Rana crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the broken tiles of the road. She made sure she held the gaze of the two soldiers inspecting the guild commission she handed them. She was usually not one to let her emotions escape onto her expression, but there were times when it was useful to be more expressive and let the other part know she was not pleased.

The soldiers were methodical and detailed in their questioning and examination. In these turbulent times, those qualities were essential and admirable for soldiers stationed as border guards. However, that meant that they were also very slow, and she was running out of patience. She had to make them aware of her displeasure, that there was a chance of an altercation. Those without a mark were frightened at the prospect of getting into violence against one with the mark. She had no intention of resorting to violence, which would lead to even more problems later down the line, but the soldiers did not need to know that.

“I could always take the completed commission elsewhere,” Rana said and made a move to take the scroll from the soldier. “If you waste my time here, the lord of Nye would lose the talent of a gifted marked one right here and now. I will also be sure to inform the Fire Shield guild that you two were directly responsible for this incident.”

It seemed like that did the trick. The soldiers whispered among themselves and one of them returned the scroll to her with a smile, along with a ward key. The act of diligently fulfilling their duty was something the soldiers took pride in, however, that pride paled in comparison to the burden of responsibility.

“I apologize for the delay. Of course, you can pass. I welcome you to Nye on behalf of the duke,” the soldier said with a salute. “I advise you to head to one of the patrol camps, however. Nye City is at least a day’s travel and by the time you reach the gates it would be midnight and you won’t be let in until the sunrises.”

“Noted,” Rana replied and walked out of the guard post. She had no intention of going to any of the patrol camps and she didn’t see the need to. It was also a pointless risk to take. She could travel without rest due to her zombie body, monsters would not harass her, and her zombie senses could get her away from patrolling soldiers fi need be. If she were to head to a camp, there was a chance of more questioning, and the chance of exposing herself as a zombie would be higher. There was also the danger of encountering a marked one or that the camp would be under a monster attack, something less likely to happen if she traveled alone. She also preferred to arrive at Nye City during the night. It was easier to sneak in, after all.

The territory of Nye was an old power in the kingdom. The fact that its capital city retained its name during the many turbulent ages that the kingdom went through, and how it still stood despite being near the frontlines, was a testament to its strength. Nye was an important area when it came to the defenses of the kingdom. It bordered on the main roads and could essentially hold it for their own gain if the leaders truly wanted to. The reason why the kingdom was still able to reinforce the frontlines was because Nye was still allied with the crown.

However, that was not to say that the leaders of Nye did it out of loyalty or their duty to defend humanity. At least, Rana did not believe in the goodness of their heart. If she were to look at the board, there were far more practical reasons for Nye to stay on the good side of the Church and of the crown.

Nye was important to the frontlines, but it was not for their military might. They had no fortress or natural terrain that they could hold against the monster army. The reason for their influence was their proximity and subsequent control of the major roads. This lead to heavy traffic to and from the frontlines and all of them needed to pass through their checkpoints. Their only defense against the monster army was High Tower and Shield City, the two strongholds that were their wall. The first had already fallen and the second could only withstand the ongoing assault for so long. That was why it needed the crown and Church to reinforce the frontlines, as they themselves could not.

That was also one of the reasons why other territories made no move on Nye. Their strength did not lie in their military, but they still had wealth and could easily recruit enough soldiers and marked ones to make the invasion an unappealing prospect. No one would start a war when the main benefit was resource that would already be spent if a war were to happen.

However, the power vacuum left by the destruction of the Aodh Dungeon changed all of that. Now, Nye, like many other territories, were preparing for a free for all altercation and must bolster their own power, whether it be seizing land, consolidating their hold on key locations, or attracting talented marked ones. The last one made the other two easier, and one of the most prized areas were unclaimed Dungeons.

Nye did not have many options in their quest to improve their own strength. They had access to the main roads, but so did other territories. Their advantage was that they were closest to the frontlines, but that advantage would soon turn into a disadvantage. If they were to use Shield City as a wall to expand, then once it fell it would collapse their entire influence and defense lines. The other territories that shared dominion in areas with access to the main roads could then launch attacks of their own and use the monster army as deterrence against Nye retaliation.

However, an area with many competition hindering others also had its own benefits, and that was no territory would make a move haphazardly. This meant that many key locations remained a neutral territory, one begrudgingly shared with others. There would then be many moves onto them, and subsequently many more openings to take advantage of. One of them was a Dungeon created by Mara, and Nye was preparing its forces to conquer it. She knew that was their aim. That was what she discovered at the Chapel. the duke of Nye knew about that Dungeon.

It was a situation Rana would take advantage of, and one no small part made a reality due to her. She also knew that more opening would present itself, and the board would be clearer once she reached Nye.

When Rana invoked the Rite of Absolution that night at the Chapel, the light was no doubt seen by all of the kingdoms. It was a show of power and a declaration of judgment that would come to the sinners. That was what decrees were. She wanted to let her sister, or that anyone involved in her sister’s scheme, know that she was coming. This in turn, would force their hand, and when a hidden enemy is forced into the light, there would be an opening she could seize.

Rana often times wondered if she was being impatient or too hasty. She wondered if she should’ve just let all those innocent lives be slaughtered that night and withheld the rite. She wondered if her own humanity was her greatest enemy. However, in the end, she decided the benefits outweighed the risk and disadvantages. The heart was not the enemy, the heart could not be the enemy. It was unthinkable. The sacrifice of innocent lives was sometimes necessary, but it was not something that should be allowed to happen just because there were risks in doing so.

She sighed. The battle between Rana and Mara had already begun and there was no room for weakness. There was no turning back. The only thing she could do was move forward until her blade reached her sister's heart.