The first ray of dawn illuminated the leaves at the treetops, and the seemingly tranquil forest awakened. This time, it was not the predatory beasts or the birds on the branches that roused the woods, but rather the Liveser Rangers moving upon the limbs.

Kayla stood in the Dawn Palace, feeling the morning breeze that carried the sun’s warmth. The elite Liveser Rangers had already transformed this dense forest into a treacherous land.

The old, the young, the injured, and the disabled had been moved to the deeper parts of the forest, making the already quiet Kingdom of Liveser seem somewhat deserted at this moment.

Kayla did not like such a country. She liked liveliness, liked to dance in the woods amidst the songs of her people, don her ranger’s leather armor, grab her bow, and the Queen of Liveser would plummet from the sky, disappearing into the greenery with a twist of her body.

"Let’s depart, brave warriors of Liveser."

The Liveser Rangers, leaping through the forest like flying fish across branches, lent a unique beauty to their chaotic formation with their agile jumps.

They charged toward the first line of defense, the outermost layer of the forest, bordering the desolate plains. The Rangers relied on the trees, and their sole path to victory was through guerrilla warfare. The elite Rangers could camouflage themselves in the wilderness through natural disguise, but their main method of attack was still assassination from hidden places.

Depleting the Dreya Knights’ living forces was the only method.

"Why would Dreya declare war on us?"

Kayla recalled the hurried return of Grandfather Echel last night. He brought the fact of Dreya’s declaration of war to the surprised queen. Even though Kayla was skilled at hunting, this was her first time defending against a foreign enemy during her reign, leaving the young queen somewhat flustered.

Fortunately, Echel comforted her. "It’s okay, my dear, I’m still here. Nothing will happen, but indeed, this is a good training opportunity. You should learn to command an army now."

Kayla reluctantly accepted the arrangement but soon panicked again at Echel’s departure. "Grandfather, where are you going? We need you."

Seeing Kayla show the same timid expression as when she was a child, Echel smiled.

"Do you remember our promise? When your queen’s career grows to a certain stage, I will prepare a gift for you. Now, I am going to prepare this ’gift,’ my dear."

Kayla stood at the edge of the forest, and with vision sharp as a hawk’s, she saw the group of cavalry in black armor in the distance, taking a deep breath.

"To meet this way for the first time, it’s really bad, Miss Lina."

On the Dreya wasteland, the marching knights were organizing their ranks on the move. The thundering hoofbeats resembled a giant beast rolling across the ground.

Wearing an iron helmet like that of the elite Dreya Knights, but not the armor, Lina Dreya maintained a slender girl’s delicate body, though her strength was like that of a wild beast.

She roared, relaying orders to adjust the troops through a messenger to every corner of the army.

The noble troops from Devonrayla and the few Inquisitors just hung behind the knight legion, but their presence couldn’t compare; one looked like servant auxiliaries, the other...like a tour group.

Although the Devonrayla noble troops had excellent weapons and equipment, Lina classed their discipline and quality as cannon fodder.

The number of Inquisitors hadn’t changed much, but there were too few of them.

Defeating Liveser would still depend on her own knights.

The way of battle for Dreya was simple, as elite knights led their own groups in a charge. Their physique, honed from years of training and bearing, plus the heavy armor they wore, made them adept at head-on collisions. The impetus of the knights’ charge could transform what seemed like desperate defenses into fatal offenses. As for its actual effectiveness, a collective charge by ten Dreya Knights could shatter a stone city wall.

"Formation for the charge!" Lina bellowed, and the knights of Dreya within range started to accelerate.

Next, Her Majesty the Queen of Dreya would become the sharp front, the banner of the people, leading her troops from the front...

She was blocked, within her own ranks, by six knights clad in similar elite garb who surrounded their queen.

On the battlefield, the only ones with the authority to command were the king and the commanders of each unit, essentially those knights whom she trusted the most. Could it be, a mutiny?

"Benjamin, what is the meaning of this!" Lina had already grasped her knight’s sword.

As the commander of the Third Knight Group, Benjamin Dalton was about the same age as Lina. His father had fallen during the Owl Uprising, and his family was fiercely loyal to the royal house. He had been raised as a knight for Lina Dreya since his childhood. The old knights had placed their hopes for the future on Benjamin, and he did not disappoint. Sir Benjamin Dalton, the king’s knight, harbored an abnormal affection for his queen.

He felt for her... the fondness an elder feels for a loved niece or nephew! Indeed, Benjamin, a peer in age, saw Queen Lina as a child of his own. Initially, the group of grandfatherly old knights indeed raised Benjamin as a future companion for Lina, so while they trained him, they also constantly fed him praise of the queen’s virtues.

However, they indoctrinated him incorrectly, as a bunch of old war hounds who knew nothing about nurturing emotions, simply and bluntly transferred their own fondness for the young queen onto Benjamin. Over time, Benjamin came to look at Lina with the indulgent smile of a kindly elder. By the time the old men realized what had happened, Benjamin had already become skewed. But such a Benjamin was even more loyal to the royal family, so they made do and used him as he was.

"Lina, this war does not require your bravery; take care of yourself, your very existence is our greatest victory."

"..." It was the familiar strange smile that Benjamin was known for; Lina for the moment let down her guard, it was the familiar comrade. Moreover, she noticed that the Dreya Knights’ formation was not the spearhead for an assault, but a hexagonal shape for defense, with her at the center, layered protectively.

It was not offense, but defense.

Lina could accept her subordinates modifying her commands for a better outcome in battle, but clearly, this wasn’t that.

"What exactly are you trying...?"

"Your bloodline will shelter this nation."

The familiar words pulled the agitated Lina back into that illusion, and as Benjamin looked on in surprise, Her Majesty simply snorted.

"If we fail, after our defeat and return to the kingdom, I will strangle you all myself."

Of course it would be a failure, if it were only us. Benjamin whispered to himself, recalling the tall figure who had stood before his door that night, with the surprise still lingering on his face.

May your plan succeed, Your Majesty Reed.

Under the silent consent and adjustment of the old knights, the Dreya Knight Army in defensive stance charged into the forest.

The Dreya Knights and Liveser Rangers had officially clashed.