Lia woke up after a few minutes. She slowly opened her eyes.
`Uh, what’s this? I’m lying on something?`
She sat up straight and held her head.
“Lia, finally, you’re awake.” She heard a familiar cold voice beside her.
`Zachariel? Why is he here and how did I end up beside him?`
She then remembered that somebody knocked her out and forgot what happened next.
`Did Zachariel save me? But why? I thought he no longer wanted me anymore?`
“Zachariel, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be in the public training area?” Lia tried to back away from him. She was afraid that he would hurt her.
“Lia, stop it. Don’t go away from me this time.” He grabbed her hand and firmly held it.
Lia felt the coldness in his soft hands, but it wasn’t something that would make her let go of it.
“Zachariel-“
“Lia.” He looked at her, tightening his grip on her hands.
Lia was troubled inside. She looked back at him.
“Just come with me. You wanted to help me buy clothes, right?” Zachariel sighed and stood up, smiling at her.
Lia was surprised by Zachariel’s behavior.
`He doesn’t hate me?!`
She was dragged by Zachariel before she could reply. Lia had no choice but to follow him.
“Stay close to me.”
Lia nodded and walked beside him.
`He’s still holding my hand!`
Zachariel was silent all the time. He looked unbothered about how his hands still held onto Lia. She kept staring at him to see if he was just pretending or not.
She noticed something was missing from Zachariel.
“Zachariel, where’s your polearm?”
Zachariel was dumbstruck.
`Oh no! I must have left it in the area where I heard Lia’s muffled sounds earlier. Damn it! That senior will be angry if he knows I lost the polearm.`
“I lost it.”
“You lost it? But how?” Lia was confused.
“I was focused on saving you back there and I forgot to pick it up. Anyway, as long as you’re okay.” Zachariel said confidently.
Lia gulped. `He lost that polearm just for me?`
Zachariel would correct her if he heard what she was thinking right now. It was simply an honest mistake on his part when he forgot his polearm earlier.
“Lia, do you remember someone knocking you out?” Zachariel inquired about the incident.
“Yeah, but I don’t know how long it passed until I woke up in a dark area within the woods. I was knocked out after that again until I saw you beside me earlier.”
Lia tried to remember as much as she could.
`She had passed out that long? If that were the case, the carriage that would’ve transported her from the woods to where Prince Kane was should’ve long arrived. What’s going on here?`
Zachariel’s thoughts were interrupted when Lia called out his name.
“Zachariel” Lia stopped walking and Zachariel looked back.
“T-thank you, for saving me.” Lia blushed.
Zachariel smiled and patted her head.
Tears formed in Lia’s eyes. She couldn’t believe what was happening right now. She thought that Zachariel started getting annoyed with her, but it looks like that wasn’t the case.
She had become overreactive about similar incidents on which she would then assume that people were hating on her whenever it happened.
If Zachariel didn’t save her earlier, she might no longer see Solus’s light tomorrow.
She pulled herself to Zachariel’s body and cried out.
`I feel like I am in this situation before. Now, where and when did that happen anyway?` Zachariel thought.
Lia stopped crying after a while and wiped off the tears in her eyes.
“Zachariel, let’s go!” Lia suddenly became energetic and skipped as she made her way to the commercial area. Her face was full of happiness.
`Her mood changed again!`
Zachariel followed behind her. He could not understand how people would change their moods from one point to another without him knowing the reason why.
`She had almost lost her life earlier, but I guess this is better than sulking around all day.`
They walked a few hundred meters until they reached a road and called out for a carriage.
They spent the rest of the day eating and shopping around the commercial area, which was on the northwest part of the Imperium Capital City.
…
“Zachariel! Look at this, I think this would look good on you?” Lia grabbed a black and white leather shirt.
Zachariel had no choice but to go to the fitting room and try it out.
`This is already the 10th one. When will this end?`
He went out of the fitting room and presented himself. “It’s good. Lia, let’s go with this one.”
“Zachariel, are you sure? I still have others here.” Lia took out a few more clothes on her sides.
“No, I’m fine with this and that one.” He pointed at a dark-blue long-sleeved shirt.
“Okay.” Lia sighed.
They selected two shirts and one pair of leather pants and paid 10 silver coins.
They then returned to the dormitory area while randomly talking with one another.
…
Lia regained herself with Zachariel, and Zachariel was able to recover himself from a bad start.
He escorted Lia back to her dormitory and soon returned to his own.
“Let’s play this recorder, shall we?”
He took out the recorder and pressed the play button.
“Hehe, look at this loser…”
The same recording played again.
Zachariel’s head pained as he listened on. A lot of memories surged within causing him to pass out.
…
Imperium Palace.
“My Prince, was it really necessary to do that thing to the girl?” A middle-aged man walked alongside Prince Kane.
“Uncle Wille, as long as that Zachariel suffers, I’ll do anything whatever it takes.” Prince Kane resolutely replied.
It was Prince Kane who ordered Priscilla to humiliate Amelia during their match earlier.
`Hmph, how about that, Zachariel Strom? Let’s see how that b*tch of yours will treat you now!`
Prince Kane was anticipating how Amelia would treat Zachariel especially when he wasn’t present when she needed him the most.
`I have to give that honor to the other b*tch. If she didn’t run away being chased by Zachariel, I wonder how the plan would’ve gone by.`
“What about those abductors, Uncle? Were they successful?”
“No, they were found dead and dumped in the river outside the city.” Wille shook his head.
“What?! How did that happen? Who killed them?!” Prince Kane was angry.
“I don’t know.” Wille shrugged.
Prince Kane shouted in anger and punched the wall beside him. However, a stronger force bounced back from the wall. It came from the array formation that was engraved in it. He vomited blood and passed out.
`This Child of Destiny… How disappointing.`
Wille felt depressed when he saw Prince Kane. Many of them anticipated that Prince Kane would be the one who will lead the Imperium in the future, but Wille didn’t share the same sentiments.
`Zachariel Strom, huh?` He ignored the prince and looked outside.
Lune was still up there in the sky.
`Someone is interfering with Prince Kane’s plans. This third and unknown party should also be the one behind Hal Strom’s death.`
Wille narrowed his eyes.
`How crafty. With the impending revolution and Zachariel’s talent, all parties concerned would immediately blame that onto Prince Kane, regardless of whether the prince did it or not.`
He looked at the Prince.
“Guards! Put this prince back to his bed, please.” Wille called out to the guards. A few of them arrived after a while and carried the sleeping prince back to his room.
Wille walked to the opposite side.
`The perpetrator’s goal must be to rile up Zachariel’s hatred against Prince Kane. Once it reaches to the point that it could be considered irreconcilable, Zachariel would no doubt lead the charge against the Imperium.`
`No, it might also to make Prince Kane look like an incompetent candidate to become an Emperor. This would demoralize the loyalists, forcing some of them to turn their back against the Imperium.`
`The only possible suspects are those from the revolutionary party. That Matthias is very suspicious, and those guild leaders are as well.`
He arrived at his room and looked at the reports from his various sources.
`A masked black-haired figure was seen, huh? The Templars are on the move. Furthermore, they were sighted close to the Imperium Capital City. What are they doing here?`
Wille massaged his temples and continued reading the other reports.
`It’s said that Zachariel’s behavior has changed. What kind of report is this?`
He threw it away from his desk.
The magic lamp gave an ambient light beside his wooden table.
`I’m tired of reading.`
He went to his bed and fell asleep.
…
Somewhere in the Imperium Capital City.
Many people were gathered in a room. There was a huge oval table at the center and 16 chairs.
Each chair sat one person, looking at the other people in the room.
There was a chandelier at the top of the ceiling, lighting up the room with ambient golden light.
“So, why are we here today, Matthias? Begone with it because I don’t want my time to be wasted.” A plain-looking figure looked at Matthias on the other end of the oval table.
“Let me correct you, Mr. Kent McKenzie. It was Maverick himself who invited us all to be here tonight.”
“Enough with that. Go straight to the point!” A tall stout figure with a braided brown beard shouted.
“Ah, everyone. I have called you out here today because I have approved of Zachariel Strom to be the one who will lead the revolution against the Imperium, just as what Matthias has said to us a while ago.” Maverick interjected on their discussions. He had a pleasant tone when he spoke.
“Maverick, tell me how did Matthias successfully bribed you for you to say such a ridiculous statement like that?” The stout figure mocked Maverick.
“Hmph, Blake!” Maverick felt insulted. He wasn’t the type to be bribed by others, more so by Matthias.
“Yes, Sir Maverick!” He went to another end of the oval table and took out a glass ball that had a small hole on it.
He injected his mana essence into the ball which then displayed the fight between Daniel and Zachariel earlier.
…
When the recording ended, most of them began to discuss with themselves.
“What about it? I don’t think he’s still fit to lead the revolution. If this is all you could present to me, then you have excellently wasted my time!” The stout man stood up and went to the door.
Matthias was unbothered about the stout man’s reaction. He started with his own agenda instead.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you that plans have changed. Zachariel will no longer be the one who will be leading the revolution.”
Everyone was shocked when Matthias corrected himself.
“Matthias, where are you going with this?” A burly tall man with a face similar to Edward spoke to Matthias.
“What I have here are three people who are pivotal to the success of the revolution against the Imperium.”
Matthias handed out batches of three papers with the name and picture of a person.
“I can understand Prince Kane and Zachariel being here, but what’s with this girl named Victoria Spencer? Why is she part of the group?” Kent was confused.
“The order of the events that will happen will proceed this way.” Matthias lifted his palm and flexed his index finger.
“First, Prince Kane will set the stage for the start of the revolution. The Fleeting Shadow will abduct him, leading to the Emperor declaring war against us.”
“What?! Are you certain that those rats will abduct the prince? Where’d you get this source anyway?” Maverick was getting angry.
“Obviously because he’s the alleged Child of Destiny. For the rest, all you need to know is that it will certainly happen.” Matthias explained.
Maverick hit the table with his fists.
“Bullsh*t! Are you trying to cheat your way by telling us nonsensical information?! We might as well label the Emperor as a Templar then so that we could have a strong reason as to why we need to revolt against the Imperium!” Maverick sarcastically retorted.
Most of them could not believe the ridiculous words that Matthias was telling them now.
“Maverick Thompson, or should I say, Mandre Johnson,” Matthias said calmly.
“What? How the f*ck do you know that name?” Maverick was shocked and angry at the same time.
This was the past that he wanted to forget.
`How did this Matthias who’s younger than me by more than a century know of this?`
“Oh, I thought I was telling nonsensical information? During the night on the eve of the new year, your family was slaughtered by the so-then previous Emperor because your sister did not lend her hand on marriage to the so-then Prospect Marcus Cromwell.” Matthias replied.
“You bastard!” Maverick clenched his fists.
“Maverick, stop it! Matthias, if you’re using this method to persuade us, then you have failed. Let’s go, Eleanor!” Kent stood up with her wife and went to the door. His hand was almost on the doorknob when Matthias interrupted him.
“Kent McKenzie and Eleanor McKenzie. Cody’s sister, Ellie McKenzie was killed 50 years ago due to treason because she was found working with the Templars during the battlefield exercise.”
“So, what about it?” The couple threateningly looked back at him.
“The truth was that she was killed because she defeated Jane Cromwell, Marcus’s young sister during the old-fashioned Prospect candidate selection for the skirmish event.”
Kent and Eleanor were dumbfounded.
“You-! How do you know all of this? You weren’t even born when they happened!” Eleanor shouted at Matthias.
Matthias smirked at their dumbfounded reactions.
“Such ridiculous reasons, aren’t they? Either they were killed because of hand in marriage, or when their power threatened the seat of the royal family.”
Kent and Maverick gritted their teeth.
“Matthias, just tell us how did you learn of it?!”
“Who knows? I could only say that they were all nonsensical as what Mr. Maverick has said earlier.” Matthias sarcastically replied.
The couple tightened the expression on their faces.
The rest concluded that Matthias must be saying the truth when they saw how Maverick and the couple reacted to him.
The tension in the room lessened.
“Now, do you believe me when I said that the Fleeting Shadow will abduct the prince?”
Many of them remained doubtful but they didn’t say a word.
Matthias continued.
“On the next phase of the plan, this girl, Victoria Spencer, will lead the revolution to its climax.”
“And third, Zachariel Strom will be the one who will deliver the final blow and end the revolution once and for all.”
