The Imperial Dining Hall of the Veloras Palace was enormous, built to display the empire's power rather than provide comfort. A long table stretched through the center of the hall, surrounded by nobles, royals, and attendants. At the head of the table sat Emperor Caelus Veloras. His presence alone was enough to keep the entire room silent.
The doors opened and Kylrus entered. Conversations immediately died down as every gaze shifted toward him. He calmly walked across the hall before taking his seat beside the Emperor. It was the only chair equal in status to the throne, a reminder to everyone present of who would one day inherit the empire.
"I heard you spent the day walking around the southern district."
Kylrus picked up his glass.
"I did."
"You were nearly killed a few days ago. Nobody would've complained if you'd stayed in bed a little longer."
"I've had enough rest."
A few nobles exchanged glances. Most people would never dare speak to the Emperor so casually, but this wasn't a conversation between ruler and subject. It was a conversation between father and son.
Caelus studied him for a moment.
"And now you're planning to investigate noble taxes?"
"That's the plan."
"Looking for traitors?"
Kylrus shook his head slightly.
"Not necessarily. Sometimes incompetence causes more damage than betrayal."
Several nobles visibly stiffened. The answer sounded harmless, but everyone understood what it meant. If Kylrus started digging through finances, a lot of uncomfortable truths could surface.
Caelus leaned back slightly.
"You've always cared more about strength than paperwork."
"I still care about strength."
A faint smile appeared on the Emperor's face.
"Then help me understand."
Kylrus placed his glass down and glanced around the table.
"Because strength isn't just about who swings the biggest sword. If people start hating the system, eventually that becomes a bigger threat than any enemy army."
The room became quieter.
"The Veil of Ashes didn't just appear out of thin air."
Several nobles immediately looked uncomfortable. Even mentioning the cult was enough to make people uneasy.
"You think problems inside the empire helped create them?"
"I think weaknesses attract people who want to take advantage of them."
His gaze swept across the room.
"An empire this large can't survive on fear forever."
Even Selene, seated across from him, paid closer attention after hearing that. The statement wasn't revolutionary, but hearing it from Kylrus certainly was.
"So what exactly are you planning?"
"Audits. Investigations. Fixing tax policies where they're broken."
The murmurs immediately returned. Some nobles looked worried while others looked outright annoyed.
One Duke finally spoke up.
"Your Highness, if you start publicly exposing nobles, people may lose faith in the government."
Kylrus looked at him.
"I have no interest in embarrassing innocent people."
The Duke relaxed slightly.
"But if someone's abusing their position, I won't protect them either."
The relief disappeared just as quickly as it had come.
Caelus tapped the table once, bringing the conversation back under control.
"Any reforms go through me first."
"Of course."
A brief silence followed before the Emperor changed topics.
"How's your mana core?"
Kylrus wasn't surprised by the question.
"Getting better."
"You walked through a mana detonation array."
Caelus frowned slightly.
"Stop acting like you're indestructible."
Kylrus met his father's gaze.
"I know my limits."
For the first time that evening, the Emperor looked slightly less like a ruler and slightly more like a concerned parent.
"You were unconscious for six hours."
"I know."
"Do you?"
The question caught Kylrus off guard.
Caelus sighed.
"You scared the hell out of your mother."
The room instantly became awkward. Several nobles suddenly became very interested in their food.
A faint smile appeared on Kylrus's face.
"I'll apologize to her later."
"You should."
The Emperor studied him for another few moments.
"You've changed."
Kylrus shrugged.
"People change."
"Not usually this much."
"Maybe I finally started paying attention to things I used to ignore."
Several seconds passed before Caelus unexpectedly laughed.
"Fair enough."
The entire room froze. It wasn't often they saw the Emperor laugh during official dinners.
"Go ahead with your audit."
The nobles immediately looked shocked.
"Really?"
Caelus raised an eyebrow.
"You sound disappointed."
A few people quickly looked away.
The Emperor's expression became serious again.
"Just remember something. The moment you start investigating noble families, you'll make enemies."
Kylrus smiled faintly.
"I already have enemies. At least this way they'll have a reason."
That earned another short laugh from Caelus.
"Good answer."
Dinner continued after that, but everyone knew the atmosphere had changed. Whether they liked it or not, Kylrus had officially stepped into politics, and that would affect every noble family in the empire.
Later that night, Kylrus stood alone on a balcony overlooking the capital. The city lights stretched endlessly into the distance while a cool breeze moved through the night air. A few moments later, Selene joined him and leaned against the railing beside him.
"You got Father's approval a lot faster than I expected."
Kylrus nodded.
"He was testing me."
"And?"
"I passed."
Selene let out a quiet laugh.
"Confident."
"Accurate."
She rolled her eyes slightly before looking back toward the city.
"You realize what happens now, right?"
"More paperwork?"
"Besides that."
Kylrus smiled.
"Then yes."
Selene shook her head.
"Once you expose one corrupt noble, the others are going to panic."
"That's the idea."
"You actually want them to panic?"
"Of course."
She turned toward him.
"Why?"
"Because scared people make mistakes."
Selene stared at him for a moment before shaking her head again.
"Sometimes you're terrifying."
"I've heard that before."
The two stood in silence for a few moments.
"The attack happened because someone thought the empire was vulnerable."
Kylrus looked toward the horizon.
"I'm going to make sure nobody thinks that again."
Selene studied him quietly.
"You really are different now."
A small smile appeared on Kylrus's face.
"Maybe I just have a better view of things."
Far away from the palace, several cloaked figures gathered inside a hidden chamber illuminated only by candlelight. One of them crushed a glass orb in frustration while the others listened.
"The Emperor approved the audit."
Another figure cursed under his breath.
"Already?"
"He's moving faster than expected."
The room fell silent.
"The damage to his mana core wasn't enough."
Another voice emerged from the darkness.
"Then we stop holding back."
Back on the balcony, Kylrus focused inward once again. The fracture in his mana core was still there. Smaller than before, but not completely healed. He was confident he could repair it eventually, yet something else continued bothering him.
The strange emptiness remained.
Something deep within this body felt incomplete, as if a piece of it had disappeared long before he arrived.
Kylrus slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the horizon.
"If you're watching..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Then stop hiding and make your move."
The Veloras Empire was about to change. Whatever enemy was hiding in the shadows would eventually be forced into the light, and when that happened, Kylrus intended to be waiting.