The grand audience hall of the Imperial Palace stood silent beneath the pale light of the morning sun.
Massive pillars of white marble stretched toward the ceiling, their surfaces engraved with the victories and history of House Leonheart. Golden banners bearing the imperial crest hung between them, swaying gently as the morning breeze entered through the towering windows.
Normally, the court of the Empire was a place filled with voices.
Nobles discussing politics.
Ministers arguing over taxes.
Generals debating military affairs.
Today, however, the atmosphere felt different.
Heavy.
No one spoke above a whisper.
At the very top of the hall sat Empress Aurelia Leonheart.
The young empress wore a simple white dress adorned with gold embroidery rather than the extravagant garments expected of royalty. Her long crimson hair rested over her shoulders, matching the striking color inherited from her father.
Years ago, she had stood upon the grand staircase of the palace as a princess.
Today, she sat upon the throne itself.
Yet the warmth that once appeared during celebrations had been replaced by calm composure.
Beside her, sitting slightly lower upon another seat, was Edward Leonheart.
Though he had stepped down from the throne, nobody in the Empire had forgotten the man who once ruled it.
The former emperor sat quietly with his hands resting upon his cane, his expression unreadable.
Below the stairs stood Alaric Thornvale.
The Fifteenth Division Commander knelt upon one knee.
His armor still carried signs of battle.
His cloak had been damaged.
Even the journey back had not allowed him proper rest.
Yet none of those things concerned the court.
Because standing several steps away from him was another figure.
Ragnar Ironhide.
The massive bull beastman towered above nearly everyone in the room. Dark armor covered his body while enormous horns curved upward from his head. The scars decorating his face spoke of countless battles.
He represented the Beast Empire.
And judging by his expression, he was far from pleased.
Several nobles quietly avoided looking in his direction.
Even the guards standing nearby appeared uneasy.
The silence finally broke when Aurelia spoke.
Her voice was calm.
Gentle.
Yet every person inside the hall heard her clearly.
"Rise, Commander Thornvale."
Alaric slowly stood.
His blue eyes briefly lifted toward the throne.
"Your Majesty."
Aurelia folded her hands together.
"Please explain what happened."
The command was simple.
There was no accusation.
No anger.
Only a request.
Alaric took a slow breath.
"The wolf settlement was located within the northern forest."
Several ministers immediately began writing.
"The remaining clan continues to operate under the leadership of Kieran."
The name caused a few nobles to exchange glances.
The Wolf King.
Even within the Empire, his name carried weight.
Alaric continued.
"The assault proceeded according to plan."
"However..."
His voice paused.
The entire hall seemed to grow quieter.
"During the operation, we discovered Leo Radiance among the wolves."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
One of the ministers dropped his quill.
Another noble visibly raised his head.
Even Edward's eyes widened slightly.
Only Aurelia remained calm.
Ragnar frowned.
"Leo Radiance?"
Alaric nodded.
"Alive."
The word itself felt impossible.
For years, Leo had simply disappeared.
Some believed him dead.
Others believed he had run away.
Most eventually stopped speaking of him entirely.
And now...
He had been found.
Among wolves.
Edward slowly leaned forward.
His eyes narrowed.
"You are certain?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I personally spoke with him."
The former emperor remained silent.
Memories briefly passed through his eyes.
The troublesome boy.
The cursed child.
The boy who had stood smiling beneath the crushing weight of his own aura.
Edward slowly sat back.
His expression became unreadable once again.
Ragnar finally stepped forward.
The sound of his armored feet echoed throughout the chamber.
"If the boy was found..."
His yellow eyes narrowed.
"...where is he?"
The question hung heavily in the air.
Alaric answered without hesitation.
"He remains with the wolves."
The room erupted.
Several nobles immediately began whispering.
Ministers exchanged shocked looks.
Even Edward frowned.
Only Aurelia remained perfectly still.
Ragnar's eyes widened.
"Explain yourself."
Alaric's expression remained calm.
"Leo Radiance was being held hostage."
"The wolves agreed to release him after reaching safety."
"I accepted their terms."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
The nobles looked confused.
The ministers looked concerned.
Ragnar looked furious.
The bull beastman took another step.
"You withdrew?"
"Yes."
"From wolves?"
"Yes."
The beastman's breathing grew heavier.
"The mission was to destroy them."
"The mission changed."
Ragnar's eyes narrowed.
"Because of one cursed child?"
Alaric met his gaze.
"Because of Leo Radiance."
The answer only made the beastman angrier.
"The wolves threaten both our nations."
His deep voice echoed through the hall.
"The agreement between our emperors was clear."
"The Wolf King dies."
"The clan is destroyed."
He pointed toward Alaric.
"Yet you abandoned the mission for one worthless child."
Several nobles lowered their eyes.
Nobody dared speak.
Alaric's voice became slightly colder.
"Whether you consider him worthless is irrelevant."
"His existence changes the political situation."
Ragnar snorted.
"Political situation?"
His massive hand clenched.
"The Beast Empire did not send soldiers to rescue a cursed child."
The atmosphere became heavier.
Even the guards looked uncomfortable.
For the first time, Aurelia finally spoke.
"General Ironhide."
The bull beastman immediately fell silent.
Not because she raised her voice.
But because she didn't.
The young empress looked toward him.
Her expression remained calm.
"Please allow Commander Thornvale to finish."
Ragnar's jaw tightened.
But he stepped back.
Alaric slightly lowered his head.
"The Wolf King gave his word."
The statement caused several nobles to look up.
"The wolves agreed to release Leo Radiance after reaching safety."
"One of our knights remains with them."
Edward finally spoke.
"Which knight?"
"Adrian Westfield."
The former emperor frowned.
"You trust him?"
Alaric nodded.
"Yes."
Edward folded his hands.
"And the wolves?"
For the first time, Alaric hesitated.
Only briefly.
"I trust Kieran's word."
The room became silent once again.
Trusting a wolf.
A commander openly saying such a thing inside the Imperial Court.
Ragnar's patience finally broke.
The massive beastman stepped forward.
His voice thundered through the chamber.
"This is madness!"
Several nobles visibly flinched.
"One cursed child is not worth destroying our alliance."
His eyes turned toward the throne.
"Your Majesty."
"I request permission to continue the hunt."
"The wolves must be eliminated."
The hall waited.
Every eye turned toward Aurelia.
The young empress remained silent.
Her fingers rested lightly upon the arm of the throne.
Thinking.
Listening.
Measuring.
Before she could speak—
The massive doors of the audience hall suddenly burst open.
The sound echoed throughout the entire chamber.
Several guards immediately reached for their weapons.
Ministers gasped.
Even Edward frowned.
Because only one man in the Empire would dare enter the imperial court without announcement.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the marble floor.
A silver cloak flowed behind him.
The atmosphere inside the hall instantly changed.
Rowan Radiance had arrived.
And judging by the expression on his face—
He had already heard enough.
The massive doors of the audience hall burst open.
The sound echoed throughout the chamber.
Several guards immediately turned.
Nobles fell silent.
Even Ragnar stopped speaking.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the marble floor.
A silver cloak swayed behind its owner.
Rowan Radiance had arrived.
The head of House Radiance walked forward without slowing, his sharp eyes fixed entirely upon Alaric Thornvale. The anger on his face was evident, but beneath it lay something far worse.
Worry.
For an entire month, Leo Radiance had vanished.
The son of House Radiance.
The cursed child.
And now—
He had finally been found.
Edward frowned slightly.
Entering the imperial court without announcement was a grave offense, but he said nothing.
Because everyone present understood.
Rowan had not come here as the head of one of the Three Great Houses.
He had come as a father.
Rowan stopped in the middle of the hall.
His eyes settled upon Alaric.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Is he alive?"
The entire room understood who he meant.
Alaric lowered his head slightly.
"Yes, Lord Radiance."
For a brief moment, the tension in Rowan's shoulders eased.
Only for a moment.
"Where is he?"
Alaric hesitated.
"With the wolves."
Silence.
Several nobles exchanged looks.
Even Edward's expression darkened slightly.
Rowan's eyes narrowed.
"Explain."
Before Alaric could answer, Ragnar Ironhide stepped forward.
The massive bull beastman's deep voice echoed through the hall.
"Your son is the reason our mission failed."
His yellow eyes locked onto Rowan.
"The Wolf King still lives."
"The wolf clan escaped."
"And Commander Thornvale abandoned the operation."
His massive fist clenched.
"All because of one cursed child."
The words hung heavily in the room.
Several nobles lowered their heads.
No one dared interrupt him.
Because many of them had spoken the same words before.
Cursed child.
The child born from darkness.
The failed prophecy.
Ragnar continued.
"For an entire month, your son disappeared."
"And now he appears among wolves."
His voice became colder.
"The Beast Empire did not send soldiers to rescue a curse."
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Alaric frowned.
Edward remained silent.
Aurelia simply watched.
And Rowan...
Rowan slowly turned toward Ragnar.
His expression remained calm.
Yet the air around him suddenly changed.
"Careful."
The single word made several nobles tense.
Ragnar narrowed his eyes.
"Am I wrong?"
"Your son vanished."
"Your son now stands beside monsters."
"And because of him, our alliance suffers."
The beastman took another step.
"One cursed child is not worth this."
Silence.
For several moments, nobody spoke.
Then Rowan finally answered.
His voice was quiet.
"To you."
The marble beneath his feet cracked.
Several nobles gasped.
Even the guards straightened.
Ragnar frowned.
"You defend him?"
Rowan met his gaze.
"He is my son."
The answer surprised many within the hall.
Because there was no hesitation.
No embarrassment.
No denial.
Only certainty.
Ragnar snorted.
"The entire world knows what he is."
"The child of darkness."
"The failed prophecy."
"A curse upon your family."
Rowan's eyes sharpened.
"Enough."
For the first time, killing intent leaked from him.
The temperature inside the hall seemed to drop.
Several ministers immediately stepped backward.
Even Ragnar's expression hardened.
But before either man could speak—
Edward's voice echoed throughout the room.
"Rowan."
The pressure vanished.
The former emperor slowly stood.
His old eyes settled upon the head of House Radiance.
"Control yourself."
For several moments, Rowan said nothing.
Eventually, he exhaled.
The killing intent disappeared.
Ragnar snorted.
"The truth offends you?"
Rowan looked directly at him.
"No."
His voice remained calm.
"What offends me is hearing a foreign general speak about my son as if he knows him."
Ragnar frowned.
"And what exactly should I know?"
"That because of him, my soldiers died?"
"That because of him, the Wolf King escaped?"
"That because of him, our alliance weakens?"
Alaric finally stepped forward.
"General Ironhide."
The beastman turned toward him.
Alaric's expression remained unchanged.
"The responsibility is mine."
"The decision was mine."
Ragnar's eyes narrowed.
"And it was the wrong decision."
"No."
The answer immediately silenced the room.
Even Edward looked toward him.
Alaric continued.
"Leo Radiance was being held hostage."
"The Wolf King offered terms."
"I accepted them."
Ragnar growled.
"You trusted a wolf."
"Yes."
The answer came without hesitation.
Edward finally spoke.
"And you trust Kieran?"
Alaric paused.
Only briefly.
"I trust that he intends to keep his word."
Silence followed.
Trust.
The word itself sounded strange within the imperial court.
Especially when speaking about wolves.
Ragnar finally turned toward the throne.
His patience had reached its limit.
"Your Majesty."
He lowered his head toward Aurelia.
"The Wolf King lives."
"The clan survives."
"And now our alliance suffers because of one boy."
His voice grew heavier.
"I request permission to continue the hunt."
The entire hall became silent.
Aurelia Leonheart had remained quiet since the meeting began.
Listening.
Watching.
Judging.
Slowly, the Empress rose from her throne.
The movement alone caused everyone to straighten.
Her crimson eyes first settled upon Ragnar.
"General Ironhide."
Her voice remained gentle.
Yet the entire hall listened.
"Your concerns are understandable."
Ragnar lowered his head slightly.
She continued.
"The alliance between our nations is important."
"Commander Thornvale's actions have undoubtedly complicated matters."
The beastman appeared somewhat satisfied.
Then Aurelia looked toward Alaric.
"However."
The room listened.
"Leo Radiance remains a noble of this Empire."
Her gaze shifted toward Rowan.
"He remains the eldest son of House Radiance."
Then toward Ragnar.
"And regardless of what others may think..."
She paused.
"...we do not abandon our own."
Silence.
Ragnar's fists clenched.
"Even if he becomes the reason relations break?"
Aurelia looked directly into his eyes.
There was no anger.
Only certainty.
"Then we shall face that problem ourselves."
The answer stunned the room.
Because it was neither defense nor accusation.
It was simply the Empress's decision.
Ragnar remained silent for several moments.
Eventually, he lowered his head.
Though his voice still carried frustration.
"The Beast Empire will remember this."
He turned and began walking away.
Before reaching the doors, he stopped.
Without looking back, he spoke.
"Pray the boy is worth the trouble."
The doors closed behind him.
The hall became quiet once again.
Aurelia's eyes slowly moved toward Rowan.
The atmosphere changed.
Her expression softened slightly.
Not as an Empress.
But as someone who had once stood upon the same staircase while Leo interrupted her birthday celebration.
"Your son has returned after a month of disappearance."
Rowan remained silent.
"He appears among wolves."
"Commander Thornvale risks his authority."
"The Beast Empire questions our alliance."
She descended one step from the throne.
Her eyes met his.
There was no anger.
Only disappointment.
"When we were younger..."
She spoke softly.
"People used to say Lord Rowan Radiance could solve any problem with his sword."
The room remained silent.
"Today..."
She paused.
"I find myself wondering whether Lord Rowan ever taught his son how to live in this world at all."
The words struck harder than anger.
Because they came from someone who had once known Leo personally.
She looked directly into Rowan's eyes.
"Tell me, Lord Radiance."
The hall held its breath.
"Should I blame the boy?"
A pause.
"Or his father?"
And for perhaps the first time in many years
Rowan Radiance had no answer.