Inside the private tent, Azriel sat on the bed with Jasmine beside him, while Mira was seated in a chair nearby.
Yelena and Lumine stood before them, with Amaya and Nol stationed by the bed, their gazes watchful.
Jasmine raised an eyebrow, while Azriel remained silent, observing.
"We're in private now. You'd better explain what was so urgent," Jasmine said, her tone firm.
Lumine clenched his fists, nodding.
He glanced at Jasmine, a cold sweat forming on his back under the weight of everyone's stares.
Though he had met the Crimson Princess before, they weren't even acquaintances.
Azriel narrowed his eyes, silently curious.
'...Bold enough to come to me now? It must be important, but why?'
No one dared to approach the highest authorities in the capital—especially the children of the great clans.
Not with everything that had happened and what was still to come.
After Neo Genesis' attack, if Jasmine, Azriel, or Celestina issued a command, the guilds and armies aligned with them would follow. Even the government, known for its neutrality, would obey.
Yet neither Jasmine nor Azriel saw the need to issue any orders.
The situation was delicate, and their safety wasn't fully assured.
It was best to leave the capital as soon as possible.
Most cadets were eager to escape for their own safety, making Lumine and Yelena's presence here all the more puzzling—especially with the serious expression on Lumine's face.
"Everyone here can be trusted. Nothing leaves this tent. You don't need to doubt their loyalty," Jasmine said, sensing Lumine's hesitation.
"I know this might sound ridiculous, maybe even crazy, but hear me out first. There's a chance King Joaquin is in danger."
A thick silence fell over the room, deafening in its intensity.
Mira and Amaya narrowed their eyes dangerously at Lumine and Yelena, causing the two to pale.
Just days ago, they had met Joaquin, and now this boy claimed their king was at risk.
Who would believe that?
Yet, they held back, choosing to listen.
Jasmine, Nol, and Yelena all eyed Lumine with a strange expression, while Azriel...
He had his eyes closed, wearing an unreadable expression.
'...Dad, in danger? No. But why is Lumine already getting a quest about this? What's even happening—didn't I break the original future?'
In the book, Joaquin's rescue was an event that happened much later, after Lumine won the Tournament of the Greats.
Only then did Lumine receive a quest to save Joaquin, and Jasmine, having already heard of her father's danger, naturally returned to help.
They had traveled together to EASC and eventually to the Void Realm, where they rescued him.
It was one of the key moments that softened Jasmine toward Lumine in the story.
'Could it be… my actions couldn't change this event?'
Despite this, Azriel wasn't too worried.
He knew what happened to Joaquin—and he knew his father was fine.
Joaquin was one of the Four Great Kings.
Even if Lumine had ignored the quest in the original story, nothing would have happened to Joaquin; his return would simply have been delayed.
'The Sunken Islands... his way back was destroyed after an attack, leaving him trapped there. He could've escaped on his own, but he wasn't alone. Abandoning his men would have meant their deaths, so he waited. He knew help would come eventually.'
Joaquin couldn't afford to show weakness, so the news of him being trapped was kept highly restricted.
Especially in the Void Realm, secrecy was vital.
Lumine and Jasmine's intervention had been the turning point in the story.
Lumine had gained favor with the Crimson King that day.
Azriel's mood darkened.
'Damn harem protagonist...'
He couldn't help but be reminded of what kind of person Lumine was in the book.
Still, Azriel's presence seemed to have blocked any romantic progress with Jasmine or Celestina—leaving only Yelena.
'Anastasia is still a potential victim though...'
Azriel shook his head, dispelling those thoughts as he listened to Lumine's nervous explanation.
"I... I have a [Unique Skill]. It lets me know things that might happen—or have happened—but it's inconsistent. That's why I didn't foresee the Void Dungeon incident. But I did know about King Joaquin."
Azriel opened his eyes, staring blankly at Lumine.
Even a fool could see he was lying.
Jasmine's gaze turned cold, while Yelena tensed, though she remained silent.
"So... you're a seer?" Jasmine asked, her voice icy.
Seers, those who could glimpse the future, were rare.
Even the few who existed were often unreliable, their visions too vague to be of much use.
Lumine shook his head, his expression complicated.
"Not exactly. It's hard to explain, but I swear I'm not lying! King Joaquin is truly in danger!"
Azriel sighed inwardly.
'This kid has a lot of character development ahead of him…'
Still, they were all young.
What Azriel liked most in the story was watching them grow, one by one.
'At least now I can see it happening with my own eyes.'
Azriel smirked inwardly.
'I should probably help him out.'
Breaking his silence, Azriel finally spoke, his relaxed voice drawing the attention of everyone in the tent.
"You seem restricted from telling the full truth, likely due to your [Unique Skill]. But regardless, it's worth investigating this matter."
Lumine looked at Azriel as if he were a god, while the others eyed him strangely.
"My prince, you're being far too casual about this," Amaya scolded, her brows furrowed.
"He could be a spy from Neo Genesis or another organization. We can't trust him."
Mira nodded in agreement.
"The king was last seen heading to the Sunken Islands. There's no threat there to him."
Azriel shrugged. What they said was true, and anyone else would have taken their advice. But Azriel knew more about this situation than they did—at least, he hoped so.
He wasn't sure anymore if the future would follow the same path. But he could only hope that this was one of the few things that hadn't changed.
"I'm not saying we should trust them blindly," Azriel said.
"But we should investigate. If there's even the slightest chance my father is in danger, we can't ignore it. I suggest we bring Lumine and Yelena back to EASC for further investigation."
Lumine and Yelena's eyes widened in shock, but they remained silent, not daring to protest. They had entered this tent knowing they'd relinquished the right to object.
Mira and Amaya exchanged a glance before Mira smiled proudly, and Amaya gave a helpless sigh, resting her hand against her cheek.
"If that's what you wish, my prince, I'll follow your orders."
Azriel turned to Jasmine.
"Unless you're against it?"
Jasmine blinked, her expression unreadable, before she sighed and shook her head.
"This isn't the time or place to argue. We'll follow your suggestion and return to EASC with them."
She looked at Lumine and Yelena.
"But if either of you is lying, not even the academy will protect you."
Both Lumine and Yelena gulped, nodding frantically under her icy glare.
The group moved in silence, exiting the tent and heading towards the helicopters that would take them to EASC.
The air was thick with tension, and Azriel's thoughts raced.
His fingers grew cold as the realization hit him—he had to explain to Aeliana that he was going to the void realm.
Sneaking away in secret wasn't an option.
He couldn't bring himself to betray his family like that; they would undoubtedly find out.
But even with that weighing on his mind, one thing was clear: he wasn't about to let Jasmine go alone.
There was no way he could stay behind, not with the chance that his father might be in real danger.
Who knew what could happen?
The situation with Joaquin wasn't as safe as Azriel had originally believed, and doing nothing felt like too big a risk.
Even if his father was powerful enough to survive, something had clearly shifted with Azriel's actions.
It was better to be cautious, better to be prepared.
Plus, the void realm wasn't just a place of danger—it was an opportunity.
The sunken islands, although treacherous, were also valuable, a place where he could grow stronger.
The thought of his father, trapped, only reinforced his determination to act.
Yet, none of that mattered unless he could convince his mother.
Aeliana would be furious.
He knew the conversation would be difficult, but if he played it right, if he made her see the necessity of it, maybe—just maybe—he could get her approval.
As they approached the helicopters, the steady hum of the engines drowned out Azriel's thoughts.
Soldiers of the Crimson Clan, dressed in their dark scarlet uniforms, stood at attention, their backs straight as they waited.
'Ah, I really wanted to take a break…'
Azriel thought, a sigh escaping him.
It seemed this one-week break from the academy wasn't going to be a time for him to relax after all.