they heading straight into Londinium, the center of it all?"
"Because the people of Victoria believe Londinium's walls will never fall," Horn said softly, lifting her eyes to the towering ramparts and the massive defensive cannons. "They believe that even if all of Victoria collapses, Londinium will endure."
"Even under the Military Commission's control, the city still represents safety."
Vina led them to one of the secret passages she had used when leaving Londinium years ago. As she stepped forward, she noticed dark stains along the surrounding walls. Quietly, she retreated and shook her head.
"This route is no longer safe. The Military Commission must have discovered it. There's blood here."
She said no more. Instead, she carefully guided the group around the area, avoiding Sarkaz patrols, until they reached Londinium's garbage disposal station. There, Vina swung her sledgehammer and smashed open an iron plate concealed beneath a wrecked vehicle, revealing a long staircase descending into darkness.
Ignoring the stench, they entered one by one, wary of being noticed by the workers.
Not long afterward, a Victorian laborer arrived at the landfill to begin his shift. Noticing that the vehicle had shifted slightly, he paused in surprise. Without a word, he pushed additional garbage over the metal plate, concealing it once more, and resumed his work as if nothing had happened.
The stench underground was suffocating, but it was still preferable to exposure. After walking for half an hour, they finally felt a trace of fresh air.
A faint breeze brushed against her face. Vina blinked and spotted a glimmer of light ahead.
They emerged into a landfill within the slums of Londinium. Vina looked around at surroundings that felt both familiar and alien. She was back. Back in Norbert District, the slums she knew all too well.
Indra, Morgan, and Dagda stood nearby, their expressions heavy with emotion. Years ago, they had fled like stray dogs. Now, they had returned.
Though Vina commanded this operation, she knew she still had much to learn from Hellagur. Drawing a steady breath, she gave her orders.
"Neon, scout the Norbert District with the sniper rifle. Check for any presence from the Military Commission. The rest of you, proceed with caution."
The mechanical scout hovered overhead, scanning the surroundings. After a moment, Neon shook her head and reported the results.
Vina gave a small nod. "We'll head to a safe location and rest first."
She led them to the "Beat Up Your Chin" boxing gym.
When she pushed open the door, dust billowed into her face. After coughing twice, she realized the gym had long been abandoned. A thin layer of dust covered the counter. Training equipment lay piled carelessly to one side. Even the shattered window glass remained scattered across the floor, untouched.
"Baird… Cador…" Morgan clenched her teeth. When they left Londinium, Baird had stayed behind. In a later letter, she mentioned taking in a newcomer named Cador. Now both were gone. Had the Sarkaz discovered them and thrown them into prison?
Vina nodded to the remaining operators. "Rest here for now. Neon, reconnaissance is still your responsibility."
"Understood~"
Neon gave a slight bow. With the assistance of the Clever, the reconnaissance team no longer needed to approach the front lines directly, greatly improving both their safety and concealment.
As the others settled down to rest, Vina cleaned her weapons while extending her senses to survey the surroundings. It did not take long for her to realize that the Norbert District had become a no-man's-land. Sarkaz mercenaries from the Military Commission guarded every entrance and exit. Entry was permitted, but no one was allowed to leave. All rebels and infected captured within the city were thrown into this district.
Without seeing it firsthand, one would never have imagined the reality. What Vina uncovered was deeply unsettling. Norbert was in chaos. Residents hid inside their homes, too frightened to step outside. They feared harassment from the patrolling Sarkaz, and they feared even more that longtime inhabitants might turn on them with weapons in hand. Food and water had become scarce and precious commodities.
Vina's group still had sufficient supplies, including dry rations and nutritional supplements to sustain them even in a weakened state.
The people of Norbert were different. They had endured hunger for dozens of days. Since the Military Commission issued its lockdown order, they had been stripped of the right to leave the district.
Vina recalled the mission Felix had entrusted to her. She did not need to storm the Military Commission's headquarters, nor incite a rebellion among the city's civilians. Her objective was to locate the liberation forces within Londinium and, at the same time, find proof that she was the sole descendant of the Crown Princess: the sword recorded in Victoria's history.
Sighs of Kings.
As night fell, the group finished their rations and prepared to rest. Suddenly, a series of light footsteps broke the quiet. Neon narrowed her eyes. Through the image transmitted by the Clever, she saw two people limping toward the boxing gym. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her longsword, ready to strike.
"Wait. It's Baird… someone we know."
Vina spoke softly. Neon halted at once. Yet to her surprise, when the two women reached the entrance and noticed the dust on the ground had been disturbed, they exchanged a glance and turned away without hesitation.
The door was flung open the moment they pivoted.
"Baird!" Vina called in a hushed voice.
The woman in the black hat turned sharply at the sound. "Siege… you're back…"
When she saw Indra, Morgan, and Dagda standing behind Vina, tears welled in the purple-haired Felin's eyes. She wiped them away hastily. "You… you still remembered how to come back."
Hellagur stepped forward beside Vina, weapon in hand. "Come inside. We'll talk."
At the sight of him, Baird instinctively reached into her coat for her weapon, and Cador beside her stiffened. For an instant, both felt a sharp, piercing pressure, as if an invisible blade had grazed their senses under Hellagur's gaze.
Just as quickly, the sensation vanished. On closer look, he seemed nothing more than an ordinary white-haired middle-aged man.
They entered the boxing gym. Only then did Vina understand why it appeared abandoned. The desolation was deliberate, meant to deceive Sarkaz patrols and wandering bandits into believing no one remained there. In truth, this was their hiding place.
Baird began with a brief account of their situation over the past months.
"We just made contact with the Londinium Citizens' Self-Salvation Corps today… If we truly intend to act…"
Taking the initiative from within and establishing contact with the self-salvation forces was undoubtedly the best course of action.