Unlike Noah's expectations, it didn't take too long for them to reach the room the Emperor was waiting in. As a matter of fact, the room was actually just down the narrow corridor.
Noah looked over his shoulder, noticing the entire corridor empty behind them. Even the knight guards outside their room had left and gone back down. Turning ahead, he examined the intricate designs and sigils engraved on the door.
'This doesn't look like the audience hall…'
While the place seemed to not lack grandeur, it was definitely not large enough to be considered an audience hall.
Before Lady Taurus could even knock on the door, a gentle and charming voice said through the door, "Come in."
Following the command, she gently opened the door and stood beside it, gesturing them to enter.
Going inside, the atmosphere completely changed. Despite the entire palace being riddled with illumination devices all over, this room was completely dark, only illuminated by a few candles and the soft light of the silver moon.
While not completely cold, the room's temperature was indeed lower than outside, sending a chill down Noah's spine. The creaking sound of the door being shut added to the creepy atmosphere.
Ahead, a rather charming man was sitting behind a desk covered with paperwork and documents. Covered in the moon's light, his ashen hairs were even more highlighted. But the man himself was much younger. Contrasting his hair were his raven-black eyes, making his appearance contradictory.
'So, the Emperor who usurped the throne 4 years ago is this young?'
They said the old Emperor slit his own throat in his chambers six years ago. No one ever found out why. After that, his eldest son took over the throne.
Betraying all expectations, Drosamir Eryndral, one of the youngest heirs, murdered his older brother and usurped the throne with the support of the leading factions of the Empire.
'He doesn't look as scary as the other Knights. But, something feels wrong about him.'
Standing behind him were two distinct knights on each side. Just like Lady Taurus, both of them had a commanding presence and a distinct air to them.
It was only now that Noah noticed every ascended knight he had met today had very different armour and weapons.
The moment they reached the desk, Tirandel dropped smoothly to one knee. His voice was clear and steady, his movements deliberate, and his posture perfect.
"Your humble subject greets His Majesty."
For a moment, the words lingered in the air.
Noah's pulse spiked as he froze. Was he supposed to copy that? Left knee or right? Before the silence grew too thick, he lowered himself in a rough imitation. His balance went awry, his knee struck the floor more forcefully than he intended, and the rigidity in his shoulders revealed every bit of pain.
A heartbeat later, Elira moved as though she had been waiting for her turn. She dipped into a graceful curtsey, gown gathered lightly at her sides, her head lowered just so.
With a gentle nod, the Emperor spoke, his tone even but carrying the weight of command.
"There's no need for pleasantries. You were called here for a reason. I have no intent to dress it in needless words."
The three of them rose as one. The words sank heavier than Noah expected, as though the room itself had swallowed the notion of witnesses. For the first time since entering, he felt like he was standing before the man who truly ruled the Eryndral Empire
Drosamir's gaze lingered on Elira. "It has been two years, hasn't it? You've grown."
Elira lowered her head, her curtsey neat but restrained. "I am deeply honoured, Your Majesty."
Without another glance, his eyes swept over the desk, over the stack of scattered documents, then returned to the group.
"You must be curious why you were summoned."
'Summoned? He calls this a summoning? Next time just send a noose with the letter.' Noah clenched his jaw to keep the thought to himself.
The Emperor steepled his fingers, leaning back slightly. "You were called here to form a company. A task force, if you prefer."
For a brief moment, Noah merely blinked as the words struck without any buildup. 'Create a what?'
Before the silence stretched, Tirandel spoke, his voice respectful but edged with disbelief.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but… of what use is a humble merchant like myself in such a venture? I am no knight, no mage. My worth is no greater than an ordinary man."
Noah risked a glance at the Emperor. That single, unblinking stare was enough to knot his stomach.
"Patience, Tirandel." Drosamir's voice did not rise, but the weight of it pressed against the room. Even the knights at his side seemed to draw themselves taller at the command. "Your questions will be answered in due time. More importantly—" his eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade drawn halfway from the sheath, "—you are not in a position to decline."
The pause felt sharper than a command.
Tirandel lowered his head immediately, hands folded before him. "Then forgive this foolish lamb for speaking out of turn. I shall devote myself to whatever His Majesty requires."
The Emperor gave no acknowledgement. His gaze had already returned to Elira.
"The matter concerns someone you know well."
Elira stiffened. For the first time since entering, her composure faltered. "Someone I know…?"
Drosamir did not answer at once. He let the pause stretch, fingers brushing idly across a page of parchment as though deciding whether to turn it. When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, deliberate.
"You are aware, I trust, that the Capital was attacked days ago by agents of the Artemis Alliance."
Elira's brows knit. "I had heard of the attack, but not the details."
"They were stopped before their blades could do more than scratch the walls," he said, matter-of-factly. "But that was never their goal."
"It was a diversion."
The word dropped like a stone. Noah felt the hair rise on his arms without knowing why.
Drosamir's eyes fixed on Elira. "While the Capital turned its attention to shadows, their true target lay elsewhere. At your family estate."
Elira's lips parted, confusion plain. "…My estate?"
The Emperor gave the smallest nod. "Iriel. The second heir of House Valcrest. Taken while the city bled itself chasing phantoms."
Noah's mind stalled. 'Second heir? Valcrest has a second heir?!'
Elira's eyes widened, confusion plain. For a moment, Noah thought she hadn't known either. But the tremor in her voice said otherwise.
"It seems you were kept in the dark as well," Drosamir said. His tone was almost casual, but the words landed like iron. "That is for the better. The fewer who know of this kidnapping, the longer we control the story. Until she is returned, it remains buried."
The weight of silence followed. Elira lowered her gaze, unsettled in a way Noah had never seen.
"I will bring her back, Your Majesty," she said softly.
'So she knew.'
Leaning back in his chair, the Emperor brushed a stray page aside as though the matter were settled. "The rest of the particulars will be given by the Investigation Bureau."
Lady Taurus moved as if to lead them out. But before Noah realised it, his voice broke the quiet.
"Um… I know I shouldn't be asking this, but—how can someone like me help in a task this great?"
The question clawed its way out, no matter how his words fumbled or how damp his hands had become. He noticed the knights shift almost imperceptibly, gauntlets brushing hilts, their gaze pressing down on him like a weight.
For a long moment, the Emperor didn't answer. Instead, one of the knights at his back leaned forward and whispered in his ear. Noah's stomach sank with every breath that passed.
When Drosamir finally looked up, the shift in his gaze made Noah's spine lock. Eyes cold, slit thin, a serpent waiting to strike.
"Noah Hale," the Emperor said, voice sharp with mockery. "Tell me—how many commoner trainees sit in the Imperial Academy today?"
Noah's mouth opened, but no sound came. His mind blanked.
Elira stepped in smoothly. "If I may, there are currently 134 mage trainees and 209 knight trainees admitted through the scholarship programme, unaffiliated with any noble line."
Drosamir inclined his head slightly. "Correct." His gaze slid back to Noah. "Then consider this. If one such trainee were suddenly expelled… without cause, without explanation… what would happen?"
The question was simple, yet it cut deeper than any blade. Noah's chest tightened. He swallowed, choosing his words with care.
"Nothing would change, Your Majesty."
The faintest curl touched the Emperor's lips. He didn't need to explain the threat—Noah felt it in his bones. One wrong word, and he'd be nothing more than a name scratched from a ledger.
'So that's it. No questions. No refusals. Or I'm finished.'
The Emperor sighed, the sound deceptively weary. "Still, it would be unjust of me to send you into peril without recompense. And I am nothing if not a benevolent ruler."
Noah's thoughts snarled. Just spit it out already…
Drosamir let the pause stretch before his words fell like stone.
"Your reward will be an opportunity."
Another pause. His black gaze never left Noah's face.
"An opportunity to become the disciple of Leon Valcrest—the strongest swordsman in the Empire."