The marketplace of the Vaelthorn Kingdom's Capital was unlike any market Ryn and Sael had ever visited, in a way that could not be explained by its size alone.It was not merely larger.Its contents were entirely different.One stall displayed armor crafted from materials far beyond ordinary iron or leather. Some pieces were forged from the scales of demonic beasts whose colors had no equivalent in the natural world. Others were made from materials Ryn could not even identify, though the way light shimmered across their surfaces made it obvious that they were anything but inexpensive.The weapons stall beside it presented its swords in a manner completely unlike the blacksmiths of Stonemarrow, who simply laid their wares on display. Here, every sword had its own place, and several of them radiated an energy that even someone whose meridians had only been opened by ten percent, like Ryn, could clearly sense.Ryn stood before the weapons stall for quite some time—not because he intended

Lein took the seat across from her.One of the guards stepped forward, the movement of someone about to remind him that he shouldn't sit so casually in front of the Princess. But Lyris raised a single hand in a subtle gesture, and the guard stopped."So you're the new explorer everyone's been talking about," Lyris said. It wasn't a question."So it seems." Lein met her gaze without hesitation. "What do you need from me, Your Highness?"Lyris rested her hands on her lap with the practiced composure of someone accustomed to delicate negotiations."I want you to become one of my followers in the struggle for Vaelthorn's throne. There are important things you need to know about the situation within this kingdom, and I'm certain that once you've heard everything—"Lein was already on his feet."I'm not interested."He turned toward the staircase.Two guards immediately stepped into his path, positioning themselves shoulder to shoulder to block the way.Lein stopped. He looked at the two me

On a dark street some distance from the inn, Miran stood hidden behind a corner like a man waiting for information, not intending to become part of the incident himself.Just as Princess Lyris had predicted, one of her brothers had acted immediately.The Second Prince, Carath.He had even sent five of his most trusted subordinates.About three minutes later, the five men emerged.And what Miran saw left him stunned.Two of them were missing their right arms entirely, being carried by the other two, whose faces were filled with terror. The fifth staggered out on his own, both hands clamped over the sides of his head, letting out cries that needed no further explanation.Miran stared at the scene for several long seconds without moving.Five Sky Realm cultivators.Three minutes.Reduced to this.Before his thoughts could fully settle into a conclusion, a voice came from behind him."Now take me to the Princess."Miran spun around.The young man standing there showed nothing in his expre

Lyris sat at the opposite end of the table from Lein, her hands folded atop the wooden surface that bore far too much history in the countless small scratches etched across it. "Very well." Her voice did not sound like someone giving a briefing, but rather like someone who had carried something for far too long and had finally found a reason to let it out. "I'll explain the situation from the beginning so you can fully understand what we're dealing with." The room had already been silent, but the silence changed the moment Lyris began to speak. Everyone present had heard this story before in one form or another, yet they listened all the same. "The successor to Vaelthorn's throne is determined by three things." Lyris raised three fingers. "Contributions to the kingdom. The number of supporters. And the strength each side possesses. My father will choose the winner based on the combined weight of those three factors before he reaches the point where he can no longer make decisions

In the eastern wing of Vaelthorn Royal Palace, the chamber door opened from within.Carath stood before the window, gazing out at the view beyond it with his back to the door.He didn't turn around until he realized something was wrong with the people behind him. The uneven footsteps, the irregular rhythm of movement, more than one person failing to move in sync because some of them were suppressing pain—it was unmistakably the gait of men who had failed their mission.When he turned, the five men he had sent out that night stood before him.Two had lost their right arms, the bandages around the stumps already stained red in several places. One had lost both ears, the cloth wrapped around his head unable to conceal the shape that should have been there. The other two stood with pale faces, as though they had just seen a ghost.Carath looked at all five of them.No expression crossed his face for several long seconds. It wasn't because he felt nothing, but because he felt too much for