While Odin and his brothers were discussing what to do with the princess of the Human Empire, Forn, the continent of Mira was boiling with anger, as if the land itself shared its emperor's fury.
The Emperor of Humanity had been searching for Forn throughout the entire continent of Mira, yet he had not found her.
In the heart of the Human Empire, inside the imperial capital, within the majestic imperial castle, the Emperor sat upon his golden throne. Towering pillars surrounded him, and magical flames flickered calmly, while his eyes burned with restrained rage.
He stared directly at the Supreme Mage of the Empire and said in a cold voice laced with unmistakable threat:
"Have you not found her yet… you useless wretch?"
The moment the Emperor spoke, the Supreme Mage immediately fell to his knees, bowing and pleading, his voice trembling with fear.
"Not… not yet, Your Majesty. When Princess Forn used the crystal to teleport, the isolation barrier we created in that region was supposed to prevent any teleportation magic… But, my lord, she still managed to teleport—despite being injured."
He hesitated briefly, then continued, swallowing hard:
"It was extremely difficult, Your Majesty. It was a gamble on her part. Out of a thousand who attempt such a thing, the chance of one surviving unharmed does not exceed one percent… The rest suffer spatial distortions caused by the isolation magic—and die in horrific ways."
As soon as he finished, the Emperor frowned and slightly raised his hand.
In an instant, a terrifying golden aura surrounded the Supreme Mage. His words were cut off in his throat as the pressure choked him, forcing him to bow even lower under the crushing force radiating from the Emperor's body.
The Emperor spoke in a low voice, heavy with menace:
"And when… will you find her, you worthless fool?"
The Supreme Mage felt as though the air had vanished from around him, as if his bones were about to shatter under the pressure. For a moment, he was certain death had arrived.
But the Emperor's question had given him one final chance.
He spoke quickly, ignoring the suffocation, for it was the only straw that might save him.
"Soon… very soon, Your Majesty! The other mages and I only need to analyze where Princess Forn teleported using that crystal. It may be difficult due to the interference of the isolation magic—but it is not impossible… Your Majesty!"
A heavy silence filled the hall.
Then suddenly, the golden aura vanished. The Supreme Mage collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
The Emperor waved his hand coldly.
"Go now… and find her quickly."
The Supreme Mage rose in terror, bowed slightly, and hurried toward the doors of the throne hall.
But before he left, the Emperor's voice echoed behind him, sharp as a blade:
"Remember… I want results, not worthless words. If you fail to find her by the next time you stand before me… you know your punishment."
The Supreme Mage froze for a moment.
He turned slightly and looked back at the Emperor. His legs trembled violently from fear.
He nodded silently to show his understanding.
Then he left the throne hall with unsteady steps… knowing that this time, failure would not be met with mere anger—but with something far worse.
Once the Emperor watched the Supreme Mage leave and saw the door close slowly behind him, he let out a long sigh. He knew very well that finding that rebellious girl, Forn, was not as easy as he pretended before his men.
The moment he remembered what she had done, rage blinded him again. His eyes flared with a dangerous gleam as he muttered in a low, threatening tone:
"I will find you, Forn… and when I do, you will understand why my enemies strive so desperately not to anger me."
He stood there for a moment, his chest rising and falling slowly, then quickly calmed himself. He was not a man who allowed emotions to control him for long.
He rose from his throne with steady steps and released his aura. Dense golden energy formed around him, and within seconds, he vanished from the throne hall—reappearing in the secret chamber directly beneath it.
The Emperor stood there, scanning the chamber with sharp eyes.
Nothing had changed… almost.
But upon closer inspection, he noticed that the Sacred Spear—and some of the rare metals placed beside it—were gone.
The quantity of stolen metal was small, insignificant even. But what truly ignited the flames of anger within him once more was the disappearance of the Sacred Spear.
That weapon—stolen by his ancestors from the dwarves with immense difficulty.
He himself had expended great effort and taken many risks to acquire rare metals—also stolen from the dwarves—to repair it.
True, he would never dare use it, fearing the dwarves might recognize it and demand its return. But it was a trump card for him and the Empire. A symbolic weapon. A latent power to be used at the right moment.
The memory of how easily his daughter had stolen it—after he himself had told her about it and shown her the secret chamber—only deepened his fury.
He had not expected this from her.
She was the princess… the heir to the throne… the one who would take his place someday.
But it seemed he had underestimated the greed of people.
Forn had always coveted the Flame of Humanity carried by the Emperor. He had seen it in her eyes—the desire to claim it for herself.
And he had been aware of that greed.
But he had not objected.
After all, she would inherit everything in time.
She would take the Flame of Humanity, just as he had taken it from his father, the previous Emperor.
But it seemed… she had not wanted to wait for him to die.
The thought filled the chamber with silence.
Then the memory began to form clearly in his mind.
He remembered what had happened before his daughter stole the spear.
He remembered that he was the one who had summoned her himself… and shown her the secret chamber.