"Rex... Silverstar..."
A sense of unease rose in his chest as Empress Morgana said his na.
He promptly looked up at her, pupils trembling.
For a mont, their eyes t, but there was no weird reaction coming from the empress.
Everything appeared normal, but his sixth sense—sharpened by countless battles for survival—flared with alarm. His body reacted as if he were a swing away from being killed, pupils dilated, sweat prickling his skin, and breath turning shallow and sharp.
Rex’s eyes widened when his peripheral vision caught the sword in Empress Morgana’s hand, trembling.
Almost instantly, he stood up and backed away.
Empress Morgana’s eyes flickered with surprise when she saw him backing away.
He should be stepping forward to accept the imperial cloak, not stepping away warily like this.
On the other hand, Rex’s eyes were fixed on the ceremonial sword.
A few seconds ago, he had already scanned his surroundings with the System, expecting the culprit who had been toying with him recently was make an appearance again, but he got nothing. But I swear... I saw that sword tremble. I’m not hallucinating.
"Sir Rex...?"
Empress Morgana called, snapping Rex back to reality.
He looked around, realizing that people were looking at him in confusion.
Clearing his throat, he stepped forward again and accepted the folded, glistening grey imperial cloak.
On the side, the High Priestess of Purity helped Rex wear the imperial cloak expertly.
Once it was done, Empress Morgana stepped forward with her arms spread.
She embraced Rex’s face with a gentle touch.
Of all the hands of the won Rex had touched, none were softer than Empress Morgana’s—it was like touching spring itself. Gentle, silky—and impossibly smooth. The kind of softness born from privilege, from a life untouched by hardship and struggle.
It wasn’t an insult.
It was refreshing to et soone like her.
And Rex couldn’t help but respect the person keeping her safe like this.
Compared to , who could barely keep the others alive and safe, he did a better job.
Empress Morgana smiled and kissed Rex on his cheek.
"Congratulations..." She whispered eagerly.
Rex returned the smile and turned around, facing the onlookers.
Almost instantly, the crowd erupted in applause, congratulating Rex for becoming a knight.
But the applause was drowned in Rex’s ears.
He smiled and waved at the guests who gathered to witness his knighting ceremony, but his mind was still stuck on the mont earlier. How he felt danger—from the way Empress Morgana ntioned his na, and how the ceremonial sword trembled as if it was about to slit his throat.
Even as monts passed with people congratulating him one by one, he was still in a trance-like state.
It was as if he were in a limbo, second-guessing everything around him.
For the longest ti, every ti there was a threat, he’d know since the System would’ve told him.
But this ti, the System didn’t react.
Is it because the one ssing with is a Scion? To evoke a fair playing field?
Rex quickly shook his head.
No... that can’t be. But then again—the System didn’t warn about the Fifthborn’s sche either, not until he stood right in front of . It only issued a quest after his rebirth. Then, could this be Kei Xun’s doing? But... I can’t imagine her having the power to control weapons without touching them directly.
As he was going through the motions, he ca back to reality when he heard sothing.
Since the ceremony was held at midday, there was no alcohol, only refreshnts and a variety of snacks.
Like all ceremonies between nobles, it always ended with it being social.
Behind him, there were two nobles talking with each other.
Rex already talked with both of them.
One is Baron Olaf, who was quite old and had a majestic beard, while the other is Viscount Marvin.
He didn’t turn towards them, but he focused on their conversations.
"I’m surprised the Divine Saintess didn’t co directly."
"She has a good relationship with Duke Lorcan, but there was a rumor circling around that she’s ill."
"Is being ill even possible for soone like her?"
"Naturally, it’s not a regular illness. But we can’t say for sure."
"I was hoping to talk with her, but now, we only got the Empress."
"She’s rarely seen outside of gatherings hosted by the Emperor himself, so when a ceremony appears where she can stand in place of others, she takes it eagerly. Honestly, I pity her—without the Emperor’s shadow, she holds little sway in the court."
"And why is that, exactly?"
"Most don’t approve of her since she hasn’t made any significant contributions since becoming the Empress. She still has no coronation achievent. Nobody is convinced that she’s adequate."
Hearing this, Rex’s eyes glimred.
Coronation achievent, huh... Surely, I can help her with that.
"You owe ."
Rex turned and realized that it was Mira.
He wasn’t expecting her to co, considering their relationship, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Of course, he already sensed her scent from the mont he stepped inside.
"Owe you? What for?"
"For the information I provided you, of course. It doesn’t co cheap."
"Cheap?"
Rex let out a dry chuckle, amused by the bold word Mira was using.
Not that he was complaining, though, as it’s tiring to talk formally all the ti.
"That information is free because technically, I own you."
"Luck."
Mira snorted, feeling the sa burn of anger rising in her chest when she rembered that mont.
It was infuriating that she lost to Rex.
Not to ntion, she never expected soone could be that unhinged.
"Had I known that you were able t-"
"Excuses, excuses. The bottom line is, you lost, and you should start accepting your new reality."
Hearing this, Mira’s expression changed a little.
She rembered sothing.
"It’s... It’s been hard for to keep myself away from you lately," She said truthfully, taking a glass of refreshnt and drinking it on one go. "Can you do sothing about it? I... It’s going to be bad if I can’t hold it anymore and show up at your doorstep."
"Unfortunately, nothing I can do about that," Rex shrugged.
A Werewolf is a family-based Supernatural race, so it longs to be close to its pack, always.
Even though Mira was new, she’s not an exception.
Hearing this, her face twisted in disbelief.
"What...? I can’t be near you. There’s no reason for soone like to be near you..."
"Well, you better think about it fast."
Rex tapped her shoulder lightly, encouraging Mira to think of a solution herself.
"It’s going to feel worse before it gets better, especially after your first Full Moon. But hey, I trust you can think of a solution."
"You..."
Mira wanted to be angry, but she couldn’t.
Other than having this intrinsic sense to respect the Alpha, there’s also the fact that people were around.
"Oh, you’re not flinching at my peasant touch anymore?"
"You’re a knight now, not a peasant."
"I guess so."
Rex walked away and quickly sneaked to the door to the side, leading to the corridor—right beside the grand hall. He had already talked with everyone in the entire grand hall and would prefer to get so alone ti on the side.
Most of them ca to talk with Duke Lorcan anyway, so it doesn’t matter.
As he reached the corridor, he stopped to look outside the massive window.
He gazed at the beautifully manicured garden, its vibrant blooms bordering the bustling road crowded with people. For a mont there, he took his ti processing what happened earlier, everything that he noticed, and also taking a rest to ease the gradual penalty pain inside him.
First, there was the mysterious sche going on in the background that he didn’t know.
And second, Empress Morgana’s need for a coronation achievent.
System, how much longer until the ti limit hits?
Seeing this, Rex sighed tiredly.
He still hadn’t t with the Emperor and found Devo, and ti is running out.
Even though he was getting closer, he was still afraid that he wouldn’t make it in ti.
Rex looked down at his hands, which were now trembling.
His hands didn’t even tremble in the face of death, but right now, they were trembling in fear and unease.
"Nivellen... I’ll make sure you’re going to survive. I already gave you my word."
Just then, the sound of the door opening startled him.
Rex glanced over his shoulder.
He was caught off guard when April stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind her.
Seeing the man of the ceremony standing alone in the corridor where no one is watching, April should have asked him what he had in mind. Or perhaps, instead of sothing in his mind, he was overwheld by the day.
But she did none of that.
Instead of saying anything, she stood beside Rex, watching the garden and the people passing with him.
For a good mont there, none of them said a single word.
A quiet understanding developed through ten years of relationship between them.
One that only the two of them knew.
Every ti she saw him like this, she knew that more than anything, Rex wanted silence to think.
All she did was lean her head on his shoulder, taking in the view silently.
It was Rex who finally broke the ice.
"I knew you could do it. How was it?"
"You knew?"
"Yes, I can feel it. You now possess the Midnight Echo."
"It’s really unnerving. I can’t believe such a powerful Echo was hidden in a nial place like that."
"Value is based solely on the person who was talking. The forest is nial for you, but not for that thing."
April nodded in agreent.
But then, her eyes flickered with sothing more.
"Is that the only thing you noticed about ? Is there anything else?"
"Hmm? Sothing else?"
Rex looked at her from top to bottom, not noticing anything that stood out.
She looked the sa, other than the cold aura she was emanating from having the Midnight Echo.
However, he almost instantly noticed sothing when he focused on her life energy.
"You..." Rex stamred, looking at April as if she were the bravest woman in the whole world. "April, did you really think this through...? This is not sothing you can undo. Creating holes in your Spiritual Vein is a permanent decision."
"I know what it ans," April smiled acutely. "And I accept the consequences."
Hearing this, Rex pursed his lips shut.
April actually made her perfectly fine Spiritual Vein that she was born with, high potential, and whole, and turned them into an Imbalanced Spiritual Vein. He didn’t know how she did it, and how could her family allow it, but she did.
It caught Rex completely off guard.
"Wha... What made you decide to do this? Is it because of ?" He asked in disbelief.
"You are testing to see if I can keep up with you, right?" April looked at him with conviction. "Yes, you are the reason I’m doing this, but not the only reason, so you don’t need to feel responsible. I decided to live life to the fullest, and aspiring to beco stronger, faster is way better than waiting for ti to pass naturally."
Despite the shock, it didn’t stop a smile from blooming on Rex’s face.
If he sought evidence that April could match him, this was more than sufficient.
Rex gazed ahead again—a mild chuckle escaping his lips.
"You’re really out of your mind. I don’t belong here, so it’s okay for to be like this. Did my insanity rub off on you during the ti we spent in the tower?"
"Definitely." She also chuckled lightly. "No need to regret it now, right?"
Just as the two were talking, Rex sensed soone was approaching.
It was Viora, but there was sothing strange about her.
As the door opened and she entered, her eyes imdiately flicked to April, then to Rex.
"Lord Rex, the Divine Saintess is waiting for you..."
"What?"
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