I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"I understand. Thank you for your hard work, and go on your duty."

"Here!"

After the soldiers left, Bai Zhou, with a happy expression, strode towards the door.

"Huh? Who's here?"

A year and a half later, he leaned against the door, watching the daylight depart, a hint of doubt on his face.

"They didn't invite me along, so it's probably not one of those guys."

If his siblings come, the silly little white boy won't go alone without being invited.

Ah!

He clapped his hands and suddenly realized.

She remembered.

The last time this little fool left, he looked just like that.

"It's that guy."

Kal'tsit!

Looking at the lynx standing outside, its face tilted back in the sun, Bai Zhou couldn't help but smile.

"Your Highness."

Upon seeing Bai Zhou, the lynx turned around and bowed slightly to greet him.

"Why did you suddenly come here? This place isn't safe."

Although Yumen was freed from its predicament, it was still near the battlefield. Although the lynx had the protection of the little monsters, it was no match for the many hands that could fight it. If it encountered the Ursus army, the little monsters wouldn't even make a ripple.

"Your Highness, please rest assured, I came around the battlefield."

Seeing how much the dragon cared for her, the lynx couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

She's not stupid; she won't just stand there dumbfounded and rush into the battlefield.

"However, I am here because I have important matters to discuss with Your Highness."

She didn't just come to see the children this time.

Is it something urgent?

What Kal'tsit considers important is not trivial matters like waking up at four in the morning to make instant noodles.

"Hmm... based on the current time, it's not exactly urgent."

“I see. Since it’s not urgent, let’s rest for a bit first. Kal’tsit has been gone for so long, she must not have had a proper rest. Let’s go inside, have some tea to warm up, and have some snacks to fill our stomachs, then we can talk slowly.”

Bai Zhou nodded slightly to show his understanding. Then, he took the lynx's hand and led her into the mansion.

"Your Highness...you are right."

The chill carried by the wind to its fingertips was dispelled by the dragon's warm palm. After hesitating for a few seconds, the lynx reluctantly yielded to his words.

Returning to the topic of hot tea and apricot cakes, let's discuss friend and foe.

Carrying the lynx's paws back into the house, Bai Zhou glanced at the empty bed and said nothing, instead inviting the lynx to sit down.

"Kal'tsit, have some tea. And some apricot cakes, have a taste, they're quite good."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Taking the tea, the lynx's emerald eyes swept over the orange-yellow, fragrant apricot cakes, and its beautiful throat moved slightly.

Snacks... how long has it been since I've had any?

The last time I ate dessert was the sugar pastry I treated her to during the day a year ago.

"So, what brings Kal'tsit here that she needs my help with?"

During the day, Bai Zhou took the initiative to ask Kal'tsit the purpose of her visit.

"To be honest, Your Highness, (￣～￣) chew... I came here this time... um..."

The sweetness hidden in the apricot cake danced on the tip of the tongue, and the lynx, which hadn't had this level of sweetness in a long time, almost couldn't speak coherently.

"Speak slowly, eat slowly. I have plenty here. Kal'tsit can eat as much as she wants, until she's full."

The lynx's unusually rude behavior made Bai Zhou chuckle.

"Please excuse my rudeness. It was truly inappropriate."

After taking a sip of tea to wash away the choking sensation from the pastry in his mouth, the lynx wiped his mouth and apologized to Bai Zhou.

“There’s nothing rude about it. Aren’t we friends? We should be able to be ourselves in front of friends.”

"Say what you want to say, do what you want to do—that's what friendship should be like. Yeah, at least that's how I see it."

After saying that, Bai Zhou shook his head and took a sip of tea.

"Your Highness is so kind... If I have been presumptuous in any way, please forgive me."

After eating the apricot cake in its hand, the lynx took a sip of hot tea, then let out a comfortable sigh and leaned back lazily in its chair.

"Humph."

Bai Zhou grunted twice, then looked at Kal'tsit.

"So, what was Kal'tsit trying to say just now?"

Upon hearing Bai Zhou's question, the lynx straightened up again and put on a serious expression.

"Does Your Highness know why Ursus has raised an army at this time?"

"Because of Gaul's urging?"

He knew some of these things.

"Your Highness is right. However, this is only one aspect of the reason."

The lynx paused slightly, suppressing its long-standing habit of telling riddles, and continued:

"Besides the urging of Julius, the consul of Gaul, there were two other reasons that led to the outbreak of this war."

"Oh? Two layers? Kal'tsit, elaborate."

Bai Zhou immediately became interested.

"Well."

Kal'tsit looked away from the apricot cake and said:

"There are two reasons, one of which is the competition between the old and new nobles within Ursus."

"The old noble lineage inherited the mantle of the former king, Dalovich II, and participated in Ursus' wars against neighboring countries, thus gaining considerable power and control over Ursus' army."

"The new nobility belongs to the current Ivan Dalovich III. Although they have received titles and territories, they are still too weak compared to the old nobility. In order to strengthen their power and overwhelm the old nobility, they have agreed to the war against Yan."

"The old aristocracy also did not want to give up their own interests, so they did not resist the war."

"The Ursus emperor also held the idea of ​​balancing the power of the old and new nobles. In addition, the victory prophecy announced by the [Grand Tutor] who was gaining popularity in the Ursus political arena led him to decide to launch a war."

"A prophecy of victory? Does Kal'tsit know what that prophecy says?"

Bai Zhou wanted to know who gave that guy the courage to declare his victory prophecy.

"A prophecy..."

The lynx pondered for a few moments, then said:

“I have seen the gods in my dream. They said: The time has come. Go forth now and you will be victorious.”

"So, Dalovic believed it?"

Bai Zhou was truly puzzled.

If anyone dares to use this prophecy to tell him that starting a war now will allow the Great Yan to unify the world, he would be doing the sun a disservice if he didn't hang him on the city gate tower to be exposed to the scorching sun.

He had no choice but to believe it.

Kal'tsit continued:

“Your Highness, although Ursus is also an empire, its national conditions are not entirely the same as those of the Great Yan.”

"In the Great Yan Dynasty, no matter how powerful a noble family is, it cannot withstand the might of the true dragon. But in Ursus, a sufficient number of great nobles can influence imperial power."

"In this war, both the old and new nobles unanimously support it. Under such circumstances, even if Dalovich I were reborn, he could not prevent the outbreak of this war."

"A prestigious family, huh... ha."

Bai Zhou shook his head and corrected Kal'tsit's mistake.

"The powerful families of the Great Yan are also deeply rooted, but because the military power of the Great Yan is in the hands of the True Dragon and his generals, the powerful families are so weak because they do not have military power. If the court falls into chaos one day, the powerful families will be the biggest cancer in the Great Yan."

"but……"

"With Your Highness here, such a thing is impossible."

Kal'tsit can already see what the future of those noble families in Yan Kingdom will look like.

Whether they become granaries and money lenders, or lambs to the slaughter, whatever their future, they will forever be subject to the authority of the true dragon.

"uh-huh."

Bai Zhou did not answer, but he raised his head slightly with a hint of smugness.

"That's enough about the noble families. Kal'tsit, I already know the cause of the war."

Looking at the lynx during the day, Bai Zhou continued to ask:

"So, how can I help you?"

The lynx likely wanted to end the war and get them to focus their attention on the northern frontier, which they needed to defend.

"Your Highness..."

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Kal'tsit couldn't find the right words to say them.

The lynx couldn't speak, and Bai Zhou wasn't in a hurry. He just slowly sipped his tea, waiting for her to speak.

"Your Highness."