Reth ran his fingers along the spines of dusty books until one caught his eye—"Geopolitical Formation of the Solvaris Empire."
Sounded boring. Probably was. But something told him to grab it.
He sat down and flipped through the pages. Maps. Dates. Diagrams. Until something made him stop cold.
It wasn't a city.
It wasn't even a nation.
The Empire of Solvaris stretched across three million square kilometers. Massive plains, frozen mountains, deserts, oceans—all under one banner.
But what really made his chest tighten was this:
"...all territories of Solvaris are fully enclosed by the five-fold structure of the Godspires—colossal barrier-walls forming a complete perimeter around the empire's borders."
"No recorded breach. No recorded exit. Estimated wall length: 17,000 km. Estimated height: 1,200 meters. Depth unknown."
Reth stared.
"Damm that is 4 times taller than Eiffel Tower"
A wall.
Not around a city.
Around the entire empire.
Three. Million. Square. Kilometers.
What kind of force—what kind of power—could build that?
He flipped the page fast, looking for answers. There had to be some explanation. Magic? Ancient gods? A workforce of a million people?
Instead, the next page was blank.
So was the next.
And the one after.
A single handwritten note rested at the bottom of a torn page:
"Beyond the walls lies nothing but fog."
His eyes narrowed.
[System Alert: Page Corruption Detected][Public History Access Level: Restricted]
"Why is it blank?" he muttered. "Why would they censor geography?"
No answer.
Just silence.
And the sense that someone wanted the truth buried.
He turned back to the wall stats.
A wall 17,000 kilometers long. A thousand meters tall. Surrounding the entire empire.
That wasn't defense.
That was containment.
His mind raced.
"Why build something like that? Who were they keeping out?"
A beat passed.
"…Or who were they keeping in?"
He looked around the library. No one paid him any attention. But now the floating lanterns felt colder.
He shut the book.
Hard.
It was a prison the size of a continent.
Reth tossed the wall book aside and grabbed another — a slim one this time.
"Internal Authority Classifications."
Still boring. But he opened it anyway.
The first thing he saw was a chart.
Tier 0 — Central AuthorityTier 1 — High HousesTier 2 — Regional Lords / Mage CommandersTier 3 — Licensed Magic Users / GuildmastersTier 4 — Bound Personnel / Servants / Combat Thralls
He stared.
He was Tier 4.
Bound. Marked. Disposable.
He flipped the page.
"The Central Authority maintains dominance through bloodline inheritance, magical superiority, and territory control."
No names.
No photos.
No symbols.
Just those words.
It was like someone had ripped the truth out of the book.
Next page.
The Five High Houses
Each ruled a major piece of the empire.
One controlled the military.
One ran the healers and contracts.
One managed spies and silence.
One controlled Knights.
One handled food and trade.
Each house had a bloodline ability. Passed from parent to child.Strong bloodlines rise.
Weak ones vanish.
That was the law of the empire.
Simple.
Cold.
Efficient.
Reth flipped further.
Found a diagram of the Obedience Sigil.
It looked just like the one on his skin.
"Applied to low-tier personnel. Forces loyalty. Inhibits rebellion. Can only be broken by higher-tier command override."
Reth's fingers lingered on the diagram of the Obedience Sigil, the inked lines on the page mirroring the faint burn on his skin.
He slammed the book shut, the sound echoing in the quiet library. A scholar glanced up, frowning, but Reth ignored him.
[Knowledge Gained: Solvaris Empire Structure]
[+15 EXP]
[Skill Fragment: Strategic Insight Lv. 0.2]
[Loyalty Sync: 13%]
[Side Quest: Survive 7 Days – 6 Days Remaining]
[EXP: 87 / 100]
The hallway to his quarters was dim, the snake carvings flickering in torchlight. His small room was bare—stone walls, a cot, a single basin. He collapsed onto the cot, the system's weight lulling him into uneasy sleep.
Morning came too soon. A sharp chime woke him.
[Command: Escort Princess Asthia to the Imperial Court]
[Objective: Remain Silent. Protect the Princess.]
[Reward: 20 EXP]
[Failure: Punishment Trigger]
Reth's boots echoed as he followed Asthia through the Serpent Wing. Her dark robe shimmered, gold threads catching the light.
Her red eyes were unreadable, her silver hair tied high. She hadn't spoken since summoning him, but her silence felt heavier than usual.
The Imperial Court loomed ahead, a massive chamber of black marble and crimson banners. Golden chandeliers hung above, their flames casting sharp shadows. Nobles in ornate robes filled the galleries, their whispers buzzing like flies.
Asthia took her place on a smaller seat below the throne, reserved for the Ninth Flame.
Reth stood two steps behind, hand resting on his sword's runed hilt.
[Location Unlocked: Imperial Court ]
[Skill Fragment: Threat Perception Lv. 0.4]
[Hostile Intent: Moderate]
A robed priest stepped forward, unrolling a scroll. His voice boomed. "The Court convenes to address the execution of Lord Varen, charged with treason against the Solvaris Empire."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
A noble in green robes stood, his voice sharp. "Princess Asthia, your thrall's blade ended a High House heir. Varen's kin demand justice. Was his death truly necessary?"
Asthia's expression didn't shift. "Lord Varen broke his chains and drew a blade on me. My bodyguard acted on command. Would you have preferred I died?"
The noble faltered, but another—a woman in silver—rose. "The issue isn't your survival, Princess. It's the precedent. A Tier 4 thrall killing a High House noble without trial? It undermines the empire's order."
Asthia leaned forward, her voice cutting through the noise.
"The Obedience Sigil ensures loyalty. My thrall acted as bound. If you question his actions, you question the empire's rituals. Shall we bring this to the Emperor?"
Silence fell. The nobles exchanged glances. No one dared challenge the Emperor's authority—or the sigil's power.
The priest cleared his throat. "The Central Authority finds no fault in Princess Asthia's actions. Lord Varen's treason justified his end. The matter is closed."
Asthia stood, her gaze sweeping the room. "Good. Let's move on."
The court shifted to other matters—trade disputes, Wallguard reports—but Reth's mind stayed on Varen's kin. The nobles' glares hadn't softened.
They'd lost one of their own, and he was the blade that did it. The system might protect him from Asthia's wrath, but not from their schemes.
[Command Fulfilled: +20 EXP]
[Level Up: Bodyguard Lv. 2]
[EXP: 7 / 200]
[Loyalty Sync: 15%]
[Skill Unlocked: Enhanced Reflexes Lv. 1]
[Side Quest Progress: Day 2 Complete – 5 Days Remaining]
As they left the court, Asthia slowed her pace, glancing at him. "You are quite? do you not speak?."
Her tone was neutral, but her eyes held that same mix of curiosity and calculation. She turned, leading him back to the Serpent Wing.
Without turning, she asked, "You're quiet. Do you not speak?"
Her voice was calm, but there was a flicker of something behind it — curiosity? Amusement?
Reth finally looked up. "I speak."
She turned her head slightly, lips curling into a faint smile. "Just not often?"
"I don't see much reason to," he replied.
She hummed and continued walking, leading him back through the dark marble halls of the Serpent Wing.
Then she spoke again, casually. "You don't know who you killed, do you?"
Reth shook his head. "No."
"He was Varen Virex," she said. "From House Virex."
Reth frowned. The name rang faintly from the library reading.
"That's the military house, right? The one that trains knights?"
Asthia gave a slow nod. "Correct. House Virex handles elite martial training. Their bloodline gift enhances muscle control, reflexes, and physical strength."
"Then how…?" Reth began.
She stopped walking and looked at him. Her red eyes were unreadable.
"How did you kill someone like that?" she finished for him. "A trained knight? From a top bloodline?"
Reth didn't answer. He didn't know.
Asthia studied him for a moment longer, then said quietly, "Because he was weakened. Poisoned."
She began walking again.
"By who?"
"Officially?" she said. "He was caught trying to defect. The court gave him a dose of obedience toxin. It limits strength and will. Slows the blood."
"And unofficially?"
She didn't answer. Just smiled.
Reth said nothing more.