The young man, like his sister, possessed outstanding looks, with his handsome appearance paired with pale golden long hair, naturally exuding a noble aura.

"Count, calm down. The Empire is already taking risky moves, and both our families know how much effort we have expended to ride the wave of its rise."

Once the Apostle left, Wendes no longer hid the expression on his face, letting out a sinister laugh: "The Empire? An old thing from centuries ago. Have you gone to the Demon Disaster Realm, or to the Airspace Boundary? Have you seen what the Celestial Group is fighting against?

"Thinking of unifying the Ignis Sky Realm, daring to challenge the Guild, you think you're invincible just by pulling in a couple of Excellence Realm combat forces?"

The Count replied, "Since you believe the power of the Sky Knights surpasses that of the local lords, why haven't you established reliable relationships among them?

The middle-aged lord pointed towards the direction of the port, "While I was building momentum for you, you were trampled from the skies to the ground. After being captured by the Order Flame Corps, I kept hearing your angry curses towards the Sky Knight involved, wasn't his name Li Ang? Since you were former comrades, why didn't you establish a connection with him?"

After the Count finished speaking, Dorothy suddenly grabbed Li Ang's arm, her watery eyes opened wide, pointing at him with one finger while keeping her mouth shut, afraid to alert those inside the room.

"You, you were once also part of that First Corps, were you hiding it all along to watch me make a fool of myself?"

"Not anymore, and even if I was, there's no need to constantly talk about it. I am more concerned with the future."

"The future." Dorothy pondered, looking at her palm, gradually clenching it.

The Soul Apex rose to first place, yet Dorothy was unaware of its members, which was quite normal.

The Guild's rules allowed each corps to choose whether to disclose their members, and leaders like Rams definitely wouldn't make this public. It was only upon reaching first place this time that he chose to reveal it to expand the team's reputation.

For most Nebis residents, Sky Knights were distant figures, irrelevant whether you belonged to a Celestial Group or a Terrestrial Group.

For ordinary Sky Knights, the affairs between Celestial Groups were less interesting than the gossip that had been passed through several hands.

Only those with some degree of power would pay attention to who belonged to which groups on the list, using various anecdotes heard daily to judge the real situation in the sky, as this intertwined with their own social circles.

Day after day, Dorothy repeated her paperwork or hid in her room, rarely coming across news.

Wendes exhaled unhappily: "Of course, I have to please the leader, didn't you say the same? Li Ang and the leader didn't get along, who would have known that bastard... who would've known he had something to offer, his previous contributions were always timely, I truly didn't notice."

The Count said, "This is the result of being too young and not knowing how to keep a backup plan, offending others without figuring out their backgrounds first. It's because of your lack of understanding in maintaining relationships that you are in an awkward situation now."

"Ah, Count Feinat, calm down, no one desired for this to happen." Dorothy's second brother spoke up.

"Don't pretend."

Wendes looked down at Elton, his chin lifted, as he was notably taller due to being a Tier Six warrior-class professional.

"The old man scolded me on purpose, mainly to show you. He's worried that because of my situation, the Campbell Family, which originally had requests from us, might act arrogantly instead.

"I suggest you don't pin too much hope on annexing the Empire, collaborating to nurture a couple of High-tier Sky Knights could be more vital, or establishing cooperative relationships with powerful teams. You have no idea how much stronger the combined force of high-tier Sky Knights can be!

"As for me, Campbell already had requests from us before sending your sister over. Yes, she's extraordinarily beautiful, but always with a sour face, not at all charming, I might not even fancy her."

Li Ang heard Dorothy beside him let out a small laugh, she was now back to the noble demeanor she had when they first met.

"Don't misunderstand, Wendes brother." Elton raised his hand to display a non-aggressive stance: "I would never develop any intentions over an accident."

Elton nodded at Count Feinat: "As rulers of the island, both our families are well aware of the challenges and strength of the Sky Knights. Seeking cooperation was to avoid being at the mercy of their whims in the first place."

The Count said, "Wendes, if you truly could bring a top Sky Cavalry's force, then everything of the Feinat Family would be at your disposal, your elder brother would stand aside, but evidently, you cannot."

"The tales of the Demon Disaster Realm are too remote for us, the ruling class of mortals, I also have no idea how top Sky Cavalry fight, hence we must cultivate ourselves.

Li Ang agreed with the Count's words, Wendes presumed he had witnessed the pinnacle view and already surpassed his family, but he didn't comprehend the Soul Apex leader.

Rams clearly knew who was useful and who wasn't, yet his principle was: those useful to him were useful, those who weren't, weren't.

In the past, Wendes brought him money, while Li Ang restrained his use of the team for personal gain.

Now, Wendes's situation would bring trouble to Rams, hence the Count's older generation valued firm foundational roots in their thinking.

Li Ang felt that personal interests weren't as crucial because in this world, though an individual cannot unify the world's power unto oneself, a group of well-coordinated strong individuals can establish a team that frees them from the bondage of common life.

Count Feinat looked directly at his son.

"Wendes, do you think as rulers we wouldn't understand the power Sky Knights possess?

"Their Guild puts on airs, claiming 'for order, for Nebis,' demands we treat our people well, and prohibit us from using force arbitrarily. You dare not deviate from their rules, and that is a form of oppression on us.

"In the three hundred years since the Guild's formation, the average strength of these Sky Knights has increased, moving freely among the islands of Ignis Sky Realm as if it's their backyard.

"The title of 'Knight' sounds pleasant, but before the Guild's existence, they were little more than stray dogs fighting over scraps, homeless adventurers!"

The Half Elf youth spoke up: "Our Campbell can utilize the climate of Elf Island to tame Demons, establishing a Demon Cavalry army, but the main trade of Demons still lies with Giant Garden.

"While the Feinat Family is located on a trade artery, with insufficient military power and ever-growing Sky Knights, they're overly bound by Guild regulations, restraining them from deciding who to favor or restrict.

"This time, the Empire has gained a completely different power; using the Empire's rise, we can mutually bridge deficiencies and elevate our mortal kingdom another notch."

Elton nodded to the Count: "Let's discuss the terms of our cooperation and tomorrow's engagement ceremony."

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