CHAPTER 172: WE GOT TO DO WHAT WE GOT TO DO.

Only then did Katerina speak, her voice low and tight with frustration.

"That was a waste."

"Not entirely," Maude said quietly, glancing around to ensure no one was close enough to overhear.

"We made the approach and established a presence. The Prince knows who we are now."

"Not to mention that the empress and the crown princess have personally heard about us. It’s a good start. We will get there eventually."

"But we didn’t meet the Empress or the Crown Princess in person," Elizabeth said, her own disappointment evident.

"Which was the entire point of this trip."

"Plans adapt," Maude replied.

"We work with what we have."

They walked in silence for several minutes, navigating through crowds of merchants, nobles, and common citizens going about their business. The capital was always busy, always moving, a city that never truly slept.

Finally, they reached the district where their lodgings were located—a respectable inn that catered to visiting nobles and wealthy merchants. They’d retrieve their belongings, settle their accounts, and begin the journey back to Maude’s territory.

The return trip took two days.

They traveled by carriage, a comfortable but unremarkable conveyance that attracted no particular attention. Maude preferred it that way—ostentation invited scrutiny, and scrutiny was the last thing they wanted right now.

On the afternoon of the second day, as they approached the boundary of the capital’s immediate environs, Maude called for a stop.

"There’s a matter I need to attend to," she told the driver.

"Wait here. We won’t be long."

They dismounted, stretching legs stiff from sitting. The area was relatively isolated—farmland stretched in every direction, with the nearest village perhaps two miles distant. Traffic on this road was light, and currently, they had complete privacy.

They walked perhaps a hundred yards from the road into a small grove of trees that provided cover from casual observation.

And there, leaning against an ancient oak with casual confidence, was a man.

He appeared middle-aged—perhaps forty-five or fifty—with the kind of handsome features that aged well. His hair was dark with distinguished grey at the temples, worn slightly long. His face was strong and cleanly shaven, with sharp cheekbones and a jaw that suggested both authority and danger. He wore traveling clothes of good quality but nothing that would stand out—dark trousers, a well-fitted shirt, and a long coat against the autumn chill.

But his eyes gave him away. They were too knowing, too ancient, holding depths that no normal human could possess. And when he smiled, there was something predatory in the expression.

"Ladies," he said, his voice cultured and pleasant.

"Welcome back. How was your audience with the Prince?"

"Disappointing," Elizabeth said bluntly.

"We didn’t get close to our actual targets."

The man—who they knew as Draelusa, the sin of pride—shrugged elegantly.

He was the Lord Pride, the demon sin who was now disguised as a human. He personally had come to meet them. After the incident at the temple, he had lost many of his sect members, and since then he had been in contact with the witch sisters, who were eager to switch sides.

They had proved themselves useful to him, and that’s just what he wanted.

"Setbacks happen. The important thing is that you made the attempt; you made them aware of your presence and that you’re now on the palace’s radar. Seeds planted today may bear fruit months from now."

He pushed away from the tree, moving with a flawless grace that suggested tremendous physical capability hidden beneath a civilized veneer.

"But we’re not here to discuss palace politics," he continued.

"We’re here to discuss your next assignment."

Maude’s expression hardened slightly. She was an ambitious woman who had learned that being a low-level head of a small region won’t get you anywhere, and you still have to answer to people above you. She couldn’t even take a decision regarding her region without the permission from the people above. She disliked it and detested being powerless, and that’s when she met the witch sisters. They had shown her the way and means to achieve things.

"Something significant," Draelusa said, and now his pleasant demeanor dropped slightly, revealing hints of the true nature beneath.

"Something that will shake the foundations of Covens power and create the chaos necessary for our larger plans."

He looked at each of them in turn.

"You’re going to assault the Silver Spire."

Silence fell.

Elizabeth and Katerina stared at him, and even Maude looked shocked.

"The Silver Spire," Elizabeth repeated slowly.

"The seat of Coven authority. The most heavily defended location in the eastern provinces. You want us to attack it."

"I want you to lead an attack on it," Draelusa corrected.

"You won’t be alone. We’ll provide forces—Blaedred Skull operatives, demon auxiliaries, and others who’ve been turned to our cause. But you three will be the public face of the assault."

"That’s suicide," Katerina said flatly.

"The Mother Supreme herself is based there. Dozens of powerful witches. Defenses that have held for centuries. We’d be obliterated."

"Would you?" Draelusa smiled that predatory smile again.

"Or would you be powerful enough to actually succeed? Especially with the support we’ll provide and the element of surprise?"

He began to pace, his movements measured and deliberate.

"Consider the situation. The Mother Supreme has been distracted lately—first with the Arkwright boy, now with new threat on the border. She’s been taking forces out of the Spire for demonstrations and battlefield engagements. The defenses, while still formidable, are not at full strength."

"Still formidable enough to kill us," Maude pointed out.

"Unless," Draelusa said, "you have inside help. Allies within the Spire who can lower wards, disable defenses, and create chaos from within while you attack from without."

Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed.

"You have people inside the Silver Spire? Witches who’ve turned?"

"More than you’d think," Draelusa said smugly.

"The Covens aren’t as unified as they pretend. There are factions, resentments, witches who’ve been passed over for advancement or punished for questioning authority. We’ve been cultivating those resentments for years. And when your attack comes, they’ll act."

He stopped pacing, facing them directly.

"This isn’t about destroying the Silver Spire completely—though that would be a pleasant bonus. This is about dealing a devastating blow to Coven morale and authority. Proving that they’re vulnerable, that their supposed supremacy is an illusion. Creating enough chaos that our other operations can proceed without interference."

"And if we refuse?" Maude asked quietly.

Draelusa’s expression went cold.

"Then you become liabilities rather than assets. And I deal with liabilities permanently."

The threat was clear.

She’d already been compromised, already committed to this path. There was no backing out now without consequences.

Katerina was grinning, and Elizabeth was contemplating. The younger was more eager about the attack on the Silverspire. She had never liked the council and its arrangement, and now they are going to be destroyed, making her more excited.

"When?" Elizabeth asked, her voice steady despite the circumstances.

"Soon," Draelusa said.

"Within the next few weeks. I’ll provide specific timing and coordination details. For now, return to your territories. Prepare your forces. Make whatever arrangements necessary to be ready for rapid mobilization."

He pulled something from his coat—a small crystal that pulsed with dark energy.

"Communication stone. When it activates, you’ll receive your final instructions.

Don’t fail me."

He handed it to Maude, who took it reluctantly.

"One more thing," Draelusa added, his tone becoming almost conversational again.

"The assault on the Silver Spire is just one piece of a much larger operation. Other forces are moving simultaneously. The North Trenches will see major demon incursions. The western kingdoms will face internal coups. And certain... special targets... will be engaged by our most capable operatives."

"You’re orchestrating a realm-wide offensive," Elizabeth said, understanding dawning.

"Exactly. And your piece is crucial. The Covens represent one of the few organizations capable of coordinating effective resistance. Break them, and half our work is done."

With that, he simply vanished.

Not through a portal or gradual fading—one moment he was there, the next he wasn’t.

The space he’d occupied held only empty air.

The three women stood in silence for several moments, processing what had just occurred.

Finally, Maude spoke.

"We’re committed now. No turning back."

"Was there ever a turning back?" Elizabeth asked.

"From the moment we accepted his initial approach, we were trapped."

"We did this for power," Katerina reminded her sister.

"For advancement beyond what the Covens would give us. For the ability to shape events rather than merely respond to them."

"An organization that used us," Elizabeth said.

"That treated us as disposable tools. That would have kept us at Battle Witch rank forever while less capable people advanced through politics rather than merit."

Maude interjected before the argument could escalate.

"We can debate morality later. Right now, we need to plan. If we’re going to assault the Silver Spire, we do it properly. Minimize casualties where possible, achieve objectives efficiently, and position ourselves to survive the aftermath."

"Survive," Katerina laughed without humor.