I find it very sacred to pick someone up and make them a saint.

Having said that, Flammy immediately understood what Mien meant and pressed Sestan for an answer:

"Has his appearance remained completely unchanged?"

Sestan frowned, and after a long pause, murmured:

"It seems there's really no change..."

"are you sure?"

Sestan nodded: "Because at that time, I recalled the scenes of fighting alongside him."

He was just like that—heroic, noble, and possessing the charisma of a leader.

Yes, I won't forget.

"How could this be?" Flammy's mouth gaped open.

Mien also tried to combine everything with the information he had grasped and deduced.

I tried to sort everything out, but I still couldn't find the answer.

He thought of something else.

He said to the stunned Flami, "Your Excellency Flami, as far as I know, you seem to be facing some difficulties."

Why would they suddenly give Lucia a family keepsake?

Is there any connection between them and Emperor Lyonte?

Flammy snapped out of his reverie, hesitated for a moment, then slowly said:

"Because of the dragon."

"What?"

Sestan, however, showed no surprise whatsoever, as if he had known everything all along.

"You must have heard that dragons roam the city of Reno."

Mien nodded: "Of course I've heard of it, but I've never seen it."

"It's true."

Mien listened quietly.

"The Carax family has lived and worked here for hundreds of years."

Naturally, they also lived alongside the giant dragons in the mountains.

Sweat beaded on Mien's flushed neck, which was red from being drunk.

"We have made a pact with the dragon."

The Carax family was responsible for protecting them from outside interference, especially from the Cassirer Empire.

They, in turn, borrowed the power of the dragons for us to use.

As he spoke, the campfire at his feet burned even brighter.

Soaring with holy light energy imbued with the aura of dragon fire.

Mien understood; no wonder the unique source of magic for the Carax family could never be found in books and archives.

There has never been any clue or record of any indication or sign regarding the dragon in Linocheng.

"So, what happened?"

Flami nodded, his eyes seemingly glowing red in the firelight.

Vertical, scarlet pupils, resembling those of a giant dragon, emerged.

"Three years ago, the dragon's egg stopped hatching."

"What?" Mien was shocked.

"The last great dragon passed away ten years ago, leaving behind the dragon's egg."

Our Carax family will be responsible for protecting it until a new dragon hatches.

With a light tap of his finger, a beam of light shone into the vast foothills, its exact location unknown.

"Deep in the mountains, according to the old pattern, it should have hatched and been born three years ago."

But it was also three years ago that it stopped hatching and fell silent.

Mien subconsciously thought: How could this be so similar to the situation of the Holy Maiden of Light?

He looked up and his eyes met Flami's.

They arrived at the same answer: Emperor Lyonte.

His mysterious halt in aging seems to be related to the decline of faith within the empire.

Even without any evidence, and without knowing how it was done, it's impossible to connect the dots.

But soon, another question arose: why did he go to such lengths to manipulate the political situation?

Why use the Life Tantra as bait to guide the actions of Mien and others when they are fully aware of its practices?

How much did he know about this war?

Mien clenched her fists, thinking to herself:

Why would a female agent from the Life Tantric Cult tell herself that many Tantric beliefs are reviving?

All the secrets pointed to the Life Tantra, which strengthened Mien's determination to explore it further.

Mien and Flami shared the same feelings, but Sestan felt completely differently.

Do you really doubt Emperor Lyonte?

Forgive my bluntness, but this is utterly absurd!

He spoke loudly, but his voice gradually faded.

I also tried to organize my thoughts.

Mien and Flammy ignored him.

The moon sank deep into the mountains for a long, long time, and the night deepened.

"We have an overall command meeting tomorrow, and we'll be launching an attack. Let's go back and rest first."

Everyone nodded.

Mien and Sestan looked to one side.

In their drowsiness and intoxication, Mien and Neuer had already leaned their heads together, dozing off, their hands tightly clasped together.

"Let's go." Mien patted Lucia's head, waking her up.

They rubbed their eyes and stood up.

"What time is it?"

It's 2 a.m.

The five of them walked down the mountain under the cover of night, the towering mountains around them gradually disappearing from view, as they headed towards the brightly lit city.

Sudden.

Flammy stopped in his tracks.

Everyone stopped and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He stood there dumbfounded, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.

"Did you hear that?"

"What did you hear?"

Flami's pupils contracted sharply, and his expression became even more focused.

It made soft "woo-woo" sounds in response, like the howl of a wild beast.

"It's the roar of a dragon."

The other four looked around frantically, but couldn't hear a sound.

"I heard it, it's it, it's it!..." Flami's expression gradually became excited.

Suddenly, a clear and melodious animal roar rang out, which everyone could hear clearly.

Two sounds... three sounds...

A faint light shone from the distant mountains, soared into the air, and melted into the vast night.

Then everything returned to peace.

If one did not hear and see all of this clearly from a high vantage point, no one would be certain that this was the rebirth of a dragon.

Flamme rushed down the mountain and into the family estate.

A few specks of magic lit up, and scattered people hurried into the mountains.

After their initial shock, Mien and the others returned to their respective residences.

Mien was just thinking: Why now of all times?

…………

Early the next morning.

The Imperial Army and local forces assembled together in a larger command post to coordinate detailed battle plans.

The Karax family was very professional and upheld their promise to the dragon, thus avoiding attracting the attention of any outsiders in Reno City.

Sestan and the others had long since shaken off their drunkenness and were now making their final battle plans on the magic sandbox with renewed vigor.

There had been prior private discussions, and the task allocation and deployment were completed quickly.

At the height of the sun's heat, the troops gradually surged toward the imperial border.

The blazing sun made the air vibrate.

Rachel rode her warhorse at the head of an army of hundreds of thousands.

He said nothing, but his rose banner, printed on his cloak, fluttered at the highest point.

He raised his divine sword high.

The holy light, representing the glory of the royal bloodline, resonated in the hearts of all the soldiers.

Like Emperor Lyant many years ago, the lower edge of her sword slowly pointed forward.

The will of the entire empire moves with it.

Mien and Lucia, along with the Silver Moon Knights squad, watched as the holy light rose high into the sky, bursting and blooming.

The roar of the charge was mixed with the sound of horses' hooves clashing against armor.

The encirclement stretching half the border began to tighten.

The war has begun.