Thus Did The Imperium of Mankind Fight There

Part 37 Fresh Orders

Emperor Molt sighed and rubbed his head a second time as he prepared to face his naive and still not yet mature daughter. 

"Father, what is to be done now that the enemy has occupied the sacred hills!!??" Pina fervently questioned.

Pina fully embodied the Empire's ideals. She adamantly believed in the inherent supremacy of humans over demi-humans, the right for the strong to abuse the weak, and that the Empire was the greatest civilization to ever and would ever exist. 

To her and so many dogmatic Saderans, any civilization that did not emulate the Empire was barbaric and degenerate. She was the spitting image of the perfect Saderan woman...except that she could not accept her place as a woman. 

She was passionate and hungered for glory, seeking to carve her name in history like so many legendary figures of the Empire's proud history. To that end, when she was but a child, she founded the Rose Knight Order. 

In her father's eyes, this simply proved she was foolish and too sheltered in the capital to realize the harsh truth and a woman's place in the world. That women were too weak and soft to participate in battle. 

Now that passion burned and gave way to anger at what she perceived to be an insult, the occupation of the two most sacred lands of the Empire. 

His retainer, Marcus, attempted to calm his errant daughter with reason, "Your Highness, obviously, we will regroup and prepare a–" 

Before Marcus could even finish, Pina launched herself into a tirade. "REGROUP, the enemy sits upon our most cherished lands and has the arrogance to demand our surrender! We must defeat them NOW!" 

Sweat was visible on Marcus's face as he tried to form a coherent response but Emperor Molt held up his hand for silence. 

"Pina, my daughter," he began. "What you say is very true, but unfortunately we know very little of our enemies." 

Pina calmed herself at her father's words, whom she respected. 

"Then what do we know?" she asked. 

Rubbing his chin, Emperor Molt responded. "Other than that our enemies possess tremendous power and the one on Arnus Hill proclaiming itself the Imperium of Mankind demands our surrender, we know nearly nothing."

As he completed his statement, a glimmer entered Emperor Molt's eyes, and a small smile spread across his face. 

"Pina, have you not always asked for a chance for your girls to do more than just honor guard?" Emperor Molt asked. 

Pina was taken aback by her father's question, she'd been requesting a true test for her knights since she had come of age, for something, anything to prove they were more than just political tools to be married off and make babies. All they'd been allowed to do though, was perform as ceremonial honor guards at state ceremonies. 

Hoping that now, finally, her dearest wish may be granted, she humbly answered, "Yes Father, I have." 

"Well then, how about this Pina," Emperor Molt explained. "You and your Order scout ahead, try and find as much information on our foes as you can. In at most a month's time we will be ready to attack and any intelligence you could provide would be valued."  

Internally, Pina screamed in joy, YES YES YES!!! At last, a real mission. Outwardly, she presented herself as the dutiful princess of the Empire. Kneeling onto one knee, she stoically declared, "Consider it done, your Majesty." 

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Minerva POV

Minerva fought to hold her salute, struggling to prevent her knees from shaking and standing ramrod straight.