CHAPTER 82 She’d Magically Befriended All the Minions

Keith

Keith and Henrietta made it back to the castle in good time. They'd expected to find a flurry of activity … but instead, they found soldiers kicking their feet outside the walls and milling about on the road.

Everyone stood straighter and tried to appear at the ready when Keith passed by, but all in all, everyone looked bored.

It wasn't much better inside.

"No new reports yet," Rufus told Keith. The beastman general was standing in the castle courtyard cooling his heels.

"No fighting? What's happening with the defense? Drendil should have attacked around the same time I left. Fill me in from there," Keith prompted.

Rufus shook his head. "I meant there isn't anything new to report since you left."

Henrietta broke in. "Then what is the Drendil army doing? Are they just waiting to attack?"

Rufus's response was unexpected. "That's the thing. We don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Keith demanded. "Is everyone dead?"

Rufus shook his head. "No, the front line against Drendil is sitting tight. They've just not actually seen Drendil's army. We're all just … waiting."

"Give me a second. I should have just done this in the first place." Keith opened up his [Mind Map], showing where his constructs were. He selected a mouse that was supposed to be following the army. It was rubbing its face in a field by Lake Loria, far south of the first line of defense. "Foolish of me to expect any competency from Drendil."

From what he could see, they were in the Dark Enchanted Forest. Just, stopped. All along the road, soldiers dressed in Drendil attire sat or stood. Some were arguing. Some were yelling. Some had already been dragged off and deposited back at the border.

Keith popped out of the mouse golem and back to himself.

"Let's go see what's happening."

Henrietta and Keith drank a few potions, grabbed a snack, and took a bathroom break before they left. Ria came back with a clean outfit. She'd changed into a loose white tunic and dark-green vest, with pants and shin-high black boots. Her hair was pulled back into a poofy bun at the nape of her neck.

"Ready?" Keith asked, reaching out a hand to the princess.

Ria nodded and let Keith pick her up by scooping one arm under her thighs. Her arms wrapped around his neck and plucked at his tunic. "You know, I could get used to flying like this."

Keith swallowed nervously, thankful that his tunic had survived the fight that morning with all his buttons still intact. "I'll see if I can't take us flying sometimes. By the Great Wyrm Who Breathes Air into the Sky, [Flight]."

They rose into the air, traveling south. The high-level spell had taken a good chunk of his mana an hour later when they reached Chloe and Julia at the line of defense closest to the castle.

Henrietta hopped down and went forward to greet the couple while Keith used the opportunity to replenish his mana with a potion.

"I would have expected you to be at the front line?" Ria told Chloe. "To deal with the recovery right away."

The necromancer flicked her long blonde hair behind her. "That's what my new team was trained for. The healers need the experience. If they can't do it themselves, then I'll have to step in, but in the meantime, we'll stay back. I was honestly expecting a message by now …"

"Lieutenant Patina is in charge of the first line." Julia chuckled. "That woman can strip the skin from your bones with her voice. She'll have Knight Commander Havork begging for mercy."

"I don't know," Henrietta countered. "I've fought with Sir Havork since I was a child; he's stronger than he looks. He's not as strong as I am, but it's very close. I haven't been able to beat him in a fair fight, even after I passed his level."

"Really?" Chloe raised an eyebrow, but still looked unconcerned. Keith wondered what manner of class could defeat a Void-damage user. Maybe he'd ask Sir Havork. For reasons.

Even if he said no, there wasn't anything stopping one of Keith's constructs from following the human around and learning a thing or two.

"He's much more experienced," Ria explained. "It's like he knows all my moves before I make them. I'm technically faster than he is, but I can barely land a hit. And when I do, he usually blocks it with his [Absolute Shield] perk."

Ah, that might have answered his question already. Still, he'd have the general followed back to the border.

"You haven't received a message," Keith interjected, addressing something Chloe had said earlier, "because last we heard, the Drendil army hasn't even reached Lieutenant Patina."

"They haven't reached the lake?" Julia frowned. "I know they're a big army, but even that's slow."

"I bet Godmother woke up and ate them," Chloe said. Keith knew she wasn't being serious. If Feliwyn had woken up, they'd have seen the smoke from here.

That dragon was not a morning person. Even if "morning" was midafternoon on a warm spring day.

"How big?" Ria asked.

"Only about five hundred strong," Keith answered. He'd had someone fill him in on their break. "There are more, but anyone under level fifteen is trailing behind as baggage or already dropped off at the border."

"Or dead," Chloe added. "I bet the forest ate anyone who wandered off. It's not kind to those it sees as an enemy."

Henrietta turned to Keith. "This has come up a lot, and my elf friend Amy mentioned it, but is the whole forest just one entity?"

"Yes."

"No."

Keith glared at his necromancer. "The land is entirely under the control of the Hollow Tree. We both know that," he said.

"But there are treants and other plant creatures with free will who are a part of the forest," Chloe argued. "The rivers and lakes aren't controlled, and the Pixie Prim have their own gardens that use spatial magic to keep their flowers free of its influence."

"Yes, but that bush"—Keith pointed at an elderberry bush on the side of the road; it wriggled a bit at his attention—"is a part of the whole forest. Every plant and rock is connected to the Hollow Tree." He pointed at the ground below them. "The only thing stopping the Dark Enchanted Forest from ripping the earth out from below our feet and killing us all is courtesy and energy expense."

"My point still stands." Chloe pointed at her own chest. "I'm not connected to the Hollow Tree, and I'm a part of this kingdom. And just because the ground is listening doesn't mean it's not true."

A stone popped up and leaned against Chloe's shoe. Keith was surprised; the Dark Enchanted Forest wasn't often willing to be a part of the conversation. Chloe was also surprised. The woman gave Keith a huge self-satisfied grin.

"See!" She pointed at the stone, which promptly lay flat again. "It agrees! Ha! I told you."

Keith rubbed the bridge of his nose out of habit, his glasses lifting askew for a moment. "I think it's time we moved on."

Ria was staring between the bush and the stone, her face deep in thought.

She was still thinking when he flew them to the next line of defense. The middle line was led by a troop of naga. They were bored and distracting themselves by doing practice bouts. Henrietta was welcomed, but despite the many requests, managed to leave without getting pulled into a fight.

When they reached the first line of defense, Patina was waiting to greet them. Keith had the satisfaction of seeing the selkie's jaw drop when he landed with Ria still in his arms.

She got herself together in an instant, standing at attention. "Your Viciousness."

"Lieutenant Patina."

"Henrietta," Henrietta added, introducing herself. "I take it the army still hasn't arrived?"

Patina looked the princess up and down, twice. Then she turned to Keith. "They haven't. But we know where they are. You'll have to see it to believe it."

Keith sighed; he hoped that Henrietta could win over his cousin as fast as she'd magically befriended all the other minions in his army. "Show me."