Early morning, beneath the sunlight...
A knight with brown hair, emerald eyes, and golden armor stood gazing at the river below the valley. Dawn pierced the hazy mist, casting soft shafts of light.
Behind the knight stood a petite yet curvaceous woman. Her looks were merely above average, but there was a resolute air between her brows that made her seem valiant and spirited.
The knight closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again and let out a breath. "I should have guessed long ago."
The woman said nothing. She merely stood quietly behind him, watching the knight. He was not particularly burly, yet in her eyes, he seemed tall and imposing. At least, that was how he appeared to her.
"His Majesty Rex possesses bloodline resonance. If His Highness had truly perished, even if His Majesty kept it secret out of certain concerns, there would have been corresponding adjustments and actions—especially concerning those imperial heirs. Yet there has been no movement at all these past few months. Now, I can finally be certain." Though the knight's face remained cold and stern, his eyes shone with incomparable excitement. The despondency of the past several months had been swept away, and his very spirit seemed to have undergone some kind of transformation.
"Since that person's... status is so noble," the woman finally said, "why doesn't he return to the Empire?"
"Ina, His Highness's towering talent and grand strategy are beyond either your or my ability to fathom. What can be certain is that it is connected to his strange disappearance years ago, and likely involves secrets of the imperial family." The knight shook his head slightly. "However, with His Highness's current strength, I believe it will not be long before he appears before those enemies in a manner beyond their wildest