"Get some rest, Kronos," Ava said, her voice weary. "You have your sister and brother to entertain tomorrow. Give me some time to think this over."

Ava had raised him from a babe. She knew the gears turning in his head. Pushing back hard now would only make him dig his heels in. She chose the middle path—neither refusing nor consenting, just buying time with a vague promise.

"My mind is made up, Mother. I need to prove myself."

Kronos didn't waver. His voice held no trace of childish petulance; it carried the heavy resolve of a man.

"Even Pallas—my younger brother—is being sent to the battlefield. I will not be the one hiding in the palace while he fights."

Kronos turned and walked out of the study.

He didn't look back. His stride was purposeful, decisive.

Ava was left alone in the heavy silence of the room, staring blankly at the parchment on her desk.

She sat there until the candles burned low. Finally, shaking off her stupor, she summoned her inner circle.

In the dead of night, five of the Eight Great Knights assembled: Garrett, Lambert, Drustan, Klythia, and Aldwyn. With Godfrey carving out his own path in Stoneheart City, Ava had almost reassembled the full legacy of the Knightly Order.

The room was quiet, save for the crackle of the hearth. The five knights stood around the round table, their eyes fixed on the Conscription Order. Their expressions varied wildly.

"My Lady, I feel the Stoneheart Horde lacks basic respect," Garrett growled, breaking the silence. "This order should have been delivered to your hands first. It should have required your seal of approval before being presented to the Young Lord."

Garrett was a man of the forge, blunt and loyal. His close friend, the Coal Knight Galahad, had died in the Horde's territory. He held no love for the giants. To him, this was a slap in the face.

"Garrett... I must disagree entirely," Lambert interjected, his voice smooth and measured.

Lambert was of noble stock. Since pledging loyalty to Soaring Bird City, his family had risen from the ashes. While Garrett thought like a blacksmith—rigid and strong—Lambert thought like a politician.

"My Lady, view this order not as a demand, but as an invitation. It is the Stoneheart Horde extending an olive branch to the Young Lord."

He tapped the table near the scroll. "In the Horde, military service is the recognized path to power. It is the fastest, fairest, and most legitimate way to transcend social barriers. The Young Lord is a Giant Prince; he is special, and the eyes of the Horde are upon him."

Lambert didn't need to spell it out. Kronos was the son of Orion, the Giant King. As long as Orion sat on his throne, no faction within the Horde would dare touch a hair on Kronos's head.

The Conscription Order wasn't a death sentence; it was a ladder.

"From what I know of their customs, when a Giant Prince enlists, his personal guard enlists with him," Drustan said. He was the Dual-Blade Knight, a man of martial discipline.

"My Lady, you can dispatch a squad of Guardian Knights to accompany the Young Lord. Whether the Horde formally integrates them or not, their presence establishes a clear line of communication and protection."

Ava's eyes lit up. Drustan's suggestion was brilliant.

Sending a retinue of Soaring Bird City's finest knights with Kronos was a power move. It was a way to support him while simultaneously warning any potential schemers: We are watching.

"My Lady, I believe this is actually a very calculated kindness," Klythia spoke up.

The Shield-Maiden was Ava's right hand. She saw the chessboard clearly.

"Think about it. The Matriarch of the Stoneheart Horde—Lady Lilith—sent her own children here to gain experience. By the laws of the Horde, she holds the right of guardianship over the Young Lord as well. This order almost certainly came from her desk."

Klythia traced a line on the map spread across the table.

"Here is the key: The Young Lord is being sent to the Northern Territory of the Stoneheart Horde. Meanwhile, the two Highnesses—Elara and Pallas—are here in the South, supporting the Human Kingdom."

Klythia looked up, her gaze sharp. "She separated them."

Ava fell into deep thought.

If Kronos, Elara, and Pallas were all sent to the same front, what would happen?

Elara was female and the eldest; she was in a league of her own. But Kronos and Pallas were both Giant Princes. If they fought side-by-side, comparison was inevitable. Comparison bred conflict.

By sending Kronos North, Lilith had given him his own stage. He wouldn't be 'the other Prince' living in Pallas's shadow. He would be the sole Giant Prince on the Northern Front.

"I... I am not her equal," Ava sighed, a mix of relief and humility washing over her.

She realized now that Lilith's arrangement wasn't just about training the children; it was about protecting their dignity.

"My Lady, whether this is a kindness or a test, we must be prepared," Lambert said, steering the conversation back to logistics.

"If he is going to war, we must equip him. We need to provide him with life-saving artifacts and tactical resources. Furthermore, we need to file formal notifications with the High Command of both the Human Kingdom and the Stoneheart Horde."

Lambert was speaking for the city now.

"The Civil War is reigniting. The stage is set. The Human Kingdom, the Stoneheart Horde, the Dragons, the Blood Elves—the Alliance of Four is a complex web of cooperation and competition."

"The younger generation is stepping into the spotlight," Lambert concluded, his tone grave. "The King and the Dragon Lords will likely send their own heirs to the front lines soon. This war isn't just about territory anymore. It's a proving ground for the future rulers of this world."

The reignition of the Civil War didn't just send ripples through the younger generation; it woke the old warlords from their slumber.

Take Aldous, the Ogre Lord, for instance. To him, the scent of war was the scent of opportunity.

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