Aslan was casually walking through the palace corridor, mind lost in thought, when suddenly—
"Your High—"
A head popped up right in front of him.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Aslan screamed, nearly tripping over himself.
Then silence.
Aslan's face twisted from shock to irritation in a flash, while the boy in front of him looked genuinely confused.
With a long sigh, Aslan narrowed his eyes.
"Eiren... what are you doing here? Didn't you take a week off?"
Standing before him was a boy around the same age, dressed in noble attire that looked far too refined for a servant. His long black hair was tied neatly into a ponytail, and his posture screamed aristocracy—not servitude.
Eiren smiled with zero shame.
"I missed you, Your Highness."
Aslan raised a hand to his forehead.
"Here we go again..." he muttered.
Eiren Valehart. He's from a great noble family. I still don't understand why he chose to become my butler.
...But he's also—
Aslan hesitated, almost embarrassed.
He's... my best friend.
"Why are you staring like that?" Eiren said, tilting his head.
"Don't strain that tiny brain of yours, Aslan. It might collapse under the pressure."
Aslan's eye twitched.
"Shut up."
And just like that, their usual banter resumed—as natural as breathing.
---
The imperial office was quiet, the only sound being the soft rustle of parchment as Emperor Valen Arctis read through a stack of official documents. His expression was calm but focused—the weight of the empire always reflected in his eyes.
Knock. Knock.
A sharp knock echoed through the chamber doors.
"Your Majesty, this is Peter. May I enter?"
The Emperor's posture straightened. His voice, calm yet commanding, answered:
"Yes. Come in."
The door opened, and in walked a man clad in armor, worn from battle. A faint smear of blood stained the edge of his sword—a grim reminder of the chaos he had just returned from.
"What's the report?" the Emperor asked without looking up.
Peter, the Emperor's personal knight and commander of the border defenses, bowed before speaking.
"The monster activity near the border has increased far more than expected. We've tried to investigate the cause... but so far, nothing concrete."
The Emperor finally looked up, his gaze sharp.
"And the Crown Prince?"
"He's handling the situation with impressive control," Peter replied firmly.
"Morale is steady, and the defense holds—for now."
A long silence passed.
"Do you have any theories?" the Emperor asked, voice low.
Peter hesitated before responding.
"The neighboring kingdom has been moving strangely. Scouts report formations and mobilizations that don't match their usual patterns. I have reason to believe... they might be connected to the surge in monsters."
The Emperor's eyes narrowed.
"Observe them closely. Any further suspicious movements—report directly to me."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
As Peter bowed once more and left, the Emperor sat back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin, thoughts already racing far beyond the walls of his office
---