Chapter 965: Lie After Lie

That completely caught Ragnora’s attention."Joy and Lady Maria? You know them as well?"

"Very well." Isabelle said, gaining confidence. "My husband and I are quite close with them."

She leaned forward, her voice taking on the cadence of a storyteller.

"You see, a couple of years ago, my husband and I were traveling through the eastern provinces.""

’There had been an outbreak—an undead infection spreading through the region. Corpses from a nearby cemetery had been corrupted by some kind of rotting mana, and they were attacking the villages, spreading chaos and terror."

Ragnora’s expression shifted to one of quiet admiration.

"And you went toward the problem, rather than away from it."

"Of course!" Isabelle said simply. "How could we ignore innocent people suffering?"

Something warm flickered in Ragnora’s golden eyes. She had met too many powerful individuals who would have simply looked the other way, deeming such matters beneath their concern.

The fact that Isabelle and her husband had deliberately sought out danger to help strangers spoke volumes about their character.

"We encountered Joy and Lady Maria during the fighting." Isabelle continued. "They were there on a mission of their own—Joy’s light magic is particularly effective against undead creatures."

"Of course, at first, we were wary of each other. Joy especially doesn’t warm to strangers easily."

Ragnora nodded. She knew that all too well as she personally knew Joy and had seen those cold, assessing eyes that showed no fear, no reverence, no emotion whatsoever.

It was unnerving, even for someone like her.

"But Lady Maria kept coming over to talk to us." Isabelle lied with a fond smile. "She’s impossible to resist, really. That warmth of hers just melts through any barrier."

"And eventually, after fighting side by side against those zombie hordes for days we grew closer. Even Joy began to open up, just a little."

"We then shared meals together. We talked. We forged a friendship in the middle of all that chaos."

This was not entirely a lie.

The undead outbreak had happened exactly as Isabelle described. The only fabrication was inserting herself and Cassius into the story.

But the details were so consistent with what Ragnora already knew about Joy and Maria’s mission, that it was impossible to doubt.

"Recently." Isabelle continued. "If you’ve heard, Joy and Lady Maria went to the Holyfield estate. My husband and I happened to be in the capital at the time, and they invited us to come along. So we did."

Ragnora leaned forward, her meal forgotten.

"How are they doing? Joy and Lady Maria?"

Her voice carried genuine concern.

"I’ve heard that Joy has been facing significant pressure from the capital. The Valheim incident...I heard the reports."

"It was...brutal. Even by her standards."

Her expression darkened.

Ragnora didn’t care about the Valheims. They were a corrupt, rotten family, and their destruction had been long overdue.

But she worried about Joy and specifically the political storm that had descended upon her after the massacre.

To her surprise, Isabelle simply laughed.

"You don’t need to worry about Joy at all, Commander. She’s perfectly fine! More than fine, actually."

Isabelle leaned in conspiratorially. "She’s thriving it!"

Ragnora blinked. "...thriving?"

"Of course! This is Joy we’re talking about." Isabelle chuckled. "She loves making the other nobles despise her. The more they hate her, the happier she becomes."

"Right now, every noble in the capital fears her—they can barely breathe when she’s in the room. And she’s absolutely savoring their reactions."

Ragnora’s lips twitched into something that might have been a smile. "That does sound like Joy."

"Not to mention." Isabelle added. "The Empress herself is protecting her. So there’s really nothing to worry about."

A visible wave of relief passed over Ragnora’s massive shoulders.

"That’s good. I’m glad she’s safe."

"What about Lady Maria?" Ragnora asked, and there was a warmth in her voice that hadn’t been there before. "Is she well?"

"Lady Maria is Lady Maria." Isabelle said with a fond smile. "Radiant as always. She’s been a wonderful presence at the estate—everyone adores her. Even the most grizzled soldiers turn into puppies around her."

Ragnora’s lips curved into something that was unmistakably a smile.

"Maria has that effect. I remember when she visited these mines a few years ago. By the time she left, even the goblins were bringing her flowers."

The image was so absurd that Isabelle burst out laughing.

"It was through Joy and Maria that we met Julie, Aisha, and Skadi." Isabelle continued, steering the story back on track. "They introduced us shortly after we arrived at the estate."

Ragnora’s attention sharpened. Her sisters. The women she had trained, mentored, and loved like family.

"Skadi was the easiest to get close to."

Isabelle said, grinning, already knowing the women enough to weave perfect lies.

"The moment I showed her some exotic dried meat I’d brought from the eastern provinces, her tail started wagging so hard I thought she might take flight."

"She even pounced on me and started...well, licking to show her appreciation. I didn’t get my personal space back for an hour."

Ragnora’s smile widened, the most expressive Isabelle had yet seen her.

"That sounds like Skadi. She’s always been the most easily bribed."

Her eyes grew distant with fond memory.

"Whenever she visited here as a pup, she would climb up my body like I was a mountain. She’d perch on my shoulders and refuse to come down."

"I had to grow to my full height once just to convince her it wasn’t safe."

Isabelle’s heart melted at the image of tiny Skadi clambering all over the towering Commander.

"Julie was noble through and through." Isabelle went on. "She treated us with perfect courtesy and even invited us into her home. Though..."

She hesitated, a wry smile crossing her face.

"There were a few incidents. Dropped plates at the dinner table. A small fire involving her own sleeve. Nothing major."

Ragnora let out a quiet breath that might have been a laugh. "That is such a Julie thing to do."

"She’s gotten better, though! Truly!" Isabelle insisted.

Ragnora looked deeply skeptical. "I’ve heard that claim many times over the years. I remain unconvinced."

Isabelle decided not to argue the point.

"Aisha was...more complicated. She’s a prickly one, isn’t she? I couldn’t get close to her at all. She kept her distance like a suspicious cat who might scratch if you reached for her."

Ragnora nodded. This aligned perfectly with what she knew of Aisha’s personality.

"But my husband managed it." Isabelle said, patting Cassius’s shoulder.

Cassius did not react. He was still staring at Ragnora.

"They’re both interested in magic research, you see. They bonded over it almost immediately. Collaborated on several projects."

"Now they’re incredibly close!"

Ragnora’s gaze shifted to Cassius, the foolish-looking, lovestruck man who had been barking at her not an hour ago.

Her expression flickered with genuine surprise.

’Aisha trusts this man? ’

Aisha, who was more guarded than a fortress, who kept everyone at arm’s length?

’This man had gotten through?’

Her curiosity about Cassius intensified. Despite his bizarre behavior, there was clearly more to him than met the eye.

Isabelle sensed she had Ragnora’s full attention now. She pressed on.

"The main reason we came to the Holyfield estate was the Harvest Festival. And it was absolutely beautiful, Commander—you should have seen it."

"The lanterns, the music, the way the whole city came alive..."

She trailed off, noticing the complicated look that had entered Ragnora’s eyes.

Something wistful. Almost sad.

But Isabelle didn’t pry. She continued her story.

"While we were there, we learned about a monster infestation in the western forests. A-Class beasts, multiple sightings. The Holy Guard was being deployed to handle it. My husband and I volunteered to accompany them."

In truth, Cassius had handled the entire situation himself in about five minutes.

But Ragnora didn’t need to know that.

"Through battle, we grew even closer to Julie and the others." Isabelle concluded. "And that’s how we earned their trust."

Ragnora nodded slowly. This, too, made sense.

Trust was forged in battle. She had seen it countless times—hot-blooded recruits who started as rivals and ended as lifelong brothers after fighting back-to-back against a common enemy.

If Isabelle and Cassius had fought alongside Julie and the others, it explained the deep trust Julie’s letter had described.

"I’m glad." Ragnora said quietly. "Julie, Aisha, Skadi—they’re all like little sisters to me. I trained them myself when they were younger. Knowing they have allies like you at their side..."

She paused, and something almost vulnerable flickered in her golden eyes.

"It puts my mind at ease."

"They speak of you constantly!" Isabelle said excitedly. "Julie especially! She credits you with shaping her into the warrior she is today. All three of them call you ’Big Sis’ with such affection."

Ragnora looked down at the table for a moment.

When she lifted her head, her expression was composed once more. But there was a warmth in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.

"How is the Holyfield estate?" She asked, returning to her meal. "Is everything well?"

Though Ragnora maintained intelligence networks across the continent, she deliberately avoided placing spies in the Holyfield territory.

It was managed by her younger sister, and Ragnora refused to breach etiquette or betray family trust by spying on her own blood.

Not to mention, she had her own problems with the Patriarch and didn’t want to overstep.

Isabelle gave a thumbs-up.

"You have nothing to worry about, Commander! The Holyfield estate is prospering more than ever!"

"Crime has dropped to an all-time low, employment is at maximum capacity, and the recent harvest festival brought immense wealth to the common folk. Immigrants are flocking from all over just to settle down there!"

Ragnora’s shoulders relaxed slightly. Tension Isabelle hadn’t even noticed draining away.

"That’s good. That’s very good."

Her voice was quiet but sincere as she went on to wistfully say,

"We protect these mines to ensure the people of the Holyfield estate can live well. If they were suffering, then our work here would be meaningless."

Isabelle felt her admiration swell. Here was a woman who understood that true strength meant nothing without purpose.

Ragnora opened her mouth as if to ask something else. Her expression became more hesitant. Almost uncertain.

"And...about...about Cass—" She faltered. The words seemed to catch in her throat.

The soldiers nearby leaned forward, curious. They had never seen their Commander stammer before.

Isabelle waited patiently. "Yes, Commander? What is it?"

Ragnora’s jaw tightened. She seemed to wrestle with herself for a moment. Then she shook her head.

"It’s nothing." She said quietly. "A minor concern. Don’t trouble yourself."

Isabelle wanted to press, but the look in Ragnora’s eyes warned her away. Whatever the Commander had been about to ask, it was clearly a heavy matter and something she wasn’t ready to share.

The moment passed.

—

After that, the conversation grew easier.

The ice had been broken, and Ragnora, having confirmed Isabelle’s connection to her beloved sisters treated her with noticeably more warmth.

She personally served Isabelle from several dishes, explaining the origin of each meat with quiet pride.

"This meat comes from a Stonehide Ravager. The meat is tough, but the chefs here marinate it for forty-eight hours. It falls apart on the tongue."

"And this—" She placed a strip of darker meat on Isabelle’s plate. "—is Lightweaver breast. It’s leaner than the worm meat. Has a slightly smoky flavor even before cooking."

"The chefs here are among the finest on the continent." Ragnora added. "Many of them were once soldiers themselves. They retired from combat but wanted to continue serving."

Brenda nodded vigorously. "The food here is half the reason I stay! I’d fight a dozen S-Class monsters just to eat at this mess hall!"

"The other half?" A soldier called from a nearby table.

"The paycheck!"

Laughter rippled through the hall.

Ragnora allowed herself another small smile as she explained,

"Keeping an army well-fed isn’t just about nutrition. It’s about morale. Good food gives soldiers something to look forward to every day. Something to fight for."

"It’s a small thing...but small things add up."

Isabelle listened to every word with rapt attention.

The more she learned about Ragnora, the more she understood why everyone worshipped her.

The Commander thought of everything. Every detail. Every soldier. Every meal.

—

Isabelle then asked questions about the mines, and Ragnora answered with patient thoroughness, explaining the various operations and defensive measures.

The soldiers nearby occasionally chimed in with their own stories and observations, creating a warm, almost familial atmosphere.

But eventually, the meal wound down. The other soldiers began filtering out, returning to their duties.

The hall grew quieter, the bustle of the lunch rush fading into the comfortable silence of an emptying room.

Ragnora set down her utensils and folded her hands on the table. Her expression shifted, becoming solemn.

"Now that we’ve gotten to know each other a bit." She said, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "I think it’s time we discussed the matter at hand."

The soldiers at the table immediately straightened.

The playful atmosphere evaporated, replaced by the gravity of the situation.

"The mana fiend infestation." Ragnora continued. "And how we’re going to deal with it."

Isabelle felt the weight of the moment settle over her. She straightened as well, her expression matching the Commander’s seriousness.

"Go on, Commander." She said quietly. "I’m listening."