As the temperature rose, the snow on the northern peaks began to melt, flowing through the vast ironwood forest and into the waters of the Little Ling River, which filled the River Valley and finally converged into the Golden Dragon River, bringing ample water to the Central Plains, the most populous region of the human realm.

It seemed like another bountiful year. The nobles and landlords of the Central Plains beamed with delight.

With the arrival of spring, all things revived. The willow trees lining the streets of the imperial capital sprouted new leaves, and the city bustled with activity. Even the business of street prostitutes improved.

The northern lands’ deteriorating situation had no impact on life in the capital. Events occurring thousands of kilometers away affected few citizens, and hardly anyone paid them any mind. Theaters and taverns throughout the city were packed, and an air of peace and prosperity settled over the Imperial Capital.

The Imperial Capital, the Gold Dragon Hall.

“Regarding the northern lands’ plea for aid, how do you all think we should proceed?”

A military dispatch from the northern frontier had arrived in Gold Dragon City the previous day, along with a plea for aid from the Lancelot Family, who guarded the northern border. The kingdom’s decline was already well underway, but it had not yet rotted down to its roots.

Although King Leon did not possess the qualities of a wise sovereign or great emperor, he was still a competent monarch, and once the legitimacy of the report had been confirmed, he summoned his court officials to discuss the situation in the northern lands.

“The Lancelot Family had a duty to protect their territory, but their failure to ward off the cannibals has left the northern lands in ruins and led to the annihilation of at least five noble families. They must be held accountable for their crimes!”

An elder of the nobles stepped forward, his chest puffed with righteous indignation. To him, the lives of commoners were as worthless as grains of sand, and he cared little for their deaths; however, the annihilation of so many noble families struck him as an unspeakable horror.

His words earned him a wave of odd glances, those looks one would give a fool. Even Prime Minister Zuo, representative of the nobles, hung his head in embarrassment.

Leon, sitting high on his throne, could not help but clutch his forehead. This particular noble, with his head filled with granite, had rendered him helpless to laugh or cry.

Even if the Lancelot Family had erred, it wasn’t possible to punish them right now. He clearly wanted to ask about the strategies for dealing with the eastern incursion of the cannibals, not how to handle the Lancelot Family.

“This matter will be discussed at a later date. Let us first deliberate on how to deal with the cannibals.”

Although this elder’s mind was somewhat muddled, he was extremely senior and a Great Knight, so Leon didn’t want to embarrass him too much. Instead, he skipped over the issue the elder had brought up and went straight to discussing how to deal with the cannibals.

“Your Majesty, I believe we should follow precedent and dispatch the dragon knights guarding the nation. They should be able to vanquish the cannibals swiftly and decisively. Afterward, we can demand the Lancelot Family compensate for any financial burdens.”

The one who stepped forward to speak was Prime Minister You, whose suggestion sounded far more reasonable than that of the befuddled elder.

The Golden Dragon Kingdom was surrounded by enemies on all sides. The naga by the southern coast often harassed their borders, the beasts of the eastern plateau constantly sought to retake their lost lands, and the lizardmen of the western desert occasionally caused trouble for the lords of the west. Only the northern lands remained relatively peaceful—but now even they had erupted into chaos.

Originally, the lords of each region had an obligation to pay taxes to the royal family and mobilize their forces when called upon during wartime, while the royal family had a responsibility to provide assistance to the lords in times of crisis.

When crises like the lizardman rebellion in the western territories or the naga seizing control of the harbors in the south occurred, dragon knights had always been dispatched to deal with them, and usually, once dragon knights intervened, the situation was resolved.

Given these past incidents, it was reasonable for the right prime minister to suggest mobilizing the dragon knights. It was indeed a viable option that merited consideration.

“No!” Before Leon could express his own thoughts, a representative from the military stood up and interrupted.

“Your Majesty, there have been frequent sightings of beasts near Dragon’s Breath Pass these past few days, and to ensure its safety, Knight Rusen has already departed for Dragon’s Breath Pass. Now only Lord Sol remains in Gold Dragon City.”

“What a coincidence?” Leon understood what the military meant. With only one dragon knight remaining in Gold Dragon City, it was not a good time for him to leave.

The Imperial Capital needed a dragon knight stationed within it at all times, so everyone could sleep soundly. The Golden Dragon Kingdom had always assigned two dragon knights to protect the Imperial Capital, while three were stationed at Dragon’s Breath Pass.

The dragon knights stationed in the Imperial Capital usually served as guardians, aiding and suppressing all who threatened the peace of the kingdom.

Now, the only mobile dragon knight, Rusen, had been dispatched to Dragon’s Breath Pass due to the unusual movements of the beasts beyond the pass. Thus, only Sol remained in the Imperial Capital, and it was widely believed that he could not afford to leave.

“Then why not mobilize the Imperial Guard and send them north? The Imperial Guard has seen no battle for a long time; mobilizing them will not only alleviate the plight of the northern lands but also allow us to assess the Imperial Guard’s battle capabilities.”

The suggestion came from a military official. The Imperial Guard was filled with many free knights without noble titles to inherit, who yearned to earn their knighthood through merit. Thus, they harbored a certain desire for battle, which had yet to be sated.

“Absolutely not. Sending the Imperial Guard north is entirely against the flow of the Dragon River, making transportation of goods difficult. The distance from the Imperial Capital to the northern lands is over a thousand kilometers, and our national treasury lacks the supplies necessary to support such a large army marching north.”

The official in charge of managing money and provisions stood up in opposition. The mere thought of sending tens of thousands of imperial troops on a thousand-kilometer expedition made his scalp go numb, so he swiftly spoke out against it.

“Oh? And what have I heard? That the national treasury is overflowing, so much so that plans are underway to expand storage?”

“That’s for the supplies for Dragon’s Breath Pass. Are you suggesting we divert them?”

At this, the Ministry of War official fell silent. In the Golden Dragon Kingdom, protecting Dragon’s Breath Pass and guarding against the beasts was always the most important duty. He dared not even suggest diverting its reserves.

Leon leaned on the throne, brows furrowed. This group had debated for quite a while, but they hadn’t reached a single viable solution, only giving him more headaches. However, the northern lands could not be left unattended; the kingdom could not afford to watch the northern lands fall into chaos.

“Your Majesty, the River Valley borders the northern lands. I propose we order the commandant of the River Valley to organize a joint force with the noble families of the River Valley to aid the northern lands.

Then, offering nobility titles, we can call upon all knights of the various noble houses and free knights to join the fray. This way, even if we cannot completely drive out the cannibals, we can at least alleviate pressure on the northern lands.”

The suggestion came from the right prime minister. At first glance, it seemed like a feasible plan that all parties could accept, and soon, others began to agree.

“I think this is a good idea.”

“I second this motion.”

“Then let’s proceed with this plan for now.”

Leon nodded, agreeing with the minister’s suggestion. After all, the Imperial Capital was terribly far from the River Valley.

The nobles there had little understanding of the true capabilities of the defending army and the nobles of that region; they were unaware of how poorly equipped the River Valley’s forces were, considering it a peaceful and well-off region.

If Lint had his way, he would prefer to receive aid from the River Valley in the form of supplies rather than troops, as there was no guarantee of their battle prowess