When the next day arrived, Altair and Eliana set off for Iubar Palace, taking Lyonel with them.After all, Lyonel was, quite simply, a prince of the Dawncrest family. Furthermore, the fact that this young man was Leonard’s third pupil meant that, in this capacity, he had effectively assumed the rank of the Emperor’s own younger brother, which permitted him to enter the palace.In the early hours of the morning, at the very start of the second day of the ball, around nine o’clock, the trio had reached the palace.Naturally, many eyes were watching them.Whilst Lyonel and Eliana headed to the dining hall for breakfast, Altair had used the teleportation circles to go to the floor where his room was, entered his room, had a nice shower, and this time had dressed rather smartly.He then fastened his scabbard to his waist and sheathed his sword.Immediately afterwards, he had left his room, having fastened his cloak so that it covered the scabbard.He had reached the seventh floor, where th

Altair chatted with those around him for a while longer.As the night wore on, it was plain to see that the nobles of the Inner Circle Faction, in particular, were flushed with anger.This was exactly what he wanted.It seemed Altair could expect a few acts of defiance from them in the coming days.Not a single one of them had dared to come and speak to him.In other words... to put it bluntly, it might be fair to say none of them had the guts. Although each of them was getting angry, the fear in their hearts was more than enough to keep them in check.The night had passed in this manner, and the second day of the ball was drawing to a close.The ball would begin quite early the next day, and on the fourth day, there would be no ball. Instead, a feast known as the City Ball, which would encompass the entire capital, would take place.Preparations had long since been completed, which was why every part of the city was already filled with feast banners and the like.By the end of the da

"So it was true? Is there really someone who commands all the slave guards directly under the Emperor’s command?" Maria had asked, her voice brimming with curiosity."In a way," Altair had replied gently.Maria did not seem satisfied with this answer. The elderly woman seemed to be seeking a more substantial, more monumental and serious response."But... you are too young?" Petunia had muttered, her voice filled with confusion.“Well, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, right?” Altair had asked, and with this, he silenced the four elderly women and introduced himself:“My name is James Moriarty. I am the current leader of the Moriarty Duchy, the Emperor’s Shadow, the guardian of the Slave Guards, and finally, the owner and founder of the orphanages in the capital.”When Altair’s words reached their ears, each of them was astonished.James Moriarty.What a name it was.Perhaps it was because of the title he held, but the name itself carried an air of authority and significance.“A

It was a very bright room.There were many well-dressed people present.Judging by the darkness outside and the fact that some of the curtains were drawn completely, it was nighttime, or at least late evening.There was a huge table, and exactly thirty-two people were seated around it.There were nearly a hundred documents on the table, containing close to a thousand reports.“We know what we have to do,” said one of the thirty-two people.“It’s very dangerous,” replied another.“We mustn’t be foolish. So far, we’ve managed to grow by devouring the beast from within,” said yet another.“I don’t know about you, but I think we need to assassinate him directly.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” a voice had piped up.“Well, what else are we going to do? The resources at our disposal are slowly running out,” a nobleman had asked.“The Emperor has already unleashed his forces. We’re in danger again and again, every single second. Even if we can mostly take shelter and hide, the truth will come out s

It was almost half past eight.Altair had finally finished his work and, leaving the room with Arthur, headed towards the area where the opening ceremony was to take place, the orphanage courtyard.When he stepped outside, he could see that a real festive atmosphere had taken hold here too.Nearly ten thousand children appeared to be lined up, divided by age and educational level.Altair quickly found one of the professors and learned the location of the podium where he was to speak.Within a short time, he had taken to the podium, and as he did so, every child in the orphanage courtyard fell silent.Altair was actually only twenty-one years old, but his physique made him look as though he were in his thirties, though he still had a youthful appearance.So, even whilst speaking to children aged seventeen or eighteen, who were close to his own age, he had to behave like a mature adult.That is to say... under normal circumstances, he would have had to.Still, Altair wasn’t stupid.He w