“What’s happening!”
“Help! The sun, the sun is disappearing!”
“This wasn’t in the schedule! Hasn’t God grown angry?”
“This is surely a revelation to stop this tournament!”
Everyone became noisy, nobles and commoner spectators alike. And for good reason—in the empire, a solar eclipse was an extremely ominous phenomenon. When astronomers predicted an eclipse in advance, it was normal for imperial citizens to stay indoors and pray that day. On the day of what was known as the longest eclipse at forty minutes, there were even those who couldn’t overcome their fear and chose death.
“Everyone maintain order! Moving about recklessly without order is more dangerous!”
Kaeun hyung, who had been judging, tried to stop them, but it was ineffective. Rather, those who just shouted after hearing those words were relatively fine. Half of those in the spectator seats cursed at those trying to stop them and tried to get outside in a panic state. Because of that, even those who had been staying still were swept up, and the arena fell into tremendous chaos.
“What should we do?”
“We must end the event immediately and go indoors.”
The nobles didn’t act quite so violently to maintain their dignity, but many trembled with anxiety. Especially those rumored to be devout were shaking and reciting prayers.
“Assassins might mix into the chaos and do something to His Highness. Call the knights from the outskirts to supplement our numbers.”
Fortunately, the knights, for whom His Highness’s safety was most important no matter what happened, were doing their jobs despite their fear. I had known in advance that the eclipse would occur, and my loyalty to His Highness preceded my faith, so I wasn’t afraid of the darkness.
‘What should I do?’
What was more troubling was the future I’d seen in my foresight.
‘If only I didn’t have the ability of foresight, I wouldn’t have this worry either.’
The past me who had despaired when my foresight ability disappeared would have called this a problem of abundance, but that was how I felt now.
“I’ll mediate.”
While I was having a brief but fierce internal struggle, His Highness rose.
“Your Highness! It’s better to evacuate. Even if it’s not God’s curse, the arena is too chaotic.”
“Where is there a commander who flees first from the battlefield?”
His Highness added “And,” then gestured lightly so that only the knights nearby could notice. At the end of that gesture was Her Majesty the Empress. She was giving some kind of instructions. So, to be more precise, she appeared very composed even facing the sudden eclipse.
The Empress was strong and insidious like the imperial palace people, and like the Arsein Family, with snake-like aspects, but like most noble faction members, they also had considerable faith in God. So it was strange to show such a reaction to a sudden eclipse.
‘These are people who think even the things they do are all God’s will, yet they can act like that.’
Especially remembering Her Majesty the Empress who had curled up her entire body and prayed to God when lightning suddenly struck during a hunting event before.
“It seems they’ve done something, so we can’t just stand by. Two knights go to the Mage Tower and detain Jerain. It’s highly likely he colluded or was threatened.”
“Yes!”
Jerain was a mage who researched celestial bodies among mages. His Highness, who quickly identified the cause, didn’t delay and stood up from his seat to a place where he could look down on everyone in the arena. That alone drew attention and those who had been fleeing hesitated. The light of the sun, not yet completely covered, created both light and shadow on His Highness’s face.
“Everyone calm down.”
A calm, low voice rang through the tournament grounds. Even those noisily shouting closed their mouths to hear His Highness’s voice. Those far away who couldn’t hear His Highness’s voice also naturally turned their heads to look up at where His Highness was when attention focused on one place.
After sufficient waiting, His Highness raised his voice, both resonant and full of resolve.
“Light does not come to those who fear darkness. We will hold a ceremony until the sun rises, so everyone prove your faith where you stand. Those who find it difficult may leave.”
They said he commanded from the very front of the battlefield, and I could perfectly imagine that sight. The light was gradually disappearing, yet only one person was shining. The only light I worshiped.
“Crown Prince, Your Highness! We will prepare the ceremony.”
Several priests who had come to give blessings before and after the tournament hurriedly read the atmosphere and came to stand beside His Highness. His Highness, who nodded, still stood tall at the highest place, becoming a lighthouse for the confused people.
“We’ll handle this, so you prevent people from coming up the stairs. Those who aren’t in their right minds might rush in.”
Sir Ken seemed anxious about keeping me by His Highness’s side given the emergency. When I didn’t answer immediately, he added.
“The bottom of the stairs won’t be very dangerous either. I’m sending you down just in case, so don’t worry.”
“Understood.”
Though I answered briefly, my head was complicated. If it had been a situation where I couldn’t move because I was conscious of other knights’ attention, I could have at least made the excuse ‘I had no choice.’ But now…
“His Highness is holding a ceremony to God! Everyone take your positions, and those on the outermost edges call for more people!”
The sight of knights moving busily and their loud shouts didn’t register properly. In my vision, only the sight of His Highness touching Tienas’s corpse with longing and looking at the bed here and there while working every night passed by.
‘That corpse should now disappear from this land, but is it right to take it away from His Highness in this manner?’
I looked up at His Highness preparing himself for the ceremony.
[How lovely, yet it’s regrettable I couldn’t look closely.]
The words I’d heard a little while ago rang out again like an auditory hallucination.
[When alive, he was even lovelier. His eyes were especially pretty, but it’s agonizing that I can’t see them anymore.]
In the end, I moved my body before reaching any answer.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to request support.”
“Others have already left.”
“The Second Garden hasn’t had anyone go yet, has it? Since I’m the most incompetent, it’s better if I move.”
After convincing those trying to stop me, what came after was quick. Using the foresight that came in flashes and my memory, it took less than ten minutes to reach the Crown Prince’s palace through paths without people. It was even faster because everyone was busy catching intruders or blocking the routes they’d entered through.
‘What I saw in my foresight will happen soon.’
The sun was completely covered by the curtain of darkness, and darkness descended. When I hurriedly opened the door, the mage I’d seen in my foresight was just being caught by a knight.
‘No.’
He was someone who could cast powerful magic even while being subdued by the knights.
‘The future won’t change just because I rush in with them.’
So I ran straight to the bed.
“Sir Aila? What is this!”
The knights were wary of me suddenly intruding.
“All die!”
The maddened mage, rather than being flustered by the unexpected situation, shot fire at the bed as if seizing an opportunity.
“Urgh!”
However, my body touching the corpse came first. Using the momentum from running, I pushed the corpse straight to the floor. A shock like being slammed into a wall hit due to the barrier, but that wasn’t the end.
‘Damn.’
The fire that should have attached to the corpse attached to my right forearm instead. I quickly tore off my clothes, but the fire seal had already attached to my forearm.
“Ahhh, ahhhhh!”
“Sir Simon! Use water magic!”
Water was sprayed on my shoulder, but preventing it from spreading further was the best we could do. The difference in level was clearly enough to ignore elemental compatibility.
‘Even if he’s also a knight, how could an imperial mage…’
The thought didn’t continue long. Due to pain that destroyed my sanity, my thoughts cut off here and there.
“Call someone! No, kill the mage!”
The mage, who was clearly out of his mind, cleanly burned off one of his own arms as if it wasn’t even painful, escaping the knights’ restraints. Realizing this pain wouldn’t end easily, I drew my sword with trembling hands.
‘I mustn’t die.’
I’d always been prepared to die—no, there were even times I’d hoped for death—but this time I had that thought. Perhaps it was because I’d seen with my own eyes the results my death created. I had a premonition that if I gave up this life, which might be my last chance, my light would be completely extinguished for real this time. Even if I died, that person wouldn’t realize that Tienas had died once more.
‘Let’s cut off the forearm. That’s better than losing my life to burns.’
It was the moment I made that decision.
BANG!
With a tremendous roar, the bedroom door was half-destroyed.
