"In a room filled with power and pride, words cut deeper than swords—but it's the silence that wounds the most."
I stepped into the Throne hall.
My footsteps were barely audible amidst the murmurs of the nobles who filled the chamber.
They spoke in low voices, but their words were clear enough for me to catch.
Uncle Arcanist had separated himself from me and joined the ranks of the Hierophants and the Acolytes—the temple attendants who served under the Hierophants.
"This is already the fifth summoning this year…"
"Prince Soren and Prince Sylas are still in comas, right? I even heard Prince Lucan, who's only six, almost died because of the Mana sacrifice."
"I know Prince Lucan, the grandson of an Astral Voyager who holds the title of Viscount, right?"
I swallowed hard. As I suspected, the summoning ritual had terrible consequences for the imperial family.
The crisis in Midgaria had been ongoing for seven hundred years, ever since the Abyss Gates first opened across different corners of the world. Abyssian creatures rose from those darkness rifts, bringing destruction and death across the land. Civilization nearly collapsed, and the five once-prosperous races were now struggling on the brink of extinction.
In despair, a group of people discovered the Mana Stones—a mysterious, massive crystal containing great energy. They harnessed the immense power of the stone to summon a warrior from another world. That first Astral Voyager drove away the Abyssians, united the five races, and founded the Midgaria Empire.
But peace did not last long. The Abyss Gates kept opening, forcing the empire to summon a new Astral Voyager every 185 days or twice a year. This ritual merely held back the Abyssians' assault—it did not stop them.
What made Midgaria rely on the Astral Voyagers was the fact that all of them had unfinished Arcana Codexes. While the people of Midgaria had limits to their magic and power, this was not true for the Astral Voyagers.
Their Arcana Codexes held blank pages, waiting to be filled by their owners—in other words, their power could grow without limits.
Thinking back to the Astral Voyagers I had met, their powers alone were already terrifying and immense, and if their magic was still growing… just imagine how strong they could become.
I brushed the thought aside.
I quickened my steps toward the throne.
Once they realized my presence, several nobles changed their topics of conversation as if suddenly remembering a fresh piece of gossip. They probably thought they could hide the movement of their lips. Still, it was pointless—my hearing was far sharper than ordinary humans. Every veiled whisper still reached my ears, cutting deeper than it should.
"What about the crown prince? I heard he hasn't contributed anything."
"While the rest of the imperial family lies near death in the medical ward, he's off flirting with that former slave."
I bit my lips, holding back the urge to respond. It was pointless. Their words weren't anything new—I had heard them for years.
My steps remained steady toward the throne, though I could feel the sharp gazes stabbing from every direction. Some nobles didn't even bother hiding their expressions; some stared at me with disdain, while others simply glanced before whispering again in mocking tones.
"If His Majesty the Emperor hadn't sided with him, that child would've been cast aside long ago."
"Relying solely on mercy, born with an empty Codex, no power… why would Midgaria keep an heir like that?"
I took a slow breath. Keep walking, Elenio. Don't be affected. Don't waver.
I stopped a few steps from the throne and bowed deeply. "My respectful greetings, Your Majesty."
Grandfather finally noticed my presence. His golden eyes, though starting to dim with age, looked at me with a gentleness he rarely showed in front of others. He placed the document he had been reviewing onto a small table beside the throne, then sighed.
"Elenio," his voice was deep and warm, unlike the firm tone he had just used to silence the nobles. "Come here, child."
I lifted my head, gazing at him briefly before stepping closer. A faint smile appeared on his face, slightly softening the deepening wrinkles along his cheeks and chin.
As soon as I stood before him, Grandfather leaned back against his throne with a satisfied expression.
However, before he could speak further, someone hurriedly entered the Throne hall.
"Your Majesty, pardon the interruption, but—"
I turned toward the voice, as did the nobles.
A maid appeared, visibly uneasy, yet she still bowed respectfully before Grandfather.
He waved his hand casually. "What is it?"
The maid hesitated momentarily before answering, "His Majesty's new concubine requests an audience… to discuss some matters…"
I nearly choked on air. A new concubine?
I looked at Grandfather in disbelief while the once-tense room fell utterly silent.
Even a few nobles who had been busy gossiping moments ago seemed frozen as if holding back laughter or watching my reaction.
"Tell her to wait," Grandfather said shortly, followed by a nod of understanding from the maid, who bowed once more before leaving the throne hall.
At a time like this, with the situation so dire, Grandfather still had the nerve to think about his bedroom affairs?
"A new concubine?" I finally spoke, trying to confirm that I hadn't misheard.
Grandfather let out a small chuckle, then stroked his beard casually. "Ah, yes. She arrived just yesterday. Truly beautiful—her hair black as the night, her eyes… utterly enchanting! Even Arcanis sighed at the sight of her."
I glanced briefly at Uncle Arcanist, who stood among the ranks of the Hierophants. His face remained expressionless, but I could see the muscle in his temple twitch slightly. It seemed he was already exhausted with this particular hobby of Grandfather's.
I stared at him blankly. Seriously, old man?
"The empire is on the brink of collapse, and you're still preoccupied with your bedroom affairs?" My voice was filled with disbelief.
"Oh, come now, Nio," the Emperor replied lightly. "If you hadn't fallen for Zura, you'd have done the same." I shook my head, frustration boiling inside me.
Midgaria was teetering on the edge of destruction, his children lying on the verge of death because the Mana sacrifice nearly shattered their Arcana Codexes—and the only thing Grandfather could think about was expanding his concubine collection?
"What do you think of my new concubine, Tavon?" he asked his right-hand man, who clearly wanted nothing to do with the conversation.
Tavon opened his eyes, glanced briefly at Grandfather, and muttered without expression, "Congratulations on your new concubine, Your Majesty."
Grandfather's expression shifted in an instant. "Sit."
He said to me, a note of seriousness crept into his tone. He stared at Tavon momentarily as if signaling for him to begin the meeting.
The room felt stifling under the weight of the nobles' stares. It was no wonder—they hated me. Those stares were nothing new in meetings like this.
All I could hope was that I wouldn't embarrass Grandfather with this… defect of mine.