After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

When the silent fury ignited across the entire Northern Territory, the era of great military buildup began. From then on, the human kingdoms would not tolerate two voices, and in the end, only one powerful force would remain.

Just as the steel furnaces in the north spewed flames, the goddess's belongings were burned one by one, and countless weapons of war began to arm new troops, Lucas, far away in the royal city, was still unaware of what this meant.

As the greatest contributor to the defense of the royal city, he finally received an invitation to meet with the king after several months of silence.

With Isolde's help, the Lord of Mankind regained his health; the holy water created by this miraculous girl seemed to be able to cure all diseases.

Rumors circulated that the archbishop intended to crown her a saint.

When Lucas heard the news, he felt no envy whatsoever. Instead, he couldn't understand why the people around him accepted the existence of the miracle girl so easily.

During the plague, why didn't a single drop of miraculous holy water enter the mouths of those suffering people?

As if on cue, Lucas arrived at the newly restored gate of the kingdom and encountered Isolde, who was standing at the gate waiting, looking somewhat bored.

She waved to Lucas from a distance when she saw him.

"His Majesty the King is temporarily unavailable, so I have come to receive you."

Having said that, Isolde gestured for him to enter the palace. Lucas frowned and followed behind her without saying a word.

Restoration work on the palace continues, with much of the marble flooring, which bears witness to someone hopping and skipping around, being destroyed.

Under the spring sunshine, Lucas walked among the lush greenery, but for some reason felt a chill.

Isolde, who had her hands behind her back, stopped humming and spoke abruptly.

"Are you aware that His Majesty is preparing to go to war with the Northern Territories?"

Lucas turned his gaze away and replied, "I know. Recently, there have been many soldiers from other places appearing on the streets, and there are also large military camps stationed outside the city."

Isolde turned and smiled. "And you know, we're going to get involved too?"

"Us?" Lucas was taken aback. What did all this messy politics have to do with him? He was just a student.

He came to the capital to study, hoping to learn real skills, then return to his hometown to find a stable and good job and live a simple life.

As for war, that's not something he should be involved in.

"Just so you know, this is an order personally issued by the King. Actually, you should be glad; His Majesty clearly intends to promote you and give you important responsibilities."

As if anticipating Lucas's resistance, Isolde blocked all his escape routes with a single sentence.

Lucas scratched his head vigorously, his expression even worse than if he had eaten a bitter melon.

Those unaware of the situation might envy his extraordinary experience during this period; a golden carp is no ordinary fish, it transforms into a dragon when it encounters favorable winds and clouds.

What does it mean to be precocious and promising? He became famous before even graduating and is now favored by His Majesty the King.

But for Lucas, putting aside the question of how he defeated the Cursed Princess, because he himself was equally confused about the situation...

Let's talk about the expedition to the northern territories.

The Northern Territory, home to the kingdom's most elite border troops, with cavalry as its dominant force, has been waging war across the kingdom from beginning to end over the years. Its famous saying is: "The Northern Territory is a grand stage, a chaotic battlefield where anyone with an army can come."

Who can guarantee that they'll come out unscathed after going in?

"A true man's ambition lies in all corners of the world. Moreover, His Majesty harbors a deep-seated hatred for the northern territories and suffers the pain of losing his son. As a promising young man favored by His Majesty, don't you want to avenge His Majesty?"

"Wait, what does 'the pain of losing a child' mean?"

Lucas stopped, looking dazed, only then realizing that he had followed Isolde to the outside of a secluded hut.

Isolde did not answer his question, but instead pushed open the door of the hut, gesturing for him to follow.

In what seemed like a small office space, Lucas was immediately drawn to a pool of dried blood on the floor, and then listened to Isolde's sorrowful explanation.

"On the day the curse broke out, the princess and the prince secretly hid here. They could have safely waited for rescue, but they were unexpectedly discovered by Oswald's spy who had been planted for many years."

"That person secretly followed and brutally murdered the queen, then took advantage of the chaos to abduct the prince and escape to the northern territory..."

Upon hearing such shocking inside information, Lucas's eyes widened in disbelief. He could even imagine the princess struggling desperately in a pool of blood.

Looking around the room, it's easy to see that this is His Majesty's private resting place. The room is not large, but it has a very warm atmosphere.

Looking up, Lucas saw Luna's portrait.

He took a deep breath, surprised that the princess was so young and beautiful. Everyone knew that the king and queen's marriage was a political alliance; perhaps only the princess was His Majesty's true love.

In the portrait, the princess with light blue hair has a bright smile, seemingly embodying all the beauty in the world. However, Lucas doesn't understand why the princess is holding up several copper coins.

Could it be that there's some special agreement between them?

"Sigh, the struggle for power is truly cruel. His Majesty must be very sad." Lucas shook his head and sighed. He hadn't expected Isolde to use such a story to comfort him.

He had finally managed to get rid of the pain and stop having nightmares about the curse breaking out.

"Lucas, indulging the enemy is being cruel to ourselves. The royal city can be destroyed once, and it can be destroyed a second time. Neither you nor I can escape it."

Isolde stared intently at him and gave him a warning.

"Even if we don't start a war, the Northern Territory will eventually invade the Central District. At that point, will you still be able to defend your homeland by yourself?"

Lucas fell silent. As he followed Isolde away, he didn't notice that with a gentle wave of Isolde's hand, the portrait instantly turned to ashes without a sound.

The meeting with His Majesty the King proceeded smoothly thanks to Isolde's prior notice.

On the throne, His Majesty Frank, leaning on his scepter, did not look well. He sat there, his body tightly wrapped in his magnificent robes, motionless like a statue.

Lucas, kneeling on the ground, listened with his head bowed to the Emperor's praise.

However, the king, clearly exhausted, quickly changed the subject and revealed his true purpose. "Young man, consider this a personal request from a lonely man like myself: help me, help the kingdom, and defeat the Northern Territory."

In any case, the moment Lucas agreed to fight, he knew there was no turning back.

With his mind in turmoil, Lucas left the royal city and returned to his dormitory in a daze, where he lay down.

The ceiling was empty. Lucas's classes at the academy soon came to an end. Time flew by, and a few days later he was summoned to the military camp outside the city.

Their mission is to assist the army in dealing with high-strength enemy targets. As expected, the entire monster squad from World Tree Academy will participate in this campaign.

As the last rays of April sun rose, the 80,000-strong army broke camp and surged northward like mountains and sea.

At the same time, a strange decree from the royal palace entered Lucas's bewildered mind.

The king ordered the recognition of the Southern Territory's independence, and the two sides will conclude a new alliance in a month.