In a Border Province of the Radiant Holy Tree Empire, behind a towering Barrier and in the center of a bustling city, the light of the Little Holy Tree was noticeably dimr, no longer able to illuminate the night.
In this day and age, this blessing from the Divine Ancestor was no longer sothing Imperial Citizens took pride in, but a potential calamity that could erupt at any mont.
The constitutions of one Holy Tree and another could not be generalized. Many Little Holy Trees that could not withstand the Chaos Erosion had succumbed to corruption, but many more had resisted the Erosion and painstakingly survived.
But even for those that hadn’t fallen, the locals no longer dared to openly accept the Little Holy Tree’s blessing. A blessing that could detonate at any mont was no blessing at all—it was a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.
What’s more, after the Radiant Holy Tree had been disconnected, the Little Holy Trees could no longer provide any benefits.
Thus, every Province in the Empire had completely severed the roots of their Little Holy Trees. The ones still standing in the middle of cities were now effectively dead. The only reason they hadn’t collapsed and rotted away was because they were being preserved in stasis by a special Technique.
The Holy Tree was the faith of the Imperial Citizenry. If they looked up and saw no glow, a great sense of unease would wash over them. Therefore, it was necessary to preserve the existence of the Little Holy Trees.
Fortunately, this provincial capital was not just another one of the Empire’s cookie-cutter cities, but a rare and vital border fortress that guarded the frontier between the Empire and Yonglan.
Although conflicts between the Realms of Order were rare, they were not completely unheard of, and no one could predict if the Knights might suddenly go berserk.
Moreover, the Celestial Gods of the Sanctuary Realms had long since departed, leaving no restraints between the Realms of Order.
And so, the Empire quietly amassed a large force at the border. The Wall of Immortality, led by Alexia, had arrived. This renowned legion, commanded by the Valkyrie Alexia, was a crucial pillar of the Empire’s border defense.
Ostensibly, the Wall of Immortality’s arrival was to protect the vast eastern expanse of the Empire, but a larger factor in their deploynt was likely to guard against the Country of Yonglan.
Inside the fortress where the Wall of Immortality was stationed, generals and officers gathered together as a projection on the conference table flickered with intelligence updates.
A mont later, an officer stepped forward, turned off the projection, and switched on the conference room lights. He scanned the room and said:
"That is the sum of the intelligence we’ve gathered."
"One of the Empire’s Branches of Prosperity, Duke Qinghui, has beco the Knight King of the Country of Yonglan. This is confird beyond a doubt."
"Furthermore, according to our intelligence, Duke Qinghui issued several decrees imdiately after becoming Knight King. The abolition of Yonglan’s serfdom was his main reform, but that’s of little concern to us. What truly deserves our attention is the Knightly Path expedition he has initiated."
The officer paused for a mont before continuing:
"Duke Qinghui is rallying all the Knights of Yonglan for an expedition into the Empire, ostensibly to help us resolve the ceaseless Chaos disasters."
"This expedition has already received a widespread and enthusiastic response. The Knight Army is using the Dusk Lamp Territory as a staging ground and is currently mustering its forces. They will likely cross the border directly, at which point hundreds, if not thousands, of Yonglan Knights will set foot on Imperial soil."
As his words fell, a hush fell over the conference room.
In truth, the Empire’s Border Provinces had been paying attention to this matter ever since Westheid held his ceremony. It was impossible to ignore—the commotion from the Country of Yonglan was simply too great, and the parties involved were far too sensitive. This was the first pilgrimage to claim the crown in nearly a century, and it was being made by a Foreigner.
The King Claimant was one of the Empire’s Branches of Prosperity, and his supporter was an Empress Princess and a Governor. Between the two of them, they controlled nearly a quarter of the Empire’s entire territory.
A pair like that, running off to the Country of Yonglan, could almost be seen as representing the will of the Empire itself.
Duke Qinghui’s ascension to Knight King in Yonglan did not make the Imperial Citizens feel a shared sense of glory, nor did they think it made them superior to the people of Yonglan. That’s not how a sense of belonging or collective honor works. Instead, it stirred a sense of anger, of betrayal.
It was a classic case of trying to have it both ways. Although a Branch of Prosperity enjoyed considerable autonomy, they were still fundantally a part of the Radiant Holy Tree System. It was like leaving the family but still being expected to wear a Chastity Lock. To turn around and run for the throne of Yonglan... this... this was simply unacceptable.
’Duke Qinghui is an opportunist! He’ll serve anyone who feeds him! And now he’s the Knight King for the Yonglan People!’
A general was the first to break the silence, slamming his hand on his thigh and cursing angrily:
"What is this nonsense? Since when is it the Yonglan People’s place to interfere in our Empire’s internal strife? Do they think we’re incapable?"
Using the excuse of "quelling the Empire’s chaos" to justify ard intervention would naturally never be accepted by the Imperial military. It even caused them to resent the one who proposed it.
’Duke Qinghui! You’re the one who brought the Yonglan People here?!’
"This is completely outrageous. What right does he have to ask for aid on the Empire’s behalf?"
"Speaking of right, he actually has it... Her Highness Reiya authorized it. She is a Governor of the Empire, and Duke Qinghui is a Guardian of a region."
"Her Highness Reiya? That Drag— ...Forget about Her Highness. She’s been completely bewitched by Duke Qinghui. Despite being powerful and noble, she does whatever he says. Looking at it this way, she truly doesn’t have the makings of a sovereign."
In recent years, this "Dragon Blood Princess," Reiya, had made her presence keenly felt across the Empire. She had left her footprints in many Provinces, and almost every Imperial Citizen acknowledged that she was indeed an exceptionally talented, elegant, and noble scion of the Royal Family.
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