The royal guard, the same man who had moments ago pressed a blade to Ethan's throat, staggered backward.
His grip loosened.
What poured from Ethan's body was no longer just mana, it was bloodlust.
A thick, suffocating pressure swallowed the throne room, dark aura coiling around Ethan like living smoke. The guard's instincts screamed danger, and for the first time since donning royal armor, fear crept into his bones.
"Enough, Ethan!" Reinhard shouted.
The command cut through the chaos like a blade.
Ethan froze.
His eyes widened slightly, the purple glow flickering, then dimming. The violent tide of mana collapsed inward, snapping back into his body as though forcibly chained. The oppressive pressure vanished, leaving the hall gasping for air.
Ethan blinked.
The rage drained from his face, replaced by clarity… and shame.
"I apologize for my lack of manners, Your Majesty," Ethan said at once, bowing deeply.
But it was already too late, King Cazer had felt it. That mana, raw, unstable, and monstrously deep, was not something an ordinary boy could possess.
Before anyone could speak....
DING!
A translucent screen burst into existence before Ethan's eyes alone.
— SYSTEM MESSAGE —
[New Mana Suppressing Item: Demon Crystal]
[Forged from Demon Flesh and Blood]
[Explanation: This item allows its consumer to restrain violent mana eruptions. Mana output will now fluctuate according to emotional instability—anger, fear, or hostility.]
Ethan's jaw tightened.
So this was it. Reinhard's "medicine."
The price of his sight.
And the reason his power had nearly torn the royal palace apart.
He clenched his fists slowly, realizing the full weight of what he had just revealed before the king… before everyone.
King Cazer chose silence. Then, deliberately, he cleared his throat.
"We will proceed," he said calmly, though his eyes never left Ethan. "You said something earlier, boy."
"Yes, my lord," Ethan replied. "I spoke of talking demons."
The words fell like a stone into still water.
The palace erupted.
Murmurs raced across the hall, swelling into shocked whispers, then disbelief, then outrage.
"Talking demons?"
"That's impossible."
"There's no record of such creatures!"
Queen Kia's voice sliced through the noise, cold and precise.
"Are you certain of what you claim, young man?" she asked. "What you describe has never been recorded. Not in scripture. Not in history."
Even Rivington felt his stomach twist. The massacre of Almsworth had been horrific, but this?
Talking demons?
That crossed into legend.
"They had names," Ethan said, his voice steady despite the storm around him. "One was called Herod. The other named himself Devon."
The reaction was immediate.
"That's a lie!" one of the king's advisers shouted, slamming his staff against the floor. "Such beings have never existed!"
"You dare fabricate nonsense before His Majesty?" another roared.
"Blasphemer!"
The hall descended into chaos.
"LIAR!"
"Execute him!"
"He mocks the throne!"
"Kill him for this insult!"
Voices crashed over Ethan from every direction.
Rivington turned to him, shaken. "Do you even understand what you're saying, kid?" he whispered urgently, doubt clawing at his chest.
Yet Ethan did not back down, he did not raise his voice, he did not defend himself. He simply stood there, alone, bearing the weight of an entire kingdom's disbelief.
Across the hall, Princess Mia watched him closely.
Her brows knit together, blue eyes sharp, not with mockery, but something else: Surprise and also concern.
And beneath it… curiosity.
Because unlike the others, she wasn't seeing a liar.
She was seeing a boy who had already faced monsters, and survived.
A royal guard stepped forward, the sharp tip of his spear pressed into Ethan's neck, then pierced.
A thin line of blood welled up and slid slowly down his skin, warm and deliberate.
"Speak one more word of blasphemy," the guard snarled, "and I will cut you down by the law."
Ethan didn't flinch, his emotions were cold and quiet as though not bothered.
Under his breath, so softly it was almost a sigh, he whispered,
"What a bunch of idiots."
The guard's eyes went wide.
"What did you say?" he barked.
Rage twisted his face as he raised his blade high, steel flashing under the palace lights.
"I will kill you—!"
"Hold."
The single word shattered the moment.
Princess Mia spoke. Her voice wasn't loud.... It didn't need to be.
The guard froze mid-strike as if an invisible hand had seized his arm. He stiffened, snapped to attention, and stepped back instantly, sweat beading at his brow.
The throne room fell into stunned silence.
Mia rose from her seat, slowly and gracefully.
Each step she took down from her throne echoed like a command. The guards straightened unconsciously, nobles swallowed their words, and even the air itself seemed to still.
She moved toward Ethan.
Eyes followed her without permission, black hair cascading over her shoulders, blue eyes calm as a winter sea. Her beauty drew attention, but it was not what commanded the room, it was her presence.
King Cazer exhaled quietly, relief easing his shoulders.
Mia Quinn was not merely his daughter.
She was known throughout Gondolin as the Gifted Child.
A prodigy whose wisdom surpassed seasoned scholars. A mind sharper than philosophers, deeper than psychologists, and more precise than even the great mages of the realm.
Researchers debated her theories, mages studied her conclusions even Kings listened when she spoke.
They called her the Star of Gondolin, not for her beauty, but for her brilliance.
She stopped in front of Ethan, her expression was unreadable, calm, composed.
She studied him far longer than anyone expected.
Ethan had faced accusations, blades, and death itself without blinking, but now, under her gaze, his courage wavered. He couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. His heart pounded violently against his chest.
Damn…
What do I do?
She's too close… too beautiful… I can't even look at her face…
Mia's eyes never left him, then, at last, she turned.
"Father," she said calmly, her voice clear and unwavering. "This young man's words pose no threat."
The hall stirred.
"I believe," she continued, "that he is telling the truth."
The king's eyes widened.
"You claim… he speaks truth?" King Cazer asked slowly. "That there truly were… talking demons?"
"Yes, Father." She bowed her head respectfully. "I am certain."
The silence shattered instantly.
"Princess Mia!" one of the king's advisers snapped, stepping forward.
"You must reconsider. Your wisdom is renowned, but do not forget your teachings. Demons deceive, they do not speak."
Before she could respond, Rivington hurried forward, bowing deeply.
"Your Majesty," he said urgently, "the boy has only just recovered his sight. He may be confused. He was blind when the massacre occurred, he might not have truly seen who spoke."
Murmurs rippled through the hall. The guards nodded, the nobles whispered.
Even the king and queen exchanged glances.
"Perhaps that is so," Queen Kia said thoughtfully. "If he was blinded by demons, then confusion is only natural. He is still a child."
The decision was turning.
Mia stiffened.
"Mia," the adviser said sharply, pointing toward the throne. "Return at once. You have misjudged this matter. Wisdom clouded by emotion is still error. You have much to learn."
"But—" Mia began.
"Enough," the king interrupted coldly. "Come here at once, Mia. You have failed me again."
Her shoulders trembled. Without another word, she turned and walked back to her throne, each step heavier than the last.
Ethan felt it.... Her shame, her frustration. The injustice burned in his chest.
She wasn't wrong, and he couldn't stay silent.
Ethan stepped forward.
Gasps echoed.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he raised his head and spoke, clear, steady, and fearless.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty," he said, "your daughter is not wrong, not even a little."
The hall froze.
"She judged correctly," Ethan continued. "My father's last words were absolute. He gave me a reason to live, to bear witness. If you choose to believe me, then believe me. If you don't… I will not beg."
Shock rippled through the palace. A boy challenging the king, unbowed and unbroken.
Then...,
"I believe Ethan is right." Reinhard stepped forward.
All eyes snapped toward him.
"I have encountered demons with human intelligence," Reinhard said calmly. "Many of them. I survived."
The adviser slammed his staff against the floor.
"Silence!" the king thundered. "Who do you think you are, speaking without permission?"
Spears turned instantly, steel glinted but Reinhard did not move. He stood, cold and unshaken.
"If you truly wish to know," he said quietly, lifting his head, "then I am—Doctor Reinhard."
The words fell like a curse.
The palace froze.
Blood drained from the king's face, the queen stiffened in horror, nobles staggered back.
Guards trembled as a crushing aura flooded the hall, dark, ancient, unmistakable.
The name from forbidden texts, the legend whispered in fear, a man worse than demons, a being older than nations and in that moment, everyone understood...
They were standing before something the world was never meant to face.
Before anyone could speak, a translucent screen burst into existence before Ethan's eyes.
DING!
— QUEST —
[Kill the Demon Dragon Sage]
[Difficulty: Rank C]
[Mission: In 2 minutes]
Ethan's breath caught, his pupils shrank as instinct screamed at him to look up.
The ceiling of the palace no longer mattered.
Above Gondolin, the sky had broken.
A vast shadow slid across the moon, blotting out the stars one by one. Then another, and another.
Ethan's blood ran cold.
"E-Everyone…" his voice cracked as he spun around.
"RUN!"
The word barely left his mouth before the world roared.
Ten colossal demon dragons descended from the heavens, their wings tearing through the clouds like blades. Their scales burned crimson and obsidian, eyes glowing with intelligence far too sharp for beasts. Each flap of their wings sent shockwaves ripping through the city, shattering windows and collapsing rooftops.
"What… is that…" King Cazer whispered, his voice hollow.
Panic exploded.
Screams erupted across Gondolin as people flooded the streets. Bells rang violently from the watchtowers, their desperate clangs swallowed by thunderous wingbeats.
Then...,
A voice boomed from the tallest tower in the city, amplified by terror and magic alike.
"DEMON ATTACK! DEMON ATTACK!"
"DEMON DRAGONS HAVE INVADED GONDOLIN!"
The palace shook.
Outside, buildings burned as torrents of hellfire rained down. Soldiers scattered like ants, formations breaking instantly under the sheer pressure of the beasts' presence.
And above it all...Hovering directly over the palace...Stood it.
The Demon Dragon Sage.
Its figure loomed atop the skull of a massive dragon, arms folded casually, wings of shadow stretching wide behind it. Ancient markings glowed along its body as its eyes curved into a cruel, knowing grin.
It looked down at Gondolin, at the palace and at Ethan.
It raised one claw slowly.
"Attack them all."
The dragons roared in unison. The sky screamed.
And Gondolin fell into hell.