TPNSIA-06

CHAPTER-06

Chapter 6: A Fierce Initiation (4)

“You’re quick on the uptake, but you lack tact.”

The man let out a quiet laugh at Oliver’s words.

“I believe I told you never to utter that name carelessly.”

Although he was smiling, the threatening aura radiating from him was anything but pleasant.

The imperial palace clerk standing before them broke into a cold sweat.

They had been standing in front of the main entrance to the Emperor’s palace for some time now, chatting instead of entering, leaving the clerk unsure of what to do.

Yet he couldn’t possibly object.

He was merely a low-ranking clerk.

The man standing before him was the king of an entire nation.

Conqueror of the West.
Wolf King.
Rebel Monarch.
Sword Emperor.

There were dozens of titles attached to the man’s name, and every one of them was famous throughout the continent.

“…My apologies.”

Only after receiving his lieutenant’s apology did the man withdraw his murderous aura.

Then he smiled pleasantly at the sweating clerk.

“I’ve kept you waiting. You may announce me now.”

The clerk finally snapped back to his senses.

“M-my apologies. I shall announce you immediately.”

The balding imperial clerk raised his voice.

“His Majesty Kaiden Ram, King of the Kingdom of Adamant, has arrived!”

He was the young king who had destroyed the great western Kingdom of Lionel and swallowed dozens of surrounding nations.

Kaiden Ram, the first king of the newly established Kingdom of Adamant, strode confidently into the Emperor’s palace.

Behind him followed his lieutenant Oliver and dozens of heavily armed knights clad in black armor.

They looked like a pack of black wolves entering the palace.

“I greet His Majesty, Emperor of the Ventrum Empire.”

Kaiden’s voice was respectful, but there was no hint of flattery in it.

Emperor Cabellius III looked down at the man kneeling on one knee before him.

Kaiden Ram, first king of the Kingdom of Adamant.

The man before him was currently one of the most famous people on the continent.

The young king had brought down the seemingly eternal power of the Kingdom of Lionel and declared himself ruler of the West.

Naturally, the entire continent was fascinated by him.

“You must have had a difficult journey. The Empire sincerely welcomes the King of Adamant.”

At the Emperor’s gesture, Kaiden slowly rose.

With a faint smile, he replied,

“I should be the one thanking Your Majesty for the invitation. My knights were exhausted after subjugating a horde of monsters nearby. Thanks to Your Majesty inviting us to the Imperial Palace, we have been able to rest comfortably.”

The knights of the newly founded Kingdom of Adamant were renowned as specialists in monster subjugation.

Not only were they exceptional swordsmen, but they were also survival experts with extensive knowledge of monster behavior.

They occasionally accepted requests from foreign nations.

Just as they had today.

“There is no need for thanks. You have gone to great lengths to fulfill the Empire’s request. Offering you hospitality is the least we can do.”

The Emperor smiled down at Kaiden.

“So, how long do you intend to stay?”

“A week at most.”

“What a shame. I would prefer that you stay longer, but I cannot arbitrarily detain the king of another nation.”

“My apologies.”

Kaiden grinned.

“When I return for the upcoming Founding Festival, I’ll try to stay for a very long time—even if Your Majesty tells me to get the hell out.”

The civil officials in the audience chamber looked shocked by his choice of words.

They had heard rumors that he was a lowborn man of unknown origins who had seized a throne with his sword.

Apparently, those rumors weren’t entirely false.

“Hahahaha!”

The Emperor, however, burst into laughter, seemingly pleased by Kaiden’s lack of pretense.

“Very well. You must be tired today, so you may retire.”

“I am grateful for Your Majesty’s generosity.”

Kaiden placed one hand over his chest and bowed slightly.

His courtly greeting was flawless—so flawless that it was difficult to believe this was the same man who had casually mentioned telling an emperor to “get the hell out” moments earlier.

“Ahh… I already want to go back to Adamant.”

Having to remain in another empire’s palace for an entire week sounded exhausting.

Oliver, a knight of Adamant and Kaiden’s lieutenant, stretched dramatically.

“Still, I was surprised the Emperor treated us more favorably than expected. I thought he might insult us at least once about having no legitimacy or proper lineage.”

“Perhaps someone else could criticize me for legitimacy, but the Emperor certainly cannot.”

“Ah, right.”

Oliver scratched his temple as though he’d forgotten.

“The Emperor was the youngest son of the previous emperor, wasn’t he? I forgot that he defeated all his siblings and took the throne.”

“He is still the previous emperor’s blood. Whatever he thinks about my legitimacy, he probably still considers me a man without proper origins.”

Remembering the Emperor’s smooth expression, which hadn’t revealed even the slightest contempt, left a bitter taste in Kaiden’s mouth.

With one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, Kaiden continued walking without hesitation.

He was tall and had such a long stride that Oliver struggled to keep pace beside him.

“But, my lord… do you really believe that woman is alive?”

He had only met her once, more than ten years ago.

Worse still, the woman Kaiden was searching for was already dead.

“If you ask me….”

Oliver lowered his voice, looking uncomfortable.

“I think that insane dark mage scammed you.”

Black magic capable of bringing the dead back to life?

No matter how he thought about it, it sounded impossible.

“And even if she did come back to life, how are we supposed to find her? Didn’t they say she could return looking completely different?”

“They said someone who returns from death bears a mark. We simply need to find it.”

“You mean that damned Ouroboros mark? We can’t exactly search the bodies of every woman in the world just to find one damned snake-shaped mark.”

Oliver sighed incredulously and scratched the back of his head.

“And surely you haven’t forgotten what happened in the kingdom as soon as rumors spread that Your Majesty was searching for a woman with such a mark?”

Adamant’s king was young, handsome, powerful…

and unmarried.

Many nobles were desperate to secure a place close to him.

Some had even gone so far as to tattoo Ouroboros symbols onto their daughters’ bodies in hopes of attracting the king’s attention.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Kaiden seemed completely unconcerned.

“I’ll recognize the real one the moment I see her.”

Lying in bed, Edwin couldn’t fall asleep.

As he tossed and turned, the young prince remembered what had happened earlier that day.

“Strange.”

Today had been a very strange day.

Why did she help me?

He frowned as he thought about his nanny.

The new nanny who had arrived two weeks ago looked gentle, but in reality, she had been extremely indifferent.

Until yesterday, whether Edwin played pranks or threw tantrums, she had only watched him with uninterested eyes.

It was almost as though she were a person without a soul.

“…Really strange.”

And yet, the person who had recovered the bracelet Gale’s group had stolen from him was none other than that nanny.

Edwin looked at the bracelet hanging loosely around his wrist.

It was made from fake pearls and fake rubies.

A cheap trinket that could easily have been purchased from a street vendor.

He had briefly lost it after falling for Gale’s scheme.

But to Edwin, it was more precious than anything else.

Because it had been left to him by his former nanny, Emma.

—Your Highness, please don’t cry. I truly love seeing you smile.

Edwin remembered Emma’s final words.

—No matter how difficult or painful things become, you must never lose your smile. That way, when true happiness finally comes, you’ll be able to smile with all your heart.

As though she knew it would be the last time, Emma placed the bracelet in the prince’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

—I will leave my final wish with Your Highness….

His vision had been blurred by tears, so he hadn’t been able to see clearly.

But Emma had definitely been smiling.

—You must become happy, Your Highness Edwin.

Become happy.

Why did adults always leave behind promises that were so difficult to keep?

Edwin remembered his deceased mother.

His mother, the Third Imperial Consort Edith, had always been extremely frail.

In Edwin’s memories, she was almost always lying in bed.

Because of that, mother and son had very little opportunity to form a close bond.

Moreover, Edith had been terribly indifferent toward Edwin.

When he was very young, that indifference had hurt him so much that he often cried.

If Emma hadn’t filled the emptiness his mother had left behind, perhaps he would have continued crying forever.

Maybe that was why Edwin hadn’t been particularly devastated when his mother died shortly after giving birth to his younger sister.

He had simply felt sorry for his little sister, who would grow up without even knowing their mother’s face.

But when the only woman in the world who had truly been on his side left him with nothing but an impossible promise and a bracelet…

Edwin cried for three days.

Because then it finally felt real.

The woman who had always remained beside him had gone somewhere his hands could never reach.

Emma was an idiot.

Edwin bit his lip.

He knew perfectly well that he could never become happy.

Perhaps he wasn’t even supposed to.

A powerless and incompetent prince who possessed a claim to the throne was someone no one welcomed.

That was why he had assumed his new nanny would hate him too.

Who would willingly want to become the nanny of a prince everyone despised?

And indeed, until now, Rachel had shown absolutely no interest in him.

But today was different.

She had effortlessly defeated Gale’s group when they humiliated him.

She had even threatened them on his behalf.

It was something even Emma—the only person who had ever truly cared for him—had never been able to do.

“…She’s really strange.”

Edwin pulled the blanket over his head.

The strange, ticklish feeling spreading through his chest was unfamiliar.

But as he lay there beneath the covers, he found himself thinking…

it wasn’t such a bad feeling after all.