Early in the morning, the royal capital seemed a little chaotic, like a baby waking up too early and softly whimpering.
One carriage after another lined up in perfect formation, moving steadily toward the royal palace.
People opening the doors of their shops saw the carriages racing past, rolling up clouds of dust as they went.
Pedestrians stepped aside to avoid them, ducking into nearby shops and pretending to browse, just to stay out of the way.
"What's going on?"
"Not sure… but judging by that scene, something big's happening."
Before long, the final carriage to stop before the castle gates was an extraordinarily luxurious one.
Duke Levi stepped down lightly from it, taking a slow look around.
Most of the mages had already arrived, but without exception, every pair of eyes turned on him was filled with hostility.
If looks could turn into bullets, Duke Levi would have been riddled with holes by now.
After that volcano incident, the duke's reputation in the mage circles had plummeted to the very bottom.
There were no rumors or slanders, everyone had seen it with their own eyes.
No one came forward to greet him, not even Viscount Baker, who had once been on friendly terms. He could only shake his head helplessly.
The duke stood alone before the gates, calm and dignified.
After a while, the towering doors of the castle opened slowly. A fierce wind burst out from within, whipping through the air so violently that every mage's robe fluttered.
It was as if a beast was roaring from inside, eager to devour everyone's pride.
A knight led out a noble-looking man with silver-white hair.
The man looked to be under thirty, still quite young, dressed in fine robes and exuding a noble aura.
At the sight of his face, many people immediately recognized him and bowed deeply.
Standing at the front, the duke also bent slightly and gave a respectful salute.
"Your Highness, Second Prince."
The Second Prince nodded slightly, lifting a hand to indicate that everyone could rise.
"Since everyone's here, let's head inside."
Once permission was granted, the mages began entering one after another.
When it was the duke's turn, however, the Second Prince stopped him.
He smiled faintly at Duke Levi. "Duke Levi, shall we speak somewhere else for a moment?"
The duke met his polite yet empty smile and replied, "Your Highness, I don't wish to keep His Majesty waiting."
The Second Prince shook his head gently, still smiling.
"Father is elderly now, he needs his rest. Even if you enter now, you'll still have to wait for a while."
"Besides, I truly wish to speak with you privately."
He leaned closer to the duke, one hand covering his mouth, whispering softly in his ear, "Perhaps… I can help you out of your current predicament."
The duke listened without expression and didn't reply.
The Second Prince's smile relaxed, his silence was as good as agreement.
"Then please, Duke, follow me."
Under the protection of the knights beside him, the two men did not enter through the main hall but instead took a side passage leading into another palace.
"This is my personal residence," said the Second Prince. "Here, you may speak freely."
The duke glanced briefly at the guards beside him.
"These men are all my own," the prince assured him.
He waved his hand, and a servant brought over a chair for the duke.
Levi sat down without hesitation. Their eyes met.
The duke chuckled lightly. "Your Highness, you're already gathering your own followers this early… isn't that rather inappropriate?"
"The Emperor, he isn't dead yet."
The quiet question carried a chill that made the Second Prince's body flinch ever so slightly.
He forced a faint smile. "Duke, I simply don't want to die an 'accidental' death someday."
"In my position, whether I fight or not, it's not entirely up to me."
The duke fell silent.
The air between them dropped to freezing point, the silence thick and heavy.
Eventually, the Second Prince broke it.
"Let's not talk about that. Duke, the situation isn't looking good for you."
"There are far too many people calling for your impeachment. I'm afraid Father may not be able to resist their pressure."
"To be frank, that's what I wanted to discuss."
Before the duke could answer, the prince lifted his cup, took a sip of tea, and continued, "I heard that your daughter will be coming of age soon."
At those words, the duke slowly raised his head. His gaze turned cold, and a trace of mockery appeared in his eyes.
"So what of it?"
The Second Prince set down his teacup, glancing at the guards around him with an elegant smile.
"Must I really spell it out? If I were to form a marriage alliance with your daughter, the Duke's House would then share blood ties with the royal family. His Majesty would naturally have reason to protect you…"
Crack!
Before he could finish, the teacup in his hand shattered into pieces.
The knights immediately drew their swords, pointing them at Duke Levi in alarm.
But the Second Prince didn't flinch. He calmly brushed the shards off his hand and looked at the duke, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"Duke, this is the royal palace."
"You wouldn't want your daughter's future ruined because of your rashness, would you?"
The duke rose to his feet, and as he did, the immense magical pressure that radiated from him instantly vanished without a trace.
The Second Prince's eyes flickered slightly, he was inwardly impressed.
What precise control of mana.
Suddenly, the duke asked, "Your Highness, how old are you this year?"
"Twenty-nine. Why? For your daughter, that's not an unreasonable age difference."
"Twenty-nine…?" the duke murmured, as if comparing something in his head.
Then, abruptly, he asked again, "Your Highness, I've watched you grow up. Tell me, have you made any real progress in these twenty-some years?"
The Second Prince froze, his chest tightening as if stabbed by a dagger. His smile faltered.
"True, you're clever," the duke went on coldly. "You know how to use people, how to read hearts. But you're not strong. The only resource you've ever relied on… is your royal blood."
The Second Prince understood perfectly well what that meant, without your father's shadow, you're nothing.
His smile slowly disappeared, replaced by a cold, mocking sneer.
"And what of it? I am a prince. Who could possibly be more suited or more capable than I?"
Then he stopped. Because he remembered someone.
Someone who actually was.
The duke smiled faintly, meeting his gaze with open disdain.
"I'd suggest you go tell that to the family of Clavenna."
The Second Prince slammed the table, standing up in fury.
"He was just a viscount! And he's dead! Do you understand? He's dead!"
The prince grew more and more agitated, nearly grabbing the duke's collar, wanting to shout the truth in his face.
But he didn't.
As a royal, he had to maintain at least a shred of dignity. Even in anger, he could not act like a wild beast.
He drew a deep breath and forced himself calm.
"He's gone forever in that volcano. Everyone knows it."
"Dead?"
The duke let out a low laugh, shaking his head.
His eyes held a hint of pity as he looked at the prince.
"In my eyes, your arrogance isn't worth half of his talent."
With that, Duke Levi turned and strode toward the doors without looking back.
The Second Prince's face darkened. He brushed a hand through his silver hair, exhaled deeply, and regained his composure.
"Let's go. To the main hall."
"I'd like to see if he can still stay that calm when everyone turns on him."
———
The great hall of the palace was already packed. Knights in full armor stood along the sides, swords drawn, keeping order.
Gwen stood near the throne. As captain of the Royal Knights, her duty was to protect the Emperor himself.
At the very front, kneeling before the throne, was Duke Levi.
Seeing him, Gwen's expression was complicated.
She knew all too well what he had gone through today, it had been anything but pleasant.
But she had to admit, he truly loved his daughter.
She turned her eyes away, scanning through the assembled mages.
He wasn't there.
No matter how she looked, she couldn't find Viktor.
"He didn't come…"
For some reason, that thought made her chest ache a little.
Maybe because Viktor was someone she'd known since childhood.
Suddenly, the eunuch's voice echoed through the hall. The Emperor entered, supported by attendants, and took his seat on the throne.
Aubrey Sol, the Eighth Emperor of the Calencia Empire.
He looked old, his hair completely white. Though only sixty, not much older than Duke Levi, he seemed far more aged.
At his appearance, every mage knelt on one knee, paying their highest respect.
The Emperor waved a hand, signaling for them to rise.
Only Duke Levi remained kneeling.
The weary monarch looked at him for a long moment, then sighed softly.
"Levi… when the volcano was about to erupt, did you halt the magic array?"
"Yes."
Levi's voice was steady, without the slightest hesitation.
The Emperor's brows furrowed. "They say you sought to kill every mage, and even the people at the mountain's base, to have them buried with your daughter. Do you have any explanation?"
"Your Majesty, I have none."
The Emperor stared at him, then sighed heavily again.
"Ah…"
He looked at Levi with eyes full of sorrow.
Once, they had been the closest of friends, comrades in arms.
And yet now, Levi still looked as young as ever, while he himself stood with one foot already in the grave.
He had hoped, in these final years, to preserve those who had followed him so long.
But what Levi had done… had shaken the royal family's very credibility.
If he didn't punish him severely, others' loyalty would fade.
"Levi… please understand me. Forgive me."
He closed his eyes, preparing to deliver the final sentence.
But suddenly, every knight outside drew their sword.
A roaring vortex of flame erupted outside the hall, pulling everyone's attention.
The heat was so fierce that they could hardly open their eyes.
When the wave of heat finally dissipated, the mages cautiously opened theirs, and saw a figure emerging from the light.
Gwen's eyes flashed with recognition.
"Viktor!?"
Viktor stepped into view, his coat lined with red stripes rippling in the heat.
He looked toward the Emperor, not kneeling, but bowing respectfully.
"My apologies, Your Majesty."
"I'm late."
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