Julius narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows at the news.

"In that case, shouldn’t we rally the entire army to the capital?"

Although the northeastern forces were en route to the rendezvous point, they didn’t represent the full might of Ragnar’s forces.

If the entire army were to unite and wage war, victory wouldn’t be entirely out of reach.

"That’s the idea," Black Dragon agreed.

However, he doubted that all the vassals would participate in the Court Duke’s extermination order.

The House of Harald, which had sworn a blood alliance with Ragnar, might even send reinforcements.

The Mulligan Union, the Merchant Syndicate, and the Beastman Front were likely to remain neutral—or so Black Dragon hoped.

"Then we must move quickly—"

Just as Black Dragon raised his hand to summon the Black Snow scouts, a frantic voice rang out from the rear.

"Urgent report! Urgent report!"

The courier’s shout echoed loudly as they sprinted toward Black Dragon, panic clear in their voice.

Black Dragon’s unease deepened, the same sense of dread he had felt earlier now clawing at his chest.

"What is it?"

"A massive army of beasts is marching on the Great Wall!"

"What?!" Julius, the Plum Blossom Sovereign, and Black Dragon all reacted in unison.

"Malice is at play," the Plum Blossom Sovereign said, her voice cold.

"I feel it too," Julius added.

"As do I," Black Dragon agreed.

The march of a beast army against the Great Wall wasn’t an entirely unheard-of occurrence.

In a thousand years of history, such invasions had only been recorded a handful of times.

But the timing of this attack made it feel far too deliberate.

"A branch of the Holy Magic Church was known to operate near the Demon Wastelands, wasn’t it?"

While the branch had reportedly been destroyed, Black Dragon couldn’t shake the feeling that the beast army’s sudden movement was orchestrated.@@novelbin@@

“This means…”

"We can’t mobilize our full forces."

When they first marched for the Naga Forest, they had only been able to mobilize 10,000 soldiers for speed.

The northeastern forces, currently en route to the rendezvous, numbered 20,000.

That made for a combined force of 30,000—significant, but far from sufficient.

"Damn it all, this complicates things," Black Dragon muttered.

The beast army itself wasn’t the issue.

The Ice Dragon, Ash Dragon, and Scorched Dragon of Winterr were still present to hold the Great Wall.

The problem was that they couldn’t dispatch additional troops, forcing them to engage the vassal armies with their current numbers.

"Even if the House of Harald deploys at the right time, it’ll be difficult for them to arrive promptly from the eastern coast," Black Dragon thought grimly.

He wasn’t even sure whether the Harald family had recovered enough to mobilize.

"Send urgent letters to Harald, Mulligan, and the Merchant Syndicate requesting reinforcements. Stress the urgency of the situation. We’re running out of time."

Even if the letters arrived, there was no guarantee that help would come in time. But doing nothing wasn’t an option.

"We’ll also accelerate our march," Black Dragon ordered, mounting his horse and casting a glance at Cassandra, who was riding alongside the Plum Blossom Sovereign.

"May her silence work in our favor," he thought, praying that Cassandra wouldn’t utter another prophecy.

Ragnar’s Rebellion!?

Theo Ragnar Flees After Assassinating the Emperor; Reports of Civilian Massacres Emerging.

Attempted Coup With the First Knight Order!

Theo Ragnar Stripped of His Dukedom; Declared an Enemy of the State.

The Ragnar Extermination Army Marches on the Capital, Set to Move on Winterr!

Elector Princes Call for Ragnar’s Removal, Vowing to Mobilize a Million Troops!

The continent was ablaze with news of Emperor Horik’s assassination, fueling grief for the late Emperor and outrage against Ragnar.

Theo sat quietly in Ragnar’s hidden stronghold alongside Felix, who had just returned.

"What’s the plan now?" Felix asked, his face dark.

The situation was dire.

Even if Ragnar’s army was among the most elite on the continent, a force of 1 million soldiers was insurmountable.

The Golden Lion Knights, reading the proclamations, looked equally despondent.

Some held their heads in their hands, while others stared blankly, overwhelmed by despair.

"The plan remains unchanged. We will sever the Court Duke’s head and that of his backers," Theo said calmly, his voice almost hollow.

In the face of despair, his tone was unnervingly matter-of-fact.

Felix, expecting some ingenious strategy, felt anger bubbling up. But he couldn’t deny that Theo’s words carried an unshakable confidence.

"First, we need to reach the Emperor’s secret vault," Theo continued.

"It’s not far from here," Felix replied.

The vault was in a location the Court Duke’s forces wouldn’t anticipate, shielded by anti-magic wards and perfect as a temporary stronghold.

"The security will be tight," Felix warned, the sound of soldiers’ footsteps echoing above them.

"By the way… who is the woman accompanying you?" Felix finally asked, his curiosity piqued.

"She is Ragnar’s Guardian Dragon."

Felix’s eyes widened in shock, his mouth agape.

"A Guardian Dragon…?"

The revelation spread among the knights, dispelling the oppressive atmosphere.

The presence of a mythical being filled them with renewed hope.

"No wonder you came to the capital without a retinue. You had something to rely on," Felix murmured, a faint smile breaking through his grim demeanor.

As the room buzzed with newfound energy, Theo turned back to the task at hand.

"Do you have a map of the route to the vault?"

"I’ll draw one now,"

Felix said, signaling to Gaffel.

Gaffel produced a small sheet of parchment and began sketching.

"It’s close," Theo noted, studying the map.

The vault was within reach, but the approach was heavily fortified—narrow paths, towering walls, and watchtowers made infiltration a nightmare.

"Tonight will be the best chance," Felix said.

Theo nodded.

"And what of the plan you were devising with the Emperor?" Theo asked.

Felix hesitated, his face clouding over.

"Our loyalists are gathering in the nearby city of Gent, but… I can’t promise their full support," Felix admitted.

Fear of the vassal armies and the overwhelming propaganda against Ragnar were likely to divide their allies.

Time was running out, and morale would only deteriorate further if they delayed.

"Three days," Theo declared.

"We have three days to end this. The Ragnar army will arrive by then, but we must clear our names and destroy the Holy Magic Church before they do."

Felix nodded grimly, understanding the gravity of Theo’s timeline.

"Tonight, I’ll create a massive diversion. I’ll draw all attention to myself."

Theo planned to act as bait, ensuring the survival of as many allies as possible.

"Lodbrok will stay with you. Retake the airship. We’ll need it to turn the tide."

Felix felt a pang of guilt.

As a knight who had failed to protect the Emperor, he believed it was his duty to act as the bait. But Theo’s plan was undeniably the most effective.

"Don’t dwell on it. We’re all in this together, branded as traitors," Theo said lightly, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

"You’re right. Let’s make the most of it," Felix replied, chuckling despite himself.

The tension in the room eased as Felix gathered his knights to relay the plan.

"You’re putting quite the burden on me," Lodbrok said, settling beside Theo.

"Please protect as many as you can," Theo said earnestly.

"Your obsession with saving lives is almost pathological," Lodbrok remarked, her voice tinged with gentle reproach.

"It’s not a bad thing," Theo replied, his smile faint.

Lodbrok’s gaze softened, a flicker of compassion in her eyes.

"Just be careful," she said quietly.

Theo felt a strange comfort in her words, a fleeting moment of solace amid the storm.