Aranal, Haynam Empire.
The capital city buzzed with relentless activity.
Though the war with the Sovereign Union raged along the southern borders, the heart of the Empire showed no signs of calm.
Soldiers marched through the streets in tense formations, supply convoys rolled endlessly between the districts, and messengers rushed from one command post to another.
The city was far from the battlefield. And yet, it was fully prepared for war.
In the heart of the royal palace, Emperor Leland Haynam sat in silence as he held a report tightly in his hand. His expression darkened as he read through it again.
The secret base… was destroyed?
He thought in alarm.
For a long moment, he said nothing. What unsettled him wasn't the loss, however. It was the fact that the base had been found in the first place. The Cult Leader himself had gone to great lengths to conceal it, after all.
