After choosing to leave, they regretted it.

Chapter 10 The Princess's Decision

"Well--"

Heidi slowly opened her eyes and found herself in the study of the palace.

Last night, after the strange "assassination" incident, the bedroom was damaged and I and my bed were brought here.

But she had little energy to sleep.

In the middle of the night, after recovering from the previous shock, she sat down at her desk and began to rethink the current situation.

As a result, due to the double fatigue of mental and physical, I fell asleep accidentally.

When I came to my senses, it was already completely bright.

I glanced at the mirror on the table and saw the face reflected in it, pale and haggard.

His lips were so dry that they were almost cracked, his eyes were swollen and red, and were completely surrounded by tear marks and dark circles.

If this goes on, I, who have not been infected with the blood plague, will soon become the same as those blood slaves outside.

She wanted to stand up, but her body felt extremely heavy, and her legs were weak and numb, so she fell back into the chair, making her already confused mind even more dizzy.

"Tsk——"

Heidi curled her lips in dissatisfaction and spoke to the outside with an unusually dry throat:

"Someone! Is anyone here?!"

The door of the study opened, and a knight walked in, bowing respectfully:

"Your Highness, are you awake? What are your instructions?"

"...Where's your leader?"

"According to the previous arrangement, the leader led his men into the epidemic area at dawn. They should be active in the residential area in the north of the city now. Do you want to recruit her back?"

As a degraded product of the vampire race, blood slaves are even more afraid of sunlight than their masters. They are almost completely unable to move during the day and will hide in dark places.

This is the opportunity.

During the day, the remaining knights and town guards would go deep into the epidemic area to reduce the number of blood slaves as much as possible while searching for survivors and the whereabouts of vampires.

Of course, considering that we have to guard against attacks from blood slaves at night, the warriors have to take turns to rest during the safe daytime, so the actual manpower that can be mobilized is not much.

But this is one of the few efforts Heidi can make at the moment.

She nodded to the knight:

"Well, call her back. I have something to discuss with her. Tell her to come here immediately... No, let's go to the top floor of the palace clock tower. I'll wait for her there."

"Yes!"

After the knight saluted, he ran out in a hurry.

After taking a short break, Heidi sighed deeply, then slowly stood up from her seat and began to wash and tidy herself.

The palace servants were now sent outside to care for the wounded, the elderly, and the children among the civilians.

These things that used to be done by others can now only be done by Heidi herself.

After tidying herself up and making herself look a little more human, Heidi stood up and walked out of the study.

After walking through the corridor and the crowd of refugees, he turned and came to the bottom of the clock tower. After climbing up the long winding stairs, he arrived at the target location.

Before the Knights' Leader, Elena, arrived, Heidi lay on the edge of the bell tower and looked outside.

At this moment, it was just past noon, which was supposed to be the time of the day when the sunlight was the best.

However, the scene before him at this moment was extremely strange.

The light black color, like a thin mist, enveloped the entire town like a black veil, making the weather unusually gloomy and cold despite being a sunny day, even making people feel sleepy.

This is also the impact of the blood plague.

The victims transformed by the blood plague, their released magic power formed this barrier-like existence. It can even be said that this darkness is the essence of the blood plague.

"Your Highness, I heard you were looking for me?"

I heard a voice behind me, and when I turned around, I found Elena already standing there.

Her armor was covered in blood and even had a few scratches. It looked like she had been through a very fierce battle and had not had time to change it before rushing over.

"Ah."

Heidi nodded, then once again looked towards the town in the distance:

"I remember when I was little, I loved standing here and looking at the street view."

Elena nodded:

"Yes, I still remember that the princess escaped from the noble etiquette class and hid here to skip class. When my subordinates found out, they told me not to report her."

"Yes, but in the end, my mother found me and punished me to practice my salute in front of the mirror three hundred times. Only then was the matter over."

Heidi said with a tired smile:

"...How long has it been since I last came here?"

Elaina did not answer this question because the answer was very clear.

Five years.

Five years have passed since the previous king's fall and Heidi was dragged out of her carefree life and pushed to the forefront.

Heidi never came here again.

Of course, Heidi herself remembered it, and she didn't really mean to ask anything when she said this.

But then, as if talking to himself, he said:

"Five years... Haha, I still remember when I was little, I just felt that time passed too slowly, even more than ten years in this world seemed too short. But these five years have been too long."

The red-haired princess narrowed her eyes, her face full of fatigue.

She raised her hand and stretched it towards the town shrouded in black fog not far away, then clenched it, as if trying to grab something.

But it is destined to be unreachable.

"When I was little, looking at the streets of the capital, I always wondered why nothing ever changed. It was like this when I was six, like this when I was ten, and still like this when I was fifteen. How boring! Haha, it has changed now, but... it's better if it doesn't change."

Heidi smiled wryly.

"I heard that in the vampire kingdom within the demonic territory, there's a city called Eternal Night, shrouded in darkness year-round. If things continue like this, will the royal capital, the last remaining territory of the Arte family, also become like that?"

The answer is, yes.

Elena had witnessed with her own eyes a city completely destroyed by the blood plague. The sun could not reach it, the moon was drowned in blood, and the dilapidated streets were filled with monsters that looked like neither human nor inhuman.

She is an experienced and strong-willed knight.

However, even she would dream of that scene from time to time at night, and then wake up in a cold sweat.

So, she didn't dare to answer this question.

However, Heidi shook her head, and her outstretched hand suddenly clenched into a fist.

Then, he said very forcefully:

"No, it won't be like that. I won't let it be like that!"

From Heidi's point of view, both the identity of a princess and this town and its people were somewhat forced upon her.

And in the eyes of others, I might just be a clown clinging to a throne that is destined to be lost.

But so be it.

She is a princess, the last leader of the Arte family, and the heir to the throne of this country.

She will not give up this identity, no matter how hard she struggles or how hard she rolls, no matter how ugly it gets, she will not give up her identity.

Nor will I give up the responsibilities of this identity.

"Captain of the Royal Knights of the Kingdom of Arte, Elena, obey your orders!"

"arrive!"

Elena didn't hesitate and immediately knelt on one knee in front of Heidi.

"From now on, all affairs, personnel, and supplies within the royal capital are under your command. You must persevere at all costs and absolutely do not allow the royal palace area to fall!"

"yes!!!"

Years of habit and loyalty made Elena agree instantly.

But then, when she began to think about the meaning behind this order, she was stunned.

He subconsciously raised his head, widened his eyes and asked:

"Your Highness, you... you are going to..."

"I'm going to leave town and find help."

The situation in the city is very clear, there is only despair and no hope.

No matter how careful Heidi was, how hard she thought, or how she tried to make the most of the resources at hand, she could only delay the arrival of the worst.

As for the Duke Alliance outside the city... the situation has come to this point, and there is no turning back for them. Heidi must bear the blame for the destruction of the royal capital.

In other words, even if Heidi announced her abdication now, they would not accept it and the situation would not change.

Therefore, we must seek help from outside.

And Elena knew this.

She had brought up this matter almost every day before, but Heidi had always rejected her. Why was Heidi bringing it up now?

"Princess, this won't work! You can't go! The three Dukes have posted sentries outside the city. If you're discovered, they'll kill you!"

Heidi shook her head:

"No, I have to go."

"Why!?"

"Now, it's no exaggeration to say that the entire kingdom could be our enemy. As for the Church... I'm not sure of their stance, but there's a high possibility that they're colluding with the Dukes. The price the kingdom would pay to get their help would be unimaginable."

Heidi paused and sighed softly.

"So, there is only one person who can solve the current situation."

"You mean..."

"Aize."

As Heidi's former fiancée, Elena knew something about Aize's situation.

I also understand how awkward Heidi's position is with Aize now.

In addition, Heidi's recent mental instability made her not dare to mention this matter.

Unexpectedly, Heidi actually said it on her own initiative.

After saying Aize's name, Heidi's face was filled with sadness. She lowered her eyes, sighed, and shook her head.

"As for Aize... I, I feel sorry for him. So, I have to go by myself. I must get his forgiveness, otherwise..."

Heidi actually had no idea about this matter, otherwise, she wouldn't have waited until now to make a decision.

But last night, the vampire's arrogant remarks woke Heidi up.

He had no time to waste and had to ask Aize to resolve this situation.

No matter what the cost.

As a close attendant, Elena still disagreed:

"But, the Duke Alliance's blockade..."

"Why? You think you can get through the blockade, but I can't?"

Heidi knocked on her armor, and a hint of pride or something else appeared in her sad expression.