Outside the grand military barracks, Commander Jold and Princess Iris stood side-by-side upon a raised podium.
"EVERYONE! Princess Iris is present! All forces, fall in!" Jold's commanding voice boomed across the courtyard.
Instantly, thousands of soldiers rushed into flawless, rigid ranks, snapped to attention, and delivered a unified salute to the podium.
"At ease!" Jold commanded. He then turned to the young woman beside him. "Princess Iris, your recon battalion is fully prepared and awaiting your orders, ma'am."
Iris stepped up to the microphone, taking a slow, deep breath to steady her thoughts.
"His Majesty, himself has confirmed the report of your hard work," Iris announced, her voice echoing clearly over the ranks.
"But there is a crisis ahead of us. We have been ordered by the King to deal with this threat swiftly and orderly. Our King expects results, and he will reward us handsomely once this operation is successfully completed."
Iris paused, letting her words sink in before resuming with a fierce intensity.
"As the first princess of the Loid Kingdom, Iris von Shiba, I will be personally joining this operation alongside Rory von Shiba, the third princess. This mission involves a living dungeon core.
I understand your anxieties, but your only concern today should be following my lead. I will spearhead this charge with a guarantee of zero casualties, and we will all return home safe and sound. Now, who is with me?!"
She paused, scanning the massive crowd for their reaction.
"Iris-sama! Iris-sama!" The soldiers erupted, chanting her name as a deafening roar of excitement rippled through the barracks.
"It's about damn time! Finally, we have direct orders from the King!" one of the frontline soldiers shouted, pumping his fist into the air.
As the sea of soldiers roared with newfound motivation, Iris stepped back and looked at Jold. "As expected of Princess Iris," Jold complimented with a respectful nod. "Your ability to inspire the troops far exceeds our expectations."
"Jold, assemble a specialized squad for me," Iris ordered smoothly. "I want a Tank, a Healer, and an Assassin class."
Jold blinked, a look of concern crossing his face.
"What about a Swordsman, ma'am?"
"We won't need one," Iris replied, a confident smile playing on her lips. "Because I am one of we needed."
Jold paused, a sudden realization hitting him as he remembered Iris's true designation. She wasn't just a standard soldier; Iris belonged to an elite, superior Class.
Years ago, the scholars of the Loid Kingdom had used the King's DIVA system to assess her potential, and the results had shaken the academy. Iris was evaluated as an SSS-tier
Spell Swordmaster
.
It was a superior class that granted her the full, devastating capabilities of a master swordsman while simultaneously allowing her to cast high-level magic, granting her absolute resistance to all magic-type damage and negative status afflictions.
There were terrifying reports from past battles claiming she could cleave an entire mountain in half with a single swing of her blade. In every sense of the word, Iris was a living weapon.