The Empire, the royal capital.
The remaining light of the setting sun spilled over the towering palace complex, plating the carved stone pillars, exquisite arches, and gem-encrusted walls in a layer of golden-red brilliance.
This palace, which had stood for centuries, had witnessed every moment of the empire's journey from weakness to strength.
But few knew that deep within this complex, which symbolized glory and power, lay an inconspicuous wooden door.
The room behind the door had no magnificent decorations.
There was no expensive furniture, no exquisite tapestries, and even the windows were tightly covered by heavy curtains, as if to completely isolate this place from the outside world.
The only source of light was an oil lamp in the corner.
The weak flame cast flickering shadows on the wall, shrouding the entire room in an eerie atmosphere.
A middle-aged man stood before the door.
He wore the uniform of an imperial official, and on his chest was a badge representing the highest-ranking office—the Golden Eagle Crest, which only the empire's seven consuls were eligible to wear.
But at this moment, this consul, who was incredibly majestic in front of outsiders, appeared exceptionally stiff.
He raised his hand and tapped three times on the door.
"Tap, tap, tap."
The sound was very light, as if he were afraid of disturbing something.
There was no response.
The room was as quiet as if no one were inside.
The middle-aged man did not knock again, nor did he leave; he simply stood in place, waiting quietly.
Beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, his fingers curled slightly, and his breathing became cautious.
Time passed second by second.
The footsteps of distant servants echoed in the hallway and then gradually faded away.
The middle-aged man remained in his respectful posture, unmoving.
He knew the rules.
Before this door, anyone must wait—even if you were a consul, even if you held the empire's military and political power.
Because the person behind that door was the true pillar of the empire—or rather, of all humanity.
Finally, the door opened.
The person who opened it was dressed in a black robe, wrapped in thick fabric from head to toe.
Even her face was hidden in the shadow of a hood, making it impossible to see any features.
But judging by her slender frame and slightly petite height, this should be a young girl.
"What is it?"
The voice was light, carrying the crispness unique to a young girl, yet it also held an unquestionable authority.
The middle-aged man immediately bowed in greeting, his movements standard and respectful, as if he were facing the Emperor himself.
"Sage."
His voice was very low, carrying an obvious tension.
"Didn't you say before that you wanted to marry the 'Sword of the Empire' to Klein?"
The black-robed girl, who had been leaning carelessly against the doorframe, stiffened slightly upon hearing this.
"Did something happen to them?"
Her tone instantly became serious.
Then she seemed to think of something, her voice turning stern. "Didn't I tell you not to monitor them?"
There was a clear note of displeasure in her voice.
"No, no, no!"
The middle-aged man waved his hands hurriedly, the sweat on his forehead increasing.
"We naturally wouldn't dare to go against your instructions! It's just..."
He paused, carefully choosing his words.
"The Vice Commander of the Patrol Division's Third Battalion, Karl Vincent, suddenly went to the Military Department to surrender today."
"He confessed to all the crimes he has committed over the years—embezzling military funds, accepting bribes, indulging his relatives in burning, killing, and looting, privately selling military supplies..."
"He listed many crimes, enough to sentence him to death."
The black-robed girl said nothing, simply listening quietly.
Her face under the hood remained unseen, but the middle-aged man could feel that she was thinking.
"This matter is very strange."
The middle-aged man continued, his voice filled with confusion.
"While Karl Vincent isn't a good person, he has always been cautious and hasn't openly offended any major figures over the years."
"No one reported him, and there were no rumors of an investigation."
"He just suddenly ran over, knelt in the Military Department hall, and in front of everyone, said he was guilty and requested a trial."
"The people present at the time were all shocked; they thought he had gone mad."
The black-robed girl's fingers tapped lightly on the doorframe.
"Tap, tap."
The sound was light, but it made the middle-aged man's heart race for some reason.
"So you investigated the matter."
Her tone was calm, but it sounded like a statement of fact.
"Yes."
The middle-aged man nodded, not daring to hide anything.
"We only investigated Karl Vincent's movements and did not touch Lord Klein or Lady Ophelia."
"What did you find?"
"Karl Vincent's last action before his surrender was leading soldiers to Stonebridge Town."
The middle-aged man said, "He surrounded a tavern there, seemingly intending to arrest someone."
"But as for what exactly happened, we are unclear."
"We only know that after leaving the tavern, he came directly to the royal capital to surrender."
The black-robed girl was silent for a moment.
"Continue."
"We found that..."
The middle-aged man's voice became even more cautious.
"Lady Ophelia and Lord Klein also arrived at Stonebridge Town that same day."
"And according to the tavern owner's description, the place Karl Vincent surrounded was the very tavern where Lady Ophelia was staying."
The air suddenly fell silent.
The middle-aged man could feel that the black-robed girl's aura had changed.
The change was subtle, but it made him instinctively feel uneasy.
"In other words..."
The black-robed girl's voice was soft, yet it carried a chill.
"Karl Vincent moved against those two?"
"We aren't certain."
The middle-aged man said quickly, "But judging by the outcome, Karl Vincent naturally failed."
"Not only did he fail to catch anyone, but he also seemed to have been provoked by something, leading him to come and surrender directly."
The black-robed girl's fingers stopped tapping.
She raised her head, and the shadow under her hood seemed to deepen.
"From—Klein's manor to Stonebridge Town, if they follow that route..."
Her voice suddenly became urgent.
"Does that mean they are currently heading to the west coast?"
"Yes."
The middle-aged man nodded. "According to our intelligence, Lady Ophelia and Lord Klein have reached a cooperation agreement with the Silver Scale Chamber of Commerce on the west coast."
"They should be going to the west coast to handle the chamber's affairs."
"Based on the itinerary, they should have already arrived at Silver Scale Harbor."
As soon as he finished speaking, the black-robed girl's breathing suddenly became rapid.
"At this time?"
Her voice carried obvious anxiety, even a hint of loss of composure.
"This is bad... why does it have to be at this time..."
She turned abruptly and walked into the room, the hem of her black robe sweeping across the floor and kicking up a gust of wind.
"Those two might not necessarily be able to handle this..."
The middle-aged man stood outside the door and did not follow.
He knew the rules—unless permitted, no one could step into this room.
Not even a consul.
The sound of rustling paper came from inside the room, along with the girl's low-voiced self-muttering.
"The tidal cycle of the west coast..."
The moon's phases and the tidal cycles are closely linked; if there's a problem with the tides, the moon usually plays a part.
The girl's voice carried a clear gritting of teeth.
"What a coincidence... it just happens to be the great tide period..."
"If that thing awakens at this time..."
"No, it won't... the seal should still be there... but if the seal has loosened..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, finally becoming completely inaudible.
The middle-aged man stood outside the door, the sweat on his forehead increasing.
He didn't know what the sage was worried about.
But he knew that anything that could make the sage show such anxiety was definitely no small matter.
One must know that this sage was the empire's strongest alchemist.
She was hailed as the "All-Knowing and All-Powerful sage."
Though she spent most of her time in this simple room, researching who-knows-what.
And now, this legendary sage was actually showing such anxiety.
This caused an ominous premonition to rise in the middle-aged man's heart.
After a long while, the sounds in the room stopped.
The black-robed girl reappeared at the door.
Her breathing was still a bit rapid, clearly showing that her recent thoughts had left her far from calm.
"Prepare the materials."
Her voice was fast, carrying a clear sense of urgency.
"I need to refine a teleportation array."
"You're going personally?"
The middle-aged man froze for a moment, unable to believe it.
Since records began, this sage had never left the royal capital.
"Of course."
The black-robed girl said, "If I'm not mistaken, they're about to run into trouble."
"And big trouble at that."
"What kind of trouble?"
The middle-aged man couldn't help but ask.
The black-robed girl did not answer that question.
She simply raised her head and looked at the window at the end of the hallway.
Through the window, the distant sky was visible.
The sun had completely sunk below the horizon, and the sky was stained a deep, dark crimson.
The color was as thick as blood.
And under that blood-colored sky, the distant horizon was faintly visible.
"I hope I can still make it."
She said in a low voice, her tone carrying a rare sense of helplessness.
Then she turned back into the room and began packing her things.
The middle-aged man stood outside the door, hesitated for a moment, and then asked:
"Sage, do you need us to do anything?"
"For example, dispatching the army, or notifying the garrison on the west coast..."
The black-robed girl stopped her movements.
The middle-aged man felt the eyes hidden under the hood glance at him.
That one look made him feel cold all over.
"There's no need."
The sage's voice was calm, yet it held a despairing indifference.
"If an accident really occurs..."
She paused, her voice becoming even lighter.
"Then just wait quietly."
"Wait for what?"
The middle-aged man asked subconsciously.
The black-robed girl did not answer.
She just continued packing her things, her movements even faster than before.
But the middle-aged man could feel a deep anxiety from her back.
That anxiety was like racing against time.
And if she lost this race...
The middle-aged man did not dare think further.
He simply backed out of the hallway silently to prepare the materials the sage needed.
Inside the room, the black-robed girl stood before that weak oil lamp.
The light cast flickering shadows on her hood.
"Klein, Ophelia..."
She whispered those two names.
"Please, hold on until I arrive."
"Whatever you do, don't let that thing fully awaken."
"Otherwise..."
She didn't continue.
Because she knew that if that thing truly awakened, then not just the west coast, but the entire empire—even the entire world—would fall into disaster.
And that disaster was something even she could not stop.
Outside the window, the blood-colored sky grew deeper.
On the distant coastline, something seemed to be surging.
The sound of the tide.
Like the sea itself was breathing.
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