I, transformed into a vampire girl, sparked the Industrial Revolution.

Chapter 44 Long time no see

Alice leaned against the earthen embankment, a rifle beside her. She had stayed there ever since she discovered that she could spot enemy troops launching a night raid much faster.

"Your Highness, it's not safe here..."

The division commander kept trying to dissuade her, but Alice just shook her head, one hand resting on the earthen embankment. For Alice, the overall situation was the most important thing.

Alice stood up and stretched. Suddenly, she sensed a presence, a familiar presence. Alice looked to the west and suddenly felt that presence again.

"Reinforcements have arrived, Lieutenant Colonel..."

"What? Reinforcements?"

Alice looked up at the sky, and soon a gust of wind blew by, and the soldiers saw her—the queen descending from the sky with bat wings flapping, coming from the west.

"Alice........"

"Ah, haha, darling..."

Alice finally succumbed to sleepiness, her body leaning forward and falling into Alicia's arms. Alicia touched her head and saw the blood, ash, and sweat on her body.

How could she have become like this?

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Her Highness the Princess has been personally leading the soldiers into battle these past few days. Just now... she insisted on standing on the front line, right here."

Alicia frowned and picked up Alice in a princess carry. Alice was very light, after all, she was a 1.55-meter-tall loli. Alicia looked at the commander of the First Division.

"Can you still hold on?"

The division commander immediately stood at attention and replied in military salute, "Your Majesty! The First Infantry Division is determined to complete its mission!"

"There are no more combat missions. Reinforcements are just behind us and will arrive within an hour."

Alicia emphasized, nodding to the division commander: "The subsequent combat missions will be handed over to the Joint Command. The nation and the people are waiting for victory with you by their side."

"Yes! Promise to complete the mission!"

After the division commander finished speaking, he added, "Your Majesty, I have a request."

"explain."

"Please convey our respect to Her Highness after she awakens. We are willing to be Her Highness's sword and shield!"

Alicia paused for a moment, but then smiled and nodded: "Yes, I will."

After saying that, Alicia took Alice and flew into the sky. The night was no longer long. The First Division was full of honor. Grant found in despair that he could not break through their defenses no matter what he did.

"I clearly sent twice the number of troops! That was twice the number of armored troops!"

Grant roared, knowing that his plan was to first recapture the town of Great Mill, which had forced the frontline troops to retreat several kilometers to organize a defensive line.

Now, not only have they failed to reclaim that territory, but their frontline troops have also been breached—these are the mercenaries he'd invested heavily in training! The most elite soldiers on the continent!

Just last year, his troops were the main force attacking the Queen's forces! Now, only a year later, their combat strength has completely reversed?

Failing to reclaim the supply area means that he has now entered a period of extreme supply shortage.

"Pass down the order... All citizens within the territory must hand over their grain to the lord's manor... Any resistance... be killed without mercy!"

"My lord! This...forgive my bluntness, but I'm afraid those lowly commoners won't obey obediently, and we'll have to send extra troops..."

Grant gave the staff officer a cold look, then issued a follow-up order: "If there is any resistance, kill them without mercy, and send their families to the front lines as soldiers! If they are mercenary families, they are exempt from paying rations."

Now is a critical moment. People can be replaced, but if territory is lost, then everything is lost. Should we go and seek refuge with Ekevich?

At dawn, wailing filled the Grant territory. The order from the lord's manor immediately caused a storm, affecting almost all the people. Farmers in the countryside were stripped of their hard-earned produce under the threat of longswords, and the mercenaries, who had neither morality nor discipline, were naturally not fair either.

Alice woke up at noon. A ray of sunlight shone softly through the gauze curtains onto the floor, and Alice was awakened from her slumber.

"Mmm...so good...mmm..."

Alice opened her eyes, and what came into view was—Alicia?

"Eh?"

"Woo~"

"Are you awake?"

Being snuggled in a warm blanket would have been an unparalleled bliss in her past life, but for Alice, it was nothing more than a pipe dream, since vampires don't actually need to sleep every day.

But now, Alicia was standing by the bed, holding a red box in her hand. Alice knew that those were real documents that needed to be processed.

"Let me lie down a little longer..."

Alice buried her head even deeper into the blankets, and for a moment she felt incredibly comfortable.

"Sealed by... the blanket~"

"Your Highness, Your Majesty the Empress, it's time."

"Tsk——"

Alicia sat up, and there stood Angela and Rafis by the bedside, both dressed in maid outfits, with a pistol hanging from Rafis's waist.

"Hmm—is it already this late, Alice? Time to get up?"

Seeing her attempt to sleep in thwarted, Alice gave the two maids a resentful look, her eyes filled with a deadpan expression.

"Well, Alice, we don't have much time to sleep. Let's get a good night's sleep after the war is over?"

"Please come to my room, Your Majesty..."

Alicia waved her hand, interrupting Ange, and pulled Alice up.

"I will personally dress up my daughter~ You may leave now, prepare lunch."

"As you wish."

Alice, utterly dejected, was led into the dressing room by Alicia. Alicia, a true aristocratic lady, was quite different from Alice, a modern soul; the clothes she chose were gorgeous and elaborate.

"That's good."

Wearing a red and black dress, Alicia personally selected lingerie for Alice: black ones with lace trim, garter belts, black stockings, and little leather shoes. By the time Alicia finished tying Alice's hair into pigtails, half an hour had passed.

"I have to say, are girls really that troublesome?"

Alice muttered under her breath as Alicia placed her hands on her shoulders. The mirror reflected an adorable little girl who looked like a doll, with pale skin and scarlet eyes. In her previous life, such a lovely girl would only be a masterpiece of Photoshop.

"As expected of my daughter, Alice. Although you were once born a man, you are now a girl!"

"Yes……"

"You haven't tasted the blood of that dark elf yet, have you?"

"not yet……"

Alice looked at herself in the mirror and realized that she no longer resembled the person she once knew.

"Then go, my daughter."

Alice left the dressing room, looked at her hands, which were small and slender, and looked up. Outside the window, blocked by the buildings, was a chimney.

As long as the direction of her ideals remained unchanged, that was enough. With that thought in mind, she walked towards the restaurant.