Chapter 114
“Wait.”
Boom—!
Riana’s wind magic struck a Kalti that had managed to slip away from the battlefield and was flying in their direction.
The spell hit directly at its neck, killing it instantly.
Whoosh—!
Crunch! Thud!
She quickly cast more spells, one after another.
In less than a minute, every escaping Kalti had turned into lifeless corpses.
Not that they could have escaped anyway—thanks to the layered barrier that imperial magicians had spread over the palace.
“W-wow…”
The young twenty-year-old knight stared at Riana with eyes full of admiration.
He had seen her only once before—two years ago, when he had been dispatched near the Forest of Death.
But he didn’t stay lost in thought for long.
“Ah! F-forgive me! I must have lost myself for a moment…!”
His face turned pale as he realized he’d been gawking like a fool while she fought.
If his lord ever found out, he’d be done for.
The same lord who, even after watching that massive lightning spell, had still looked coldly worried about the princess’s safety. The one who had insisted he personally check on her.
“I won’t tell His Majesty.”
“…Truly?”
“In return, you’re going to forget that ridiculous… ‘Wrath of the God’s Judgment Lightning’ nonsense. It’s just a lightning spell. Got it?”
What do you mean ridiculous?
The knight actually thought the name that Riana’s admirer’s circle had given her spell was cool and elegant.
But hiding his foolish slip-up was more important for now.
“…I’ll forget it.”
“Good. Then it’s a deal.”
Riana chuckled, lightly tapped his shoulder, and started walking again.
On the way, she cut down more fleeing Kalti until she finally reached the central grounds of the palace.
There, the first thing she saw was Ianheart.
He was firing arrows coated in golden aura from a large bow.
But then—
The bow couldn’t withstand the power and snapped apart in his hands.
Unbothered, Ianheart simply drew his sword again and unleashed wave after wave of golden aura.
Each flash of light cut down three or four Kalti at once.
“…Impressive.”
Riana was a high-ranking knight herself, but even she couldn’t hope to manipulate aura so freely.
The sight of Ianheart standing firm, guarding the palace with overwhelming strength, was undeniably striking.
Maybe… strong men are my type after all.
The thought slipped into her mind, absurd but strangely true.
She let out a small sigh, lifted her greatsword, and prepared to fight.
“…You’re going to join in?”
The young knight asked quietly.
Riana nodded. At that same moment, crimson eyes turned toward her.
“…Riana.”
Ianheart’s lips shaped her name.
“Hello.”
I came to help.
With a deep smile, Riana raised her greatsword, and once again, a brilliant blue lightning bolt split the sky.
Moments later, the imperial magicians unleashed their own storms of electricity.
The stench of burning corpses filled the air—disgusting, but still preferable to the raw, metallic tang of blood.
Screech—!
Crash!
The last surviving Kalti was struck by golden aura, its charred body plummeting to the ground.
The blue sky, which had been hidden behind the swarming creatures, finally reappeared.
Hundreds of Kalti had attacked, but with barriers above and below, they had been trapped and destroyed.
“Haa…”
“What on earth was that…?”
“My thoughts exactly. And ugh, my mana’s almost gone.”
With the danger passed, exhausted voices rose here and there.
“Divide the knights and collect the corpses.”
“Where should we take them?”
“Move them to the designated site. Their byproducts can be put to use—sort out the intact ones separately.”
Cleanup began immediately.
Thanks to the barrier, not a single building had collapsed.
And at first glance, it seemed there were no casualties either.
But the real question is—did any of them attack outside the palace?
The Kalti had focused solely on the imperial palace.
Still, it was possible the same thing had happened elsewhere, unseen.
If that were true, places without as many knights and magicians could have suffered devastating losses.
“Half the palace knights and thirty magicians will be sent to investigate. If any other districts were attacked, deal with it immediately. Move fast.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ianheart’s orders were swift—he clearly had the same concern.
“Haa…”
Leaning against a thick tree, Riana watched the people rushing about.
Everything was already running smoothly. If she tried to take command now, she’d just get in the way.
What a mess this turned into.
Normally, Kalti never left their territory.
The only exception was once a year, during mating season, when they hunted to stockpile food.
But that had been over four months ago.
“Let’s hope it’s nothing serious…”
Unease crawled up her spine.
Just a few hours ago, Ianheart had told her about the topics of today’s council meeting. That unease now only grew heavier.
Minutes later—
“Riana.”
Ianheart, who had been giving orders to the captains, walked quickly toward her.
His face was etched with worry.
“You’re here?”
“…I thought you’d be looking after your guests.”
“I was going to, but I figured joining in would end things faster.”
She shrugged lightly, her voice calm.
In truth, she’d come because the knight he’d sent said Ianheart was concerned about her safety. But she didn’t say that aloud.
“You’re not hurt?”
“They couldn’t even break the barrier. By the way, that was the one you mentioned before, right?”
“Yes. It hasn’t been triggered in decades.”
Of course. Who would dare attack the imperial palace?
That made this sudden Kalti assault all the stranger.
“What about the city? Any damage?”
“No. They all concentrated on the palace. No casualties reported either.”
Good news—but at the same time, troubling.
Kalti weren’t mindless beasts. They had intelligence.
“So, I’ve called the council back. Since most key figures are still here, we’ll discuss this immediately.”
Riana’s eyes sharpened.
“Right now?”
“Yes. This is the first time something like this has happened. And there’s also that report from the southeast to consider.”
“…Ah.”
Her face stiffened.
If something had happened to the Forest of Death… that could explain this.
The thought alone made her exhale sharply.
Then Ianheart reached out and clasped her hand.
His calloused grip was warm.
“I’d like you to attend the council as well.”
“…Me?”
“You were the Commander of the Border, guarding the Forest of Death until just months ago.”
Something stirred inside her.
It felt good—yet also overwhelming.
Back in Roan, she had been a commander, yes, but her authority only extended to the battlefield and the borderlands.
Within the royal palace, she was nothing more than the troublesome First Princess.
Neither as a commander nor as a swordmaster had she been acknowledged there.
“Here, no one knows the Forest as well as you. Your insight will help.”
…That couldn’t be true.
Surely the Empire had its own knights guarding the forest. Surely there were scholars far more knowledgeable than her.
Yet Ianheart was asking for her help.
Acknowledging her strength.
That recognition struck her deeper than she could explain.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Riana nodded.
“…I’ll attend.”
“Thank you.”
No—thank you. For saying that.
But she didn’t voice the words. She didn’t want to dredge up her bitter past and look pathetic.
Instead, without thinking, she squeezed his hand back.
Naturally, Ianheart intertwined their fingers.
“We should go now. Do you have time?”
“Yes, I—ah, wait.”
She stopped. Faces came to mind.
The young ladies, still resting in the side palace. Should she check on them first?
“I’ll send someone to look after your guests,” Ianheart said.
That settled the matter.
The two of them headed to the White Stone Palace, where Ianheart held court.
By the time they arrived, more than twenty nobles were already seated, waiting for the meeting to begin.
“You’re all here.”
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
Everyone stood as Ianheart entered, bowing respectfully.
Their eyes flicked to Riana, surprise flashing briefly before they greeted her just as politely.
“We greet Your Highness, the Princess.”
Riana was glad she had released Ianheart’s hand before entering the palace. With practiced grace, she slipped her arm into his and offered a flawless smile.
“Pleasure to meet you all. Since it looks like you already know who I am, I’ll skip introductions, shall I?”
“Ah—yes, of course.”
For Riana, most of these men were strangers. Only Vernian, Kion, and Count Chadwick were familiar.
Still, she wasn’t ignorant.
She had memorized the dossiers Vernian had given her, and she knew each face, name, and title gathered in this hall.
