.....Narrator's Perspective…
Three weeks had passed since Tom's disappearance.
Despite the efforts of the Church and even the Royal Court, no trace of Tom had been found.
The Empire was closer to internal war than ever before.
The Church had found the perfect reason to finally destroy the Court forever.
Meanwhile,
inside the First Wall,
in the most important part of the Empire,
in one of its most crucial places—
the Grand Church of Light—
a very important meeting was taking place.
A meeting that could determine the future of everyone.
Four of the most important men of the Empire were present:
Leonard, the High Bishop and successor to the Pope;
Gerard Hyper, supreme commander of the Church's army;
Steven Jordan, supreme commander of the Church's special guard;
and Kristen Hirsh, one of the King's high advisors who had gained his position through the Church's support.
A haunting silence filled the room.
The men sat around the circular table,
each lost in his own thoughts.
Sunlight entered through the church window,
and the dripping of holy water from the statue of the Goddess of Truth broke the silence.
A statue believed to pour sacred healing water from the vessel in the goddess's hand into the bowl below.
Everyone remained silent
until the High Bishop finally spoke.
High Bishop: "His Holiness, the Great Holy Pope, has made his decision."
The High Bishop was extremely loyal to the Pope—
so loyal that he would sacrifice even the Church itself for him.
Everyone stared at the High Bishop with silent anticipation.
He continued:
High Bishop: "The Great Holy Pope has decided to wait one week after the Academy Tournament.
If there is no news of Tom, the chosen one,
we will end the reign of the King and the treacherous, heretical Court forever."
At that moment, Steven began to speak.
Steven: "Why don't we act now? This is the best chance to destroy the Court!"
Steven was extremely impulsive,
always placing his own interests above everything else.
Because of this, the Pope had tried many times to remove him from his position—
but he needed him.
High Bishop: "Because it is the command of the Great Holy Pope."
Steven: "I don't understand why we must obey the Pope's command. Why—"
High Bishop: "Are you planning to conspire against the Great Holy Pope?
Do you want to be sent to the Inquisition?"
The Inquisition was the most terrifying place in the Empire.
No one knew where it was.
Traitors and heretics were punished there.
No one knew whether those who entered were alive or dead.
Even the heretics themselves didn't know if they were alive or dead.
With those words, fear and terror struck Steven.
His body trembled violently.
Stuttering, he said:
Steven: "N‑no… I don't want that…"
The Inquisition was so horrifying that even one of the most ruthless and bloodthirsty generals in the Church's history trembled before it.
High Bishop: "Then listen carefully to what I'm saying."
High Bishop: "If we act now, the Court will claim that we hid Tom.
Isn't that right, Kristen?"
Kristen smiled.
Kristen: "Yes. The King will definitely say it was your doing,
and that Tom is hidden inside the Church."
High Bishop: "But we will prove the opposite.
Now Gerard, tell them why."
Gerard: "Because nothing is more important than the Academy Tournament—
where Tom promised in front of everyone that he would become the champion
and prove he entered the Academy through his own effort."
High Bishop: "And this will show the power of the Church and the God of Light.
If Tom does not appear, it proves we did not hide him.
The tournament is extremely important to us.
For years, the Church‑supported students have failed to achieve any rank,
and this has made the Court think they are stronger than us."
High Bishop: "But with Ziar, the strongest man of the Walls…
with Tom, the chosen one…
with the power of the Church's army…
and above all, with the wisdom and strategy of our Great Holy Pope…
we will overpower the Court once and for all,
and these heretics will face their punishment."
High Bishop: "So we wait."
…Den Hyper's Perspective…I dodged Dasha's strike quickly
and delivered a blow of my own.
Dasha was a fifty‑year‑old experienced man,
one of the generals of the Church's assault unit.
We exchanged several more strikes.
In the silence of the large garden and training grounds,
the only thing breaking the quiet was our battle.
Dasha raised his hands in surrender.
Dasha: "I give up. I can't continue."
Me: "What happened? Why can't you continue?"
Dasha: "We've been training since morning. Why do you think?"
Me: "I still have plenty of energy."
Dasha laughed.
Dasha: "Of course you do. You're the heir of the great Hyper family."
We walked toward Nomen,
one of the female servants holding a tray of drinks.
Dasha took one, but I didn't.
Dasha: "Take it. You need to drink and rest."
Me: "I don't want it."
Dasha: "Why?"
Me: "Because in the tournament, it won't be like this.
I can't stop in the middle of a fight to drink juice and rest.
There, you fight until the enemy surrenders.
I want to push myself."
Dasha tapped my shoulder.
Dasha: "Good. That spirit and intelligence will bring honor to the Hyper family—
and to the Church."
Silence fell again.
I thought about Tom.
What was he doing now?
Master Ziar was here, but where had Tom gone?
Three weeks had passed since Tom disappeared.
Tomorrow was the tournament, and there was still no sign of him.
My main rival in the art of combat…
the chosen one of the gods…
I feared he wouldn't appear.
What wrath would the gods unleash?
My thoughts were interrupted by footsteps.
I looked and saw my father approaching,
his face angry, troubled, and tense.
Me: "Father."
He seemed pulled out of deep thought.
Father: "Yes, my son?"
Me: "Do you want to spar?"
He sighed.
Father: "I would love to… but right now, the most important thing is our readiness."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Father: "The Great Holy Pope has ordered us to prepare for attack.
After the tournament, if there is no news of Tom,
the Court's army—and the Court itself—will be destroyed."
Dasha choked on his drink, spraying it out.
Dasha: "You mean… you mean…"
Me: "A civil war."
Father: "Yes. A civil war.
But it is the Pope's command, and we must obey."
Father: "Both of you, prepare yourselves.
Especially you."
Me: "Why me?"
Father: "Because in Tom's absence, you are the Church's main hope for success in the tournament.
You must ensure that after years,
a Church‑supported student finally achieves victory.
You must not disappoint the believers,
the Church, the God of Light, or the Great Holy Pope."
He left with Dasha to prepare for the coming battle.
I remained with my thoughts.
What would happen if Tom didn't appear?
What should I do?
I felt something strange—
pride in the Pope's faith in me,
fear of failure,
and the question echoing in my mind:
Where is Tom?
…Henry Flor's Perspective…
The sound of rustling leaves filled the air.
The waterfall roared.
I sat on the dirt ground.
In front of me, the most important person in my life was bathing in the waterfall—
the person I wanted to live with someday.
Denris.
The love of my life.
This wasn't an ordinary waterfall.
It was magical, good for joint pain.
It was located in the Toran Forest—
the only forest in the Empire safe from the creatures outside the Walls.
I looked at Denris, laughing in the water.
One of the most beautiful sights in the world—like a work of art.
Her bright hair shining like golden wheat under the sun.
Her fair skin warm like daylight.
Her large, doe‑like eyes.
She was the most beautiful girl in the world to me.
Denris brushed her wet hair aside and smiled.
Denris: "Honey, aren't you coming? Let's swim together."
Her smile made my heart tremble.
I would do anything just to make her smile.
Anyone who made her stop smiling…
I would destroy.
Me: "I'm coming, sweetheart."
Suddenly, rustling came from the bushes.
Not wind—
someone was moving.
I sharpened my hearing, focused.
The sound grew louder.
I stood up quietly.
Turned quickly—
and slammed the person against a tree.
It was Aslan,
a member of the Flor family.
Me: "What are you doing here?"
Aslan: "I'm protecting you, sir. By order of Lord Adrian, your uncle."
I released him.
Me: "Why?"
Aslan: "No one denies your strength, sir, but… the Church…"
Me: "The Church what?"
Aslan: "The Church has begun its movements.
Our spies say they are gathering all their forces near the Grand Church for the final war."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Aslan: "A civil war, sir.
They were waiting for an excuse to finish us.
And now, with Tom's disappearance, they have it."
Me: "Then why are you here?"
Aslan: "To protect you from any assassination attempt by the Church.
You know how the Third War began—
with the assassination of Prince Brian IV."
I closed my eyes and smiled slightly.
Me: "You may leave."
Aslan: "But sir—"
Me: "I said you may leave."
He saw the seriousness in my eyes and left.
I was furious.
At the situation.
At the endless war between the Church and the Court.
At how innocent people suffered because of these power‑hungry monsters.
They promised heaven and threatened hell—
yet lived in heaven themselves
and turned this world into hell for everyone else.
A false heaven and hell to control the people.
And I thought of Tom.
A boy I felt strangely connected to—
as if fate tied us together.
I felt a special affection for him.
His disappearance troubled my mind deeply.
I kept wondering what had happened to him.
I hoped he was safe—
far from this war.
…Adriana Flor's Perspective…
I dodged my mother's strike.
With one of my swords, I attacked her—
she dodged quickly.
Suddenly she vanished from in front of me.
I jumped forward, knowing she would strike from behind.
I used my False Sword Technique.
Mother fell for it and paused.
I quickly placed my sword under her throat, forcing her to surrender.
Mother smiled.
Mother: "Well done, my daughter. As always."
I smiled.
I wished Father were proud of me like Mother was.
A father who was a father in name only—
not a husband to my mother,
not a father to me,
not an uncle to Henry.
Only his coldness reached us.
We leaned against a tree to rest.
Mother: "Adriana, I'm worried."
Me: "About what, Mother?"
Mother: "You rely too much on your swords. It's dangerous."
The same old argument.
Me: "Mother!" (frustrated)
Mother: "Sweetheart…
In the tournament, if you lose your swords, what will you do?"
Me: "I'll never lose them. No one can take my swords."
Mother: "But if they do? You don't use magic—"
Me: "You know why I don't use magic."
Mother: "I know you're afraid because of what happened—"
Suddenly, I saw Father.
Frustrated, anxious, walking fast toward the house without looking at us.
Mother: "Adrian, you're back. Are you alright?"
Father glanced at us and walked away without a word.
Cold.
Heartless.
I felt Mother's heart break again.
Her throat tightened.
I hugged her.
Father's behavior had made me cold toward everything.
Toward love.
Did love even exist?
Was it real?
I didn't think so.
It was just a fleeting desire that quickly faded—
turning into habit, even hatred.
A desire.
Not love.
That's why I hated love.
And hated people—
who did nothing but hurt others.
Was that man really our father?
The man who didn't react when Henry and I were accepted into the Academy—
but smiled when Tom was accepted.
And since Tom disappeared,
he acted as if his own child had vanished.
I wanted Tom to be found.
So I could defeat him.
Then see whether Father would smile—
at Tom's defeat or my victory.
…William Jordan's Perspective…
I stared at the chessboard.
Everything was going well.
With Tom gone, everything was moving toward eternal salvation—
the destruction of all my enemies.
Tom was like a soldier who suddenly appeared,
suddenly became a queen,
and ruined all my plans.
But with his disappearance,
everything was fixed again.
A civil war between the Court and the Church—
a perfect opportunity for me to destroy
my enemies:
the Flor family,
the Melodia family,
the Hyper family,
the Church,
and the Court.
I laughed—
a laugh of pleasure.
I looked at my mother's portrait.
Only half her face was painted,
wearing a luxurious dress.
A mother I had never seen,
but loved deeply.
I approached it.
I wanted to complete it—
to see her beautiful face.
I had found it in the Church
and was finishing it myself.
I smiled.
Me: "Mother…
They will all pay.
They will all die.
They will all be destroyed.
Because they took you from me.
Mother…"
End of Part 41