Okad Federation.

Floating Sand City.

Nicholas? Speaker Best stood at the top of a gray mage tower, looking out at the endless yellow sand in the distance. The majestic floating sand city is like a majestic ark, riding the wind and waves in the endless sea of sand.

Suddenly—

Behind Speaker Nicholas, a young man in a black trench coat with brown wings on his back cut through the sky and landed directly on the top of the tower. If you look closely, you can see ...... The wings behind the young man were actually made of countless pieces of gravel. As soon as the man landed, the wings behind him dissipated automatically, and then he knelt down on one knee in front of the speaker.

"Leon, lion in the sand," Speaker Nicholas did not even look back, "you have come to say goodbye." ”

"Yes, Honorable Lord of Falcons," the man with short pale blonde hair said respectfully, "I, Leonhard?" Schmidt, on behalf of our thirteen secret warriors...... Farewell to you. ”

"Looks like you've found a new lord." Speaker Nicholas appeared calm.

"How so?" Leonhard continued, "I have sworn to be loyal to you for the rest of my life. It is because of the allegiance to you...... That's why I will leave you. Thirteen of us have been Federally sheltered for a long time...... I won't be cheeky anymore. ”

Speaker Nicholas turned his head. He stared at Leon with his eagle-like gaze, but there was a hint of sadness.

"Is there no room for recovery?"

"Dietford III is cruel and cunning, and if we continue to take refuge here, he will certainly not give up on you. Aibohard has already gone to the empire first, and the rest of us are ...... today He will also return to his hometown. Leon recounted in his gentle voice.

"Revenge. Is it that important? Speaker Nicholas said.

"I will take revenge on Emperor Dietford with all my remaining lives," said Leon, "but...... That's not what I'm here for. ”

"You're trying to save your family and friends who fell into Dietford's hands, right?" Speaker Nicholas knew in his heart, "Even if you risk your own lives? ”

Leon hesitated.

"If possible, I will trade my life for the safety of my companions." He said.

A moment of silence. The yellow sand was lifted by the wind and fell on their clothes.

"I wish I could see you on the battlefield," said Speaker Nicholas, "and I wish you could be my general." ”

"I also wish to fight under your command forever, my lord." Leon said softly.

Speaker Nicholas was silent.

"Go," he said, after a while, turning away from Leon, "I wish you victory." ”

Leon stood up and bowed to the Speaker. Then, he spread his sandy wings and soared into the air, heading for the other side of the city.

"Lyon......," Speaker Nicholas muttered to himself in a voice that only he could hear.

The strength he secretly reserves is that even if he fights against both the French and the Empire, he has the confidence to fight! However...... After all, the French power and the empire have been established for many years and have a deep heritage, and although the speaker is arrogant, he is not willing to expose his plans too early.

"When the war begins, if you are still alive, I will bring you all back to the Confederation," said Speaker Nicholas, "and it depends on how many of you survive under the means of Dietford and Friedrich." ”

"Peter, the 'Emperor of the Eternal Night'? Cliff...... I hope that the trend of bringing the French and the Empire closer together will be completely reversed, as he said," the Speaker thought to himself, "after all, he is a disciple of the Black Lord Palamedes." ”

……

In a hut in the corner of Floating Sand City. The room was dimly lit, but there were more than a dozen figures gathered here.

Leon pushed the door open.

"Brother!" Watching Leon walk into the room, a young girl with pale blonde hair cheered in her silver bell-like voice. The rest of the room gathered around.

"Lisa." Leon nodded. He looked at his sister lovingly, but his heart was full of pain. When they fled the Empire, my sister was just an ordinary person, but now ...... Now that her sister has also become a secret warrior, the only fate she can choose is the same as herself.

"Aibo." Leon looked at the brown-haired man who came out of the back room, and was also his friend Aibohard.

"Everything is in place." Aibo said.

A rickety figure followed behind Aibo. Leon never met him.

"You ......"

"The old man is rude...... "The gray-robed mage with gray temples saluted Leon, "under David?" Sahel is the servant of the Emperor of the Eternal Night...... Lord Leonard, Lord Lisa Lot, and all of you, honorable Excellencies, greet you in the next generation of the 'Emperor of the Eternal Night'......"

"There's no need to be polite," Leon said, "where is the teleportation array?" ”

"It's inside. It's just for you...... It took a lot of effort for adults, but I did my best to keep it up for the time being...... Please ...... as soon as possible."

Leon glanced at his companions around him. His friends were also looking at him. Everyone was waiting for him to take the first step.

"Let's go." Leon said.

Leon was the first to take a step, and the others followed him without saying a word. As Sahel said, the teleportation array from the inner room to the empire has been built. The teleportation array, which could accommodate more than a dozen people standing side by side, shone with a faint blue light, as if inviting them to enter.

"Empire......" Leon took a deep breath. The time of return is finally coming.

----------------------

Imperial. Engor Manor. William? Engor's room.

The "Emperor of the Eternal Night" looked at the teleportation array in front of him with a calm expression. William, who was not far away, looked restless.

"Why not?" He stared anxiously at the wall clock and paced back and forth in the room.

"Calm down, William," said the black-robed Emperor of the Eternal Night, "is that how the Imperial nobles greet their guests?" ”

William had to sit down. Today is also the moment to decide his fate, and he really can't calm down.

I don't know how long it has been-

The brilliance of the teleportation array suddenly increased. A dazzling azure glow filled the room in an instant.

William was so bright by the glare that he had to close his eyes. As if he had not been affected at all, the "Emperor of the Eternal Night" stood up in the face of the strong light and looked directly at the dozen or so figures that appeared in the teleportation array.

Riding an ultra-long-distance teleportation magic array is obviously not a comfortable experience. Even a battle-hardened warrior like Leon felt quite dizzy. If it weren't for the amazing physique of the Secret Ritual warriors, I'm afraid they would have fainted at this time.

"This is ......" Recovering from his vertigo, Leon looked around warily.

For the first time, the "Emperor of the Eternal Night" had a smile on his face.

"Welcome, Secret Warriors," he said, "welcome back to your homeland. ”

……

The storm unleashed by Emperor Dietford III many years ago destroyed many great nobles.

When the newly enthroned Emperor Dietford III had no children, the nobles wanted to install a distant relative of the emperor as the heir to the empire. A few years later, the queen gave birth to twin daughters for Dietford III, and the nobles wanted to attack them.

Dietford III concealed the identities of his two daughters, namely Bina and Linna, and sent them to be raised by Haywell, Duke of Sunflame City, while he secretly collected evidence and finally uprooted all the nobles involved in the case a few years later. Ironically, Dietford III adopted his blood nephew Dimiteo as his adopted son and made him the crown prince, and the great nobles were busy for a long time.

And those who escaped with the help of Speaker Nicholas are finally going to take revenge on the Empire.