The corridors of the Holy Palace were longer than they seemed at first glance, as if deliberately built to put every step, every movement, and every breath under the invisible pressure of this place’s authority.
The white and gold walls were covered with engravings of angels, holy wars, and luminous beings, but what flowed through the space was not the peace of faith, but the weight of a power that considered itself absolute.
Their footsteps created a faint echo in this silence, a sound that quickly got lost in the grandeur of the space.
The Grand Minister moved ahead, his posture straight and controlled, the Grand Knight beside him with an aura of authority that was palpable even without being fully released.
Behind them, Elisira and the three other knights, still carrying the effects of what they had seen in their gazes and their breaths.
No one spoke.
Even Kieran, who was always ready to react, had fallen into a heavy silence this time.
This silence wasn’t just respect for the position. What had happened was too heavy for them. Yes, they were knights, but they were still rookies, and what they saw shattered their worldview.
They had witnessed a level of power they never thought they could reach.
The massive doors of the main hall opened with a deep, drawn-out sound. Light poured in from above and lit up the hall, but even this light couldn’t eliminate the feeling of heaviness.
The hall was vast, so much so that the eye had to move to fully comprehend it. Tall columns, a ceiling lost in the distant height, and a red carpet stretched straight to the end of the hall.
And at the end, the throne, on which sat the Holy Emperor.
Aurelius.
His face was calm, but that calmness was not of the stillness of a sea before a storm, but of something that never saw itself in need of change. His eyes were piercing, deep, and emotionless, as if he looked at everything only as part of the order under his command.
His white-gold robe was decorated with holy symbols, but the aura emanating from him felt more coercive than sacred.
There was no kindness in it, no obvious anger, just certainty.
But before the gazes could fully settle on him, something else drew attention.
Five people.
On the right side of the hall, standing at a specific distance.
And at that moment, Elisira didn’t stop, but her gaze locked onto them for a fraction of a second.
Their clothes were not just different, but incongruous with this continent. The cut lines, the fabric texture, even the way they stood... none of it resembled the knights, nobles, or even mercenaries of this land. The mana sensed from them also didn’t have the familiar order of this world, and in her mind, involuntarily, an image sparked.
That boy, the same monster who had slaughtered Iron Grave, their clothes were somewhat similar, and this confused her.
Could these people know that monster? Or come from the same place?
The thought hadn’t even completed when one of those five, a young man with a crooked smile and a gaze that made no effort to hide its intention, stared directly at her. His look was long, brazen, and somewhat disgusted.
"What a pretty girl..." And then, so quietly that only those nearby could hear, he whispered.
Kieran’s eyes immediately turned toward him, his muscles tensed for a moment, but he made no move. This wasn’t a place where he could react.
He had heard what that bastard said, and seeing those disgusting eyes, his anger surged for a moment.
But these people were guests of the Emperor, and he couldn’t and didn’t dare show any disrespect in front of the Emperor.
Six people stepped forward and simultaneously, at a specific distance, bowed.
They remained in the bow for a few seconds that seemed strangely long. The pressure of the Emperor’s presence, like an invisible weight, pressed down on their shoulders.
"Why did you come?" And then, without any introduction, Aurelius’s voice echoed through the hall.
"Your Imperial Majesty..." The Grand Minister stepped forward, keeping his head slightly lowered, and began to explain.
The tree.
The forest.
The presence of that boy.
The destruction of the Iron Grave group.
His tone was precise and controlled, without exaggeration, without emotion, and he made sure to state only the facts without adding anything.
When he finished speaking, a brief silence followed. The Emperor’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
And then a cold, mocking smile settled on his lips.
"A stupid foreigner..." His gaze narrowed slightly.
"Who knows which dump he came from."
No one reacted.
"Killing a few mercenaries?" He continued.
"They were trash anyway." His mockery deepened.
"But disobeying the Divine Prophet’s order... centuries have passed since such an event." At that moment, the Grand Minister said quietly.
He already knew it was unlikely the Holy Emperor would care about the killing of those mercenaries, but the issue wasn’t them. The issue was disobeying the Divine Prophet’s order.
The Divine Prophet is the intermediary between mortals and the gods. Her will is synonymous with the will of the gods. Disobeying her order is like disobeying the order of the gods.
And now there is a blasphemer who has dared to disobey the gods’ order.
Such a person should not be left alone.
"That’s why he’s an idiot." The Emperor laughed, and it was enough for contempt to ripple through it.
Then his gaze passed over them and settled on those five.
"What do you think?"
One of them stepped forward, a man with glasses, neat hair, and a gaze that, behind its calmness, held precise calculation.
"As His Imperial Majesty has said..." That boy, or rather Kaylen, said, his voice controlled and without tremor.
"That person is certainly an idiot." He paused briefly.
"If you order... we can deal with him."
There was no emotion in his voice, as if he was talking about removing a simple obstacle.
"You came to destroy the tree, so kill that idiot too." The Emperor smiled.
"Killing someone who has disobeyed the Divine Prophet... is a great honor. Bring me his head, and you will receive a great reward." And then, almost under his breath, but clearly, he added.
"Certainly." Kaylen accepted without a moment’s hesitation.
"We will move tomorrow morning."
"Go." The Emperor waved his hand as a sign of dismissal. In his view, this matter was over, and there was no need to talk about it any further.
Everyone bowed and left the place except the Grand Minister, who remained in his spot.
The group moved toward the exit.
The corridor space swallowed them again, but this time the space seemed calmer. A few steps away, Elisira suddenly stopped.
"That person... had clothes similar to yours. Is it possible you are from the same place?" Her eyes were fixed directly on Kaylen.
Kaylen stopped, and a faint frown settled on his face. Behind him, the others became slightly more serious.
"...Possible." And then, without fully looking at the princess, he said.
He gave no further explanation and continued moving, and they walked away.
"What strange people..." Elisira said under her breath, then looked at the Grand Knight.
"Who are they?" This was the first time she had seen them in the palace.
"Powerful warriors, but I don’t know them. They arrived today." The Grand Knight was silent for a few moments and then explained.
"Their auras... were unusual and different from anything we’ve seen, so they were invited to the palace. They said their goal is to destroy the cursed tree."
"So even such strange people have come to destroy that tree." Elisira nodded slowly.
"Anyway, this is the Divine Prophet’s order." The Grand Knight added with a smile.
"If this is the Divine Prophet’s order, then why don’t we carry it out? Why did you tell us not to go near it?" The princess stared at him curiously and asked.
In fact, not just her, but the other three also pricked up their ears to hear their teacher’s answer.
The Grand Knight stopped and said nothing for a few seconds, as if unsure whether he should say it or not.
Then he sighed, a sigh that carried the weight of years of experience.
"...Maybe someday you’ll understand."