CHAPTER 45: THE EASTERN EMPIRE 1

(Third Person POV)

Year 2032, July 9th, according to the global calendar.

In the Tirshtain Empire, the capital.

The imperial palace had been in chaos for several days, leaving the servants and all who lived there feeling tense.

In front of the emperor’s office, two people stood, looking at each other with unease.

"Alice, are you sure this is a good idea? Won’t he be mad at us?"

"Honestly, I’m not sure myself. But it’s better than just sitting around doing nothing."

Riana and Alice exchanged a deep breath, then finally opened the office door and stepped inside.

As soon as they entered, they found the office in complete disarray—books and papers scattered all over the floor.

Amidst the chaos, lying on the ground was a black-haired boy staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Lax, are yo—"

"What are you doing here?"

Before Alice could finish her sentence, the boy interrupted her as he sat up, revealing his full face.

He looked terrible—dark circles under his eyes told of the many sleepless nights he’d endured.

The boy approached the two girls with a mysterious look in his eyes.

"I... we thought maybe it’d be better if you took a break."

"And how do I rest? Tell me, I can’t even close my eyes. So tell me, how do I rest?"

The black-haired boy spoke calmly, and though his smile seemed gentle at first, there was something unsettling behind it.

"Let’s go to the hospital—or someone who might be able to help you sleep."

Riana spoke nervously, eyeing that strange smile with unease.

"Hahaha, hospital? I’ve tried everything and couldn’t sleep. And now you want to take me to a hospital? You’re funny, Riana."

The boy burst into laughter, clutching his stomach and wiping tears from his eyes.

"If you’re done, then get out. Now."

"But Lax, we just want—"

"OUT! NOW!"

The two girls were visibly shocked and hurt by his outburst. They took a step back and left the office in silence.

Once the black-haired boy saw them leave, he collapsed back onto the floor, holding his head in pain.

"I’m sorry... but I didn’t know what I would’ve done if you stayed. My mind isn’t working properly anymore."

[Cold Blood Activated]

[Patience Activated]

[User’s mental state is severely deteriorated. Trait effects have been significantly weakened.]

Ignoring the notifications, Orlax looked out the window—only to be startled by what he saw.

Everything outside was frozen in place as if time itself had stopped.

People stood completely still. They didn’t move, didn’t blink.

Birds in the sky were suspended midair, unmoving.

He even saw a plane hanging in the sky, unmoving as well.

"What’s happening? Am I hallucinating?"

Before he could make sense of it, the ground beneath him turned soft and gave way. He began to fall.

Darkness surrounded him, leaving him disoriented. As he fell, he saw a floor beneath him and adjusted his posture to land.

He touched down gently without injury, cautiously observing his surroundings.

He now stood in what appeared to be an ancient temple, covered with unfamiliar carvings and markings.

A few steps ahead of him floated a red crystal, glowing with an energy that felt oddly familiar.

"Where the hell is this place?"

He continued to examine the area carefully. When he felt no danger, he approached the red crystal. As he touched it, a voice echoed in his mind.

"If you want a solution to your problem, seek out the witch—you’ll find the answer with her."

Orlax looked around, startled, trying to locate the voice, but couldn’t tell if it belonged to a man or a woman.

"Does the witch have the answer? But I’ve searched for any trace of her these past days and found nothing."

"Head to the Eastern Empire. Many surprises await you there."

Before Orlax could reply, the same thing happened again—he fell into darkness and returned to his office.

He found himself once again staring out the window—but this time, everything was back to normal.

"Hmm... I feel better. My mind is clear again. Did that crystal have something to do with it?"

’That strange temple, the familiar energy from the crystal, and the voice in my head—what is all this? My life just keeps getting more complicated.’

Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, he left his office and found Riana and Alice still standing outside.

He quickly approached them and pulled them into a hug.

"I’m sorry for worrying you these past few days... and for yelling. I wasn’t in my right mind."

Both girls were surprised by the sudden hug, but they felt comforted and happy by the change in him.

"No, it’s fine. What matters is that you’re okay now."

"Yeah, no need to worry about us."

Seeing their smiles made Orlax feel like the luckiest person in the world to have such girls care for him.

"Well... even though I’m better now, it’s only temporary. I need to find a real solution. So... I’ll be traveling to the Eastern Empire."

Their expressions turned anxious again upon hearing that he hadn’t fully recovered.

"Then I’ll go with you."

"Me too. It’s better if we go together."

"No. I’ll go alone. Besides, I won’t be going officially, so it’ll be a tough journey. Also... Riana, you have a lot of new responsibilities to take care of."

After settling in the palace, Riana had been appointed head of the empire’s military affairs. Of course, she didn’t have much experience, but there were many people assisting her until she got the hang of it.

"And Alice... you need to stay and take care of Sera with your mother. If all of us leave, there’ll be no one to look after her."

Their disappointed expressions made Orlax feel a twinge of guilt.

"But... since I’m going, I’ll make sure to bring back some gifts when I return."

Their faces lit up with excitement as they finally agreed.

"Alright, I want a new sword. Make sure it’s a good one."

"I want a book on spells—and some souvenirs too."

"Alright, I’ll make sure to get them. Now... I have to go."

"So soon?"

"Yes. I don’t have any time to waste."

After several more minutes of talking, the three finally parted. Orlax went to say goodbye to Sera, then packed his belongings and left the palace.

He asked Alex to prepare a helicopter to take him to the border, after which he would travel on foot.

After a few hours, the helicopter finally arrived at the border of the Eastern Empire.

Orlax stepped out, carrying a small backpack. After bidding farewell to Alex, he began walking forward.

He pulled out his phone, located the nearest city, and headed toward it—his identity hidden by the clothes he wore.

He walked for several hours until a well-maintained asphalt road came into view ahead.

He continued following the road, and soon fields filled with crops appeared on both sides, with people working diligently among them.

Orlax observed the scenery around him, quietly admiring the natural beauty and the simplicity of the place.

As the city walls came into view in the distance, he veered off the main road, heading toward a spot where no one could see him. Once there, he jumped over the wall and entered the city quietly.

It was a small baronial city located along the border.

Orlax continued walking through the city, fully cloaked in a covering that concealed his entire body and face.

The city seemed calm, and people walked peacefully through the streets.

He headed toward a tavern located on the outskirts of the city and stepped inside.

The tavern was empty, with only a single bartender wiping glasses behind the counter.

"The place is closed, sir."

"I came for some information."

"Hmm... In that case, come with me to the back, sir."

Orlax followed the bartender into the back room of the tavern, where the man sat on a chair and turned his gaze toward Orlax, who remained standing.

"What kind of information are you looking for?"

"I’m searching for the location of the witch."

"Oh-ho, the witch, huh? I do have the information you’re looking for, but..."

"how much?"

"Five hundred thousand."

He raised his hand, holding up five fingers, a grin forming on his face.

"Goodbye."

"Wait, wait! Why so serious? I was only joking—two hundred thousand will do."

After Orlax paid the man, he received a tablet device containing the information and promptly left the tavern.

He climbed onto the rooftop of a nearby building, settling into a spot where no one could see him, and began reading through the information about the witch.

The last known sighting of the witch was in the capital of the Eastern Empire.

Several images showed her black hair and red eyes behind the mask.

"The capital, huh... looks like a lot of trouble is coming."

Orlax stood up from his spot, brushed off the dust where he had been sitting, and began running toward the capital after marking its location on the map on his phone.