With the general and Trul gone, Darius also took his leave. He needed to make extra preparations.

Darius disappeared and reappeared at an inn within the Federation. There was someone he needed to meet.

He entered as a waiter hurried toward him.

"What can I get you, sir—"

But he wasn't able to finish his sentence as Darius walked past him and headed upstairs.

That was where the person he wanted to meet was.

"And then… he slipped and fell—"

"Hahahaha!"

A round of laughter rang out from a room as Darius shook his head.

Click…

He opened the door and saw various drunk aristocrats inside, with females beside them.

Among them was a rough, wild man who carried a noble aura. The others surrounded him, trying to please him.

But when they heard the door open, the group turned and their eyes widened.

Marshal Darius???

How could he be here?

Their gazes shifted to the wild man as they gulped.

It was probably because of him.

"Prince Theron… you really have let yourself go," Darius chuckled.

The wild man's smile froze as he slowly turned, a terrified expression on his face.

"Darius…" Theron said with a stiff smile as Darius shook his head.

Looking at the girl sitting on Theron's lap and his open clothes, Darius looked away as he spoke.

"Get dressed and meet me outside," Darius said before leaving.

Theron forced a smile and told the girl to get up.

---

Outside, at the railing on the upper floor of the inn, Darius and Theron stood talking, a whiff of smoke drifting in the air.

"Do you think of Flora at all?" Darius asked.

Theron chuckled.

"Really? That bitch? I wish I never married her but Lydia… how can they be sisters and so different?" Theron scoffed as Darius laughed.

"That aside, I wanted to talk to you about something more serious," Darius said.

Theron waved his hand.

"As long as it's not about that bitch Flora, go ahead," he replied.

"Caius called. He finally did it, he broke away from the control of the Dreadborne. And… the forefathers have made their move," Darius said.

Theron exhaled a large puff of smoke.

For a moment, his head rang… then a genuine smile appeared.

"Good. My brother finally came to his senses," Theron chuckled.

"Indeed," Darius replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Basically… war is imminent. Be prepared," Darius added.

Theron brought the cigarette to his lips.

"I've never been afraid of war. I'll inform Vaelen, Seraphina, and Lyssandra," Theron said as he exhaled.

Hearing this, Darius nodded.

"That's good," he replied before disappearing.

Seeing him already gone, Theron shook his head.

He held the cigarette between his fingers and crushed it out.

"My prince… please come inside," a soft voice said.

Theron felt gentle fingers press against his bare chest as he turned.

One of the women had come out to meet him.

Seeing this, Theron laughed softly and followed her back inside.

---

---

While Darius was making preparations, Caius was facing a terrifying problem.

At this moment, Caius sat within the council chamber.

The ancestors of the royal family were all present, with Marken the forefather and creator of the royal family seated at the largest chair.

Caius felt an intense headache as he watched these powerful figures argue, with no clear solution in sight.

"Damn… will this go on forever?" Caius thought as he glanced at Marken, who had worn a faint smile from beginning to end.

He was definitely enjoying this.

Just as things were spiraling out of control, a sharp sound echoed.

Thak!

A clear strike of a walking stick rang out as everyone fell silent.

Marken's expression finally changed as he looked toward the door.

Thak… Thak… Thak…

The ground rippled with each step as an aged man, accompanied by a young man following him appeared.

The ancestors stood up instantly.

"The First Knight…"

They all bowed toward the man.

Even Marken felt a faint but direct bloodline connection from him.

"You are?" Marken finally asked.

"Seventeenth-generation king. The First Knight of the Federation… Orion," the aged man replied.

Marken's face twitched.

A great-great-great… grandson?

Regardless, he noticed that even the other ancestors had bowed.

There was definitely something special about Orion.

"Pardon me for not bowing to you, forefather… but it seems some people are not doing what they should. Instead of focusing on priorities, they fight for power that never belonged to them," Orion said calmly, a faint smile on his face.

"You…" Marken began, but Orion merely lifted his staff.

"We are both at that realm, so drop the facade. I don't know what you and the others did to stay alive, nor what truly happened back then," Orion paused.

"But there's no doubt, you and the others are legends of humanity. Let it remain that way. Do not fight for power you did not build," Orion finished.

Marken stood up.

"Power we did not build? We created it, did we not? We fought for the human race. We did not hesitate to lay down our lives for it and you claim we did not build it?" Marken questioned.

Orion merely sneered.

"Don't get sentimental with me, forefather. We can go a few rounds if you want. I won't consider the fact that your full strength hasn't returned yet," Orion said coldly.

Marken fell silent.

"I can't believe you all have become so ignorant… no longer respecting your elders."

"None of you are worthy of this lineage," Marken muttered as he left the room.

Seeing him leave, Caius let out a sigh of relief.

Crisis… averted.

"Ancestor, thank you," Caius came forward as he spoke. He bowed slightly, after all, he was still a king.

Seeing this, a smile formed on Orion's face as he looked at Caius with pride. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Well done, brat. And no need to thank me. You did your part, and now it is time for us old bones to do ours. Lead with pride, no forefather will dare make a move," Orion said with a smile as Caius nodded with gratitude.

What followed was flattery and a few old discussions before Orion left.

Once he was gone, Caius returned and called his ministers. He needed to know if other families had driven out their forefathers and what the next step would be. After all, from this alone, he knew these mythical humans… these legends… were filled with pride and entitlement.

They wouldn't back away easily.

But worse still… there was still a secret plan they didn't know.

And from what Orion said, something had happened back then that no one seemed to know… or were deliberately keeping from them.

---

---

Outside, the young man following Orion asked:

"Master, what about the others?"

"Don't worry. I'm not the only one who walked out. Hollowind and the rest also came out," Orion said as the young man bowed.

"The forefathers won't make a move… unless they want war," Orion added quietly with a smirk.

A terrifying aura that could shake the multi universe leaked out as stars collapsed, universes distorted,

laws and even origins were triggered.