In September of Radiant Calendar 9798, the First Corps fully occupied Cask Province and completed its operation against Okra Province, the central region of the Okra Kingdom, alongside the Second Corps.
Meanwhile, under the deliberate publicity of the Third Corps, news of Airedes, the "God of War" of the Parambria Kingdom, dying in battle and his million-strong army being wiped out rapidly spread across the northwestern region of the Cross Continent.
Parambria's royal capital, within the palace's grand hall.
Upon learning of this, King Damian Bria's body suddenly stiffened before he collapsed back onto his throne.
The court ministers beside him instinctively wanted to step forward and support him, but stopped themselves the moment they reached out.
"Send someone to fetch Lancaster... No, directly dispatch a Sky Battleship to Tucas Province and bring Lancaster back to me. I have questions for him."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The court minister bowed, retreated several steps, then turned and headed out of the hall.
Damian glanced at the guards standing on either side and waved his hand, signaling for them all to leave.
Before long, he was the only one left in the entire hall.
As he gazed upon the empty throne room, an indescribable emotion surged into his heart.
"So he's gone."
After letting out a long sigh, Damian closed his eyes in pain.
Although he had long expected that the million-strong army would be annihilated after he rejected Airedes's request to withdraw, he had never imagined that his old friend would die directly on the battlefield.
Thinking back to the oath they had made in their youth, Damian clutched his chest in anguish.
At the same time, within the Holy Blood Church cathedral in the royal capital, Vaghar, the archbishop of the Parambria Kingdom's Holy Blood Church, showed a flicker of surprise