“Hold on, Drac,” Ilena said, cutting in the moment the emperor mentioned it. “You’re saying you want that prince from earlier, the one who’s a little too… energetic, to join our party. And he’s a Hero?”

  She could not help it.

  What they’d just seen did not match the stories at all. The Hero in ballads was always calm, gracious, the kind of person who made everyone feel safe. Alexis had barged in like a storm.

  The emperor raised his left hand, asking her to pause.

  He would explain.

  “Your doubts are fair,” he said. “But I can guarantee he’s the real thing, chosen by prophecy. Ilena, you’re a cleric. Enid, you’re sensitive to miracle power. You both felt it, didn’t you?”

  Enid nodded.

  Ilena had felt it too, a massive holy presence on Alexis, bigger than anything she’d ever sensed from another cleric.

  Antonio, who had been quiet until now, watching the room like he was mapping it, finally spoke.

  “But, Your Majesty, what you’re asking isn’t a simple mission. Can Alexis handle it?”

  The emperor laughed and thumped his chest.

  “Of course. The day he received the prophecy, he showed strength beyond ordinary men. And I trained him myself. Right now, he might be the strongest warrior in the empire.”

  Enid did not doubt Alexis’s power.

  She doubted his willingness.

  Everyone had seen how he’d fought the plan.

  He looked like the type who would rather charge alone than cooperate.

  The emperor read their hesitation and kept going.

  “Lex refusing the plan makes sense. One, he’s worried about me and wants to take my place against the main force. Two, he hates being called a ‘Hero.’ And the reason for that…”

  Suddenly his hand slammed the arm of the throne, the crack echoing through the hall.

  His anger came out like heat.

  “The reason is the state religion that announced that prophecy. When the High Pontiff died, nine out of the fifteen cardinals turned traitor. At the worst possible moment, they tried to sell themselves to those demon beasts.”

  Enid and the others had heard nothing about this.

  All three showed the same shock. It was hard to imagine anyone choosing to side with monsters that butchered without blinking, yet fear and ambition had always made people do stupid things.

  “Of course you didn’t know,” the emperor said, voice still edged with fury. “I learned the truth before they could install a puppet pontiff, and I executed them first. I couldn’t let word of it reach the public. Panic and collapse of morale would’ve finished us faster than any demon legion.”

  His anger cooled into something heavier.

  He leaned back, rubbing his beard, expression turning grim.

  “Still, a few people in key positions know about the betrayal. That poisoned the court. It also poisoned trust in the ‘Hero.’ Lex learned the church had traitors. Being named their chosen warrior hit him hard.”

  He paused, then continued more quietly.

  “The prophecy says only the Hero can kill the Demon King. I don’t know why fate put that burden on him, but if we want this war to end, and if we want to prove Lex had nothing to do with those traitors, I have to place him in your strike team.”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Then his fist hit the throne again, this time with a different irritation.

  “And those mages hiding in their tower. Not one of them will send even a single wizard to help, not in a crisis like this. They hide behind excuses like ‘preserving magical knowledge.’ Cowards.”

  While they were still digesting all that, a fully armed soldier entered the hall, saluted, and reported that the First Legion had arrived at the military camp outside the capital, awaiting orders.

  The emperor stood.

  “Have the First Legion hold position and begin pre-battle drills. I’ll be there shortly.”

  The soldier saluted again and withdrew.

  The emperor turned back to Enid and the others.

  “You’ll have a week here. We’ll work out the details then. For today, get some rest.”

  He half turned, lifted an arm with effortless confidence, and caught the heavy, ornate cloak from his shoulders.

  In one smooth motion, he snapped it free. The fabric flared like a banner in a hard wind, then settled neatly into an attendant’s waiting hands.

  Then he strode out of the hall, steady and decisive.

  A king had to move like a king, especially when everything was falling apart. If he looked unshakable, his soldiers might still stand.

  The attendant moved to escort Enid and the others back to the resting chamber, but Enid shook her head and asked where Alexis was.

  She wanted to be taken to him.

  She understood what the emperor had not said out loud.

  He wanted her to guide Alexis, to make him accept the title he was trying so hard to reject.

  The attendant did not dare delay.

  He prepared to lead Enid to the palace training grounds.

  Enid told Antonio and Ilena to go rest first.

  She said she had a few questions for a young, reckless “Hero.”

  After a short walk through the palace corridors, they reached Alexis’s location.

  The training yard inside the palace was wide and open.

  Alexis had shed his armor and wore light combat gear, sword in hand, practicing with relentless focus.

  He sensed Enid’s approach.

  What he did next made everyone nearby freeze.

  In a blink he vanished, then appeared right in front of Enid, blade lifted to her throat.

  One more inch and steel would have pierced her neck.

  Enid did not flinch.

  No change in her expression, no movement at all. She spoke evenly.

  “So this is how Alexis greets future allies. That’s quite the first impression.”

  Alexis stared at her like he wanted to carve the truth out of her skin.

  His grip tightened.

  “When I entered the audience hall, I felt a twisted, vile presence,” he said. “It’s you.”

  Enid let out a soft laugh.

  “You’re sharp. Even Ilena couldn’t pick up that taint on me.”

  Her tone stayed calm, almost teasing.

  “No wonder prophecy chose you. A holy warrior, through and through. Right, young and reckless Hero?”

  Alexis snorted.

  “Mocking me won’t help you. Demonic corruption can’t hide from me. Show your true face. Demon.”

  Enid waved a hand, unimpressed.

  “Alright. So we’re not doing ‘talk’ today. After hearing Ilena describe you, I thought Heroes were supposed to be kind, brainless saints.”

  Alexis caught the smallest motion, just a few fingers shifting.

  Then his vision blurred, and his balance vanished.

  A loud crash shook the yard.

  When Alexis came back to himself, he realized he was embedded in a wall.

  He lifted his head, staring at Enid in disbelief.

  He hadn’t even seen the moment she struck.

  Enid had used a near-instant gust spell, launching him like a thrown weapon.

  Her voice stayed almost polite.

  “I forgot to mention something. I really hate having a sword pointed at me. Most people don’t walk away after one of my spells. You did.”

  Her eyes stayed on him, assessing.

  “So yes, the ‘Hero’ title isn’t just for show.”

  Alexis tore himself free, wiped at the corner of his mouth, and glared.

  “Heh. You’re a demon wearing an elf’s face. You’ve got some bite.”

  Enid cut him off.

  “Wrong. I’m a nature elf, not a high elf.”

  Magic gathered in her palm, quiet and controlled.

  “Talking isn’t getting us anywhere. The fastest way for two people to understand each other is a spar.”

  She tilted her head slightly.

  “Pick up your sword. And try to ‘kill’ this ‘demon’ you’re so sure you’ve found.”

  Alexis raised his blade and leveled it at her, eyes bright with anger and something close to excitement.

  “With pleasure. I want to see it for myself,” he said. “The one the borderlands sing about, the one the northern demons fear. Let’s see how strong you really are.”