Lord: I can see loyalty.

The Kingdom of Rovia, in the North.

The messenger was on horseback, delivering the king's secret letter to the Earl of the South.

However, before the letter even reached Portol, the northern sky was already stained red with the flames of war.

At dawn, just as the sky began to lighten, a battle broke out without warning in Lindenfel, the most prosperous core city surrounding the capital.

It was neither a sneak attack nor a siege, but rather the city's garrison suddenly defected. The city gates were opened in their sleep, and armies clad in armor with golden griffin emblems surged in like a tide, swords drawn and flames soaring into the sky.

"Enemy attack—!"

"There's a traitor!!!"

The sentry's screams were drowned out by the sound of iron hooves.

The residents were awakened from their sleep. When they opened their windows, they saw not the morning light, but the glint of torches and the reflection of armor all over the streets.

The flag of the Golden Griffin was raised over the city hall, and overnight, Lindenfair changed hands.

The news spread like wildfire.

Within hours, news of the fall of three more cities arrived.

The army of the Golden-Maned Griffin Clan seemed to spring from the ground, swiftly seizing all the strategic locations surrounding the capital.

The capital city of Emerald City was like an isolated island, surrounded by iron walls and spears.

The one who made the move was Cedric Villar, the eldest son of the Golden Griffin family.

He stood on the terrace of Lindenfelder City Hall, looking down at the burning city below.

The morning light outlined a cold, stern silhouette behind him. He was clad in black and gold armor, with a greatsword hanging at his waist, the griffin carving on the hilt of which was incredibly lifelike.

His face bore a striking resemblance to his father, Lionel, but he was younger and sharper, with a deep blue eye devoid of warmth.

"My father is too old," he said to his trusted confidant, his voice utterly flat. "With our forces, we could have taken this city long ago, but he's still trying to drag it out."

He turned around and looked in the direction of the capital.

"From this day forward, I am the King of the North."

When the news reached the old mansion of the Golden Griffin family, the old Marquis Lionel was in his study reading ancient books.

He felt no anger, no fear; he simply sighed, closed the book, and waited quietly.

Sure enough, not long after, Cedric himself led his men in. Father and son looked at each other and remained silent for a long time.

"You've always been very opinionated since you were little, and you've never listened to my arrangements," the old marquis said.

"This is what you taught me." Cedric drew his sword.

A flash of sword light, and the old marquis's body fell into a pool of blood, his cloudy eyes devoid of resentment.

Cedric sheathed his sword, not even glancing at his father's corpse, and strode out of the study. Behind him, his confidants knelt on one knee and shouted in unison:

"Long live the King of the North!"

From that moment on, the Golden Griffin family became traitors to the Kingdom of Rovia.

Most of them chose to follow Cedric and become rebels who called themselves "King of the North"; the other part remained silent, neither supporting nor opposing, with command in the hands of the second brother.

The last small group consisted of Daphne's people, the eldest daughter of the Golden Griffin, but they were insignificant compared to her two older brothers.

A very small number of people fled the capital in an attempt to send a message to the king.

But the capital city of Emerald City was already completely surrounded.

…………

The Emerald Palace, Council Hall.

The atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

King Albert sat on his throne, his face pale and his eyes sunken. In just a few months, the young king seemed to have aged more than ten years.

His fingers tapped the armrest unconsciously, making a monotonous sound, clearly indicating some irritation.

The steward, Harold, stood beside him, his expression grave.

On the other side was Duke Herbert, one of the few remaining high-ranking officials in the capital. He had a full head of white hair, but his back was still straight.

Below, dozens of knights and nobles of all ranks whispered amongst themselves.

Some people looked fearful, some were indignant, and others had shifty eyes, seemingly plotting something.

"Quiet." The steward Harold's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the hall.

Albert raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his voice hoarse: "Can anyone tell me what's going on outside?"

After a moment of silence, a knight wearing half-body armor stepped forward and knelt on one knee. He was the captain of the knights in charge of the defense of the north gate of the capital, named Raymond.

"Your Majesty... Lindenfell, Grindelwald, Falkhaven, and Eschenbach—all four cities have fallen." His voice trembled. "The rebels moved too fast; our defenders didn't even have time to react..."

"Didn't have time to react?" Duke Herbert scoffed. "Or did they not resist at all?"

Raymond lowered his head even further.

"Your Grace, many of the garrison are former members of the Golden Griffin family. They... they've defected."

A buzzing sound filled the hall, and the nobles exchanged glances, their fear deepening.

"And now?" Albert asked. "How many troops does the capital still have?"

"Your Majesty," another knight stepped forward, "the capital's garrison numbers about three thousand, and with the private armies of the various loyal families, we can barely muster five thousand."

"But the rebels' forces... are at least twice our size. And they came prepared and are in high spirits."

"Five thousand against ten thousand..." a nobleman whispered, "How can we possibly win that?"

"It's not that we can't fight." A young knight stepped forward, his face resolute. "The capital's defenses are strong. As long as we can hold the walls and hold them off, we can wait for the main force of reinforcements to return to the capital..."

"Reinforcements?" an old nobleman sneered. "Where are the reinforcements coming from? Which powerful families? The Golden Saddle Horse family? Or the Black Serpent family? They haven't even left their homes yet, clearly intending to wait and see."

"What about the Southern Border? Didn't they say the Earl of the Southern Border just pacified the Western Border? He definitely has troops under his command!"

The murmurs in the hall grew louder.

Harold coughed, silencing everyone once again.

"Gentlemen, His Majesty has already considered everything you can think of. He has already sent messages to the Golden Saddle Horse, the Black Serpent, and those other powerful families. Guess what they said?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"The Golden Saddle Horse family said they need to hold a meeting to 'discuss' the matter. The Black Serpent family said they are 'not in a position to interfere' for the time being and will have to wait several months before they have the manpower. As for the others..." He sneered, "They haven't even replied."

"And what about the Earl of the Southern Border?" someone asked.

Harold glanced at the king for permission, and Albert nodded slightly.

"The Earl of the Southern Border's letter was sent yesterday," Harold said. "But even if he sets off as soon as he receives it, it will take at least half a month to get from the Southern Border to the capital. Half a month..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood that in half a month, the capital might already have a new owner.

A deathly silence fell over the hall.

Albert closed his eyes, leaned back on the throne, and after a long while, he opened his eyes and wearily waved his hand. "That's all for today. Meeting adjourned."

"Your Majesty!" Several knights stepped forward simultaneously, "We—"

"I hereby declare the meeting adjourned."

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, bowed respectfully, and left the hall one after another.

The footsteps faded into the distance, leaving only the King, Harold, and Herbert in the vast council hall.

"Your Majesty," Herbert said in a low voice, "we cannot sit idly by and wait for our demise. The defenses of the capital can still be reinforced, the provisions need to be inventoried, and those families who are still hesitant may require your personal intervention..."

"Lord Herbert," Albert interrupted him, his voice weary, "do you think those families are waiting for me to negotiate with them?"

Herbert fell silent.

"They're definitely waiting." Albert stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the gray sky outside. "But they're waiting for me to lose, or to win."

"If we win, they'll just go through the motions of sending troops to show their loyalty; if we lose, they'll turn around and pledge allegiance to the new ruler. What difference does it make whether I go to negotiate or not?"

"And what about the Earl of the South?" Harold asked. "Do you think... he'll come?"

Albert remained silent for a long time.

"I don't know," he said. "I only met him once. My impression of him is that he's not the kind of person who would go through fire and water for loyalty and righteousness, but he's not the kind of treacherous person who would betray principles for personal gain either."

He turned around and looked at Harold.

"All I can do is gamble that he will come..."

Outside the window, the dark clouds pressed lower and lower, and lightning flashed on the distant horizon.

…………

Southern Border, Portol City, Training Ground.

The sunlight was perfect, shining on the sand with a golden glow.

The two greatswords clashed, sparks flew, and the air itself trembled.

Jimmy gripped the sword with both hands and slashed down with all his might. The impact numbed his hands, and he was thrown back several steps. He gritted his teeth, steadied himself, and charged forward again.

"Too slow." Alec's voice was calm. He casually deflected Jimmy's attack with his greatsword, then slapped Jimmy's shoulder with a backhand strike. The force was just right, knocking him back without injuring him.

Jimmy staggered backward, panting heavily, and said with a wry smile, "Your Excellency, couldn't you go easy on me a little?"

Alec sheathed his sword and stood there, a slight smile playing on his lips. "On the battlefield, the enemy won't go easy on you."

Jimmy smiled wryly and rubbed his sore shoulders.

Since returning from the Western Frontier, he has been sparring with Alec. The Great Knight's guidance has benefited him greatly, but it has also made him deeply aware of his own shortcomings.

Breathing techniques.

He hasn't even started yet.

Count Vio, Gina, Alec—they have all mastered the breathing technique, while he is still lingering outside the threshold.

He's not lacking in talent, he just lacks that final push.

But he didn't want to risk the Earl's life like last time because of his own strength.

"Let's go again." Jimmy gripped the hilt of his sword, took a deep breath, and charged forward once more.

This time, he wasn't impatient. Instead, he slowed down, savoring each breath and each swing of his sword.

Alec's attacks came like a tidal wave, one after another, forcing him to retreat continuously.

But he didn't panic; he just focused on the sword in his hand and on his breathing.

Gradually, he felt the flow of energy within his body begin to change.

It wasn't the powerful, surging flow of Vio's voice, but rather a faint, warm current that flowed slowly through my veins.

Alec's eyes lit up slightly.

He didn't stop; instead, he intensified his attack. His greatsword came down like a storm, slashing from all angles, each strike carrying immense force.

Jimmy gritted his teeth and resisted, his training armor began to dent, but he never fell.

"Keep breathing!" Alec shouted. "Don't hold it in!"

Jimmy exhaled a sharp breath, and the warm current within him instantly accelerated, surging throughout his body. His sword became faster and heavier, and each parry was no longer strenuous; instead, it felt as if he were wielding a heavy weight with effortless ease.

"This is...breathing technique?!"

Alec sheathed his sword, took two steps back, looked at Jimmy, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"This aura... first rank," he said. "You did it."

Jimmy stood there, stunned, looking down at his hands. He could feel the energy flowing within him, faint yet persistent.

"I...I broke through?"

"You've broken through." Alec patted him on the shoulder. "From today onwards, you're a Grand Knight too."

The news quickly spread throughout the Earl's Castle, and even the entire kingdom.

The next day.

Vio, who had just woken up, was handling government affairs in his study when he heard the news of Jimmy's breakthrough. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and Gina, who was standing behind him, also had a smile in her eyes.

"Four already?" Vio put down his quill. "There are already four Grand Knights in the South and West. This news has probably spread throughout the kingdom by now."

"A Great Knight?" Gina asked, somewhat puzzled. She rarely heard the term "Great Knight." "Does it refer to a knight who has mastered breathing techniques?"

“That’s right.” Vio stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the northern sky. “Four great knights, plus the Azure Peak Knights and the Giant Whale Knights, plus the militia of the South and West... our forces are no weaker than any of the major families.”

Gina was silent for a moment. "Your Excellency, you intend to...?"

"It's not just a plan," Vio turned around, his gaze resolute. "It's a necessity."

"If we don't take action, those forces in the North and the capital will definitely not let such a large force like us go unchecked."

He picked up an unopened letter from the table—it was from Sir Killian Leeson, who had helped them at the Knights' Ball in the capital.

"Sir Leeson said in his letter that the Golden Gryphon family has already made its move."

"Cedric Villar, the eldest son of the Golden-Maned Griffin, proclaimed himself King of the North, killed his father, and seized four cities surrounding the capital."

Gina's expression changed slightly. "Has he gone mad?"

"He's not crazy." Vio put the letter down. "He just feels the time is right."

He walked to the map and pointed to the location of the capital.

"The capital is currently under siege, with only five thousand defenders and at least ten thousand rebels. The Golden Saddle Horse and Black Serpent families are all watching and waiting; no one will send troops to help the king."

"And what about us?" Gina asked.

Vio remained silent for a moment.

"Our battle in the west has just ended, and our soldiers need rest and our supplies need replenishing. Sending troops now would be very risky."

"But if we don't go, the king will most likely send someone to tell us to send troops."

Vio nodded.

"Regardless of whether the king loses, Cedric will be the new king. Will he spare us then?"

Gina did not answer.

“He won’t,” Vio said for her. “I control the South and the West, and I have more troops than any other family. Cedric, as a general, cannot tolerate anyone threatening his position.”

He turned around, looked at Gina, and was about to say something when Vincent's voice came from outside.

"My lord, a letter has arrived from the North!"

"A letter from the King?" Gina raised her eyebrows slightly. Vio had just mentioned that the King would send letters, and now a letter had arrived.

Vincent then entered the room. Upon hearing Gina's words, he shook his head, looking somewhat puzzled.

"It doesn't seem like it... This wasn't sent from the capital."

Upon hearing this, even Vio was slightly taken aback.

A letter from the North, but not from the King? Could it be from the Golden-Maned Griffin family?

But what Vincent said next shocked Vio even more.

"This letter seems to be addressed to Jimmy Tuan, but since it doesn't have a specific address, it was sent here instead."