In the gray dawn, the dragon's roar still shook the sky, making Eberden tremble under its majesty.

No, not just the thunderous roar, but the sound of thousands of uniform, iron boots......

In the midst of the ruins, the knight of the guard holding Phanesis stopped in place, looking at the oncoming patrol soldiers with a blank expression.

Usually the Ebolden patrol guards were only a rudimentary burqa and a sturdy chain armor, and their weapons were broadswords and thin monolithic shields, a dagger and a crossbow, and even the captain had at most a decent helmet, not to mention knee pads and armour.

But these soldiers ...... The Guardian Knight's eyes narrowed slightly.

The black military uniform is lined with fine composite armor, and the fine chain mail not only has shoulder pads, but even the chest part is reinforced with iron plates, which looks quite heavy; almost all the soldiers carry a nearly one-man tall kite-shaped shield behind them, a single-edged halberd with a swallowtail flag in their hands, and a heavy sword hanging from their waists.

Heavy and slightly rough armor, black and slightly thick uniforms, and their halberds and heavy swords...... The knight of the guard slowly raised his head and looked at the banner held high by the "patrol soldiers" - on the black banner was the iron crown held up by the three-headed red dragon.

It was the coat of arms of the Dragonlord family, de Salion, who were Imperial legionnaires from the Prince of Saklan.

Did the Imperial legions arrive at Eberden so quickly?

At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed as an officer in a cloak suddenly walked out of the soldiers, and looked at the guard knight and Phanes in front of him with a suspicious expression:

"Your Excellency, and... Priest of the Holy Cross, can you tell us who you are?" the officer waved his hand vigilantly at the soldier behind him:

"The whole of Ebolden has been put under martial law, why would the two of you appear at this time in the civilian area south of the city that has been blocked?"

At the same time as he was questioning, the hundred-man team standing behind him had already blocked the street, neatly erecting their shields in front of them, and the icy halberd rattled slightly in the cold wind of the early morning.

In a moment of dead silence, the officer had pressed his right hand to the hilt of his sword at his waist, and the soldiers in the first row raised their shields almost simultaneously.

Looking at the long halberd like a forest, the guard knight slowly looked back at his side, Farness, who had not yet recovered, turned pale, and after hesitating for a moment, he slowly spoke:

"We are attendants at the Cathedral of Ebolden... Below is Anthony, the personal priest of Bishop Farnesis, Bishop of Ebolden. After a pause, the tone of the flickering Farnesis was still as calm as usual: "This one next to me is the Lord Bishop's guard knight. ”

"We have a very important piece of news, we must go to the imperial capital as soon as possible and send it to the archbishop!"

"What's the news?" the officer still didn't give up.

"This is important information to be sent to the archbishop!" the knight glared at him, his voice cold.

"What... News?" The officer drew his sword, and Rulin's halberd crossed the shield.

"Bishop of Eberten, Master Farnesis from Lothair......" Farnesis' lips trembled slightly, and his expression remained as modest as ever:

"I have received the call of the Holy Cross and ascended to the kingdom of heaven——!"

A hint of surprise flashed on the officer's face, and he hurriedly gestured behind him, and the soldiers in the line immediately made way of a passage, and did not forget to salute the two: "I'm very sorry, but the Imperial Legions are all loyal believers in the Holy Cross - I guarantee with my credibility that no more soldiers will stop you!"

"Pious children, may the Holy Cross bless you forever!"

The frail Farnesis smiled and thanked him, and his status as a priest made it customary for him to pray for the soldiers.

"Wait!"

Just as the two were about to leave, an exclamation came from one of the queues: "I know him, he is Master Farnesis—he once came to our hometown to preach, and I will never forget it in my life!"

The atmosphere froze suddenly.

Farnesis, who stopped in place, was still smiling, and the knight of the guard silently pressed the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"Can you please ......" the officer's expression became ugly: "Explain?"

"The dog of the Holy Cross... What are you going to do......" The faint voice like the wind echoed in Fanecis's ears again, and there was a slight playful joke, as if he was expecting something: "If you are found here... That's what happened... You don't have to tell you, do you......"

"But... There seem to be too many enemies......"

"Just let me do me a little favor... I won't ask for anything in return......"

"What if... If you really need it......"

Phanesis slowly lowered his head so that the soldiers around him would not see his face, and his trembling voice seemed to carry endless fear, and he whispered to his loyal guard knight:

"Hands-on ——!"

........................ Ebolden, Liberal Parliament.

The room, once filled with quarrels, shouts and all sorts of noise, was now filled with wails, and the free aristocrats dressed in fine costumes were so dead that they even lay on their tables and chairs to hide their faces and weep.

No one spoke, no one spoke to each other, and many of the dead-faced people just sat quietly, like death row inmates waiting in line to be guillotined.

If you count carefully, you can see that only one-fifth of the "noble members" are left in the halls of the entire Free Parliament, which is not enough to pass a bill that is not worth mentioning, even if it is unanimously passed.

There's only one reason why they're here, and that's their common identity – they're all unwavering members of the Bellini family.

In the face of the imminent Imperial Legion, the supporters of the Wizard Tower are naturally happy to see it, while the neutral nobles gloat, and the minor nobles who usually have grass on the wall flee from the wind......

Only they, from beginning to end, stood firmly behind the Bellini family, using their wealth and power to help the Bellini family pass one bill after another that was beneficial to them and could fight those damned wizards.

Now that the Bellini family is finished, they have naturally become funeral companions - even if they don't want to, the petty nobles who are eager to break away from the Bellini family will be eager to confess to them, and the current situation is not as safe as hiding in the Free Council.

The usual bravado of martial arts has all turned into a frustration at the moment of collapse and liquidation, hoping that the Imperial Legion's methods will not be too tough, at least they will be allowed to spend money to buy a way to live......

"Bang ——!!!!"

The heavy door was violently slammed open, and the legionnaires with shields poured into the halls of the Free Assembly with a roaring and orderly pace, their cold halberds pointing at the "noble councillors" seated in their seats.

The nobles who had been looking dead a moment ago immediately turned into frightened rabbits, and looked at the heavily armed soldiers in fear.

The power, wealth, and status of the past have become paper tigers that can be broken at the slightest poke in the face of these cold swords and shields.

"Y-what are you going to do?!" an old man stood up with courage, "This is the Free Council of Ebotden, and it is a forbidden place where soldiers are absolutely not allowed to set foot in it! Even the Legion of the Empire must ......"

"What must be done too?"

A half-joking voice suddenly sounded, and the door that had been knocked open walked in a red-haired and red-eyed young man, neat and delicate clothes, and that cynical smile, completely like a standard aristocratic gentleman.

If he wasn't followed by a young girl who was also dressed in a knight's robe, and a whole hundred soldiers......

"As is my usual practice, I should have had a good conversation with you before I got to the point, but unfortunately we were all busy today and didn't have much time, so it was better to keep it simple. ”

The laughing young man puffed up his chest and put his right hand behind his back, and coughed twice very deliberately: "I am Brandon de Salion, the thirteenth generation of the Dragon King family, the son of Eckhart II, the supreme emperor of the Sakran Empire, and the dragon rider. ”

"And this ......" The young man hurriedly waved his right hand to the knight girl on the side: "This is Fetronay de Salion, the twelfth generation of the Dragon King family, the youngest daughter of the first emperor Alto I of the Sakran Empire, the sister of the Supreme Emperor Eckhart II, and Her Royal Highness the eldest princess of the empire!"

The words fell, and the smile on the young man's face gradually became cold: "Now, my lords, I can ask you to ......

Did you kneel?"