Chapter 6

Yuma strapped the sword Haka had given him across his back and started walking. He knew the road to the capital like the back of his hand.

Forty years ago, he had traveled this path in a carriage sent from the capital.

The carriage had arrived less than a month after Mero submitted the eunuch recommendation. At the time, Yuma had never even dreamed that Mero was the one who had recommended him to be castrated.

Back then, he had stared blankly out the window, feeling like a cow being led to the slaughter.

It was the moment all his dreams of changing the world as a warrior vanished into thin air.

To be fair, there were clear limits to what a commoner could achieve anyway.

After becoming a eunuch, Yuma didn’t feel anything for a long time.

Not when he saw famous knights or noblewomen. Not even when he ate the finest delicacies offered in the Imperial Palace. Not when he mimicked gripping a sword alone in the corner of his eunuch’s quarters.

He never smiled, not even once, while learning the duties of a eunuch.

At least, not until he met Hella Roze, who was still a princess back then.

In the end, that empress—who slowly went mad after the Dragon-Horse War—branded him a traitor and had him executed.

The past is already changing. I have to prepare for the Dragon-Horse War. That means stopping the nobles from killing talented commoners, lowering the walls of the class system, and maybe… actually using my dick again—no wait, what am I thinking? More importantly, if the past keeps changing like this… could the empress herself change too?

These were the thoughts that haunted him endlessly as he traveled toward the capital.

Sometimes he laughed at himself—what kind of sixteen-year-old peasant worries about things only kings or chancellors would?

Still, thanks to the Fruit of Regression, Yuma now knew what would happen over the next forty years of the Empire’s history.

And thanks to his long years as a eunuch, he had gained countless bits of insider knowledge. He felt a heavy sense of responsibility.

First, I need to reach a position where I can use power. One way might be to rise to the top with pure strength… but that won’t be enough.

Even Malon, hailed as the greatest warrior in the Empire’s history, had to defer to Yuma’s insights—at least while they were both sixteen.

If it were Yuma, he could’ve earned the title God of the Sword even faster than Malon.

But despite earning that title and saving the Empire in the Dragon-Horse War, Malon hadn’t been able to change a damn thing.

The more powerful he became, the more openly and crudely the highborn nobles tried to drag him down.

Sure, Malon wasn’t the sharpest when it came to politics. But there were also undeniable limits to what a lowborn warrior could do.

The ones who truly ruled the Empire were those pampered aristocrats with “pure bloodlines” and greasy, smug faces.

During his years as a young eunuch, Yuma had seen it over and over again—true power didn’t rest with war heroes, but with obscure old men from noble houses nobody even remembered.

Malon is definitely going to become the heart of the Black Wolf Corps in a few years. That’s a way better card to play than being just another knight or commander inside the Empire. The Black Wolf Corps is essential for the Dragon-Horse War too. Malon just needs to not act like a lunatic while he’s with them.

Unless you were born into an ancient noble house or were the Empress’s consort duke, it was easier to move in the shadows than to grab attention.

Titles like God of the Sword or Arch Mage were flashy—they attracted too much spotlight. For a commoner, that spotlight could be deadly.

Of course, if Yuma just wanted a life of personal wealth and fame, it would’ve been the perfect path.

So, how can someone like me—born a lowly commoner—gain power without making myself known to the entire world? It’s a tricky one. Being a eunuch was actually a good fit… but I’m not cutting it off again. Besides, being a eunuch has its own limits.

Yuma wiped the sweat from his brow.

In the distance, he saw the towering walls of Hale, the capital city.

It was the same place where, until just recently, he had served as a eunuch for over forty years.

“First things first—let’s settle the Mero issue. Gotta say, being young again has its perks.”

By the time Yuma arrived in the capital of Hale, three days had passed.

Even though he’d moved carefully to avoid alerting any patrols, he barely felt tired. His old, creaky body was gone.

“Should be around here…”

Yuma lingered near the outskirts of the fortress walls. Carrying a weapon meant he couldn’t pass through the main gate without proper identification.

Placing a hand on the stone wall, he pressed firmly at several specific spots.

Thunk!

“Oh!”

A secret latch clicked open.

It was a hidden passage—built during the original construction of Hale Fortress—that hardly anyone used.

The passage was narrow to the point of being claustrophobic, and besides, there were five better secret routes anyway.

This one was basically a design mistake. Rumor had it that it was made for an ancient dwarf who helped found the Kail Empire.

Yuma remembered what the Empress had once told him when showing him this passage:

“If the day comes when you have to flee from the palace, use this route—even if it means betraying the Empire.”

She had said it as a joke, but Yuma had never forgotten.

He crawled through the cramped passage, grunting as he went.

When he emerged, the bright light made him squint. The passage led to a sewage treatment facility near the palace.

I’ve already broken several laws just getting here… attempted murder of a knight, blasphemy, illegal entry into the palace… they’d rip me limb from limb if I got caught.

Noble or peasant, shit stank the same. Yuma covered his nose and moved quickly through the unbearable stench of rotting sewage.

...Maybe just a peek? Who knows when I’ll ever get this close to the palace again.

Back when she was a princess, Hella Roze loved taking solitary walks in the Central Garden.

The brilliant and beautiful royal daughter—Kail’s treasure. The whole Empire adored her.

Before she went mad, she had saved Yuma and Malon’s lives more than once. She was the wise ruler… the Empress Hella Roze.

Yuma wanted to see the younger version of her, even just from afar.

It wasn’t exactly love or loyalty—it was something deeper. A burning, human connection.

He climbed a small hill near the sewage plant. From the top, one could look down upon the Imperial Palace.

The Central Garden was so far away, anyone standing there would look like a mere speck.

Just as he reached the top, a blade was suddenly pressed against his throat.

“Who are you?”

The man wore golden armor—symbol of the Imperial Guard.

Yuma nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the man’s face.

It was Varis—the very man who would later be appointed Captain of the Imperial Guard Knights by Hella Roze.

He was the one who had knelt Yuma down during the purge of the three noble houses. The same man who had accompanied the Empress into the eunuch chambers.

I’m screwed. I thought Malon was the reckless one, but I’m the idiot here. Caught trespassing by the First Princess and the Imperial Guard Captain? I might actually die today.

He had never imagined running into either of them here.

As far as he knew, there were no patrols stationed near the sewage facility.

Let alone someone from the Imperial Guard.

“I asked who you are. What is your purpose here?”

“Well, that is…”

“Varis, stand down for a moment.”

The voice was clear and commanding.

It belonged to none other than the First Princess, Jischka Roze—older sister of Hella Roze, the Second Princess.

Wait, what? Why are Varis and the First Princess together?

This mountain near the sewage treatment plant was practically forgotten land.

Even back when Yuma was a eunuch, only he and Malon ever came here for the occasional drink.

Seeing Varis and the First Princess here, together? It made no sense.

They were political enemies.

“Show proper respect before Her Highness!”

Yuma immediately dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground.

But he didn’t tremble. He knew all too well how unpredictable Jischka Roze could be.

If he dared to act scared and pathetic, she might kill him before he even got a word in.

Varis yanked the sword off Yuma’s back with a rough tug.

“Raise your head. What is your name?”

Even if Mero had reported him to the guards, the news likely hadn’t reached the capital yet.

Yuma briefly considered whether to give his real name.

But even if the report had gotten this far, he doubted the First Princess or Varis would waste their time on someone like Mero.

“I am called Yuma, Your Highness.”

“A noble’s bastard, perhaps?”

“No, I am a commoner.”

“Strange… a commoner whose face seems familiar. Why have you come here?”

Yuma paused, weighing which answer might let him live.

Jischka Roze was a strange one. Sometimes endlessly merciful… and sometimes utterly cruel.

It was that very temperament that had cost her the throne—passing it instead to her younger sister, Hella Roze, the Second Princess.

“I came to the palace because I had something to do, Your Highness.”

“Hoh? That’s quite bold. You had something to do at the palace, so you came here? And not through the front gates—but like a rat, crawling up the back hills? So, what exactly is this business of yours?”

“When I was seven, my parents were killed in a magical bombardment. I would’ve died too, but I heard a royal mage saved our village that day. I came here to offer a prayer to that mage, since I was told they served in the palace.”

Jischka Roze let out a short, scoffing laugh.

“What a funny little story. And you brought a sword all this way just for that? You know you can pray from anywhere, don’t you?”

“I brought the sword to sell it. I wanted to pray in a place where I could see the palace clearly.”

“Your Highness,” Varis interjected, “this boy is suspicious. There’s no need to speak with him further.”

“Sir Varis, since when do you decide who I may or may not speak to?”

“My apologies, Your Highness.”

Varis bowed deeply, and Jischka Roze suddenly broke into a carefree laugh, waving her hand.

“I’m joking, I’m joking. So tell me, do you know the name of this royal mage who saved your village?”

“Yes. I heard her name was Adeline Woods.”

“Ah… Adeline of House Woods. A fine mage. I’ll be sure to pass along your earnest gratitude to her. And don’t even think of coming near this place again. Unauthorized entry into the palace is punishable by execution, on the spot.”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

As Varis returned the sword to him, Yuma bowed three times in quick succession and hurried down the hill.

“Shall I have him followed?”

“Don’t bother. He seemed like an honest boy. Calm too—didn’t feel like a lie. But make sure we start posting guards here from now on.”

“Understood.”

“…My little sister is probably enjoying the comfort of that garden right about now.”

“The Second Princess doesn’t seem to have much ambition for the throne.”

“That… remains to be seen.”