Chapter 1: Secret Talks in the Imperial Capital
Late at night.
A sudden downpour mixed with ice crystals fell from the high heavens, while dark clouds obscured the starlight, shrouding the mountains and the earth. Torrential rain mingled with snow and ice filled the sky and ground, turning everything within sight into a gray, misty expanse of rain.
Amidst the thick storm clouds, purple-blue lightning flickered, and muffled thunderclaps rolled in one after another, like the pounding of giant drums.
—Suddenly, a tremendous crash of thunder erupted, and lightning split the sky, illuminating the surroundings like the midday sun.
Through this flash of light, one could vaguely make out, hidden beneath the curtain of rain and fog, a majestic giant city built between three peaks.
Year 831 of the Falling Stars Era, December 21st, 8:35 PM, Northern Empire, Imperial Capital.
Three black mountain peaks stood like barriers separating heaven and earth, cutting off this realm from that. Behind this wall of solid rock lay a massive city with gleaming white walls, nestled among the mountains atop the rocky terrain. Surrounding this giant city, the three peaks were connected by towering stone bridges, and countless buildings of various sizes were built along the cliffs, their lights flickering like stars in the night.
The heavy rain fell, and the entire city was shrouded in a vast curtain of water. On the streets, there were few pedestrians, and even the magical streetlights seemed dim and hazy in the rain.
At this moment, in the northernmost part of the city, within the Imperial Palace, a figure wrapped in a gray cloak slowly walked along the bluestone path toward the palace gates.
The figure wore a hood that completely concealed their face, revealing only a few strands of white hair. They walked unhurriedly, as if strolling through a garden, yet in the blink of an eye, they had crossed a distance of several hundred meters, arriving directly before the palace gates.
"Stop!"
A stern shout rang out. Several black-armored knights, their bodies radiating a faint silver glow, blocked the path. The leading knight, his hand resting on the hilt of his longsword, said coldly, "Sir, this is an imperial restricted area. If you have no urgent business, please leave."
As he spoke, he pointed in a direction: "Moreover, it's best not to use magic within the capital, sir. If you seek shelter from the rain, you may go to the Street Management Center, where free umbrellas are provided."
Hearing this courteous admonition, the figure beneath the hood seemed somewhat surprised. He studied the knight before him, a hint of a smile appearing on his face.
"Israel's men are increasingly displaying the bearing of knights... quite different from his father."
A slightly aged voice came from the shadows beneath the hood. As he spoke, he reached up and removed his hood, revealing a full head of white hair and a long beard, smiling gently at the knights standing before him.
Upon seeing the man's face, the black-armored knight was stunned for two full seconds. The icy rain falling on his face jolted him back to his senses—he stepped back somewhat flustered, immediately bowed respectfully, and said in a low voice, "I did not know it was you who had come... my apologies! Master, please, enter. His Majesty the Emperor is waiting for you in the study!"
The other knights, upon seeing the old man's face, also changed expressions instantly and bowed in unison with reverence.
Patting the lead knight on the shoulder, the old man gestured for them to rise, then continued walking slowly and unhurriedly into the palace.
Crossing long corridors and gardens, passing several imposing statues of past emperors, the white-haired old man, greeted by the respectful salutations of everyone he encountered, finally reached the deepest part of the magnificent palace, before a room with a golden door.
"Little Israel, I'm coming in."
Without knocking, the old man spoke as he pushed open the door and walked straight inside.
Inside the room, it was resplendent and magnificent. Several large, carved fluorite stones hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, warm glow. The walls were adorned with priceless paintings and tapestries, and the floor was covered with a thick, soft carpet. Behind a desk made of Flying Cloud Wood sat a middle-aged man with dark golden hair, his brows furrowed as he reviewed a document.
Hearing the door open, the man looked up, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
"Teacher, you said you had an important matter to discuss, yet you only come to me now... Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
The old man named Nostradamus frowned, his expression somewhat strange. "Your Majesty, do you truly not know?"
"I haven't had time to concern myself with other news lately."
Israel shook his head. He clapped his hands, and two magic arrays materialized on the desk. With a flash of light, two cups of hot tea appeared before him. He casually handed one cup to the white-haired old man, took a sip from his own, and sighed. "The three legions have besieged the Orc Royal Court for a long time without success. I'm even considering leading the campaign myself. Coupled with the sudden surge of Black Tides within our borders, I have little energy left for other matters."
"Your Majesty, you have not been paying attention to the Black Tide."
Flatly denying the man's words, Nostradamus adjusted his white hooded robe and said seriously, "A Black Dragon that triggered the Black Tide has reached the Northern Lands, yet you have ignored it, not even sending a single person to eradicate it."
Having his decision questioned, even by his own teacher, would anger anyone. Moreover, as the Emperor of the Empire, Israel disliked having his will challenged. He immediately said coldly, "Teacher, your accusation is completely wrong. Several weeks ago, I ordered Inspector Monster to carry a royal treasure, a Dragon-Slaying Stone, to be gifted to Lord Radcliffe. With its aid, given Lord Radcliffe's strength, let alone the Black Tide and that dragon, which is at most Mid-Gold Rank, even a Gold Peak dragon would fall there."
"If that thing were indeed a dragon, that would be true—but who told you it was a dragon?"
The white-haired old man shook his head. He produced a white report from somewhere, densely covered with formulas and text, stamped with a bright red seal. "Research by the Mage Association proves that the berserk phenomenon within the recent Black Tides in the empire is not solely caused by the scale powder of that Black Dragon. There is a distinctly obvious presence of Chaos Force within it!"
Saying this, Nostradamus stated in a conclusive tone, "That is a Chaos Monster! Think about it, what is a Chaos Monster doing going to the Northern Lands?"
Israel frowned. The Emperor tapped his fingers rhythmically on the Flying Cloud Wood desk. "The Sealed Land, the gatekeeper, the Radcliffe Family... It wants to attack Moldavia and open a Space-Time Passage?"
"No, it has already opened the Space-Time Passage."
Letting out a derisive laugh, the white-haired old man looked quite helpless. "My Emperor, because of your father's influence, you are too focused on the war with the Orcs. But this is entirely unnecessary. The Orcs have yet to recover from the last great war, while we have rested for many years. Even if we drag it out, they are doomed to lose!"
"Only Chaos, only Chaos is the sole great enemy worthy of caution for all human worlds!"
"...You are right, Teacher. The Orcs are insignificant. I was too fixated... Wait, the Space-Time Gate has been opened?"
The Emperor was not angered by these words. He knew his teacher spoke the truth. But suddenly realizing what his teacher had just said, Israel's expression immediately turned serious.
He did not doubt his teacher's words but said angrily, "The Space-Time Gate opened?! Damn it! What are those people in [Shadow] and the Inspectors doing? How could I not know about such an important matter?!"
Even as the Emperor of the Empire and a Legendary expert, he could not constantly monitor everything within the empire. So after ascending the throne, Israel immediately established the intelligence organization 'Shadow' and took control of the Noble Court system to gather information for him... Now, due to the incompetence and dereliction of duty of his subordinates, this generally benevolent Emperor was truly enraged.
"No, the Northern Four Territories only have five Gold-rank experts, and the one from the Wilson Family has already been slain by that young heir of the Radcliffe Family—with their strength, they are completely unable to withstand the Chaos Tide!"
This was not the time for anger. Thinking this, the Emperor with dark golden hair stood up. A terrifying force of will surged forth, becoming tangible, freezing every object in the study in place. Even the dust motes seemed trapped in amber, motionless. He said in a deep voice, "A Calamity-level supreme disaster. I need to immediately mobilize elite troops to suppress it!"
"You are wrong, Israel. There are always some people in this world who defy common sense."
Unmoved by the pressure of the Legendary expert's will before him, the Chief Archmage of the Imperial Royal Mage Association, Nostradamus, stood up. The white-haired old man said solemnly, "Just as I once led the Mage Corps to consecutively defeat three Shaman Legions of the Orcs, just as you once, alone on your horse, slew the Orc Emperor amidst ten thousand troops and successfully broke through to Legendary—there are always those who can accomplish what ordinary people cannot. The Space-Time Gate has already been closed!"
Under the Emperor's questioning gaze, the white-haired old man said with emotion, "At 10:20 this morning, the Mage Association's Space-Time Monitoring Instrument detected that over three hours earlier, a massive Space-Time fluctuation had occurred, centered on the Northern Territory of Moldova. About forty minutes later, when I was about to notify you, the instrument indicated that the Space-Time fluctuation had ceased and the Space-Time Gate had been completely closed."
"Due to occasional delays in the instrument, I initially thought it was a false alarm. But after multiple verifications, I confirmed that a Space-Time Gate had indeed opened and had been forcibly shut down by someone who shattered all its nodes."
"...This is truly a momentous event."
Sitting back down in his chair, Israel sighed. "The Space-Time Gate was destroyed within four hours of opening... Truly an incredible feat... So, Teacher, why have you come here?"
"Someone always has to seal the Otherworldly Space-Time Gate."
The old man replied with a smile. "But for such a major event, I wouldn't feel at ease sending anyone else. So I've decided to go myself."
"To break into the Black Forest amidst a beast tide and forcibly close the Space-Time Gate... I can't wait to meet the young one who accomplished such a feat."
(To be continued.)