Chapter 65 – The Emperor's Decision
The throne room remained heavy with tension.
Not a single noble dared to breathe too loudly.
The emperor's golden gaze swept over them all, sharp as a blade. His grip on the armrest of his throne was tight, his expression unreadable.
Leonhardt Everhart—his strongest sword, his most powerful heir—had vanished.
And so had the Moon Demigod.
The implications were dangerous.
Had they left together?
Had she taken him?
Was this a political betrayal?
The empire's position was not yet stable. The war had not fully ended. If the strongest warrior in the empire had suddenly disappeared, then the nobles would begin to move.
And the emperor could not allow that.
Slowly, Emperor Kaelith leaned forward.
"We will send a decree." His voice was calm, yet absolute. "The imperial forces will begin the search for my nephew."
The nobles shifted.
A public decree?
That was dangerous.
If they openly admitted that the heir to the Everhart Dukedom was missing, then—
"The other empires will take advantage of this weakness," Duke Edmund Reinhardt said cautiously.
The emperor's gaze flickered to him. "Then we will ensure they do not."
He turned to Aldric Everhart.
"As his father, do you have any words, Grand Duke?"
Aldric, who had been silent this entire time, finally lifted his head.
His crimson eyes were cold.
Unshaken.
Unmoved.
"The boy is alive," he said simply. "If he wished to return, he would have."
Silence.
A noble swallowed. "Then… you are saying the heir left of his own will?"
Aldric's gaze sharpened.
He did not answer.
Because the truth was—he did not know.
But if Leonhardt was not captured…
Then that meant he had chosen to disappear.
Why?
A Dangerous Truth
The nobles exchanged glances.
There were two possibilities.
One—Leonhardt had been taken.
Two—Leonhardt had left willingly.
Neither were good.
The first would mean the empire had lost its strongest genius.
The second would mean Leonhardt Everhart had a hidden goal.
And if the latter was true—then what was it?
For seven years, the heir had been loyal, disciplined, a perfect imperial knight.
There had never been a single sign of rebellion.
Yet now—he had disappeared.
Had they been blind?
Duke Valmont's voice was careful. "…Your Majesty. What if the heir's disappearance was caused by the Moon Demigod?"
The emperor's fingers twitched.
A dark silence fell over the room.
Then, the emperor spoke—voice sharp as steel.
"Find them both."
The nobles tensed.
Aldric's gaze remained unreadable.
But his hands curled slightly into fists.
"…And if he refuses to return?"
The emperor's eyes burned.
"Then bring him back by force."
A King's Anger
Across the battlefield, within the heart of the enemy kingdom, the reaction was no less chaotic.
The King of Aurion, who had fought alongside the Sun God's forces, stood in his war tent, his expression grim.
His trusted knights knelt before him.
"We have failed to retrieve the Moon Demigod, Your Majesty," one said hesitantly.
The king's jaw tightened.
For years, his kingdom had fought in the name of the Sun God.
They had believed the war was turning in their favor.
Then—Leonhardt Valerian Everhart appeared.
And in a matter of months, the tides had shifted violently.
The Grand Duke's heir had devastated their forces.
And now, just when they had placed their final hopes on the Moon Demigod, she too—had vanished.
"…You are dismissed."
The knights quickly withdrew.
Only when the tent was empty did the king finally exhale sharply, his hands pressing against the table.
"This was not supposed to happen."
Aetheria had promised to protect his kingdom.
He had trusted her.
Yet now—
His kingdom was on the verge of collapse.
The Sun God's Answer
High above the world, within the realm of the divine, a pair of golden eyes watched silently.
Ra—the Sun God—remained seated upon his throne.
Before him, his priests prayed desperately, seeking guidance.
But he did not speak.
He did not need to.
Because he already knew where Aetheria was.
He had seen the moment her soul collided with his.
The moment they had met on that battlefield.
The moment she had chosen to leave.
And he had chosen not to stop her.
His daughter—his beloved child—was finally where she belonged.
For now, he would let her go.
Because soon—
The world would learn the truth.
And when they did—
No kingdom, no empire, no god would be able to stop what was coming.