Chapter 66 – The Severed TiesThe Imperial Palace – The Son Who Chose His Own Path
The throne room of the Veridion Empire had never been this silent.
The massive chamber, adorned with banners of gold and crimson, felt smaller than ever—as if the walls themselves closed in with the weight of what was about to happen.
At the end of the hall, sitting upon a golden throne, was the Emperor of the Veridion Empire, Kaelith Aurelian Veridion.
His golden eyes, sharp as a hawk's, bore into the young man standing before him.
The one who was supposed to be the empire's future.
The one who was supposed to lead their armies.
The one who was supposed to inherit the strongest Grand Dukedom in history.
Leonhardt Valerian Everhart.
The emperor's grip on the golden armrest of his throne tightened.
Beside him, nobles and military officials sat in stiff silence. None dared to speak.
But the Grand Duke, Aldric Everhart, stood off to the side, his piercing blue eyes fixed on his son. His face betrayed no emotion, but his fingers twitched subtly.
And at the center of the room, facing them all, was Leonhardt.
He stood tall, clad in black military attire lined with gold, his ashen-black hair catching the warm glow of the chandeliers. His fiery crimson eyes, flecked with gold, held no hesitation.
And then, he spoke.
"I, Leonhardt Valerian Everhart, formally renounce my position as the heir to the Grand Dukedom."
Silence. Then Chaos.
The room froze.
Then—an explosion of shocked whispers and outraged gasps filled the throne room.
"Impossible—!"
"Has he lost his mind?"
"This is madness!"
Some nobles rose from their seats in disbelief. Others clenched their fists.
This was Leonhardt.
The genius who became a Swordmaster before the age of eighteen.
The strongest heir in history.
The pillar of the empire's future.
And he was abandoning it all?
The emperor remained silent, his gaze locked onto Leonhardt.
But his golden eyes gleamed with something dangerous.
"…Why?" he finally asked.
A Son's Answer
Leonhardt met the emperor's gaze without a trace of hesitation.
"I have found my reason."
The whispers in the throne room ceased.
The emperor's brows furrowed. "Your reason?"
A small, almost imperceptible smirk touched Leonhardt's lips.
"My life. My love. Someone who became my everything."
A single, stifling silence swallowed the court whole.
Someone.
Not the empire.
Not the war.
Not his duty.
Someone.
The emperor's gaze darkened.
"…Who?"
Leonhardt's smirk vanished.
"…I will not say."
The emperor's jaw tightened. His fingers curled against the golden armrest.
The nobles could barely breathe.
This was beyond madness.
Their strongest heir was leaving for a woman he refused to name?
Then, in a voice filled with icy authority, the emperor spoke.
"You will abandon the empire for a woman you refuse to name?"
A Heir's Defiance
Leonhardt's eyes flashed.
"Yes."
Chaos erupted.
Several nobles slammed their fists on the tables.
"This is treason—!"
"What sort of spell has bewitched him?"
"He is throwing away his birthright for nothing—!"
But Leonhardt stood still.
Unshaken.
Unbothered.
Unmovable.
The emperor stood from his throne.
The weight of his aura crashed down upon the room, forcing some of the weaker nobles to falter.
"…You are the youngest Swordmaster in history. An 8th-class magician. You were born for this empire."
Leonhardt exhaled softly.
"No," he said, his voice unwavering.
"I was born for her."
A Father's Silence
At last, Aldric Everhart spoke.
"…Are you certain?"
The Grand Duke's voice was calm. Unreadable.
Leonhardt turned to meet his father's gaze.
There was no hesitation.
"Yes."
Aldric studied his son for a long moment. His deep blue eyes, sharp and calculating, searched for even a hint of doubt.
He found none.
"…Then there is nothing more to be said."
Gasps filled the hall.
The strongest swordmaster in the empire—the Grand Duke himself—had accepted his son's decision.
The emperor's expression hardened.
"You are making a mistake."
Leonhardt's lips curled slightly.
"No," he said, turning toward the grand doors.
"I am finally making my own choice."
And then—he stepped forward.
A Final Warning
Before Leonhardt could leave, the emperor spoke again.
"And what of the war?"
Leonhardt paused.
Kaelith's voice darkened.
"The war that you fought in. The war you won. What of it? Do you expect us to simply halt everything because you chose to leave?"
The throne room fell into silence.
And then—Leonhardt laughed.
It was low. Cold. Amused.
When he turned back, his crimson-gold eyes gleamed with something dangerous.
"End the war."
The emperor's golden eyes burned.
"You dare order me?"
Leonhardt's gaze didn't waver.
"It's not an order."
His next words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.
"It's a warning."
And then—he disappeared.
The Night Queen's Decree
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Aurion…
The grand hall of the Aurion Palace was in chaos.
But all of it ceased when she arrived.
The doors swung open, revealing a woman cloaked in moonlight.
Her silvery-white hair flowed like the night sky, and her deep violet eyes, speckled with silver, pierced through the room.
The Moon Queen had returned.
The King of Aurion hesitated.
"…You have returned."
Aetheria's voice was cold.
"The war is over."
A minister flinched. "But the empire—"
Aetheria's next words froze the blood in their veins.
"If they attack again, I will personally destroy them."
Silence.
No one could argue.
No one dared to challenge her.
Because when the Night Queen spoke, the world obeyed.
The war—was over.