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On the tenth day of our marriage, Katherine and I reluctantly left Fontainebleau and began our journey to the Holy City, where countless matters required our attention. Over the past ten days, a group of nosy individuals, led by Romeo, who had been trying to spy on our married life, also hit the road with us, bearing swollen faces from the beatings Katherine and I gave them.

There were three purposes for our trip to the Holy City. The first was to fulfill the agreement regarding my retrieval of the Doomsday Horn. Both the Orc King and the War God Temple had profited immensely from this war, so there was no reason for them not to bleed a little. If they refused, well, Fontainebleau was the weakest human defense line. If they didn’t want my cooperation in future campaigns against the human world, they would have to deal with the consequences. They could fight to the death in the War God Corridor without my help. The second purpose was to attend the victory celebration of the Northern War and divide the spoils. Although I had contributed significantly by providing intelligence on the "forbidden spell attack," which saved hundreds of thousands of orc troops from the Tears of the Firmament, I hadn’t fought on the front lines. Given the orc society’s reverence for strength, it was unlikely I would be a major beneficiary. The third purpose was to confirm my occupation rights over the Sea of Star Hosts. Since I had decided to forgo most of the credits from the Northern Campaign in exchange for the Holy City’s recognition of my control over this trade route, I was confident in securing this advantage. If successful, the strength of Fontainebleau would grow further, allowing us to better prepare for future wars.

What I didn’t expect was the shocking news that arrived on the third day of our journey. Orc King Samantha led the orc navy to a great victory in the Golden Strait south of the Flower Plain, defeating the Viking Empire’s "Invincible Fleet," burning hundreds of their ships, and killing two hundred thousand enemies. The six hundred thousand Viking ground forces, stranded in orc territory, were eventually wiped out by the returning orc army. In this battle, the Viking Empire lost more than half of its elite forces and its control over the seas. Orc King Samantha, following his victory in the Northern War, eliminated the second major threat to the Orc Alliance and opened a new route to the human world besides the "War God Corridor," reaching the peak of his fame, almost surpassing the "War Saint" Leimen and the High Priest of the War God Temple. The call to "conquer the human world" became a widespread orc belief.

The Viking Empire, one of the largest human empires, boasts vast territories and a large population. Bordering the Orc Alliance, the empire’s people were known for their ferocity and bravery. Even after years of fighting the Lion Clan, the top orc warrior race, they had never been at a disadvantage. I hadn’t anticipated that this powerful military empire would be defeated so swiftly by Samantha. Upon inquiring about the war’s details, I learned that the key to victory in this "South Sea Campaign" was the North Sea Fleet, which controlled the northern sea routes.

After I advised against the North Sea Fleet attacking the War God Temple’s elite fleet, Samantha either premeditated or improvised and redirected the fleet south. Meanwhile, he launched a full-scale land and sea counterattack on the Viking Empire in the south, drawing out their elite forces. After over a month’s voyage, the North Sea Fleet arrived near the Golden Strait, where the orc and Viking navies were battling to exhaustion. The fleet then emerged, using the penguin warriors’ underwater long-range attacks to confuse the Viking fleet, disrupt their formation, and with the Orc King sounding the Doomsday Horn, these warriors, who were only equal to humans in combat, unleashed power surpassing the wolf clan and destroyed most of the fleet. Samantha led his forces to crush the disintegrating human fleet and then launched a combined land and sea attack to wipe out the stranded human army in the Orc Alliance.

"A strategic plan spanning vast stretches of sea, a blueprint for a water-land strategy, controlling two wars from north to south with ease, what a grand vision, what immense talent, Orc King Samantha is indeed formidable," I couldn’t help but admire Samantha’s military genius after reading the detailed account of the "South Sea War."

"Yes, whether it’s strength, wisdom, or charisma, Samantha truly deserves the title of a genius king. Under his leadership, the alliance might well reunify the continent," Katherine said, her eyes filled with melancholy as she read the war report.

I understood that Katherine was feeling despondent seeing the rising status of her father’s murderer, her hopes for revenge growing dimmer. Moreover, Samantha was now a crucial leader leading the Orc Alliance to glory, making the conflict between racial interests and personal vendetta even more painful for her. I held her hand and comforted her, "Don’t worry, Katherine. In terms of strength, both of us as Sword Empresses have reached the level of Emperor Martial. In two more years, Samantha won’t be our opponent. In terms of power, he spent decades building his influence, but in just two years, we’ve secured Fontainebleau and the Sea of Star Hosts. Once the war in the human world concludes, we might have the ability to replace him. So trust me, I will fulfill your wish."

"I believe you," Katherine nodded slightly, a radiant smile finally replacing the worry on her face.

Continuing our journey west, I finally set foot on the soil of the Holy City again. The last time I was here, I was just a minor lord awaiting investiture, seen as a nouveau riche by the people of the Holy City. Two years later, my achievements and status allowed me to sit equally with the high-ranking tribal chiefs of the alliance. Though I was still far from figures like the Orc King and the High Priest, not to mention the god-like figure of Leimen, I believed the distance wasn’t insurmountable.

Unlike last time when I was greeted by ordinary civil servants, this time we were welcomed into the grand 'Hall of Victory' by the Shamans of the War God Temple. After all, according to my prior agreement with the War God Temple, after retrieving the Doomsday Horn, I was to receive the title of 'War God Knight,' a rare honor for non-clergy who made significant contributions to the temple. Currently, only the 'War Saint' Leimen holds this title. Of course, obtaining this title doesn’t mean I would gain the same prestige as Leimen, but at least I wouldn’t have to perform lower-ranking rituals before the Orc King and the High Priest. I would also have the authority to participate in many important alliance secrets. For instance, if I had already held the title of 'War God Knight,' the War God Temple would have informed me of Samantha’s 'South Sea War' plan before the war began.