After cleaning themselves and changing into fresh clothes, Rigo and Leon walked through the long corridor toward the throne room.
Their steps were steady, but the atmosphere around them felt heavy.
The mission at Araezel Cave had been completed, yet both of them knew that the consequences of their actions—especially Leon’s decision to spare the hostages—meant that this report would not simply be about the results of the mission. It would also be about how the Emperor judged their choices.
At the end of the corridor stood a massive door carved with the crest of the Empire.
Two guards opened it silently as they approached.
Rigo and Leon stepped into the throne room.
Inside, the chamber felt colder—more oppressive—as if the gold-plated walls held whispers of every secret and intrigue within the Empire.
At the far end of the hall, seated upon a magnificent throne adorned with golden dragon carvings, was Emperor Valerian.
His face was cold and proud, his gaze filled with authority that bordered on intimidation.
Beside him stood Darius, the leader of the Gelar Clan. His expression was unreadable, but his sharp eyes never left Leon.
Leon forced himself to remain calm, though his heart beat rapidly.
He knew this moment mattered.
This report would be one of his first true tests before both the Emperor and the Gelar Clan.
Every word and action had to be carefully measured.
Rigo stepped forward first.
In her hands were two large leather sacks.
Without hesitation, she dropped them onto the floor before the throne.
The heads of Thorne and Lyra rolled partly into view—hair disheveled, their faces frozen in death.
Emperor Regulus observed the heads with cold indifference before shifting his gaze to Rigo and Leon.
Darius, standing beside him, seemed momentarily surprised, though his expression quickly returned to its usual calm control.
“Report, Rigo,” the Emperor commanded.
His voice was low, firm, and filled with authority.
Rigo gave a brief salute.
“The mission at Araezel Cave has been completed according to your command, Your Majesty. The bandits occupying the area have been eliminated. Their leaders, Thorne and Lyra, were defeated and brought here as proof.”
Her voice was flat and steady.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
The Emperor nodded slowly, his expression unreadable.
Then his gaze shifted from Rigo to Leon.
“I also heard…” the Emperor said, studying the boy carefully, “…that this child defeated one of them.”
His eyebrows rose slightly.
It was a rare expression of surprise.
Thorne and Lyra were not ordinary bandits.
They were criminals responsible for killing many knights and soldiers sent by noble families before.
Each of them was said to possess the strength of a hundred men.
The Emperor would not have been surprised if Rigo had defeated them—she was an elite assassin of the Gelar Clan, capable of fighting hundreds alone.
But hearing that the seven-year-old boy beside her had killed one of them was another matter entirely.
Darius looked toward Rigo, silently seeking confirmation.
Rigo nodded calmly.
“It is true, Your Majesty. I fought Thorne. Lyra faced Leon… and he defeated her.”
The Emperor studied Leon more closely.
A spark of interest appeared in his eyes.
A child defeating one of the most dangerous killers the Empire had faced.
It was… intriguing.
“Impressive,” the Emperor murmured.
“I did not expect someone your age to possess such skill.”
Leon lowered his head respectfully.
Inside, he carefully suppressed his thoughts.
He knew his abilities would not escape the Emperor’s notice.
He had to avoid drawing too much attention.
After all, although he wanted to change the future, every step had to be taken carefully.
The Emperor continued,
“The noble families whose relatives were rescued have sent their gratitude. They also delivered gifts as tokens of appreciation. They now feel indebted to the Gelar Clan and the Empire.”
Leon felt a wave of relief.
In his previous life as Rigo, he had slaughtered the hostages.
That single decision had turned loyal nobles against the Emperor and weakened the Empire.
This time…
He had saved them.
Perhaps this small change would create a much larger impact in the future.
Still, Leon knew his work was far from finished.
He still had to find a way to prevent the great war he knew would come—the war that would shatter the Empire and cost thousands of lives.
The Emperor observed the two young assassins silently.
After a moment, he gave a faint smile.
“You have done well,” he said.
“I am pleased to have warriors like you serving the Empire.”
Darius, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
“Your Majesty, do you have further orders for us?”
The Emperor paused for a moment.
Then he looked at Leon again.
“No further tasks for now,” he said.
“You may rest.”
His gaze sharpened slightly.
“But I will be watching your progress, Leon. I want to see how far your potential can grow.”
Leon lowered his head again.
The Emperor’s words meant he had gained attention.
For most young assassins of the Gelar Clan, that would have been a great honor.
But not for Leon.
He had a far more important mission than becoming the Empire’s greatest assassin.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Leon said calmly.
The Emperor nodded, signaling their dismissal.
Rigo and Leon turned and left the throne room.
When the massive doors closed behind them, Leon exhaled slowly.
Their report was finished.
But new challenges had already begun.
As they walked back down the long palace corridor, Rigo glanced at Leon with a strange expression.
Throughout her life, she had never felt hesitation during a mission.
But Leon had changed the outcome of this mission.
He had saved the hostages.
And that made her question something she had never questioned before.
“Why didn’t you let me kill them?” Rigo asked suddenly.
Her tone was neutral, but curiosity lingered beneath it.
Leon stopped for a moment and looked at her.
His eyes carried a maturity no child should possess.
“Not everyone needs to die,” Leon said quietly.
“Our mission was to eliminate the bandits. Those who had nothing to do with it didn’t deserve to be sacrificed.”
Rigo fell silent.
Those words felt foreign to her.
Inside the Gelar Clan, she had been taught that mercy was weakness.
Anyone standing in their path was simply an obstacle to be removed.
Yet Leon’s words lingered in her mind.
---
Meanwhile, in the luxurious chamber of the Arcelis family estate, Seraphina sat on the edge of her bed, hugging her favorite doll tightly.
A bright smile spread across her face.
In front of her stood an elderly servant who had just finished gathering information.
Seraphina, usually quiet and gentle, now looked unusually excited as she listened to every word.
Beside her sat her mother, Lady Arcelis, watching her daughter with a mixture of affection and concern.
“So… his name is Leon?” Seraphina asked softly, her voice filled with curiosity.
“And he’s a noble’s son?”
The servant smiled and nodded.
“Yes, Lady Seraphina. Leon is the son of Baron Albrecht von Dreiss, a rather influential noble family. At the moment, he is staying in the imperial palace, training with the Gelar Clan.”
Seraphina fell silent for a moment.
Her eyes sparkled as if she were imagining a fairy tale.
To her, Leon was not merely a noble boy.
He was her hero.
The boy who appeared in her darkest moment.
The one who chased away her fear and replaced it with hope.
She could still remember it clearly—
Leon bravely fighting the bandits and protecting her.
Every time she thought about it, her heart fluttered as if she were hearing one of the adventure stories from her childhood books.
Seraphina looked at the servant again.
“So he’s training to become a knight?”
The servant hesitated briefly before nodding.
“Something like that, Lady Seraphina. He is being trained as part of the Empire’s special forces. Which means… the training is extremely harsh. He must learn many difficult things.”
Beside her, Lady Arcelis sighed quietly.
She could see how captivated Seraphina had become by Leon.
And it worried her.
Her gentle, innocent daughter knew little about the cruelty of the world outside.
She feared Seraphina might place too much hope on something that might not match reality.
---
