Glory Square is the oldest and most legendary square in the capital city. The inaugural ceremony of the founding of the Milanian nation was held on this square, when the Gusteberd Peninsula was still a deserted island.

Eighteen years ago, the Kingdom of Milania experienced a rebellion, and the capital city was temporarily occupied by the rebel army. Granzon, who was only sixteen years old at the time and ascended the throne after his father's death in battle, successfully led the remaining Crusader Guards in guerrilla warfare within the dilapidated capital city, resisting until the loyalist army arrived.

After a brief reorganization, the army that had gathered in the capital city held a parade on Glory Square to celebrate the successful defense of the capital. They then immediately marched forward, led by Granzon, and defeated three rebellious noble lords in succession, establishing the illustrious reputation of the "God of War King".

Today, Glory Square, which has undergone several renovations, is the largest square in the capital city, with a flat stone surface large enough to accommodate over a hundred thousand troops for inspection.

At this moment, temporary grandstands for the noble spectators have been set up on both sides of Triumph Avenue, connected to the square. Nobles of high status in the capital city have gathered, and the streets below are crowded with residents and tourists who have come from afar.

Looking around, aside from the areas designated for the parade procession in the streets and the center of the square, every other place is filled with a dense crowd. A large number of soldiers dispatched by the security station stand guard here, holding their spears horizontally to block the crowd, but they are still forced to retreat.

Fortunately, it is winter now, and the sky is covered with clouds. It is not a day of heavy snowfall or scorching sun. Otherwise, the crowded crowd would suffer.

Going all the way down Triumph Avenue, the various noble families, guilds, and civilian groups that have prepared floats and parade teams have already arrived at their designated positions under the guidance of the security station soldiers.

Everything is ready, just waiting for the New Year celebration to begin.

...

"Your Highness...where did you run off to?"

The palace was in turmoil because the second princess, who was supposed to give a speech following the king at the New Year celebration, suddenly went missing.

She disappeared for no reason, and even her close attendants Mimi and Aya had no idea where she had gone. Aya almost got hanged by the on-the-verge-of-going-berserk Mimi.

The king wore a weary expression as he pressed his forehead in silence. Ah... Did he already expect this? Brad also didn't know where he went. Did those two make an agreement?! What's the point of calling you back if you don't show up after all my efforts?!

"Let it be. Cancel the upcoming speech. It won't make much of a difference anyway." After a long silence, the king finally spoke after rubbing his hair in frustration.

"But Your Majesty..." Mimi said reluctantly.

"Forget it, I'm desperate too! If those two rascals want to hide, how can we find them anytime soon?!"

But Tiran didn't actually plan to hide anywhere. She just came to eat.

"If you don't feel like going to the New Year celebration, come to the rear courtyard. There are some good ingredients in the things I brought back. I'll cook you a delicious meal."

That's what was written in the letter Brad received and brought to Tiran's room. Tiran was already quite annoyed by the mysterious fortune teller she encountered at the festival last night, and she didn't really feel like going to any New Year celebration. So she just slipped away directly.

She still vividly remembered the Erugado man-eating fish from last time. It was rare to be able to eat something in this other world that compared to the delicacies of the Great Heavenly Dynasty. It was a pity that she couldn't just bring her brother back home to be her personal chef...

Considering some dangerous ideas very seriously, Tiran walked through the streets of the noble district and arrived at the Crown Prince's rear courtyard.

The noble district was mostly empty at this time, as most of the nobles had gone to watch the parade. The remaining people were mostly servants and guards who stayed behind and wouldn't wander off. So as she walked, she even had a feeling of being in a ghost city.

Taking a step forward, Tiran pushed open the door with force.

The door was not locked, and the interior was just the same as when she came last time. The flowing green bamboo remained as serene as ever, unaffected by the cold weather.

Tiran hummed softly, remembering the melody that existed in her memory, as she guessed what delicious things might await her today. But she stopped in her tracks in front of a small pavilion, slightly startled.

The pavilion was empty, and there was no one at the hearth by the side of the pond. The table was clean and tidy, not at all like someone had cooked there.

What the hell? Did I write the wrong address?

Tiran took out the note again and glanced at it. No, the address was correct. Did that person stand me up?

Buzz...

A faint but clear buzzing sound resonated within the courtyard, and Tiran immediately sensed an unusual energy fluctuation beneath their feet.

Tiran instinctively ignited their Chi, but before the ice-blue flames could start burning, a dazzling white light emerged from the ground, quickly outlining a complex magic circuit that covered the entire courtyard and activated the magic.

...

A long, heavy horn sounded, and the golden gates in front of the palace slowly opened. A group of palace guards wearing golden armor, holding the royal flag, rode white steeds and trotted out to clear the way.

Following closely behind were the infantry formations of the palace guards. Originally, they were supposed to be responsible for the opening along with the Crusaders, but since the Crusaders hadn't returned yet, as they were still chasing the giant monster that had attacked the capital a few days ago, everything was left to the palace guards.

After the horn ceased, two muscular men on the towers flanking the palace gates vigorously struck the big drum with mallets.

Dong, dong, dong...

The drumbeats echoed in people's hearts. Now, amidst the bustling crowd, everyone fell silent because according to the kingdom's tradition, it was time for the appearance of His Majesty the King.

After the twelfth drumbeat, a figure dressed in ceremonial attire, with a longsword hanging at the waist, appeared on the top of the palace tower. In that instant, the crowds in Glory Square and Triumph Avenue erupted into thunderous cheers almost simultaneously. After a brief chaos, the cheers gradually merged into one shout:

"Long live His Majesty, the God of War King!"

The sound wave almost swept across the entire capital. Even those who couldn't see Granzon in person from a distance chose to shout loudly after hearing the sound coming from the front. The nearly one million inhabitants of the capital simultaneously shouted the same words, and the sound seemed to disperse the clouds in the sky.

On both sides of the grandstands, the nobles stood up one after another to pay their respects to the king, while the military generals uniformly performed the standard knight's salute.

"Very well." These were Granzon's first words. Unlike his usual playful demeanor, his smile vanished completely at this moment, leaving only the majesty befitting a monarch. His voice spread through amplifying magic devices, once again suppressing the crowd's cheers.

"Then, let the celebration begin."

After the words fell, the New Year's celebration parade officially started. The procession of floats slowly passed through Triumph Avenue, and after passing through Glory Square in front of the palace, it departed.

The commoners cheered and applauded for the colorful and magnificent floats and the splendid performances along the streets. However, the nobles on the grandstands paid little attention to the floats. They all knew that what truly mattered today was what the King would say after the parade.

The new Temple Church law, and... the successor.

...

"What the... hell."

Tiran was feeling terrible now. The pressure in the air was almost tangible, making it difficult for her to breathe. Her feet had even slightly sunk into the ground. In this situation, she couldn't trigger her Chi at all. Only by holding onto a nearby pavilion pillar could she avoid kneeling down. It was apparent that she couldn't move.

"Princess Tiran, quite impressive." A young man wearing a priest's robe walked out from the trees ahead. He had a pair of round glasses perched on his nose, behind which his two eyes sparkled with a faint light. "Even the Grand Knights would probably collapse within this range of divine magic. Truly worthy of being the one who touched the legendary Silver Valkyrie."

"The church's mage?" Tiran's voice was weak, as resisting such immense pressure was not an easy task for her.

"Yes, my name is Johannes. I am a student of the current Pope." The young man closed the old-looking book in his hand, brushed off a few leaves from his robe, and smiled at Tiran.

"Why are you here? What about my brother?"

This sanctuary shouldn't be known to anyone. How did the church find this place? Moreover, setting up a divine magic that could suppress the Silver Valkyrie must have required a huge effort. And with them luring her here using Brad's identity, her brother's safety...

"Oh, about that, please rest assured. Prince Brad is definitely fine. After all, he entrusted us very seriously not to harm you." A sly smile appeared on Johannes' lips. "So, Your Highness, I suggest you don't try to struggle. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to fulfill my promise to Prince Brad."

As he spoke, a faint light emanated from Johannes' right hand and pressed onto the book he held.

Instantly, the pressure escalated to another level, and the suffocating sensation that surged like a tide scattered the little bit of Chi that Tiran had managed to gather, causing him to involuntarily emit a low groan as he dropped to one knee on the ground.

Wait, did the old man specifically instruct me to do this? Under the immense pressure, Tiran struggled to ponder over this sentence. Could it mean... Oh my, old man, no way! I thought you were just a clown like me.

No wonder those guys from the church dared to attack me. It turns out they had someone covering for them. If the old man really succeeds, the church won't have to worry about retaliation from the royal family afterwards.

How unlucky am I to get caught up in such a situation...

"Hey, Johannes, can you ease up on the suppression a bit? I can barely breathe, and in a while, I might just die."