Although he was at the same level as the Blithe King, James never commanded his respect. The same was true of the four other commanders-in-chief.

"Hold on," the Blithe King said, stopping him from leaving.

"Huh?" James looked back.

"Anything else?"

"Trent was my subordinate," the Blithe King said angrily. "The murderer of my former subordinate didn't even offer an excuse."

"So what?" James responded apathetically.

"Mind explaining why?"

"I told you, he deserved it. Also, I'm not begging for an invitation. You can choose not to give me one."

James left.

A man emerged from the shadows after James was out of sight.

"He really doesn't give a damn about you," the Blithe King chuckled. "That's just how he is. He wouldn't act differently if Jesus came to Earth. Let this go. Trent deserved his death. You, go deliver an invitation to the Callahans."

The man hesitated. "Sir, you're letting him go just like this?"

The Blithe King replied, "What else can I do? Kill him? He submitted his resignation, but it hasn't been approved yet. Plus, he's a Black Dragon, the general of the Black Dragon Army. His tenure was the shortest, but his army is by far the strongest of the five. The higher-ups think very highly of him."

"I'll deliver the invitation," the man said. He said nothing more. The Blithe King sighed.

"This restructuring has pushed the five regions back into the heart of the warzone."

Originally, the Blithe King wasn't the one designated by the higher-ups to handle this restructuring. It only happened because the Black Dragon anticipated the impending storm and shrewdly submitted his resignation before the crisis unfolded.

Outside the Callahan mansion, a jeep pulled up to the entrance, disgorging several men in military uniforms. They approached the front door and knocked. Seeing the soldiers on his surveillance, Lex decided to greet them personally. "Generals, may I help you?"

Still traumatized by Trent's death, he approached cautiously. One of them handed him a delicately prepared envelope. "The invitation to the Blithe King's succession ceremony."

Lex was shaken. "An invitation?"

"Lex, your grandson-in-law is a good one," the man said before departing.

Still stunned, Lex held the invitation in awe.

"What's wrong, Grandpa?" Megan asked, entering. Lex snapped back to reality. "The Western Border Patrol… they sent us an invitation."

"What? That's quick! I told you, all we need to do is rely on Colson. Look, we have an invitation, and it's been less than a day! This is all thanks to the Oswalds pulling strings with the Western Border Patrol."

Colson emerged. "Megan, what's the good news?"

"Darling, thank you so much," Megan said, kissing him. "Your family got us an invitation."

Colson was astonished. 'My family?' He had told his father, but his father had been frantic about securing an invitation for his own family, sending lavish gifts to influential figures. but he got the Callahans an invitation?

Bewildered, Colson forced a smile. "This isn't a difficult task for the Oswalds."

"Thank you, Colson. Thank you so much. You're the best grandson-in-law I've ever had!" Lex grinned. He had several grandsons-in-law, but he knew this had to be Colson's doing, the Oswalds being the most influential family.

"You are a godsend. Come in, I'll prepare a huge gift for you and your father, as a token of our appreciation."

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