"Did you manage to see Prince Zion?"
A knight of middle age, his face marked by a scar running diagonally, paid his respects to Evelyn Agnes as she returned to her palace.
"Yes."
Evelyn, after a brief hesitation, responded to his salutation with a nod.
"But why have you come back with the knights?"
"He refused."
"Pardon? What do you mean? Did Prince Zion refuse?"
"Indeed."
Bafflement filled the knight's eyes as the situation defied logic.
The imperial city had been breached, Chimseong Palace assaulted, and the victim had only just managed to escape with their life.
Although Zion seeking refuge in this palace was surprising, it was strange he would refuse support.
Furthermore, Evelyn's demeanor as she answered was unusual.
'Usually, she's merely looking grim...'
Today, her face bore a trace of bitterness, but there were additional emotions at play.
Anxiety, sympathy, and... bewilderment and confusion.
What had happened?
"He's different, so much so that I question if he's the same person."
Evelyn voiced her thoughts more as a poem than a conversation, reflecting on her recent meeting with Zion.
While Zion's behavior was noticeably altered, his mention of participating in the succession ceremony not only shocked her but also enraged her.
In Evelyn's mind, if Zion took part in the succession ceremony, his death was certain.
She couldn't stand by and let Zion, the only one she saw as her younger brother, walk towards death, so she unleashed her intimidating aura as a deterrent.
'But he resisted that aura.'
Her aura was so potent that it wouldn't be surprising if he passed out the moment it was unleashed.
Yet, Zion not only endured the aura, he shrugged it off with unbelievable calmness.
When had he matured so much?
Or had he concealed his strength all along?
While Evelyn felt both amazed and proud, she also sensed danger.
A single black star spiraling in Zion's eyes as he gazed at her Celestial Sea.
'That was certainly not a Celestial Sea.'
A foreign star unseen anywhere else.
The sight of that black star, stirring a primal fear within her, Evelyn issued an order to the knight.
"Secretly strengthen the defenses around Chimseong Palace, in a way that Zion won't notice. We can't let a similar incident occur."
"Understood."
"And... keep Zion under surveillance."
The knight quietly nodded to Evelyn's command.
---
Raei Translations
---
"Heh, it's evident how dearly you regard Prince Zion, Your Highness Evelyn."
Zion, listening to Sir Fredo's pleased voice, fixed his gaze on the object before him on the table.
A round item radiating an intense blue light, a result of the concentration of immense magic power.
In his hands lay the heart of a thousand-year-old ogre, a symbol of raw strength and vitality. Over its millennia-long life, power had pooled within its heart, a power known to greatly enhance physical strength and endurance when consumed by a human.
"To give such a precious thing so readily..."
Indeed, Evelyn had frequently sent Zion restorative items in the past to help bolster his frail health. Yet, this was the first time she'd presented him something more potent than any elixir.
'This should provide a temporary solution.'
Zion thought, feeling the heart pulse with latent magical power.
An average person, despite cooking and consuming this heart, would fail to fully assimilate its strength, benefiting only from hardened bones and muscle fortification.
But Zion was different.
He was certain he could extract all the heart's power and leverage it to its fullest extent. This would notably diminish his limitations when wielding the Black Star River.
However, unless he fundamentally transformed his body, this would not be a permanent resolution.
'Evelyn Agnes.'
His thoughts strayed from the ogre's heart to Evelyn Agnes, who had visited the Chimseong Palace earlier.
Could she be deemed a central figure in the Chronicles of Frosimar?
Even though the chronicles were still in their early stages, she seemed fully formed as both a ruler and a warrior.
Especially the stars that shone brightly in her eyes – a testament to her mastery of the Celestial Sea.
The Celestial Sea, in the Chronicles of Frosimar, was a power exclusive to the Agnes imperial lineage.
As a governing force, those who wielded the Celestial Sea were inherently more powerful than the average strong individual.
Like the Black Star River, a unique feature was the variation in the number of shining stars in the eyes according to one's level of mastery.
'But it's peculiar.'
A realization struck him - something he hadn't considered when reading.
He felt a similar yet distinct sensation from Evelyn's Celestial Sea, akin to his own Black Star River power.
His power was unique to him, how could there exist a similar power?
'Well, finding myself in a novel is absurd in itself.'
As Zion nodded, conceding that there was more to learn, he remembered his recent encounter with Evelyn.
'Six stars. She is at her peak.'
Evelyn Agnes, with her Celestial Sea in full display, exerted pressure on Zion. In response, he revealed his Black Star River. Had Zion not shown his power, Evelyn would have relentlessly pushed him to renounce the succession ceremony.
'......Alright, I understand. If you want it that much, Zion.'
Evelyn looked surprised for a moment at Zion's reaction but she soon relented.
'I won't ask about your powers for now. However, when the time comes, I'll need an explanation.'
Even though she added those words.
The subsequent conversation centered around safety measures for the succession ceremony and mutual health inquiries. Through this discussion, Zion realized Evelyn harbored a good amount of goodwill for him.
Evidently, she handed him the Millennial Ogre's Heart, a potent potion, without any hesitation. The primary purpose of Evelyn's visit to the Chimseong Palace was not only to hand over the Millennial Ogre's Heart but also to ensure Zion's safety.
'This goodwill might be useful later.'
Just then,
"Your Highness Zion, the princess from the Bammel house is here."
Seemingly aware that Zion had wrapped up his thoughts about Evelyn, a servant announced a guest from outside the door.
"Let her in."
Accompanied by the creaking door, a woman with distinctive reddish-brown hair and crimson eyes entered. It was Priscilla.
"Why did you summon me so abruptly when you've been ignoring me all this time?"
Although her tone was quite harsh, as though holding a grudge, her eyes hinted at some odd anticipation.
"You've been residing in the palace all this while. I thought it's time to return the hospitality."
"What? What are you talking about?"
Priscilla's forehead furrowed in confusion at Zion's sudden words.
"How long would it take to complete this?"
"What in the world are you......"
However, as soon as she caught sight of the paper Zion offered, her confusion turned to surprise.
"Where did this come from?"
Priscilla, her nose almost brushing the paper as she examined it, asked Zion in astonishment.
She was looking at a magic circle drawn on the paper.
"I drew it."
"What? I beg your pardon? Your Highness, did you draw this?"
Priscilla's eyes were wide with surprise, bordering on shock.
It was shocking enough that Zion could draw a magic circle, but that wasn't the real surprise.
"This pattern and structure... and the operation principle as well. I've never seen anything like it."
Priscilla was a prodigious mage herself and had access to all the latest magical theories due to the reputation of the Bammel family.
Yet, she couldn't find anything like this in any of those theories.
It implied that Zion had made this magic circle himself.
Creating anything new, even something simple, required an in-depth understanding of the respective field.
'I didn't realize Prince Zion had such a profound understanding of magic...'
"I asked you, how long would it take to finish it?"
Zion seemed to grasp what misunderstanding Priscilla was under, but he didn't make any attempt to clarify.
The Search Circle.
The name of the magic circle from the Chronicles of the Hero of Frosimar.
It didn't exist in this era yet, as it was developed just before the war between humans and demons, two years from now.
Its singular effect was profoundly useful.
The Chronicles illustrated this magic circle in a diagram, making it memorable to Zion.
"I'll have it done by tomorrow."
Priscilla, captivated by the magic circle, responded to Zion's declaration. She had never seen this magic circle before, but it wasn't hard to grasp its principle and formula.
However, its purpose was unclear.
'It seems like a detection spell, but with a twist... As if it's meant to reveal something...'
Curiosity piqued, Priscilla looked up from the paper to ask Zion, "Where are you planning to use this?"
"A hunt."
Zion's response, accompanied by a slight smile, met Priscilla's question.
The setting sun behind Baeksung Palace dyed the world red.
One of the palace maids, Hanna, rushed around, glancing at the sunset.
"What's going on?"
Her eyes reflected her confusion.
Similar expressions of uncertainty marred the faces of other attendants and knights in the palace corridor.
Minutes ago, a sudden assembly order from Prince Zion set the palace abuzz. Everyone, including Hanna, was heading towards the gathering point, the training field outside the palace.
"Hanna."
A kind voice from behind interrupted Hanna's rush. She turned to see an elderly man with tidy white hair.
"Oh, Head Steward!"
Her eyes brightened. The man was Baren, the palace's head steward. Known for his kindness and decorum, Baren, who had served at the palace for more than 20 years, was respected by the staff. Hanna regarded him as a grandfatherly figure.
"Do you have any idea why His Highness summoned us, Head Steward?"
"I'm not entirely sure."
Baren shook his head in response to Hanna's question.
"I've found it harder to read his thoughts since he changed. He's never been one to divulge his plans."
"You're right... He's been somewhat intimidating since his change."
Hanna nodded in agreement. After the ambush, Prince Zion had become elusive, rarely making appearances. He had stopped issuing orders to palace staff, including Hanna. While this lightened their workload, Hanna found herself increasingly wary of Prince Zion. Catching even a distant glimpse of him sent shivers down her spine, like plunging into frigid water. His strange aura was enough to incite fear in her.
They had covered quite a distance.
"He didn't just call for the night shift, did he?"
Hanna mentioned this to Baren as they reached the already crowded training field. Prince Zion stood at the center, his silent stare over the crowd making her uneasy.
She felt a shiver run down her spine as Zion's gaze fell on her.
"Begin."
With that cold declaration, signaling the end of the arrivals, Priscilla, standing next to him, began her chant.
Swooosh-
A red glow emerged from a pre-drawn magic circle on the training field. It grew brighter with Priscilla's continuous incantation, soon enveloping not only the field but the entire Chimseong Palace.
The stewards and knights, seeming to naturally recoil, winced and stepped back from the glow.
"What is this light... huh? Head Steward?"
Under the eerie red illumination, Hanna turned to Baren, her face filled with confusion. Unlike her and the others, Baren seemed transfixed on the red light's source—the magic circle—as if under a spell.
Just as Hanna stretched out to tug on Baren's clothing to stop him from approaching the magic circle,
Drip.
A blood droplet, more vibrant than the light, landed right in the magic circle's glowing center.
In that instant,
"Oh, ah...."
Hanna saw it.
Baren, who had always been as loving as a grandparent to her.
Screeeeeech!
Giant tentacles burst out from every opening on his body.
***
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