Andesha shook her head, casting the bold thought that had suddenly surfaced from her mind.
She was not a believer herself—a rarity in this world—but even as a nonbeliever, she had never truly considered what it would be like if priests and the power of the churches were completely removed from the Empire's military, officials, and the noble system above them. It was far too bold an idea, and as a border general, she was not yet in a position to contemplate such matters.
"We've been out here long enough," she said with a breath, turning to her attendants. "It's time to head back into the fortress."
As she spoke, she raised her head and saw the north wind whipping the Imperial Flag atop a distant tower. Three Griffon Knights and two Battle Mages on low-altitude patrol swept across the sky, while farther away, faint pale-blue magic eyes floated among the clouds. They were Winterwolf Fortress's mage sentries, watching the activity on the plains.
After most of the God of War Church's priests had been reassigned, Winterwolf Fortress's defenses had not weakened in the slightest. Instead, proactive redeployments and additional patrol shifts had made them tighter than ever. Yet this temporary reinforcement came at the cost of extra expenditure. Even a powerful Empire could not afford to waste resources like this indefinitely.
Hopefully, Alderan would come up with a solution soon.
With that thought in mind, Andesha left the market with her two attendants and returned to Winterwolf Fortress beside the Towns.
She entered the castle, passed through corridors and stairs, and reached the second floor. The moment she stepped off the stairs, she saw one of her personal guards waiting outside the study.
"General," the guard said, immediately stepping forward and saluting when he saw Andesha. "There's a letter