Behind the library stretched a beautiful lawn, followed by a vast garden beyond. Though few ever came to enjoy its tranquility, the garden was still carefully tended, its hedges trimmed and paths kept clean.

  Winding between rows of trees was a narrow stone-paved path that led to a gate connecting the library to the Palace of Light.

  The gate itself was not particularly large. Made of wood, it looked almost plain for something belonging to the most luxurious place in the Realm of Light. And yet, half a dozen guards stood on either side, armored and armed, their posture immaculate.

  The moment the group approached, one of the guards stepped forward at once and bowed respectfully to Kevin.

  A sense of unease crept into Ferir’s chest.

  The fact that the black-haired youth might actually reside within the palace had already unsettled him. Coupled with the soldiers’ unmistakable reverence, Ferir was forced to reassess Kevin’s identity in his mind.

  Earlier, Arvil had addressed him by name alone. Because of that, Ferir had assumed that even if Kevin was a noble, his status could not be particularly high. But thinking back on it now, the pieces no longer fit.

  Arvil, despite being a noble himself, always looked irritated whenever he had to deal with other nobles. Yet with this boy, his attitude had been noticeably more careful.

  After weighing it over and over in his mind, Ferir could only come to one conclusion. Someone like this could only belong to the direct royal bloodline.

  As for just how “direct” that bloodline was, Ferir had no desire to speculate. Ever since childhood, his mother’s warnings about the dangers and corruption of the royal family had lingered in his thoughts. He had grown up believing that the less he had to do with them, the better.

  The moment they passed through the gate, a carriage was already waiting to receive them.

  It was the first time Ferir had ever sat in such a luxurious carriage. His entire body felt tense, no matter how he sat, he couldn’t seem to get comfortable. Not to mention the young nobleman was staring at him intently.

  “Which family do you belong to?” Kevin asked.

  Ferir hesitated.

  “Uh… I’m a commoner. I don’t belong to any family.”

  Kevin raised an eyebrow.

  “A commoner, working in the Royal Library? Then you must have studied under some renowned scholar.”

  “…No. I only attended basic public education.”

  “Oh? You found these books very quickly. Have you read them before?”

  Ferir shook his head.

  “I’ve only skimmed a few of them.”

  Ferir had been working at the library for nearly three years now. To be honest, the job was hardly demanding. Aside from the occasional request to locate specific books - something he could do with ease - most of his time was spent reading.

  It would not be an exaggeration to say that he had browsed through nearly every book in the library. Even when he did not read them thoroughly, his memory was exceptionally sharp. Often, a single glance was enough for him to retain the contents.

  But Ferir had no intention of boasting about such things here. In his experience, showing off in front of nobles ranked among the three stupidest things a commoner could possibly do.

  Despite his caution, Kevin continued to press on.

  “Everyone else is preparing for the Selection. Do you plan to take part?”

  “…I’m just a commoner,” Ferir replied after a brief pause. “I don’t think I could surpass the others.”

  Seeing how guarded the boy before him had become, Kevin decided not to push further. His interest had only been lightly piqued by the fact that this errand boy’s knowledge far exceeded what one would expect from someone of his station, making casual conversation convenient.

  Yet once the gap in their status became clear, the other’s demeanor had grown markedly more restrained.

  Being treated differently by others was nothing new to someone destined to inherit the throne. Kevin no longer paid such matters much mind.

  The silence inside the carriage, however, only made Ferir more uneasy. Unsure whether he had somehow offended the young nobleman, he scratched his head and spoke up:

  “Sorry about my attitude earlier. I didn’t know you were… uh, if I was in any way discourteous…”

  Kevin waved a hand dismissively, his expression remaining cool and detached.

  “There’s no need to worry. Just act as you did before.”

  Hearing that, Ferir finally felt a sense of relief. It seemed this person was not the petty sort who held grudges over trivial matters. Only then did he dare steal a glance out the window.

  After all, this was his first time ever entering the palace.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  However, the palace grounds were vast. Even after moving for quite some time, most of what lay along the road was still obscured by neatly trimmed trees lining both sides.

  It was only after passing through several gates that Ferir finally caught sight of the main palace, towering in the distance. Finally, the carriage came to a halt before a massive wall.

  Ferir helped Lucas carry the books through the gate. Surrounded by high stone walls on all sides, he had no clear sense of where he was, nor whether this area already counted as part of the central Grand Palace.

  Soon after, several maids emerged and took over, carrying the books inside. Lucas then said to one of them:

  “Please see this young man off to the gate that connects to the library.”

  Only then did Ferir realize that while he had been given a ride in on the carriage, he would have to walk back on his own. Estimating the distance based on the time and speed of the carriage earlier, he figured it would take him more than an hour to return to the library on foot.

  He couldn’t help lamenting the wasted time inwardly, but still quickened his pace as he followed the maid leading the way.

  The two of them walked on in silence. Ferir was a curious youth by nature, and it took considerable effort to swallow down all the questions stirred by the unfamiliar sights around him. Reason kept reminding him that this was not a place where a commoner could afford to be inquisitive.

  Suddenly, the maid came to a halt. She turned back and smiled at him.

  “You work at the Royal Library, don’t you? Would you mind if we took a shortcut?”

  Ferir was taken aback:

  “Ah… sure. If you think it’s fine…”

  At that, the maid veered off the stone-paved road and onto a narrow path winding between the trees, speaking as they walked.

  “It’s not exactly proper. But the palace is simply too vast, and we have very little time to carry out the tasks our masters assign us. So… I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to anyone else.”

  Her tone was light, almost casual, but the words carried a quiet of a warning. Ferir nodded. It wasn’t a bid deal.

  The two of them slipped between rows of trees, passed through a narrow open space between tall walls, and soon emerged onto another broad stone-paved road.

  This road was wider, and far more crowded than the one Kevin’s carriage had taken earlier. Ferir spotted numerous soldiers escorting large wagons carrying something very big, all of it tightly covered by thick tarpaulins. The growling of animals could be heard coming from inside.

  Pets kept by nobles? Or livestock meant for slaughter?

  Noticing Ferir’s repeated glances toward the wagons, the maid frowned slightly and spoke in a warning tone.

  “Don’t stare at things you shouldn’t.”

  “Ah, sorry.”

  Ferir had only just withdrawn his gaze when a thunderous crash erupted behind him, the sound of something heavy toppling over. He spun around instantly and saw that one of the cargo wagons had overturned onto its side.

  The tarp covering the back slipped loose, revealing an enormous wooden cage containing something that was thrashing wildly inside.

  Though he had only ever seen such creatures in books, Ferir recognized it at once. A demonic beast.

  It had four legs and was as large as a fully grown male lion. A long, jet-black coat covering its entire body. The beast slammed itself against the bars again and again until it managed to tearing open a path to freedom.

  The scene quickly descended into chaos. Soldiers drawing their weapons and shouting orders to get out of the way.

  Standing too close, Ferir was shoved aside, lost his footing, and fell onto a maid behind him. Before he could even apologize, another soldier was pushed off balance and crashed down on top of them.

  The three were entangled in a heap as the escaped beast charged straight towards them.

  The soldier drew his sword, forcing a thrust toward the beast from a position that was anything but favorable. As expected, the creature didn’t so much as flinch. With a single swipe, it sent the heavily armored man flying aside as though he weighed nothing at all.

  At the sight before him, terror pushed Ferir’s mind into overdrive. He grabbed the small pouch hanging at his waist, tore it open, and hurled its contents toward the beast with all his strength.

  A cloud of dark brown powder burst into the air, spraying straight into the monster’s eyes and nose. The demonic beast squeezed its eyes shut for a brief instant, its pounce only reached the ground.

  Ferir seized this brief moment, pulled the maid up, and pushed her towards the woods.

  The demonic beast, which had moments ago been in a frenzy, now seemed utterly disoriented. Strangely, it was no longer going berserk.

  Instead, its body swayed precariously, its four legs wobbling as if about to collapse. Yet it did not collapse but paced back and forth restlessly, that made no one around it dare to approach.

  Ferir was surprised. He had only tried his luck earlier, never expecting that the powdered drug would be this effective against a demonic beast.

  He had used it more than once to deal with thieves - the slums were never short on people like that - and it had worked remarkably well everytime.

  The powder induced a light-headed, floating sensation in whoever inhaled it, scrambling their sense of direction and dulling their ability to think for a short while. That brief window was precisely the moment best suited for a counterattack or a clean escape.

  But there was one time. A particularly foolish thief had broken into the home Ferir shared with his mother, hoping to steal a bit of food. When Ferir hurled that powder straight into the man’s face, the intruder became dazed for an unusually long while. More astonishing still, despite his earlier ferocity, the thief turned strangely compliant, answering every question Ferir asked before being tied up and only then regaining his senses.

  A daring, almost insane, thought suddenly flashed through Ferir's mind. The moment he met those bloody red eyes, a color belonging only to creatures born of dark magic, a peculiar urge surged through him. Almost without thinking, he whispered two words, so softly they were nearly lost to the air.

  "Lie down."

  The surroundings fell eerily silent as the beast slowly lay down on its four legs. Those standing far away didn't understand what was happening, but seeing that the beast was no longer frenzied, they began to approach and subdue it.

  Specially crafted nets meant for capturing demonic beasts were cast out, ensnaring the creature as it gradually began to recover its primal instincts. Moments later, it started struggling once more, but by then it was already secured and forced into another cage.

  Ferir, who had been watching with bated breath, finally let out a sigh of relief. He glanced around for the maid, only to find her standing five meters away, her face pale and bloodless. She stared at him, then stammered:

  “W- witchcraft…”

  Ferir didn’t quite catch it.

  “Huh?”

  The maid drew in a sharp breath, then screamed,

  “He used witchcraft! I saw it clearly - he gave an order to the demonic beast!”

  Before Ferir could even process what she was talking about, the two nearest soldiers charged in at once.

  Each seized an arm and slammed him to the ground. His body struck the stone under the weight of two powerfully built men, pain exploding through him as dizziness washed over his vision. Still, he struggled and shouted hoarsely:

  “Wait! This is a misunderstanding! I can explain…”

  “Search him. Take him to the holding cells,” one of the soldiers barked. “We need a Captain to assess this situation.”