Scarlett finally arrives back at DreadHaven, where the situation right is quite tense. Li Feng and Cryptus were busy training the knights, giving speeches and explaining to them how they're going to fight.
Li Feng, though still providing weapon training to some of them, makes it somewhat difficult to differentiate between him and Cryptus to determine who is actually the army commander.
But in reality, it's quite simple—the security forces are divided into two groups. The first are the police guards who maintain DreadHaven's safety and ensure rules and regulations are followed. Their leader was Cryptus.
Meanwhile, Li Feng is more like an army commander. Those under him are always trained to fight and kill.
Of course, both have people working under them. Cryptus has Baron Nova, and Arpeus as well, though Arpeus has been more occupied with his auction house lately. That doesn't mean he won't participate in the war, though.
Meanwhile, Li Feng has his sister Xao. To be honest, she could be considered the boss of Li Feng rather than the other way around. Then there's Kroenen, who also has considerable experience and is even training a few to become assassins.
Scarlett sits at the edge of a nearby hill, taking a clear view of the scene below. The entire fighting force of DreadHaven is gathered there. There are females among them as well, but most of them are succubi, and succubi can never be underestimated.
Still... the numbers were quite small.
DreadHaven already has a low population of about fifteen thousand. Even that was only after the survivors of the succubus twins' onslaught joined them. After their defeat, around 5,000 succubi joined them as well.
Actually, the real numbers were more than twenty thousand. The population was booming even more since many had recently gone through their heat cycle, with females giving birth to multiple babies.
And it's only going to grow more because they're not humans. Those monsters and demons usually have dozens of babies on average as long as they have food and comfort.
If it's someone rich like Arpeus or influential like Li Feng, multiple women would be drawn to them, resulting in even more babies.
It's not like Scarlett has any problem with it. For now, the more babies they have, the better it is for DreadHaven.
Still, the population of DreadHaven who could fight is at around fifteen thousand.
It might have reached almost twenty thousand, but many decided to leave DreadHaven of their own accord.
It's not like Scarlett did anything to stop them. They had the freedom to choose. It was better than staying in DreadHaven and potentially betraying them later on.
Meanwhile, a majority of people are still in their heat cycle.
"But where is Lunatic? She has even more experience about war and leading an army than both Li Feng and Cryptus combined," Scarlett thinks to herself.
Lunatic had nearly conquered all of the first demon king's territory with only around ten thousand succubi, enslaving the forces they defeated and using them to conquer even more.
Even the martial village fell before her.
But in a way, Scarlett already has a sense of where she would be right now.
"Definitely overseeing how Rin is crafting my statue," she sighs to herself.
Scarlett was about to stand up and check on them, but after a second thought, she decides to sit there a little longer.
Her gaze travels across all of DreadHaven, examining the entire infrastructure. A bit away from them, the huge garden of golden apples and other agricultural plants were growing steadily.
Many residents have their own farmland and keep various animals there. A huge river flows through from the outskirts of DreadHaven, Which was created by Scarlett's punch against that elf warlord.
The river shines brightly as its water flows, continuing all the way to merge with the great river a few kilometers away that acts as a natural shield from frontal attacks for DreadHaven.
Meanwhile, not far from the golden apple garden is where the DreadHaven army has gathered.
Children playing around, adults busy with their work. It looked as though DreadHaven has everything a town would need.
"What an uneasy feeling," Scarlett sighs to herself. She's starting to feel a bit of anxiety.
She already knew that fighting with Mystveil wouldn't be the same as fighting with Gwarga and its army.
"I felt the same when I realized I'd have to take entrance exams to get into a good high school," she sighs again, but this time with a smile.
She stretches her limbs lightly, yawning.
"Let's go and see if there's anyone who needs anything from me," she says to herself, extending her six wings and flying below.
Scarlett visits others one by one. After being finally done with her meetings, she realizes their situation is quite better than she had expected.
The greater an army one had, the more resources and talents were needed to command it. But that wasn't the same problem for her.
Compared to that, she already had talented and experienced people all around her who were ready to assist her.
Actually, she turned out to be the least skilled among them. After all, she was just an eighteen-year-old with an average brain back in high school.
Neither was she a workaholic like Prez Yumi, who knew quite a lot about history and wars. Yumi already had plans for resource management during the war, so that food prices don't skyrocket, underground bunkers that would keep them safe from any area-of-effect attacks.
A separate group that would make foods for the army, one more group that would supply weapons.
She had just so many ideas.
Cryptus knew every corner of DreadHaven. They already knew how to use the sewers, where to hide, and how to fully protect DreadHaven from any attacks.
Li Feng, Xao, and Kroenen had experience in leading groups of armies to march. They knew how to give motivational speeches as well.
Reiza and Elder Semiath were building a complex, powerful barrier that would give additional protection to DreadHaven. Of course, Reiza wasn't smart enough to build one alone—it was Semiath who had learned it from Miss Lilith.
Even Irish, who had just arrived at DreadHaven not too long ago, took responsibility for supplying golden apples and making sure they were consumed in the right amounts, so that users wouldn't go berserk.
Golden apples were huge assets after all. They could increase one's power tremendously.
Lastly, Lunatic would lead the succubi and also serve as vice commander under Li Feng who'll be commander.
Compared to them, Scarlett was just there, having a nice cup of tea while they would do all the work.
Her work was only to go and beat the shit out of everyone and destroy whatever ritual they were planning to have.
Soon enough, it was already evening. The sun was about to set. Everyone's mood was tense since the war would begin by tomorrow night.
Of course, it would start with the Kingdom of Victoria first, but still, they were both allies, so it was basically the same.
They had to observe the situation of the Kingdom of Victoria as well. Who knows—the queen might get assassinated by some traitor instead?
Scarlett sat on the chair in her bedroom, her head resting on her palm, which was clenched into a fist.
She looks at Lunatic, who was sitting parallel to Scarlett, just like her, just looking at her without saying anything.
"Where are Reiza and Irish?" Scarlett asks flatly.
"Must've been fighting among themselves," Lunatic replies casually as well.
With a silent pause, Scarlett adds, "What do you think? How many casualties can we expect from this war?" she asks.
Instead of replying, Lunatic stares at her for a few seconds. "Feeling anxious?"
"A little bit," Scarlett replies honestly.
"Feyre's skill—its effect is still there, isn't it?" Lunatic questions.
Scarlett feels a bit confused but nods. "I guess so."
"This must be it. You're the most energetic person I know. There's no way you would feel anxious normally. Instead, you would've been having a hard time excitedly waiting for the time when you can beat their asses one by one," Lunatic says, her lips curling up.
Scarlett couldn't help but get her mood lifted up as well.
After a few moments of silence, Scarlett changes the topic.
"Actually, I want you to come with me tomorrow to Gwarga for a show," she says.
"A show?" Lunatic repeats, slightly confused.
Scarlett chuckles lightly with a small smile. "Yes, you're quite good with magic, especially illusory ones. Just be there to add some glamorous extra effects after my performance."
She explains what she was going to do tomorrow morning in gwarga.
"Oh, it's one of your narrative plans? Hmmm... Considering the short amount of time we have for planning, it's quite good," Lunatic praises.
"But, about the statue—wouldn't it be too suspicious that after you got framed for being a fake goddess, somehow an ancient statue of a goddess happens to appear somewhere in Almeida?" she says, her voice a little serious.
"I mean, wouldn't it be quite suspicious to be a coincidence?" she asks.
Scarlett sighs lightly. "If only all humans were this rational. Especially this world's people—they have an old mindset. They'll most likely regard it as the goddess giving proof. Some will question it, but who cares? Their numbers will always be short compared to blind believers," she says with a chuckle.
"Besides, after the show, the number of my blind believers will rise tremendously."