Author's Note:
This chapter is a bit longer than usual as it marks the beginning of the protagonist Lucian's concrete actions. You will encounter terms and concepts that will be explained as the story progresses, so don't worry if some things seem unclear at first. The plot is getting deeper, and the stakes are becoming more real, so I encourage you to dive into this chapter without hesitation. Enjoy the read!
___
As I struggled to open my eyes, the sight before me in my room – a place I knew by heart – now seemed foreign.
Then, Lucian's memories resurfaced. In one of them, he was looking at a photo using his memory magic. A photo of his mother… a mother he had never known.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
She looks exactly like her… The same flaming red hair, the same perfect figure… and that gaze — that impossible, cruel yet gentle gaze. My heart pounded.
"How could such a contradiction even exist?"
I let out a bitter laugh.
Damn it, Chris… You're a bastard. And way too competent for your own good…
Just a few hours ago, I had given him an impossible task: to bring the Sword God, Selene Voldrek, here at all costs. A mission 90% doomed to failure without a valid reason.
I expected him to succeed in a few months… but now? Less than a day had passed.
How the hell did he do it?
---
For any child, calling their older sister was a simple, everyday thing. Yet, Chris had tried to reason with me when I gave him that order.
Why?
The answer was both simple and terribly complex.
The mother of the Voldrek children, the late emperor's wife, had died giving birth to the youngest, Lucian. For Selene, still on the path of the sword and aspiring to reach divine level, it was a devastating shock.
Only a few days after this tragedy, rebels had taken advantage of the emperor's vulnerability and the Empire's mourning – for the empress had been beloved by all – to kidnap Lucian, the seventh heir.
No one knows how, but the emperor managed to save his son from the kidnappers. Yet, that day also marked his own end.
Before dying, he entrusted his will to Chris: Lucian would become the new emperor at the age of eleven.
This chain of events plunged the Empire into chaos. All of Lucian's siblings began to hate him. He had become the cause of their misery.
After all, a child not even two years old had become the heir to the imperial throne.
And the one who resented him the most, to the point where she wanted him dead, was none other than Selene Voldrek, the future deity of the sword.
At this point, it wouldn't be surprising if the previous owner of this body had ended up assassinated.
But strangely enough, the one who protected him… was still her.
After reaching divine level, Selene made a chilling announcement during the coronation ceremony:
"If a single hair on the young emperor's head is harmed… I swear upon my name as a Sword God — this Empire will burn to ashes"
Her words were simple and cold — but absolute. When a God speaks, mortals have no choice but to listen.
But why?
After this declaration, she addressed her siblings one last time:
"You mean nothing to me anymore. From today, I leave this Empire to join the other sword Gods in the Demon Night. And I will never set foot here again."
Then, she fixed her gaze on Lucian intensely and added in a cutting voice:
"However…"
"If I ever have to return… then the Emperor will pay for my travel expenses — with his head on a silver platter"
She vanished instantly, as though she had never been there.
A clear and unmistakable threat.
A violent migraine seized me as I relived those memories. My eyes landed on the silhouette seated at my desk.
Just her presence made it clear… this woman was an existence far superior to mine.
My instincts screamed at me to bow.
But between that and death, there wasn't much of a difference.
"I won't bow to anyone or anything."
As I struggled with every ounce of my strength against the overwhelming pressure she emanated, a smile tugged at my lips.
"Hello, sis."
Selene slightly opened her eyes, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.
"Sis?"
"Threeyears without so much as a birthday card… are you planning to break the record this year ?"
Ugh…!?
Her piercing gaze fixed on me. The pressure mounted further.
I was on the verge of passing out… then, suddenly, she vanished as quickly as she had appeared.
Selene sighed lightly, her eyes still closed, crossing her legs before responding casually:
"Hmmm... Sorry, little brother. This bad big sister has been a bit busy lately."
I let out a quiet breath of relief, a nervous smile on my lips. A second ago, I had been on the brink of losing consciousness.
"It's fine… as long as you make up for it this year."
"I'd love to keep joking with you, but I'm a little tied up at the moment."
Here we were.
Selene stood slowly, her piercing eyes locked on me.
"We made a deal, didn't we? Don't worry, you won't feel a thing."
Her voice was soft, almost soothing. Her eyes were mesmerizing.
But what she had just said was utter nonsense.
I stared at her in silence. Then, without warning, I spoke:
"The mana has become denser in the North, hasn't it?"
"You… how do you…"
I was prepared for the consequences, even though they were terrifying. It was something I had to do, or everything I would undertake from this moment on would be doomed to fail.
Think of this as a first job interview, Xavier.
Just as she was about to ask a question, I interrupted without hesitation:
"I'm the emperor of one of the northern empires… how could I have missed it?"
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
Hmm… that's true. A rank 5 magician might have detected the change in the intensity of natural mana…
But there wasn't a magician of that level in this empire. Right ?
A half-smile spread across her face.
"Interesting… but do you even know what that means?"
Of course, I knew. And probably more than you. I read the penultimate chapter, and where did you stop? Hahaha, you crazy fool...
Without waiting, I calmly stated:
"The Demon Night will spread to the North."
Her eyes lit up with curiosity.
He even knows that?
She studied me intently before replying:
"You're not as naive and stupid as the rumors say, huh?"
I smiled faintly.
"That's exactly what I wanted them to believe. And it turns out that, despite my age, I'm quite the actor, aren't I?"
She furrowed her brows slightly.
"What do you mean by that?"
"According to you, what caused the decline of this empire, even under Father's reign?"
Her expression hardened instantly.
"The pressure from the 12th and 10th empires on our commercial and diplomatic activities."
I gave a thumbs-down with a confident smile.
"Wrong!"
"What?"
"The empire didn't fall because of outside pressure. It rotted from within — devoured by invisible rats. Traitors, working in the shadows to bring it down."
Selene said nothing, merely staring at me with a piercing gaze.
I continued:
"From the moment I was crowned, I knew something was wrong. But I couldn't act recklessly. If this network had already existed under Father's reign, its roots were even deeper now.
So, I feigned ignorance. I allowed the poison to spread while gathering evidence. My plan was to eradicate these parasites this month.
But… the reports from my informants about the abnormal mana density in the North changed everything.
The Demonic Night is approaching, and I knew you would be the one sent here.
Which would also mean… my death.
That's why I called you."
It was a huge lie, but some rare parts of it were true. I just hoped she would believe me.
She watched me silently, expressionless.
"You mean you understood all of this at eleven, tricked everyone, and now you have enough evidence to eliminate these 'rats'?"
"Exactly."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Unfortunately for you, I'm not naïve enough to not see that you're just trying to get out of this."
I replied in a perfectly calm, almost childish tone:
"That wasn't my intention."
"Anyway… you die today."
She had no visible weapon. No armor, no combat gear. Just casual clothes, sitting on my desk as if all of this were a game.
So how…?
A cold pressure settled against my throat.
Invisible. Relentless.
A blade…?
I saw nothing, but I could feel it.
Damn… so this is what it's like to face a divine swordsman? This world really is messed up…
But now wasn't the time to be amazed.
"If you kill me, the empire will fall."
She let out a cold laugh.
"Ha… haha… With your reign, has the empire improved enough not to fall?"
A strange anger rose within me.
"YOU'RE TWENTY-FIVE, A GODDESS, AND YET YOU'RE STILL ACTING LIKE A CHILD?! CAN'T YOU GROW UP ALREADY?!"
I exhaled.
Well, if I'm going to die, I might as well do it by flipping her off one last time.
She stared at me, surprised by my audacity.
"I've already explained my view of things. What do you have to lose by waiting a few months to see if I'm right? You can kill me anytime, anyway.
You think I killed Mom? But did I ask to be born?"
Her eyes trembled.
I continued.
"Did I ask to be kidnapped? Did I ask for Father to sacrifice himself for me? Did I ask to become emperor?
Since my birth, no one has ever asked my opinion.
But I, on the other hand… I have the right to be despised, hated, and rejected by my own sister."
My body trembled, but it wasn't my own emotions.
They were the ones of the former Lucian.
"I grew up in a palace colder than any prison. The walls were high, the rooms vast… but warmth? That was a luxury I never knew. I was a prince, yet I lived like a ghost.
You… you've experienced all of that, haven't you?
And me, I don't even know what it means to 'have a family'…"
Tears began to fall.
I was a spectator, more than an actor.
"I was abandoned on a throne I never asked for… and I don't even have the right to complain.
But I, on the other hand… I have the right to be hated?"
I looked her straight in the eyes.
"Do you think that's fair, Selene?"
A crushing silence fell.
Her eyes trembled — just for a second. A crack in her perfect facade. But then it was gone, replaced by that cold, unyielding determination.
Then—
A dull sound.
I slowly looked down.
Fire exploded in my side, every nerve screaming in agony. My knees buckled, the world tilting as darkness crept at the edges of my vision.
That damn crazy woman…
She didn't hesitate.
She really…
She really slashed her own little brother.
Me.