Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World
Chapter 215:

TL: Etude

Catherine returned to the palace, carrying a letter as she hurried to the queen’s residence.

Just as she was about to enter, she saw her mother, Queen Phyllis, emerging, surrounded by several noble ladies.

The queen had just concluded a meeting with the ladies and was now personally seeing them out.

“Your Highness, the Princess!”

The noblewomen, upon seeing the Princess approaching, curtsied in greeting, and Catherine nodded to them in acknowledgment.

After the mother and daughter saw off the guests, they returned to the reception room in the queen’s residence.

Queen Phyllis asked curiously, “Aren’t you usually at the military camp around this time? What brings you back so early today?”

Catherine pulled out the letter and waved it, “I’ve received news from my younger sister.”

The normally composed Queen Phyllis instantly displayed a mix of worry and excitement.

Catherine hastened to say, “I should clarify first, Eileen is safe and sound there.”

The worry on the queen’s face eased somewhat.

She took the letter from her daughter and read it carefully.

After reading it, the queen let out a long sigh of relief, then started to complain.

“Really, a young girl should not be doing men’s work.”

“And that Count Grayman, I feel like he has ulterior motives, maybe he’s planning something for Eileen?”

Catherine smiled awkwardly, as her mother’s first remark seemed not only about her younger sister. The political and military affairs she was handling for her father were also “men’s work.”

“Mother, it’s rare for my sister to find something she enjoys doing, let her have her fun. My people report that Count Grayman is a rather upright lord, he probably won’t harbor any ill intentions towards her.”

A look of grievance appeared on the queen’s face, “She’s having fun, indeed, not thinking about her mother who worries about her day and night. I really raised an ungrateful daughter. Moreover, it’s unseemly for princesses to be working under a rural lord, and it would be a laughing stock if word got out.”

The Bay of Northwest was always considered barren by the people of the capital, and although the Grayman’s title wasn’t low, they were still seen as rural lords.

Catherine defended her sister, “Well… consider it as Eileen going out to experience the lives of commoners, she’s grown up after all.”

The queen shook her head, “She can’t stay there forever, we need to find a way to bring her back soon.”

Catherine looked downcast, “About father… you know Eileen’s temperament. Her leaving home without a word this time is proof. I’m afraid if she comes back and father pressures her again, she might do something more extreme.”

Hearing her eldest daughter’s words, Queen Phyllis also began to feel conflicted. She cursed Jars, Viburen, and others in her heart, blaming them for her family’s separation and even involving her husband.

“Sigh… let her stay there a bit longer then. But you must keep a close watch on her.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“And don’t let your father know.”

“That… okay.”

Catherine didn’t mention her suspicion that her father might already know about Eileen’s whereabouts. After chatting with the queen for a while, she bid farewell to her mother and headed towards the king’s office.

On the way, she encountered Count Merlin, who managed the kingdom’s intelligence system, looking hurried as if he had some urgent matter.

“Lord Merlin, do you have an urgent matter?”

“Your Highness, I have important matters to report to His Majesty the King.”

“In that case, let’s go together.”

“Yes.”

Count Merlin did not hesitate, as Princess Catherine was the king’s right-hand woman. During the king’s illness and unconsciousness, she had directly assumed the king’s responsibilities.

…

King Rodney XVI, looking at his stern-faced eldest daughter, felt a sense of helplessness.

Ever since Eileen had run away from home, his relationship with his family had deteriorated significantly.

Fortunately, his eldest daughter Catherine had not let her personal emotions interfere with her duties.

He was already aware that Eileen had settled in the Bay of Northwest and knew that Catherine was secretly protecting her sister. If he, as the king, didn’t know even this much, he would have no right to the throne.

Initially, he wanted to immediately send someone to bring his younger daughter back, but Eileen’s fiery temperament made him hesitant. He regretted not understanding her better. Turning a joyful event into a tragedy would be disastrous.

Later, intelligence from the Eastern Territory made him reconsider his plans to marry her off to the Viburen family. The situation was changing, and it seemed the Viburen family had decided to side with Jars.

Marrying his daughter to them now would be like a slap in the face.

With the two largest lords of the kingdom opposing the royal family, his reign as king felt like a failure.

King Rodney XVI hesitated, wondering whether he should bring his younger daughter back and apologize to mend their relationship.

But his dignity as a king resisted this idea.

Sigh… better to quell the rebellion first.

The king composed his thoughts and asked, “Lord Merlin, what is it that you wish to discuss?”

Count Merlin looked serious, “Your Majesty, Your Highness, regarding the unusual phenomenon among the rebels at Thorn Fortress, we have a bit of a lead.”

King Rodney XVI and Catherine immediately paid closer attention.

The rebels had launched an attack on Thorn Fortress, and a detailed report of the battle was sent to the capital.

The report emphasized: rebels wearing impenetrable leather armor and possessing extraordinary strength, overpowering regular soldiers like knights against peasants.

Everyone in the capital found it unbelievable, especially since the report was written by Duke Dodge, with co-signatures from Viscount Klein and Viscount Lester, the three highest-ranking commanders in the fortress.

Klein and Lester had personally fought against these rebel soldiers.

Because of these bizarre enemy soldiers, Thorn Fortress nearly fell. Luckily, Duke Dodge deployed his last resort, “Hellfire,” to stop the rebel onslaught.

“According to the information received, it seems there is a ‘cleric’ among the rebels, and after some kind of… peculiar prayer ceremony, those rebel soldiers transformed.”

“A cleric? Aren’t they from the Church?”

Although angry, neither the king nor the princess were surprised. The Church and the kingdom had always been at odds, and it was plausible for the Church to secretly support the rebels, but…

“I’ve never heard of any church ritual that can turn people into that!”

Catherine was highly skeptical. Had those charlatans really invoked a miracle from the Lord of Light? That seemed far-fetched.

The three continued their discussion in the room for a long time but were still clueless.

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