A soldier clad in silver armor opened the carriage door.
Even before stepping inside, Shirone was stunned. Luminescent crystal orbs were embedded into the ceiling, flooding the interior with daylight-like brilliance. Not only was there a bed, but even equipment for basic meals had been prepared.
Soldier (bowing):
"Though it may not meet your noble standards, please bear with it for now. We'll reach the royal castle shortly."
The moment Shirone boarded, he flopped onto the bed. Though it was the same as the one he slept in daily, the unfamiliarity of being inside a moving carriage made it feel strange.
Shirone (laughing):
"Haha! Amy, this is actually fun!"
Amy smiled from the opposite bed.
Amy:
"They call this a 'home carriage.' It's even equipped with shock absorbers—it can handle a ten-hour journey without trouble. The upkeep must be insane, but… well, royalty's different, I guess."
Reina chimed in, arms crossed.
Reina:
"But speed's the trade-off. Honestly, arriving faster would've been safer. Still, we should stay prepared."
Amy raised her hand.
Amy:
"I'll take first watch. Mages can stay awake a full day without issue."
Shirone shook his head.
Shirone:
"No. We'll take shifts—I'll go after you."
Amy (firmly):
"Don't bother. You'll be swamped the moment we arrive—rest while you can."
Even with guards, complacency was dangerous. Someone had to keep watch, and Amy saw herself as the obvious choice. Shirone's parents staying up? Unthinkable.
Reina frowned, annoyed.
Reina:
"What, ignoring me? I can handle basic Schema magic! During my apprenticeship, I pulled all-nighters for days. Let's rotate between the three of us. No one should exhaust themselves when we don't know what awaits at the castle."
Amy conceded—it was sound logic. Vincent and Olina volunteered too, but ordinary humans couldn't endure 24 hours in a carriage without sleep.
Amy:
"Rest properly. If you collapse now, it'll only hurt us later."
Reluctantly, the couple lay down. Fatigue won quickly, and they dozed off.
The remaining bed would be shared in shifts.
While Reina and Amy could sleep together, Shirone couldn't share a bed with women, so he leaned against the wall, eyes closing.
Time Skip: The Night Watch
How much time had passed? Shirone had fallen asleep watching Reina's shift, but now Amy was shaking him awake.
Amy:
"Shirone, want me to cover longer if you're tired?"
His eyes flashed open—no grogginess. Four hours had passed, yet his mind was sharp, body unburdened. So this is why nobles pay fortunes for luxury carriages.
Shirone:
"No, I'm fine. You sleep more. Any trouble?"
Amy:
"None. Eerily quiet. The soldiers won't even speak—probably wary of Schema."
Nodding, Shirone moved to the carriage's center.
Shirone:
"Thanks, Amy."
Amy (grumbling):
"'Thanks'? Pfft."
She crawled toward Reina to nap—then paused, propping herself up on her elbows.
Shirone chuckled at her cat-like posture.
Shirone:
"What? Can't sleep?"
Amy (hesitant):
"Well… yeah."
Since the Kazura envoy's arrival, a question had gnawed at her.
Amy (suddenly serious):
"Shirone… if you become royalty…"
"...you won't learn magic, will you?"
Shirone (blinking):
"Huh?"
Amy:
"You'd be the First Prince. Heir training would eat all your time. No room for magic."
Shirone snorted.
Had she been worrying about this all along?
Truthfully, he'd been too preoccupied with his own turmoil to consider others' thoughts.
Shirone (softly):
"Amy, I won't become prince."
Amy's eyes widened.
Amy:
"What? You'd… run away?"
Shirone:
"If it's the last resort, yes. But first, I'll persuade them. Even if they birthed me… my parents are only two people. I'm going to the castle to speak my mind—not to be heir. I'll return home, attend magic school, and…"
He hesitated, then steeled himself.
Shirone:
"...keep our promise. No matter what."
Amy's chest tightened—but worry crept in.
Shirone had always lived by his convictions, and it had worked… but this was different.
Royalty weren't rational, nor swayed by emotion. They operated on instinct.
To rulers, choices were binary—do or don't—and those simple decisions shaped history.
Changing a king's mind with words? Nearly impossible.
Yet Amy stayed silent. She wanted Shirone's last words to linger in the carriage as long as possible.
Amy (smiling):
"See you later, Shirone."
She lay beside Reina, drifting into a shallow sleep.
Arrival: The Kazura Castle
Reina's whisper roused them.
Reina:
"Wake up. We're here."
Amy rubbed her eyes. Dawn hadn't broken, but the carriage no longer shook—hooves now clopped against stone-paved roads.
Shirone cracked the window open. Darkness obscured details, but buildings whizzed past. They'd entered the capital, yet not a single light shone in the homes.
A mounted soldier approached.
Soldier (stern):
"Apologies. Night patrol prohibits viewing outside. I'll close this."
The window snapped shut.
Shirone grimaced. Reina and Amy shared their bewilderment.
Amy (muttering):
"Tch. Act all high and mighty once we're at the castle…"
Reina (calm):
"Don't judge. This is his first time speaking to us. Caution's is the key for now."
Shirone agreed.
They walked a tightrope here—one misstep could doom them all.
The King's Audience
At dawn's break, the carriage entered the inner sanctum.
Kazura Castle wasn't ethereally beautiful, but its scale dwarfed all else.
As they crossed the grand bridge, fanfare erupted. A military band played; lower officials applauded.
Shirone (whispering to Rian):
"What's happening? I didn't expect a welcome."
Rian (frowning):
"Neither did I. This is… unusual."
Logically, Shirone should've been a thorn in Teraze's faction. Yet no assassins, no schemes—just open reception.
Two possibilities:
Orcampus IV had staked everything on Shirone.Teraze simply didn't care.
Both were plausible.
Shirone, however, seemed unnervingly calm—all traces of his earlier anxiety gone.
This was the strength Reina admired.
The boy who acted his age yet turned steel in crisis.
Now, as Alpheas Magic Academy's top magic prodigy, Shirone was no longer just "young."
The Throne Room
Kazura Castle spanned 20,000 pyeong, housing 1,000 staff. Its design prioritized defense over opulence, making its gates unusually narrow.
But inside? A grand hall worthy of kings.
High officials lined the red carpet leading to the throne—where Orcampus IV sat.
Etiquette forbade meeting the king's gaze directly, but Shirone's group couldn't look away.
Golden hair like Shirone's. A face too refined for a ruler. Yet the aura he exuded was anything but ordinary.
Millions of lives rested in his hands—it showed.
Orcampus IV (raising a hand):
"You've traveled far. Shirone, you know why you're here?"
Shirone:
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Orcampus:
"Good. We'll discuss details later. For now, rest and eat."
The chamberlain bowed.
Chamberlain:
"At once, Your Grace."
Shirone studied Orcampus again.
Eighteen years apart. Yet no personal words—just regal detachment.
Was this kingship? A role that suffocated even paternal love?
Or… had he never cared at all?
If he'd truly loved his child, no hardship would've made him abandon Shirone.
Yet he had. And now, after all this time—why summon him?
The Great Chamber: A Division
The group followed the chamberlain out, hollow-chested.
Guest quarters assigned two per room—Vincent and Olina together, Amy and Reina on another.
But Shirone?
Chamberlain:
"Lord Shirone will reside in the inner wing—with His Majesty's family."
Amy (stepping forward):
"We weren't told this."
Separating Shirone in this vipers' nest? Unthinkable.
The chamberlain looked baffled.
Chamberlain:
"It's only natural. He's to be royalty."
Amy (sharp):
"Nothing's decided yet!"
Administrator Ordos (approaching):
"Is there an issue?"
Hearing the complaint, he sighed.
Ordos (to Shirone):
"The palace has protocols. Changing royal quarters causes upheaval. But if you insist, I'll petition."
Shirone shook his head.
He didn't want to stir conflict so soon.
And… part of him still hoped.
That his birth parents wouldn't harm him.
If they did—this place held nothing for him.
Shirone:
"I'll go. But meal times—can I see the others?"
Ordos (cold):
"No. Commoners don't dine with royalty."
Shirone's face darkened.
Vincent and Olina had raised him for 18 years—his true parents.
Yet Kazura's court treated them as afterthoughts.
As if they'd merely stored the king's property.
Shirone (firm):
"Unacceptable. They eat with me."
Vincent (softly):
"Shirone… it's fine."
But it wasn't.
If his parents were disrespected here—
He'd turn and leave this castle forever.
Vincent's face darkened with concern.
Having spent his entire life oppressed by nobles—let alone royalty—he knew just how dangerous Shirone's words were.
But Shirone did not back down.
If conflict was inevitable, now was the most opportune moment to assert his stance.
Shirone: "No. If that's the case, then I won't attend either. My parents must join us for meals."
Ordos pressed his lips together, lost in thought.
What an audacious child. Does he think he already owns everything just because he's been named the First Prince?
Of course, he would become a prince—but that didn't mean the balance of power would shift.
The royal palace still had the current First Prince, Teraze's son.
As that thought crossed his mind, a new suspicion arose.
Despite the grand announcement of Elisa's true heir's return, Teraze's faction had shown no reaction.
Were they that confident? Or was this a silent pressure, signaling their planted forces in Kazura to act on their own?
The Empress's power was absolute. Until now, there had been no way to oppose her, so factions hadn't formed. But from this point on, choosing sides would be crucial.
Yet Ordos remained skeptical.
Even if Shirone had distinguished himself at the magic academy, he was no match for Teraze's children.
Ordos: "I understand your sentiment, Shirone, but this is not my decision to make. Defying royal protocol could escalate into a national incident. Therefore, with all due respect, perhaps you should take this matter directly to His Majesty."
Shirone nodded, unfazed.
Shirone: "Fine. I'll tell him myself."
Ordos: "Then let us proceed. I shall escort you to the inner chambers."
As Shirone followed Ordos, he turned back and spoke.
Shirone: "I'll be back. See you later."
Reina watched Shirone walk away.
Was he truly planning to bring Vincent and Olina to the royal family's dining table?
Royal etiquette was held above national law—because in a monarchy, an insult to the king's authority could shake the entire country.
This decision would undoubtedly bring danger in one way or another.
Olina tugged at Reina's sleeve, pleading.
Olina: "We'll be fine. It's better to stop Shirone. Even if I wanted to speak up, I don't know enough…"
It wasn't just Olina's lack of knowledge.
Reina, too, couldn't fathom what Shirone was thinking.
Reina: "Strange. He's not usually this stubborn."
Amy: "Shirone has already begun his fight."
Reina turned to Amy in question.
Reina: "A fight?"
Recalling her earlier conversation with Shirone, Amy explained.
Amy: "The reason Shirone accepted the royal invitation was to meet his birth parents. But he has no interest in being an heir or a prince. He wants to return to the magic academy and live with his family—and by family, he means the two of you. That's why he won't yield. If he retreats even one step here, he'll be pushed back endlessly. Shirone chose the royal dining table as his strategic battleground."
Olina: "Our son…"
Her eyes welled with tears.
What pitiful parents we are. In a situation like this, we can't even protect our child—instead, we're the ones being protected by him.
Truthfully, she wanted to fight too. She wanted to stand before the king and declare, "I raised him—he's my child!"
But her inability to do so wasn't due to a lack of courage.
They were royalty. And Shirone was about to become a prince.
Vincent wrapped an arm around Olina's shoulders.
Vincent: "Let's watch over him. He's our son, after all. A deep thinker. All we need to do is follow his lead."
Olina wiped her tears and nodded.