Chapter 19: Empress Ronnie’s Tactical Command

“Alright, Ronnie, let me be frank with you. I need help. I’m out of money and troops, but I’ve stumbled upon a bandit’s stronghold. If we can successfully overrun it, there’s substantial profit to be made,” Draxel confessed.

Empress Ronnie, who had a penchant for candor and sincerity, had seen her share of duplicitous men in taverns.

“Ha, what a stroke of luck! I’m aware of a bandit’s lair too, and had similar thoughts. You must be referring to the cave fifty miles north of Nomar, aren’t you?”

“So, you’ve discovered it as well… That explains the troop you’ve assembled.”

It dawned on Draxel that the force behind Ronnie was about a hundred strong, comprised of third and fourth-tier elite warriors, evidently battle-scarred and seasoned.

‘To marshal such a troop, Ronnie’s allure and command must be extraordinary. The system won’t even disclose her stats to me. It’s clear I’m no match for her at the moment,’ Draxel pondered.

“Good luck with your mission, Ronnie. As for the grain, it’s still on the house. Help yourself.”

With that, Draxel planned to return to the village chief’s house to recline and devise other revenue-generating schemes to fulfill his main construction quest.

‘Hmm, this man is unique. He’s not just out to exploit me; he followed through on his promise and provided the grain…’

Mulling this over, Ronnie reconsidered.

“Listen, Draxel, you’re injured and can’t exert yourself, but that young lady accompanying you, along with a few of your soldiers, seem quite formidable. Lend them to me for the cave assault, and once we’re done, I’ll cut you in on the profits. Deal?”

Draxel was utterly captivated by the words of the extraordinarily beautiful woman before him. If Ronnie ever found herself in trouble, he vowed to assist her without hesitation. From now, he regarded Profit Empress Ronnie as a treasured friend.

“Thank you, Ronnie.”

“Don’t mention it. I still have to show that I’m tougher than Safiya.”

The thought of the intense rivalry between her and Safiya made Draxel sweat profusely.

[Evaluation: Can’t handle it? Maybe I should step in while you play the system.]

‘Drop it, I don’t need more hassle. I’m not in the mood to argue with you now,’ Draxel thought in annoyance, dismissing the system’s taunting.

Setting aside the system’s jibes, Draxel focused on explaining the full story to Safiya and the others who soon returned.

Safiya pouted with unmistakable displeasure, indicating her reluctance. 

“Alright, I’m not fond of her, but I’ll put up with it for Nomar’s sake.”

As for Awang and Owens, their loyalty was unwavering, responding with a firm “As you wish, my lord.”

The following day, the tirelessly hardworking sun rose gently, casting its powerful warmth and grandeur over Nomar Village.

Profit Empress Ronnie, leading her formidable troop of over a hundred, along with Safiya, Owens, and Awang, set off toward the bandit stronghold hidden deep within the forest.

Draxel, left behind, could only lie in bed, his sole companion being the increasingly larger dragon egg, Lein.

He mused aloud to the egg, “Lein, our journey to find you was so smooth. Why has everything become so challenging since we returned, with all these complications, eh?”

At that, the dragon egg glowed brightly and emitted a soft “Awo. Count, I seem to have caused you quite some trouble, haven’t I?”

“Not really. Now that we’re alone, let’s talk.”

“Awo. I’m curious, do you have a preference between Profit Empress Ronnie and Safiya?”

Before long, the man was engrossed in conversation with the egg, much to the village chief’s confusion nearby.

“What’s with our lord? Speaking so earnestly to an egg… Is he alright?”

Meanwhile, Profit Empress Ronnie’s expedition was facing difficulties. It was nearing noon, and the group had yet to reach the cooler, forested shade.

The sun blazed down like a fiery furnace in a roasting shop, the temperature nearing 30 degrees Celsius.

“Ronnie, are you sure you know the way?” Safiya asked, mopping the sweat off her brow in frustration.

“Don’t lose your cool, princess. If you’re too hot, why not undress a bit? It’ll be a sight for the soldiers,” Ronnie teased.

“Ugh! Why don’t you strip then? Seems like you’ve got the figure for it,” Safiya retorted.

“I don’t feel the heat like you do. Maybe it’s all that extra weight you’re carrying, Safiya~” Ronnie replied, making a mocking gesture.

“You wicked Ronnie, just keep your distance in the fight. My arrows don’t discriminate,” Safiya warned.

As the tension rose, Awang attempted to diffuse the situation, “Maybe we could—”

“Shut up!” both women snapped simultaneously.

A resigned Awang looked to Owens, who was trying to stifle a laugh.

“Really, Owens? Not cool,” Awang complained.

“Let it go, Awang. We should just obey orders,” Owens said, his amusement still evident.

After some time, the party finally reached the vicinity of the bandits’ cave in the forest.

“Here we are, Profit Empress Ronnie,” Awang, who knew the cave well, stepped forward to show her the way.

“I’m aware, my scout. My own scouts are just as capable as you, little Awang~”

Owens then rode forward, proposing, “Honorable Profit Empress Ronnie, please allow me to lead the assault.”

Ronnie glanced at Owens and inquired, “Why take on such a risky job?”

“As our lord’s supporter, it’s my obligation to be at the vanguard. It’s the noble spirit of a knight.”

“Draxel is fortunate to have a knight like you,” Ronnie recognized Owens’ dedication and courage.

“Hey, Owens, you won’t be facing the danger alone. I, Awang, will be right there with you!”

“Stop, both of you. Step back. I can’t afford to have you injured; explaining that to Draxel would be difficult.”

With a wave of her hand, Ronnie directed her elite troops, numbering over a hundred, to split into two groups.

The first group, without hesitation, surged toward the cave, while the remaining soldiers spread out, concealing themselves around the cave.

Inside, several unsuspecting bandits, dozing off, were caught completely off guard by the sudden attack of the mercenaries.

Some were still half-asleep when they were ruthlessly pinned to the ground by spears and hammers, meeting their end without a chance to react.

The bandits who awoke to the thundering sound of hooves and attempted to escape met a similar fate.

Unable to even grab their weapons in time, they were swiftly pierced through the chest and neck by spears and swords, collapsing into pools of their own blood.

The skirmish inside the cave was over quickly, but to their disappointment, they found no treasures, and the enemy forces were meager.