After listening to Corinne's words, a hint of bitterness also appeared at the corner of Granzon's mouth. He remembered what Corinne said, so when Brad spoke words that clearly went against the authority, Granzon wasn't very angry because he had also thought the same.

But when Granzon actually sat on the throne, trying to change the country, he realized how powerless he was. He could be a good king and dedicate everything to the country, but he couldn't shake the system that had been passed down in this ancient kingdom by his own strength alone.

If Milanía can be compared to a person, the supreme concept of authority has penetrated every inch of their skin, every fiber, every cell. They can eliminate diseases in others, but they cannot eliminate themselves.

"I can't do it," Granzon shook his head.

"Then let me show you, Father," Brad glanced at Corinne.

Corinne took a deep breath and gave a series of orders. The four formations on the square started to advance towards the palace.

At this moment, a strange wave of magic power emanated from the palace, spreading like an invisible ripple with the demonic tower at the center, encompassing the entire capital.

"Your Majesty! The defensive array..." The court's chief magical mage, who was standing beside Granzon and overseeing the protective array of the palace, changed his expression. Before he could speak, the protective barrier that had been enveloping the palace dissipated almost simultaneously, and the demonic tower emitted a brilliant light.

The sun was already obscured by clouds, but the light radiating from the demonic tower was even more dazzling and glaring than the sun!

Endless arcs of circular light spread in all directions. The demonic towers distributed on the walls of the capital city also responded, projecting magical radiance towards the central demonic tower of the palace, forming a web that could envelop the entire capital.

The flow of light eventually weaved into a huge curtain. Even during the day, people could clearly see the flickering patterns on the curtain with their naked eyes. Magic radiance also enveloped the walls of the city, casting dense shadows of magic runes on the dark turquoise walls and gates.

This was the complete form of the protective array that intercepted the attack of the necromancer in the capital.

...

"Wow, even the demonic towers are under control? Impressive, big bro," Tiran, who was in the courtyard, also noticed the enormous curtain in the sky. Once this magic array that engulfed the capital was fully activated, the capital would be completely cut off from the outside world. No one could enter or exit, and even the Crossed Guardians who went out on a shift change couldn't enter the city to provide support, even if they received the news.

"Is it starting?" Heinrich stood up and brushed off the dust and leaves from his robe. "It's about time for me to leave as well, Prince Tiran. Please wait here quietly and don't disappoint Brad, who sincerely doesn't want you to be involved in this turmoil."

After summoning two Holy Knights to guard outside the courtyard, Heinrich left directly.

...

"Hmph, I see. You were the one who attacked Tiran on the way, weren't you?" Granzon shifted his gaze away from the demonic tower.

"Yes, it took quite an effort to find so many Hesse family coins," Brad sighed, "It's impossible to make you completely distrust Duke Hesse, who is your right-hand man, but as long as I can make you doubt the Hesse family and the Iron Wall Battalion, then it's enough. Otherwise, how could I have the opportunity to have the Iron Wall Shield take over the defense of the city?"

"You little brat..." Granzon clicked his tongue, realizing that he had played into his own trap, "The undead creatures that attacked the capital a few days ago were also a means to divert the attention of the Crossed Knights, right?"

"Yes, in addition, the patrol station has already been secured, so don't count on anyone coming to support from that side."

Not to mention that the soldiers in the patrol station couldn't match the Iron Wall Battalion in terms of numbers and combat strength, even if they were, they couldn't organize an effective resistance with their commander under control and personnel scattered throughout the capital. The only fortunate thing was that the patrol station had evacuated the civilians in advance, minimizing civilian casualties."Are there traitors among the Court Magicians?"

"No, there aren't. I've been away for so many years, how could I have the opportunity to cultivate anyone in the Court Magicians? The loyalty of the Court Magicians, the Crusaders, and the Palace Guards to the royal family, or rather, to the king, should be clear to you, Dad," Brad smiled bitterly, "I just used the simplest methods."

...

Inside the palace, at the Magic Tower.

The circular square didn't occupy a large area, but the white tower standing in the center was the core hub of the entire royal capital's protective spell formation, and it was also the most heavily guarded place in the palace. Apart from its own defensive barrier, the Crusaders, the Palace Guards, and the Court Magicians were all assigned to protect this magic tower.

But with the Crusaders absent from the royal capital, and the Guards concentrated at the main gate of the palace, it finally provided an opportunity for the invaders.

"What an exquisite magic formation, it can actually support such a large-scale protective barrier."

The undead mage in a black robe stimulated the spell nexus in the magic tower with magic, while carefully examining the runes inscribed on the tower. He praised with a click of his tongue.

"Faster," Seno brandished his sword in the wind, splattering a few drops of blood before sheathing the blade. "In a little while, someone is likely to come."

The Court Magicians who were originally tasked with guarding the magic tower had already fallen under the sword of this swordsman.

"It won't be fast enough," the undead mage calmly activated one magic formation after another, "this is possibly one of the most sophisticated magic formations in the world. Normally, it is controlled by a dozen or so Court Magicians together, but now I am alone. If I make a slight mistake, the magic power will recoil back at me, so if someone really comes, it will be up to you, Sword Saint."

...

"Oh, oh, it's starting, it's starting!"

On top of a tower in the palace, Aya was cuddling a bucket of popcorn she had stolen from the kitchen and a large jar of honey tea, huddled on the terrace overlooking Glory Square.

With Tiran absent and his own lack of noble motivations to fight for the kingdom, he naturally chose to relax and enjoy himself. And... the popcorn was really delicious, maybe he would go get some potato chips later.

On the square, four infantry phalanxes, along with thousands of cavalry reinforcements, added up to an army of over ten thousand. The palace guards, on the other hand, numbered just over a thousand and were suppressed by a rain of arrows, barely able to raise their heads, relying on the solid walls of the palace to hold their ground.

Despite the huge difference in strength, both sides were elite armies of the kingdom, so the scene of the battle was quite spectacular.

"Uh, but continuing like this is a bit dangerous, huh? The old king is not bad... but the Crown Prince's food is so delicious... Hmm, it's not good to support either side, I guess I'll just watch," Aya thought, stroking his chin.

At this moment, he suddenly heard the sound of the communication device in his head.

"Hello... hello? Dumb Dragon, can you hear me?" The signal seemed to be bad, Tiran's voice came intermittently.

"Oh, you finally answered! I've been trying to contact you with the contract for more than ten times, all of them were blocked. Where have you been?" Finally hearing Tiran's voice, Aya couldn't help but complain.

"Haha... the situation is a bit complicated, it's hard to explain all at once." Taking a long time and finally breaking through the signal blocking of the barrier to contact Aya, Tiran heaved a sigh of relief and adjusted his posture. "Anyway, this wave was set up by my elder brother and the church working together, it's not entirely unjust."

"Huh? Oh, right, your brother had a falling out with your father. The entire Iron Wall Battalion is attacking the palace, the scene is super spectacular! It's such a pity you didn't see it..." Aya said.

"Hmm, I guessed it. If it weren't for controlling the Iron Wall Battalion, my big brother wouldn't dare to act so rashly." Tiran sighed, "But it was a great scheme, now that I think back, my big brother had been setting me up since I returned to the capital. That guy even conspired against his own little sister!"

"Oh, and what are you up to now?" Suddenly, Tiran asked.

"Uh... I, I am assessing the overall situation of the battle and trying to give tactical guidance to the defenders. If you want to be more specific, it's like a staff officer's work..." Aya thought for half a second and quickly came up with an explanation that sounded quite grand. Yes, he felt proud of his wit.

"...You're just spectating, aren't you?""Yes, I'm very sorry."

...

The situation at the gate of the palace was extremely precarious. Due to the unexpected coup by the Crown Prince, there were no preparations for defending the palace inside. The palace guards didn't even have bows and arrows. Only a few of the powerful knights could use Chi for long-range attacks, but they were ineffective against the arrow rain from the Iron Wall Battalion.

The Iron Wall Shield had long been prepared for a full-scale war. They even brought over a siege tower and a battering ram from the arsenal. Now, most of the palace guards and the few remaining knights led by Eomer were gathered behind the palace gate.

The beautifully painted golden gate, prepared for the New Year celebration, groaned under continuous impacts. The once smooth surface was now pockmarked, with wood splinters flying. It seemed that it couldn't hold on for much longer.

"Your Excellency Justice, Your Excellency Maid Chief." Eomer found Justice and Mimi, who were also prepared for battle. Although they were dressed in their usual butler and maid attire, their aura was as sharp as unsheathed swords.

"Something the matter?" Justice inquired, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Well, even though we can hear the unsettling thuds coming from the gate not far away," Eomer's expression remained calm, "the gate won't hold for much longer. Once we engage in close combat, the palace won't be able to hold. We must prepare for the Queen's evacuation. But at the moment, all routes out of the capital have been sealed off."

Eomer's gaze fell on the still dazzling magic tower in the palace. "We must stop the magic tower from operating, but if the invaders can handle the court magicians guarding the tower, ordinary soldiers won't stand a chance."

The remaining forces in the palace had to prioritize defending the main gate. It was difficult to spare enough manpower to take down the magic tower. In such a situation, they could only rely on the two capable escorts by Tiran's side.

"Understood, leave it to us." Justice and Mimi exchanged a glance and nodded.