Chapter 8: Princess Jerusha

Princess Jerusha Aratat chose to launch her campaign in Region 22. She- Princess Jerusha, Princess Judith (the Sixth Princess), and Prince Jaden (the Second Prince) shared the same mother, Empress Hodiah.

Unlike her siblings, Jerusha had her eyes firmly set on the throne, a position no female had ever held in the empire. Yet, she believed she had just as much of a chance as anyone.

Among those orbiting her ambitions was Amiel Racta, the companion of Prince Balek. Amiel was infatuated with her, though he remained oblivious to the fact that Jerusha saw him as nothing more than a pawn. Like her brother Jaden, Jerusha was cunning and manipulative, qualities she wielded like weapons.

Sitting gracefully in her ornate, horse-drawn carriage, Jerusha watched the dusty plains of Region 22 pass by under the blazing sun. Her entourage rode before and behind her, placing her in the middle, some mounted on horses, others tending to carriages filled with her belongings—jars of precious creams, intricate ornaments, and tools for her campaign. Despite the heat, Jerusha maintained a composed and regal demeanor, her mind already calculating her next move.

As they neared the central hub of Region 22, a shadow crossed the sky. A message eagle appeared in the line of sight of Jerusha's men with its talons gripping a tightly rolled scroll.

"Princess, a message eagle approaches!" shouted her personal guard, Dulip Cave.

Jerusha wrinkled her nose at the disruption, her meditative calm shattered. Her displeasure was evident in her voice as she snapped, "Dulip, spare me your noise and collect the scroll."

"My apologies, Princess," Dulip said, bowing his head. He extended his gauntleted arm, and the eagle, after circling briefly, swooped down to perch on it. Dulip gently removed the scroll, and then he allowed the eagle to take to flight and return the way it came, after which he approached Jerusha, bowing low as he presented it.

Jerusha collected the scroll like the way one would pick up a dirty object, she unrolled the scroll and scanned its contents. The message bore Amiel Racta's signature and seal.

The scroll was from Amiel, Balek's personal guard and closest companion.

The scroll read thus:

——:——:——

This letter is from Amiel Racta, Balek's personal guard and closest companion to my one true love, Princess Jerusha.

My love,

I hope this letter finds you well. The idiot of a prince, Balek, desires to attack region 32, after the death of your half brother, Josh Aratat, and he has tasked me with the responsibility of killing every single individual in that region.

I am relaying this information to you, ahead of time, so that you can take the initiative and conquer the region ahead of time. We have a one week time limit to set on the mission.

With the preparations I am making, we will both kill all our adversaries, including that bastard of an emperor, Emperor Groa Aratat and take over his throne. I love you my sweet Jerusha, I will see you in the gathering of the princes or maybe if we meet during the war or rather the massacre that would come upon region 32.

Yours Sincerely,

Amiel Rasta

Signature/stamp.

——:——:——

Jerusha smiled. She has Amiel firmly placed where she wants him to be, under her control. She turned to Dulip, "it seems the rumor that my half brother- Josh is dead is true?"

Dulip Cave was stunned. He has seen Josh Aratat a few times and his impression of this young man was that he was pitiful. Ever since he got to know about the situation involving his mother's death and the hatred of his father towards him, he appeared lifeless in ihs demeanor.

"Send a mesanger, and inform my brother, Jaden and give me feedback on what his plan is moving forward. Knowing my brother, he likely would be calculating every single move like a chess piece, and would not want me to make a move but still, I would prefer to hear his opinion first."

Just as the carriage was about to continue its journey, a commanding voice rang out from ahead, "Halt in the name of the region lord and state your business in Region 22!"

In this empire, each region is governed by a region lord, figures akin to presidents, who oversee multiple states within their territory. These region lords wield immense authority and are notoriously unyielding, especially toward spies or intruders harboring ill intent. Their vigilance ensures the security and autonomy of their domains.

Recently, however, the emperor noticed an alarming trend—region lords across his empire had ceased sending their monthly tributes. This brazen defiance was a clear signal of unrest, perhaps even rebellion. To reassert his dominance and crush any resistance, the emperor dispatched his children to various regions, entrusting them with the task of quelling dissent and expanding the empire's influence.

Now, in Region 22, Princess Jerusha knew her journey would not be without obstacles. She presumed that her first challenge would likely be to deal with the region lord's forces before confronting the numerous factions vying for power within the region. She didn't expect someone to come so soon.

Jerusha's instincts flared. Trouble was imminent. Region lords were no ordinary rulers. Many possessed cultivation levels nearly rivaling the emperor's, though the emperor's mastery of strategy and hidden techniques ensured his supremacy. Still, if a region lord chose to dispatch emissaries or soldiers to test visitors, they would undoubtedly be formidable.

In this world, the cultivation hierarchy was divided into four major zones, each with ten levels:

Foetal Power Zone: Focused on physical strength, from level 1 to 10.

Ocean Opening Zone: Centered on inner strength, from level 1 to 10.

Ocean Flooding Zone: Mastery of enforcing inner and outer strength over others, with 10 levels.

Beyond Mortal Zone: Transcending natural laws, defying the constraints of the mortal world, also with 10 levels.

Princess Jerusha sharpened her senses, observing the six figures who had emerged to block their path. She immediately gauged their power: three of them were at the 6th level of the Ocean Opening Zone, one at the 7th level, another at the 9th level, and their leader stood at the peak—the 10th level of the Ocean Opening Zone. This was a daunting lineup for a region as relatively obscure as Region 22. Such strength was usually expected in more prominent regions, like Regions 2 through 10.

Jerusha's own cultivation stood at the 4th level of the Ocean Opening Zone, a respectable level but no match for the leader's overwhelming presence. Among her entourage, only her personal guard, Dulip Cave, could rival some of the attackers, having reached the 6th level of the Ocean Opening Zone. The rest of her soldiers, though numerous—sixty in total—were mostly at the 3rd and 4th levels, far outmatched by the intruders.

Jerusha stepped out of her carriage, her sharp eyes locking onto the figures blocking their path. She could feel the oppressive aura radiating from them, a suffocating reminder of the battle that loomed. Despite the odds, Jerusha's mind churned with strategies. She knew this encounter could turn into a pyrrhic victory at best—if they were lucky.

Still, Jerusha was not one to cower. The wheels of her mind turned, calculating every possible move as she prepared to face the challenge ahead.

Jerusha glanced at her own forces. Sixty soldiers stood at her side, most at the 3rd or 4th level of the Ocean Opening Realm. Only her guard, Dulip Cave, stood out at the 6th level. Though confident in her abilities, Jerusha understood the odds. This would be no simple skirmish. If a battle broke out, victory would come at a heavy cost.