Kingdom of Arselian – Royal Palace, Midnight
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Heavy armored boots slammed against polished marble floors as a lone knight sprinted down the grand corridor.
Crystal chandeliers swayed gently overhead, casting fractured light across tapestries depicting ancient heroes and golden dragons. The palace, usually serene and majestic at night, now felt suffocating.
The knight—Sir Elias, a veteran of the border patrols—didn't slow down. His breath came in ragged bursts, sweat streaking his face beneath his half-raised visor.
He clutched a blood-stained scroll in one gauntleted hand. Without knocking, he barged through the towering oak doors of the War Council Chamber.
Every head inside snapped toward him.
A dozen of the kingdom's highest-ranking knights and commanders sat around a massive circular table strewn with maps, glowing magical lanterns, and half-empty goblets of wine.
The air was thick with pipe smoke and tension.
"Report!" barked one grizzled commander.
Sir Elias dropped to one knee, still panting.
"My lords… a massive wave of powerful monsters is pouring out of the Darkest Region—the Great Devil's Nest. Villages on the western border have already sent ravens. They say the beasts are… fleeing. Something is driving them out. The main horde will reach the outer settlements in days."
Murmurs erupted across the room. Commanders leaned over the maps, pointing at forest markers. One slammed his fist on the table.
"Again? We just reinforced the northern passes last month!"
"Could it be the Demon's forces stirring?"
"Or a new dungeon break?"
Sir Owen rose slowly from his seat.
He was a powerful man—broad-shouldered, clad in silver-white plate armor even at this hour, with a longsword resting against his chair.
As the King's right hand and one of the kingdom's most powerful knights, his presence alone quieted the room.
"Enough."
His voice was calm but carried the weight of command.
"Send ravens to every garrison. All men-at-arms are to mobilize immediately. Prioritize the defense of the western villages. Evacuate civilians if necessary, but hold the line. I want three companies ready to march by dawn."
He turned to a scribe in the corner.
"Draft a full report to His Majesty. Include our current actions and request his counsel."
The room burst into coordinated motion messengers rushing out, orders being shouted down the halls.
Owen's sharp gaze swept the table.
"Where is the Sword Saint? We need her on the front immediately."
A younger commander shifted uncomfortably.
"Both the Sword and kicking Saints are currently unreachable, Sir Owen. Lady Iris is on a mission in the eastern mountains, and Saint Usagi was dispatched to investigate the Great Devil's Nest two weeks ago. No word from either."
Owen's jaw tightened, a flash of fury crossing his face.
"Damn it. The timing couldn't be worse."
The council continued late into the night, strategies forming and orders flying. But as the hours passed and more reports trickled in, another absence became glaringly obvious.
Princess Lexia was nowhere to be found.
Later that night – Royal Chambers
King Aldric paced before the massive hearth, his royal robes disheveled from being woken abruptly. Sir Owen stood at attention nearby, arms crossed.
"She's done it again,"
The King growled, rubbing his temples.
"My daughter has the worst habit of disappearing when the kingdom needs her most. Find her, Owen. Before this monster wave turns into a full crisis."
Owen bowed slightly.
"I've already sent scouts to her usual hiding spots and favorite training grounds. But if she's gone into the forest again…"
He didn't finish the sentence. Both men knew the dangers.
The kingdom was stirring to war, unaware that the "monster" driving the horde was no mindless beast—but something far more dangerous walking on two legs.
Yuuya's POV
The subway train rattled gently along its tracks, the familiar hum of metal on metal blending into white noise. Yuuya sat near the back, one leg crossed over the other, his sketchbook balanced on his knee.
The fluorescent lights overhead cast a soft glow across the page as his pencil flew with precise, confident strokes.
He was drawing the forest from yesterday — not the blood-soaked battlefield littered with goblin corpses, but the quiet beauty that had existed moments before the fight.
Towering ancient trees wrapped in moss. Sunlight piercing through the canopy in golden shafts. A small stream winding between roots, its surface reflecting dappled light.
Every detail was captured with almost supernatural clarity: the texture of bark, the delicate veins of leaves, the subtle shift of shadows.
His metallic gray eyes flicked between the page and his memory, completely absorbed.
A soft buzz vibrated against his thigh.
Yuuya paused, reached into his pocket, and pulled out his phone. A new message from Kaori lit up the screen.
Kaori: Hey! I found a good spot — the little café on the corner of Sakura and 5th, near the park entrance. 3 PM? Can't wait to hear about your latest "forest expedition" 😊
A faint smile tugged at his lips. He typed a quick reply.
Yuuya: Sounds perfect. See you there.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket and returned to the sketch. A few more swift lines, a touch of shading on the distant treeline, and it was done.
The drawing looked almost photographic — alive, breathing, as if the forest itself had been pulled onto the paper.
Around him, the subway car had grown unusually quiet.
Passengers stole glances in his direction, their conversations dropping to hushed whispers. A group of high school girls near the doors kept sneaking looks, faces flushed.
"Oh my god… he's insanely hot."
"Is he a model? He has to be."
"Those eyes… They look silver or something. And that hair? Perfect."
"Should we say something? He's drawing… Maybe he's an artist?"
"No way, I'd die of embarrassment. Look at him — he's on another level."
Yuuya didn't look up. He'd grown used to this. The stares. The whispers. It barely registered anymore.
He simply closed the sketchbook with a soft snap, slid it neatly into his bag, and zipped it shut.
The train began to slow, brakes squealing gently as the automated voice announced his stop.
He stood, slinging the bag over one shoulder, and moved toward the doors with that same calm, effortless grace. The other passengers parted slightly without realizing it, eyes still glued to him.
As the doors hissed open, Yuuya stepped out onto the platform, the chaotic energy of the city washing over him. The forest, the goblins, the Goblin General — all of it felt distant now, like another world.
But he knew better.
Something bigger was stirring.
For now, though… he had a café to get to.
End of chapter