As the Lord Commander spoke of the gathering, it was clear everyone already knew the purpose. Beloka stared at the King. He was tall, with broad shoulders, brown hair, and sky-blue eyes. His beard gave him a regal air. It seemed the Princess had inherited her blue eyes from her father.
The King wore a rather simple outfit for someone of his stature: a quilted leather brigandine reaching down to his knees, a dark, tight-sleeved tunic beneath it, a leather belt across his waist, and dark, practical trousers tucked into mid-calf leather boots.
The Lord Commander then called to a lady soldier and the black-haired girl standing beside her.
"Come forward, brave ladies. Speak what you came here to say."
The lady soldier bowed and gestured to the girl to do the same. Both respectfully bowed before the King and then the Princess. The soldier began,
"I am a stationed soldier at one of the eastern watchtowers, near the outskirts by the Morga Forest. Last night, we were attacked by a Dweller. But this was no ordinary creature that simply devours and kills everything in sight—it was intelligent and had a devil spell."
She paused for a moment and then gestured toward the young girl.
"She is the one who killed the Dweller… after every other soldier had fallen."
Everyone in the hall turned to look at the young girl, stunned—King and Princess included. A murmur spread through the hall.
"She must be lying to gain a reward from the King," someone whispered.
Another voice added, "Yeah, how could some girl from the outskirts kill a Dweller who had a devil spell? Even trained soldiers couldn't."
The Lord Commander heard this and silenced the crowd. He turned to the young girl and asked in a calm, yet firm tone,
"You see, child, everyone here doubts your bravery. How would you like to respond? Will you let them mock your truth?"
The girl stayed silent for a few moments before speaking.
"My name is Zena, from the eastern outskirts. My father taught me swordsmanship, and I know how to use Mano Energy. Anyone who doubts me or my words—I challenge them to face me and find out for themselves whether I lie."
The Lord Commander smirked, giving a short chuckle.
"You truly are a brave one. No need for challenges—I know when someone speaks the truth."
He then ordered them to return to their places. Zena and the lady soldier stepped back as more soldiers came forward one by one from all directions, each reporting that Dwellers had attacked towns and vanished after killing everyone. Fear clouded the soldiers' hearts—Beloka's included.
Finally, it was Beloka and Kelfo's turn. As they approached the Lord Commander, Beloka noticed the Princess watching him. For a moment, their eyes met before he respectfully lowered his gaze.
Kelfo bowed to the King, then to the Princess. Beloka followed his lead.
"I am Kelfo," he said. "Watchtower Master of the southern outskirts, part of the 2nd Unit near the Godra Mountains. Like others have said, an intelligent Dweller, who had a devil spell, attacked the town's people in the southern region. Everyone was slaughtered. The only reason it didn't go further... was this young boy."
The Lord Commander turned to Beloka.
"What happened? How did you stop it?"
Beloka explained everything. When he finished, he noticed everyone staring at him as if he were some strange creature. The hall filled with whispers again.
"Are you trying to insult the soldiers and the King, boy?" one soldier barked.
Another added, "Yes! Don't dare lie in front of the King—you're crossing the line!"
But the Lord Commander ignored the noise and, after a moment, silenced them all.
"This boy is not lying. What he said is the truth."
The hall went still. No one could believe it.
Then the Princess spoke, drawing all attention.
"The last part of your story doesn't make sense," she said. "You said you channeled your energy into your left hand and stored it there, and when the Dweller touched it, it exploded."
She paused and then continued,
"Then why didn't your arm explode? Why didn't you lose consciousness? If you didn't release the energy outward, it must've flowed through your entire body. So… why didn't your body burst? And where are the marks left by the Dweller?"
She paused again, thinking, before adding,
"But… your arm was severed. So maybe… you were telling the truth after all."
The Lord Commander placed a firm but kind hand on Beloka's shoulder.
"I believe you, young man. But if you can prove it to them, their doubts will be erased."
Beloka nodded.
"Please give me something tough to use," he said.
Suddenly, the Princess stood.
"Bring me my sword," she ordered.
A soldier brought her sword, and she gestured for him to hand it to Beloka. As Beloka took it, the sword's weight caused his arm to drop. It was clearly heavy for him.
Everyone laughed, including the King, the Lord Commander, and the soldiers. But Beloka picked it up, supporting the tip on the floor, closed his eyes, and began focusing his energy.
A soldier, annoyed, growled,
"Kid, don't waste our time or test the King's patience. Accept your lie and move on."
Everyone laughed again—except the Princess, Lord Commander, and Kelfo.
Then, cracks began forming on the sword. The hall went silent. Cracking sounds echoed. And then—the sword shattered, shards scattering across the ground. One shard cut deep into Beloka's cheek.
The Princess stepped forward to help—but the wound was already healing before she could even take a step.
Stunned silence.
The Lord Commander finally broke it with laughter.
"Stand proud, young warrior. Tell us your name."
"It's Beloka, Lord."
"That's it? Where are you from, boy?"
"From Porta," Beloka replied.
The Lord Commander nodded.
"Would you like to join the Sun Knights?"
Gasps filled the hall. Every eye turned to Beloka, waiting.
He looked at Kelfo. Kelfo, too, was shocked. Then Beloka leaned toward the Lord Commander and whispered,
"If you give me food for free… I'll join."
The Lord Commander blinked, then laughed again.
"Of course! You're now a Sun Knight—the second youngest Sun Knight!"
He asked Beloka to stand beside him and told Kelfo to return to his place.
Just then, three soldiers entered, dragging a woman, a man, and a boy—about Beloka's age, maybe younger. The boy had black hair and black eyes. He was lean, average-looking. So was the man. The woman, however, was lean and beautiful.
The Lord Commander asked,
"What is their crime? Why are they tied?"
One soldier replied,
"My Lord, we believe they are connected to the Dweller."
"State your reason," the Lord Commander said.
"We followed a Dweller into their house. When we entered, we found only these three."
The Lord Commander turned to them with a stern expression.
"What do you say in your defense?"
The man and woman remained silent.
Then the boy looked at them, confused by their silence. Turning to the Lord Commander, he cried,
"They're not Dwellers! They're my parents!"
Tears streamed down his face.
"Can you prove it, boy?" the Lord Commander asked. "Were you with them all night? Can you swear it? My soldiers tell the truth—now you must answer mine."
Still sobbing, the boy said,
"I was asleep… but I know they're not Dwellers."
He turned to his parents, begging,
"Why won't you say anything? Tell them! You're not Dwellers!"
Still, they remained silent. Tears flooded the boy's face.
Then, a man seated on the second platform among fifteen chairs stood, descended, and examined the boy's hair and eyes. He turned to the King and shouted:
"When a mortal nobody appears—one who can shatter mountains with a mere touch—
A girl blessed by fate, a princess who will grant immortality to his companions,
Will meet him after the disappearance of innocent souls.
Men and women will fall by the hand of the reigning king, And their boy—with black hair and black eyes—will die after seven days in the Grace Tower.Then the King shall rise and seek the True Mortal with ten knights.
Nine knights will defeat death within the Circle of Death and Massacre, And they shall meet the tenth knight—the daughter of the Devil.
Together, they will be called the Gods' Knights."
The King, ministers, and Princess stood up from their places, and then the King addressed:
"Can you explain what you mean, O elder one?"
He was old, around the age of 90, with white hair, but he could still walk like a young man.
"Yes, my King, these are your ancestors' words.
You must kill this man and woman, and then the boy after seven days in the Grace Tower. Only then will the next stage of your reign begin. With the help of the Gods' Knights, you will find the True Mortal.
I believe the young boy here, who shattered the Princess's sword like it was nothing, is the one mentioned—the boy who can shatter mountains with a bare touch. The Princess and the young girl are the ones who will make his companions immortal, and the ones blessed by fate.
After the man and woman die by your hand, the boy shall die after seven days in the Grace Tower."
The King gazed at the boy and his parents, then at the elder one. Once again, the elder continued:
"And it is also a king's duty to punish the crimes of criminals—especially those who have committed such a grave offense. So I ask my King to bestow his judgment on these impure souls and free them."
The King stood and descended from the platform, then asked the soldiers to hold them.
Four soldiers came and grasped them tightly, but it seemed there was no need—they didn't resist at all. The parents didn't even flinch.
The Lord Commander, Princess, and Beloka watched the parents with confused looks, deeply shocked. They had never seen people so unafraid of death—not even the slightest hint of fear in their eyes.
The King unsheathed his sword, held it in both hands, and placed it on his forehead, saying:
"O God of Gods, I am freeing these pure souls from their impure bodies. I pray to you, grant them new, pure bodies."
And with those words, he raised his sword high into the air and struck with mighty force, beheading both of them in a single swing.
Beloka, the Lord Commander, and the Princess, who were watching closely, were stunned by what they saw.
They smiled at their child before the sword beheaded them.
The boy's scream was so loud that it reached the Gods—and it started raining outside.
Yet no one in the hall could hear it.