I'm the Villain, But the Heroines Keep Choosing Me-Chapter 126: The Valdara Crisis

Damien eliminated the ninth target the following night – a military quartermaster who’d been diverting weapons to demon forces. Made it look like he’d been crushed by falling supply crates in his own warehouse, tragic workplace accident.

He returned to the residence before dawn, cleaned up the evidence, and slipped into bed beside Seria and Elara without waking them.

Six more targets. Two more days.

He was on schedule to complete the Emperor’s assignment with time to spare.

Then everything changed.

---

The emergency summons came at mid-morning, delivered by an Imperial Guard who looked like he’d ridden through the night without rest.

"Lord Valcrest, High Priestess Lightbringer, Commander Thornwood – the Emperor requires your immediate presence. Crisis development. Highest priority."

They dressed quickly and followed the guard to the war room, where Emperor Valdris waited with General Markin Blackthorne, Archmage Lydia, and several other high-ranking officials Damien didn’t recognize.

All of them looked grim.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," the Emperor said without preamble. "We have a situation in Valdara. Queen Lyristae’s kingdom."

Damien felt something cold settle in his stomach. "What kind of situation?"

"A coordinated demon uprising. Multiple attacks across three major cities simultaneously. Casualties in the thousands. The Queen’s forces are overwhelmed." The Emperor gestured to the maps spread across the table, showing Valdara’s territory marked with red indicators. "This isn’t random demon activity – this is organized military assault designed to destabilize the kingdom."

"Why Valdara specifically?" Seria asked, already studying the attack patterns with tactical focus.

"Because it’s the most powerful kingdom in the Empire after my own holdings," the Emperor replied. "If Valdara falls to demon control, it creates a catastrophic power vacuum. Other kingdoms would rush to fill it, creating conflict among human factions while demons consolidate their position."

"Strategic brilliance," General Blackthorne admitted grudgingly. "Target the keystone kingdom. Let human political instability do half their work for them."

"What’s the Queen’s current status?" Elara asked.

"Fighting on multiple fronts. She’s personally leading defense of the capital city, but two other major population centers are under siege with insufficient forces to repel the attacks." The Emperor’s expression was grave. "She’s requested imperial assistance, but I can’t deploy significant military forces without leaving the capital vulnerable. The demon conspiracy we’ve been fighting here is still active – pulling troops from the Imperial Capital could trigger attacks we’re barely holding off."

"So you’re caught between defending your own territory and assisting an allied kingdom," Damien observed.

"Exactly. Which is why I’m sending you three instead." The Emperor looked at each of them in turn. "You’ve proven capable of operating effectively against organized demon forces. You’re already investigating the conspiracy, which means you understand their methods. And most importantly – " He focused on Damien. " – you have unconventional capabilities that regular military forces lack."

"You want us to reinforce Valdara with a three-person team instead of actual army support," Seria said.

"I want you to do what you did at the warehouse. Eliminate demon leadership, disrupt their coordination, create chaos in their ranks that allows Queen Lyristae’s forces to regain advantage." The Emperor’s voice was firm. "I’m authorizing you to operate with complete autonomy. Whatever methods you deem necessary, whatever resources you require, you have imperial sanction to use them."

"What about the investigation here?" Damien asked. "The conspiracy in the capital, the remaining traitors we’re tracking – "

"Will have to wait. Valdara’s survival is more immediate priority. I’ll have the task I personally gave you completed." The Emperor pulled out sealed documents. "I’m providing you with full diplomatic credentials, authorization to command Valdaran military forces in the Queen’s name, and access to imperial treasury for any expenses incurred. You leave immediately."

"How immediately?" Elara asked.

"Within the hour. A fast ship is being prepared to transport you to Valdara’s capital. Travel time is approximately three days by river and road." General Blackthorne indicated the route on the map. "You’ll arrive to active combat situation. No time for planning or reconnaissance – just immediate deployment to wherever the need is greatest."

Damien studied the maps, his tactical mind already processing the situation. Three major cities under attack. Thousands of casualties. A queen fighting on multiple fronts with insufficient forces.

And he was supposed to reinforce her with two companions and "unconventional capabilities."

It was an impossible assignment. Which probably meant it was exactly what the Emperor actually expected him to handle.

"We’ll need detailed intelligence on the attacks," Seria said. "Demon force composition, attack vectors, defensive capabilities of each city, current status of Valdaran military deployment."

"Everything we have is being compiled now," Archmage Lydia said. "You’ll have full briefing materials before departure."

"I’ll need access to Church resources in Valdara," Elara added. "Divine magic will be crucial for countering demonic forces on this scale."

"You’ll have letters of introduction to the Valdaran Church hierarchy," the Emperor confirmed. "They’ll provide whatever support you require."

"And command authority?" Damien asked. "If we’re supposed to coordinate Valdaran military response, we’ll need clear authorization that local commanders will actually respect."

"You’ll carry documents signed by both myself and Queen Lyristae granting you emergency command authority in her absence." The Emperor’s expression was serious. "Lord Valcrest, to be clear – this mission is functionally making you temporary military commander of Valdara’s defense. The Queen has agreed to this arrangement because she’s desperate and you’ve proven effective. Don’t make me regret supporting her decision."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

They spent the next hour reviewing intelligence, gathering supplies, and preparing for immediate deployment. The situation was worse than the initial briefing suggested – casualty estimates were climbing, one of the besieged cities was on the verge of falling completely, and the Queen’s forces were stretched so thin that collapse was imminent without intervention.

By noon, they were boarding a fast imperial ship on the river docks, their belongings minimal and their mission parameters clear: save Valdara or watch the Empire’s second-most-powerful kingdom fall to demons.

As the ship pulled away from the docks, Damien stood at the railing, watching the Imperial Capital recede into the distance.

He still had six assassination targets incomplete. The Emperor’s deadline was in two days. And now he was leaving the capital entirely, making completion impossible.

He only hoped the Emperor could have it handled as effectively as he did.

---

Three days of travel gave them time to review intelligence, plan tactical approaches, and coordinate their limited resources against an overwhelming threat.

The ship moved swiftly through imperial waterways, then transferred to fast horses for the overland portion. They rode hard, stopping only for brief rest, driven by urgency and the knowledge that every hour delayed meant more Valdaran casualties.

Seria used the time to memorize troop positions, defensive capabilities, and likely demon attack patterns.

Elara reviewed Church resources available in Valdara, identifying which temples could serve as sanctuary points or healing stations. Damien absorbed everything, his mind building operational frameworks for three simultaneous crisis responses.

They also discussed the obvious complication.

"The Queen specifically requested imperial assistance," Elara observed during one of their brief rest stops. "And the Emperor chose us specifically to provide it. That’s not coincidence."

"She knows about my shadow magic," Damien admitted. "We spoke during her visit to the capital. She revealed she has similar capabilities – been hiding shadow magic for years while ruling Valdara."

Both women stopped what they were doing.