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“The latest flyer from the Ember Kingdom!”

“Justice seekers who attempted to assassinate the red dragon wiped out!”

“Lionheart Knights ambushed!”

The newsboys shouted through the streets, hawking flyers they had picked up, a stack of them in hand.

The flyers from the Ember Kingdom seemed to employ some advanced technique—the paper was fine, the ink crisp, and the townsfolk loved them. Even setting aside their content, they had many practical uses. Furthermore, they contained much eye-catching information.

Those roaming the streets quickly saw the opportunity in these free flyers and began selling them on a large scale.

Initially, this behavior, indirectly aiding the Ember Kingdom's propaganda, was not permitted by the duchy and often led to arrests. But as the volume of flyers grew and profits increased, the patrol teams turned a blind eye.

“I’d like to buy one.”

A pleasant female voice called out, tinged with urgency.

The newsboy looked up to see the speaker clad in a robe, her face obscured by a hood. Yet, her tall figure and the fair, delicate skin exposed beneath the robe were unmistakable.

He guessed she might be a noblewoman or lady sneaking out, and his face instantly wore a fawning, ingratiating smile.

“Five copper coins, miss.”

“Fine.”

“Have a good day, ma’am.”

The newsboy handed her the flyer, took the coins, and couldn’t hide his grin, thinking how easy it was to dupe these naive noblewomen.

In a secluded alley, the noblewoman removed her hood, revealing her refined and elegant face—it was none other than Olivia, the "Silver Star," in her silver dragon form.

She read through the lines of the flyer, her expression grave, softly murmuring:

“The court wizards of the Lackman Duchy, those despicable figures from the Northern United Kingdom…”

“They laid a sinister trap, attempting to assassinate the great King of Ash…”

“But the power of the dragon ended it all.”

By this point, Olivia’s brows were tightly furrowed, her blue-gray eyes filled with concern.

The report mentioned the assassination attempt on the red dragon and the failure of the mission, but it never described the process or provided details about the golden dragon she cared about most.

In other words, his fate was unknown.

Olivia looked skyward and murmured:

“Angel, are you still alive?”

She used to detest this golden dragon, loathing his secrecy and arrogance.

But since their last conversation, Olivia felt a strange stirring in her heart. The golden dragon’s words about justice and his final plea had left an indelible impression on her.

For the first time, she understood the allure of the golden dragon’s idealism and sense of justice.

Perhaps it was her natural silver dragon kindness, or perhaps her concern for a kindred spirit, or even more complicated feelings—she was now desperate to discover the golden dragon’s fate.

“I hope the Arcane Hermitage will see you next time.”

“Angel…”

“I really don’t want to carry out your troublesome request.”

Olivia lowered her eyes, pulled her hood back on, and disappeared into the alley as spatial ripples surrounded her.

.........

The Duke of Bosk’s Estate.

“My lord, here is the latest intelligence from the Ember Kingdom.”

“Hmm. Leave it here.”

Duke Leo Bosk took the flyer handed to him by his servant and began to read it carefully.

In private, Duke Leo was a composed man, starkly different from the imposing and fierce lion-like figure he showed to the public. His history bore this out clearly.

Thirty years ago, the duke, known as the “New Lionheart King,” defeated the northern nobles’ coalition army and convened the famous “Lionheart Assembly.”

He consolidated neighboring territories, reestablishing the Bosk Duchy’s position as the overlord of the Northern United Kingdom, reclaiming the honorific title of “King of the North,” though he rarely used it.

Now, Duke Leo’s brows were furrowed, his expression somber, and his lion-like beard seemed to twist with tension.

“As expected, they failed.”

“What a pity. I shouldn’t have sent the Lionheart Knights to aid them.”

“Cassius Claudius Norrixius…”

Duke Leo enunciated the name of the man who had repeatedly thwarted him.

Since the Lionheart Assembly, the Bosk Duchy’s growth had been smooth and strong. Duke Leo hadn’t faced setbacks of this magnitude in a long time.

This mission wasn’t meant to kill the red dragon outright—it was meant to test the waters. Restricting him would have been a bonus. But the annihilation of the Lionheart Knights sent as reinforcements was entirely unexpected.

Luckily, he had sent Fried, the “Black Lion Knight,” whose loyalty he had long suspected and who was due for replacement.

He turned to Count Trelishka nearby.

“Trelishka, is there still no response from the Holy Fadlan?”

Count Trelishka spread his hands helplessly: “The unprecedented scale of the rebellion has drawn all imperial forces to suppression efforts. They’re only willing to send the northern border guard. As for the Sun Legion’s ‘Divines,’ not a single one is available.”

Duke Leo’s tone grew heavy: “That’s utterly insufficient. Only legendary-level power can contend with this red dragon.”

Trelishka softly suggested: “My lord, have you forgotten something…”

“I know what you’re hinting at—the Twilight Tower, the Dragon-Mad Black Mage Wagnard, correct?”

Duke Leo shook his head. “He’s a complete lunatic. It took all my resources just to acquire that scroll. No sane human can cooperate with such a madman.”

Trelishka murmured: “My lord, we don’t need to cooperate with him. We just need to ensure mutual destruction between him and the red dragon. That would maximize our gains.”

“Hmm…”

Duke Leo stroked his slightly unkempt beard thoughtfully.

Suddenly, the sound of a door bursting open interrupted his musings.

A courier knight rushed in hastily.

“My lord, terrible news—Nort Duchy

has fallen!”

“What?”

“How is that possible?”

Duke Leo slammed the table, rising abruptly, disbelief etched on his face. Even the usually composed duke was visibly shaken.

The table cracked under the force.

The Ember Kingdom, a nation barely months old, had conquered the Nort Duchy

with no prior warning or declaration—how could this happen?

“Are the Bosk Duchy’s intelligence agencies utterly useless? Should they be sent to the gallows?”

Duke Leo’s rare, genuine rage erupted.

The courier knight stammered: “Their—their speed was too fast. From mobilization to conquest, it took only a single day.”

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