"Chris! Where is she?"

Selene's voice was calm, yet the silence that engulfed the imperial courtyard spoke volumes about its weight. Servants and knights froze in place, their breaths shallow, sweat beading on their foreheads.

They knew—one mistake was all it would take for this monster to turn the empire to ashes.

She stood tall and imposing, her fiery red hair tied into a strict ponytail, her gaze sharp and unwavering. Draped over her shoulders was a pristine white jacket, embroidered with the symbol of two sacred swords. Just below, an inscription in an ancient language read:

"3rd Goddess of the Sword, 17th Generation — Selene Voldreck."

At her side, a shoulder scabbard completed the image of a divine warrior on official duty. Even her attire was a statement—one that marked her as a figure of the Divine Kingdom.

The air grew heavy.

Chris, despite having hurried to meet her, maintained a noble composure despite his humble appearance as a butler. He bowed slightly and spoke in a steady voice:

"Glory to the 3rd Divine Sword."

In unison, every soul in the imperial courtyard echoed:

"GLORY TO THE THIRD DIVINE SWORD!"

But Selene, arms crossed, remained unmoved. She ignored their greetings, her piercing gaze sweeping over the courtyard. Then, her voice rang out again, cutting through the air like a blade:

"…Outside, it's chaos. So why does everything seem so calm here?"

Her blood boiled.

Were they truly so weak that they couldn't even sense the shift in the atmosphere?

---

"Oh, big sister, you've decided to grace us with your presence today?"

The voice came from behind Chris.

Everyone instinctively lowered their eyes, recognizing the speaker immediately.

The emperor.

Lucian.

He strode forward at a leisurely pace, clad in imperial regalia tailored to perfection. Despite the tense atmosphere, he carried his usual air of carefree arrogance.

Selene froze.

Her gaze locked onto him, and for a brief moment, an imperceptible crack ran through her otherwise impassive mask. Something inside her had just shattered.

But it was so subtle that no one noticed.

As for the servants and soldiers who hadn't been on duty the previous night, they couldn't hide their shock upon seeing… that small man.

He had regained his left arm.

What the hell is this? Will it ever end?

Lucian let out a sigh. If she had come just to annoy him, he could tolerate it. But this…

His eyes drifted to her attire. Comparing it to the official records, there was no doubt. It was the uniform of the Divine Swordsmen of the continent.

Which meant she was here on an official mission.

Alright… Let's handle this calmly.

He took a deep breath before stating in a composed tone:

"Selene, I understand that you're here on official business. Since walls have ears, why don't we discuss this over a proper conversation?"

Chris, who had remained in the background until now, fixed Lucian with a sharp gaze.

He was in a combat stance.

Of course, the emperor couldn't perceive it.

A heavy silence followed.

Still as motionless as a statue, Selene simply gave a small nod of approval.

From the servants to Lucian himself, everyone stifled a sigh of relief.

"Then… follow me."

Without another word, Lucian turned and made his way toward the palace, Selene and Chris following closely behind.

Along the way, the servants bowed respectfully before their sovereign.

Yet, some couldn't hide their astonishment.

The arm that was supposed to be severed was there. As if nothing had ever happened.

But something else troubled them even more.

Selene Voldreck, the Goddess of the Sword, was here on an official mission… What in the world was going on?

---

After a short while, Lucian and Selene found themselves seated face to face, while Chris took his place to the emperor's right.

Silence.

Selene said nothing.

She simply stared at him, as if trying to confirm something.

Lucian was the first to break the stillness.

"The journey must have been long. Since we weren't informed of your arrival, we couldn't prepare anything to welcome you. I hope I can make up for it."

Unlike their previous encounters, Lucian spoke with courtesy and precision.

Because if the Goddess of the Sword had come on official business, it could only mean one thing:

Something important was about to happen.

But what?

Selene continued to stare at him in silence, her expression unreadable.

Chris, on the other hand, widened his eyes slightly, surprised by the emperor's uncharacteristic politeness.

She still didn't speak.

A slight unease crept into Lucian.

Why the hell is she staring at me like that?

…Don't tell me my results were unsatisfactory, and she came here to kill me?!

…Our bet didn't even last a month…

He swallowed hard before making a hesitant attempt:

"Uh… Miss Selene?"

No reaction.

He tried again:

"Se—"

He didn't get to finish.

Selene cut him off, her voice calm.

"Are you okay?"

Lucian's eyes widened.

He instinctively turned to Chris, but the butler looked just as bewildered as he was.

From the start, they had been trying to guess the reason for her visit.

But no one had expected an attack from that angle.

…

…

Huh?!

What did she just say?

He blinked, then cautiously asked:

"Sorry… I don't think I heard you correctly. What did you say?"

Selene closed her eyes, visibly annoyed, then repeated in a clearer tone:

"I asked if you were okay."

…

Ah.

…I'm afraid to answer. If I say 'yes,' I might not be okay after this…

He hesitated, then, with extreme caution, responded:

"Uh… I… I'm fine. I'm fine. And you?"

Selene stood up abruptly.

Her previous anger seemed to have vanished.

Without giving anyone time to react, she declared:

"It doesn't matter. I'm leaving."

Lucian blinked, stunned.

Why so suddenly?

(Leave, please…)

Instinctively, he took a step back and hid his left arm behind his back.

You never know.

---

[ Chris ]

Yes.

As Selene walked slowly toward the door, her voice echoed in the butler's mind through telepathy:

[ I expect an explanation later. ]

Chris responded without hesitation:

Understood.

Those few words carried immense weight.

He knew that if his explanation wasn't satisfactory, it would be the perfect excuse for Selene to reduce the empire to ashes.

Such was the authority of a Divine Swordswoman of the continent.

"Take care, big sister."

Lucian's voice was casual as Selene opened the door.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

But the moment she stepped into the hallway, she stopped dead in her tracks.

She noticed a small figure skipping toward Lucian's office from the opposite direction.

Her brows instinctively furrowed.

Lucian… wasn't he supposed to be in his office?

Her gaze dropped to the figure's clothes.

They looked strikingly similar to Lucian's… but they weren't the ones he had been wearing just now.

It was nightwear.

Wait… that's not Lucian.

As the figure reached her, Selene could see more clearly.

It was a small girl with light blue hair.

A wave of inexplicable emotion washed over her.

Her fingers instinctively brushed against the hilt of her sword.

Her gaze sharpened as the little girl continued walking toward her, completely carefree.

Then, in a soft voice tinged with an undefinable strangeness, she murmured:

"How interesting… So humans have become this powerful?"

She kept skipping forward and entered Lucian's office.

Selene, however, remained frozen in place.

Her eyes remained fixed on the door where the girl had just disappeared.

A long sigh escaped her lips.

"I see."

Slowly, she loosened her grip on her weapon.

Then, in an instant… she vanished like a passing breeze.

---

Meanwhile, deep within the imperial underground prison…

A man sat in silence.

Despite the oppressive darkness and the heavy atmosphere, he radiated a noble, almost overwhelming aura.

Darius Voldreck sat alone in his spacious cell.

Unlike the other prisoners, he had a table and a chair—a meager privilege that did nothing to change his fate.

Silence reigned.

Only the guards stationed at the entrance of the prison disturbed the stillness of the place.

This section of the prison was reserved for the imperial family.

Here, they imprisoned those whose crimes were so severe that, had they been mere commoners, they would have already been executed.

Darius ran his left hand through his hair—a nervous tic he had always had.

With the little finger of his right hand, he tapped on the table with the rhythm of a ticking clock.

Second after second.

An almost imperceptible gesture.

But one that betrayed his growing impatience.

…

…

Time passed.

Dozens of minutes slipped by without a word leaving his lips.

Then, suddenly…

A black mass formed beside him.

Darius's eyes snapped open, his body tensing under the pressure of a familiar energy.

A manic smile twisted his lips.

The fanatical gleam in his expression had returned.

In a frenzied motion, he fell to the floor, pressing his forehead against the cold ground, and exclaimed fervently:

"I knew the Grand Masters would never abandon their faithful servant! This ridiculous situation is nothing but a test!"

His voice trembled with emotion, echoing like a prayer.

The black mass opened an eye.

No…

It was an eye.

A massive, floating eyeball, suspended in the darkness.

And it stared at him with disdain.

"Enough! You failed miserably at such a simple task!" the Eye thundered.

Darius's smile froze.

A cold sweat trickled down his neck.

"No, Grand Master!" he cried out, panic seizing his voice. "I was so close, but—"

"I have no need for your excuses."

The Eye's voice struck like a blade.

Darius swallowed the rest of his words.

"Prepare yourself."

The Eye widened, the surrounding darkness twisting under its influence.

"I will soon give you another task. But if you fail this time… you will die."

Darius felt his heart skip a beat.

Then, as if granted a lifeline, he bowed even lower.

"Your will is my command! I will bring you honor this time!"

Without another word, the Eye vanished.

The oppressive darkness faded, leaving behind nothing but a shadow.

Slowly, Darius rose to his feet.

At that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the corridor.

The guards were coming.

They must have heard him screaming.

He took a step back, regaining his composure.

Then, in a whisper barely louder than a breath, he muttered:

"Lucian… wait for me. This time, you won't be so lucky."

His gaze darkened as memories of the previous day resurfaced.

His jaw clenched.

With a click of his tongue, he muttered under his breath:

"Damn it."

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