Time flies, and three years have passed since the Holy King's declaration of divine kingdom.

Today, Twilight City, along with Holy Guard City, Lone Rock City, Silver Ring City, and Froststone City, belongs to a new kingdom—the Kingdom of Holy Dragon.

The Holy Dragon Kingdom stretches from Ancient Gu Port in the north to Lonely Rock Peak in the south, from Jiliu Island in the west to Holy Guard City in the east. In terms of territory, this kingdom is almost the same size as the Ayub Empire to the south; in terms of population, the entire Dragon Kingdom has nearly 2.6 million people, of which the city of Muxi alone has more than 1 million.

The entire Dragon Kingdom has an army of nearly 70,000, including about 6,000 members of the Heterogeneous Holy Army, 30,000 members of the Twilight Knights and the North Island Knights, and about 30,000 members of the standing army in major cities.

Under the influence of the laws of Heaven and the missionaries, many kingdoms that originally belonged to the Church of the Father and the Orthodox Church also converted to Protestantism in the Dragon Kingdom. Interestingly, some royal members who converted were even willing to give up their right to the throne in order to enter Heaven after death, suggesting that their countries be annexed by the Dragon Kingdom. Moreover, similar proposals are increasing rapidly every day as missionary activities expand and the number of people visiting Heaven grows.

At Muxi Port, on an early autumn afternoon, the waves crashed against the boardwalk along the shore.

The bay, stretching as far as the eye could see, was filled with all sorts of boats.

Merchants, sailors, and tourists filled every corner of the port. The cacophony and bustling scene vividly demonstrated the city's vibrant energy.

With a long, drawn-out horn call, a three-masted warship flying the black dragon flag slowly docked at the harbor berth.

As the squads of black-armored knights descended from the warships, the people in the port lowered their voices, moved to the sides of the road, and bowed and removed their hats in salute to the knights.

As the leader of the Royal Guard, Alfonso de Cavo was the last to step off the deck.

As he removed his helmet, he combed back the swaying parasitic limbs, then ordered his deputy, "The Holy King is away from the city. Take everyone and go to the Knights of Twilight to report to Lord Cumberland."

Watching his men leave the port, Alfonso walked down the street under the awe-inspiring gaze of the crowd.

Alfonso, who had not returned to Twilight City for several years, looked at everything along the way with amazement in his heart.

The bustling tavern entrance, the quaint park scenery, the spacious open-air theater, and the statues and stone pillars carved with black dragons can be seen everywhere.

The city's residents, whether merchants rushing to pick up goods or students heading to university, would all stop and offer a silent prayer with the utmost devotion when passing the statue.

Alfonso left the port area and arrived at the Upper City Square of Twilight City, where a huge totem towering into the clouds stood in the very center, depicting a black dragon overlooking all living beings.

Below the totem, a procession several hundred meters long meandered towards the end of the square.

A shaman apprentice with his face covered in shamanic paint and a Protestant deacon dressed in black robes stood together, maintaining order at the scene.

"All visitors who wish to experience the Kingdom of Heaven, please line up and do not push!" the shaman apprentice shouted to the crowd. "Depending on the degree of piety and faith, the length of time each person stays in the Kingdom of Heaven will vary. If you have no faith in the Kingdom of Heaven and are only here to witness miracles, then your stay will be very short."

The Protestant deacon then warned, "Every blade of grass and every tree in Heaven is sacred and possesses power. Any blasphemous words or actions will bring disastrous consequences. Especially those angels and demons in Heaven; angering them will subject your soul to eternal punishment!"

As he watched the pilgrims, clutching the black dragon pendants around their necks and loudly proclaiming the doctrines of the Kingdom of Heaven, Alfonso nodded.

Listening to the constant praises around him, and watching the devout believers repeatedly telling passersby and tourists about the beauty of heaven and the laws of good and evil, Alfonso couldn't help but marvel at the immense power of faith in this city.

After walking a little further, Alfonso arrived at the hill where the cemetery was being built.

That place was once his and his retinue's residence, and now it is the burial place of many heroes and martyrs of Muxi City.

The original cemetery has been renovated and expanded several times, and is now a beautiful cemetery.

Alfonso climbed the steps and walked toward the tombstone he remembered.

When he reached the highest point of the cemetery, a tombstone covered with bouquets appeared before the knight.

Reaching the tombstone, Alfonso knelt on one knee and softly read the epitaph: "Adelina Sari Wilmot, an upright, humble, and courageous lady."

Alfonso lowered his head, gently stroked the tombstone with his right hand, and slowly closed his eyes.

"If I were you, I would bring a bouquet of flowers instead of coming empty-handed."

A deep, familiar voice sounded behind Alfonso.

The knight turned around and saw his former squire, the short, stout alien skilled in crossbows—Walton—slowly walking towards him.

With graying temples and a solemn expression, Walton was dressed in an expensive suit, his appearance meticulously groomed.

He picked up a bouquet of flowers, placed it in front of Adelina's tombstone, closed his eyes, and prayed quietly.

After he finished praying, Walton sat cross-legged beside the tombstone, stared into Alfonso's eyes, and whispered, "I love this woman."

“The ridiculous thing is, I only discovered this fact after she died.” Walton’s knuckles were pale from the force he was using. “But this woman loved you.”

Alfonso's fingers trembled slightly, and a look of grief and self-reproach flashed in his eyes.

Walton tilted his head back and sighed deeply at the sky: "To be honest, for a long time, I hated you... I hated that you could have given her a place to belong, but instead led her to the most tragic end."

“Until one day, the Holy King allowed believers to freely visit Heaven. In Heaven, after many hardships, I finally found Adelina, who told me, ‘It was the best decision of my life to awaken you from hatred and self-destruction at the cost of my own life.’”

Walton shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "It wasn't until then that I realized how pathetic my hatred was. From beginning to end, Adelina always believed that her sacrifice was the perfect ending, the happiest conclusion."

As the other person stood up and turned to leave, Alfonso suddenly asked, "Walton, would you like to come back to me?"

Without turning his head, Walton said, "I have no wife and no children. The only thing I want to do now is to donate as much of my property as possible to heaven before I die, in my and Leslie's names, to secure a place for me in heaven, and also to let Leslie leave hell as soon as possible."

Alfonso watched Walton's retreating figure and fell silent, no longer uttering a word.