CLAD IN her red outdoor dress, embroidered by black-colored crows from the bottom to her waist. Her thick black gloves accentuated her black pearls that surrounded her bun-styled hair and neck. Tori covered her dress with a bear's pelt that kept her from the cold. She wore leather heeled boots, but the cold from the thick snow on her path still made her toes numb.

Though it was still morning, the fog in the snowy mountains and the darkened sky from the constant snow gave a dark atmosphere around the tribe. In their path towards the main cottage of the tribe where the elders resided, torches guided their way. Before her, Chief Keiran walked together with his vassal warriors. Meanwhile, Tori was walking with Akasha who kept on babbling about the Arin Tribe's history which she Tori already read from Trifecta Academy.

Tori was just smiling sweetly at Akasha the whole time as her mind flew to the meeting that she would be attending later. She knew that she had to impress the elders without stepping into their rules and customs.

Minutes passed and Tori could see the imposing enormous cottage surrounded by smaller ones. Larger torches surrounded it as more people could be seen. As they passed the people, they bowed to their young chieftain. It was clear in their eyes that they truly respected him which Tori noted. She would use anything at her disposal to keep her head from rolling. When the people finally saw her, an unfamiliar person, wariness swept their smiling faces as if her being in their place was an ominous thing.

Well, they are somewhat right. Me being here meant their peaceful days are long over.

Tori followed Chief Keiran and his vassals inside the cottage. The sight that welcomed her the moment she was inside the main hall of the enormous cottage astounded Tori. Large torches in the wall and a large beast's pelt decorated the center wall of the main hall. At the center of the room was a huge rectangular wooden table where a group of elderly surrounded. On the table was a map of the Eckrett Empire with pawns loitered everywhere on it.

The air shifted the moment that Chieftain Keiran set aside to introduce her to the council who was scrutinizing her from her skin to her very core. Tori steeled herself and gave them her infamous sugary smile.

"This is Lady Victoria Rozenreff, Prince Lin's help. She will be giving her guidance to win this war."

Words of dissatisfaction resonated inside the main hall as the elders showed their opinions to Crown Prince Yei Lin's choice of aide.

"A Rozenreff in our midst?"

"What if she's a king's spy?" Well, technically. But I am not on the king's side.

"Why do we need help from a little girl? Does she even know what a battle looks like?" I have fought many battles in my way. Thank you very much, old jerk

Chieftain Keiran and Akasha could not control the elders' outburst so they only took their seats and left her hanging as she became the punching bag of their criticisms. Tori could not help but raised her eyebrows from the offending feedback but chose to raise her right hand calmly.

"Pardon my intrusion, lords, and ladies. I am Victoria Rozenreff, future head of the Rozenreff Duchy, and a supporter of the aristocratic faction. I am also aiming for the Vesta Challenge. I will defeat your enemy and in exchange, you will owe me a request in the future. That is my goal and motive by coming here. Now that you know why I am here standing in front of you, I hope that it will be clear why I am risking too much by coming here."

Tori prepared this kind of approach in case she would receive this kind of reception. Sometimes offense is the best defense. It is better now that I am not here to betray them since I have a goal of my own, a goal that would also benefit them.

"Take a seat here, Lady Victoria." Chief Keiran pointed an empty seat to his left which she gladly obliged. She wanted to see up close the current battle strategy of the Arin Tribe displayed on the table.

Just as she was about to point out a question, Tori was stopped when an elderly woman with squinting silver eyes interrupted her. "I heard rumors about how you become the head of the Rozenreff Duchy."

Tori spun her attention to the woman. "I only did what was right as I protected what was mine. Surely, you can sympathize with me as you are doing this siege to protect what's yours, my lady."

"You, people of the empire, claimed to be sophisticated among others. But you behaved worse than a beast as you devoured your own families for power. Even northern beasts could not eat their children."

Tori dropped her sweet smile and let everyone witnessed her true color as she smiled wickedly. "Hence, the reason why Crown Prince Yei Lin recommended me to you, my lady. I am a person capable of devouring my family just to protect what I claimed to be mine. You will need me and that I am sure of."

The elder only gave her a bitter glance before shutting up which satisfied Tori. A bald elderly spoke who was sitting at Tori's right. "How can we trust you?" This feels like a déjà vu, huh.

"You don't have to trust me. All I need is respect. As long as our goals connect, you need not worry about me. I may be a beast but I know when to bend my horns. After all, we are pointing our fangs to the same enemy." Tori was smiling like it was raining sunshine around her which was the complete opposite for the people around her. They finally grasped that the guest in front of them was indeed someone like the crown prince of Ming Country will recommend.

Chief Keiran took the silence as a signal to start the war council as he stood up which drew everyone's attention including hers. Standing proud at the head of the table, the young chief pointed out the northern territory.

Tori did not fail to notice that instead of a map focusing on the northern region. Instead, the map focused on the entirety of the Eckrett Empire. Oh ho, what do we have here?

"Our warriors from the southwestern area reported that the Noshin Tribe's main force marched to the south. In the northeastern area, the Teiwar also sent their main force to the south. With their recent activities, their rendezvous point is the Tekaran Tribe of the south. They will march forward with their renewed forces and attack us." Chief Keiran moved the pawns of the three tribes together and pushed them slowly towards the borders of the Arin Tribe on the map.

Tori listened but her eyes were on the Arin Tribe's territory with her finger on her chin. No, they are too obvious. The opposing tribes should know that the Arin Tribe sent spies around their respective territories. Why are they deliberately giving their enemies a clue? Unless it is a trap.

"We will move our defenses to the center of the mountains," spoke an elder followed by s of 'ayes' from the council. Centering the defenses to meet a hoard of enemies was a basic response after receiving such information. Is it the main goal of the opposing forces?

The elder woman from earlier spoke at her with her menacing tone, "Can we hear the opinion of our guest? I want to know how the imperialists analyze this." Her voice was laced with a mocking tone that Tori replied with an overconfident smile that ticked off the elders.

"The Noshin Tribe is an equestrian tribe that ruled this continent once a century ago. Yet they marched to Tekaran Tribe of the south if we disregard their obvious trap, why aren't they using their strongest point to this war?"

An elder answered with a confident voice as if, her asking them, was the stupidest thing. "They know that we know their strongest point so they aimed to surprise us."

"They wanted to surprise you yet they deliberately marched to the south as if they did not know that there would be spies from you? Do you actually believe that they're that stupid or you want to believe that they're stupid enough?"

The elders could not rebut Tori who was looking at each of them with daring red eyes without losing her sweet voice and sugary smile. "So what do you want to tell us? That they are using our spies against us?" Chief Keiran asked Tori which made her snapped her attention to the young chief who was looking at her seriously.

Tori leaned to point the harbor where they landed and traced it to the sea up to the back part of the Arin Tribe where it was just an open sea. "With the illusion of joining their forces together, your guard will focus on your vanguard to prepare for their incoming great number leaving your rear guard open for attack."

Since the Arin Tribe was surrounded by icy mountain ranges of the north of northern regions, they tend to focus on their south which was facing the other tribes. The Arin Tribe wrapped their minds in the belief that no one would be crazy enough to use warships to conquer their north territory which was the open sea. What they failed to realize is that their northern sea territory is their only weakness.

"If we split up our men, we will perish! You are speaking rubbish, imperialist!" The elderly woman pointed at her. Her angry silver eyes wanted to devour Tori.

"Am I? The northern region's caste system is not that different from the Eckrett Empire no matter how hard you try. Only the strongest stays on top. Things such as loyalty and filial attachments are sentiments that are called myths. You lose the moment you cling to it. You trusted the other three tribes but haven't you ever wondered if they really served you loyally or they were only waiting for you to crumble?" Tori's gaze shifted to the young chieftain who triggered the buried rift between the northern tribes. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

You look so invincible, but you are slowly crumbling, right Keiran? Reach my hand and I will make you the very first northerner among my vassals as I will make a dynasty that even that wretched plot won't be able to shake.

His silver eyes stared at her ruby ones.

"How dare you compare the northern region to the Eckrett Empire!" Someone from the elders shouted at Tori and the next thing she knew, the sharp bolo of a warrior standing behind her touched her bare neck.

"Tyhen! Put that down, yeah?" Akasha's nervous voice snapped Tori from blacking out.

The cold yet familiar feeling of the blade shook her to the core, but Tori did not blink as she stared at the young chieftain. Flashes of Tori's body's memories when her neck touched the cold blade of the guillotine overwhelmed her, but Tori refused to acknowledge them. In her mind, she kept on chanting her goal which was not to die from the original plot's flow.

Tori's smiling face never faltered as she stared at the young chieftain even if she felt that every nerve of her body screamed. "If you keep on thinking like that then you are doom to perish. I am here because you want an advantage against your enemies. And worry not Chief Keiran. You can stop that from happening. Always remember that offense is the best defense."

"Tyhen, put down your blade." Chief Keiran commanded the warrior who held a bolo against Tori's neck. "What is your suggestion, Lady Victoria?"

Smiling wickedly at the young leader, Tori answered. "Finally, you are asking the right question."