The upper echelons of Fia were in such turmoil that it cast a severely adverse shadow over the investment climate. Coupled with the fact that Crystal Palace controlled Fia’s critical sectors, and various other forces held sway behind the scenes in non-critical areas, the market saturation and prolonged instability made it an undesirable destination for investors.

Contrast this with the Wolf Den, which presented a picture of vibrant prosperity.

As soon as the Wolf Den made its move, a massive wave of capital flowed out of Fia and rushed toward the Wolf Den. This, along with the influx of talent switching allegiance, swiftly resolved the Wolf Den’s short-term deficits in both funding and personnel.

Fia’s already sluggish market grew even weaker.

Of course, this was merely the Wolf Den's basic maneuver.

Just as the Wolf Den was preparing a more significant action, a bulletin suddenly flashed across the interstellar network: “Fia has repeatedly disregarded border laws, interfering with the border security between Fia and the Angel Domain. The Angel Legion has been forced to take firm measures, temporarily halting all rare earth exports to Fia.”

Everyone in the Wolf Den was stunned speechless.

This move by An Junlie—arriving silently like this—was truly pulling the rug out from under them. Ruthless and incredibly effective.

Rare earth is the key material for constructing warships. Fia’s primary research focus is medicine, and they are relatively resource-poor when it comes to rare earth, relying mostly on supplies from the Angel Domain.

If the Angel Domain cuts off the supply, Fia’s warship production becomes problematic.

Fia cannot manufacture warships on a large scale themselves; their only option is to buy them.

One could only imagine the scene when the main exporting military factions—like the Tang Clan and the Huaxia Legion—ceased supplying warships to Fia.

Red Hair smoothed her cascade of wine-red waves. “I’ve decided to accelerate Fia’s warship consumption.”

Ziye shot her a sideways glance. "That’s a polite way of saying you’re going to intercept Illya, isn't it?"

Illya’s warship sliced through the void en route from Niya to the Galun Space Station.

Before she had even left Fia territory, she was ambushed by forces from various factions.

Initially, Illya tried to figure out who wanted to stop her, but soon realized there were too many people attempting interception to waste energy on identification. Her only command was: Anyone who blocks my path shall be killed without mercy!

She was intelligent. From the very day she left the Niya system, she knew many would not let her go easily. Thus, besides dispatching numerous forces to intercept and eliminate those vying for the Queen of Fia position, she also left a substantial escort to protect herself.

She refused to retreat, and even more so, refused to change course. She carved a bloody path along the shortest route—the one with the most interdicting forces. When ammunition ran low, she resupplied at the nearest space station; when a warship was lost, she bought a replacement at the nearest station.

At the warp speed of a battleship, the journey from the Niya system to the Galun Space Station should take only an hour. Yet, it took her five agonizing days just to finally clear Fia’s jurisdiction.

Exiting Fia’s territory brought her to the infamous Triangle Zone, a haven where pirate groups roamed unchecked.

Illya, being deeply versed in the machinations of this world, knew precisely how others would deal with her. With only fifteen minutes remaining to the Headquarters, she braced for what was coming.

She had already prepared her mind: even if it meant exhausting everything, she would crawl to the Headquarters if necessary.

To prevent any mid-journey interceptions, she had preemptively dialed the Headquarters number, pleading, “Hello, this is the Acting Queen of Fia, currently en route to the Headquarters. As I am unfamiliar with the area, I request the Headquarters dispatch warships to escort me.”

Her logic was simple: once escort ships from the Headquarters arrived, no amount of pirates or mercenaries could touch her.

However, the ideal was grand, but reality was harsh.

In response to her request, the Headquarters staff politely demurred. “I apologize, but the Headquarters does not have a precedent for dispatching military escorts for guests. To maintain the impartiality of the Headquarters, we cannot accept your request. We ask for your understanding.”

Illya nearly coughed up blood from sheer rage.

Despite her fury, the necessary actions still had to be taken.

Illya paid a hefty sum to secure the accompaniment of S-rank combat specialists from the Teutonic Mercenary Group, carving their way through the relentless attacks.

The only misfortune was running into pirates from the Tama Domain.

The Tama pirates were currently under Red Hair’s command. Red Hair had suffered losses at Fia’s hands and certainly wouldn't let them off easily. Though she didn't engage directly, she held a commanding presence in the Tama system, throwing up obstacles. She avoided direct confrontation but stirred up chaos among the various factions attempting to intercept Illya, effectively preventing her from warping out.

Illya nearly spat blood onto the optical screen, immediately summoning Karu and his fleet for salvation.

This small expanse of the Triangle Zone once again became a zone of heavy conflict.

For twenty-four hours a day, the sound of battle never ceased.

Illya fought through the Triangle Zone until her eyes were bloodshot, finally reaching the border of the Headquarters on the very day the Legion Assembly was set to begin.

She turned back to look at the crisscrossing fire in space, watching countless warships disintegrate into dust. She nearly collapsed onto the ground, but she had always placed importance on her image, terrified of showing an unladylike side. She even held back half of her panting breaths, maintaining an appearance of extreme fragility. Smiling, she addressed the station staff: “Hello, I represent Fia to attend the Legion Assembly. Could you please escort me to the assembly hall?”

After the journey, Illya was utterly fed up.

The battleship she was riding barely managed to dock before completely breaking down. Repairs would take a full five hours; by the time repairs were finished, the Legion Assembly would likely be over.

The staff offered a standard smile. “Welcome. Please present your legion credentials.”

Illya handed over her pilot’s license. A pilot’s license was equivalent to a passport, granting passage anywhere in the galaxy without issue.

But—

The staff member returned the license. “I apologize, but this document cannot verify your identity. Do you have anything else?”

Illya glared at the staff member, but restraining her temper out of respect for their Headquarters affiliation, she said coldly, “Will this work?”

Saying so, she offered her personal passport.

The staff member placed the passport on the scanner. The sensor remained inert. After trying three times unsuccessfully, the staff returned the passport to Illya with an apologetic look. “I am sorry, your document is invalid. We cannot arrange an escort vessel. If you are here for recreational travel, you are welcome to visit any station except the Galun Space Station.”

After enduring days of humiliation, Illya had just managed to catch her breath, only for the Headquarters to pull a stunt like this. She could no longer tolerate it. She slammed her gun onto the counter, shouting, “If you can’t make the decision, get lost! You dare say my documentation is invalid?”

The Headquarters staff member, having received extensive training, showed no fear and smiled faintly, dialing a number. “Hello, is this the Station Administration Office? I am Customer Service at Docking Bay Three Exit. We have a lunatic here; please send someone to collect her.”

Illya’s complexion shifted from red to dark, finally turning ashen. She raised the gun in her hand and aimed it at the staff member. “Who are you calling a lunatic? Who are you calling a lunatic?!!”

The station was lined with glass and metal surfaces so polished they reflected like mirrors. As Illya raised her weapon, the corner of her eye caught her reflection in the massive glass panel beside her, and she froze.

Who was that woman in the mirror—hair disheveled, makeup smeared, eyes bloodshot, and features contorted into a grotesque mask?

Meanwhile, Ziye was on a secure call with Stath, the highest-ranking official of the Headquarters.

Ziye had a favor to ask this time, so her tone was considerably softer. Stath had confirmed with Tang Wen that she was Tang Wen’s sister. In his eyes, Tang Wen’s sister was no different from his own sister, so he treated Ziye with exceptional cordiality.

Their conversation flowed pleasantly, as follows:

Ziye asked with the curiosity of a small child, “Hello, does attending the Legion Assembly mean only Legion Commanders are allowed entry?”

Stath leaned back leisurely. “You want to attend the Legion Assembly?”

Ziye shook her head. “No.”

Stath fished out a matchbox, pulled out a cigarette, struck a match, lit the cigarette, and blew out a smoke ring. “Wanting to is useless. Only Legion Commanders can attend the Assembly. Take your brother, for instance; if your father were still in office, your father would chair the Assembly. As long as your brother hasn't formally succeeded, he has no seat.”

Ziye pressed, “What about Fia? The Queen of Fia is indisposed and resting; who will chair in her stead?”

Stath stroked his coarse beard thoughtfully. “That scenario isn't impossible to delegate to a substitute…”

Ziye jumped in eagerly, “Anyone can substitute?”

Stath shook his head. “Certainly not. That decision is made internally by the Legion. If the Queen of Fia is confirmed unable to attend due to illness, she can delegate the right to attend the meeting to the next heir in the Legion. However, they must bring the Queen’s token of authority.”

Ziye felt a wave of calm settle over her. “If the Queen of Fia’s representative, Illya, arrives, could you perhaps delay her for a short while, preventing her from entering the Assembly Hall on time?”

Once the deadline for entering the Assembly Hall passed, the doors would close, effectively ensuring Fia’s current representation was absent.

Resolutions at the Legion Assembly were primarily passed by vote. To take action against an absent Legion made voting for punitive measures an effortless task. Furthermore, Illya had managed to offend quite a few powerful individuals during her stay at the Cole Hotel.

Stath gave a faint smile. “Ziye, the power of the Headquarters isn't used that way. If it were, I wouldn’t have kept this position for long.”

Ziye didn't press further. “Very well, I won't make things difficult for you then.”

—She trusted that someone else, someone who couldn't stand Illya, would inevitably be careless enough to cause a delay.

Her assumption proved correct.

The moment Illya pointed her gun at the staff member’s head, the station police arrived.

Undeniably, Illya’s actions constituted an assault on military personnel, and she was immediately taken away by the station police.

This time, Illya truly panicked, screaming, “You can’t take me! I’m here for the Legion Assembly!”

The staff member smiled calmly as she watched Illya being led away. “I apologize. When your actions constitute an assault on military personnel, you are subject to detention by the station police for fifteen days.”

Illya fumed. “How did I commit an assault?”

The staff member calmly retrieved her officer's identification, presenting it before Illya. “I apologize, I neglected to mention that all personnel at the Headquarters are military personnel.”

—All staff at the Headquarters were drawn from the armies of various Legions.

This particular staff member happened to be from the Angel Domain, and the moment Illya appeared, she knew exactly how to proceed...

-RS