In a quiet room deep within the lord's castle on Planet Merlo.
Kaisha stood before a massive star map. Her fingers unconsciously traced the territories of the Angel Nebula, finally stopping at the most prominent point of light: the Angelic Royal City.
Five years had passed.
That thrilling escape; those appreciative, clear eyes in the Another Village tavern; the man in the secret underground room who seemed slick but helped their sisters at a critical moment... Chu Mo. That name, along with those memories, was etched deep into her heart.
Over these years, with her father's support, she and Liangbing had begun to accumulate strength in secret. Under the guise of recruiting guards, they absorbed angel warriors who had been suppressed by the Heavenly Palace Order. Kaisha, with her calm, decisive mind and growing leadership talent, earned the respect of many vassals, while Liangbing recruited a team specializing in intelligence and infiltration.
On the surface, Merlo remained peaceful. In the shadows, a force centered on the Hoffman family was quietly coalescing.
However, at this moment, Kaisha's thoughts were drifting. The light of the Royal City on the star map seemed particularly piercing, making her think of that man again.
That man... what is he doing now? she whispered to herself. She suddenly snapped back to reality, her brow furrowed, surprised by her own sudden thought. Why am I thinking of him...
Just then, the door was burst open. A figure rushed in—Kaisha's personal maid, Ruoning. Her brown hair was disheveled, but her brow held a natural air of fortitude.
"Miss Kaisha! It's bad!" Ruoning gasped, her voice thick with anxiety. "The Old Lord... the Old Lord is missing!"
Kaisha's heart sank. "Missing? What happened? Explain clearly!"
"Just this afternoon, the Old Lord said he was going to inspect several new observation stations in the North. He only took four personal guards." Ruoning spoke rapidly. "He was supposed to return before dark. But not only has he not returned, all communication is completely cut off! I sent all the guards to search Merlo, but we found nothing!"
She caught her breath, her face pale. "Later, reports from the Northern outposts said they saw several masked male angels in standard-issue battle armor kidnapping someone who looked like the Old Lord. They boarded an unmarked craft and broke through the atmosphere, heading straight for the Star Gate! Looking at the armor style and the craft's speed... it was definitely high-end gear from the Royal City! It's likely Hua Ye's people!"
Hua Ye!
A chill rushed from the soles of Kaisha's feet to the top of her head. But her long-cultivated composure forced the turmoil down. Her father kidnapped by Hua Ye's men... this was no accident.
"For Hua Ye's people to kidnap my father so precisely during an inspection... there must be a high-level mole within Merlo." Kaisha's voice was cold and clear.
"Miss, what do we do? He's in their hands..."
Kaisha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, only a sharp, resolute light remained.
"Hua Ye's goal isn't just my father. If he just wanted revenge for our escape five years ago, he could have simply declared Merlo in rebellion and sent an army. Kidnapping him secretly means he wants the total submission of Merlo."
She looked at Ruoning. "There's no time to waste. Ruoning, find Liangbing. Tell her father has been taken and likely sent to the Royal City. Tell her to act as regent for all Merlo affairs—tighten security and purge the internals, but do not take any drastic actions. Stabilize the situation and wait for my word."
"Miss, what are you going to do?" Ruoning had a bad premonition.
"I'm going to the Royal City." Kaisha said decisively. She walked toward her inner chambers, where her armor and weapons were kept. "I must go personally to find where he is being held, understand Hua Ye's true intentions, and look for a chance to rescue him."
"No! It's too dangerous!" Ruoning stepped forward to stop her. "Hua Ye wanted to catch you in the first place! Going there is walking into a trap!"
"You underestimate Hua Ye." Kaisha interrupted, deftly donning her silver light armor and tying back her blonde hair. "If his only goal was me, he wouldn't have spent five years seizing father. By taking him, he controls Merlo. If I go, he will actually be cautious; he won't move against me easily until his goal is achieved. Besides..."
She buckled the last strap and slid her shimmering longsword into its sheath. "Waiting in Merlo only makes us passive. I must strike at his home turf to find a way to break this deadlock. Liangbing is too impulsive; Merlo needs her to sit on the throne. This task can only be done by me."
---
Meanwhile, deep within a high-security prison in the Angelic Royal City.
Lord Hoffman was bound by heavy chains to a cold metal chair. His fine clothes were torn, and his face was bruised, but his eyes burned with fury.
The heavy cell door opened, accompanied by a frivolous laugh. Hua Ye walked in, looking as lazy as ever, with his guard captain Kunpeng a step behind.
"Old man, are you getting used to it here?" Hua Ye mocked, leaning against the bars. "It's not as comfortable as your castle, is it? Tsk tsk, what a shame."
Hoffman looked up, his chains rattling. "Hua Ye! You despicable tyrant! What do you want?! Kidnapping a Lord of the Angel Nebula—do you have no regard for the law? For the rules left by the late King?!"
"The law? Rules?" Hua Ye snickered as if he'd heard a joke. "Using the late King to pressure me? Old man, are you senile? In the entire Angel Nebula, my word is the law! My will is the rule!"
He stepped closer. "As for what I want? Isn't it obvious? Merlo is on the frontier and rich in resources. And you have that disobedient daughter Kaisha, and little Liangbing... tsk, they are treasures that interest me greatly."
"Don't even think about it!" Hoffman roared. "Merlo has served the Angel King for generations, but we will never serve a tyrant like you! You won't touch a hair on my daughters' heads! I'll die before I let you succeed!"
"Die?" Hua Ye's laughter died, and his eyes turned cold. "Old man, dying isn't that easy. Here, if I want you to live, you will live and suffer; if I want you to speak, you will spit out everything you know! You think kidnapping you was just for leverage? Wrong!"
He lowered his voice. "I want you to personally order Merlo to cease resistance, open its gates, and welcome my army! I want you to hand your two daughters to me with your own hands! I want everyone who still has illusions of defying me to see the consequences!"
He straightened up and waved at Kunpeng. "Take 'good care' of Lord Hoffman. Let him cool off and think clearly. Tell me when he's ready to cooperate."
Hua Ye gave one last cold look at the furious Hoffman and swaggered away.