NTR: Barbarian Harem Conquest

Chapter 157: New Plan

Kane froze, letting his grip on the dagger slip away instantly. He didn’t feel a drop of fear.

’First Blade from Milfheim,’ Kane thought, a genuine smile spreading across his face as he relaxed his muscles completely.

’She always knows how to make an entrance. Her stealth stats must be completely maxed out by now.’

Seraphine stopped at the edge of the bed, crossing her arms casually as she looked down at his bandaged arm.

She didn’t seem surprised to find him awake, nor did she seem bothered by the sleeping oracle resting beside him.

"You looked at what I wanted?"

Seraphine nodded, tapping her hip playfully.

She leaned in closer, bringing a faint scent of nightshade with her.

"I found the exact weaknesses in their southern border," Seraphine whispered back, her eyes gleaming with shared ambition.

"It will cost you double our usual rate, though. Elven territory is highly restricted."

"Put it on my tab."

Seraphine tilted her head, a dangerous smile spreading across her lips as she looked down at him.

"Miss me?"

Kane didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he shifted his weight slowly and stepped carefully out from under the warm blankets, making sure not to wake Misha.

Standing up, he crossed the short distance between them until they were mere inches apart, letting the physical tension build naturally.

’She really enjoys playing this game,’ Kane smirked internally, remembering the last time they crossed paths in the shadows of Milfheim.

’We left things pretty unresolved after that kiss.’

Reaching out with his uninjured hand, Kane caught a loose strand of her silver hair, twirling it idly around his fingers while maintaining intense eye contact.

"You took over the empire?" Seraphine asked, her gaze flicking down to his lips for a fraction of a second before meeting his eyes again.

"I did," Kane confirmed, leaning in just a bit closer.

"And you are welcome anytime. I will be here."

Seraphina let out an amused breath, stepping sideways just enough to break the immediate physical proximity while keeping her attention entirely on him.

"I will be here," Seraphine countered, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"But you already have many women, Kane. I saw the vanguard downstairs, and the oracle is currently occupying your bed."

"We have unfinished business," Kane reminded her, refusing to let her change the subject so easily.

"We do," Seraphine conceded, a playful glint returning to her eyes as she crossed her arms again.

"That doesn’t mean you can have me whenever you want. I am not one of your loyal subjects just waiting for a command."

"Fair," Kane chuckled, respecting her boundaries while appreciating the challenge she always presented.

"Tell me the news, then. What did you find at the border?"

Stepping toward the small wooden table in the corner of the room, Seraphine unrolled a meticulously drawn map.

Kane followed her, leaning over the parchment while rolling his injured shoulder to test the stiffness in his joints.

’I already know the general layout of the Elven domain,’ Kane recalled, studying the familiar topography with a critical eye.

’I spent enough time dodging their arrogant rangers, so navigating the terrain won’t be entirely new. But the defensive lines always shift, and if they are getting paranoid, they must have reinforced the main roads.’

"Sylvander," Seraphine pointed a slender finger at a fortified choke point nestled between two prominent mountain ridges.

"It acts as the primary hub for their southern border. They funnel all human merchants through this specific gate so they can tax the caravans and keep a close eye on foreigners."

"I remember Sylvander," Kane nodded, tracing the winding trade route with his thumb.

"Tall crystal towers, overly arrogant guards who love looking down on everyone else, and a ridiculous amount of illusion magic hiding the real garrison."

"They upgraded the illusions since your last visit," Seraphine corrected, tracing a secondary path winding through the adjacent valley.

"But they got lazy with their patrol routes. They rely so much on the enchanted trees to confuse invaders that they stopped posting physical sentries along the western ridge."

Kane leaned closer to the map, a predatory grin slowly forming on his face.

"So, the back door is wide open for anyone who knows how to knock?"

"If you know how to bypass the warding stones, yes," Seraphina confirmed, tapping the parchment rhythmically.

"And I happen to know a very skilled mercenary who just stole the bypass codes from a drunken Elven captain."

"You are worth every single gold coin, Seraphina," Kane praised, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So we don’t just march up to the front gate tomorrow and start burning things right away. We take our time."

"Exactly," Seraphine agreed, her voice dropping into a serious, tactical tone that commanded respect.

"Attacking tomorrow would be suicide, even with your new angel. Sylvander sits on a vast reserve of concentrated mana. If you trigger the alarm blindly, they will lock the entire valley down in seconds and rain explosive magic on your infantry."

’A slow burn is always better than a fast explosion,’ Kane reasoned, visualizing the troop movements in his mind’s eye while calculating the necessary supply lines.

’We need to choke them out before we strike so they cannot call for backup.’

"Here is the plan," Seraphine outlined, drawing invisible lines across the map to illustrate her strategy.

"You spend the next three weeks moving your forces in small, disguised merchant groups. Smuggle weapons inside grain carts, and hide your heavy hitters inside standard mercenary caravans. You build a hidden camp right here in the western ridge, just outside their illusion perimeter."

"While they think we are just regular human traders waiting for border clearance," Kane finished the thought, thoroughly impressed by the elegance of the strategy.

"We bleed their supplies dry. We intercept their courier birds, disrupt their scouting patrols, and slowly cut Sylvander off from the capital without them even realizing they are under siege."

"By the time you actually light the first fire," Seraphina smiled, rolling the map back up with a quick flick of her wrist, "they will be completely blind and out of reinforcements. You force the local lord to step out of his crystal tower and fight you on the plains because he will have no other choice."