’Reiya has advanced to the Legendary rank. That’s a little faster than I expected.’

After the White-haired Dragon Lady advanced to the Legendary rank, she immediately replied to her lover’s letter, and Westheid received the news right away.

Reiya also mentioned that she would soon lead her own retinue to the southeast of the Empire to establish a new administrative office. With the Imperial machine now running at full capacity, all the arrangements could likely be finalized in less than a week.

The Empire’s vast territory was not entirely occupied by the lands of the Lord’s Families. Nearly half of the provinces were under a centralized system, and these territories could be claimed by members of the Royal Family.

Normally, every Prince and Princess had to slowly build up their own power base. But after the separation of the divine and mortal, the Regent King lifted these restrictions and enacted emergency decrees. Now, any of the Empire’s Legendary Powerhouses could expand their authority and govern new territories.

To a certain extent, in order to hold the Empire together, this was akin to handing power over to regional warlords—a move like drinking poison to quench one’s thirst.

As a member of the Royal Family, Reiya’s ascension to Legend made her precisely the kind of vassal Regent King Sylvia wanted to see. She would undoubtedly use every available resource to pave the way for her younger sister.

Even if the border province Reiya desired was ruled by a noble family, the Regent King would arrange a transfer at any cost.

And for any who refused the exchange? The Imperial Center wouldn’t mind resorting to violence. After all, the old order was already falling apart.

’Once Reiya’s territory is established, the "Southeast Mutual Protection" pact will more or less be in place. Two "Branches of Prosperity" plus one territory directly under the Imperial Family... The resulting rear base will be a strong enough foundation for us to build upon.’

Westheid flicked the letter and smiled.

"After we’ve spent time developing our lands, we shall achieve great things!"

Ever since the Chaos Shock and the separation of the divine and mortal, every one of his steps had gone exceptionally well, almost exactly as he had envisioned. While he had the advantage of foresight, reaching this point had certainly required a bit of luck.

Just as the self-satisfied Duke Qinghui was about to convene a meeting in Qinghui Territory to prepare for Reiya’s arrival, Yolanda pushed the door open and entered.

"What is it? More important news?"

Westheid picked up his teacup, his tone light and unconcerned.

’As someone at the Legendary Celestial Rank, I now stand at the pinnacle of the world. Naturally, I must maintain the composure befitting a powerhouse.’

The platinum-haired young woman’s expression was grave. She looked at Westheid, bit her lip, and said,

"Brother, there’s bad news from the Country of Yonglan, the one you asked me to monitor closely."

"A bloody conflict has broken out in Dusk Lamp Territory. The vanguard of the Knightly Path Expedition has surrounded it. The situation... is extremely critical, ready to blow at any moment."

"..."

Westheid froze. His pupils trembled for a second before he set down his teacup.

He was silent for a moment.

"What happened? It hasn’t even been three months!?"

’I knew the Knight Expeditionary Army would harbor ill will toward the Beastman Territory, but I never thought things would escalate so quickly. The main Knight Army can’t have even finished assembling yet, right?’

’Are they that desperate to start slaughtering beast-eared maidens?’

Westheid immediately asked: "Did the Knight Army march directly into Dusk Lamp Territory?"

Yolanda’s lovely brows knitted together. She shook her head.

"Our intelligence network in the Country of Yonglan is practically nonexistent, so we don’t know the exact cause... but it probably wasn’t the Expeditionary Army’s fault. The information we have points to Miss Mivana. It seems she initiated an attack on a neighboring territory and carried out a massive slaughter. That’s what drew the Expeditionary Army’s vanguard to surround Dusk Lamp Territory."

"The two sides are in a standoff now. Miss Mivana... it seems she’s been overcome by her curse again."

’What happened to acting prudently?! Mivana, what are you doing?!’

’Or is the Country of Yonglan simply fated for this disaster? Did Mivana returning immediately trigger the "Heaven-Devouring Wave" scenario, leading to a massive slaughter?’

Westheid silently cursed to himself before immediately dismissing the idea. He began pacing back and forth.

"Mivana promised me she would handle things with care. Besides, she already had the Cursed Blood mostly under control. There must be another reason for this."

Yolanda said gravely, "Brother, regardless of the reason, the situation now is that Dusk Lamp Territory is under siege, and Miss Mivana is being treated as a heinous monster. Even with her status as a Knight Lord, she won’t be able to hold them off for long. The Knight Expeditionary Army is very likely to make an example of her."

The platinum-haired young woman had a clear-headed view of the situation. This wasn’t the time to debate whether Mivana was right or wrong, but to find a practical solution to the crisis.

"I know, of course I know... *Sigh*. Can you handle things in Qinghui Territory?"

Westheid understood his sister’s point. He let out a breath and looked her directly in the eyes.

’Mivana must be saved. This is no longer just about her Tier T0 Talent, the "Cursed Source Blood." It’s a matter of principle, of a promise.’

’If I hadn’t spent the past two years with Mivana, I wouldn’t give a damn about the fate of the "Heaven-Devouring Wave."’

But now that he considered Mivana his lover, partner, and even his Ascension Apostle, Westheid refused to stand idly by.

"Brother, please leave it to me without worry. With the situation still relatively stable here, I can handle it."

The young woman pounded a fist against her full chest, her navy-violet eyes filled with determination.

With such reliable support, Westheid’s furrowed brow eased slightly. He nodded.

"Assemble the Qinghui Guard. I’m going to select their most elite members to take with me."

"And Reiya. Once she arrives, we’ll go to Mivana’s aid together."

"I hope we’re not too late..."

Westheid immediately began making arrangements. But even as he hurried to prepare, he couldn’t help but wonder.

’What on earth happened to Mivana?’ 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

...

「Three months earlier.」

After docking in a border province of the Empire, Mivana crossed the national border on foot, heading straight for her homeland.

This was the same path Mivana had taken when she was exiled from the Country of Yonglan.

The administration of this Knight Realm was crude, to say the least, and utterly incomparable to the Empire’s bureaucracy.

The various Knight Territories were a chaotic patchwork, their borders interlocking. Checkpoints and watchtowers manned by soldiers and guards stood one after another, forming an impassable chasm for ordinary Free People and runaway serfs.

But these defenses were meant to stop unruly commoners, not the Knight Lords. Any High-tier Transcendent who made an effort to conceal themselves could pass through the various Knight Territories with ease.

Eager to return, Mivana arrived in her long-lost homeland within a week or two. It was the Dusk Lamp Territory, the "unrecognized pioneer land" of the Country of Yonglan.

The name of this land came from its former lord, Viona the Grand Knight, and her assessment of the place.

"Yonglan’s frontier. A gloomy, dim, and lightless place, but one well-suited to be illuminated by a lamp."