Darius's POV: Even though Oliver teased me nonstop yesterday, I still managed to get some useful advice out of him. If I couldn't win Thora over directly for now, then I'd have to start with the people closest to her. For Thora, that would be her grandfather, Marlon. Ever since Marlon was seriously injured leading the army against invaders, he'd been recovering at the best rehab center in the imperial capital for the past six months. I'd already planned to visit him today. But first, there was someone else I needed to meet ... Inside a confidential conference room in the Military Command Center, I sipped my coffee, quietly studying the handsome man sitting across from me.His name was Hugo Stanton. He couldn't have been more than 25 years old, and the general's stars on his deep blue uniform made his rank clear. I took another sip and set the coffee down, smiling. "I never thought my first time meeting the youngest general in the Astralis Empire would be in a setting like this." "Mr. Blackwood, you flatter me," Hugo answered with a steady smile, exuding the sort of resolve that only comes from a military background. "My father and great-uncle spoke to me yesterday." I kept my smile steady. "They said they were very impressed with your proposal in parliament and told me to give you our full support." My great-uncle was the Lycan King of the Astralis Empire. Hugo stood up and gave a formal military salute. "Thank you very much!" "No need to be so formal. But if you invited me here today, I'm guessing it's for something important?" He immediately straightened. "Yes. Mr. Blackwood, you're probably aware of Blue Star Military Academy. It's the top werewolf military academy in the world, but candidates from the Astralis Empire only make up 0.3 percent of those admitted each year. "There are two main reasons. First, the deep-rooted faction biases that were baked into the academy when it was founded still limit the number of Astralis Empire students who can get in. Second, even though the empire has a huge werewolf population, we have a real shortage of top military talent. If this continues, our military will fall behind other empires. Talent is what determines an empire's fate." He paused, his tone turning serious. "What's more urgent, though, is that the military needs an independent special operations unit. This unit won't belong to any pack or military district—they'll report directly to the Lycan King and fight for the empire." I raised my eyebrows a bit. "You're saying you want to form a special operations unit, then have them try out for Blue Star Military Academy?" Hugo nodded. "Exactly. Blue Star Military Academy brings together the world's best werewolf soldiers and tactical resources. Only at the academy can we really understand what future threats and rivals we might be up against. My proposal is to send candidates to the academy straight from this special operations unit." I looked at him with even more respect. "No wonder my father and great-uncle think so highly of you, Mr. Stanton. You really do have a strategic vision. If you ever need help from the Blackwoods or Nightclaw Pack, just say the word." Hugo didn't waste time on pleasantries. "The Blackwoods have been working with the military ever since Skybound Group was founded, providing the military with the latest weapons and technology made specifically for werewolves. Our partnership has gone on for a hundred years. "For this special operations unit, all equipment will be purchased from Skybound Group. But I'll need the latest technology and a dedicated R&D team to develop gear specifically for the unit." I tapped my fingers lightly on the table and smiled. "If it's business, as long as the price is fair, there's no reason for me to say no." Hugo's grin was all business as he held out his hand. "In that case, here's to a successful partnership." "Looking forward to it." I shook his hand, then asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of candidates are you looking for in this special operations unit?" Hugo smiled. "The candidates will be from across the entire empire. The most capable people will rise to the top." For some reason, Thora's slender figure popped into my head. A soldier?Strangely, the title fits her perfectly. Her resilience and discipline are exactly what you'd expect from a real soldier. I have a feeling Thora is going to join this special unit one day—and she's going to shine.