end." The Lion King chuckled."Their combat prowess can still be enhanced. Though without the assistance of my elder sister, the Night Goddess, my power will remain ever-lasting. Under the moonlight, i...Winterfell, the ice glittering like frost.

The palace gates were bustling with noise.

Several renowned figures in fine attire were being driven out of the grand hall by the royal guards. Suddenly, an elderly man with white hair and beard fiercely broke free from the guards' grasp, stumbling into the hall. He knelt before the throne, shouting, "Lion King, this is all a misunderstanding! The Heavenly Saint Empire will definitely find the bishop and give Winter Lion an explanation. Even if war is inevitable, Lion King, please reconsider!"

Several others upon seeing this also struggled free from the guards and chimed in: "Respected Lion King! This incident is truly the work of the escalating dark energy. The Heavenly Saint Empire is unaware of it. With threats growing daily, a war between our nations cannot be allowed! Our Emperor is willing to negotiate with Your Majesty!"

In the center of the throne room was a throne. There was no one upon it, but rather a massive ice sculpture, a lion crouching upon the throne.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, and the ice reflected a rainbow of colors, it was beautiful.

And beneath the royal court, a luxurious carpet was laid out, depicting a whole map of winter lions. At this moment, character cards were placed on their respective territories.

"Get out!" A hoarse yet commanding voice echoed from behind the ice sculpture.

The Forbidden Guard once again stepped forward, dragging the old man and several ministers out. Only the sound of “Think thrice!” grew fainter and fainter.

Everything had returned to stillness, a few coughs echoing behind the ice sculptures.

Above the main hall, a surge of magical energy rippled, and a figure wearing a mask emerged.

He bowed towards the ice.

"Father, with all due respect, I and the other lords agree that the threat of corrupt energy is growing daily. Now is the time to go to war."

"Short-sighted!"

The king of the winter lions was very old, but his voice was still powerful.

"This battle must be fought, whether we want to or not. This is our last chance, and the best one. Do you know about the return of the godsWith each country on the continent holding their own giant expansion packs, when those god-card masters from each expansion appear again, they will compete for dominance. And all we have is 3/4 of the Greek Mythology set. Are we just going to wait to die"

"Father, this is just a ridiculous prophecy. The Heavenly Saint has promised to compensate us for what was left of [Greek Mythology] this time," the Mask man hadn't finished his words when the Winter King interrupted him.

"What I want is [Bible Mythology]! Will they give it to me! The ice trembled."

The mask concealed a hint of something different.

"Father"

"My time is short, I must even rely on ice sculptures to preserve my youth. The remaining days, I will press forward with all my might! The greatest variable is approaching. Taking the [Bible] is just the first step. In my lifetime, the Winter Lion Royal Knights shall drink by the banks of the [Nile]! Our card makers shall reshape the [Egyptian Pyramids]! Our banners shall be planted atop the highest temple of the [Mayan]! An invincible fleet shall sail into the unnameable storm of [Cthulhu]! And you... you shall be crowned king!" The resounding voice echoed throughout the hall.

I understand.

"Close all embassy channels, prohibit any diplomatic missions from entering or leaving the country at this time. We have at least three months of war time."

"Yes!" The masked man was about to leave the hall.

"By the way, how is the polling going"

During the Five Domains War, fallen heroes were real, the Dean fell into a coma, and Miss Fana's homecoming speech completely detonated public opinion. 56% of the people support an immediate full-scale war, 21% support punitive measures, and 9% support economic sanctions.

"All official promotional resources have been tilted towards this side recently."

“But Father, the Central Army is ready, yet all the territories, except for the Phantom House, are hesitant. Each territory has its own excuses, but the main concern is the threat of escalating energy.” The Masked Man mused.

The great hall fell into a moment of silence.

On the Winter Lion map, character cards keep flickering in different territories.

"I can make them move." A voice echoed again from within the ice lion.

What can Father do about this

According to my secret files, the deceased card master's name is Lu Cheng. He wasn't even one of our Winter Lion people. He may have originally belonged to the Heavenly Saint Empire and was an illegal immigrant. He had no family or connections and lived on the outskirts of Winter Lion City for three years.

What! The masked man was astonished.

"The ghost fleet has been confirmed, and the local sea surface is indeed empty. According to thousands of students' testimonies, he overloaded his deck and was destroyed along with the Apostle at that time."

“What” The masked man didn’t know what the lion king on the throne wanted to say.

"What is the identity of a nameless dead man" The lion's voice became somewhat enigmatic, but the masked man seemed to understand.

"Father, you mean we're going to forge this Lu Cheng's identity"

"What forgery!" the lion's voice boomed.

Then, a shard of ice suddenly fell onto a spot on the map. The masked man followed the sound and looked over.

"What is this"

The Dongyue Province's lord went missing three years ago, and it is now directly managed by the central government. In recent years, many people have set their sights on it.

"Father, wasn't that place completely infiltrated by corrupted energy Didn't Lord Cāngláng die there I even saw his body with my own eyes."

"No, he only died recently, Lord Wolf of Wintermoon, Lu Cheng, wasn't he" The Lion King's voice was devoid of any emotion.

The masked man took a step back, inhaled deeply, and suddenly seemed to understand something.

"Do you understand" The Lion King's voice suddenly rose in pitch. "The Heavenly Saint Empire's war has resulted in the death of a noble of our kingdom, at the lord level! According to the laws of the kingdom, what should be done"

"The Kingdom Law, a Master-level Cardmaster at the lord level died in battle. The entire nation is mourning, all armies across the realm have responded immediately, entering a full war state, under centralized command," the Mask Man murmured.

"Well said, pass the order down. Announce it nationwide! Three years ago, the lone hero, Lord Lu Cheng of Winter Moon, infiltrated Tiansheng on a mission. After returning home, he remained hidden. In the Five Realms War, he turned the tide and defeated the seventh apostle. Now, he is bestowed with the title of, Winter Lion, Prince of Freedom, with his fiefdom permanently retained and passed down through generations!" The imperial edict's melody reverberated throughout the hall.

"Forever belong," the masked man murmured, his voice low. Then his expression grew animated. "Wonderful! Father King, it's wonderful! He has no kin, no one to claim him, and with his death, the territory is rightfully his. But in reality, it will forever belong to the center! No one will ever be able to lay claim to that land again!"

"Alright, go take care of it." The aged voice returned to its calmness.

"Father, my son wishes to take over the winter month district in place of Prince Xioyao, relieving the Central from its burden!" The masked man suddenly bowed.

"Oh Winter brings a bountiful harvest, but the corruption of energy is severe. Coupled with the former lord's tyranny and widespread discontent, you..." The Lion King did not outright refuse.

"Father, this can also be considered a test for me!"

"Okay, from now on, I'll leave it to you to take care of it."

"Thank you, Father!"

－－－Aside－－－－－－

There will be more later.auling cargo in some remote system.What a fantastic matching system!Let's get back to this.From any angle, this duel was not equal.Lu Cheng's military legion was just one step away from reaching the l...