[Prologue]
In a small world called Arcus, consisting of 10 palaces, there are four well-known prophecies.
First, a child shall be born gaining everyone's favor as the beloved child of God.
Second, a child whose magical capacity is immeasurable.
Third, a child born out of goodness shall bring hope and love.
Lastly, a child adored by the demon shall bring destruction to the world.
The prophecies have been passed down for thousands of years. Thus, the source of the prophecies is unknown. Regardless, all believed that it would happen someday.
Fiery Sapphire Palace, one of the 10 palaces, known as the home of the knights. It has the most number of knights out of all the palaces consisting of 25,000 knights.
It is one of the two palaces that consists of normal humans that have no magical capacity. Only the gifted children of god and the royalty are the ones with magical abilities. Nonetheless, the palace has the most outstanding knights in the world.
Out of all the knights, one particularly excels. The only gifted child of god in Fiery Sapphire Palace, Red Aapricoit.
Red whose hair is as sharp as his sword. Eyes as red as blood and as bright as ruby. Joining the A-class knights and appointed as the prince's personal knight at the early age of 20.
What is awaiting in this man's journey?
A man with long hair as yellow as the sun with a tint of orange, wearing the attire of an A-class knight, enters a restaurant, quickly followed by the public's eyes.
The restaurant is located on the 8th floor inside the 1058th knight's tower, which is located at the right side of the back gate of the palace. The whole place is made from wood and stone yet it is presented nicely with white and red combinations representing the Fiery Sapphire Palace's colors.
He quickly sat at the counter in front of a girl with a long pinkish red twin ponytail, wearing a D-class knight attire.
"Ria! Where's my omelet rice?!" the man excitedly stated towards the girl.
"Gladiel, isn't it about time for you to get sick of this dish? It's unhealthy for a knight to eat omelet rice every single time." Ria nagged at the man.
"No worries! This man ain't gonna die from just that!" Gladiel proudly says.
Ria gets annoyed at him and shouted "That's not the point!"
"C'mon! It's for the sake of a knight's happiness as he sacrifices his life for the Palace!" He dramatically stated while posing on the table with his sword held high.
"Don't play jokes on me. Since when was there a war for you to sacrifice your life? You mean 80 years ago? It's not like the monsters outside the palace are gonna even place a scratch on a knight like you."
"Well, you never know that, Missy."
"Whatever you say." Ria concedes and starts preparing the meal.
"But Gladiel, why aren't you with Red?" she said after noticing that Red was nowhere in sight.
"Ah! The king ordered him to investigate in the forest near the back gate. There were some reports of suspicious magicians passing by the forest yesterday." he explained.
"Only Red?"
"Of Course! Red can handle it fast and silently. I doubt he would get injured even if 10 magicians attacked him. If I did insist on coming, I'd probably be of no use for him anyway." Gladiel said.
"That's true but we'll never know what dangers may come outside the palace." Ria stated with a worried look.
"Oh, now you're saying that!" Looking as if he was betrayed.
"Just eat." Ria places the plate in front of him as Gladiel's eyes shine.
In the forest located near the back gate of the palace, loud howling echoes throughout the forest. Red had been searching for clues in the forest. The moon shines through the forest as the wind rushes in.
Red was surrounded by 10 wolves. Without a single hint of fear, he prepares his sword.
"These wolves really have gotten annoying." Red says as he swings his sword flawlessly killing the black wolf.
"There seem to be more wolves recently." Red mutters to himself while blood is splattering everywhere and 10 dead bodies of the wolves are on the ground. He moved deeper into the forest without hesitation.
(No signs of people staying or passing by today; No signs of magic anywhere. Everything is so unusually normal that it bothers me.) Red thought after investigating the area.
"Caught you." He said as he quickly looked to the right side with his sharp gaze and hastily charged to that area.
*creak*
The sound of the door opening echoes inside the restaurant. Ria and Gladiel quickly looked at the entrance.
"Red! You're here!" They said happily after confirming that it was the person they were waiting for.
''Yeah.." Red answered briefly.
"What ya waiting for bro? Let's eat! Ria! Omelet rice please!" Gladiel said excitedly while gesturing to Red that he should sit beside him.
"You just ate!" Ria furiously said while holding Gladiel's empty plate high as if she's trying to throw it.
"You can come in." Red said, looking outside the door without paying attention to Ria and Gladiel arguing.
"Hmmm?" Ria and Gladiel suddenly stopped fighting after hearing what red said.
A small young boy wearing a dark red cloak enters and hides behind him shyly, shocking both Gladiel and Ria.
"I brought him in. From now on, he's going to stay here." Red calmly says to Gladiel and Ria.