"For my father to call at this time..." Etaria muttered as she hurried past the small alleys of her legion's camp.
"What are the chances he is calling just to check up on the progress?" Zanba asked, pretending to struggle to follow up after the princess in their mad dash across the legion's camp to a very, very specific place.
Contrary to what one might think, it wasn't the princess' tenet that made up the very center of the legion's camp. She might've been the most important person in the field...
But just like anything and everything else in the empire, the emperor himself always kept the role of the single most important role in everything.
That's why, at the very center of the Golden Legion's camp, it wasn't the princess tent that was located.
It was all a massive tent designed with no one else but the masters of the high tower in mind.
"Make way for the princess!"
The two men standing guard at the tent's entrance stood at attention and shouted the very moment they saw the golden princess appear.
The two of them raised up their chests and shook the ceremonial spears they held before taking a step to the side each, opening up a path just wide enough for the princess to squeeze through and get inside the tent.
"I hope it will all go smoothly," Zanba muttered before giving Etaria a slight, gentle pat on the back. "All the best!"
Even if the two of them didn't need to hide with their special relationship within the camp fully taken over by the golden legion... The tent of the high tower was the one special place where not even Zanba dared to act too much out of the line.
"Thanks," Etaria gave Zanba a quick smile before moving past the two guards and making her way inside the massive tent. "I greet the high masters of the tower!"
Out of the total of seven men inside of the tent, only three bothered to turn their heads and nod them to acknowledge the princess' presence.
'Those fuckers...'
In spite of how much Etaria hated to be anywhere near this tent, she had no other choice but to grit her teeth and let this display of arrogance pass.
"Etaria," the emperor's profile shifted as he turned his eyes towards the surface of the liquid on the exact copy of the artifact that the princess was currently using. "What are the news?"
Hearing those words, the princess couldn't help but smile a bit.
'It seems my time here won't be as bad as I thought it would be!'
"Just a moment, father," Etaria requested before raising her face from the artifact's surface and glancing over at the total of seven high masters paying their utmost attention to the events at the artifact.
They might pretend they couldn't care less about the empire and its politics or the emperor's thoughts... But they couldn't mask the curiosity and vivid interest that flashed in their eyes, only to vanish when Etaria threw her inquisitive look around.
"I'm sorry, high masters, but I will have to have you vacate this place."
The news only served to further the rift between the imperial family and the high masters of the high tower. Still, the procedures for this situation were perfectly clear.
If the princess so desired, then with all the respect but they were to fuck off right this instant.
After some more hateful stares, the high masters obliged, leaving the princess alone with the artifact in the entirety of the massive tent.
"Okay, it should be safe to talk now," Etaria announced right as she coated her surroundings with such a degree of the world's mana that none of the words spoken inside would ever make it beyond this makeshift barrier of pure energy.
"Good," the emperor nodded his head right as his face took on a more serious look. "How are things going?"
Etaria took a second to catch a breath.
"A bit differently than we initially assumed, but things are on the right track. The mercenaries lost half their men, and Duke Salvador opted to commit assisted suicide by refusing to follow expressed commands while his army was routed and lost close to half of its numbers."
Etaria finally allowed a small hint of a smile to appear on her face.
"All things considered, things are only starting to gain traction, but I should be able to complete my task within a fortnight."