The primary reason the Empire had never fully unleashed its might against the North was simple.

It wasn’t just because of the League of Kingdoms or the Mongar Orcs. The biggest obstacle was greed.

The North was an incredibly tempting prize.

The Emperor wanted to make the entire North an Imperial territory, a foundation for his absolute power.

But the nobility and the Church would never allow that.

‘The North’s growth and strategies are terrifying.’

If things continued as they were, the Empire might have to give up on the North entirely in the worst-case scenario.

‘A mana-stone standard? And …