Hearing Liya's question, Gwen froze on the spot.
Her fiance?
Wait a second.
It was as if Gwen suddenly realized something, and a strange, inexplicable thought appeared in her mind.
Her betrothed?
Who was it?
Countless fragments of memory flashed through Gwen's mind. She clearly remembered that she had an engagement with the Clavenna family.
And this engagement had been decided ever since she was a child.
The fiance was the head of the Clavenna family.
But…
If that was the case, then her fiance would mean… it would be…
"Liya?"
"?"
On the other side of the crystal, Liya heard Gwen's confused murmur and was momentarily stunned.
Before she could say anything else, Gwen closed her eyes, her words stumbling as she spoke, "H-how could that be! That's absolutely impossible!"
Liya's voice slowly came through the crystal, "Gwen, what are you talking about?"
Gwen shook her head hard, shaking away the heat on her cheeks and tossing all those stray thoughts aside.
"It's nothing… Liya, what do you need?"
The other end of the crystal fell silent for a moment. Then the questioning voice sounded again, "Right now, I need to know a few things from you."
Liya's tone was unusually serious.
Hearing this, Gwen couldn't help but become serious as well.
She straightened her posture and brought the crystal closer to her ear.
Liya's voice sounded through the crystal.
"Forgive my blunt question, Gwen."
"How did you become the family head?"
Gwen felt a bit puzzled again.
Because this was something she had already told Liya before.
And besides, her father had passed away only about a month ago.
This was something all nobles knew.
Though she felt confused, since it was Liya asking, she still answered.
"You know. My older brother killed my father, so I became the first in line to inherit."
Kefra was not a knight and could not inherit the position of family head.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have fallen to the youngest, Gwen.
The voice on the other side of the crystal continued to pour into Gwen's ears, "Then I have another question."
"Why did you return to the North back then?"
Gwen had expected Liya to ask this. She opened her mouth, about to explain, "It was…"
But at that moment, she suddenly stopped.
'The reason was… what was it again?'
She still remembered that she had returned to the distant Delin family in the North for someone extremely important.
'Who was that person?'
'Was it my sister?'
'No…'
The more Gwen thought about it, the more her head began to ache.
She held her head, and before she could say anything else, she heard Liya continue, "Do you remember who celebrated your last birthday with you?"
"My… birthday?"
Gwen turned her head to look at the red longsword beside her.
It lay quietly on the floor, shimmering with a soft red glow in the darkness.
Not far away in the bedroom stood a set of solid bone armor, its surface gleaming as light flowed freely even in the dark.
Yet Gwen had forgotten their origins.
"That's not right…"
They clearly had origins.
Inside the crystal, Liya's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Do you know why you became the princess's teacher?"
Gwen was abruptly stunned.
Liya's question completely magnified Gwen's confusion.
She stared blankly into the darkness ahead, at a loss.
She still remembered that she had been able to become the princess's swordsmanship teacher because she resigned from her position as captain of the Royal Knights.
After that, Emperor Aubrey invited her to become the princess's swordsmanship instructor.
But… why?
Why would the emperor specifically invite her to teach the princess?
There should have been many people capable of teaching swordsmanship to the princess.
For example, those swordmasters, compared to her, they were clearly better choices.
Gwen was a knight, and a very young one at that.
She was not even nine years older than the princess.
Gwen felt utterly puzzled.
"One last question."
"What is the princess doing right now?"
This question, Gwen was able to answer, "The princess has swordsmanship lessons once every two days. During that time, she also studies magic."
"And recently, she's preparing for the Royal Magic Academy's assessment…"
Suddenly, Gwen sharply lifted her head, her eyes flashing with bright light.
Why was the princess preparing for the Royal Magic Academy's assessment?
"Because… she has another teacher?"
"And I know that teacher of hers…"
Liya's fluctuating voice briefly calmed down.
From within came her gentle voice, carrying a hint of a smile.
"That's right, Gwen."
"Go help me find him."
"Help me find that answer."
Gwen stood up.
In front of her, only the blue crystal remained, still flashing with light.
———
A white horse burst forward, galloping through the royal capital.
It splashed through scattered puddles and leapt across crisp stone-paved paths.
The howling wind whistled nonstop by the horse's ears, like an encouraging anthem, driving it to run even harder.
Soon, the white horse arrived outside the palace.
The guards at the gate quickly stepped forward, crossing their spears to block the horse's advance.
Gwen yanked the reins, and the horse reared up, neighing loudly.
Sitting astride the horse, Gwen's expression was cold as she looked at the two guards.
"I have something to ask Her Highness the Princess."
Once the guards recognized Gwen, they hurriedly stepped aside and allowed her to ride in.
Gwen flicked the reins, lightly squeezed the horse's hindquarters with her legs, and urged it forward at high speed, charging into the palace gardens.
After entering, she quickly reined in the horse, leapt down, and rushed into the garden.
The moment she entered, she abruptly froze.
A familiar figure happened to enter her line of sight.
Emperor Aubrey was sitting leisurely on a bench in the garden, looking at the flustered Gwen who had barged in.
Their eyes met. Gwen froze for a moment, then hurriedly dropped to one knee before Aubrey.
"Your Majesty! I trespassed into the palace, please forgive me!"
Aubrey smiled warmly at Gwen and stroked his beard.
"It doesn't matter."
"Let me guess. You came to find Aurelian to ask about something, right?"
Gwen lifted her head and looked at Emperor Aubrey, nodding firmly.
Aubrey pressed his hands against his thighs and stood up, beginning to pace through the garden.
When he reached Gwen, Aubrey slightly raised his palm.
A current of wind followed the motion of his hand, lifting Gwen's body up.
Under that force, Gwen's body rose uncontrollably to her feet.
'Magic?'
'No…'
She felt it.
This was pure "force."
It was the wind pushed out purely by the emperor's palm strength, gently lifting her up.
Aubrey nodded at Gwen as she stood, then turned his back to her.
"This isn't a morning court session in the palace."
"You're the princess's teacher. There's no need to kneel."
Gwen stared blankly at Aubrey, then heard the emperor's voice sound softly, "Haven't you already guessed?"
"Then go find him."
Aubrey returned to the bench, turned back, and gave Gwen a meaningful look.
"As a knight, never doubt yourself."
Hearing this, Gwen lifted her head again, a hint of realization flashing in her eyes.
"I understand."
She turned around once more and mounted her horse.
Watching Gwen ride the white horse and hurriedly leave the palace, the emperor sat back down on the bench.
After a while, Aurelian emerged from the garden, attendants following behind her.
In her hands, she held a wreath of flowers.
"Father!"
Aurelian was very happy. She reached out and placed the wreath on Aubrey's head.
Aubrey looked at her with doting eyes and laughed cheerfully.
Then Aurelian asked with some confusion, "Father, did someone come by just now?"
She had noticed the flattened marks on the lawn where someone had stepped and quickly deduced it.
Aubrey nodded and said, "Yes. Your teacher came by earlier."
Aurelian grew curious.
"Was it Teacher Gwen?"
"But today isn't her lesson day."
Aubrey smiled, "Then tell me."
"Who should be teaching you today?"
But the next second, Aurelian froze, frowning as she tried and failed to think it through.
"Father."
"I think I forgot someone very important."
Hearing this, Aubrey instead smiled in relief.
"My child."
"When you realize this..."
"It means that person has already become irreplaceable in your heart."
Aurelian looked at Aubrey somewhat blankly.
"Father, do you remember who that person is?"
"Of course."
Aubrey reached out and patted Aurelian's head.
"No one has ever been able to make me forget anything."
———
Inside the mirror, the surrounding world was deathly silent.
Dust, carried by howling gales, rolled across the vast, empty land, spiraling upward toward the gloomy black sky.
Broken weapons of all kinds were embedded in the ground, each one steeped in desolation.
Yet Viktor's expression remained just as calm. He was composed and unhurried, completely at ease.
There wasn't even a speck of dust on his coat.
All around him lay fallen corpses, bodies pierced by various weapons, piled together in disorder.
The Mirror Demon stared at Viktor, trembling nonstop.
"Monster…"
"You must be a monster!"
No one knew how much time had passed, or how many enemies Viktor had already slain.
Endless.
The Mirror Demon had copied every person it had encountered over hundreds of years.
Yet when they faced Viktor, there was only death waiting for them.
No one could last even ten seconds in front of him.
He was a living monster.
At the same time, Viktor slightly lowered his gaze.
He looked at his level forty-five experience bar, which was about to fill up and break through to the next level.
Then he slowly raised his head, looked at the enormous mirror before him, and smiled faintly.
"Continue?"
"I can keep fighting you all day."