Chapter 279

Volume 2 Ch 22: Brother

As if sensing her gaze, the man’s lips curved slightly. In the dim light, his gray eyes looked unexpectedly deep.

“Maybe our esteemed princess is no longer content with merely cooperating from behind the scenes, or making a few small moves in the shadows. Maybe she genuinely wants to... push certain people onto the stage, or use that momentum herself to truly step into the center of it. But then again, who knows?”

He gave a shrug, his tone light.

Vera watched him for a moment, then leaned back again and closed her eyes, her voice soft.

“Perhaps.”

The man smiled and said no more. He only called toward the coachman in front, “Let’s go. Back to the residence.”

The carriage swayed slightly and picked up speed. He leaned back against the seat as well, his gaze turning toward the flowing night outside the window, moonlight shifting across his face.

Only after a long while did he murmur in a voice barely audible even to himself,

“But... that just makes it more interesting, doesn’t it?”

Vera was silent for a moment, then drew back her gaze and closed her eyes once more to rest.

“Perhaps, Brother.”

The carriage bore the two of them away toward another quarter of the Royal Capital, gradually disappearing into the interwoven streets and the misted night.

...

The next morning, before the early sunlight had fully dispersed the thin veil of fog hanging over the capital, Royal Princess Cecilia’s carriage had already arrived before Ryan’s residence.

Her visit was hardly unexpected. It seemed her informants were always prompt.

In the receiving room, Ryan was already able to get out of bed. Though his complexion was still somewhat paler than usual, there was no longer any trace of that utterly drained, near-collapse state.

He wore simple indoor clothes, and his silver hair stood out all the more sharply in the morning light.

“It seems you’ve recovered quite well.” Cecilia seated herself gracefully, her ice-blue eyes carefully studying Ryan. “I heard that yesterday... you had quite an appetite.”

Ryan lifted the black tea a servant had brought him.

He did not particularly care that Cecilia had received the information so quickly. After all, he was currently staying on her turf. Before he had awakened, she had undoubtedly already tampered with the servants in the residence. As long as this information did not spread beyond the proper bounds, it hardly mattered. For the moment, both Iruya and Cecilia counted as his own people.

After taking a sip of tea, he answered calmly, “Thank you for Your Highness’s concern. I simply consumed rather a great deal and needed to replenish myself.”

“It is good news so long as you can recover.” Cecilia smiled faintly and did not pursue the matter further.

To her, Ryan’s value lay in how useful he remained. So long as the blade was still sharp, and still temporarily in her hand, she did not need to know every detail of the process by which it had been reforged.

Before long, Lillian and Rex arrived as well, having been notified in advance by Cecilia.

Lillian still carried that faint air of aristocratic pride, but the concern in her eyes when she saw that Ryan had truly awakened was genuine. She chattered on about the latest rumors circulating in the Royal Capital, then complained a bit about how her elders had scolded her for causing trouble in the ruins.

Rex stood solidly behind her. When Ryan looked his way, he merely grinned and gave a small gesture, as if to say that everything that needed saying was already understood.

The bond forged between them through life-and-death trial needed no extra words.

Ryan received them calmly, thanked them for their concern, and exchanged with them a few simple pieces of information that did not touch on anything essential.

The atmosphere seemed relaxed on the surface, but all three knew perfectly well that their experience in the ruins, and the title of hero that had followed it, had already bound them together. The road ahead was fated not to be peaceful.

After Lillian and Rex were gone, only Ryan and Cecilia remained in the room.

The servants withdrew soundlessly and closed the door behind them.

“You’ve had a tiring two days,” Cecilia said, her fingertips lightly brushing the rim of her teacup. “Not only have you had to endure all manner of probing, you’ve also had to cooperate with those pointless examinations from the court mages. But the most important occasion still lies ahead.”

Ryan lifted his eyes, his gray-blue gaze settling on her, silently indicating that she should continue.

“The investiture ceremony itself is a solemn formality. The Emperor bestows honors, grants rewards, and offers words of encouragement.” Cecilia spoke in an even tone. “The true main event is the court banquet that night, after the ceremony ends. Unlike the ceremony, the banquet is more like a grand gathering of the nobility. It is a stage upon which old and new powers, different factions, all test one another, build connections, and sometimes clash outright. At that time, every noble and minister of any consequence in the capital will be present. For all of you—especially for you, as the newly risen hero—that will be both an opportunity to step into the inner circle and... an immense test.”

Ryan listened in silence.

Cecilia watched him and continued, lowering her voice slightly. “There are several people you will need to be careful of. Or rather, the forces they represent.”

She named several figures and titles, and Ryan silently matched them in his mind: a representative of the Duke of Flame; elders from the Wind Duke’s faction; an envoy of the Frostleaf Family; and a few court nobles clearly aligned with the Second Prince and the Third Prince.

“Most of those they sent into the ruins were the most outstanding members of the younger generation within their families or factions, pillars of their future,” Cecilia said in a tone both calm and merciless. “And now, aside from you, Vera, Lillian, Rex, and a few lucky survivors who wandered only around the outer edges with insufficient strength, everyone else... remained inside. They lost their most important heirs, the carefully honed blades they had spent years raising. That fury will not be soothed merely because an intentionally vague report was handed over.”

“The Emperor may accept our account, or he may have his own reasons for suppressing the matter for now, but they will not.” Cecilia’s gaze sharpened. “At the banquet, they will certainly find ways to approach you, test you, and confirm through you—or through others—whatever it is they wish to know. Cutting words hidden behind pleasantries, veiled threats, recruitment that seems friendly while concealing poison underneath—you must be especially careful.”

Ryan held her gaze for a few moments before speaking.

“I understand. The tree may wish for calm, but the wind will not cease. Still, I trust that Your Highness will help me deal with such matters, yes? After all, as you yourself said, if not for cooperating with Your Highness, I might never have attracted so much trouble in the first place.”

He spoke the word trouble lightly, yet his gaze remained steady upon Cecilia.

Cecilia met his eyes for several seconds, then suddenly laughed softly, her smile flawless.

“Of course.” Her voice was gentle. “After all, in a certain sense, it was I who placed you in this position. These gazes and troubles that have followed as a result—naturally I will take responsibility for handling some of them. At least on the surface, within the rules of the court, I will make certain they do not go too far. However...”

“There are some hidden eyes and personal interests that you will need to deal with on your own. This is also something you must go through. Rest easy, Ryan. We are in the same boat.”

Ryan gave a slight nod and said nothing more.

“I will have the formalwear for the banquet, along with the necessary etiquette notes, sent over later,” Cecilia said as she rose, bringing the visit to an end. “Rest well these next two days and gather your strength. The true battlefield lies in the palace banquet hall.”

When she left, the hem of her skirt brushed over the polished floor without making the slightest sound.

Ryan sat alone in the receiving room, watching the sun climb steadily higher beyond the window. He lifted a hand and let his fingers brush absently across the place beneath his clothes. There, the black scale lay pressed against his skin, faintly warm, silent.

The storm was coming.

And he had no road left but forward.