Afternoon.
Following Aengus's orders, the generals returned to their empire to deliver the news and prepare the soldiers for the relocation to their new center of command. However, a few million troops were assigned to remain behind to guard the borders, as was their usual duty.
Aengus, along with his clone, traveled to the empire to oversee the preparations and ensure the soldiers were transported safely to their new location. Before carrying out the mass transportation, he attended to an important task for Bella.
Aria also accompanied him, having nothing else to occupy her time.
---
"Mother, I have a surprise for you!" Bella exclaimed, seated beside her mother on the bed.
Celeste raised her brows curiously. "What kind of surprise, daughter?"
"Just watch!" Bella smirked, her heart bubbling with anticipation.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the door, drawing Celeste's attention.
With a soft creaking sound, the door opened, revealing Belial's hesitant expression. His wings drooped low, a sign of his discomfort and embarrassment.
"Belial?" Celeste's eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling slightly. "What are you doing here?"
Belial stepped forward slowly, avoiding her gaze. "I... uh, I came because Bella insisted," he muttered, his voice unsteady as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Bella's smirk grew wider as she nudged her mother. "Surprise, Mother! Your old flame is back!"
"Yes, we'd like to hold our great-grandchild someday. It's already unfortunate that we couldn't hold you in our arms when you were a baby," Vira added with a hint of disappointment in his tone.
"Oh, come on, Vira. Don't embarrass her too much. Give them a little time," Claudia said, nudging his leg playfully, though her smile betrayed her own anticipation.
---
In the bustling Imperial City of the Liberation Empire, it was currently afternoon, the sun casting a golden glow over the streets. Being situated on the Western Continent, the city was alive with activity as citizens went about their daily lives.
But the atmosphere was different today. Groups of soldiers from the Liberation Army could be seen hurrying through the streets, their movements purposeful and urgent.
"Hey, do you know why the soldiers are in such a hurry? Where are they all going?" a curious passerby remarked, sensing the urgency in the air.
"I don't know," another replied, sipping tea while seated on a bench. "Probably orders from the higher-ups. We ordinary folks won't hear anything until it's already done."
"Are we perhaps being attacked by demons?" an old man asked fearfully, his eyes darting nervously as he watched the robust soldiers marching thunderously down the street.
"Shopkeeper, do you have any news?" he called out to a nearby vendor.
The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man cleaning his display of goods, looked up and shrugged. "Not much, just rumors. Some say it's about expanding the army. Others think it's preparation for something big. But demons? I doubt it. The Emperor crushed some of their forces not long ago, didn't he?"
The old man still looked uneasy. "I hope you're right. But whenever the soldiers march like this, it reminds me of the days—of war and suffering. I just pray it's nothing like that."
A younger man joined the conversation, laughing dismissively. "You worry too much, old man. Our Emperor is invincible! Who would dare attack us? If anything, this is probably another one of his grand plans to expand the Empire. Didn't you heard how he purged down the rebellion of seven subordinate kingdoms so ruthlessly?"
The old man sighed but said nothing more, his gaze following the soldiers as they disappeared around a corner.
Meanwhile, within the Imperial city's grand administrative field, the preparations were reaching a fever pitch. The generals and officers, knights, under Aengus's strict orders, were arranging the millions of soldiers from all kingdoms in neat rows to prepare them for the Transportation in batches.