In one of the grand castles at the heart of the imperial city—the capital of the most powerful nation on the continent—a middle-aged man sat in his study, buried under a mountain of documents. Despite the overflowing desk, his pen moved tirelessly across the pages.
A knock echoed through the room.
"Enter," the man commanded without looking up.
The heavy door creaked open. A guard stepped inside and bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty..." the guard said respectfully.
The emperor finally looked up, his expression stern. "What is it?"
"There's a message from the 55th Shadow," the guard replied, handing over a sealed letter.
The emperor took it, broke the seal, and began reading. His lips curled into a smirk.
"Hoh…" he muttered, then suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha… HAHAHAHA!"
The guard remained still, face unreadable despite the clear confusion. Whatever was in that letter had clearly delighted the emperor—but it wasn't his place to ask.
Moments later, the emperor's voice rang out again.
"Summon that witch. Immediately."
The guard flinched, surprised. Which witch...? His expression flickered briefly with hesitation.
Before he could speak, a sultry voice interrupted him.
"No need to search. I'm already here."
Instantly, the guards in the room tensed, hands inching toward their weapons as they adopted a defensive stance.
"Oh my, so cautious…" came the seductive voice, now accompanied by the appearance of a stunningly beautiful and enigmatic woman—a witch.
She stepped into the room, her elegant dark robes shimmering faintly with magic, her alluring figure casting an eerie silhouette. Her gaze locked onto the emperor's as she smirked.
"So… what's the occasion, my emperor?" she purred.
The emperor leaned back in his chair and tossed the letter toward her.
"I'm calling in one of the favors you owe me. The details are in there."
The witch caught the letter effortlessly and scanned its contents. A flicker of amusement crossed her face.
"Heh… interesting," she murmured.
Then she looked up, her eyes gleaming. "Are you sure about this? He might end up receiving a very rare gift—something on the level of a 'Hero,' or perhaps… even more."
The emperor's expression didn't change.
"No. Just give it to him."
The witch's smile widened as she leaned in slightly.
"Huh… what is this? You rarely care about your children. Yet now you're willing to use one of my favors… on a distant descendant?"
The emperor remained unbothered, returning to his paperwork.
"No. It's not sentiment. Just intuition. He will bring great change to this world—greater than me or any of my predecessors."
He glanced up. "Right, witch?"
The witch chuckled, crossing her arms.
"It seems… the emperor knows."
At that, the emperor's brow furrowed slightly, irritation flashing across his face.
"Of course. Especially after reading that letter… and realizing you were already here." He narrowed his eyes. "Do you take me for a fool?"
The witch smiled slyly, resting her chin on one finger.
"Fool? Maybe… Just like that little incident four years ago during the celebration…"
But the emperor cut her off, his voice sharp.
"Enough. Just go and grant it." He waved a hand dismissively, signaling her to leave.
With a sly grin, the witch turned away, her silhouette dissolving into the shadows.
"As you command… my emperor."
And just like that, she vanished into the darkness.
The emperor watched in silence until she was gone, then turned back to the guard.
"Go," he said curtly, resuming his work.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard replied, bowing before quietly exiting the room.
And once again, silence returned to the emperor's study—save for the scratch of a pen on parchment.