Chapter 71

Jayden’s POV

“We cannot approach the city visibly, so we move on foot from here!”

My voice cut cleanly through the roar of engines and rushing movement as the transport trucks ground to a halt behind us. One after another, the men descended in practiced rhythm, boots striking the earth almost in unison. Metal clinked sharply in the afternoon wind as rifles were secured, ammunition checked, formations assembled. No wasted motion. No unnecessary words.

Every single one of them already understood the situation.

This was not deployment.

This was response.

And we were already late.

“Move with urgency, but maintain formation!” I barked as several units hurried past me. “No unnecessary sound. We don’t know how far their perimeter stretches.”

“Yes, sir!”

The reply came immediately.

The air smelled of dry soil, fuel, and the faint trace of smoke drifting from somewhere far ahead.

Tungsten.

Even from this distance, I could see it—a small shape against the massive stretch of land, quiet enough that someone unfamiliar would mistake it for peace. But I knew better. The emergency transmission from Earn had been brief, fragmented by gunfire and interference, but it had told me enough.

The city had been surrounded.

And Queen Miu was still inside.

My grip around my weapon tightened unconsciously.

Damn it.

“Leon!”

A young lieutenant straightened immediately. “Sir!”

“You stay here with your unit and wait for the remaining forces,” I ordered while unfolding a map across the hood of the nearest vehicle. “The second division will arrive from the western route within the hour. Redirect them north of the river and keep them out of visible range from the city.”

“Yes, sir!”

“If communication from the palace comes through again, relay everything to me immediately. No delays.”

“Understood!”

I nodded once before folding the map again and securing it back onto my belt. Around me, the men continued preparing with controlled urgency, but beneath the discipline, I could feel it.

Tension.

Everyone had heard the transmission.

Everyone knew who was trapped inside that city.

My eyes lifted toward the horizon again.

Tungsten looked deceptively small from here.

Fragile.

And somewhere beyond those fields, beyond the smoke beginning to stain the sky, one of our Queens is caught in the middle of it.

A bitter feeling settled heavily in my chest.

Because if Earn had been forced to call for emergency reinforcement… then the situation inside was already worse than what we could see.

I inhaled sharply through my nose and forced my thoughts back into order.

“We advance in squads of four!” I called out, my voice carrying sharply across the field as the men straightened at once. “No one breaks formation unless ordered. Prioritize civilian extraction and perimeter collapse. If you spot hostile movement near the city center, report before engaging unless lives are immediately at risk.”

A tense silence followed.

Then I continued.

“And listen carefully.”

The weight in my voice alone was enough to still every remaining movement around me.

“If any of you locate Her Majesty—”

My jaw tightened.

“—her evacuation becomes the highest priority.”

Several soldiers visibly stiffened.

I took a step forward, my gaze sweeping across every face before me.

“I do not care what situation you are in. I do not care how many enemies stand in your path. If the Queen is found, you will get her out of that city at all costs.”

The wind rushed past us, carrying distant echoes of war from the direction of Tungsten.

“She is not to remain anywhere near active combat. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Major General!”

The response thundered back immediately.

I checked my weapon one last time before securing it in my arms.

Then I looked toward Tungsten again.

Queen Miu…

Please hold on until we get there.

—–

And just like the universe had other plans for us—

Gunfire erupted the moment we breached the outer vicinity of the city.

“TAKE COVER!”

My voice tore through the forest almost at the same time the first bullets ripped through the trees. The men scattered instantly, diving behind rocks, shallow trenches, fallen trunks—anything solid enough to stop incoming fire. Branches snapped overhead as rounds tore through leaves and bark, the sharp scent of gunpowder immediately swallowing the damp air of the forest.

So they were waiting for us.

Damn it.

Good thing we abandoned the main road earlier and circled through the fields before cutting through the woods. If we had approached directly through the highway, this entire unit would’ve walked straight into a slaughter.

But even then, it still wasn’t enough.

They must have spotted us while we were crossing the open field earlier.

And they had prepared accordingly.

“Two o’clock direction!”

“Behind the ridge!”

“Return fire!”

The forest descended into complete chaos around us as the men exchanged shots through fragmented visibility. Muzzle flashes flickered between trees like brief sparks in the dark, impossible to track cleanly with all the movement.

Beside me, Commander Alric ducked behind a thick trunk before firing two clean shots toward the eastern slope.

“Damn it!” he cursed under his breath. “This is complete chaos!”

Ignoring the dirt kicking up around me, I leaned out just enough to assess our attackers.

And my stomach tightened immediately.

Some of them are wearing armors beneath their cloaks.

They are not just scattered bandits.

Knights.

I recognized the coordination instantly—the way they rotated positions, the way they covered each other’s blind spots, the way their fire was meant not just to kill but to stall movement.

Then I saw a portion of an insignia.

Ravaryn.

There was no mistaking them.

My jaw clenched hard.

They were trying to stop us from reaching Tungsten.

Which meant the city itself was likely under heavier attack than what Earn managed to report.

“Alric!” I shouted through the gunfire while reloading my rifle. “Can you hold this position with the current number of men?!”

He glanced at me like I had insulted him. “Of course I can! Who do you think I am?!”

Despite everything, I almost scoffed.

Alric and his damned pride.

But if anyone could stabilize this frontline long enough for reinforcements to arrive, it was him.

“Then I’m leaving this place to you,” I said immediately.

His eyes widened. “What?! Jayden—!”

“I need to get to the city.”

Another wave of bullets struck the trees above us, forcing several men lower.

But my thoughts had already moved ahead.

A diversion…

If their original intention was to split our forces before we reached Tungsten, then this would not be the only ambush waiting around the outskirts. They would continue delaying us while the main force pushed civilians deeper into the city.

Which meant Queen Miu was still trapped in the center of it all.

My grip around my rifle tightened unconsciously.

And then, against my will, another thought surfaced.

Another face.

Fool.

Why are you thinking about him now of all times?

She is not that person anymore, Jayden.

She is Queen Miu.

Not Prince Matthew.

But the fear creeanyway.

That same suffocating dread from ten years ago.

The terror of arriving too late.

Again.

“Clear me a path!” I barked as I slammed another magazine into my rifle. “Push them back from the eastern side!”

Several knights moved immediately.

“I must find the Queen!”