At the same time, in the distant human world, the Atlan Third Empire is experiencing unprecedented turmoil and change.
The heart of the empire, the Atlan Third Empire Capital, its former prosperity and order are shrouded in a thick haze.
Under the golden dome symbolizing royal power, grief, suspicion, and an indescribable restlessness permeate the air.
Just three days ago, the Old King, deeply loved or feared by his people, unexpectedly passed away in his sleep.
No clear will was left, no omens, like a candle suddenly extinguished, dragging the entire empire’s future into a dark mist.
To make matters worse, the two princesses most likely to inherit the throne—the calm and wise eldest princess Isofe, and the brave second princess Cecilia, who held high prestige in the military—both went missing around the time of the King’s death.
Some say they secretly left the capital when the King was critically ill to seek outside help; some say they met with misfortune, victims of court intrigue; still others vaguely point fingers at the usually taciturn third princess, who was neglected since childhood and almost never participated in politics—Vivia.
Princess Vivia, aged seventeen, is the Old King’s youngest daughter.
In everyone’s impression, she was like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, pale, slender, neglected from a young age, and showing no interest in power struggles.
Her only hobby seemed to be flipping through old papers in the Royal Library.
According to rumors, Vivia once had a relationship with a certain maid, but unfortunately, no one knows the truth of this matter, and in the end, it could only be left at that.
Such a seemingly weak and harmless girl, at such a turbulent moment, became the only “legitimate” successor in the empire’s power vacuum.
Before the Old King’s funeral had even fully concluded, surrounded by a group of ministers eager to stabilize the situation and harboring their own schemes, Princess Vivia ascended the throne of the Kingdom of Esonia at an unexpected speed, becoming the youngest Queen in the history of the Atlan Third Empire.
The coronation was hasty and solemn.
Vivia wore the heavy Purple-gold Royal Robe and the Diamond Crown symbolizing supreme power, standing alone before the towering throne, receiving the worship of the officials.
Her face was still pale, her body trembling slightly, seemingly unable to bear this sudden burden.
However, when she looked up and scanned the faces below—some fearful, some suspicious, some with hidden sarcasm—those eyes that used to be clear as a stream flickered with a light completely different from her age and past image—a flame mixed with fear, determination, and an imperceptible frenzy.
“My subjects,” Her voice was not loud, but it spread clearly throughout the hall via the Magic Amplifier, with a hint of lingering youthfulness yet exceptionally firm, “The Father King has passed away, my two elder sisters… are missing, and the country is in a time of peril. But I, Vivia Esonia, will inherit my father’s legacy, protect our home, and lead the Atlan Third Empire to new glory!” Her words were powerful, temporarily suppressing the whispers in the hall.
Three days after the coronation, the new Queen Vivia summoned the first imperial military council.
Most of the generals present were veterans who had followed the Old King through various battles, and they were full of doubts about this young Queen.
They originally thought the new Queen would first focus on rectifying internal affairs, appeasing the people, and searching for the missing princesses.
However, Queen Vivia’s first decree was like a thunderclap exploding in the hall of the military council.
“Pass my command,” Vivia sat on the cold throne, her fingers tightly clutching the armrests, her knuckles turning white from the force, but her voice was exceptionally calm, even carrying a hint of unquestionable frenzy, “National mobilization! Assemble all available forces, including reserves and border guards, to form the ‘Army of Vengeance’! Target—the Demon King City!”
“What?!”
“Your Majesty, you mustn’t!”
“The Old King’s remains are not yet cold, and the internal situation is unstable. It’s not appropriate to start a war now!”
“Demon King Isayate’s strength is unfathomable. Our last northern expedition…”
Voices of opposition flooded in like a tide. The generals looked at each other, staring in disbelief at their new Queen. Attacking the Demon King City?
The idea was simply insane!
The last large-scale struggle ended in a disastrous defeat for the imperial army, with heavy losses and vitality greatly damaged.
Even the ashes of “the 100th Hero” were not found, and even the Church of Holy Light was fragmented. Furthermore, the Elves and Goblins had already publicly supported the Demon King, and their army has yet to fully recover.
Now, with the King newly deceased and the two princesses missing, and the people in a state of panic, actively provoking a war at this time is no different from seeking self-destruction!
“Enough!”
Vivia slammed the armrest of the throne and stood up.
She was not tall, but the aura she emitted at this moment caused the noisy hall to fall silent instantly.
“The Father King’s ‘accidental’ death, the ‘mysterious’ disappearance of my two sisters, can’t you see it clearly yet?”
Her voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost hysterical excitement, “All of this is a conspiracy by that wicked Demon Queen Isayate! It was she who used Dark Magic to curse my father! It was she who kidnapped my sisters! She fears the strength of our empire and attempts to destroy us completely when we are at our weakest!”
These words were baseless, full of imagination and incitement, but in the Atlan Third Empire, where people were currently in panic and in desperate need of a vent and a common enemy, they were like a bolt of lightning, striking the fear and anger deep in many people’s hearts.
“We cannot sit and wait for death!”
Vivia’s gaze was like a sharp sword, sweeping across every general, “For the soul of my Father King in heaven! For my missing sisters! For the glory of Esonia! For the survival of humanity! We must take the initiative to attack, bring the war to the Gloomy Forest, destroy the Demon King City, and cut out that evil root!”
Her words were full of charisma, a morbid passion burning in her eyes.
“I know what you are worried about! I know the failure of the last war! But this time, it’s different!”
Vivia took out a peculiar crystal shimmering with a ghostly blue light from her bosom and held it high, “I found power from the Gravekeeper! This is a ‘Holy Relic’ left by our ancestors, it will guide us and purify the darkness! Victory will surely belong to our Atlan Third Empire!”
The generals looked at that nonsensical “Holy Relic” and then at the Queen’s almost frenzied eyes, their hearts filled with doubt.
But the chaos of the Old King’s death and the lack of a leader, combined with the nationalist sentiment and flames of revenge skillfully incited by Vivia’s words, made it difficult for them to resist completely.
Moreover, the new Queen had already ascended the throne, and the monarch’s command was as heavy as a mountain.
Some generals who were naturally warlike or wanted to take the opportunity to gain military merit and consolidate their positions began to publicly express support.
“Your Majesty is wise!”
“We are willing to serve Your Majesty like dogs and horses to crusade against the Demon King!”
Supportive voices gradually drowned out the opposition.
Under a strange atmosphere, the decree to attack the Demon King City was finally forced through.
Once the war machine started, it showed amazing efficiency.
Large numbers of the empire’s young men were conscripted, and weapons and grain were gathered from all over the country to the border.
The propaganda machine also went into full gear, depicting the Demon Queen Isayate as a heinous murderer and the greatest threat to human civilization.
The entire country was immersed in a frenzied atmosphere of war.
Queen Vivia appeared frequently at army assembly points, inspiring morale with her passionate speeches.
Her pale face always carried a morbid flush, as if she were full of anticipation for the upcoming bloody slaughter.
Half a month later, a massive army composed of 50,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry, and thousands of archers and mages, known as the “Holy Light Revenge Army,” grandly crossed the border after Queen Vivia personally (symbolically) presented the flag, heading towards the legendary and terrifying Gloomy Forest.
This army was large in number and well-equipped, but it was filled with many new recruits lacking combat experience, and the command system appeared chaotic due to its hasty formation.
More importantly, their commander, the young Queen, knew nothing about the geography of the Gloomy Forest or the true strength of the Demon King’s army.
What she relied on was only the ethereal “Holy Relic” and blind belief in revenge.
At the border of the Gloomy Forest, they encountered almost no decent resistance.
This made the imperial army even more arrogant and made Queen Vivia, far away in the royal capital, even more convinced of her “correctness.”
They drove straight in and soon arrived at the plain outside the Demon King City that had witnessed countless slaughters.
After crossing the Wraith River, they arrived at the Demon King City…
On the nearby city walls, black flags fluttered in the wind, bearing the blood-red iris emblem representing the Demon Queen Isayate.
However, unlike the imperial army’s expectation of being ready for battle, the gates of the Demon King City were tightly closed, and few guards could be seen on the walls, making it exceptionally quiet, even somewhat… empty.
“The Demon King’s army is afraid! They are guilty!” Such shouts rang out in the army.
Under the command of the frontline commander, the imperial army began a fierce assault.
Catapults threw boulders at the walls, archers fired a sky full of arrows, mages chanted offensive spells, and infantry carried scaling ladders, charging madly toward the towering walls.
A shocking scene occurred.
Those seemingly solid obsidian walls actually showed huge cracks under the imperial army’s not-so-top-tier attacks, as if they were made of paper! The scattered guards on the walls also appeared vulnerable and were quickly eliminated.
“It’s broken! The wall is broken!”
“Charge! Kill our way into the Demon King City and capture the Demon Queen alive!”
Huge surprise clouded the minds of the imperial soldiers.
They cheered and roared, rushing like a tide through the “easily” breached gates of the Demon King City.
News of the frontline victory was sent back to the Atlan Third Empire Capital at the fastest speed.
Queen Vivia stood on the balcony of the palace, looking toward the Demon Realm, tightly clutching that ghostly blue crystal in her hand, a smile of victory appearing on her face.
“I knew it, victory belongs to me… belongs to the empire! As long as the Demon King City is taken… I can find you too…”
She murmured to herself, the frenzied light in her eyes growing even brighter.