“Hey. When I say we’ll trade, it means that there’s something of value that you have.”

“I said I would interpret, right?”

‘Don’t you understand what I’m saying?’

Wondering if Hades didn’t understand, Latifa turned her head to look at him.

His black pupils, which were facing straight ahead, glanced at her and then returned to look straight ahead. He seemed somewhat displeased.

“……You just undervalued your worth. What a great thing to do.”

‘I undervalued my worth?’

At that, Latifa felt as if she had been hit hard in the head. She had never thought of herself as having worth, so the notion of her worth falling felt strange.

“If you don’t raise your own value, who will?”

“…….”

“I’m still preparing for business. I’ll propose a trade later.”

Hades murmured something incomprehensible in Latifa’s ear.

[Star icon][Star icon]

Only after the sun had completely set did the procession stop. The desert people erected poles and set up a few makeshift tents. They lit fires here and there to ward off the cold dew of the coniferous forest.

The soldiers and prisoners huddled around the bonfires to sleep, and the soldiers on duty watched the surroundings with bright eyes, not seeming sleepy. It was a welldisciplined army.

Hades was overseeing everything, coming and going in front of the long line, having sent Latifa to rest in his own tent.

“We’ll join the main force in a week. The soldiers must be very tired, so make sure there’s no shortage of supplies.”

“Yes! Understood, General!”

“Good work.”

Hades, who turned his horse around, scowled at the sight of Manute blocking his path.

“General.”

“If it’s a nagging, just don’t open your mouth.”

Manute quickly spoke, walking side by side with Hades, cautiously relaying his words.

“It’s not nagging.”

“If the words woman, imperial, and dignity come out of your mouth, I’ll draw my sword right away.”

Hades, guessing that Manute would bring up Latifa, cut him off.

“……It’s not a joke. All the soldiers are whispering about her.”
“I have her around because she’s useful.”

“What kind of use do you mean?”

“She knows how to speak the desert language. She’s worth utilizing.”

“I understand. However, it’s not necessary for her to always accompany the general and share his tent. It will damage the general’s reputation.”

“Does that mad dog still have a reputation left to damage?”

Hades chuckled lightly. Manute couldn’t respond to his words, his mouth simply sealed shut. Hades, seeing this, seemed to reassure him.

“Right. I can’t keep her with me forever.”

“What will you do?”

“When we get to Fort Change, I’ll use her as an interpreter. Look for someone among the refugees who were with her who can take care of her.”

“You are truly wise, General.”

Manute, his face brightened, bowed his head in deference from atop his saddle.

[Star Icon][Star Icon]

Inside General Hades’s makeshift tent. It was a makeshift tent, but as it was the General’s, it was not entirely simple.

There were elegant carpets laid out, and various crates and boxes had been arranged to form a basic bed.

Sitting alone on it, Latifa slowly digested the words that Hades had said earlier.

[Dash] If one doesn’t increase their own value, who will?

‘Do I have any value to increase?’

When she thought about herself, all she could do was sigh. The value of being a princess was now useless anywhere.

In addition to this, she wasn’t born clever like other royal bloodlines, and neither was she particularly eloquent. Nor did she have outstanding physical strength or stunning beauty.

The ability to talk to animals was a very minor talent, and with many limitations, it was useless.

‘Just because you can talk doesn’t mean a hen will lay more eggs or a cow will produce more milk.’

She had been lucky last time to scare off the hunting dogs, but there was no guarantee that such good luck would continue.

“At least I’m lucky to know the desert language.”

The reason why Latifa learned the desert language was simple. She was just… bored and learned it.

In a royal family where there were more than twenty princes and princesses, Latifa’s existence was insignificant, especially considering her mother’s humble background.

The emperor’s faith in her was constantly declining, and while the struggle for the throne continued over who would be the next successor, Latifa did not want to be in their sights.

Living a quiet and smooth life was her and her mother’s wish.

Therefore, Latifa avoided things like horse riding, dance parties, and tea parties, and stayed in her own palace, reading books.

She didn’t even touch books related to politics or practical matters, fearing rumors that she was involved in politics, and only read fairy tales and novels for children.

[Dash] Princess, here’s a book you might enjoy. How about this one?

Then, the palace library’s administrator handed her a foreign book about the desert. It was full of unfamiliar languages, but Latifa couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful illustrations inside.

The beautiful darkskinned women and handsome men, the gorgeous clothes, the unique buildings, the animals and landscapes she had never seen before, even the exotic scent that slightly wafted from the book.

All of these captured Latifa, and she began learning the desert language from then on. She wondered if the administrative clerk who taught her the desert language was still alive.

As she was indulging in such aimless thoughts, a low male voice echoed from behind her.

“Are you feeling better now?”
She quietly nodded at his words. In truth, her entire body ached from riding a horse all day in a stiff position. The wound on her leg was still throbbing.

“The fruits of the Empire really don’t taste good. I wish they wouldn’t complain about giving me such trash.”

Hades, who had entered the tent, took out a few apples and placed them next to her. He then turned around without hesitation and slumped down onto a pile of furs stacked nearby.

Latifa picked up the shiny, red apple placed next to her. It was a decent apple, so fresh that she wondered how they had procured it even in the middle of a war.

“This is a highquality item. It’s surprising that something like this remains even during the war.”

“This is high quality? That’s ridiculous. Even the horses in the Grand Bazaar wouldn’t eat such tasteless apples.”

However, the apple next to her was of such good quality that it wouldn’t be out of place even if supplied to the royal palace.

Latifa carefully picked up an apple and took a bite. The apple was crispy, and the flesh was ripe and sweet.

‘Delicious?!’

She couldn’t tell if he was demeaning the Empire by calling this trash or if the apple really didn’t taste good.

Crunch, crunch, crunch. Hades watched her devour the apple with an expression that seemed truly amazed.

“The fruits in the Grand Bazaar are very sweet. You’ll be overwhelmed by the sweet scent before you even taste it.”

“Do fruits grow there, even in the desert?”

“Litchi, mango, pomegranate, date palm, even pomelo all the fruits are fresh and sweet.”

“That sounds delicious.”

“If you ever come to the desert, be sure to try them. You won’t even look at apples like these.”

“If I ever go…”

Latifa was mumbling a response when someone outside the tent called for Hades.

“General Hades.”

“Yes, come in.”

The tent flap opened, and a woman entered with Manut. Latifa’s blue pupils widened at the sight of the woman.

“Brenda!”