"Imperials? I heard all the Little Holy Trees over in the Imperial have gone mad. They’re completely overwhelmed just dealing with their own troubles, so how could they have the spare energy to interfere with us?"

Mephit spoke languidly, having already reclined sideways onto her stone chair. The smashed armrest on one side was the perfect place to stretch out her long, shapely legs, whose beautiful lines were encased in silver greaves and thigh-high socks.

"The ones who came to back up Dusk Lamp Territory are the Imperial’s Duke Qinghui and the Fourth Princess. But it’s mainly Duke Qinghui. That Dragon Blood Princess just followed him here."

A Knight who was familiar with the inside story spoke up:

"After being exiled, the Beastman Lord of Dusk Lamp Territory first went to the Imperial Capital to participate in the Radiant Holy Tree’s Secret Realm Trial. Afterward, she left with Duke Qinghui. She’s been active in Qinghui Territory for the past few years and is a completely trusted confidante of his... Rumor even has it their relationship is even more intimate."

"Otherwise, Duke Qinghui wouldn’t have mobilized his troops and come all the way to the Country of Yonglan."

"Duke Qinghui?"

Hearing the name, Uther frowned and turned his head.

"The Imperial’s Branch of Prosperity... Rafati, I believe I’ve heard you mention him before?"

"Yes, Lord Uther. I became acquainted with Duke Qinghui during the Tree God’s Secret Realm Trial."

The Knight with bright, silver, choppy hair stepped forward and saluted.

"I reported to you at the time that Duke Qinghui wanted a batch of Magic Tomes on the Knight Path. I took some from Yingxi Castle and gave them to him."

Uther nodded. "I remember that was to support Duke Qinghui in his fight against Chaos and to help him reclaim his territory, correct? It seems he was successful?"

Rafati clicked his tongue in amazement.

"He succeeded a long time ago, Lord Uther. You might not have been following it, but from what I understand, Duke Qinghui’s track record over the past two years has been nothing short of astonishing. Not only did he reclaim Qinghui Territory, but he also expanded into the Chaos Domain while simultaneously bringing the provinces on the Southeast Border of the Imperial under his command, becoming the Governor of the Southeast Imperial."

"Even Duke Qinghui himself ascended to the Legendary Celestial Rank not long ago... You have to understand, when he was in the Imperial Capital, he was merely at the Elite Tier."

Rafati’s tone was one of utter disbelief. When he first met Westheid, he never imagined the man would reach such heights. Now, he was so far ahead that Rafati couldn’t even hope to catch up.

Upon hearing this, Uther let out a rare, sharp intake of breath and said gravely:

"The younger generation is truly something to be feared. Duke Qinghui can’t be that old, can he? Are all the young people these days so formidable?"

Although the other Grand Knights were also astonished by this astonishing rate of advancement, their surprise was overshadowed by indignation:

"But no matter how you look at it, this is an affair of the Yonglan People. With an Imperial army stationed in Dusk Lamp Territory, it looks like they’re preparing to face off against the Expeditionary Army?"

"Hmph. A young Autocratic Duke from the Imperial thinks he can act so wantonly just because he’s advanced to Legend? Who does he think he is? It would have been one thing if he’d taken that Monster and fled with his tail between his legs, but to actually dare stand in our way... He’s truly underestimating us."

"Now that the Divine Ancestor is long gone, the Country of Yonglan and the Imperial are no longer on friendly terms. It would be perfectly normal for us to come to blows."

"..."

"My Lords! My Lords! Look!"

Just as the members of the meeting were voicing their anger and contempt for Qinghui Territory’s actions, a Knight pointed into the distance. The gates of the defensive line established by the Qinghui Guard were slowly opening, and a group crossed the Boundary River, arriving on the vast, snowy plains before the Expeditionary Army’s fortress.

With the Legendary senses of the Grand Knights, they could clearly observe the figures even from several kilometers away.

A party emerged from the direction of Dusk Lamp Territory.

At the very front were three people: a wolf-eared Beastman and a silver-haired Dragon Girl—clearly Mivana and Reiya.

And the man with black hair and violet eyes, his slightly curved Long Saber resting on a large motorcycle, lifted his dazzlingly handsome face and shouted toward the Expeditionary Army’s fortress:

"Grand Knights of Yonglan, let’s talk!"

His deep, steady voice cut through the cold wind without the slightest distortion, reaching everyone’s ears with perfect clarity.

"Is that... Duke Qinghui?"

"What is he doing?"

"Does he intend to negotiate with us personally?"

"Now would be the best chance for him to back down. If this situation develops any further, it won’t be something he can control."

"Hmph. He’s certainly quick to bend the knee."

Mephit turned her head to glance over. Duke Qinghui’s divinely handsome face made her eyes light up at first, but what drew her attention more was the smile playing on Westheid’s lips.

’So unbelievably confident.’

The blue-haired Knight licked her lips. "Somehow, I don’t think he’s here to back down."

"Regardless, let’s go see what he has to say. Then we can decide how much force to use to crush his resistance."

The Yonglan Knights didn’t care about foreigners, but they respected power. If Westheid’s only title was the Branch of Prosperity, they might not have even bothered with him. However, his status as a Legendary Powerhouse was enough to earn their basic respect.

And so, the Grand Knights’ meeting was adjourned. A group of Knight Lords from the Expeditionary Army went to the front of the fortress to face Westheid and his companions from across the field.

"Duke Qinghui, what do you wish to discuss with us?"

Among the several Grand Knights, Uther, being the most senior and the strongest, was the first to speak:

"Whatever you have to say had better be enough to soothe our anger."

"Rest assured, it will absolutely be enough to quell your anger."

Westheid smiled, spread his hands, and took a few steps forward.

"Our two armies have been in a standoff for some time now. Continuing like this will only make the situation more tense. Must we truly resort to arms?"