Everyone from Night Raid and the Holy Light Clerics took their seats. Tatsumi and his two friends quickly brought the lunch they had prepared to the table and cheerfully urged everyone to dig in.
"Hey, Uncle Hashirama, hasn't that stone-faced uncle come back yet?" Leone asked in confusion when she noticed someone was missing from the table.
"Ah! Madara. Right, why isn't Madara back yet?" Hashirama was a little puzzled too. He had completely forgotten that he had left the Holy Light Bracelet on Madara.
"Maybe things are going well with his little girlfriend, and he doesn't want to come back just yet!" Hashirama shrugged helplessly.
"Hmph, ditching his friends for a woman!" Mine grumbled indignantly.
"By the way, sir, I have some good news for everyone, along with an important mission!" Iron Hammer suddenly spoke up.
"What good news?" Leone asked excitedly.
"The hundred thousand elite troops the Empire recently sent to the Northern Territory have been completely defeated by our Holy Church. The Empire's great general, Budo, was killed in battle," Iron Hammer calmly delivered the bombshell.
Everyone in Night Raid immediately lost their composure. "What? A hundred thousand elite troops were defeated, and the Empire's great general was killed?" they exclaimed.
"Yes! We just received the news from the Holy Church Headquarters. At the same time, the Holy Church will launch a full-scale offensive against the Empire, aiming to seize its center of power as quickly as possible. Night Raid's mission is to launch a comprehensive assassination campaign against the minister and the officials under him." Iron Hammer solemnly relayed the Holy Church's orders.
"Understood! So it's finally beginning!" Najenda nodded, still shaken inwardly. She had imagined this day, but she had never expected it to come so soon.
Inside the Imperial Palace, the minister had already