Fira: "This place is so big… and so beautiful!"
Demad: "I don't have a good feeling about this place."
Lion Knight: "Hey, pull yourself together, man. King Nyok came all the way from the capital to Molonia just to see Molonia's new talents."
Demad and Fira, along with Lion Knight and the female officer—a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes—stood by the palace entrance. The guards opened the gates by pulling a lever. The palace revealed itself before the eyes of the four of them. Guests and nobles were engaged in conversation and enjoyment.
Suddenly, a pleasant-looking merchant approached Lion Knight and said, "Well, look who's here—the ferocious lion of Molonia!"
Lion Knight: "Hey, Manti. What's up?"
At the sight of Manti, the great slave-trading merchant, Lion Knight's face tightened, though he tried not to show his discomfort.
Manti: "I really need help. In the south, the elves have been causing trouble for my caravan. I need your assistance!"
Lion Knight: "Hmm… you picked a bad time to ask me, kid. I don't have any elite forces right now…"
The female officer looked at Lion Knight with a sorrowful gaze and a troubled expression.
Lion Knight: "At the Battle of Zelna Bridge, only Fina and I survived. My entire army was wiped out there. If I want to return to my peak and rebuild my army according to my own standards, I need ten years."
Manti's face darkened, shocked by the word ten years.
Manti: "In those ten years, they'll attack us again and again. We'll suffer serious losses. Why don't you come help me with Molonia's army?"
Lion Knight: "Don't push your luck. I told you—ten years. Now go. I've got a lot to do."
Demad and Fira weren't even listening to the conversation between Lion Knight and Manti. They were staring in awe at the palace and its people. But the nobles looked at Demad and Fira differently.
Suddenly, the voice of Archbishop Harald shattered the palace's clamor.
Harald: "Ladies and gentlemen, our king, Nyok, has traveled all the way from the capital to here just to witness the shining talents and to see the light of hope in our land!"
On the far side of the palace, as the nobles stepped aside to the left and right, the royal throne gradually came into view. Four individuals stood beside it—two on the right and two on the left.
One of them had blue eyes, blue hair, and wore imposing armor. The massive sword on his back stood in striking contrast to his slender frame.
Another was a woman with long, vivid golden hair, red eyes, and tight leather armor. In her left hand she held a white bow that seemed to be crafted from the horn of a magical creature.
Another was a beautiful woman with jade-green hair and piercing violet eyes, dressed in simple clothing.
The last was a tall man with messy black hair and brown eyes, wearing armor like the other knights, standing with his arms crossed.
Lion Knight: "See them? They're called the Gods of the Four Classes."
Demad: "I've never heard of them."
Lion Knight smiled and placed his hands on Demad's shoulders from behind.
Suddenly, with a loud groan of heavy doors opening, someone entered the hall. It was none other than the king, accompanied by a woman, walking toward the royal throne.
The doors closed again, the sound of the locks echoing through the palace pillars. The king brushed his hand over the red fabric of the throne, then, with indescribable dignity, sat upon it. The queen stood beside him like a devoted attendant.
The king's face looked weary and sorrowful. Though he was not old, the hollowness beneath his eyes and his strained expression could easily mislead anyone. He had blue eyes and messy black hair.
The queen was tall and dignified, with brown eyes and hazel-colored hair that enhanced her beauty.
A voice inside—
Al: "Hey, Demad. Never go near that woman. She's a devil in every sense."
Demad: "Why do you say that?"
Al: "You'll understand when you grow up."
Lion Knight: "Hey, Demad, who are you talking to?"
The color drained from Demad's face. Hesitantly, he turned his head and said, "Uh… nothing. You imagined it."
Lion Knight: "Hmm. Okay."
Addressing the king, Harald opened a list and read aloud:
"Zaran, son of Louis, step forward!"
From the crowd, a boy with white hair and sharp yellow eyes approached the king. He was about Demad's height, seemingly the same age.
Zaran: "It is an honor to meet you, my lord!"
Harald: "The moment he touched the orb, the Gods of the Sky and Pure Light chose the Summoner class for him!!!"
Whispers and applause filled the hall. Zaran could barely contain his pride and excitement.
Harald coughed to restore silence and continued:
"The next one is named Miren, a girl from the village of Zelna. The deities and angels have chosen the Ranger class for her! In addition to being a Ranger, she possesses the ability of our great homeland's archer—Nila the Phantom—namely, the power of Seafor!"
At the sound of Aunt Nila's name and title, Demad and Fira's eyes lit up with excitement.
From the crowd, a girl resembling Fira stepped forward. Her beautiful green hair and hawk-like yellow eyes shimmered as she knelt and said:
"Thank you for honoring us with your presence, my lord."
Zaran's face flushed faintly red when he saw Miren standing beside him.
Suddenly, a fat man with black hair shouted from the crowd:
"At the Battle of Zelna Bridge, those stupid villagers betrayed us!!"
Miren's face tightened. Hearing the word traitors, she ground her teeth.
The crowd began whispering again, until Lion Knight's voice cut through the noise. Demad stared at him in shock.
Lion Knight: "If the villagers hadn't helped, Fina and I wouldn't be alive right now!!"
Silence fell over the crowd, an eerie quiet spreading through the hall.
Harald took advantage of it and continued loudly:
"Next, a girl from the village of Ista, daughter of Emiliana the Healer, from the homeland of Nila the Phantom—her name is Fira! The deity of light and the warmth-giving star of the earth—the Sun Star—has chosen the Mage class for this beautiful girl! Furthermore, she can wield Solar Fire, a power that only the God of Mages, Lady Elisa, possesses among us!!!"
Upon hearing her own name and Fira's, Elisa's eyes sparkled and her cheeks flushed red.
God of Melee: "Hey, get yourself together."
Elisa: "You shut up, you rude idiot!"
Fira looked at Demad with shining eyes and said, "I think you're next."
Demad: "Yeah."
Fira stepped forward, bowed, and said:
"I am very pleased to see you and the queen."
Miren examined Fira from head to toe with an unreadable expression. The murmurs in the palace resumed, then after a while silence returned once more.
Harald:
"And now, the last one—the one whose overwhelming light extinguished the orb and then reignited it with his own radiant glow, illuminating even the eyes of the gods. He is none other than Demad!!! Son of Emiliana the Healer! Our angels have chosen the Melee class for him. Furthermore, Demad can use Slash just like Lion Knight—a rare ability indeed!!!!!"
At the mention of Lion Knight's name alongside Demad's, the crowd erupted in commotion. Everyone demanded to see the child.
Lion Knight: "Go on, Demad! Don't be afraid—whatever happens, I'm behind you."
Filled with anxiety, Demad walked through the crowd toward the king.
The moment the king saw Demad's face, his eyes widened in indescribable shock. His heart pounded wildly. Rising with trembling hands, he stared.
The queen's hands began shaking as well. It was as though the world had collapsed upon her.
The Four Class Gods were also stunned, their serious gazes fixed intensely on Demad.
The king muttered something inaudible under his breath, then sat back down.
Demad's unease deepened at this sudden reaction. With uncertain movements, he bowed. His eyes trembled under the pressure behind his eyelids.
Demad: "Greetings to the King of the Land of Light!"
Zaran and Miren cast calculating looks at him, as if he were their future rival.
Harald: "Well, Your Majesty, these are the four shining talents of the Land of Light. Do you have any words for them?"
The King: "You children are the sons and daughters of the Land of Light, strengthening its very foundations."
He stood and declared:
"Together, with our blinding light, we will eradicate the dark ones and the Land of Darkness, and spread our burning radiance across the entire world!"
The palace erupted in excitement. Shouts shook the pillars. Demad and Fira covered their ears to avoid going deaf from the noise.
The King: "Following the strange death of Molonia's previous ruler, I hereby appoint Harald as the new ruler of Molonia!"
At the king's command, silence fell again. Harald smiled gratefully, bowed before the king, and said:
"Thank you for deeming me worthy to govern Molonia. I will never forget your kindness."
The King: "You may now leave the palace. My business here is concluded."
Hearing that Aunt Nila's friend was now the ruler of Molonia brought a bit of comfort to Demad and Fira.
The crowd gradually began to exit the palace. Lion Knight approached Demad and Fira, placing his hands on their shoulders.
"Come on. Let me show you your new home."
With a wink from Lion Knight to Fina, she immediately left the palace. The sound of footsteps and murmurs echoed throughout the hall.
Near the entrance, the king paused beside the queen and looked toward Demad. His eyes were filled with longing and joy.
But the queen's eyes told a different story.