The Holy Capital was still as magnificent as it always seemed.

The massive white towers stretching into the heart of the sky, the golden walls covered with divine symbols, and the luminous rivers of mana flowing through the paved streets still created that familiar image of the "center of the world’s light."

But this time, for Elisira, everything was different.

When she passed through the city’s massive gates, no sense of peace formed in her heart.

Not security, not pride, not the feeling of returning home that she always had. Only a suffocating pressure that slowly weighed down on her shoulders.

After that silent, destroyed forest, after witnessing that battle, after seeing a being that words could not describe... it was clear her mind was in chaos.

This city suddenly seemed smaller than ever.

No matter how much she thought or reasoned with herself, she couldn’t figure anything out. Everything was vague and incomprehensible.

She decided not to fly straight to the palace but to walk there and enjoy the city atmosphere for a while.

Maybe that way she could calm her mind a little.

Even though she knew much more than before, she felt she was spending more time in ignorance than ever.

The voices of people in the streets were quiet but agitated. New announcements had been posted everywhere.

The red warning symbol was seen alongside the Holy Empire’s emblem, and armored knights patrolled the streets more than ever.

As Elisira passed through the central square, she heard people whispering.

"They say the forest monster killed one of the Eternal Warriors..."

"Impossible..."

"No, it’s true. They even increased the bounty on his head."

"So that thing... really exists?"

"They say Walterk Bloodfang himself went to hunt him... and didn’t come back."

Elisira passed by them without stopping, but her heart grew heavier, because they didn’t understand anything.

Not the people, not the knights, not even the empire. They still thought they were facing "a monster."

While what she had seen in that forest was not at all within the framework of this world’s understanding.

What she had witnessed was not a battle at all. It was a one-sided slaughter that had occurred within seconds, less time than she needed to understand everything.

When she reached the palace grounds, her steps slowed slightly.

The massive white walls of the Holy Palace shone in the sunlight as always, but today they looked more like prison walls than a royal family’s home.

And right at that moment, the royal knights blocked her path.

Their movement was perfectly coordinated.

The knight commander stepped forward, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed respectfully.

"His Imperial Majesty is waiting for you, Princess."

Elisira just stared at him for a few moments. No one asked where she had been, no one demanded an explanation.

And that made an invisible chill run up her spine.

They knew, or at least knew parts of the truth. She knew she couldn’t hide these things from her father, but she hadn’t expected him to find out so soon.

’It was my mistake. All their attention was on that tree, and I was right next to it. Of course they knew.’ She bit her lip and lamented her own stupidity.

Her mind had been so occupied that she had completely forgotten this point.

And at that moment, she understood that she was no longer free. She was trapped.

In silence, she entered the palace with the knights. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The sound of metal shoes striking the white stones of the corridors echoed through the vast palace, and each step increased the feeling of suffocation in her chest.

Golden light shone through the tall windows and spread over the royal carpets.

Servants standing along the way bowed their heads as soon as they saw her.

But none of them dared to look directly into her eyes.

The palace atmosphere had changed. Everyone was nervous, everyone was afraid.

The death of Walterk Bloodfang was not just an incident; it had shaken the entire continent’s balance of power.

And now the Holy Empire understood that a being had appeared in the world before whom even Eternal Warriors meant nothing.

The massive doors of the royal hall opened slowly, their heavy sound echoing through the space like a low growl.

Elisira stepped inside, and at that moment she understood that this was no longer the royal hall.

It was a courtroom. That was clear from the cold atmosphere that had taken over everywhere.

The Holy Emperor sat on the white and golden throne, his long robe draped over the marble steps, and his luminous crown shone under the ceiling’s light.

But his gaze was not a father’s gaze. It was the gaze of a ruler sitting before a sinner.

Beside the hall, Serius stood silently by a window.

The evening light fell on his hair, and his calm eyes were fixed on Elisira without blinking.

He said nothing, and his presence was very faint, as if he didn’t want to disturb this meeting, because important discussions were supposed to take place.

After all, this meeting had been convened at his request.

When Elisira entered, no one spoke.

Only silence. A silence so heavy that she could even hear her own breathing.

The Holy Emperor stared at his daughter for a few seconds, radiating a hidden pressure.

"Why were you next to that monster?" And then finally his lips moved.

He didn’t ask what had happened, nor did he ask if she was alright. The only thing that mattered to the empire was why his daughter had been next to that monster.

Of course, he had known that his daughter was next to that monster. The previous time, the Grand Minister and the Grand Knight had seen her next to that monster and reported it to him, and this time he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

The fact that his daughter had hidden this from him and had secretly gone to see the current greatest threat to the world had angered him.

For a moment, Elisira said nothing, but inside she was in turmoil. What was she doing there? Out of curiosity, of course. But was curiosity a good enough reason to disobey her father’s orders?

She doubted it was a good reason, because by disobeying her father’s orders, she hadn’t just broken a simple rule. She had gone to meet a being who was currently the world’s greatest threat and heretic.

And if they found out that she had somehow helped Daniel, her crime could be punishable by execution.

"I was just curious. I wanted to know more about that person." But in the end, she understood that lying would be useless.

"Curiosity? How foolish. And was that curiosity worth it?" The Holy Emperor asked coldly.

Elisira fell silent again. Her curiosity had been worth it to some extent, but she absolutely could not say that, because then her father would want to know everything.

But what if she told everything? The empire would probably immediately go to war.

And if Daniel considered her an enemy, Elisira didn’t even want to think about the consequences.

And worse than all, she was no longer sure that the empire was on the right side of this matter.

"Silence before the Emperor when you are being interrogated can be a very great crime."

"Elisira, you had better say everything you have learned, and I can overlook what you did. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to punish you."

Elisira’s head lowered for a moment. She really couldn’t say anything.

And at that moment, Serius’s gaze focused on her. Quiet, precise, and analytical.

And he could see something in her face that made him smile. In that girl’s face, he saw doubt, worry, and fear. And he knew why these emotions were evident on her face.

’She must know many things.’

On the other hand, the pressure in Elisira’s chest grew heavier. Loyalty to the empire, the truth she had seen, the fear she had of Daniel, everything was tangled in her mind.

She didn’t dare say anything about Daniel. What if her words angered him? What if he became angry at the entire empire?

"Elisira, you had better say everything you have learned about that monster." The Emperor told his daughter once more, loudly, decisively, and warningly.

"I’m not sure we should call him a monster." Elisira sighed and said in a low voice.

But her words caused a terrifying aura to emanate from the Emperor, shaking the entire palace.

The Emperor was furious at his daughter’s blasphemy!