CHAPTER 89: MOMENTS BEFORE GRIEF

I’m at the Royal Palace.

The epitome of High Society—at least, within the confines of the Randalorion Kingdom.

It’s even more impressive than the paintings I’ve seen of it and the descriptions that I’ve heard over the years. The vast piece of land surrounding it alone is over 3,000 hectares, and the Grand Palace itself is so high that its top nearly reaches the sky.

The golden splendor of its exterior is dazzling, illuminating everything around, even in the night.

Truly... it is a sight of wonder.

Throughout both lifetimes, I have never seen anything that beats this wondrous sight.

The castle is an architectural wonder!

From miles away, the palace dominates the horizon like a crown set upon the earth. Its outer walls rise in layered tiers of polished white stone, each block cut so precisely that the seams disappear in the sunlight. The ramparts gleam with faint golden veins, as though the very rock has been infused with threads of sunlight. Massive banners—deep crimson trimmed in royal gold—flutter from the battlements, bearing the crest of the ruling house.

The palace stands atop a wide plateau encircled by cascading gardens. Terraced hills overflow with sculpted hedges, flowering trees, and crystalline ponds crossed by arched marble bridges. A grand ceremonial road leads upward, its black stone polished to a mirror sheen. Soldiers in gilded armor line the boulevard, their spears raised in perfect symmetry.

At the base of the main gate, two monumental statues—tall as watchtowers—stand in silent guardianship. Their eyes are inlaid with sapphires, catching the light in a way that makes them seem almost alive.

The gate itself is wrought from shimmering steel, bearing intricate reliefs of past kings, our Kingdom’s guardian spirits, and their mythical victories.

Then, after stepping inside, I’m greeted with an even more dazzling sight in the form of the Royal Palace’s interior courtyard.

Beyond the gates lies a vast land paved in alternating patterns of onyx and pearl. A row of towering pillars guides me to the palace’s main doors—massive constructions of ebony wood fused with gold.

When I swing open, a wave of cool, perfumed air escapes.

It screams of luxury.

Deep-seated, exquisite fineness of the highest caliber—the kind that makes your body tremble.

Inside is the Hall of Grandeur, a vast chamber where the ceiling vanishes so high into the air that it seems to merge with the heavens. Sunlight pours through stained-crystal skylights, painting the marble floor with shifting colors.

On either side of the hall, colossal murals depict the rise of the kingdom, each stroke of paint shimmering as though touched with Spells.

I marvel at these sights, even as the Grand Celebration Party commences.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the Throne Room; I’m certain it’s far grander than everything I have witnessed up to this point. I can only imagine what the Royal Living Quarters and the rest of the Palace’s Inner Sanctum would look like.

I do know that the rear of the palace opens into sprawling royal gardens, filled with rare flowers glowing under moonlight, trees that bear silver leaves, and fountains that produce melodies with the rhythmic flow of the water.

Perhaps on my way out, I can take a walk and observe those sights.

Regardless...

This feels too surreal.

It’s humbling beyond words, but at the same time, I feel a level of absurdity at the level of wealth displayed. As someone who has firsthand witnessed the state of the Randalorion Kingdom, seeing the way most of its residents live, this excessive display of riches can be a little... repulsive.

I’m no hypocrite.

I know full well that my family and I are also privileged—far above the commoners in status.

Not to mention the slaves.

But, even compared to the Duke Households, the Royal Family’s wealth is too great.

It’s like comparing the heavens and earth.

Even if all the Noble Households of the Kingdom join hands with all the Knight Households of the Kingdom, I am certain that we would only be able to match the Royal Family’s wealth, but not surpass it.

But, all of these riches... only for a select group of people?

People who, instead of earning it, were simply born into said luxury... It feels a little distasteful.

Then again, I’m in no position to criticize.

Such has been the way of the world since time immemorial, and there’s very little that can be said or done to make it change.

Those in power will do whatever it takes to consolidate resources and strengthen their foundations, continuously rising in strength, while those beneath them scramble for the leftover resources. As time passes, it becomes even more difficult for those at the bottom end to fight back.

By the time they realize how far the gap is, it will already be too late. They can only accept their positions and try to curry the favor of their overlords.

Such is the tragedy of life.

Despite this, I distract myself from grim thoughts and focus on the positive aspects of living.

It’s just as Brad told me—

"The world can be an ugly and scary place, but it is also vast and beautiful..."

The Royal Banquet officially begins, and from the get-go, it is established that the reason is to celebrate the death of the Cadre 5 Magivore and honor the Kingdom’s heroes. Since I’m the only one in attendance, representing my entire team, I become the center of attention.

All eyes fall on Javier Aditi.

Thanks to this, I have somehow become the Main Character at the epitome of High Society, enjoying all the prestige and honor that accompanies that luxury.

Barons swarm me like flies, offering polite greetings and invitations, almost like children.

The look of fascination and amazement on their faces almost puzzles me.

Their excessive friendliness is staggering.

But I handle myself with pristine courtesy and display the manners I learned back in the Academy, impressing everyone with my regal demeanor and performance.

Even my luxurious outfit, classy beyond description, is something that stands out in the group.

It was gifted to me by the Royal Family so I could wear it to this event.

If not, how could I possibly have access to such fine materials and workmanship?

Despite the Barons and even Earls battling for my attention, with Viscounts also showing me deep respect and admiration, I take the initiative to approach the Dukes and Counts of the Kingdom.

But not before I meet the Royal Family and offer my sincere thanks and greetings.

The King, Claudius Randalorion, his wife, Delilah, and their five children—three sons and two daughters—are all in attendance today.

I had seen Queen Delilah before, at my Graduation Ceremony, but that was only at a distance. Now that I’m up close, I can see that her beauty has grown even more pronounced.

Her eyes are especially alluring, almost seductive.

Despite being a mother of five, she looks like a woman at the pinnacle of youth.

I know why, of course.

’Looks like the effects of those Balms that are imported from abroad...’ I nod in complete understanding, but I’m still unable to take my eyes off her.

The two princesses are also shining gems, but they don’t at all compare to their mother.

I notice them giggling among themselves while scoping me with their eyes, but I couldn’t possibly care less about that. However, ogling the Queen too much would land me in some serious hot water, so I quickly divert my attention to the Princes.

There is Korrin, the one I’m most familiar with.

But he’s only the Second Prince.

First Prince, Jakob, looks to be in his thirties, having a grand and heroic aura around him.

In my past life, he was the one who became King.

However, with Korrin’s influence rapidly increasing in the Kingdom, one can never truly know the future. Regardless, I hope they keep me out of their political squabbles... though I doubt that would happen.

Even in this Party alone, I can see how they’re both trying to draw me to their side.

The advantage lies with Korrin, though.

Not only did we attend the Royal Academy when he was there, but we’ve had far too many interactions during my student days and after. He has also been quite helpful to me, and I understand him a lot better than I do Jakob.

There’s a saying that the devil you know is more preferable to the angel you don’t.

As for the Third Prince, Claus, he isn’t worth mentioning.

The boy is young, and while he impressed me with his manner of speech, I can see through his naivety. He hasn’t even had his Coming Of Age Ceremony yet, so that is understandable.

After paying my respects to the Royal Family, I chat it up with Prince Korrin a little, where we are interrupted by Serena and her cousin Jonathan. Serena is now a Ravenwood, since she married one of Duke Marcus Ravenwood’s children.

As for Jonathan, he is a proud Rudinger who is also a rising star within the Royal Knights.

Speaking of Royal Knights, they are practically everywhere in this party.

I expected security to be tight, since all the members of high society attended, but not to such an extent. Even if a Cadre 5 Magivore attacked right now, with the number of Armaments and highly competent individuals present, there is no doubt in my mind that all the Nobles and Royals here would be able to escape with their lives.

One has to be a High-Rank Knight to even meet the minimum qualification necessary to join the Royal Knights. They all wield C Grade Armaments, and the higher-ups have authorization to use B Grade Armaments.

Then, the Royal Knight General... is one of the only two people who can use an A Grade Armament in the Kingdom.

He is the sword of the King, and the Royal Knights are the guardians of the Royal Family.

The only other person who can use an A Grade Armament is the King of the Randalorion Kingdom himself. Since the topic of those high-tier Armaments is out of my jurisdiction, I don’t know how many A Grade Armaments our Kingdom has, or what their abilities are, but they can’t be a lot.

As for S Grade Armament, forget it.

Even with all the grandeur displayed here, we’re only a Mid-sized Kingdom in the end.

Only Large-sized Kingdoms possess those powerful arms.

Back to the matter at hand, though, I catch up with Serena and Jonathan, and alongside Prince Korrin, we reminisce on the Academy days. In the middle of talking, Serena’s husband joins in and tries to relate to our topic of discussion, but the friction he meets is palpable.

It’s clear that no one present even remotely likes him or wants him around.

After realizing he isn’t welcome in our midst, he finally decides to leave, even attempting to take Serena with him.

However, much to his shame, she completely ignores him.

Ouch...

For some reason, he glares at me before finally storming off in a fit of rage.

’What did I do this time?’ I groan internally. ’I even did my best to stifle my laughter, yet he seems the most annoyed at me. Is it my fault your wife doesn’t respect you?’

I almost want to shout at him, but I control myself.

What’s the use?

I even saved this guy’s mother and sisters, yet he hasn’t gotten over his anger towards me.

The worst part is that it is largely unjustified.

I have never had anything to do with his wife, and we’re just friends, yet his insecurities make him continue to suspect me.

I’m not even surprised that Serena doesn’t show him any regard at all.

From my experience, women despise insecure men. It also doesn’t help that the two got married for political reasons and not out of love.

Sigh...

None of this is my business, though.

I pretend like I didn’t notice the awkward interaction between spouses, and we continue to discuss our Royal Academy days, among other things. Then, surprisingly, Garron Starcrest and Vaelen Ashfall, the two leaders of the Noble Faction within the Academy, also join in the conversation.

Garron, with his huge, muscular body and bright green hair, looks incredibly manly, even with his pristine suit. I can tell he’s uncomfortable in the formal wear and would rather rip apart the shirt, just as he used to do with his school uniform in the Academy.

He’s a true-born warrior, easily capable of defeating my father even as a mere student.

I can only imagine how strong he is now.

Then, there’s Vaelen—a short man whose pride is as high as the heavens.

He has a constant smug smile on his face, with deep purple eyes and a neatly combed dark hair.

I had heard a lot of talk about his height in the Royal Academy, but now that I’m standing right next to him, I can see that the rumors weren’t exaggerated.

He looks like a child—about 5’2 at best.

Of course, I don’t dare point this out at all, not if I value my life in the Kingdom.

This guy and Garron are the children of the two other Dukes of the Randalorion Kingdom. And, unlike Serena’s husband, they are far more impressive in their accomplishments and social standing in the Kingdom.

Messing with either of them will only end badly for me—especially since they belong to the opposing Noble Faction.

The fact that Prince Korrin and company don’t simply ignore them or chase them off like they did with Serena’s husband, even though these two literally butted into our conversation, shows how much of a big deal they are.

If the Prince is cautious of them, how much more me?

After I’m done with that conversation, I get myself acquainted with the Counts.

I know quite a few of them, like the Academy’s Headmaster and Grand Scholar of the Randalorion Kingdom, Count Blake Winchester. I also met Count Kaelen Thornvale during my Graduation in the Academy, and even though he invited me to visit his Estate back then, I never quite had the time to.

Because of this, I intentionally make sure to seek him out in the crowd and offer my sincerest apology to him. To make up for my negligence, I promise to visit him before the year ends, which he appreciates with sheer excitement.

Count Kaelen truly is a true example of what a Noble should be.

Despite his slightly comical appearance, he is one of the few people who hold my respect.

I quite like him a lot.

It’s only after I’m done with the Royals, Dukes, and Counts, that I go ahead to meet the rest of the High Nobility—the lower tier.

I start with the Viscounts, then the Earls, and then the Barons.

At the party, I’m pleasantly surprised to meet Professor Klein Mornantte, a Senior Professor in the Royal Academy, and one of my personal favorites. He taught in the Department of Science and Natural Philosophy during my time there, and it seems that’s still his department.

Apparently, he has already inherited his Barony, which makes him an official Baron.

That’s good news!

Even as busy as he is as a Baron, he hasn’t quit his job in the Royal Academy.

In fact, he is working on a higher University Degree, so he can rise from an Erudite Scholar to a Grand Scholar. That’s quite the ambition—considering the difficulty of that scholarly journey.

Just as a reference, the Headmaster of the Royal Academy is also a Grand Scholar.

The prestige it offers is immense... but it’s a difficult level to attain.

Beyond that... is Supreme Scholar.

But no one in the Randalorion Kingdom bears that title yet, as it is too difficult to attain.

Still, I’m quite impressed with Sir Klein.

I ask him about some of my favorite professors in the Royal Academy, including Lady Seraphina Lindester. She was a Junior Professor when I left there, but just as I predicted, she is now a Senior Professor after attaining the Erudite Scholar status.

I really like that woman!

She helped me understand all the complex things in the Department of Rhetoric and Political Philosophy.

I owe her quite a lot.

Other than Anna Randalorion, she’s the woman I look up to most.

She’s also quite young, too—not even thirty yet. That makes her achievements even more impressive. That woman is a true Scholar!

After speaking with Professor Klein, I talk to a few others—some of them old seniors or classmates, and others being professors or acquaintances I made throughout my journey. In all of this, though, I make sure to ignore a certain man.

Yes, that’s right...

Earl Klaus Gerondester—the Dean of the Department of Administration & Statecraft, who schemed against me and made my life in the Academy a living hell!

I will never forget how he denied me my actual grades in his Department. How he framed me for insurrection and caused me to suffer torture, as well as sheer degradation, just for standing up for what I rightfully deserved.

I haven’t forgiven and will never forget any of them.

However, High Nobles are difficult to get rid of, so the most I can do is disgrace him by completely ignoring him and even making snide remarks that intentionally cause him to lose face.

By showing even Barons more respect, I have succeeded in tainting his image.

And, just as I intend, he is humiliated!

Ah... such relief.

Life is truly looking up.

"Sir Javier Aditi... a letter just arrived for you. It’s deemed as urgent, an emergency."

Right as I finally bask in the pleasures of the party, taking in a sip of wine to acknowledge my petty revenge, I receive news from one of the mobile protocol officers.

"Hm? Really?" I receive the letter in his hands, a little too dazed as I watch him leave.

Many questions enter my mind.

Can people really deliver letters to certain individuals in the Royal Palace? Why didn’t they deliver the message to my residence in the Royal Capital, considering I have only just arrived here and won’t be spending too long?

The delivery of letters takes time, and it is uncertain when it will arrive.

So how did the person know I would be at the Royal Palace when the letter was delivered?

I’m even surprised that I can get letters in the Royal Palace.

’Maybe they also delivered it to my residence. The guy did say it was an emergency...’ I slowly nod at the logic, though a part of me wonders if this is some kind of prank or surprise that the Royal Family designed.

Could be.

The crest is from my Aditi Household, though, which makes me second-guess it.

Anyway... I tear open the envelope and release the letter within it.

Then... silence.

It suddenly feels like the entire world has paused, or like I’ve been transported to another realm.

It’s quiet... eerie... and utterly dim.

My hand trembles as I hold the letter tightly, and the wine glass that occupies my other hand falls to the ground, breaking apart as the abundant crimson liquid spills out.

"This..."

My eyes bulge and my pupils shrink.

My irises tremble, dancing violently as I read and reread the letter with immense passion.

No.

This can’t be real.

No way! This... it can’t be true!

As all of these thoughts rapidly swirl in my brain, the last sentence of the letter boldly imprints itself in my sporadic mind.

"EVERYONE IS DEAD!"