"Literally, it's an aftermath of fighting with that old pervert too forcefully, so I can't use my power temporarily. But it's not a big issue, it will gradually recover."

"A bit excessive... Your Highness, your rhetorical skills are truly exquisite," Aya's expression seemed off, and these words sounded a bit strange.

Then Tiran noticed that the expression of His Majesty the King was a bit off, with a furrowed brow and pressing his temples with his left hand, as if he had a headache. "Is it a big problem...? Has this matter leaked?"

"Definitely not, even Delua and the others don't know. Only a few of us are aware of it now," Tiran patted her chest. She still had some brains; one could imagine the consequences of a strategic combat unit for a country. In modern terms, it was like a superpower suddenly losing its nuclear arsenal, the outcome was clear.

"That's good," His Majesty the King felt slightly relieved. The current situation was already tense, with several neighboring countries eyeing them, only hesitating due to the Iron Army commanded by the War King and the reputation of the Silver War Maiden.

If news of their country's legendary powerhouse having a problem spread at this time, the fragile balance would immediately be shattered.

"How long will the recovery take? Approximately?" His Majesty the King asked anxiously. He couldn't afford to be funny and playful at such times; his daughter's strength being compromised was a matter concerning national security.

"Uh..." Tiran's expression became awkward when this matter was mentioned. She raised her hand and conjured a small ice-blue spark, "It will take about a week to recover to this extent, but I'm not sure if it will be faster afterwards."

"..." The face of His Majesty the King turned green. By doing a quick calculation, this rhythm seemed to be measured in years! According to their preparations, they would start counterattacking the capital within at most half a year. If foreign powers tried to intervene at that time, it would definitely be a huge trouble!

"Don't be too worried, Dad. Do you see this maid here? Although she looks weak on the surface, she is actually a powerful Golden Dragon, capable of reaching Level Nine in MagicChi. She can handle ordinary opponents well, and can barely hold up against Holy Rank. But I don't think it'll be easy to encounter Holy Rank opponents, right?"

Tiran coughed twice and forcefully pulled Aya's sleeve forward.

"Huh?" Aya had originally planned to hold her daughter and observe from the sidelines. She was caught off guard and stumbled, before regaining her balance with a bewildered expression.

"Is she really a Golden Dragon?" Granzon still remembered this maid who once kicked him in the face. Although he found it strange when the maid suddenly appeared beside his daughter, he never expected her to be a dragon.

"Wait, Tiran, the dragon you killed... was it her?" His Majesty the King suddenly remembered.

"Yes, it was her." Tiran nodded calmly.

His Majesty the King suddenly felt that his expression was a bit underwhelming. What should he say at a time like this? Should he praise her for being formidable, or accuse her of deceiving those naive youngsters who challenged the dragon slayer? However, it was still considered good news.

The final decision was to abandon the plan of having the Silver War Maiden infiltrate the capital and capture Brad, and instead have Tiran temporarily retreat and recuperate at Gilliast Castle. After all, Aya was not a true Holy Rank, and even the fully formed Tiran was inferior. Engaging in a long-distance raid to single-handedly challenge Brad and Heinrich's group of experts in the capital... Aya herself wouldn't agree even if His Majesty the King did.

"Well, Shuma, why don't you go back?" Under the martial law of the city gate of Icanter, Tiran looked at the rows of well-organized Anbu knights in front of him in silence, as well as the female knight at the front. Delua, the chief female attendant by the side of the king, had already returned to her father's side, so why were these Anbu knights still here?

"It is His Majesty's order for Anbu to be responsible for ensuring the safety of His Highness from now on," Shuma said, bowing.

...What's the point of having guards that can slay dragons and Holy Ranks! Father, are you worried that someone will suspect there's something wrong with my powers?!

"Protection is necessary, but it should not be too conspicuous."

"You can rest assured, Your Highness. Covert protection is our specialty."

So, it's time to go home.

"Hey, Aya, your injuries should be almost healed, right? Can you ride?" Tiran asked with a serious expression.

"No, go away," Aya rolled her eyes.

It's not that Aya didn't want Tiran to sit on her, but mainly because Tiran was now no different from an ordinary person. Once they flew into the sky, she would have to allocate a portion of her strength to protect her, which would be a bit tiring for herself, who had just recovered from a major injury.

Just as the convoy was about to leave Icanter, a guard from the military hastily stopped them.

"Your Highness Tiran, there is urgent news from Gilliast Castle."

Aya and Tiran almost simultaneously exchanged glances. What's going on? Hasn't it been one thing after another recently? What could possibly happen at a time like this? Could it be that Hermes or Angel will show up...?!

Heavens...

Heavens...

Damn it! I forgot about Angel! When I first returned to the castle, I hurriedly rushed to Sainz to save Chirp. It seems that Angel let Mimi find a place for her to continue her dormant state. And then... I completely forgot about this matter.

Unfolding the handwritten copy of the magic communication, it seemed that the guess was correct. Miss Angel, who has been unconscious for half a month, finally awakened.

...

The center of the Milanía Kingdom, the capital city of Gusteberd.

The traces left by the coup during the New Year's celebration had been cleared up. Even the city walls that were severed by Angel's sword had been repaired by the unrelenting efforts of the craftsmen, and the magnificent city had finally regained its former grandeur.

But the anxious hearts of the people could not easily recover.

Brad had recently been overwhelmed by various trivial matters. Although his vision of a bright future in his speech after the coup gave hope to the common people and gained some support, the hereditary monarchy in Milanía had existed for a long time, and the concept of royal supremacy had deeply rooted. It was impossible to change it in a short time.

Moreover, he didn't have the energy to do too much construction work. The news of the large army gathering near Icanter had long reached his ears, and now the capital district was making every effort to mobilize troops for defense.

As time went on, none of the reforms promised by Brad had been implemented, but the preparations for war had made the lives of the residents of the capital difficult. Coupled with the worry that the war would reach them, there were already faint voices of opposition in the capital.

Fortunately, there was Heinrich, the Archbishop of the Temple Church, who was able to calm the hearts of the people – no, to soothe their hearts, with impressive results. It was thanks to this Archbishop and the holy knight order that those dissenters were kept in check.

"But such an effect cannot be maintained for long."

Heinrich stood in front of Brad's desk, furrowing his brow, "Once war breaks out, people's hearts will inevitably turn to the War King... We are at an absolute disadvantage in terms of both military strength and public support... We are using one city's power to resist an entire nation."

"It's not so bad if it's just the army. Father will need to maintain the security of the borders and can't possibly use all his forces against us. The total force he can spare is already limited to four corps, and we have the elite holy knight brigade and Iron Wall Battalion. The capital city can hold up against the enemy for a short time, but the main problem is..."

"Prince Tiran, isn't it?" Heinrich sighed bitterly.

He had always thought that the second princess, Tiran, was not ordinary, but he never expected her to cause them such great trouble. Angel still hadn't returned, but news of Tiran slaying a Holy Rank in the Sainz Kingdom had spread. Taking those two pieces of information together... the fiery Angel Seraph probably had already been taken care of as well.

Both Brad and Heinrich witnessed the power of the Holy Rank on the day of the coup. Under such terrifying power, even the top-tier defensive formation of the capital city was just like paper. No matter how much effort they put in, it would be futile.

"Speaking of which, Hussein should be back soon, right?"

"Hussein?" Brad also remembered the knight commander sent to the capital city by Heinrich not long ago.

"Yes, if everything goes well, he will bring good news back. Under the Pope's authority, we should receive strong assistance in this matter."

"Strong assistance?" Brad's expression darkened. Assistance from the Church... Last time they tried to summon Angel to attempt to kill Tiran, and this time it probably won't be any gentle method either.

"Prince Brad, don't forget your dreams. To achieve anything, sacrifices must be made. Besides, I don't have much confidence in taking down Prince Tiran either." Heinrich smiled bitterly.

"What kind of method is it? Can it be more powerful than Angel?" Brad was pricked in his heart, but still managed to ask calmly.

"Although Angel is powerful, she is still facing humans after all. Pure strength doesn't always work. And the person who will act this time, hasn't the prince heard of him?"

"It's not that guy, is it?" Brad raised an eyebrow, remembering the child who was with Heinrich before.

"The judge of the Judiciary, codenamed 'the Gardener'."