Chapter 271: Royal Summons

The morning after Nathan’s discovery, the palace announced the inquiry.

It was to be held in the grand hall—a massive chamber of marble and gold, its walls lined with tapestries depicting the kingdom’s history. Nobles, officials, and prominent citizens filled the seats. The king presided from his throne, his expression unreadable. Amelia sat beside him, her smile perfectly calibrated. The First Prince sat on his father’s other side, his hands folded in his lap, his eyes watchful.

Nathan watched from the back of the hall, hidden among the servants. He had slipped in through a side entrance, using [Invisibility] and [Silent Step] to avoid detection. He wasn’t here to testify—not officially. He was here to observe. To see how Amelia played the game.

The inquiry was a farce.

The witnesses—all handpicked by Amelia—testified that the servants had been acting strangely in the days before the attack. They had been seen meeting with strangers. They had been overheard speaking of "the signal." They had been, in short, assassins.

The judge—a portly man with a nervous twitch—accepted their testimony without question. The verdict was swift: the hero acted in self-defense. The matter was closed.

Nathan watched Amelia smile. He watched the nobles nod. He watched the king’s expression remain unchanged.

She’s won this round, he thought. But the game isn’t over.

---

That night, the First Prince summoned Nathan and Aeliana to a secret meeting in the palace gardens.

They met in a secluded corner, hidden by tall hedges and flowering vines. The prince was waiting for them, his silver hair catching the moonlight.

"The inquiry was a sham," he said. "My sister controlled every aspect of it. But my father isn’t a fool. He knows something is wrong. He just doesn’t want to believe it."

"What do you suggest?" Aeliana asked.

"I can get you into my father’s private chambers. Tonight. He’s been meeting with his advisors in secret—trying to find a way to perform the second summoning without the archmage’s help. If you can show him the evidence, the hidden room, the bodies, he might listen."

Nathan frowned. "And if he doesn’t?"

The prince’s expression hardened. "Then we do what we must."

---

In the training yard, Kenji sparred with a new instructor.

She was a woman with cold eyes and a scar across her cheek. She pushed him harder than the last one, her strikes faster, her taunts crueler.

"You’re weak," she sneered. "You call yourself a hero? You’re nothing but a murderer with a fancy title."

Kenji’s eyes flashed. "Shut up."

"Make me."

He swung. She dodged. He swung again. She laughed.

"Pathetic. No wonder the First Prince wants to replace you."

Kenji froze. "What?"

"Didn’t you know? He’s been spreading rumors. Telling the court you’re a fraud. That the summoning was a mistake."

"You’re lying."

"Am I?"

Kenji’s vision went red. He swung again—not a practice swing. A killing blow. The instructor’s eyes went wide. She tried to dodge, but she was too slow.

The blade caught her across the throat.

She collapsed. Blood pooled on the ground.

And the light erupted.

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Sword Mastery Lv.5 → Lv.7]

[Blood Frenzy Lv.3 → Lv.5]

[Berserk Lv.2 → Lv.4]

Kenji stood over the body, panting. His hands were shaking. But he wasn’t horrified.

He was smiling.

---

While the others were occupied, Faen continued his research.

He had been analyzing the residual mana from the summoning ritual, looking for patterns. What he found was alarming.

"The rift is expanding faster than I predicted," he told Aeliana when she returned to the inn. "At this rate, it will breach the barrier within weeks. Maybe days."

Aeliana’s face paled. "Can we seal it?"

"Not alone. We need the archmage. She’s the only one who understands the ritual well enough to reverse it."

"Then we need to get to her. Tonight."

---

Nathan and Aeliana slipped into the palace using [Invisibility] and [Silent Step].

The First Prince led them through the corridors, past the guards, to the king’s private chambers. The king was alone, sitting at his desk, staring at a map of the kingdom. He looked old. Tired. Broken.

"Father," the prince said, stepping into the room.

The king looked up. His eyes widened. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You need to see something. Something I should have shown you weeks ago."

Nathan and Aeliana stepped forward, dropping their invisibility. The king’s hand went to his sword.

"Who are these people?"

"Allies. They have evidence—evidence of what Amelia has been doing."

The king’s face hardened. "Amelia? What are you talking about?"

Aeliana stepped forward, holding out the crystalline shards. "Your Majesty, the summoning ritual caused a dimensional rift. It’s growing. If it isn’t sealed, it will consume this world."

The king stared at the shards. His expression didn’t change.

"And the hero," Nathan added. "He’s being manipulated. Amelia has been training him to kill—not monsters, but people. She’s been feeding him prisoners. Making him stronger. But it’s corrupting him."

The king’s jaw tightened. "You expect me to believe this?"

"I expect you to see the truth," the prince said. "Father, please. Just look at the evidence."

The king was silent for a long moment. Then he stood.

"Show me."

---

They led the king to the hidden room.

The tapestry was pushed aside. The door was opened. The staircase was descended. And the king saw the truth.

The bodies. The chains. The knives. The blood.

His face went pale. His hands trembled.

"What... what is this?"

"Amelia’s training ground," Nathan said. "She’s been turning the hero into a weapon."

The king stumbled backward. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"No... no, she wouldn’t..."

"She would," the prince said quietly. "She has."

The king sank to his knees. His breath came in ragged gasps. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t shouting. He was broken.

And then—

A slow clap echoed from the staircase.

They all turned.

Amelia stood at the top of the stairs, her silver hair glowing in the torchlight. Her smile was cold. Her eyes were colder.

"Well done," she said. "You’ve found my little secret."

The king looked up at her. "Amelia... why?"

"Why?" She laughed. "Because power, Father. Power is the only thing that matters. And the hero—my hero—is going to give it to me."

She snapped her fingers.

Guards poured into the room. Not palace guards—her guards. Men in black armor, their faces hidden by helmets. They surrounded Nathan, Aeliana, and the prince.

"You didn’t think I’d let you expose me, did you?" Amelia said. "I’ve been watching you, archer. I know what you are. A foreigner. A nobody. And you—" she turned to Aeliana—"an elven princess far from home. And you—" she looked at the prince—"my dear, naive brother."

She stepped forward, her heels clicking on the stone floor.

"None of you are leaving this room."

The guards raised their weapons.

Nathan reached for Moonlight.