The Imperial Palace of Devalk is vast in size.
When architects saw it, they couldn't stop talking about it.
It's not just the sheer scale and awe-inspiring design. The most appreciated aspect is its practicality.
The castle was known for its large grounds and for not wasting any space. Naturally, there were living quarters for out-of-town guests within the palace grounds.
It was so large that it could accommodate hundreds of people at once and currently, there were students from Theon staying there.
"Wow, this is amazing!"
"Look at this sculpture! It's by the famous Gavid! I saw it in a book!"
"And look at these paintings. They say they're all authentic. I can't believe it's full of stuff like this!"
The students continued to exclaim as they wandered through the castle.
There was a limited amount of space for the students of Theon to move around, but the Devalk castle was so vast that it was hard to feel restricted.
"So it's the imperial castle, after all."
"Honestly, I was worried when I was forced to stay, but maybe it's for the better?"
"Ah. I really want to live here for the rest of my life."
The accommodation for the guests was enormous, and the facilities were as good as a five-star hotel. That's why none of the students were dissatisfied with their stay at the Imperial Palace.
The food is delicious, the beds are fluffy, and every aspect of life is comfortable. In fact, they honestly wish they could stay longer.
"……But I'll have to go back someday."
"Yeah, and then there's the whole bomb of exams and assignments…… ugh. I hate it just thinking about it."
Back in Theon, they had a huge backlog of assignments and classes waiting for them.
The mere thought of the brutal wall of reality they had pushed to the back of their minds made them gasp so the students decided to thoroughly enjoy the moment.
They were saddened that what should have been a fun field trip had been ruined by terrorists so the imperial family decided to take matters into their own hands and give them one last fun-filled experience along with the most comfortable accommodations, sumptuous dinners, and a tour of the palace.
Of course, they didn't have to do it but all of this was a calculated gift. Theon is a separate organization, free from the interference of the Imperial Family of Exilion so making them indebted would give the imperial family an advantage in any future dealings with them.
Besides, most of the students of Theon are very talented. If they graduate, they may become the pillars of the country in the future.
Instilling a positive image of the imperial family in them was an investment in their future. In fact, many of the students currently staying at the castle expressed a desire to join the imperial family after graduation.
Princess Eileen's plan worked.
The students were busy enjoying the moment, oblivious to the dark underbelly of the palace. Sedina Rosen was one of them, and she decided to take a break from her duties so she headed to a park with a natural setting.
As a half-elf, Sedina always preferred to be around plants when she took a break. That's why she'd turned her own teaching assistant's office into a miniature botanical garden filled with all kinds of plants.
'No other teacher would have let me do that, but it's all thanks to Mr. Rudger.'
Sedina strolled through the park today, never failing to thank Rudger.
The trees grew so densely off the trail that it could have been a dense forest. It was a place that most students would have found intimidating, but for Sedina, it was more like a home away from home.
She squatted down with her back against a large willow tree near the shore of the lake and closed her eyes to feel the breeze blow through her hair, twitching her ears, hidden inside her hair.
To get into a more comfortable position, Sedina unclasped her hands that were hugging her knees.
At the feel of her fingertips on the ground, Sedina opened her closed eyes. Caught in her fingertips was a willow branch that had fallen to the ground.
She grabbed it and examined it carefully. The branch was quite soft, probably because it was near a lake.
She casually snapped off a section of the branch, pulled out the heart of the tree, and used her magic to bore a hole in it.
"Done."
She put the flute to her mouth and blew into it, causing it to emit a tinkling sound.
Sedina moved her white, slender fingers and began to play on the willow flute but she didn't know what the tune was. She just mimicked the tune her mother had often sung to her when she was very young, before she died.
For Sedina, it was a memory of her mother, a memory that would not last long.
As she sang, Sedina felt a shadowy figure approaching her, and she took her mouth off the flute.
"Who……."
Sedina froze at the sight of the visitor.
The first thing she saw was snow-white hair, clearly alien to the colors of the verdant forest.
Julia Plumhart, a girl unlike herself, mature and reserved, with an air of mystery about her.
At the sight of Julia, Sedina jumped to her feet and turned to leave.
"Are you trying to run away again?"
But Julia's words froze her in place so Sedina slowly looked back at Julia.
* * *
The Imperial Treasury, also known as the Treasury of History, it's a place that hasn't seen the light of day in a long time.
As Erendir said, only one person has entered and left the Imperial Treasury in nearly 100 years, the current head of the Royal Guard and the greatest knight of his time, Master Luther.
Now it was Rudger's turn to enter.
Just looking at the Treasury entrance, there were people everywhere bowing in gratitude. Rudger, however, was less than thrilled.
'Sure, it's amazing to see so many valuables inside.'
I don't think it's very impressive to say that you've entered the Treasury.
You're in, so what's the big deal?
Rudger quickly scanned the Treasury.
The first thing he saw was a brilliant golden color. It was the glow of gold coins, illuminated by a fiery yellow light.
The brilliance of the glittering jewelry was almost painful to the eye.
The value of the gold coins and jewelry in front of him was astronomical but it didn't end there. This was merely the entrance to a vast secret warehouse.
Rudger surveyed the layout inside.
The Treasury was more like a giant exhibition museum than a warehouse.
The ceilings, walls, and pillars were covered with ornate carvings that were in fact magical structures of sorts, watching for any intruders who might do anything suspicious.
It was also damned wide.
The immediate size alone would exceed the size of Theon magical arena, but that wasn't the end of it.
'There are all sorts of magical protections, and even if I was to plan an escape route for every eventuality, I'd never get out.'
Rudger considered whether he could sneak in, and then shook his head.
Spatial movement would be useless with such a dense magical defense. Not only from the outside in, but also from the inside out.
'Good thing I don't have to rob it.'
He'd been right to take Eileen up on her offer when she'd offered to let him enter the Treasury.
Rudger walked past the display of gold coins and jewelry and into the deeper recesses of the Treasury.
The yellow hue of the lighting softened, and the light settled heavily around him. The reason for this was to accentuate the objects on display here.
The objects displayed periodically on the left side of the aisle were bathed in pure white light, making their presence known. Each one was out of the ordinary.
'This is where it gets real.'
Rudger's eyes swept over the closest artifact. It was a crown of seven colored gems that was obviously a high-grade artifact, as it contained a great deal of magic power.
The gloves, the cloak and the full body armor next to it were also high-grade artifacts, or its equivalent but Rudger was here for the Relic fragment.
The only problem was, where the hell was the Relic?
This isn't an auction house that sells what's on display so unsurprisingly, there are no signs or catalogs to show you what's where.
The only way to find what you're looking for here is to wander around and check them out one by one.
'The good news is that each item on display has a name and a description of its purpose.'
It seems that they were collecting them haphazardly and didn't really care about their purpose.
Regardless of its use, it would still be valuable.
'Given the size of this place, there may be more Relics than just the one I'm looking for.'
Rudger continued to wander around inside the Treasury.
He hadn't been told when to leave, so he wasn't in any hurry and had plenty of time to look around.
Just then, a faint glow emanated from the inside of Rudger's breastplate.
'This.'
It was a reaction he'd seen before and a sign that there were shards of the Relic nearby.
Rudger walked in the direction of the light and it didn't take him long to find what he was looking for.
Beneath the pure white light lay a small shard, nameless and unused.
'Finally.'
Rudger reached for the shard.
There was no such thing as anti-theft magic since no one was allowed inside the Treasury.
Rudger stared at the shard in his hand, then slipped it into his inside pocket.
'There are only a few left.'
He could call it a day and walk away, satisfied that he accomplished his goal but Rudger still had the opportunity to choose two more of the items here.
'Two more to choose from.'
He hadn't really thought about which of the other artifacts he wanted to take, since his primary objective was the Relic Shard. Still, he couldn't just throw this opportunity away.
Now that he'd gotten this far, Rudger decided to explore the interior of the Treasury further.
'There are a lot of artifacts here, and they're all exceptional. Even if I don't need anything right away, if I take something that looks good, it might come in handy someday'
Rudger eyed the items carefully.
Anything overly ornate was a no-go.
Anything that was bejeweled, glittering, or just plain precious drew too much attention and didn't fit with Rudger's penchant for stealth.
If he has something like that, he'll openly advertise the enemy that he is carrying an artifact.
"If they're wary of the artifact beforehand, it won't work as well as it should. Stealth is essential if you want to maximize effectiveness.'
With that thought, Rudger chuckled to himself.
'To think that even choosing a treasure in a place like this is a matter of fighting. I must be losing my mind.'
But when he tried to think of another use for it, it was as if he was wandering through an endless fog.
Rudger's entire life has been a struggle.
The inside of the fence where he lives is a secret place that no one else knows about. It was dark, cold, and muddy, and it was a world run on violence alone.
He had been living there since the time he was taken by his Master, perhaps even longer and it would continue to be so.
He had a goal to achieve, but the road to get there was long and difficult and he wasn't even sure if he could get there or not so he hadn't really thought about anything beyond that.
'But,' I thought, 'what if, just maybe, I had that opportunity.'
If he could just let it all go and live in peace. He wondered if he could lead a normal life like everyone else, when all he's ever done is fight.
It would be too complacent to prepare for a future that might never come since he always lived today to the best of his ability.
Looking to the future was a luxury in itself.
'But if this all comes to an end and I can wash my hands of it and walk away.'
What kind of life would I have?
'It's a meaningless assumption.'
Maybe being alone in the right place made him think so Rudger decided to keep looking around, hoping to find something useful.
Suddenly, Rudger stopped in his tracks as there was one object in particular that caught his eye.
He didn't know if it was an artifact or something like that.
'I think I've found one of the two remaining.'