Lisa walked at a slow pace with a black bow on her back, and Jennie by her side.
One dressed in plain and practical clothes, with tanned skin and a tall, skinny figure.
One dressed in splendid silks, with fair skin and a graceful, lithe figure.
Any bystander observing the two of them would consider them an unlikely pair.
However, the usually quiet Lisa had actually taken up the role of showing Jennie around the camp.
On the other hand, a faint smile stayed on Jennie's face as she listened attentively to Lisa, who was introducing her to various matters within the military camp.
"This is the infantry soldier's camp. I've stayed here before, and the conditions for infantry soldiers are relatively poor. One tent houses three units each."
Jennie asked quietly: "Why do the conditions for infantry soldiers differ so much from the cavalry?"
Lisa thought for a moment, then she answered: "It's because an infantry soldier does not need very long to train, and the bar for them is very low. The cavalry requires a longer time to train, and horses are precious. They are also the most important battle forces for the kingdom, that's why the cavalry receive much better treatment than the infantry soldiers. To be honest..."
Lisa couldn't understand why, but Jennie's gentle voice made her feel so at ease that she had actually dropped her guard— she was starting to talk endlessly without any reservations.
It was only when she realized that she was about to 'say too much' that she finally forced herself to stop.
Jennie was working to find out Lisa's true levels in intellect, how could she let her stop there?
And so, she laughed quietly: "Please feel free to speak your mind, Battalion Commander. I will simply treat it as a secret between us."
Hearing this from Jennie, a tender feeling rose within Lisa's heart once again.
Jennie gave off a presence that was entirely different from the military camp.
It was something noble, yet somewhat soft. Every word and every smile from her slipped through Lisa's sturdy defenses like gentle spring waters, causing someone as guarded and wary as Lisa to believe her, just like that.
Lisa continued: "To be honest, I think that the infantry soldiers deserve better treatment, because the infantry is the division with the highest death rate in the military. The Commander-in-Chief's preferred formation is to employ the infantry at the frontlines and two flanks of cavalry on each side to wrap things up. Facing the Huns who are mostly on horseback, the infantry ends up with a very high number of casualties. And it is exactly because the infantry soldiers charge at the front, fighting with their lives on the line, that the cavalry has a greater chance of survival. It also puts the cavalry into good use."
Once she was done saying that, Lisa scratched her head with some embarrassment.
Though Jennie listened passively, she was forming a more detailed impression of Lisa in her mind.
"Life in the military camp seems so monotonous. Do you have any hobbies or interests?"
Jennie looked towards Lisa as she threw out an 'important' question, in a way that seemed unintentional.
Be it money, power, women, or anything weird; as long as Lisa liked it, Jennie could find a way to win Lisa over...
Surprisingly, Lisa gave her question some serious thought. In the end, she answered earnestly: "No."
Jennie was rather annoyed by Lisa's answer. This person is truly... one who 'does not take seasoning'.
"Uh..Ahh~~~ Don't!" The distant sound of a woman's yelp suddenly reached their ears.
Jennie and Lisa stood still at the same time, meeting each other's eyes with astonishment.
Lisa looked around their surroundings, and she quickly realized where they were.
She chided herself internally: Damn it, I was so occupied with talking with Her Highness that I ended up bringing her to this filthy place!
"Ahh~~~! ~Oh~~~~~ Oh god, help!"
Prostitute camps existed in most military camps along the kingdom's border. They were mostly prisoners from enemy kingdoms or daughters of guilty officials who were punished by association.
Lisa knew about this place, but she had never visited it...
To have come here by accident, Lisa found herself panicking, and it was only worsened by the distant laughter of a man and the building moans for help. She had no idea what she should say.
"Help! Please~ Have mercy on me! Oh~~!"
"What's happening there?" Jennie's attractive brows knitted slightly.
Although Jennie was a well-read person, situations like this were new to her, so she did not think in that particular direction.
The distant sound of a woman crying for help concerned her greatly.
"Y-Your... Highness, let's go back!" Lisa was already used to such things, but the sight of Jennie's wonderful face left her unable to speak of anything 'obscene'.
"This is utterly audacious to the extreme— how dare you all force yourselves upon civilian women?!"
Jennie shot a glare at Lisa, then she set off with the intent to rescue an innocent young woman, her dress trailing behind her...
Lisa watched as Jennie headed towards the prostitute camp.
The pain on her lower body now the least of her concerns, she strode quickly to catch up with Jennie, grabbing her forearm.
Soft in her grasp was a silky-smooth cloth and a delicate arm. Lisa let go immediately, but at least it managed to stop Jennie from progressing.
Too afraid to look at Jennie in the eye, Lisa said uneasily with her head half-lowered: "Y-Your Highness, that place, that place over there is a prostitute camp..."
Hearing that, no amount of composure could keep the flush from Jennie's face. Her fair cheeks quickly turned into a vivid red.
Jennie gaped slightly.
Looking at Lisa, head hung low in unease, Jennie thought to herself: Taking me to such an obscene place without thinking... This person must have been a frequent visitor here, before his injury.
In the end, Jennie bit her lower lip, shooting a glare at Lisa. She turned around, leaving this place with haste!
Lisa followed her quickly, and the two of them left together.
After traveling a short distance, two soldiers armed with halberds approached Jennie quickly.
"This lowly one greets Your Highness. Sir Brute is already at the big tent. He said that there is something urgent, Your Highness must take a trip there."
"Lead the way."
Lisa also heard what the guards said, so she stayed on the spot, watching Jennie go.
On the other hand, Jennie followed Carl's personal guards to the big tent without looking back, not even once.
Lisa stood in a daze, until Jennie completely disappeared from her sight.
Unable to resist the urge, she rubbed her hand. The one that grabbed Jennie's arm out of sheer urgency.
Lisa looked down at her calloused hand for a long while, losing herself in her thoughts.
A sense of envy rose in her heart: We're both women, but my hand is so rough. It's all solid, but the Princess was so...
Lisa remained unaware that a shadow was keeping note of her every move...
"Battalion Commander! So this is where you were!"
The shout called Lisa back to her senses: "What is it?"
"Please come with me now, the Commander-in-Chief has summoned you to the big tent."
"I'm coming!"
Lisa set her thoughts aside and followed the guard to the big tent.
Even from a distance, she could already hear the sound of an argument inside the big tent...
"Our Kingdom is a great, civilized kingdom. A truce sign can't be hung towards the barbaric Huns no matter what, that is simply unbecoming of us."
"You buffoon! When this old man took command over the northwestern military, your dad was still a bumbling soldier! Yet you dare point fingers at this Marshal, telling me what to do?"
"Hmph, I came to fulfill imperial orders..."
"Sir Brute, uncle, please remain calm..."
"Report! Flying-Feather battalion commander Liam Manoban, requests to see the Commander-in-Chief!"
"Get the hell in!" Carl was presently at the height of his anger, revealing his true nature as a martial warrior.
Even his speech had gotten slightly vulgar.
"Understood!"
Lisa walked inside the big tent, where she found that a tall, graceful, and well-dressed young master was standing in front of Carl.
Lisa recognized him as the 'officer from the capital' that came to the military camp with the Eldest Princess, but she hadn't expected this person to be so bold as to question Carl's decision so publicly.
Having close to zero sensitivity towards politics, Kaizen was just a vague 'capital ambassador' to Lisa.
Carl pointed at Lisa and said with a rugged voice: "You! Tell this man what you heard in the sudden attack on the march that day!"
"As you wish!" Right then and there, Lisa talked about the strange signal horn she had heard from the Huns, the evident improvement in advancing and retreating that the Huns displayed during recent battles, and the night invasions they were carrying out for the first time.
Those were all things that had never happened before in the two years that Lisa had been in the military.
Kaizen said impatiently once Lisa finished speaking: "Who are you? To come here and talk down to me? I am here on imperial orders! It seems to me that General Windsor is indeed deliberately avoiding battle! Once I return to the capital, I will certainly report this matter to His Majesty!"
Carl's expression turned livid, and Jennie said nothing more.
Staring at Kaizen, Lisa's heart seemed to reach some conclusion...
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