The Sovereign System.

"Lhair?! What nonsense are you spouting?" Minister Chao shot up from his seat, his pale complexion turning a furious shade of red. "I have never heard anything more preposterous in my life!"

He wasn't alone in his disbelief—every face in the room mirrored his shock. Even Kayson, the one who trusted Luke the most, flashed him a worried look.

"Luke, was it?" Viscount Diego spoke, his tone measured yet skeptical. "While I acknowledge your merits on the battlefield, do you realize just how outlandish your claim is? We are in the eastern region of the Marxx Kingdom. Lhair is stationed on our western border—nearly three hundred miles away. Even if they somehow crossed both the Yellow and Maxis Rivers undetected, the journey alone would take over twenty days."

The two masters in the room exchanged glances before nodding in agreement, and murmurs of assent followed from others. As expected, Luke's deduction was not well received—mostly because they lacked the information he possessed.

Luke remained unfazed. Now was not the time to be cowed. "I do not expect you to believe me right away." His voice was steady, his gaze unwavering.

"This is madness! Are you sure you weren't struck in the head by the assassins?" Minister Chao's shrill, grating voice cut through the air like a crow's caw.

Luke ignored the buffoon and addressed the room with a grave tone. "I have reason to believe that Lhair has already infiltrated the Marxx Kingdom—perhaps as far east as Valand City." He let that sink in before continuing. "I believe Viscount Nero's death was not just an unfortunate event, but a premeditated attack to install William Nox as a puppet ruler."

A ripple of unease spread across the council members.

"During our visit to the city to request reinforcements, William Nox was openly hostile toward us. He made no effort to hide his disdain for the noble class."

Luke caught the flicker of movement—Minister Chao opening his mouth to interject—but he raised a hand, silencing him. The act alone was a blatant challenge to the man who served as the King's proxy, but Luke didn't care about formalities right now. If he was right, they had dangerously little time left.

"We saw men within Valand City who did not seem to take orders from the City Lord. Though they wore our army's colors, they moved independently, almost like a separate faction." He locked eyes with each person present before moving onto his next piece of evidence. "Had that been the extent of it, I might have merely found it suspicious. But there's more."

Luke took a breath, steadying himself.

"Among our reinforcements was a man named Pierce—a Captain of the Valand City Lord's infantry. That same man faked his death on the battlefield, only to reappear two days later as one of the assassins who tried to kill us on our way back to Clayton City."

Silence blanketed the room.

Luke had chosen his words carefully, ensuring there was no room for doubt. If they dismissed him now, the city would fall before they even realized their mistake.

Master Gale, always the pragmatist, was the first to break the silence. His fingers idly brushed through his long beard as he mulled over the information.

"So you believe this Pierce was a spy from Lhair?" he asked, voice calm but sharp. "While this certainly raises questions about Valand City, I fail to see how it proves an imminent attack."

Luke met the Master's gaze.

"The assassins who ambushed us bore an unsettling resemblance to those who attacked the Academy three weeks ago. Their weapons, their formations—even their attire was the same." His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.

"So you're suggesting that Lhair orchestrated the assassinations along the eastern border of our kingdom?" The City Lord's voice was calm, yet laced with the weight of his authority. "That is a steep claim, Luke Drakon."

Across the room, Kayson sat frozen, staring at Luke in shock. Luke felt a pang of guilt—he hadn't discussed any of this with him beforehand. But there was no turning back now. He could only hope for forgiveness later.

"I have had enough of this rabble!" Minister Chao slammed the table, though the weak impact barely made a sound. His expression contorted with rage. "Guards! Remove this imbecile at once. Under my authority, he will receive twenty lashes for his folly, and a further twenty for his abhorrent behavior toward the King's proxy!"

At once, the guards stationed at the edge of the room stepped forward, reaching for Luke's arms.

Before they could seize him, Kayson abruptly rose from his seat, stepping between Luke and the approaching guards. "You'll have to go through me first." His voice was raw, like steel grinding against stone.

"Viscount Diego! What is the meaning of this?!" Minister Chao sputtered, his face twisting in disbelief, looking like a child on the verge of a tantrum.

"Kayson, sit down at once!" The Viscount roared.

However, Kayson did not move an inch, wordlessly answering his father's order with defiance.

The tension in the room reached its peak, an unspoken battle of wills holding everyone in place. Luke's heart pounded. He had yet to convince anyone, and he knew that pressing further in this moment might only worsen his chances.

His gaze swept the room, searching desperately for a sign—some flicker of belief in someone's eyes. But all he saw were skeptical expressions. Only the two Masters remained deep in thought, seemingly unaffected by the heated exchange around them.

'Please… Say something, anything.' Luke pleaded in his heart, his eyes locked onto the two men.

Then, at last, a voice broke the silence.

"Young Kayson…" Master Boyd's deep, resonant voice cut through the tension like a blade. "In your earlier report, you stated that fewer than ten thousand men were stationed at Xiu Fortress."

The entire room turned toward him.

"Y-Yes," Kayson replied, caught off guard. "Five thousand met us in the field to delay our approach, while only three thousand remained to man the walls when we laid siege."

Master Boyd nodded slowly. "It would be foolish to leave the fortress so undermanned after sending out assassins, wouldn't you agree?"

Minister Chao's face twisted in outrage. "What?! You're actually entertaining this boy's nonsense?" His voice was sharp with disbelief.

Master Boyd's tone remained cold and unyielding. "I am merely examining the facts, Minister. If we consider this from an outsider's perspective, such an action does not make sense. The Qin Empire not only lost Xiu Fortress, but they're also being pushed further into their own territory by our forces in the south. By all accounts, they were caught off guard by our attacks."

Luke clenched his fists under the table, his pulse racing. 'Yes, yes!' Finally, someone was thinking rationally. He had never heard the large man speak so much in one sitting, but he wasn't about to complain.

Viscount Diego, who had remained silent until now, exhaled thoughtfully, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest of his chair. "And this would be almost impossible if they were the ones behind the assassinations…" His voice trailed off as he processed the implications.

The realization was settling in. Doubt was taking root in their minds.

Luke seized the moment.

"Who stands to gain the most from our armies being occupied in the east?"

"It is undoubtedly Lhair."

This time, it was Master Gale who spoke, rising from his chair. His calm, measured voice cut through the tension like a blade. "You two, return to your posts. Young Luke will not be receiving any lashes at this time."

The two guards hesitated, exchanging glances before looking toward the City Lord for confirmation. Only when the man gave a solemn nod did they comply, retreating to their positions at the corners of the room.

"M-Master Gale, this is absurd!" Minister Chao sputtered, his face so red it looked as though it might set the room ablaze. Judging by his aghast expression, it was clear he had never been dismissed so openly before.

Luke felt a quiet satisfaction at watching the pompous fool be put in his place yet again. Out of everyone in the room, Minister Chao was the one spouting nonsense, yet he was too blind to see it.

Master Gale remained unfazed. "Minister Chao, this concerns the safety and well-being of the entire Marxx Kingdom. If you cannot swallow your pride for the sake of your King and his people, then I would ask you to leave at once." He gestured toward the door with a steady hand.

The skinny man stammered, his lips parting as if to retort—but no words came. After a few tense moments, he slumped back into his chair, defeated. His glare burned into Luke, as if blaming him for his humiliation.

Luke ignored him. Nothing good would come from entertaining this dunce in the discussion.

"If we assume that Valand City is already under Lhair's control, then their next target will be Clayton City." Luke's tone was firm as he laid out his reasoning. "I believe their plan was to force Viscount Diego to send his remaining forces to aid in the recapture of Xiu Fortress after losing contact with the army. Once those men were deployed, the city would be left defenseless."

A heavy silence fell over the room. The weight of Luke's words settled over them like an oppressive storm cloud. Viscount Diego's expression darkened, his brow furrowed in deep concern.

Luke wasn't surprised. Had they arrived any later, these men would have walked straight into the enemy's trap.

The City Lord finally spoke, his voice slow and measured. "I still find it difficult to believe that a force large enough to besiege Clayton City could make its way here from Lhair. As I said before, they would need to cross both the Yellow and Maxis Rivers undetected."

He wasn't rejecting the claim outright—but he wasn't convinced yet either.

Luke gave a small nod. "Now that we've come this far, what's another piece of shocking news to add to the pile?"

He took a breath before continuing.

"The Yellow River can be crossed at the bridge near the City of Farrow. If Lhair has already infiltrated as far as Valand City, I fear that Farrow has already fallen."

The air in the room grew even heavier, tension thickening like a storm on the horizon.

Luke cast a glance at Minister Chao, half-expecting the man to explode in another fit of denial. Instead, the Minister sat stiffly, his glare unwavering.

Luke smothered his amusement before pressing on. "Once they cross the bridge, they would cut east through the forest and reach the Maxis River. Since we haven't had rain for months, the water level is likely low enough to cross without issue. Even at its peak, the river's mouth is only about four hundred feet wide."

Minister Chao finally found his voice, his words sharp and venomous.

"You seem to have an answer for everything. I find that quite suspicious."

Luke turned to the minister with a soft smile. "Whatever could you be suggesting, esteemed Minister? Could it be that you are questioning my loyalty to the King?" His voice was light, but his gaze was sharp as he studied the man's features.

He didn't wait for a response, pressing forward. "Because from where I stand, the only one opposed to preparing defenses for a potential siege is you, Minister Chao. Some might find that rather… suspicious."

"P-P-Preposterous!" The minister shot up from his chair, his bony finger trembling as it pointed at Luke. "How dare you insinuate such a thing?!" Spittle flew from his mouth in his outrage.

"That is quite enough." The City Lord's voice cut through the tension, his fingers rubbing at his temples as if warding off a headache. "Minister, unless you have something of actual value to contribute, I ask that you remain a spectator to this discussion." His tone was laced with exhaustion.

He then turned to Luke, regarding him with an appraising look. "Luke Drakon, let's stay on topic."

"Yes, City Lord." Luke inclined his head respectfully.

Minister Chao, on the other hand, let out a sharp harrumph before sinking back into his seat, his face still twisted in indignation. Luke barely suppressed his amusement.

Master Gale was the next to speak, his fingers still wrapped around his beard. "While not entirely without fault, your deductions hold merit, Luke. I believe it would be prudent to prepare for the worst. We should lock the city down and dispatch scouts to the west to report any suspicious movements or enemy sightings."

He turned to the City Lord. "What say you?"

A heavy silence followed as the City Lord pondered the question. Then, after a few moments, he nodded. "The idea of fighting a war on two fronts is terrifying, but ignoring a potential threat would be idiotic. We would be playing directly into the enemy's hands." His gaze swept across the room. "All those in favor?"

A quick scan of those around the room was all it took—all those present had their hands raised.

Luke finally let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Relief washed over him. They had listened.

And then—

[DING]

'Huh?' Luke stiffened.

'The system?'