The imperial court’s majesty was unrivaled across the entire continent.
No matter how high and mighty the nobility of the empire were, they had to bow their heads before the emperor. The lords were merely those who had been granted the authority to govern their territories by the emperor.
This meant that the emperor could confiscate any territory at will.
Not just in name, but in reality.
The lords could only muster a level of military force necessary for maintaining public order. Even then, three out of ten soldiers who completed training had to be incorporated into the central army.
As a result, there were even garrisons in some poor territories that consisted solely of recruits.
They couldn’t afford to send trained soldiers to the central army, so they chose not to graduate their recruits.
Of course, central armies were deployed in places where maintaining order was impossible, but no lord welcomed this in the empire.
This was because the commanders of the dispatched central armies ranked equally with the lords.
Naturally, they followed only the emperor’s orders and were not easy to persuade with the lords’ pleas.
Throughout history, the foundation of power has been sanctioned violence. One could not call a person who could not freely command an army a ruler.
In other words, if a lord wished to maintain at least a minimum level of independence, they had to somehow scrape together military force.
This was the reason why some lords would go to great lengths to maintain their armed forces.
The imperial family was not an utterly ruthless ruler, either. Depending on the circumstances of the territory, they often turned a blind eye to such obvious deceptions.
However, only if the line wasn’t crossed.
If it was deemed that the authority of the imperial family could be damaged, the subsequent punishment would be thorough.
There was no need for them to get their hands dirty directly. The imperial family had the five great noble families to act on their behalf.
Once one of the five great noble families began to mobilize, there was nowhere in the empire that could stand against them.
By force or by wealth, territories that opposed the imperial family’s will would soon suffocate.
In this way, it was the imperial family that held the absolute power of the empire.
And since the empire was indisputably the strongest nation on the continent, the imperial family could be viewed as the greatest authority on the continent.
Shi-en was a member of that imperial family.
Though she was the Fifth Imperial Princess, far removed from the line of succession, the fact that she was a princess remained unchanged.
The blood flowing through her veins was noble. Therefore, envoys from all nations had to bow their heads in respect before her.
This had been such an obvious truth since her birth that Shi-en had never once questioned it.
The only exceptions were the bishops of the Holy Kingdom and the royalty of the Southern Kingdoms. Even they, when standing before Shi-en, were preoccupied with gauging her mood.
This was no different even at the Academy, which professed nominal equality and fairness. With her bloodline alone, Shi-en was deserving of the respect of countless students.
Moreover, for some reason, she possessed a profound understanding of human psychology. For her, playing the role of the ideal princess was no challenge at all.
Less than a year after her enrollment, voices praising the princess began to resound throughout the Academy.
This was something Shi-en had been aiming for.
A positive image was helpful in many ways. This also held true when gathering her own people. Shi-en was building her network at the Academy based on this.
Of course, this did not mean that she had an interest in the throne.
From the beginning, she was too low in the line of succession to even entertain dreams of the throne, and she disliked her siblings who were crazed for imperial power.
Rather than becoming a person who would contemplate killing her own kin, blinded by power, Shi-en decided to distance herself from the throne. She only wanted enough strength to protect herself.
Yet, even for that simple goal, she needed strength.
Countless royals had been killed simply for having a claim to the throne. The political arena of the empire was ruthless, and absolute power did not tolerate a second power.
Before her name was inscribed on the imperial family’s kill list, Shi-en needed to somehow establish an excellent organization. Otherwise, she would be recorded as a scapegoat in the bloody politics of the empire.
Gathering outstanding talents to form a faction, supporting a capable claimant to the throne at a crucial moment, and then spending a comfortable life somewhere distant from the center.
This was Shi-en’s goal and dream.
And for that, she needed numerous talented individuals. This was the reason she had no choice but to step into the Academy, where geniuses and prodigies from across the continent gathered.
Above all, Shi-en herself was a raw gem with remarkable talent in magic. The Academy had ample potential to transform the talented mage, still unrefined like a stone, into a dazzling jewel.
On that note, one day while smoothly continuing her Academy life, an interesting rumor reached Shi-en’s ears.
“Ian Fercurus…”
On a leisurely afternoon, the princess sipped fragrant tea and skimmed through a document with her eyes.
It contained someone’s personal information. Starting with the striking appearance of a handsome man with black hair and golden eyes, detailed information about him was listed one after another.
It was a collection of intriguing experiences. A flicker of interest shone in her pale gray eyes.
“…Can the second son of a rural viscount really achieve this much in under two months?”
As she muttered to herself, one of the knights standing behind her opened her mouth.
It was a woman with neatly tied back blue hair. She gave a wry smile and slightly shook her head.
“There’s a high possibility that the information is exaggerated.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
The princess made a peculiar sound as she set her teacup down.
If it were someone else, it might be different, but she found the words of the woman who had just spoken to be trustworthy.
For she was none other than Irene Rufemyon, a member of the renowned royal guard and a daughter of one of the five great noble families of the empire.
Irene Rufemyon was her name.
She was Shi-en’s closest aide, overseeing Shi-en’s escort duties at the Academy.
However, when one thought about it, it was a bit amusing.
This was because Irene had already graduated from the Academy a long time ago.
As expected from a member of one of the five noble families of the empire, she had been granted early admission to the Academy at the age of seventeen.
Though she wasn’t the top student, she had consistently achieved excellent grades and graduated three years ago with a ranking that was nothing to be ashamed of.
Afterward, she had served as a royal guard before being appointed as Shi-en’s aide. When Shi-en decided to enroll in the Academy, Irene returned once more.
Irene still remembered the emotions she felt that day.
How unpredictable the world was, she smiled wryly.
She had bid farewell as if she would never return to that place again when she graduated.
Lost in her reminiscing, Irene subtly tested her lord’s thoughts.
“…Do you like that man?”
“A bit, but for now, he lacks a background. As the second son of a rural viscount, he would struggle to inherit any title, so he’s not suitable to be my person.”
It was a blunt evaluation. As if she had expected it, a faint smile spread across Irene’s face.
After a brief moment of silence, she soon provided the response Shi-en wanted to hear.
“Although the evaluation may be exaggerated, his growth is noteworthy. Of course, the rumors about him defeating the heir of the Yuridina clan or single-handedly subduing a mage are likely not true.”
“But there are testimonies, right?”
“As more people develop friendly relationships with him, evaluations generally become more lenient. That impression is indeed striking… it’s speculation, but he might also possess excellent qualities as a leader who can guide an organization.”
The princess closed her eyes upon hearing that. It was a sign that her mind had begun to click and calculate.
Before long, she looked at Irene with a small smile on her face.
“If you succeed in recruiting him, you would be glad, wouldn’t you? He’s good-looking, this man. You’re getting to the right age for marriage, after all…”
“Your Highness the Princess, I have pledged to marry the sword.”
The response was too cold for a woman who was barely in her mid-twenties.
Shi-en let out a deep sigh, as if all the air had been let out from her.
Indeed, it was a mistake to joke with Irene. She had become a fool who knew nothing but the sword from training so hard.
While it was nice that this kept her from harboring any bad thoughts, the princess quietly organized her thoughts.
Despite it all, it seemed necessary to at least see the man’s face once.
Then she would know what kind of person he was.
Shi-en absentmindedly began to touch the corners of her eyes. A sad smile surfaced on her lips.
Irene’s eyes turned to Shi-en with a confused look. Seeing her lord suddenly wearing a pitiful smile was certainly surprising.
Shi-en was not someone who would miss such a change in atmosphere. She quickly decided to lighten the mood.
With a mischievous glint in her eyes, the princess threw out a trivial joke.
“According to the documents, his nickname is ‘The Hatchet Killer.’ Are you sure it’s all right? What if he tries to attack me?”
At those words, Irene shook her head vehemently as if she couldn’t comprehend.
Then, with a faint smile, she responded in a steady voice.
“You need not worry, Your Highness. The princess’s royal guards are certainly not incompetent enough to be overpowered by a mere rookie.”
And indeed, that was the case.
Shi-en burst into giggles, indicating that it was just a joke.
In fact, it was a remark she had made and immediately regretted. It was such an absurd thought.
Shi-en was a princess. Just by that background alone, she was not someone a second son of a rural viscount could possibly touch.
Furthermore, four royal guards, including Irene, were there to protect her. As was customary for the royal guard, they were all renowned experts on the continent.
And to break through such a formidable guard, to attack Shi-en?
That was nonsense. She quickly banished such useless thoughts from her mind.
Instead, she delved deeper into her thoughts. Now that she thought about it, it seemed there was something the imperial family had asked of her.
Having just the right purpose to meet him, there was no longer any reason to hesitate.
Shi-en got up without delay. One of her strengths was to act immediately once she made a decision.
It did not take long for the princess to find Ian.
Sitting on a wooden chair in the central square, a man was scrutinizing a water bottle carefully.
His appearance matched exactly with the details in the document: black hair and golden eyes.
It was Ian Fercurus.
He was intensely examining the water bottle with a serious expression, but no matter how she looked at it, it was hard to tell why he was so interested in an ordinary water bottle.
But that didn’t really matter. The fact that meeting the princess was more important than a shabby water bottle was common knowledge even a three-year-old in the empire would know.
Shi-en cleared her throat with a cute cough to make her presence known. Simultaneously, the indifferent golden eyes of the man turned toward her.
A hint of surprise crossed the man’s face as he took in Shi-en.
Then, after slightly furrowing his brows, he gradually got up and brushed himself off.
The man’s left hand was placed over his right chest. Following that, he slightly bowed his head.
It was an impeccable greeting.
“…It is an honor to meet Your Highness the Princess.”
A satisfied expression flickered in Shi-en’s eyes.
She had worried about him being the second son of a low-ranking noble, but contrary to her expectations, his etiquette education was thorough.
At least, she wouldn’t have to worry about him being a problem in social circles if she were to use him as an aide.
It was the moment when Ian’s evaluation in Shi-en’s heart began to rise.
Up until that point, Shi-en only thought that today’s meeting would not be bad.
Yes, until that moment.
Just minutes before regretting having underestimated the man.
