Chapter178

"The Battle of the Inferno doesn't require you to lead troops, but I just explained the situation at Plumera's capital. Lord Gregory has already taken four hundred thousand soldiers and is expected to march south in five days to attack our Marigold County!"

"One hundred eighty thousand against four hundred thousand. Do you have the confidence to stop them?" Elara stared at General Qi's composed expression.

General Qi lowered his gaze slightly, but his posture as he cupped his hands in salute didn't change at all.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will defend Marigold County. I won't let Lord Gregory's army take a single step in."

Elara smiled, though her expression didn't show satisfaction. Her voice rose again.

"But what I ask of you is more than just stopping Lord Gregory's troops. I want you to strike back! Defeat them completely and then charge north to break through Plumera's capital!"

Her words didn't just shock General Qi. Every civil and military official nearby lifted their heads and looked over, their breathing instinctively lighter, faces filled with shock.

Elara smiled again and stepped in front of General Qi, patting his strong arm hidden under his robe. Her voice softened.

"You are the guardian of Plumera. After so many years, you should be one of the people who understands the country best."

"The crimes Lord Gregory has committed in Plumera are beyond count. Every patriotic soldier should see it as the highest honor to cut down traitors like him."

"All of you are military officers of Plumera. Your duty is to protect its peace."

"And this peace isn't just about defending from outside threats. When internal corruption and traitors appear, you should also be the blade that cuts them out! Only by removing the rot can Plumera be reborn and truly protected by its army!"

She paused, then looked up at General Qi. "So, General Qi, I want you not just to block those traitors. I want you to crush them! Break through their forces and keep marching north! Reach Plumera's royal capital and wipe out the nest of vermin hiding inside that palace!"

"By then, Plumera will still be called Plumera, and you will still be its guardian general. You will carry the honor and legacy of the Qi family. Plumera will rise again."

"Well? General, can you do it?"

The room fell silent in shock.

In that silence, General Qi looked at the young girl standing beside him.

Lately, he had almost grown used to looking up at her and obeying any command she gave without question.

But now, he was once again reminded that this girl who held the power over their lives, who dared to personally lead troops and expand Plumera's land, was only just past the age of maturity.

This young girl was now saying something that struck the heart like thunder.

To lead an army, face Lord Gregory's troops head-on, and then break through their own gates all the way to Plumera's capital… without any imperial order, such actions were as good as rebellion.

Even if she was the empire's eldest princess, and carried royal blood, the current emperor still sat in the capital palace.

What she was saying now danced dangerously between loyalty and rebellion in the eyes of history.

And she was asking all of them to follow her.

Accepting this mission meant recognizing her, not the emperor in the palace, as their true leader.

General Qi's heart trembled. Her words stirred something inside him.

The Qi family had always served with loyalty. He was the only general of his generation.

Logically, his loyalty should always go first to the one in the imperial palace.

But looking at the girl who didn't even reach his shoulder—

He felt she wasn't wrong.

After all, her surname was still Xia.

And whether for the country or the people, she far surpassed those in the capital and court.

If Plumera had any hope of rebirth, it could only come from her.

The others had also been stunned by Elara's words.

To them, raised since childhood on rigid, cautious doctrine and soaked in old, decaying ideals, her open call to rebel against a still-reigning emperor was shocking.

Everyone around the table had gone still with disbelief.

No one dared speak. Even their breathing had quieted.

This was something that could easily get their entire family executed.

But a few minutes later, as they calmed down and thought seriously about Plumera's current state, most of them began to understand.

Some had already rebelled during past chaos. If they did it again, they were only returning to something they had already done.

And now their leader had royal blood and far greater skill.

Why would they be afraid?

The shock had only come because they hadn't expected their new leader to say such things so openly, and in such a place.

Now they felt even more sure they had made the right decision in coming to Marigold County.

They had found the one they should truly follow.

Thinking this, Egbert, Hector, and the others chosen and appointed personally by Elara were the first to kneel in deep respect.

Then the officials and officers who had gained shelter, stability, and positions under her leadership all followed, bowing low.

Soon, the entire room was filled with people kneeling before her.

Only a few old officials remained standing. They had survived since the time of Gao Qiong by keeping quiet and being ignored.

These old officials had served in Marigold County all their lives. They had seen its past chaos and despair.

They had also seen how, after Elara's reforms, the county had revived with energy and order.

But decades of fear and rigid thinking had made them timid and hesitant.

Elara's speech had hit them like a lightning bolt.

They nearly fled from the shock.

But now, seeing the room full of kneeling officials pledging their loyalty, the old ones trembled violently. When Elara looked at them, they finally bowed low as well.

"We... we too are willing to follow the princess…"

Their voices shook.

Elara looked over them, not demanding that they change immediately.

That wasn't important. What mattered was that Marigold County was under her control.

As long as they didn't betray her, didn't act as spies or traitors, and didn't sabotage her plans, she would not concern herself with them too much.

Elara sat at the head of the meeting room. She looked at the people in front of her, who were kneeling deeply with General Qi, Egbert, and Hector at the front. For the first time since this meeting began, a smile finally appeared on her face.

Since this meeting was the last major gathering before the final battle with Lord Gregory in Plumera City, all tactical discussions were secondary. What really mattered was making these people clearly understand her, understand her goals and ambitions, understand what she was about to do in the future. And even then, they had to stay loyal and follow her.

After returning to Plumera City, they must always stand behind her and become a force she could always rely on. That was what Elara truly wanted from this meeting. Since she had decided to develop Plumera, she would not let anyone else take control of it.

Even if that person was her full-blooded younger brother, Elara would not allow it. She had no interest in being some regent or a princess who ruled behind a curtain. If she was going to do this, she would sit in that seat herself and do it openly and boldly.

As long as she won this war, Plumera would be the land she claimed for herself. From then on, only she would have the right to sit in that position.