Plan

After two days of recuperation, Victoria had clearly recovered considerably, though traces of lingering weakness and fatigue still lingered in her carefully concealed eyes. Gawain glanced at the Duchess of the Northern Territory and reminded her, "Tulip Castle lies deep within the Contaminated Zone, and it isn't part of our next offensive plan—Sonia flying over it is one thing before we have purified the entire area, but landing there is another."

"But it isn't impossible." Victoria met Gawain's gaze without flinching. Her expression remained as unchanged as ever, but there was determination in her voice. "Those monsters are in a state of frenzy now. From another perspective, that means they have lost their organization. They no longer support one another, no longer have units like sentries, and are no longer as vigilant—we can infiltrate the area. As long as we do not make too much noise or alert too many monsters, I may be able to send the message without being noticed."

"...I admit that seems feasible." After a brief moment of thought, Gawain nodded. "But are you certain you want to go personally?"

"Not every mage can send a message all the way to Saint Suniel with the amplification of a Mage Tower alone. It requires profound spellcasting skill and immense magical power," Victoria said in the calm tone of someone stating a fact. "It is safest to send me."

Before Gawain could raise further questions, the Duchess continued, "I heard that Belk of the Loren family lit the first beacon fire.

"I can no longer achieve a feat like his, but as head of the Verde Family, I cannot at least avoid something that I myself am capable of doing."

When a noble put their family's honor on the table, it usually meant their resolve was already set.