chapter: 1
From the eastern sky, where the dawn was breaking, black-flagged invaders surged forward. They were the enemy. The small Kingdom of Ezan, which had rarely faced external threats, took too long to realize what was happening.
In the blink of an eye, the enemy was knocking at the kingdom’s gates. Known as the Golden Kingdom, Ezan fell under attack. The peaceful nation crumbled in an instant.
The enemy slipped in like the night, broke down the gates, and entered. Foreigners with their faces completely hidden behind masks stormed straight into the palace. Like a coming storm, they brought black smoke in their wake.
Only then did the soldiers come to their senses and send an urgent message to the main palace where the king resided.
Startled, the guards tried to raise their torches to signal danger, but before they could even scale the walls, their heads were severed.
In a flash, the city walls and streets were filled with enemy forces.
The stench of blood overwhelmed the kingdom, and corpses lined the roads.
Terrified citizens drew their curtains and cowered, consumed by fear. Meanwhile, even the palace gates fell. The kingdom’s soldiers, complacent in times of peace, collapsed like a sandcastle.
The king, who had been indulging in a debauched night with several women, hastily straightened his clothes upon hearing the news. But the intruders of the night had already reached his chambers.
“You’re remarkably slow.”
A man entered with a look of disgust and regarded the king with contempt.
“The so-called king of a nation, frolicking in bed with women while enemies breach the gates.”
“Wh-Who are you?! How dare you address your king—!”
“Take him out.”
At the intruder’s command, knights clad in black armor filled the king’s chamber. Only then did the king realize the gravity of the situation and try to rise, but it was too late. His body was seized and dragged out.
Without even a proper royal robe, he was hauled to the audience chamber he’d used just the day before.
But it, too, had already been seized by the invaders. Sitting lazily on the throne of Ezan was a man with black hair and crimson eyes. His face was half-covered by a mask, and he tapped the armrest of the throne with his finger, producing a rhythmic click.
By now, both the king and queen of Ezan had been dragged in and forced to kneel. The door opened again, and more people were shoved inside. The man on the throne showed no reaction until he spotted the final figure entering—and then his face stiffened.
“Enough.”
His voice pierced the hall, powerful enough to dominate the entire space. The tension in the air was taut, like a bomb seconds from detonation. Realizing the voice was directed at them, the knights quickly let go of the princesses they had been restraining.
Perhaps frustrated at being dragged in, Gaia—the first princess, famed for her beauty across the Golden Kingdom—flared up in anger, brushing off her dress. She clearly hadn’t grasped the situation yet.
“How dare you filthy lowlifes lay hands on me?!”
Following her was the second princess, Itar, who scanned the surroundings sharply in silence. Lastly, Pri entered. The three of them reacted differently, each showing their distinct personalities.
The night’s intruder soon shifted his gaze and slowly rose from the throne. Dragging a massive sword, he approached the king, who still hadn’t managed to fasten all the buttons on his robe.
“King of Ezan, you have lost.”
“Lost?! Don’t be ridiculous! You came crawling in under the cover of night—!”
Only upon hearing the cold, chilling voice did the king realize the man’s identity. He was the barbarian king—known as a demon. Rumors claimed that wherever he passed, the land became cursed, unable to grow even a blade of grass.
The king’s face twisted. He had to hold out. If the Empire sent reinforcements, this barbarian king would be nothing. His eldest daughter was to become the empress of the Empire. Once word spread that Ezan had been attacked, surely they would come.
Thinking so, the king hurriedly rose with an air of arrogance.
The knights moved to stop him, but the barbarian king raised a hand, halting them. Thus, the king stood before him without resistance.
“Barbarian king, do you pride yourself on this so-called victory? Can such a cowardly attack even be called a victory?”
He had only heard of the barbarian through rumors. Black hair like a curse, crimson eyes as if soaked in blood, a frame a head taller than most men. His mere presence inspired trembling knees. Even the king had to look up at him.
Swallowing his fear with his saliva, the king tried to stay strong.
“If this isn’t victory, what would you call it? The king of Ezan is about to die before me. Clearly, your definition of victory differs from mine.”
“You will never conquer Ezan!”
Relying on his secret hope, the king stood firm like an unyielding fortress.
“This is not a kingdom a barbarian king like you can touch!”
“Ho… Quite bold, for a man whose head could roll with a single swing of my sword.”
The crimson-eyed man stared at him with merciless contempt and sneered.
“I shall never back down as king of this land!”
Though Ezan’s national strength was weak, the king clenched his fists in defiance.
“What makes you so bold? You act like a child believing someone will save you.”
“What…?”
“Do you truly believe the Empire will come for you?”
His words struck home. The king, who had stood so confidently moments ago, faltered.
“Wh-What nonsense…!”
“Trusting the Empire, how foolish—or perhaps admirable. Many smaller kingdoms have fallen to me along the way, yet the Empire took no action. Surely you haven’t forgotten my moniker.”
The Demon—that was the name given to the barbarian king. Unable to accept the truth, the king collapsed to the floor before him.
“That can’t be! Our Gaia is going to be the empress…!”
Watching the king cling to false hope, the barbarian king’s lips twitched slightly.
Should I just kill them all? That might make things easier for her…
His gaze shifted toward someone—but then he let the thought go.
After countless emotions passed through him, he fixed his eyes once again on the king.
Just then—
Gaia, who had remained still after being forced to kneel, suddenly leapt up.
“You’ll regret this! You’ll regret treating me, Gaia, like this!”
The barbarian king raised a finger, and the knights promptly forced her back down.
“Humans never change. By now, you should realize the situation you’re in.”
Sneering as he looked over the royal family, he cast a final glance at the king before turning away. Rising from the throne, he dragged his sword across the floor as he walked again.
The shrill screech of metal scraping stone made the air tremble with tension. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone were cut down at any moment.
“So, what now, King? What will you do as ruler?”
“I…!”
“Surely you’re not still foolish enough to think the Empire will save you?”
The king’s face hardened.
Meanwhile, the barbarian king began to walk again, the sharp sound of dragging metal following him.
“Enough with empty words. Tell me—what will you do, as a king? If, perhaps, you say something interesting… who knows. I may let you, your family, and the Ezan royal line live.”
The Empire would come. He had to believe that. But when? Would they really come? Doubt began to cloud his mind. What if they didn’t come? Or what if they arrived only after his head was already displayed on a pike in the square?
The barbarian king’s confidence seemed to validate the fact that the Empire had never saved another nation before.
The king looked toward his daughter, Gaia—his betrothed to the emperor. Soon to be empress. But did the emperor truly love her enough to march an army across this distance? Anxiety flooded him. Gaia always claimed the emperor loved her, proudly showing off the ring he’d given her. But now, the king’s gaze grew critical.
Just then—
“N-No!”
Sensing danger in the air, the queen—timid by nature and always concerned only with her own survival—suddenly leapt up. With the silence in the room, she believed she might escape alone through a secret passage.
But the barbarian knights, stationed at a distance, immediately rushed her.
They had been instructed to forcibly subdue any member of the royal family attempting to flee—except for the princesses.
“I just had a great idea. Something that will utterly shatter your false hopes.”
His soft chuckle sent a chill through the hall.
