The carriage creaked softly as it rumbled along the winding road, leaving Inferna’s blackened walls behind. Outside, the countryside stretched endless and green beneath a fractured sky, where pieces of the shattered moon hung suspended like scattered jewels. Inside, silence settled heavy among the four passengers.

  Roland sat by the window, knees drawn close, his pale reflection rippling faintly in the glass. He hadn’t spoken since they’d departed. His hands rested loosely on his lap, but his fingers never stilled.

  Flora noticed.

  She reached over, brushing a speck of dust from his shoulder, and leaned slightly toward him. Her voice came soft, warm, and careful:

  “What’s on your mind, my prince?”

  Roland didn’t answer at first. His gaze stayed fixed on the hills beyond, until his breath fogged the glass. Finally, he murmured, almost to himself:

  “…Flora… is all of Arcadia like Inferna?”

  Her brows softened at the question, but her answer came steady, measured. “…No, my prince. Other nations are… less extreme.”

  “Then why?” His voice grew tighter. “Why is Inferna like this?”

  Flora hesitated, glancing toward Leon, who had been silent until now. The man leaned back against his seat, eyes half-lidded, but his voice carried no drowsiness when he spoke.

  “It’s a necessity,” Leon said calmly. “Inferna borders the Forbidden Lands. We protect all of Arcadia from the remnants of the Dragon Queen.”

  Roland turned sharply toward him, frustration flashing across his face. “Why should it be a necessity? Why does kindness have to be weakness here? Why do laws like the Rule of Two even exist?”

  Leon’s lips curled faintly. “Oh? So you’ve read about it?”

  Roland crossed his arms, muttering, “Yes. I went to the library on my own once.” His tone dropped lower, defensive. “…Yes, I know. It’s unbelievable I did it on purpose.”

  Leon chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Did you read the whole thing?”

  “No,” Roland admitted, pouting slightly. “…Flora distracted me.”

  Flora pressed a hand to her chest in mock offense. “Oh, so now it’s my fault?”

  Leon’s smirk widened. “Well then, Miss Flora, will you do the honors?”

  Flora straightened, placing her hands neatly on her lap, adopting the air of a proper tutor. “The Rule of Two exists for survival,” she began softly. “Inferna dictates there must always be two rulers on the throne. One leads the military, and one represents the kingdom’s ideals to the world.”

  She glanced at Roland meaningfully.

  “Carmilla, your sister, is ‘The Sword’ — her purpose is to command Inferna’s armies and keep the undead at bay.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Roland lowered his gaze, realization dawning slowly. “Then I…”

  “Yes,” Flora said gently. “You, my prince, are meant to be ‘The Shield.’ You embody Inferna’s ideals, diplomacy, and stability. Your role Is to represent our kingdom to the other nations — to become the golden standard of what a king should be.”

  Leon added quietly, without his usual teasing edge: “And Carmilla… she carries her own burdens too. She fights so you don’t have to.”

  Roland lowered his head further, silent for a long moment, the weight of their words pressing down on him.

  Flora, sensing the shift, reached out and tapped his knee lightly, her tone brighter now. “Well, we’ve got a long ride ahead of us, my prince. If you’re going to spend the entire journey sulking. How about challenging me?”

  Roland blinked, glancing at her warily. “Challenge… you?”

  Flora smiled sweetly, tilting her head. “I am your caretaker. I know many things. Go on. Ask me anything. See if I can’t answer.”

  Roland hesitated, glancing between her and Leon. “…Anything?”

  Leon smirked faintly from his corner. “Go on. Test her.”

  Roland exhaled softly, considering his options — then leaned forward, his curiosity finally breaking past his guilt.

  “…Flora, how did you get your sigil?”

  Flora’s smile softened. “That one’s easy. It was when my daughter was born.”

  Roland’s head snapped up. “…You have a daughter?!”

  Leon’s brows shot up so fast it nearly hit his hairline. “What? You're joking right?”

  Flora glared at him immediately. “Why are you surprised?! I’m thirty-four!”

  Leon muttered, “…Could’ve fooled me.”

  “Watch your tongue,” Flora snapped back, though the heat in her voice was playful. Then she turned back to Roland with a calm smile. “Besides, it’s you asking the questions, not him.”

  Roland giggled softly, and Flora’s shoulders eased slightly at the sound.

  “Then… what about you, Leon?” Roland asked. “How did you get yours?”

  Leon leaned back, resting one arm on the window ledge. “Don’t have one.”

  Roland blinked. “…What?”

  “My swordsmanship’s enough to deal with most sigil users,” Leon said plainly.

  Roland tilted his head. “Most?”

  Leon’s smirk faded into something colder, his voice sharpening faintly. “There was one man we could never quite figure out… Erydan Logos.”

  Roland’s brow furrowed slightly. “…Who?”

  Leon’s gaze lowered, thoughtful. “A scholar. A thief. A madman, some would say. He raided every nation’s archives in the name of ‘research,’ hunting for forbidden knowledge. Many believe his sigil let him bend probabilities within plausible limits — like turning unlikely outcomes into reality. He disappeared before anyone could confirm it.”

  Roland sat forward, interest sparking in his wide eyes. “Are there others like him?”

  “Plenty,” Flora said softly. “There’s the Founder of Aurelion in the west, your father, King Dante, here in Inferna, the rulers of Frostveil in the southwest…”

  Leon’s tone lowered further, his expression dimming slightly. “…And the Eternal Queen.”

  Roland blinked. “Who is she?”

  Leon shifted his weight, his voice deepening. “The Eternal Queen rules the far south, beyond the reach of Arcadia’s kings. She fought the Dragon Queen herself and slew her. The Forbidden Lands exist because of that battle, and the Dragon Queen’s corpse became the Dragon Tomb — an island said to hold the key to transcendence.”

  Roland stared, speechless. “…And my father… he’s as strong as her?”

  Leon shook his head slightly. “Probably not. It’s unknown when the Eternal Queen last acted, but some say she predates Arcadia itself.”

  Silence hung in the carriage for a moment, heavy but not suffocating. Roland stared out at the horizon, his thoughts a storm of awe and questions.

  Flora, watching him, reached out and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. “Roland,” she said softly, “there’s one thing we do know.”

  He blinked, glancing at her. “…What’s that?”

  Her voice was quiet, careful — but carried a weight that stilled even Leon’s casual lean.

  “Every legendary figure… every ruler, every hero, every villain who left their mark on Arcadia… they all answered the same question.”

  Roland leaned forward slowly, his chest tightening, his voice barely above a whisper. “…What question?”

  Flora held the silence for a heartbeat longer, letting the weight settle before she spoke:

  “What… is your dream?”

  Roland froze, staring at her as the words sank deep, rippling through something he couldn’t yet name.

  The carriage rattled on, carrying them toward Flora’s village — and toward the beginning of a new adventure.