"But we need to choose the right moment," Pengyu said. "Today happens to be the Empire Parliament's regular assembly. Every high-ranking official will be there. If I reveal myself then, the impact will be greatest."
To avoid drawing suspicion, the two decided to split up.
Rowan used his familiarity with the Silverblue Empire's layout to quietly infiltrate the imperial palace, while Pengyu maintained his human form and entered openly under the identity of a nobleman.
That afternoon, the parliament chamber inside the Silverblue Imperial Palace was packed to capacity. The Emperor sat upon a magnificent golden throne, while ministers and nobles filled the seats below.
Although the scheduled topic was the Empire's economic development, everyone's attention was clearly focused on the shocking incident from the previous night: the Starwing Divine Roc rescuing a prisoner.
"My loyal subjects," the Emperor began gravely, "I trust you are all aware of last night's events. The Starwing Divine Roc's actions have left me deeply puzzled. I expect a satisfactory explanation."
Count Edward immediately stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I believe this only proves how cunning that offworlder truly is. He must have used some wicked method to manipulate the guardian beast into acting so abnormally."
"Count Edward makes a valid point," another noble allied with him added. "We must intensify the manhunt and capture that dangerous outsider as quickly as possible."
Silvermoon's father, the Minister of Defense, slowly rose from his seat.
"Your Majesty, I believe there are still many inconsistencies in this case. The Starwing Divine Roc is the Empire's guardian beast and possesses extraordinary intelligence. It could not possibly be controlled so easily. Its actions may have another explanation."
Count Edward sneered.
"Minister, are you questioning the court's judgment? The evidence is undeniable. What is there left to debate?"
Just as the argument grew more heated, the doors of the parliament chamber suddenly opened.
Pengyu walked calmly into the hall in his human form.
The moment he appeared, every eye turned toward him.
"And who might this be?" the Emperor asked curiously.
Pengyu walked to the center of the chamber and bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I have an important matter to report."
"Speak."
Pengyu slowly swept his gaze across the entire hall before speaking in a calm voice.
"I am the Starwing Divine Roc you seek."
The chamber instantly fell silent.
Every official stared at him in utter disbelief.
"What did you say?" the Emperor exclaimed as he rose from his throne. "You are the Starwing Divine Roc?"
Pengyu nodded.
Then, before everyone's eyes, his body began to transform.
His human appearance dissolved away, replaced by the colossal and majestic form of the Starwing Divine Roc. A terrifying aura flooded the chamber, carrying the ancient pressure of a divine beast.
"Greetings, Guardian Beast Lord!"
The Emperor immediately bowed. The entire chamber followed suit.
Only Count Edward remained frozen in place, his face pale as death and his body trembling uncontrollably.
Moments later, Pengyu returned to his human form and spoke with solemn authority.
"Your Majesty, I have come today to clear up a grave injustice. Rowan and Princess Silvermoon are innocent. The true criminal is someone else entirely."
"Guardian Beast Lord, please explain everything," the Emperor said respectfully.
Pengyu's eyes locked onto Count Edward.
"Three days ago at Sunrise Peak, someone did indeed poison me. But the one responsible was not Rowan. It was Count Edward."
"That's impossible!" Count Edward shouted as he jumped to his feet. "Guardian Beast Lord, you've been deceived by that outsider! How could I possibly harm you?"
"Is that so?" Pengyu replied coldly. "Then explain why you were near Sunrise Peak that day. You claimed you were hunting, but that region is not a designated hunting zone."
Count Edward's face grew even paler.
"I... I was merely passing through."
"Passing through?" Pengyu pressed. "Then how do you explain the traces of Soulbane Grass found in the food you carried?"
The moment the words "Soulbane Grass" were spoken, the chamber erupted in gasps.
Soulbane Grass was an exceptionally rare poison herb designed specifically to target creatures with immense spiritual power. It was harmless to ordinary people, but deadly to divine beasts like the Starwing Divine Roc.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Count Edward insisted desperately. "I've never possessed such a thing!"
"Really?"
Pengyu withdrew a delicate vial from his robes.
"Then what is this?"
Every eye turned toward the small bottle.
An engraved crest of the Edward family was clearly visible on its surface, and traces of purple powder still remained inside.
"That isn't mine!" Count Edward shouted in panic.
"You dropped this vial at Sunrise Peak," Pengyu said calmly. "You pretended to feed me while secretly poisoning me with Soulbane Grass. Unfortunately for you, the dosage was insufficient to kill me."
Silvermoon's father slammed his hands against the table and stood up furiously.
"Edward! You dared poison the Empire's guardian beast and frame my daughter for it?"
"I didn't! I swear I didn't!" Count Edward cried, completely losing composure. "It was all that outsider's doing!"
At that moment, another set of doors opened.
Rowan entered under the escort of several royal guards.
The entire hall stared at him in shock.
"Your Majesty," the captain of the royal guards reported, "Mr. Rowan voluntarily surrendered himself and requested the opportunity to clarify the truth in person."
The Emperor looked at Rowan.
"Why would you surrender yourself? You already escaped."
"I never intended to run from the truth," Rowan answered firmly. "I believed the truth would eventually come to light. I returned to prove both my innocence and Princess Silvermoon's."
Pengyu stepped beside Rowan.
"Your Majesty, this is the person I chose to protect. Not only did he never harm me, but he awakened a long-lost connection within my bloodline."
"A bloodline connection?" the Emperor asked, even more confused than before.
"Yes," Pengyu explained. "Rowan carries the bloodline of my ancestors within him. He is the rightful king of our lineage. According to ancient law, I am bound to follow him and ensure his safety."
The revelation struck the chamber like a thunderclap.
An offworlder possessing the bloodline of the Starwing Divine Roc, recognized as its king, completely shattered everything they thought they knew.
"Guardian Beast Lord," the Emperor asked cautiously, "you are not jesting, are you?"
"I swear upon the honor of the guardian beast," Pengyu declared solemnly, "every word I have spoken is true. Rowan bears our ancestral bloodline, and Count Edward is the one who poisoned me."
Faced with overwhelming evidence, Count Edward finally collapsed.
He fell to the floor, despair filling his eyes.
"I... I only wanted revenge!" he cried. "That outsider humiliated my son during the swordsmanship tournament! I couldn't let it go!"
"So you poisoned the guardian beast and framed innocent people?" the Emperor roared. "Do you understand the magnitude of your crime?"
"I know I was wrong!" Count Edward sobbed. "But I never intended to kill the Guardian Beast Lord! I only wanted him weakened long enough to frame the outsider. I never imagined things would escalate this far!"
"Fool!" the Emperor thundered. "You endangered the Empire's guardian beast over a personal grudge and dragged Princess Silvermoon into your madness!"
Just then, another guard hurried into the chamber.
"Your Majesty, several individuals request an audience. They claim to be connected to this case."
"Bring them in."
A group of mysterious men dressed in black were escorted inside.
The moment Count Edward saw them, the last traces of color vanished from his face.
"Your Majesty," the lead guard reported, "these men were discovered hiding inside Count Edward's estate. They carried large quantities of Soulbane Grass and appear to be accomplices in the conspiracy."
One of the black-clad men suddenly spoke.
"Your Majesty, we are willing to confess everything! This plan was not only about revenge against Rowan. There was a larger political objective behind it!"
"Speak!" the Emperor ordered sharply.
"Certain factions sought to weaken the authority of the Minister of Defense," the man confessed. "The minister has long supported peaceful relations with extraterrestrial civilizations, but some powerful groups viewed those policies as a threat to their own interests."
At those words, everyone finally understood.
This had never been a simple act of revenge.
It was a carefully orchestrated political conspiracy.
Count Edward had merely been a pawn.
The true masterminds were still hiding in the shadows.
"Investigate everything!" the Emperor roared as he slammed his hand against the throne. "I want every single person involved in this conspiracy uncovered!"
At that moment, Pengyu spoke again.
"Your Majesty, I request the immediate release of Princess Silvermoon. Rowan and Silvermoon must also be publicly exonerated. Furthermore, I ask that the political forces behind this scheme be thoroughly investigated."
"Of course," the Emperor agreed immediately. "Princess Silvermoon is to be released at once, and a formal public apology will be issued to both her and Mr. Rowan. As for the conspirators, not a single one will escape justice!"
As the truth emerged, the political landscape of the Silverblue Empire was shaken to its core.
Count Edward and his accomplices were arrested on the spot, while a far-reaching investigation spread throughout the Empire.
That evening, Silvermoon was finally released from detention.
The moment she saw Rowan waiting outside, she ran into his arms.
"I knew the truth would come out eventually," she cried. "I never doubted you for a second."
"It's over now," Rowan said gently as he stroked her hair. "We're safe."
Pengyu stood nearby with a satisfied smile.
"At last, justice has been served."
"Thank you, Pengyu," Rowan said sincerely. "Without you, we never could have cleared our names."
"We are partners," Pengyu replied. "This was simply what I was meant to do."
That night, the Emperor hosted a grand banquet within the palace to formally apologize to Rowan and Silvermoon while awarding them the Empire's highest honors.
He also announced the formation of a special investigative committee to uncover every individual connected to the conspiracy.
Pengyu attended the banquet in his human identity. His elegant appearance and mysterious aura caused many nobles to regard him with newfound admiration.
None of them knew his true identity.
They only knew that he was Rowan's closest ally and most trusted friend.
"My people," the Emperor announced during the banquet, "today's events have forced me to reflect deeply. The Silverblue Empire has always prided itself on being an open and tolerant civilization. We must never allow selfish ambition to corrupt that tradition. Rowan's suffering has brought me shame, but it has also shown me the true strength of friendship, justice, and trust."
The Emperor raised his goblet.
"To the triumph of truth, to the value of friendship, and to the victory of justice!"
Everyone in the hall raised their glasses as thunderous applause echoed throughout the banquet chamber.
"It seems our enemies are stronger than we imagined," Pengyu said quietly to Rowan after the celebration.
"This battle may only be beginning."
"No matter how powerful they are," Rowan replied firmly, "we won't back down. With a partner like you beside me, I can face anything."
Silvermoon nodded resolutely.
"I'm joining this fight too. After everything that happened, I finally understand that some things require people willing to stand up and act."
Night gradually fell, and the palace celebration finally came to an end.
Although justice had prevailed, the exhausting events of the day weighed heavily on everyone.
Rowan, Silvermoon, and Pengyu returned to Silvermoon's family estate, where the comfort of familiar surroundings finally allowed them to relax.
Silvermoon's parents were overwhelmed with relief at their daughter's safe return, though they were equally stunned by Pengyu's true identity.
When Silvermoon's mother learned that the handsome young man before her was actually the legendary Starwing Divine Roc, she did not even know how to address him.
"Please, don't be so formal," Pengyu said gently. "In a private setting like this, you may simply call me Pengyu, as you would any friend."
"How could we possibly do that?" Silvermoon's mother replied nervously. "You are the Empire's guardian beast. We wouldn't dare..."
"Mom, Pengyu is our friend now," Silvermoon interrupted softly. "He saved both Rowan and me. We should be thanking him."
Silvermoon's father bowed deeply toward Pengyu.
"Pengyu, thank you for everything you've done for our family. Without you, Silvermoon and Rowan might never have cleared their names."
"It was my duty," Pengyu answered calmly. "Rowan is my blood-brother. Protecting him and those he cares about is my responsibility."
At dinner, the family gathered around the table in a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
Silvermoon's mother personally prepared a feast of homemade dishes. Though they lacked the refinement of high-end restaurants, nothing could compare to the warmth of home.
"These past few days have been terrifying," Silvermoon said quietly. "I never imagined I would become entangled in a political conspiracy like this."
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