Location: Imperial Arena — Festival Grounds
The Imperial Capital buzzed with electric excitement.
Banners fluttered.Crowds gathered in the hundreds of thousands.The Grand Festival Tournament — an event only held once every decade — was about to begin.
It was more than a celebration.It was a battlefield where future heroes were born, alliances were formed, and enemies were quietly destroyed under the gaze of the cheering masses.
And at the center of it all...stood Kael Solaris.
The Arrival of the "Useless Prince"
As Kael entered the arena grounds, whispers followed him like a shadow:
"Is that really the 'forgotten prince'?"
"Why did he even show up? He has no magic!"
"He'll be humiliated…"
The noble houses sneered.The imperial families watched with disdain.Even some commoners pitied him.
But Kael's golden eyes gleamed with calm confidence.He wore simple black dueling armor — no crest, no house symbol.
Only his presence — steady, unbreakable — made the seasoned warriors and arrogant heirs feel an unexplainable chill.
Behind him, Zara, Mira, Velcia, Selene, Evelyne, and Lysandra followed, dressed in formal supporter's robes, each carrying themselves like queens.
Even among the ocean of nobility, Kael's faction stood out like a blade among feathers.
The Tournament Begins
The Grand Festival Tournament was divided into two parts:
The Public Matches: One-on-one duels for entertainment.
The Secret Trials: Deadly missions and political games hidden from the public eye, used to manipulate the empire's power structure.
Kael had entered both.
Because he wasn't here just to win.
He was here to make the Empire remember his name.
First Battle: Kael vs. Sir Darius Malven
Sir Darius — a young knight prodigy, famous for mastering elemental magic — smirked arrogantly as he faced Kael in the center of the grand arena.
"I'll be merciful, Prince Kael," Darius said mockingly, summoning fire to dance around his blade."I'll only break a few bones."
The audience laughed.
Kael simply drew a dull, worn training sword — no enchantments, no magic, no tricks.
The referee signaled.
The battle began.
In the blink of an eye...
Darius lunged, flames roaring—
Kael sidestepped so smoothly it looked like a ghost passing by.
With a single movement, Kael struck Darius's sword arm with perfect precision.
Darius's weapon flew from his hand, clattering across the arena.
Silence fell over the crowd.
They didn't even see what had happened.
Darius, stunned and humiliated, fell to his knees.
"Merciful enough for you?" Kael said coolly, tossing the dull sword aside.
The arena exploded in shock.
The "useless prince" had defeated a top-ranked knight — without using magic — in less than ten seconds.
The World Starts to Notice
Kael returned to his faction's stand under a storm of stares.
The nobles who had mocked him now whispered furiously among themselves.Several powerful noble daughters stared at Kael with wide, sparkling eyes.
Even the imperial envoys — including Princess Aurelia of the Western Empire — leaned forward, intrigued.
"Interesting…" murmured Aurelia, a beautiful silver-haired princess known for her cold pride."The Forgotten Prince might not be so forgettable after all."
In the shadows, assassins, rival houses, and even royal spies began quietly recalculating their plans.
Kael Solaris was no longer invisible.
He was now a threat.
A Secret Invitation
That evening, as Kael rested in the Twilight Manor, a messenger arrived bearing a sealed letter marked with a crimson rose.
It was an invitation:
"To Prince Kael Solaris —You have attracted the attention of certain powerful individuals.Meet at midnight. Come alone. Or die."
Kael smiled faintly.
"Finally… the real games begin."