Chapter 55
The Imperial Capital—now nothing more than a place bearing traces of the Academy that once stood.
Princess Rael Arhan couldn’t conceal the turmoil in her heart as she drifted deep into thought.
“Because of me… it was all because of me.”
Countless cadets had died—some trying to protect her, others simply caught in the chaos.
Of course, she knew it wasn’t truly her fault.
Who could have predicted that a beastkin—a chieftain, no less—would launch an unprovoked attack on the Academy and carry out a massacre?
But the fact that she wasn’t to blame did nothing to comfort the dead. And the helplessness she felt for doing nothing continued to eat away at her.
“Your Highness.”
“Ari…”
One other cadet had survived that nightmare.
“I still don’t understand. I don’t know why this had to happen. Why… why did they have to die?”
Since that day, Ari had changed.
The girl who always laughed now never smiled.
The lively, cheerful voice that used to fill the halls was gone.
“Everyone says the headmaster, and the seniors, the juniors, and our friends who died that day… that they were heroes. That it was a noble sacrifice. But… I just don’t know.”
Ar’s once bright and clear eyes had lost their light.
With a hollow gaze, Ari continued.
“Pia said she’d travel after graduating.
She wanted to see the ocean, and she promised she’d tell me all about it afterward.
Nil said she’d become a knight, and Senior Ton was going to take over the merchant guild. And Chan…”
One by one, Ari began naming the cadets who had died.
Princess Rael remembered them all.
It wasn’t the first time Ari had shared these stories—she often repeated them, sometimes multiple times in the same day—but Rael always listened in silence.
“They all had dreams. Dreams that can never be realized now.”
With that, Ari pulled something from inside her coat.
It was a letter marked with a violet dragon—the seal of the Emperor.
“I do know one thing, though. I kept His Majesty’s command. He told me to protect Your Highness. Even if he hadn’t, I still would have.
But I did it. I protected you.”
Since that day, Ari had never once let the Emperor’s letter leave her side.
Because she had protected the Princess.
Because His Majesty had praised her for it.
Because he had told her it wasn’t a meaningless sacrifice.
Now staring at the letter, Ari spoke—not just to Rael, but maybe to herself.
“I will protect Your Highness. I have protected you, and I will continue to protect you. That way, it won’t have been for nothing. That way, it’ll mean something. Because they were heroes. So…”
She lifted her head and looked directly at the Princess.
“I’ll protect you. No matter what.”
Because it’s the only thing I have left.
In that moment, Ari looked less like a knight swearing loyalty to her liege, and more like a madwoman clinging to a shattered purpose.
Like someone chanting a mantra to keep herself from falling apart. And all Rael could do was nod.
As she looked at Ari, Princess Rael found her thoughts drifting back to the mass funeral held not long ago.
The largest plaza in the Imperial Capital.
At its center stood a raised platform—upon which now stood the Emperor.
It was the first time he appeared before the citizens since the Hero’s welcome ceremony, yet the atmosphere could not have been more different.
“Not long ago, the Empire suffered a great tragedy.”
The beastkin attack.
Though they mainly targeted nobles and knights, ordinary citizens were caught in the bloodshed as well.
And then—the Academy.
Each chieftain led their warriors in a sudden raid on the Academy, slaughtering the cadets who had not yet graduated.
Count Darhan, the Academy’s headmaster and a Master in his own right, fought against the combined assault of the beastkin. He killed all but the chieftain before falling.
The chieftain, left alone, resumed the massacre in search of the Princess.
He nearly succeeded in his objective.
Nearly killed Princess Rael.
But in the end, the surviving cadets stood their ground and stopped him.
When only one cadet remained, the Commander of the Royal Black Knights arrived, ending the tragedy by slaying the beastkin.
“As always, the Empire has triumphed. The beasts who dared to tread on Imperial soil have been annihilated. The god they worshipped has been split in two and destroyed. But that doesn’t mean our sorrow disappears.”
Though few recognized them in plainclothes, many members of the Royal Black Knights had attended the joint funeral.
Even the usually lighthearted Vice Commander bowed his head with a grim face, while the knights, famed for their lack of emotion, looked at him with sympathy.
And among the crowd stood Ari—wounded, but present.
The Emperor noticed her pale, distorted expression and spoke directly, his gaze unwavering.
“The reason we stand victorious today is because of the heroic struggle of those who went before us. I, and the Empire, will never forget them.”
Is he being sincere? Or is this all just for show?
Standing there, Rael wondered as she watched her brother.
She knew how he worked.
Chances were, unless a cadet had caught his interest—or had been assigned to watch over her, like Ari—the Emperor wouldn’t even know their names.
Only if they rose to prominence later would he be briefed.
Still, she didn’t think his promise to remember their deaths was a lie.
She wasn’t sure what it meant to “remember” people whose names you didn’t even know—but maybe that wasn’t the point.
Even as she fell into thought, the Emperor’s voice continued to echo through the plaza.
“By my decree, they shall now rest in eternal peace.”
Like a prayer, the words were heavy with power.
But it was no plea to Kiriya—no request for peace from the priests. It was a declaration.
A proclamation filled with sincerity.
For some reason, Rael felt comforted.
After finishing his speech, the Emperor stepped down from the platform, leaving the rest of the ceremony in the hands of the royal knights and the noble attendees.
—————————————————————————-
The princess thought of the Emperor.
He was the enemy of her mother’s family, the cold-blooded man who had executed every noble who supported her. And yet, in the end—he was the Emperor of the Empire.
It wasn’t her who avenged the cadets. It wasn’t her who brought order after the catastrophe. It was the Emperor.
“…What have I done?”
Nothing.
In truth, this wasn’t the first time.
During the succession struggle—though calling it a “struggle” felt generous—she hadn’t even managed to properly compete.
Ever since being completely pushed aside, she’d done nothing but tread carefully, keeping an eye on the Emperor’s moods.
Before entering the Academy, she had merely tried to survive quietly. And after joining, she still never stepped forward, never took action.
“Sir Giel.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Since the Academy tragedy, the Commander of the Royal Black Knights had remained by her side under Imperial order, serving as her personal escort.
When she called, Giel emerged from somewhere unseen, responding at once.
“I’d like to see His Majesty.”
“His Majesty, Your Highness?”
Giel had played a key role in purging the nobles loyal to the Princess during the early days of the Emperor’s reign. He knew better than anyone how deeply she feared her brother.
“…Are you sure about this?”
He had also served the previous Emperor, and had watched over the Princess since she was very young.
Though she wasn’t the one he swore loyalty to, he couldn’t help but feel a measure of concern for her.
But Princess Rael’s resolve was firm.
She couldn’t keep living like this—doing nothing.
If she lived a life so empty, how could she ever face those who died for her?
With that conviction, the Princess stood.
“I’m sure. So please, Sir Giel, let His Majesty know that Rael Arhan wishes to speak with him.”
“…As you command, Your Highness.”
“Your Majesty, may I enter?”
“Hmm?”
I was preparing to receive the Pope after seeing Duke Verde off when Frio came looking for me.
With Giel assigned to Rael’s protection, Frio had been acting as de facto commander of the Royal Black Knights. Why had he come?
Did something happen with the Black Knights I dispatched to Chamber?
Or maybe something went wrong with the ones I assigned to Xian?
As I weighed the possibilities, I called him in.
“Come in.”
“Your Majesty, a message from the Commander.”
“Sir Giel?”
“Yes. That is… Her Highness the Princess has requested an audience with you.”
“Rael?”
Rael… wants to see me?
That was unexpected.
If something had happened, Giel would’ve reported it directly. But this wasn’t a report—it was a request.
“It’s nearly evening. Tell her she’s invited to dinner.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Well… whatever it is, I’ll hear it from her myself.
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