CHAPTER 32- Imperial Call (3)

The carriage ride was silent, save for the rhythmic clatter of hooves against the cobblestone road. I rested my head against the carriage wall, watching the city fade into the distance as we crossed into the Imperial Palace's domain.

It was a road I had traveled countless times before, sometimes with my student, but more often alone, lost in my own thoughts.

The first time I set foot inside the Imperial Palace after the fall of House Nyxveil, I was mocked, scorned, and treated no better than a slave. Yet, the day I left, I did so as the most powerful woman in Wymhold's history.

Titles changed, influence shifted, but the loneliness in my heart never wavered. Now, for the first time in this life, I was returning not as a castaway but as the heir of Zaphry Nyxveil, a name none would dare to scorn. If anything, they would scramble to gain my favor.

"There's a chance the Emperor will summon you alone to his office," my father finally broke the silence, his tone as neutral as ever. I met his gaze and nodded.

"What if I'm attacked inside the Emperor's office? Am I allowed to kill someone?" I asked, my voice calm. He gave me a long, scrutinizing stare, trying to gauge whether I was joking.

"You're joking, right?" he asked, disbelief laced in his voice.

I shook my head and patted Slayer, which rested comfortably beneath my skirt at my hip. "They won't dare check under my skirt, will they?" I offered him my most innocent smile.

For the first time in my life, I saw my father facepalm in sheer, unfiltered disbelief. "I knew you were insane, but I didn't realize you had completely lost it."

His reaction was fair, considering that not even the Imperial Prince was permitted to bring a weapon into the palace. If I were caught wielding one, it would be considered treason. Yet, here I was, willingly taking the risk.

Because Slayer wasn't just any weapon. It was undetectable by the Imperial Palace's defense magic. Unless I drew it, no one would even know it existed.

"Don't worry, they won't detect this baby," I assured him, patting my hip fondly.

My father sighed, rubbing his temples. "Selentia, there is no weapon that can bypass the Imperial Defense System except for two." He fixed me with a sharp look. "Before you step out of this carriage, take it off."

I narrowed my eyes. "Two weapons?"

He nodded. "The Heirdom of Nordwym—the sword Ezekian carries."

My eyes widened. "Wait. Ezekian's sword is the heirdom of Nordwyn!?" He nodded and continued,

"And the other is Eclipsis, the Imperial Heirdom dagger, lost twenty years ago. Its disappearance nearly brought the empire to its knees."

Eclipsis. I knew that name. The weapon of Dragon Queen Shiloh, an artifact so powerful that, even in the hands of the Imperial Family, none had been able to unlock its true potential. They had stored it in an underground vault, only for it to vanish overnight, its thief was never found.

"The sword I gave you yesterday will be detected the moment you enter the palace, so—"

"I didn't bring Shadow," I cut him off.

He frowned. "Then?"

I sighed. I really hadn't planned to tell him this. But if I didn't, he'd just cause more unnecessary drama.

"Ezekian gave me the sword he was carrying," I said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "As thanks for saving him. He also asked me to teach him the sword technique."

For a moment, my father just stared at me. Then he leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose as if warding off an oncoming headache. "Are you telling me that because of something like that, HE GAVE UP HIS FAMILY'S HEIRLOOM?" His voice escalated to a near shout.

I nodded. He facepalmed again. This was truly not his day.

The pieces clicked into place in my mind. Slayer had reacted to demonic energy before. If I could get my father to use demonic energy, could I unlock Slayer's divine power?

No, that was too risky. My father wasn't just any opponent. Before he became a politician in Pyrexia, he had been known as the God of War. A title that neither Ezekian nor I had attained, despite being considered military prodigies. His power had to surpass even Arthur's. For now, I had to focus on my own growth.

"Selentia, are you absolutely certain the sword you have is the one Ezekian carried?" my father asked, suspicious.

I nodded. "I wouldn't mistake Slayer for any other sword."

"Strange," he murmured. "Like our family's Heirdom, none of these weapons should function beyond a regular blade unless the wielder's essence aligns with them. It applies to all Heirdoms—the Imperial Family's included. Still, why would he give up on the family heirdom so easily?"

I licked my lips, deep in thought. If what my father said was true, then it explained why Rheon's spear—the Heirdom of House Zenvara—was regarded as the strongest spear, earning him the title of Master Spear User.

It explained why Arthur's staff, the Heirdom of Velmoris, could effortlessly cast ninth-circle magic. And after Ezekian lost Slayer to me, he had taken up another sword, one powerful enough to summon lightning—Lighter, the Nordwym heirloom. Had Nordwym always possessed two Heirdoms, or were they hiding something?

In the end, aside from Eclipsis, every Heirdom resonated with its chosen wielder. And I had a terrible feeling about it. Was this a sign from the heavens? Was it proof that the second Cataclysm of Dawn and Dusk was closer than ever?

As I mulled over my thoughts, the carriage slowed to a halt. We had arrived at the Imperial Palace.

The structure loomed before us, an imposing fortress of blackened stone, perched atop a jagged mountain. Mist curled around its towering spires, which rose like talons into the stormy sky.

Stained-glass windows flickered with ghostly light, whispering of forgotten legends. Thick walls, reinforced with battlements and hidden guard posts, exuded an aura of invulnerability, their surfaces carved with arcane sigils.

A colossal stone staircase wound its way to the grand gatehouse, its entrance barely illuminated by flickering torches. The landscape was no less haunting, with snow-capped peaks framing the palace like silent sentinels and dense forests stretching into the abyss below.

I stepped out of the carriage and stared at the palace. Given its ominous presence, one could easily mistake the Imperial Family for demon worshippers. What had possessed the founders to build an obsidian fortress? It certainly made a powerful statement, one meant to intimidate.

"Are you ready?" My father stood beside me, prepared to escort me inside.

I smirked. "Let's go."

It was time to turn the Imperial Household upside down.