The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 1018: Departure for the Battlefield

Two days passed quickly. The imperial palace had gathered a total of thirty thousand soldiers.

The force consisted of ten thousand cavalry, five thousand infantry, and five thousand archers.

Another five thousand logistics personnel served as reserve troops, while the remaining five thousand were mages ranging from the lowest to the highest ranks.

This was an extremely powerful force. The imperial palace was going all out this time to confront the rebel forces.

"Elina, everything is ready," Evalyn said firmly.

Elina, who was busy giving instructions, nodded slightly.

"Thank you, Sister Evalyn. If it weren’t for you, I’d have a much harder time organizing everything."

"What are you saying?" Evalyn laughed and waved her hand. "I’m just doing what I have to do."

Elina couldn’t help but smile. The two chatted casually for a while before going their separate ways.

There was still plenty to do before they could set out.

Two hours later, the entire army was already in position.

Seira stood on a stage in the imperial palace square. Isabella, Clarise, Melinda, and Cassandra stood behind her, along with ministers from all branches of the government.

Elina walked toward Seira, then bent down on one knee and lowered her head.

"Your Majesty, I am going off to war. Please bless me with your prayers," she said.

Seira gazed gently at her younger sister.

Elina stood before her, clad in silver armor and holding her helmet in her right hand.

The little girl who had once always called her "big sister" had now grown into a strong and courageous woman.

Seira raised her staff and gently touched each of Elina’s shoulders in turn.

"I, Seira Lorian, ruler of the Great Velmora Empire, pray for your journey, Elina Lorian. May the gods bless you."

Her voice was calm and soft, yet it sent a tremor through the souls of everyone who heard it.

It had been quite some time since the Great Velmora Empire had gone to war. And once they moved, their enemies would have no choice but to kneel before them.

Elina closed her eyes and declared, "I will bring victory to the empire!"

Seira gave a slight nod.

"I will await your return."

After the brief ceremony, Elina stood up and walked toward Isabella.

She bowed her head and said, "Mother, pray for me."

Isabella couldn’t hold back her tears. She gently stroked Elina’s head.

"May you win, my daughter."

Elina straightened up and smiled.

"I will!"

She then asked for blessings from Cassandra, Clarise, and Melinda.

Although they weren’t her biological mothers, Elina still considered them her family.

The expressions on some of their faces grew complicated. After all, Elina was their children’s rival in the battle for the throne.

They also knew that Elina would gain a significant advantage after this war.

Even so, they still prayed for her. After all, this war would determine the fate of the empire.

However, one concubine remained silent from start to finish.

It was Melinda, Zarak’s mother.

Elina naturally noticed her attitude but wasn’t angry. Just as she was about to stand up, Melinda stopped her.

"Mother Melinda?"

Elina was startled.

With her usual blank, expressionless face, Melinda leaned closer to Elina’s ear and whispered something.

Elina froze.

Before Elina could even process what she had said, Melinda softly added, "May you win. I’m praying for you."

Elina snapped out of her daze and looked at her hesitantly. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she held herself back.

"Thank you."

After saying that, she turned away and put on her iron helmet.

She mounted her horse and shouted loudly, "For glory!"

The soldiers raised their weapons and shouted together.

"For glory!"

"For glory!"

"For glory!"

Their voices echoed across the imperial palace square, sending chills down the spines of the servants and guards.

It was as if their blood was boiling, and the urge to join the battle suddenly filled their hearts.

Elina tugged on the reins, and her horse shot through the imperial palace gates like the wind.

Evalyn and Freya did the same before their figures soon disappeared from sight. Tens of thousands of soldiers followed behind them.

Within five minutes, the once-crowded square was completely empty.

Seira watched them leave with a complicated look on her face.

"I hope they win..."

...

"Whoa! That’s the army! Move aside—don’t block the way!"

The people in the capital immediately moved aside and cleared the way for them.

Seeing Elina, Freya, and Evalyn leading the army, they couldn’t help but admire them.

"That was Princess Elina, right?"

"That’s right! The two behind her are Princess Freya and Young Lady Evalyn. They’re the ones leading the assault on the southern region."

"Wow! That’s so cool! I hope my daughter can grow up to be just like them!"

A lively discussion broke out among the crowd as they watched the seemingly endless wave of soldiers pass by.

It was rare to see such a large military force, and an event like this might not happen again for a very long time.

"They’re finally leaving."

Nolan calmly watched the scene from behind the window of the Blue Moon Trading House.

"Are you sure you don’t want to go with them, Master? Princess Elina is your younger sister. Aren’t you worried, even just a little?"

Shion’s voice came from beside him.

Nolan took a sip of his wine and smiled.

"There’s no need to worry about her. From the very beginning, this was the path I wanted her to take. I’m merely her advisor, not her guardian. Let her handle everything on her own without my help in this war."

Of course, Nolan wasn’t really going to let Elina go just like that. He would keep an eye on her from the shadows.

If there were any threats that she and her troops couldn’t handle, Nolan would step in and help.

Nolan withdrew his gaze and looked at Shion indifferently.

"What about the project? Is everything going smoothly?"

Shion put on her usual professional expression and replied, "Everything is going smoothly. The land-clearing process is going as planned. The Imperial Palace kept its promise. The price they offered is ten percent lower than the usual price."

"Oh? That’s good news."

Nolan nodded with satisfaction.

Ten percent might not sound like much, but in reality, it was a huge amount. With that discount, they could save at least hundreds of millions of Sharn.

"What about the investment process? Who’s on board?" Nolan asked as he walked over to the sofa and sat down.

Shion followed him and sat down beside him.

"We’ve received a lot of investment offers from nobles, especially those from the eastern region. The ones I’ve already accepted are from the Duke Austin family, the Marquis Valmire family, the Marquis Castellan family, and the Marquis Caltheon family from the southern region. I’ve kept the others in draft form and am waiting for your approval."

"I see."

Nolan smiled.

"What’s the total amount of funds raised?"

"About five billion Sharn."

"That’s quite a lot."

Nolan was fairly satisfied with the result.

At the very least, Blue Moon and White Lotus wouldn’t have to shoulder the entire project alone.

With such a massive business opportunity, the profits could also be divided among the nobles, reducing the chances of resentment between them in the future.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

Shion tapped her forehead.

"What is it?" Nolan asked curiously.

"Our project has caught the attention of the Eastern Empire of Izanagi. Prime Minister Mikazura even sent me a letter yesterday."

"Oh? That’s interesting." Nolan looked surprised. "How much did they offer?"

Shion paused for a moment before answering.

"Forty billion Sharn."