Yulec Yuno, the captain of the gatekeepers who defend the holy city of Torra, was walking along the castle wall to check the status early in the morning. The Imperial Capital had never been threatened since the start of the Eternal Rule, but now was not the time to be immersed in such complacency.

Even Captain Pavan Peltere of the Order of the Capital, Yulec’s distant superior, was on edge these days and urged him to stay on his guard at all times. It was the first time that Yulec had seen Captain Pavan Peltere on edge like this ever since he joined the Imperial Army.

As was usually the case in the military, the worse the mood of the superiors, the more sensitive the subordinates would become as well. The subordinates of the Imperial Army were also aware that the situation of the empire was quite unusual these days.

‘I can’t believe that His Majesty is returning.’

Yulec shook his head unconsciously. The fact that His Majesty was returning felt so unreal that people had made a saying in areas that were distant from the capital: ‘the emperor will jump to his feet.’ There were even people making shallow jokes on the periphery of the empire. Most citizens of the empire were already accustomed to an emperor who sat on his throne in complete silence. For this reason, most ordinary people like Yulec were concerned that the empire might fall into chaos when the emperor returned.

“Yulec!”

Yulec heard someone call out his name from behind—It was Tyr, Yulec’s...