"We will hold to our Oaths," said Lady Leto. Her tone was icy and more than a little rude. "Those Oaths were given to the Queen and her chosen successor."

A very polite way of saying that Jessica had no right to command her. Something that the woman would not have dared to say were they in the capital. But inside House Leto's Castle, their confidence was expected.

Especially since her guards had been left outside while even the small solar they were in had four soldiers. She wondered if they were suspicious of why she was so accommodating. Or if they simply assumed that she was desperate.

The Cane Hero took a sip of tea she had been served. The Cane had checked for poisons. As had one of her mages. The hot fluid calmed her as it went down her throat.

Malty's body loved it, but Jessica couldn't help but wish for coffee.

"Your reasons are understandable," she said, "but this is a critical scenario. The Shield Hero's escape could jeopardize all our lives. I must insist that you order your forces to aid me in finding him."

The old woman snorted, throwing away any facade of respect, "Don't ask me to help you cover up for your stupidity," she said, "Mirellia's orders were clear."

Malty sighed, unsurprised. House Leto was powerful. They could trace their past to many, many Star Heroes and there were even rumours that they had a Legendary Hero in their family tree. Plus, as a powerful House, they were used to Mirellia playing the game as their ally. They were used to being shown respect and consideration. Mirellia had also favoured them, and it was no secret that Malty was a worthless fool who wasn't worthy of the throne. Along with that, they had married into a great many powerful houses. No doubt they assumed they were safe.

Their power was why they were needed. Why she had tried to ask first rather than go to extremes.

Motoyasu's absence had also emboldened them. They assumed that Jessica wouldn't risk any violence without his presence. It wasn't a bad assumption. They were assuming that she was weaker than Aultcray, reasonable, and that she was the reckless idiot, whom Malty truly had been.

"Whatever the reasons," said Malty, "The Shield Hero's escape and the subsequent war is a mutual problem. I'll ask again; Please order your forces to find the Shield Hero."

The old woman smirked, false tooth visible, "No." she declared, "I'm not helping you clear up the mess you and Aultcray made."

Jessica sighed. It was truly a pity. Lady Leto had taught Mirellia everything about ruling. This woman was distant family. The House had married into House Melromarc several times over the centuries.

Fire erupted without warning. No chant. No obvious source. No motion from Malty.

The Cane truly was exquisite at amplifying magic. Two skills. One called Double, which simply duplicated magic and another called amplify, that enhanced magic worked wonderfully in tandem. It cost a bit of SP, but the effects were worthwhile.

The teapot and ceramic cups melted. The steel spoon was reduced to slag. The carpet and curtains caught fire instantly. The flames, blazing a deep blue colour, spread like it was liquid like it was alive.

Leto tried to jerk away from the heat. Her defences and level permitted her to outlive the other guards in the room, they didn't even have time to scream before their molten armour and the flares consumed them. The noblewoman survived long enough that the chair she was sitting on was reduced to ash. The old woman was impressive.

But her impressive defences only served to cause her more pain. Her screams didn't exist. Not with the wind under Malty's dominion.

"Drifa Firestorm," she said, pouring more SP and mana into the spell, chanting under her breath. Utterly ignoring the flames that licked at her dress but failed to ignite it. "Amplify. Multiple."

The skills spread her flames with ease. Her thoughts guided the fires, but only to an extent.

It had taken her ten seconds to burn the room down. The guards standing outside rushed in. They didn't get an opportunity to study the situation.

Jessica's hungry fires and vicious winds reached for them and eradicated them. The Cane Hero made sure to spike the temperature high enough that the suffocating smell of burnt flesh failed to reach her. A minor wind spell to filter the air made it even easier to walk out.

The castle was already on alert.

She could teleport away. At level 52 she had that option, but truthfully she had no intention of leaving House Leto intact. They were too powerful. Too close to the capital and altogether too loyal to Mirellia.

Naofumi was likely far away from their territory, but Lady Leto had failed the test. To not even consider Malty's words was unacceptable. Disobedience was one thing. Jessica could even respect their loyalty to Mirellia, but Leto had refused to even think about her suggestion.

"What are you doing?" asked a furious voice.

Malty barely glanced at him. Her fires reached out and destabilized his wind blast. One of the members of the Leto family, obvious thanks to his clothing and blonde hair, was immolated.

Jessica made sure that he didn't feel too much pain. He died within a second or two once the flames reached him.

His guards were barely worth mentioning.

"The Ruler of Melromarc, the Cane Hero, the traveller of worlds' commands you!" she said, drawing on as much power as possible, while holding a Shield Skill that created a dome around her, "Let the world tear, burn and be razed. I summon thee, Firestorm Elementals."

Six shambling entities appeared. They almost looked like piles of fire and empty space. It took a moment of attention to realize that they were entities born of air and fire. The space was still air, which was transparent. The flames were blue and ever-changing. Both elements were not solid, and it showed in how they didn't have any fixed shape or size. But their main effect was unrelated to their chaotic appearance.

It would have been impossible for her to guide and control so many of them without her Cane and her incredible stats. Even Motoyasu would have struggled to muster the incredible amount of SP needed.

It was how the air became hot enough that Malty felt it through her heat resistance. The way the floor that they touched began to boil away. Stone flowing as if it was water. The paintings and murals on the walls began to catch fire and then quickly vanish while the frames boiled and soon vanished.

"Destroy the castle," she commanded, careful to think only about the castle structure, the basement dungeons and the stables and areas around it. These beings did not understand words, only intent.

Thankfully, they were born from her mana and that of the Cane so they knew what she wanted. She followed their actions through their senses. It was hard to follow six different perspectives and guide them away from the servants and the children, but she did so. Some would die anyway. The heat, falling stone and lack of breathable air would kill them, but she would be able to spare some who were simply doing their jobs and hold on to some hostages.

It was the most time-efficient option.

Malty teleported away. Portal triggering and taking her to the camp she had asked her Knights to set up outside the Castle Town attached to Lady Leto's home.

She appeared amid a small scale battle between her Knights and the Town Guard. The sudden presence of the Princess stopped the fight for an instant before the Town Guard Captain said, "Attack! Remember, Lady Leto's-"

Unfortunately, the man soon lost his ability to speak.

Fire and Air tore through his lungs at with thought from Malty. A bullet of swirling plasma made short work of the man. The experience gained made her certain that he was at least level 60.

His confidence made sense. He was truly powerful if Heroes and their companions were disregarded.

"Leave," she said flatly to the fools who had assaulted her soldiers, "Or die."

The burned corpse of the Captain and the loud crash from behind them as the castle began to disintegrate made her argument for her. The figure of one of her summoned pawns made them flinch as it wrapped around her like a living cloak.

She leashed the elemental's heat by willpower alone.

None of the people around her would be alive otherwise.

They ran screaming. Malty waved her hand at the captain, who asked if they should pursue.

"Casualties?," asked Malty while studying the impromptu battlefield.

"Albria was wounded, but it's nothing our healers can't take off," said Captain Hadria, staring blankly at the elemental wrapped around her, "...I assume the meeting went poorly, Your Highness."

It was good to see that training with Motoyasu and upgrading her people with his Spear and her Cane had worked out. They couldn't match a Hero solo, but they were more than enough to crush the average Classed Up enemy.

"House Leto is a declared enemy of the country," said Malty, "Their vassals will now serve House Melromarc directly. I'm sure their burnt-out ruin of a home will be a reasonably convincing argument in my favour."

Hadria nodded quickly, unwilling to meet Jessica's eyes after the last tower of the castle came crashing down and the heat from the burning castle reached the camp, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

"It'll take my portal half an hour to recharge," said Malty, walking away, deciding to see if there was anything worth absorbing in the ruins and seeing to the survivors she had spared, "Get ready to leave."

It would be nice to get back to Raphtalia. The kid was truly adorable. She could only hope that Motoyasu would maintain his careful behaviour around the traumatized child. Half a week had passed, and he had been surprisingly good with the kids but his stupidity was real. The maids would deal with most of it but the presence of a Hero would ensure that bigotry wouldn't get in the way.

Malty dismissed the summons once she was close. A shower of rain cast by her Cane started to cool down the site and created a cover of steam that her enhanced senses let her pierce.

The Princess sighed, irritated. This was expected, but unfortunate. Now she'd have to spend a bit of time dealing with Leto's vassals, the families that the ancient house had married into and the others who would be scared and would need reassurance.

She couldn't regret killing them. Not when it served her needs perfectly, but it would be a time sink. Not to mention the need to convince Motoyasu and the other Heroes that she was in the right to do this.

PR was always annoying. Especially since the Bow Hero would return to the capital soon. But she was close to the Bio plant that Motoyasu had misused and Naofumi had later exploited for feeding his little village.

A bit of Earth manipulation, water control and the plant would ensure that food and shelter would be things her people would never have to worry for. She highly doubted the common folk would care about the battles between nobles if they were well fed and safe.

It was as simple tool for both recruitment and a preventative asset to stop riots and other rebellions. Not to mention rebellions would be less likely to ferment if they were sated.

Best to set up and spread her story. The church would probably be glad to help. House Leto was not their ally.

On the bright, the summons were made from her magic, so she'd gotten a fair number of levels. She was almost certain to reach level hundred soon at this rate.