The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 164: Her Own Strategy

Chapter 164: Her Own Strategy

"Sir Win? Have you met each other already?" Gideon asked Eve, darting his gaze back and forth between them.

"Yes. I met him in the slum area. What are you doing here, Sir Win?" Eve spoke up.

Everyone looked at ’Sir Win’, waiting for his response. He waved his hand and smiled sheepishly.

"Hello, Princess. We met again. The truth is... I’m Alucard Winslow. Win is just my alias."

Eve gasped upon hearing that. She didn’t expect that the adventurer they saved before was the former captain of the royal guards– Alucard Winslow.

"Captain Alucard!" she blurted out. "I’m glad to see you again. Why did you leave without telling me that day?"

Captain Alucard scratched his face before pointing his finger at Gideon. "Because I saw him that day. I couldn’t let him see me. Gideon might recognize me."

Gideon just facepalmed upon hearing that. "Why are you still afraid of me? I have already left Kingdom Zephyra and lived as a hunter. I’m not trying to hunt the rebel group. I want to explore the world."

"You can’t blame us, Lord Gideon. Our troops fought each other before. My comrades were severely injured."

"But I never killed your comrades," Gideon spat back. "I only killed wild beasts and criminals guilty of heinous crimes."

Captain Alucard, Commander Kevin, and their comrades fell silent for a moment. Thinking back, Gideon was telling the truth. He never once killed any of their comrades during their encounters.

"I hate the war. That’s why I decided to leave Kingdom Zephyra. I seek my freedom." Gideon explained to them. He didn’t want to look like a murderer in front of Eve.

Captain Alucard smirked as he wrapped his arms around Gideon’s shoulders. "Well. Forgive us for our wrong assumptions about you. However, why are you here? Are you willing to betray your father to serve Princess Eve? Why are you helping her?"

Everyone looked at Gideon expectantly. They were all curious as to why Gideon was helping Eve.

"Perhaps, do you love her?" Alucard whispered in his ear, making Gideon blush.

"Hey, Stop that!" Gideon elbowed Alucard to shut his mouth.

It did not take long before Caleb and Randolf joined them.

"Princess Eve! You are safe! How is General Alaric? Is he alright?" Caleb asked her worriedly.

Eve’s expression turned grim at the mention of Alaric’s name. "Unfortunately, he remained King Zaraki’s hostage to control me. I can’t disobey him, or else Alaric’s life will be put in jeopardy."

Caleb clenched his fists. "I’ve just received a letter from Kingdom Averion. King Solomon issued a royal command to retreat and return home. They didn’t want us to do a rescue mission. They chose to abandon General Alaric and you, Princess Eve."

Captain Alucard and his comrades were surprised upon hearing the decision of Averion’s ruler.

"How ridiculous?! They are a bunch of cowards! Alaric is their kingdom’s hero, and Eve is part of the royal family. I didn’t expect them to make such decisions." Alucard expressed his disappointment.

On the other hand, Eve wasn’t surprised anymore. She was used to being neglected by her own father. She would never become his priority. He even covered up the death of her mother.

"Many noblemen are jealous of Alaric. They see this as an opportunity to get rid of him—something they’ve always wanted. They could never fully accept that a mere commoner knight suddenly became a hero and was promoted to General. I understand why they decided to abandon us. To them, I am also useless. My life isn’t worth saving," Princess Eve had spoken her mind.

Everyone remained quiet as they didn’t know what to say to comfort her. But Captain Alucard couldn’t bear to see her sad.

"Princess, we are still here for you. We will never abandon you. We are willing to sacrifice our lives for you." Alucard showed his loyalty to her.

"That’s true, Princess. We are at your service. Your wish is our command," Commander Kevin butted in.

Eve smiled, giving them a grateful look. Then she turned to Caleb. "Caleb, return now to Kingdom Averion. The members of the 5th Battalion are waiting for you. They need you as their leader. You should go back and assist Sera in leading the battalion."

"But I can’t leave my general behind. I pledge loyalty to him, not to our kingdom." Caleb refused to listen. He didn’t want to leave without saving Alaric.

This time, Princess Eve had become serious. Her expression suddenly became fierce. "Listen to me, Caleb. You can’t do anything even if you stay here. Alaric is leaving the 5th Battalion in your care. You must fulfill your duty as the knight commander. Alaric entrusted this task to you. Remember?"

Caleb has conflicting thoughts right now. He couldn’t decide what he should do. Seeing his hesitation, Eve continued to speak, convincing him.

"There will be a war. Kingdom Zephyra will send troops to attack Kingdom Averion. You have to protect the people whom Alaric wanted to protect. Do this on his behalf. I am here to give you a command, Caleb. A very important mission."

Caleb glanced at her in confusion. "What mission, Princess?"

"Return to Kingdom Averion and protect the Slum Village. Bring all the members of the 5th Battalion in the slum area. That’s your mission. I promise... I will keep Alaric safe. Nothing bad will happen to him as long as I’m here. Do you trust me, Caleb?"

Caleb could see the determination in her eyes. Her words were full of conviction and sincerity.

"Yes, your highness. I trust you! I will listen to your command. My team and I will return to Kingdom Averion and follow your instructions. But please... keep our general safe." Caleb finally agreed.

Eve nodded in response. "I’m glad to hear that. You have to leave now. The earlier you arrive, the better you can prepare."

"I understand, Princess Eve." After saying that, Caleb turned to Randolf. "Inform Miles that we are leaving today."

"We will escort you to the border!" Rolando volunteered.

Princess Eve dismissed Caleb and his team. They prepared the carriage for this journey back to Kingdom Averion. As Caleb prepared to depart, Eve and Gideon stayed inside the shop to discuss another matter with Captain Alucard and Commander Kevin.

"What do you plan to do now, Your Highness?" Alucard asked her.

"In fact, I’m here to relay my plan to you. I’m gonna need your help..."

Alucard and Kevin exchanged glances with one another. They could tell that Eve was up to something dangerous.

"You can tell us, Princess. We are here to assist you whenever we can. What would you like us to do?" Kevin looked at her expectantly. He couldn’t wait to serve the princess and do something for her. Their loyalty to her knew no bounds.

"Your army can’t stay here in the capital. Rescuing Alaric and me is not the priority. King Zaraki would like to annihilate the rebel group. I won’t let that happen. So please trust me." Eve reassured them.

"Of course, we trust you!" Alucard promptly responded, without hesitation.

Gideon just remained quiet as he listened to them. He let Eve handle this discussion. He was only there to protect her from harm.

"I want to subdue my mother’s killer. She is the Queen of Kingdom Averion. As part of my revenge, I want you to help me. Let’s conquer Kingdom Averion!" Eve boldly declared to them.

Alucard and Kevin were shocked beyond belief when they heard that.

"Princess Eve, what is the meaning of this? Are we the ones attacking Kingdom Averion? Then what will happen to Caleb and his comrades? Don’t you care about them?" Kevin asked, feeling a little bit confused.

"We are not going to harm them. I have a way of intimidating them and making them surrender without putting up a fight. But I need your army to march inside the castle as I face their ruler– King Solomon and Queen Amara." Eve expressed her real intention.

"I will not allow unnecessary fights and killings. I just need your support. Will you help me?"

Captain Alucard didn’t respond right away. He rubbed his chin while racking his brain hard. Then he looked at Eve, assessing her for several seconds.

"Princess Eve, something doesn’t make sense here. I want to ask you. Does King Zaraki approve of this? Is he the one who wants to send you to lead the army and conquer Kingdom Averion?" Captain Alucard sensed something suspicious. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt like Eve was hiding something from them.

Looking straight into his eyes, Eve answered Alucard’s queries. "I’m the one who volunteered to attack Averion. King Zaraki agreed after convincing him."

"Does he know that you are bringing my army with you?" Alucard asked her again.

Eve clenched her fists as she tried to compose herself. She knew it—Captain Alucard was smart. If she wasn’t careful, he would see through her lies.

"No. He doesn’t know. This is my pure strategy," she said without batting an eyelid.

"Okay! Fine. Count us in! Let’s do this."