SUPREME ARCH-MAGUS

Emperor Ryon Lionheart reached the palace after midnight. Instead of going to sleep, he went to the Throne hall to learn about the details of the murder of the Doom family king and his daughter.

His footsteps echoed through the hallways as he strode toward the Throne Hall, where his most trusted wizards and officials awaited.

The royal wizards stood at attention, their faces tight with the gravity of the situation. Various important figures from the palace, including the palace chief, had gathered as well, knowing the Emperor would demand answers.

Without any formalities, Emperor Ryon ascended the steps to the throne and stood before it.

"Tomorrow, I will deliver justice for the murder of the Doom family king and his daughter. The trial will take place in the royal arena, and I want it to be public. Allow as many people as possible to witness it. Let this serve as an example—no one, not even the most powerful, should dare to lay a finger on the rulers of the Seventh Realm."

A group of wizards left to pass the information of the Emperor's decision and make necessary arrangements.

Emperor Ryon turned toward the palace chief and spoke again. "Now, tell me everything from the beginning. I want to know where this conflict started and how it escalated to the point of killing a king within the Royal Palace grounds."

The palace chief stepped forward, his hands trembling slightly as he unfurled a scroll containing the written details of the case. "Your Majesty, the conflict began the day your niece, Lady Lily, brought the masked man to our Seventh Realm.

When she went to Doom Nation to report the 7000 disciples, soldiers from the Doom family had a conflict with the masked man. It was during this conflict that Princess Chuli of Doom Nation was reportedly threatened by him. From that moment, the Doom family raised a justice call."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed, his expression growing darker as he listened.

"The trial happened under the supervision of the royal judges. The Doom family nearly won the case, but in a surprising turn, the masked man proposed an honor justice fight to decide the outcome. He single-handedly defeated all three champions of the Doom Nation and won the trial. As part of their personal bet, the Doom family lost ownership of Dead Island City to him."

"Dead Island City?" Emperor Ryon's tone was icy. "And they allowed this?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. But that was only the beginning. Afterward, the masked man requested a teleportation gate to be built in the city. The Doom family objected but later agreed, demanding five times the normal cost for construction, to be completed within two weeks.

The sum was paid without delay, but something happened after that. A private meeting was arranged in the musical hall under Queen Soya's supervision. That is where things turned deadly."

The palace chief hesitated, glancing at the emperor as if afraid to continue.

"And?" the emperor prompted, his patience thinning. "What happened next?"

"The details are unclear, Your Majesty. We know that the Doom family king and his daughter were killed inside the musical hall, and Queen Soya was saved by your brother, Lord Ragnar. There was a Lotus formation placed within the hall, but it was broken."

At this, Emperor Ryon's brows furrowed. "Wait... Did you say the Lotus formation was broken?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the palace chief confirmed.

"Who broke it?" Ryon's voice was sharp, demanding.

"Most likely, it was the masked man, Your Majesty," the palace chief responded cautiously.

"For God's sake, stop calling him the masked man," the emperor snapped, his frustration palpable. "What is his name?"

The palace chief swallowed, then answered, "Your Majesty, his name is Kent Hall."

The emperor's eyes widened. His body went rigid as if struck by lightning. He couldn't believe his ears. "What... What did you say?" His voice was barely more than a whisper, disbelief clouding his expression.

"His name is Kent Hall, Your Majesty."

A heavy silence settled over the room, the weight of the revelation sinking in. The emperor stood frozen for a moment before he hurriedly commanded, "Show me his image. Now."

Without delay, the palace chief produced a glass orb. With a few murmured incantations, a life-like hologram of Kent Hall appeared in the air. The image was from the honor justice fight—Kent stood on his golden throne, bow in hand, a fearsome figure of power and dominance.

The moment Ryon saw Kent's face, his world seemed to tilt on its axis. He collapsed into his throne, his breath coming in shallow gasps. Shock and confusion clouded his mind, and for a moment, the mighty emperor looked like a man grasping for answers. He stared at the image of Kent, as though trying to understand how this man appeared in his place.

His voice was hollow when he spoke again, addressing the palace chief. "Who do you think is the real culprit in this case?"

The palace chief straightened. "Your Majesty, it is most likely Kent Hall. When our royal wizards entered the musical hall, Queen Soya was in hysterics, screaming for Kent's arrest. She called him a beast, claimed he was threatening her life. She ordered the wizards to imprison him in the dark cell and to have him tortured every second for his crimes."

A slight, almost imperceptible grin tugged at the corners of Emperor Ryon's mouth. He leaned back in his throne in a deep thought. "Is that so?" he murmured, a strange glint in his eyes. His mind was already racing, calculating the implications of this revelation.

"Kent Hall..." the emperor muttered to himself, almost lost in thought. Then, louder, he said, "Let the trial proceed as planned. Make sure that tomorrow, Kent is brought to the arena. Let him face the accusations in front of everyone."

The palace chief bowed. "As you command, Your Majesty."

Ryon dismissed his advisors with a wave of his hand, but his mind was still reeling.

As the palace-chief and other officials left the room, Emperor Ryon stayed behind, his eyes fixed on the image of Kent still hovering in the air. A dangerous smile curled across his lips.

"Let's see how you are going to survive now… Out of all places, you end up in my-prison."