Selene Voldreck stood atop a mountain, overlooking a dark lake, as a storm of unnatural fury raged around her. Thunder roared, rain poured in torrents, and the wind howled like wounded beasts. Mother Nature herself seemed to be in a fit of wrath, with no discernible cause.

Yet despite the fury of the elements, Selene remained unmoved. She still wore the sacred uniform of the Sword Gods. Around her, the rain dared not fall—each drop disintegrated before it could even touch her.

Arms crossed, she gazed down toward the base of the slope, where a lone figure fought against mud and exhaustion. A young girl was relentlessly training, doing push-ups in the soaked earth, her back burdened by a massive stone.

"One thousand five... one thousand six... one thousand seven..." she whispered, breathless. Her voice trembled with strain, but her determination cut through the rain like a blade.

From above, Selene watched her without blinking.

"Do you realize how arrogant you are?" she said calmly—but her voice thundered through the valley like a divine decree.

At that instant, a crushing aura erupted from her. The stone on the girl's back shattered under the invisible pressure, launching her violently into the mud.

"Argh!" she cried out, trembling.

Even the storm seemed to freeze before Selene's overwhelming presence.

Covered in filth, the girl slowly raised her eyes toward the figure perched on the mountaintop. She bit her lip until it bled, fighting back the pain.

Beneath the grime, her silver hair betrayed her lineage. Only one family in the entire Empire bore such hair—the fallen House of Clerc.

It was Adeline.

"You came here just to see me?" Selene asked, her gaze as sharp as ice.

Adeline, at her limit, couldn't even open her mouth. The rain, the fatigue, the pressure—they were all weighing her down.

This child... Selene thought, irritated.

"You crave attention so badly you're willing to face the Leviathan?"

Adeline stayed silent.

"Ignore one more of my questions, and I'll erase you from this world."

The sky seemed to answer the threat: lightning slashed across the horizon, like a warning.

"Do you truly wish to face the Leviathan?" Selene repeated.

Adeline clenched her teeth. Fear paralyzed her. She was standing before a living legend. An unreachable summit. Her idol.

But she hadn't come to marvel.

She summoned every ounce of strength, pride, and aura left in her, and forced a whisper through her lips:

"It's... to restore my family's honor."

Adeline vaguely remembered her father's warnings. This land, he had said, was not the victim of some random whim of nature. No—this chaos felt… orchestrated. But by what? That remained a mystery.

And yet… now that Selene had mentioned the Leviathan, Adeline was almost certain: that creature was at the heart of the anomaly.

Look at this girl, Selene thought. She knows nothing of the Leviathan, yet she speaks of facing it with such passion.

Were there still such fascinating little hotheads in the Empire?

"And how would slaying that monster erase your family's betrayal?" she asked, calm—almost curious.

"If it's… the source of all this," Adeline replied, regaining her breath, her voice low but steady, "then Emperor Lucian could reclaim even a tenth of the lost territory…"

Beneath the rain, she raised her head—her gaze trembling, yet unwavering.

"That would be a worthy feat for the Empire, wouldn't it? Enough to earn a title… maybe even nobility."

Interesting, Selene mused, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"So you intend to defeat what even all the Sword Gods together failed to destroy?"

Adeline's eyes widened—frozen in place.

A monster… stronger than all the Sword Gods combined?

Her shoulders slumped. Her eyes dropped to the ground.

It's… impossible. I…

But she clenched her fists. Maybe it was presumptuous, arrogant—even foolish. She knew that. And still, her voice, trembling yet firm, rang out:

"There's… a first time for everything. I'll be the one to defeat it."

Her heart pounded in her chest. Even she could barely believe the words that had just left her lips. She was already struggling to endure Selene's presence—how could she possibly face something that surpassed this living legend?

"Ah…" Selene let out a quiet chuckle.

This generation… full of surprises.

Without warning, she leapt from the mountaintop. She landed silently—but the sheer impact of her presence stilled the rain around her.

Adeline stopped dead in her tracks, mesmerized.

Selene approached, arms still crossed.

"You wanted me to train you, didn't you? You might die."

Her voice was steady, but her lips quivered slightly. Was that a tear? An emotion? Even she didn't seem to know.

But Adeline answered with a radiant, sincere smile.

"Yes. I'm ready."

Selene turned and began to walk away, slowly.

"Then follow me."

Adeline rushed after her, heart pounding.

As the mountain faded behind them, Selene spoke again—softly, almost to herself:

"Don't be mistaken. The Leviathan… wouldn't last two minutes against me."

Adeline opened her mouth, about to ask something. But Selene cut her off—her tone now much darker:

"The real problem… is that if it dies, the entire North will vanish with it."

____

In the imperial office

"Sir Lucian, I've just received confirmation from the druids. The contract has been signed. It takes effect immediately."

Chris stood as impeccably composed as ever, hands clasped behind his back.

Lucian, meanwhile, was hunched over his desk, quill in hand, writing on a parchment without even glancing up.

"They plan to begin construction in two days?" he asked calmly.

"Yes, two days from now. Hundreds of workers from the Tenth Empire will arrive, along with the promised funds, as outlined in the agreement."

Knock knock knock.

A soft rapping at the door. Lucian didn't lift his head.

"Speak from where you are," he said.

"Your Majesty, the meal is ready," came the gentle voice of a maid from the other side.

"It can wait," he replied curtly. Eating felt like a waste of time—his mind was elsewhere.

But then the maid added, her tone unexpectedly lively:

"Lady Ria wishes to dine with you."

Lucian's eyes widened.

She's awake? She slept nearly two full days…

To decline her invitation wasn't just rude. No… it was potentially fatal.

He sighed, set down his quill, and rubbed his temples.

"Damn it… I'm coming."

"Very well, Your Majesty," the maid replied—her voice laced with suspicious delight.

"Tch… I can never catch a break…"

He grabbed the imperial seal and began stamping each of the scattered files on his desk, grumbling all the while. Chris remained still, patiently waiting.

"I haven't stepped outside the palace in some time… Tell me, Chris, how's the people's morale?"

Chris cleared his throat.

"Due to the remnants of the old system, purchasing power remains low. The average citizen earns no more than 70 Velts. Even with a modest cost of living, that's barely enough to survive…"

Lucian's brows knitted together.

"Which is why the crime rate keeps climbing. It's retaliation… against the nobles."

Chris blinked, surprised.

He understands the pulse of the people…

"Correct, Your Majesty."

Lucian fell silent, deep in thought. Then, almost to himself, he murmured:

"But vengeance only breeds more vengeance. At this rate… we'll fall before we even reach five years."

Chris didn't respond. The air grew heavier.

Then Lucian raised his head, resolve burning in his eyes.

"Enough. We're changing that."

Chris hesitated, then asked cautiously:

"Your Majesty… are you reconsidering the removal of noble privileges?"

Lucian stood—abruptly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Chris. I never go back on a decision. It was, and still is, the right call."

He grabbed six folders from the desk.

"Take these. Carry out every instruction. The sixth is for Azrael and his disciples. Tell them to begin immediately."

Chris gave a small bow and accepted the documents.

Lucian exited the room with a confident grin on his face.

Ah…

Chris looked up at the ceiling.

"With what money does he plan to pay all these people?"

Then, like a spark, the answer clicked.

The contract… with the Tenth Empire. That ma

ssive sum…

He sighed, one hand to his forehead.

"What's he planning now…?"

His eyes fell to the folders in his hands.

A decree.

A mass recruitment campaign.

Open to all.

Across the entire Empire.

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