“I just went out for a bit around here earlier. To engrave some magic formulas in advance. And about Duke Echerzen…”

“The Duke?”

“…Actually, he has a power. I thought it would be helpful when the trial begins.”

After a moment of hesitation, she revealed the truth. She felt uneasy saying this without getting the Duke’s permission, but he would find out the next day anyway.

Cassis looked surprised for a moment, then shook his head.

“I had a strange feeling about him. But what is it? I have powers too.”

“His is a complete form.”

“So you’re saying mine is incomplete? Hey, I’ve grown a lot too. You just haven’t seen it…”

“Anyway, I’ve agreed to cooperate with the Duke for now.”

She added hesitantly.

“The trial is scheduled for tomorrow.”

The matter was already discussed the day before.

He wanted her to accompany him on his plan to raid the relic storage, and she wanted the Duke to assist with his power during the upcoming trial.

There was no reason not to cooperate since their immediate interests aligned.

“…What?”

At her shocking statement, Cassis stared at Rosha with wide eyes. After a moment, his brows furrowed.

“You’ve lost your mind. Why are you telling me this now?”

“Well? If I told you in advance, would you have just stayed still given your personality?”

Actually, she didn’t intend to stay silent until the trial began.

Because Rosha had to attend on the last day of the banquet due to her noble status, she couldn’t run away from the capital. She thought it best to at least lighten the emotional burden.

Of course, given Cassis’s personality, she wasn’t sure how he’d react if she told him.

“You should have at least told me!”

“…I know I should have told you sooner. But what if you acted differently from usual and got yourself killed?”

What if he noticed the existence of the rift and headed there?

Or what if he sneaked out at night and encountered a dedmonic beast roaming the streets after coming out of the rift?

Too many people had died around her so far.

Rosha didn’t want to witness such scenes anymore.

‘If someone has to die… it’s better if it’s not Cassis but the Duke.’

That’s why she chose to cooperate with the Duke, not Cassis.

While Duke Echerzen wasn’t as villainous as she had thought, in her subjective evaluation, Cassis’s life weighed much more.

“…”

Cassis, realizing the unsaid words, stood speechless, his mouth agape.

Many thoughts crossed his mind, but he was never good at organizing them.

He just didn’t like the idea of Rosha struggling on her own and was annoyed that he couldn’t provide reassurance.

He was also resentful that he couldn’t easily counter his sister’s words and was upset about their current situation.

In the end, the only remark that slipped out was:

“If you end up dying, then what?”

“…”

“You always… think only of yourself.”

An irritated Cassis slammed the door and left.

He then paused in the middle of the empty hallway.

‘…Why can’t I say anything but that?’

He felt a sudden wave of guilt.

Suddenly, he noticed something unusual outside the window: the sky was growing brighter, and strangely shaped clouds swirled in a vortex.

It was magical power.

* * *

Finally, the day of the decisive battle arrived.

The weather was exceptionally clear, as if it knew this would be the end of peace.

Dressed in a relatively light dress, Rosha checked her equipment with a serious expression before disembarking from the carriage.

‘I have potions, magic stones, and the relic.’

She hadn’t used the sacred relic yet and didn’t know its power, but she figured she might use it today. She secretly checked the relic attached to her thigh and got up.

On the last day of the Month of Abundance Banquet, it was customary for all nobles to attend, as the Emperor would be present.

So, the banquet hall entrance was especially crowded with carriages.

“Be careful. There are many people since it’s the last day of the banquet.”

Cedric, who helped her down from the carriage, advised them with care.

“I’d prefer if both of you stayed close to me during the banquet.”

“Why? Afraid we’ll get lost?”

Cassis, who followed, responded sarcastically. He had become noticeably cold since the previous night’s incident.

“Not at all. I’m just… a bit worried.”

Softly replying, Cedric saw Cassis walking apart from Rosha and asked:

“Did… you two fight?”

“No!”

“No.”

Strictly speaking, Rosha didn’t feel they had fought, but Cassis did. He quickly averted his gaze when their eyes met.

Cedric let out a hollow laugh, but given the circumstances, Rosha couldn’t afford to focus on that.

She looked around the familiar banquet hall. A small bird wearing a cute bow tie chirped softly.

“The atmosphere seems odd.”

“…It does.”

Perhaps because the Emperor was to arrive, the nobles had taken their seats early.

While most looked usual, some were biting their nails nervously or pacing restlessly.

Rosha mentally noted their behavior.

‘Some seem to know what will happen today.’

She had considered warning people about the trial.

However, more people than she expected seemed aware of the future, which was problematic. Acting conspicuously now might arouse suspicion.

For now, all she could do was brace for the trial.

That moment arrived.

“The Sun of the Empire is entering! Everyone, be silent.”

As the awaited person entered, all the nobles bowed their heads. Rosha discreetly looked up to see the Emperor.

A man in his thirties, wearing a dazzling white formal attire, walked in leisurely. With shiny silver hair and blue eyes, he was definitely over fifty, but he appeared youthful as if he had used some magic.

Moreover…

‘I didn’t notice before, but there’s something off about his gaze?’

There was a cold ruthlessness in his eyes, suggesting he would do anything to achieve his goals.

In a sense, he looked like a madman with clear eyes.

“The Emperor seems dangerous.”

Koko must have felt the same, and he whispered closely to her ear.

In the meantime, the Emperor, sitting on the throne, glanced at the faces of the nobles and lightly cleared his throat.

“You all must’ve had a hard time coming from far away. I see some faces I haven’t seen since my birthday party.”

Laughter echoed lightly at his informal tone. The atmosphere seemed a little lighter because of it…

“There’s a reason why we moved up the date for this festival. It’s to discuss with you how we will endure the upcoming harsh season.”

The Emperor’s speech, which should have ended with a customary blessing, took an unexpected turn, and the nobles tilted their heads, listening intently.

Some even whispered, wondering if a war was about to break out.

“For those who don’t understand what I’m saying, please wait for a moment.”

The Emperor leaned back on his chair. After a few seconds, everyone understood the meaning of his words.

And in a very extreme way.

Ding!

Warning! The first trial is approaching this area.

Less than 5 minutes remain until the first trial. A public countdown begins.

The same blue window appeared before everyone’s eyes.

A heavy silence fell over the banquet hall due to the sudden phenomenon.

However, that didn’t last long.

“…What is this?”

“Do you see this blue rectangle too?”

“What does ‘trial’ mean?”

Both the phenomenon and its content were problematic.

The ominous feel of the word ‘trial’ made everyone uneasy after reading the content of the blue window.

Then, someone pointed out the window and shouted.

“What is that?”

Everyone stretched their necks to look outside. Murmurs spread through the banquet hall like a wave.

Because, unbelievably, there were solid letters written in the sky.

Remaining time: 4:59