Emperor Valugius sat in thoughtful silence after hearing the group recounting of the events, his sharp gaze settling on the group. The tension in the room was palpable, as though everyone was holding their breath, waiting for what the emperor would say next.
Finally, the emperor spoke, his voice measured and commanding, "This mysterious figure, what can you tell me about him? We know his appearance: a young man, likely around your age, and black hair. He wore a black robe with intricate silver designs. His abilities, however, are what concern me most. The magic or technique he wields is unlike anything our empire’s mages have encountered, and the fact that he can appear and disappear at will suggests he has the power to evade even our most advanced security systems and sharpest senses."
Prince Andrin leaned forward, his curiosity evident. "I’m more worried about the extensiveness of his knowledge. What do you think of this man? Is he an ally, an enemy, or perhaps something else?"
The group exchanged glances. Shiro looked at Celes, giving her a slight nod. Celes took a deep breath, remembering her own encounter with the figure—their brief but impactful conversation.
“I asked him a similar question when we met,” Celes began, her voice steady. “He already told us that he was neither an ally nor an enemy. I think most of the time he is an observer, someone who only intervenes when he deems it necessary, when he feels there’s something important to convey, or when the situation becomes too dire to ignore.”
Ren on the sidelines was shocked. “She really is observant, especially to people.”
The prince contemplated Celes words, a pensive expression on his face. The emperor, however, seemed more resolute. "Regardless of his intentions, a figure with such power must be approached with caution. The fact that he saved the academy indicates he is not aligned with these shadowy creatures. For now, that will have to suffice."
Prince Andrin nodded in agreement, though his eyes still held a glint of curiosity. The room grew tense once more, the weight of unanswered questions pressing down on them. The uncertainty surrounding the figure, the shadowy monsters, and the strange occurrences in the academy left them all uneasy.
Rolan, though, always quick to ease tension, broke the silence with a lighthearted remark. "You know, it would be pretty awkward if that mysterious man were in this room right now, hearing all of this."
The whole room froze. Even the emperor’s composure faltered momentarily, and everyone exchanged looks of surprise and alarm. Rolan blinked, realizing the gravity of what he just suggested. None of them had considered the possibility that Ren could be present, listening in on their conversation.
Shiro, feeling a slight unease, discreetly tried to sense any unusual presence in the room but found nothing. The prince, however, chuckled after a moment, leaning back in his chair with a smile. "As absurd as it sounds, there’s a chance it could be true. Imagine, the most secure room in the entire castle, breached by someone who can vanish into thin air."
Princess Isobel looked around eagerly, almost as if she expected the figure to materialize before them, while the Empress Rias glanced around with a mix of curiosity and concern. The emperor, however, was less amused by the thought that his castle’s security might be so easily bypassed, though he, too, couldn’t help but wonder.
Suddenly, the prince raised his voice in a playful tone, "If you’re really here, mysterious man, I’d love to have a word with you!"
The room fell silent, everyone waiting with bated breath, half-expecting the figure to appear. But nothing happened. The silence dragged on, and the prince eventually slumped back in his seat, feigning disappointment. "Well, it was worth a try."
Valis chuckled softly, adding, "Indeed, it was."
Ren, though, who had been silently observing from the corner of the room, put a hand to his head and sighed. He had been caught off guard when Rolan’s joke hit so close to home, and even more so when the prince practically invited him to reveal himself.
“That idiot, sometimes he really does have the worst timing.” Ren murmured.
A small part of him had considered it, but the risk was too great. He could imagine the chaos that would ensue if he suddenly appeared before the emperor and the royal family. No matter how powerful his abilities were, he had no desire to find out what it would be like to be swarmed by imperial guards or potentially imprisoned. It is better to avoid such situations entirely.
Finally, the emperor cleared his throat, bringing the meeting to a close. "As a reward for your bravery and service to the empire, each of you is permitted to choose one item from the castle’s armory."
Liana and Rolan couldn’t contain their excitement at the prospect, their earlier tension melting away in the face of such a rare opportunity.
The emperor rose from his seat, signaling the end of the meeting. "Thank you all once again for your efforts. You are dismissed."
As the meeting concluded, the empress and princess approached Shiro and his friends, shaking their hands and offering words of gratitude and admiration. The prince shook hands with Valis, exchanging a few final words. Then, with a sense of relief and exhaustion, the group made their way out of the meeting room, heading to their private quarters to rest.
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The group settled into their assigned room in the resident hall next to the castle, marveling at the luxury and comfort it provided. The emperor had not only granted them a grand room but also full access to the castle’s food and services.
After the tension of the meeting, it was a welcome reprieve. Valis, however, separated from the group, intent on meeting with the other generals and visiting the castle’s military hangar. Meanwhile, Shiro, Liana, Rolan, Lucius, and Celes decided to indulge in the castle’s services, taking full advantage of the amenities at their disposal.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Have you tried this fruit?” Liana asked, holding up a strange, spiky fruit.
Rolan, reclining on a plush couch, chuckled. “I’m trying everything. When are we ever going to get a chance like this again?”
“Lucius, you have to see the view from here,” Shiro called out, peeking out of one of the large windows. “You can see the entire courtyard!”
Lucius was halfway through exploring the array of exotic foods. “One moment! This feast demands my full attention.”
Celes, meanwhile, had her eyes on the table full of desserts—cakes, cookies, and candies of every kind. "Liana, do you want some cake? It's too big for me to eat on my own," she said, her gaze lingering on a particularly large slice.
"Of course! Let’s try that velvet one," Liana replied excitedly.
Ren, on the other hand, had a different plan in mind. As the others relaxed, he slipped away, intent on finding the most guarded place in the castle, other than the royal chambers.
The Golden Vault.
In the game, the vault was an inaccessible room. Players had tried everything to get in, from forcing it open to using bugs to phase inside, even searching through the source code, but no one ever succeeded. However, now with his skill, Ren could easily slip inside without anyone noticing. He would be a fool not to try it.
The castle was massive, a labyrinth of halls and rooms dedicated to research, various departments, agencies, and more. Ren wandered through the endless corridors, his senses alert as he searched for the vault’s location.
"Where is it? If I remember correctly, it should be around here," he murmured under his breath, turning yet another corner.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally found it—a room protected by a massive golden door that resembled a safe. The golden door was secured by a keypad, which only the emperor himself knew the code to.
“But that’s not going to stop me,” Ren smirked, knowing his own skill.
With confidence, Ren moved toward the vault door and phased through it. The door was thick, designed to be impenetrable from both outside and inside interference. But for Ren, it meant nothing, his Unexistence skill rendered such barriers meaningless.
Ren shielded his eyes for a moment, then slowly took in the sight before him. “Whoa…”
The room was a breathtaking display of wealth and history, with marble walls, gold-trimmed columns, and an intricately designed mat covering the floor. Glass cases lined the walls, each containing a weapon, piece of armor, or artifact from the continent’s past. Some of the items had plaques explaining their names and uses, but others were simply marked as unknown, their purposes yet to be discovered by the empire.
Ren’s eyes scanned the room, recognizing many of the items from his knowledge of the game. There were legendary weapons, essential for the protagonists and side characters in the future, and artifacts that would play pivotal roles in the story later on.
Suddenly, Ren remembered something. "Wait, without players controlling them, how would they know which weapons to choose?"
In the game, players could select the best weapons for each character, carefully choosing those that suited them best. The right weapon could make all the difference.
"Maybe I could give them a clue... or just tell them outright which ones are the best later," Ren pondered.
Deciding to leave that thought for later, he continued to explore the vault, searching for anything that could be useful to him. But then something stopped him in his tracks.
Ren’s eyes widened; his gaze settled on a particular item—a silver clock pendant with a blueish colored intricate mechanism, like the color of the sea itself. At its center was a small rock, a piece of meteorite that fall almost two centuries ago, according to the game’s lore. This was the Meridian Clock, a key item in the third arc of the game, when Renusia agents would break into the vault to steal it.
“I totally forgot about this thing. This item will be very important for the plot later, but it is kind of useless for now.” Ren said while inspecting the clock.
Ren hesitated, considering whether or not to take it. While the story had already diverged significantly, he was wary of altering it further. Taking the clock could have unforeseen consequences, potentially derailing events that were meant to unfold.
“Should I…?” Ren muttered to himself, pacing back and forth in front of the clock. “No… no, I shouldn’t. Too risky.”
After a few moments of internal debate, he decided against it. The risk was too great, and besides, he didn’t need the item for his own purposes.
Continuing to explore the room, Ren was tempted by the array of legendary items but refrained from taking anything. He was about to leave when something unexpected happened. His Origin Metal, currently in the form of a robe, began pulling him toward the back of the room.
“What’s going on?” Ren muttered, following the pull. It led him to a small wooden box that seemed out of place among the opulence.
The box was plain, almost mundane compared to the other treasures in the room. Yet Ren curiosity was piqued. “What’s so special about this?”
But before attempting to open it, Ren realized he would need to use his skill timer. The problem was, he didn’t know if there was an alarm system inside the vault or not.
“If I remember correctly, when those Renusia agents stole the clock in the game, there wasn’t an alarm inside. The only challenge was bypassing that massive vault door,” Ren thought to himself.
Looking around, he couldn’t spot any cameras or signs of an alarm system, but there could still be something hidden. Despite the uncertainty, the allure of whatever was inside the box was too tempting to resist.
"Alright, no point in overthinking it," Ren slapped his cheeks to build up his confidence. "Here goes nothing..."
He pressed the timer and reappeared in the physical world, cautiously waiting for any reaction. Seconds passed, and still nothing happened.
"Whew, okay then. I thought my time in jail was coming, though no jail could really hold me," Ren chuckled to himself.
He then opened the wooden box to find a small black cube inside, similar in appearance to a Rubik’s cube but without any colored squares. It was all black, with the middle of one side being a circular hole, emitting a faint purple glow. Ren picked up the cube, surprised by how light it was. The material felt metallic but soft, almost like leather, and it was warm to the touch.
Suddenly, the Origin Metal shifted, turning liquid and flowing toward the cube as if attempting to devour it. But to Ren’s surprise, the cube’s purple glow repelled the metal, creating a purplish colored barrier around itself.
“Whoa! What’s happening?” Ren exclaimed, watching the cube fend off the metal.
The metal tried several times to consume the cube, but each attempt was thwarted by the mysterious energy. After a few more tries, the metal finally relented, retreating and solidifying back into Ren’s robe.
“What is this thing?” Ren wondered aloud, opening his status screen to examine the cube.
image [https://i.imgur.com/0gljQHV.jpeg]
So, it’s like a personal protective barrier,” Ren guessed. “That could come in handy.”
It was perfect for him, as he currently lacked any genuine defensive item for his limited time in the physical world. Satisfied with his find, Ren carefully placed the cube in his bag, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
“Alright, I think that’s enough treasure hunting for one day,” Ren muttered, heading back toward the secret passage. “Time to get back and plan our next move.”
Now, it was time for Ren to return to Shiro and the others and start planning their training.
“I’m sure they won’t mind. They’ve had plenty of fun today, so tonight…” Ren smirked mischievously. “It’s time for some exercise. A very grueling exercise.”