"That voice... it sounds like Hino Julius. He never makes a move without Pyre Julius and Cima Julius backing him up."

"Good. If the three of them are moving together, they stand a better chance of survival."

In the dimly lit hall, the old man cocked his head, listening intently to the echoes of the rage reverberating through the subterranean city. He recognized the specific timbre of the Demon's roar.

He didn't particularly care who Hino Julius was planning to slaughter. His only concern was competence: could they get the job done, and could they return with their lives?

After all, these three were the true pillars of this branch of House Julius. If they were to fall in the outside world, this lineage would crumble into irrelevance.

The old man muttered to himself, his voice a low, gravelly rasp, casting divinations into the dark.

"Wait... has anything significant happened involving House Julius recently?"

"I heard rumors... something about... Orion becoming the Ruler of the Sixth Layer?"

The old man paused. His brows furrowed.

"Oh... surely the trouble isn't there?"

"That would be impossible. Who would be stupid enough to declare war on the family of an Abyssal Ruler?"

"Unless..."

The old man's whispering abruptly cut off, as if an invisible hand had choked the words back down his throat.

A long, heavy silence descended upon the great hall, thick with the dawn of a terrifying realization.

Titanion Realm, Soaring Bird City.

Situated at the perfect intersection of geography and demographics, Soaring Bird City had become the undisputed nexus connecting the Human Kingdom, the Blood Elves, and the Stoneheart Horde.

Because of this unique position, its growth had been nothing short of explosive.

A little over a decade had passed, and the city was unrecognizable from the days of the Torin era. It was at least ten times more prosperous, a sprawling metropolis that had expanded its walls multiple times to consume the surrounding landscape.

Mercenaries and traveling merchants often joked that Soaring Bird City was the unofficial new capital—the true beating heart of the Kingdom's wealth.

Today, this booming metropolis welcomed two incredibly distinguished guests.

At the city gates, Kronos led the reception team personally. With a grand, formal ceremony, he welcomed Elara and Pallas.

"Big Sister, Apprentice—welcome to Soaring Bird City!"

Kronos's face was glowing with genuine joy.

This emotion was vastly different from what he felt when he visited Stoneheart City in the Horde's territory. There, while he was never mistreated, he always felt a lingering sense of isolation, like a guest in his father's house.

Here, it was different. Soaring Bird City was his mother's fiefdom. This was his turf. The arrival of Elara and Pallas gave Kronos his first real taste of being a host—of having a home to share.

"Second Brother, this is for you!"

Pallas, experiencing his first long-distance journey, was vibrating with excitement, even more so than Kronos. Before Kronos could even finish his formal greeting, Pallas shoved a gift into his hands.

It was a heavy, gleaming Trident.

It was a piece of transformative weaponry, exclusive to the Stoneheart Horde. Weapons of this caliber were reserved for high-ranking officers within the armies; they were almost never seen in the outside world.

This specific Trident had been a birthday gift to Pallas from the Hell-Drake Hound, Dirtclaw.

As Kronos gripped the shaft, the weapon hummed, automatically adjusting its length and weight to match his biology. The balance was exquisite. Kronos gasped, turning it over in his hands, marveling at the craftsmanship.

"And here. This is from your Big Sister."

Seeing how much Kronos loved Pallas's gift, Elara's competitive streak flared up. She reached into her spatial ring and produced a large, warm object, handing it to Kronos with a grin.

A Dragon Egg.

Even within the Stoneheart Horde, a Dragon Egg was an item of immense rarity and value.

This specific egg was one Elara had personally requested from Orion during their time in the Valkorath Realm. Back when Orion and Leonidas had conquered the Dragon territory in the Silverwood Realm, Leonidas had gifted Orion a clutch of eggs, which had been sitting in the treasury ever since.

"This is a genuine Dragon Egg. Make sure you raise it well, okay?" Elara said, her tone teasing but her eyes kind.

Elara was sharp and observant. Every time Kronos visited Stoneheart City, Pallas would take him to see his own dragon. Kronos never said anything, but Elara had seen the longing in his eyes—the quiet envy of a boy who wanted a companion of his own.

"I had to pester Daddy to get this for you, you know!"

With those words, Kronos—who was no longer a child—understood the deeper meaning. This was a gift from Elara, yes, but it carried the tacit approval of his father, Orion.

"Thank you, Big Sister."

Kronos felt a sting in his eyes. It wasn't the first time he had felt loved, but this time, it was overwhelming.

He was finally going to have his own dragon.

He wasn't the outsider. He wasn't the isolated one. He was family.

It was a depth of emotion that Elara and Pallas, who had grown up in the center of the Horde's power, couldn't fully comprehend.

"Alright, enough mushy stuff! Take me on a tour!" Elara hopped nimbly onto Kronos's shoulder, patting his head with one hand and pointing toward the bustling streets with the other. "I heard the Human Kingdom has tons of fun stuff to do and amazing food to eat."

"Yeah, yeah! Second Brother, this is your turf! Show us around!" Pallas chimed in, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Outside the strict military discipline of Stoneheart City, Pallas was like a monkey released from a cage—restless, energetic, and ready for chaos.

"You got it!"

Kronos stowed the Dragon Egg carefully. Without hesitation, he grabbed Pallas by the arm and turned toward the city center.

Behind them trailed a retinue of guards and a ten-thousand-strong regiment of Raptor Cavalry.

Meanwhile, the main reinforcement force—thirty thousand giant Wolf-Riders from the Stoneheart Horde, sent to support the Kingdom in the renewed Civil War—was still en route.

Soaring Bird City, The Palace.

Princess Ava stood on the highest balcony of the citadel, looking down at the scene unfolding at the city gates.

If Kronos was feeling excitement and joy, her emotions were a mirror image.

Lilith sending the First Daughter and the Giant Apprentice of the Stoneheart Horde to visit Soaring Bird City was, in essence, a public visit to her and Kronos.

Ava wasn't a fool. She understood the signal being broadcast to the world.

This was the younger generation paying respects to the elders. It was a signal of acceptance, of attention. It was a gesture of goodwill from the main family.

"Lady Elara gifted the Prince a Dragon Egg. Lord Pallas gifted him a morphic Trident."

"My Lady, the three of them have headed toward the commercial district. The Protector Guard and the Shadow Detail are securing the perimeter around them."

"We have also sent warnings to the rats in the gutters. The criminal element has been told to vanish. For the duration of this visit, the underbelly of Soaring Bird City effectively does not exist."

Reporting to Ava was Klythia, the shield-bearing knight who had stood by her since the beginning.

Since Ava had taken control of Soaring Bird City, her loyal knights had all risen to prominence. They held key positions in the city's administration, and with the vast resources of the territory now at their disposal, every single one of them had advanced their strength to the peak of Alpha rank.

"The Civil War between the North and South is about to reignite," Ava said softly, her eyes fixed on the distant procession. "This is a critical period where the friendship and interests of the Alliance of Four will be deeply intertwined."

"No one—absolutely no one—will be allowed to let an accident befall these children on my territory."

"Tighten the security. Put the City Watch on war-footing. If anyone looks suspicious, detain them first, ask questions later."

Despite her joy, Ava had not lost her reason.

She had been the Lord of Soaring Bird City for over a decade. She had seen too much, weathered too many storms. She was no longer the delicate flower of the past. Her character had matured into that of a true ruler—dignified, deep, and formidable.

"Today might be the happiest day of Kronos's life. Do not disturb them," she commanded.

"Later this evening, bring them back to the palace. I will cook dinner for them personally."

It was a matter of reciprocity. Kronos had been treated with kindness in Stoneheart City; Ava would return that kindness tenfold to Elara and Pallas.

"A Dragon Egg..." Ava murmured to herself as the knights dispersed. "Kronos has wanted one for so long."

A mother knows her son. Ava might not have known every thought in his head initially, but time had made everything clear. She knew exactly what his heart desired, and seeing it fulfilled brought a peace she hadn't felt in years.

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