Zisen Starfield, heart of the Sacred Empire.

"Your Highness, please relocate to the secure bunker at once!"

"Leave things here to us!"

The commander of the Imperial Guard, Robert, bowed deeply toward Lilith, his expression unusually grave.

Right now, his heart was filled with tension and anxiety.

No one in the imperial upper ranks had anticipated that the enemy would choose to attack from the one direction they had always considered absolutely secure.

The defensive line guarded by the First God of War, Ilson, had been torn open directly!

A powerful void devourer army was now driving straight in, pushing deep toward the empire's heartland.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of the empire's elite forces had already been deployed to the frontline battlefield in the Unknown Land.

Aside from a handful of civil and logistical officials, the only group that could truly be counted as a fighting force in the capital… was basically Robert's Imperial Guard.

Hearing his plea, Lilith stood calmly atop the towering city wall, her gaze cast toward the distant starry sky.

Out there, a dreadful aura that made one's heart tremble was surging closer at an alarming speed.

The time left to them was rapidly running out.

"If they dare to come," she said quietly,

"then let them sleep forever here."

Her light tone carried a kind of unwavering resolve.

Robert was momentarily at a loss for words.

After a brief silence, he still felt he had to make this princess face reality.

"Your Highness, frontline reports confirm that the void devourers are extremely powerful."

"The enemy force heading our way now far exceeds the strength of the troops we have available to defend the capital."

"Forgive my bluntness, but… I fear we won't be able to hold for long. The best strategy at this moment is to request immediate aid from Her Majesty!"

Having said this, Robert let out a subtle breath, believing that the princess should now grasp the severity of the situation.

"Distant waters cannot put out a nearby fire," Lilith replied.

"We won't be able to wait for them to return in time."

"But, Your Highness…"

"There's no need to say more. I have my own plan."

Lilith's tone allowed no room for argument.

Seeing that resolute look on her face, Robert opened his mouth, but in the end all that came out was a helpless sigh.

All he could do now was pray that Her Majesty could end the battle at the front lines quickly and return to reinforce the imperial capital.

At that moment, Fiona poked her head out from Lilith's sleeve.

Her core mission was to protect Lilith, so she too had remained behind instead of going to the front.

She leaned closer and whispered a few words to Lilith.

A spark of light instantly flashed through Lilith's eyes.

"Attend me!"

The next moment—

Space beside her rippled, and an elderly man in a plain long robe stepped out slowly from the void.

"Your Highness."

The old man bowed low.

Seeing him, both Lilith and Fiona called out in surprise:

"Lord Lucio!"

This was none other than Lucio, the sage who had long served by Empress Hathaway's side.

His sudden appearance surprised everyone nearby, including Robert.

None of them had imagined that this unfathomable wise man had also remained in the capital.

That's great!

With Lord Lucio here, surely he would be able to persuade the princess to adopt a more cautious strategy.

Hope rekindled in Robert's heart, and he looked at Lucio with expectation.

Lucio, however, simply turned toward Lilith and bowed once more.

"Your Highness, by Her Majesty's secret order, I remained hidden in the imperial capital to assist you."

"If you have any instructions, you need only command me."

Hearing this, Lilith was briefly taken aback, and a gentle warmth surged through her heart.

So her mother had already made arrangements for her long ago.

At the side, Robert's hopeful smile froze completely.

How could this be…? At a time like this, shouldn't you be talking some sense into her?!

"Lord Lucio," Lilith spoke,

"If I recall correctly, during the empire's campaigns to conquer various starfields and factions, we actually accepted and preserved quite a number of forces that chose to submit, didn't we?"

Lucio nodded.

"Your Highness remembers correctly. Though the empire waged conquest, our methods were never purely about destruction."

"So long as they sincerely submitted and ceased all resistance, most were allowed to keep their lives and even retain a measure of autonomy."

"There were also some powers that refused to bow, who were instead imprisoned and placed under tight supervision…"

His gaze shifted slightly.

"Your Highness, are you suggesting that—"

A smile lifted the corner of Lilith's lips.

"Just as you say, with foreign races invading and threatening the entire known world, it's about time those powers that now fall under the empire's banner contributed their strength to defend our shared home."

Lucio fell into brief contemplation, a thoughtful light flickering in his deep eyes.

"This approach indeed has its value. Among the beings currently imprisoned in the Zisen Sacred Empire's Divine Prison, some are strong enough that Her Majesty herself had to personally act in order to suppress them."

"However, persuading them to fight for the empire… will not be easy."

Lilith waved her hand lightly, unconcerned, her star-like eyes brimming with confidence.

"Please take me directly to the Divine Prison, Lord Lucio. Leave the rest to me."

Lucio hesitated for a moment, then chose to trust her.

Just as he had once chosen to follow Hathaway.

People like this—those born extraordinary—always came up with ideas that others could not understand, and went on to accomplish things others could never achieve.

That, after all, was the very nature of those who stood tall beneath the starry sky.

Soon after, the group headed toward the Divine Prison, leaving Robert alone atop the wall.

He watched their departing figures, his expression a little lost.

…

A short while later, they arrived at the Divine Prison.

The guards here were surprisingly sparse.

The place was so quiet it felt more like an ancient site forgotten by time than a fortress confining numerous powerful beings.

"Greetings, Your Highness. Greetings, Lord Lucio."

The warden hurried forward to bow respectfully.

The two nodded slightly and walked straight into the depths of the Divine Prison.

At this moment, Fiona moved to block the warden's path, releasing an unmistakable dragon's pressure.

"Hey, are you pretending I don't exist?"

The warden froze for a second at the sight of her, then quickly plastered on a flattering smile.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Lady Fiona's renowned name echoes even within this Divine Prison…"

Fiona's mood clearly lifted at his flattery.

She raised her chin elegantly.

"Hmm… Not bad. You have a good eye."

"I'd say you're a bit wasted just guarding this prison."

The warden chuckled humbly in response.

"Your praise is too great, my lady. I'm used to my life here and have no great ambitions."

Fiona blinked, slightly surprised, and chose not to press the matter. She turned and walked into the Divine Prison.

She had been ready to do him a small favor if he wished it, but since he had no such desire, she wouldn't push him.

Watching Fiona's back, the warden shook his head slightly, then hurried after them.

After all, this position was something he had painstakingly requested.

It was leisurely and relatively free of danger.

He had already decided this would be where he spent the rest of his life.

Even if someone offered him the role of Imperial Prime Minister, he wouldn't take it—

this was his final destination.

Inside the Divine Prison—

Fiona soon caught up to Lilith and Lucio.

"Hmm? Fiona, what were you doing just now?" Lilith asked.

"Ahaha, nothing much, my lady. How are things going on your side?"

Fiona chuckled, dodging the question.

Lilith withdrew her gaze and pointed toward a nearby cell.

Inside that dim cell, thick, rune-engraved chains tightly bound a middle-aged man from head to toe.

The sealing power emanating from those chains was so dense it was almost tangible, silently proclaiming how dangerous this prisoner was.

"I think this one looks promising."

"You there!"

The warden hurried over at once.

"Your Highness, what are your orders?"

Lilith pointed toward the cell.

"Open it. I want to have a talk with him."

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