After Simon finishes reporting on the Lord Iron Guards’ status, Henwell pats the young man on the shoulder.

  “Simon, many don’t realize this, but your talent surpasses mine. You’re only twenty-three and already a Grand Knight. Someone like you would be scrambled by kings across nations as a royal consort. Having you as my chief guard is truly an underuse of your abilities!”

  Simon quickly responds, “Sir, all my achievements come from your guidance. Without you, I’d be nothing right now!”

  Henwell ughs, “Haha… don’t be so modest. I mean every word. You’ve been with me for years, but if you stay any longer, it’ll hold back your growth. You deserve a broader stage to fully showcase your talents.”

  “You know I’ve always commanded the First Cavalry Battle Group, now the First Cavalry Legion. My energy is limited, and until now, I haven’t found the right person for this role. You’ve learned the most by sticking with me. After numerous battles, you’ve become a capable commander.”

  “I’m preparing to transfer you to lead the First Battle Group of the Cavalry Legion. I want you to grow quickly and get a clear handle on the legion’s affairs. Eventually, you’ll become the cavalry legion commander.”

  Simon kneels and salutes, “Sir, I only want to stay by your side!”

  Henwell pulls him up, “Enough! This is an order. After you finish your st shift, hand over your duties before the end of the year, after my wedding, and report to the Cavalry Legion.”

  Simon’s eyes water as he looks at Henwell. He truly hates leaving the Lord Iron Guards.

  Over these years, Henwell has practically raised him from scratch.

  From combat techniques to training methods, Henwell personally guided him.

  Not to mention all the other knowledge—from military matters to governance, Henwell taught him with care.

  As Henwell’s chief guard, Simon knows more secrets than even Chick from intelligence.

  Though they’re close in age, Simon always regards Henwell as his master.

  For this mentor, father figure, brother, and superior all in one, Simon holds deep respect.

  Now, being forced to leave the Lord Iron Guards and Henwell’s side fills him with reluctance.

  But he understands Henwell’s workload is immense, making it impossible to manage the cavalry legion personally.

  When it was still a battle group, Henwell could double as commander.

  But as Peace Haven’s military and political systems expand, Henwell’s time and energy dwindle.

  The cavalry legion remains a critical pilr of Peace Haven’s forces.

  Few senior officers have experience commanding rge cavalry formations.

  Simon, however, has always fought alongside Henwell, leading cavalry charges firsthand.

  As Henwell’s chief guard, he handles many of the cavalry battle group’s affairs.

  Within all of Peace Haven, Simon is the best fit to lead the legion.

  His talent, prestige, and close familiarity with the cavalry make him well-suited to quickly adapt to this new role.

  Since Henwell has already given the order, no matter how reluctant he is to leave, Simon can only accept the task with tears in his eyes.

  Seeing Simon like this, Henwell feels a bit moved and says, “Alright, stop crying like a little girl. You’re familiar with the cavalry legion, but you need your own team. Pick thirty people from the Lord Iron Guards to take with you. Also, you can select some from this year’s Iron Guard trainees to bring along. It’ll make your work easier.”

  Simon wipes his tears and asks, “Can I bring Dalton?”

  Henwell shoots him a sharp look, “If Dalton leaves, who’s going to command the Lord Iron Guards?”

  In the end, Henwell allows Simon to take two squad leaders and one ptoon leader, plus Simon himself, four Grand Knights in total.

  That already accounts for half of the Lord Iron Guards’ current Grand Knights. Simon also picks over ten Battle Knights.

  Once they join the cavalry legion, these men can be promoted to centurions. This is Henwell’s final push to support Simon.

  After handling military and political affairs, Henwell quickly heads to the Phoenix family estate.

  With Henwell’s construction team gone for over half a year, the progress on the new duke’s castle remains painfully slow.

  Meeting with Jansen’s family, Henwell shares stories from the journey.

  Of course, in front of Orak’s wife, children, and mother, Henwell avoids mentioning the dangers they faced on the road.

  He focuses more on what he saw—the beautiful scenery and interesting events.

  Duchess Grace and Orak’s wife understand Henwell’s reluctance to talk about those dangers.

  They don’t press for details, as none of them want to hear about their loved ones caught in peril.

  All they want to know is that Orak has safely arrived in the Western Federation and has begun steady cultivation. That’s enough for them.

  After the women leave, Jansen takes Henwell into the study.

  Now, the real story of the journey unfolds.

  Learning about the dangers they faced, Jansen feels a chill run down his spine.

  He never imagined how determined everyone was to kill Orak, nor did he expect the westward path to be so perilous.

  Henwell’s account of the Fury Spirit and the cyclical disasters hitting various nations every hundred years shocks Jansen deeply.

  The Phoenix family was once a great cn, existing for over three centuries.

  As the head of the family, Jansen should be well-versed in its secret records and histories of past camities.

  Yet, he’s never heard of these events. He didn’t know the Vorry Kingdom still had the Forest Gathering, let alone the other matters Henwell mentioned.

  Such monumental events should have been recorded somewhere.

  Even if families tried to suppress the news, ordinary people involved in the wars would have passed down the stories by word of mouth.

  But for these massive, continent-wide conflicts to leave no trace at all is extremely strange.

  The only expnation Henwell can think of is extraordinary forces at py.

  Not just ordinary extraordinary power, but something deeper and more profound.

  The curse of the Scorching Sand Sea gives Henwell an idea.

  Perhaps it’s a super Meme Contamination affecting all living beings on the continent, preventing anyone from speaking or recording these events, maybe even causing all who know to forget them entirely.

  It sounds unbelievable, but in a world filled with extraordinary powers and even gods, nothing is impossible!

  Jansen is stunned by Henwell’s theory.

  He begins to understand why some once-powerful families mysteriously decline or even vanish.

  Worry creasing his brow, Jansen says, “If your specution is correct, the next disaster will strike within twenty years at most. We need more intelligence—more understanding of this camity, so we can prepare in advance.”