In the royal palace of the Star Kingdom,
a man was sitting on the throne, deep in thought. His head was lowered as if gazing at the floor. No one was present in his court at that moment, though the great doors remained open.
Soon, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall. The king kept his head lowered, but his eyes rose slightly. A man stopped a short distance from the throne, bowed his head, and saluted.
"Your Majesty, the Duke of the North has come. He seeks an audience."
The king raised his hand, granting permission.
The man delivering the message was not just any knight, but the vice-captain of the royal knights. For someone like him, showing visible emotion was rare, yet the king's gesture shocked him. The king was known for his kindness, and such a cold reaction toward a subject was unusual. Though the knight hesitated for a brief moment, his experience allowed him to recover quickly. He gave another salute and left.
A moment later, another man entered. His clothes were made to impress, and had it been anyone other than the king before him, his attire would have drawn praise.
The duke bowed deeply and said,
"Your Majesty, your humble subject has come to your land on business. It would have been my misfortune not to greet you personally."
Though the entire Star Kingdom belonged to the king, he had granted various nobles the right to manage portions of land on his behalf. The royal capital, however, remained under his direct rule, and was therefore often referred to as his land.
The king slowly raised his head, looked at the duke intently, and said,
"Raise your head, Duke of the North."
This startled the duke. The king usually addressed him by name. To use only his title meant the king was displeased.
Cautiously, the duke asked,
"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, may I ask how I have offended you?"
The king sighed and replied,
"Your actions regarding the Lewin family were overlooked by me. But now, they are selling off all their assets. In their desperation to sell quickly, they no longer care who benefits, so long as they receive a good price."
The duke frowned slightly.
"Is it that bad?"
He understood the situation. The king had tolerated his previous moves because they had not harmed the kingdom directly. But now, the Lewin family's actions were destabilizing the economy.
Small merchants might offer more money, while large ones would pay less. Worse still, foreign merchants could exploit the situation to open their own markets inside the kingdom. This would create three problems:
1. Too many small merchants would become difficult to regulate.
2. Foreign powers would gain economic influence within the kingdom.
3. The sudden irregular flow of cash would destabilize the economy.
The Lewin family was not a small power by any means. Their downfall alone was not fatal, but their desperate liquidation threatened the kingdom's stability.
The king had ignored them before, believing that while families could fall and fortunes could be rebuilt, lost foundations took decades to recover. Now, however, things had become dangerous.
Thanks to the rule of both the previous and current king, the kingdom was stable enough to weather this storm. But a seed had been sown—one that might grow into civil war in the future.
The king's voice turned stern.
"Handle this mess, Duke. If this continues, you will be held responsible."
The duke lowered his head.
"As you wish."
"You may leave."
The duke departed.
---
Elsewhere, in the Empire…
In a mysterious chamber, an old woman sat before a crystal orb resting on the table. A man in luxurious clothes stood across from her, with two armored guards behind him.
The old woman opened her eyes and said,
"Emperor boy, why are you wasting my time?"
The guards didn't react, though she had openly disrespected their emperor. They knew he was lenient toward her.
"How long do I have to wait?" the emperor asked.
"Time is shifting," the old woman said.
The emperor sneered.
"Meaning you are useless and too old, so now you cover yourself with riddles? Give me a date."
The old woman laughed.
"Time is like a flowing river. Divine revelations are not bound to human calendars. They take one event as an anchor for another. For example—after two years of your death, a commoner will impregnate your daughter."
The emperor's body trembled.
One guard thought, Is the emperor about to kill her? Disrespecting him is one thing, but predicting his death to his face is another.
The other thought, Was that just an example, or an actual prophecy? I'm also a commoner… should I start pursuing the princess?
The emperor clenched his fists but sighed.
"Then at least tell me the event."
The old woman frowned.
"Events keep changing."
The emperor's temper flared.
"Then admit you don't know, instead of twisting words!"
The old woman sighed.
"Foolish boy. The threads of fate are being cut, crushed, and snapped. Why do you think I'm still alive in such storms?"
The emperor grew increasingly anxious and finally left in frustration.
---
Meanwhile, I, unaware of any of this, continued my journey.
After some time, Raven said,
"Sir, I think we should let the Sky Dogs rest."
"Alright," I replied.
We landed in a forest. I expanded my sixth sense and found no danger nearby, which brought me relief.
But soon, the sunlight grew hotter and harsher.
Emma frowned.
"Is it just me, or did the temperature rise suddenly?"
Emily nodded.
"Yes, I feel it too."
Lucas chuckled.
"Shall I cool you ladies down with magic?"
But if anyone looked at me, they would think I was a terminally ill patient. The truth was worse: this sudden increase in heat might have been natural, but I knew better. I expanded my sixth sense fully—and then I felt it.
A presence.
A massive presence. Stronger than even the Mist Dragon.
It was him. The strongest human powerhouse—Karna.
To novel readers, if the main character were not the protagonist, Karna would have been. One of the youngest ever to reach such heights, he had created his own unique magic technique—an ability that manifested both as a protective barrier and a devastating sword. His immense power warped the world around him, making every place he walked brighter and hotter.
He was known as The Second Sun.
But why was he here?
I wracked my brain, but nothing came to mind. Not even the novel mentioned this.
After several tense minutes, the presence vanished. The heat and brightness faded with it.
Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I would have to get used to encountering such overwhelming beings. For now, though, this was enough.
I needed more rest than even the Sky Dogs. While I rested, I practiced with my sixth sense.
Nature Force granted instant expertise, but its usage still depended on me. For example, teleportation could be perfectly precise, but only if I stayed calm. If I panicked, I might teleport right into a sword strike. You get the idea.
After some time, Raven suggested we continue. But I shook my head.
"We should rest longer."
Raven shrugged. He was only escorting me. Even if I wasted five months in an inn, it wouldn't matter to him.
Meanwhile, I was debating whether to keep my sixth sense active at all times during the journey. Passive use was already powerful, but what if I encountered another powerhouse mid-flight? Could I handle it?
Maybe it was fine. After all, such beings were few in number.
-------------------
Once again, with the Claw members following behind, we resumed our journey. The forest below wasn't very large, but since we were moving in a curve to avoid unwanted problems, our travel was taking longer.
After a few hours, we spotted a city and decided to rest there for a while. We entered the city, asked around, and found the best hotel available. After booking rooms and putting away our belongings, we went out to explore the markets and gather any additional supplies we might need.
While walking, I noticed someone with red eyes. Since it's also my eye color—and a rare one at that—I looked a little longer than usual.
The person was a woman. She noticed my gaze and stared back. At first, she seemed anxious, but when she saw my eyes, she understood why I had looked longer than what could be considered normal. Through my sixth sense, however, I also felt her worry. Still, it wasn't my place to inquire about the troubles of others.
I had too much to deal with myself, and I wasn't the kind of person with the resources to dive headfirst into someone else's problems. Even so, in my heart, I wished her luck. A small part of me also wondered if people with red eyes were cursed with misfortune.
Shaking off those negative thoughts that often haunted me, I continued on my way.
The best part about my current situation was that I had enough money not to worry about what to buy. Anything I thought might be even remotely useful, I purchased immediately.
Still, a thought lingered in my mind—I didn't know if I would return to the academy on time. But then again, what was the point of going back if I died along the way? I couldn't even be sure I would survive long enough to reach it.
With these thoughts in mind, I strengthened my resolve.