The capital of Sylveris that morning was bathed in the pale golden light of the early sun. Inside the royal hall, a solemn atmosphere filled the vast chamber. Towering white stone pillars were carved with dragons and ancient symbols of the kingdom. At the far end of the hall, atop a raised platform, King Esix III sat upon his throne.
Below the steps, a man knelt.
It was Royma.
The eyes of the court nobles were all fixed on him. The battle a month ago had made his name known throughout all of Sylveris.
King Esix III looked down, his deep voice echoing clearly through the hall.
"Royma, your contributions in the recent battle cannot be denied. Without you and the mages of the Magic Council, that demon might have brought far greater disaster upon Sylveris."
Several nobles nodded in agreement.
The king continued:
"Therefore, I declare that from this day forward, should the Magic Council undertake any research or defensive projects to protect the kingdom, the royal court will provide full support."
A murmur spread through the hall.
Royma lowered his head even further.
"Your Majesty," he said slowly, "I do not dare accept such praise. Protecting Sylveris is the duty of every citizen of this kingdom. I merely did what I must."
His humility earned approving looks from many in the court.
King Esix III smiled faintly.
"No matter what you say, merit is still merit."
The king gestured lightly.
Immediately, two royal guards carried in a large, dark wooden chest. When it was opened, golden light shimmered across the hall.
Inside were gold coins, large white pearls, and numerous magical crystals emitting a soft glow.
"This is the royal reward," the king said. "Accept it."
Royma hesitated.
"I cannot—"
"This is my goodwill."
Royma fell silent for a moment, then exhaled softly.
In the end, he bowed his head.
"I accept."
It had been nearly a month since the demon was destroyed.
Yet for many, that time had been anything but peaceful.
Immediately after the battle, the Magic Council launched a full-scale investigation. Interrogation tents were set up across the former battlefield.
Almost everyone who had taken part in the battle was summoned.
Soldiers of Darama.
Soldiers of Sylveris.
Mages.
Even those who had merely been near the battlefield.
All were subjected to hours of questioning, sometimes repeated over many days.
There was, however, one exception.
King Rio II of Darama refused to participate in the investigation.
Not only that, but his elite corps never entered the interrogation tents even once.
Those names were still spoken with respect:
Yui.
Lusia.
Anate.
Reta.
Cos.
Mana.
Mane.
And "Shadow."
The Council did not force them, out of respect for a sovereign nation.
After weeks of examining the battlefield, analyzing magical traces, and collecting testimonies, the Magic Council finally reached a conclusion.
The incident a month ago…
was related to dark magic and demonkind.
The investigation was officially closed.
At a small inn near the capital, life was far more peaceful.
In the front yard, the sound of metal clashing rang out repeatedly.
Clang!
Clang!
Sivall held his sword, moving with fluid precision. Opposite him, Renar struggled to keep up with each strike.
Sivall's blade came down.
Renar hastily raised his weapon to block.
Clang!
"Too slow," Sivall said.
Renar gritted his teeth and pressed forward again.
Nearby, Kael sat on a wooden step, holding a freshly printed newspaper.
He let out a sigh.
"Finally, it's over."
Sivall and Renar stopped.
"What is?" Sivall asked.
Kael waved the paper.
"The Magic Council just released their conclusion. The incident from a month ago was caused by dark magic and demonkind. The investigation is officially over."
Renar exhaled in relief.
"Finally…"
He recalled the days spent inside those interrogation tents.
Question after question.
Repeated endlessly.
Just thinking about it made him feel exhausted.
Sivall gave a faint smile.
"At least we won't have to go back there anymore."
Life continued like that.
Peaceful.
Simple.
Two days later.
A courier stopped in front of the inn.
"Letter for Sivall!"
Sivall stepped out to receive it.
The moment he saw the seal on the envelope, his expression changed.
"It's from Sill…"
He opened it immediately.
The letter was short, but every line made his heart beat faster.
Mother has awakened.
Her illness is completely gone.
Senmi and Senki have also left to continue their journey.
The final line read:
Mother wants to see you. Come home soon.
Sivall's face lit up as he finished reading.
"Good news?" Kael asked.
Sivall nodded firmly.
"My mother has woken up!"
Renar's eyes widened.
"Really?!"
"Yeah!"
Sivall almost immediately ran back into the inn.
Less than an hour later, he returned with a travel bag.
"Leaving already?" Kael asked.
"The sooner, the better."
Kael smiled.
"Then good luck."
Renar stepped forward.
"Thank you… for everything."
Sivall looked at him.
"You've improved a lot."
Renar scratched his head.
"I'm still weak."
Sivall shook his head.
"No. But you're heading in the wrong direction."
"What do you mean?"
Sivall placed a hand on Renar's shoulder.
"You shouldn't focus only on swordsmanship."
Renar looked surprised.
"You have great potential in magic. I can feel it."
Renar fell silent.
Sivall turned to Kael.
"What about you two? Any plans?"
Kael leaned against a wooden pillar.
"I'll take Renar traveling."
"So he can learn more about magic, and grow stronger."
Sivall nodded.
"And you?"
Kael's expression turned thoughtful.
"I want to investigate… that creature. The one we encountered."
The being he and Renar had faced…
Something far beyond anything they had ever known.
Kael spoke quietly:
"We only survived by luck."
His gaze grew serious.
"If it truly exists… it could become a major threat to humanity."
Sivall thought for a moment.
"Then I have a suggestion."
"Go to the Magic Academy of the Magic Council."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"There's a massive library there," Sivall said. "Books from the earliest ages until now. If you're looking for information on ancient beings, that's the best place."
Renar's eyes lit up.
"And I can study magic there?"
Sivall smiled.
"Exactly."
He continued:
"I'll write you a letter of recommendation."
Kael looked slightly surprised.
"A recommendation?"
Sivall shrugged.
"I know the headmaster. He used to be my teacher. Getting in won't be difficult."
Kael chuckled.
"Well, that makes things easy."
Renar nodded eagerly.
"We'll go."
By that evening, Sivall had already been gone for half a day.
The inn grew quieter.
In his room, Kael lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Memories surfaced one after another.
The battle.
The demon.
And…
that creature.
A being with power beyond imagination.
Kael let out a soft breath.
"I really… was lucky."
In the room next door, Renar was also unable to sleep.
He tossed and turned on his bed.
The Magic Academy.
New friends.
Learning magic.
Just thinking about it made his heart race.
Renar stared at the ceiling and smiled faintly.
"A new life…"
Beneath the roof of that small inn, in the stillness of the night, thoughts and dreams quietly filled the air.
New paths…
had begun to unfold.