The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 1062 Defeat or Victory?

Clang!

A sword blocked the attack just as it was about to reach Elina's neck.

Thud!

The tall man was suddenly kicked and sent flying backward, tumbling across the ground.

Elina was startled. She turned to her right and saw Freya standing beside her with an indifferent expression.

"Are you okay?" Freya asked, holding out her right hand.

Elina snapped out of her daze and took a deep breath before accepting her hand.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

Freya helped her to her feet.

"Are you seriously injured?"

"Nothing serious. I'm just exhausted."

Elina shook her head weakly.

"Thank you for helping me. If it weren't for you—"

"There's no need to thank me," Freya interrupted, patting her on the shoulder. "We're sisters and comrades-in-arms. How could I just stand by and watch you get killed?"

Her warm words helped Elina feel a little calmer.

The battle for the throne had strained the relationships between the siblings.

They no longer saw one another as family, but as enemies who had to be eliminated.

Elina felt the same way. But she'd be lying if she said the situation didn't make her sad.

Despite everything between them, they were still family. And for a moment, Freya's concern helped ease some of the hurt Elina had been carrying.

"Oh? Well, look who we have here. Freya Lorian, the young general of the Great Velmora Empire? The one giving the Valtanir forces so much trouble at the Eldrath Mountains. Not bad."

Corvin's teasing voice broke the warm atmosphere between the two sisters.

Freya's expression turned cold as she faced him.

"You seem to know me quite well. Did the Holy Empire of Valtanir's intelligence network tell you all that?"

Corvin smiled faintly.

"What if it did?"

Freya didn't bother replying. She bent her knees and charged straight toward him.

As soon as she was within striking distance, she swung her sword.

Clang!

Someone blocked her attack. Freya glanced to the side and saw the tall, burly man standing in her way.

But she had expected this. She pulled back her sword and kicked him in the chest.

The man was caught off guard and sent flying backward. Before he could react, Freya had already jumped after him, raising her sword high above her head.

Shing!

Her sword missed and struck the ground instead. The man managed to dodge it.

"He's fast."

Freya turned to face him warily.

Despite his massive build, he was surprisingly agile. She had never encountered a soldier with such abilities before.

"Who are you?" she asked coldly.

The man didn't answer. He just stood there, looking calm and unbothered.

Freya frowned and looked him over. For some reason, he seemed familiar, as if she'd seen him somewhere before.

'Is it just my imagination?' she muttered to herself.

Clap!

A sudden clap broke the silence.

"All right, that's enough for today. This exhausting battle can wait."

Freya and Elina were both startled by his words.

Before anyone could react, Corvin turned and ran toward his horse. He quickly mounted it and shouted, "Everyone, fall back!"

His voice rang out across the battlefield.

The tall, burly man didn't say anything. He turned and ran to his horse, climbed on, and galloped away.

The rebel soldiers were caught off guard by the sudden order, especially those from the Holy Empire of Valtanir. But no one dared to disobey. They quickly turned and began retreating.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going? Trying to run away? Not a chance!" an imperial soldier shouted.

He immediately chased after them, and the other soldiers soon followed.

The mages and archers also tried to attack the retreating enemy, but the priests of Valtanir quickly stepped in and blocked their attacks.

"They're getting away!" Elina exclaimed.

She was about to chase after them, but Freya quickly stopped her.

"Don't! Stay right here."

Elina stopped and turned to look at her. Freya simply shook her head.

"We're already exhausted. If we keep pushing ourselves, we'll only make things worse. Besides, we don't know if they're really retreating or trying to lure us into a trap."

Hearing Freya's explanation, Elina swallowed her frustration and reluctantly nodded.

She then ordered the imperial soldiers to stop chasing the retreating enemy.

The battlefield, which had been chaotic just moments ago, finally fell quiet.

***

The imperial forces began clearing the battlefield. The surviving soldiers carried away the bodies of their fallen comrades.

Elina, Freya, and Evalyn didn't just stand around either. They helped the soldiers despite being told not to.

But eventually, they grew too tired to keep going. Whether they liked it or not, the three of them had to head back to the campfire.

They sat in a circle, not saying a word.

Elina stared blankly at the campfire before finally speaking up.

"How many have died?"

Evalyn pursed her lips before answering.

"Three hundred. One hundred cavalry and two hundred infantry."

Her answer brought silence once again.

Only the distant footsteps of soldiers and the crackling of the fire broke the silence.

After a few moments, Elina asked another question.

"How many were wounded?"

Evalyn closed her eyes briefly before answering. "A thousand."

"A thousand?"

Elina's eyes widened. That was an enormous number.

"Don't be so shocked. This kind of thing is common in war," Freya replied calmly. "Besides, we didn't expect reinforcements from the Holy Empire of Valtanir to arrive so suddenly. These are losses we have to accept and learn from."

Hearing that, Elina lowered her head, her expression a mix of sadness and frustration.

Although she had combat experience, actual warfare was a different matter. This was the first time she had led such a large force.

It was only now that she truly understood how frustrating it was to lose so many soldiers at once.

They were human beings, after all. No matter what, the lives lost could never be brought back.

Sensing Elina's mood, Freya stayed quiet. She had felt the same sadness and pressure herself in the past.

But over time, she had gradually gotten used to it. In the end, war only had two possible outcomes: victory or defeat.

And the lives of soldiers were the price they had to pay for the victory they sought.

Elina dreamed of becoming empress and ruling this land. No matter the circumstances, this was something she would have to learn to face.