News spread out in fervor all around Academy City as shocking revelations came in waves.
The party of the Ethereal Princess that had been moving to the Golden Phoenix Auction House was attacked, her guards killed as the assailants were truly powerful Blessed!
Even the Silver Blessed from the Academy City that went to lend found themselves injured, with a few unlucky ones even facing death to defeat some of the assassins that broke the peace of their city.
But as the night went, the shocking news only became more frightening as the personal guard of the Princess was found, along with a bloody scene of shattered muscles and bones located in the forest behind the Blessed Academy as there was nothing to be found!
With this, the news began to spread rapidly like a growing fire, the many Blessed in Academy City feeling their hearts turn cold as they knew something was coming.
It was the news of the death of the 5th Ethereal Princess, of the Will of the Imperial City being defied as on this night- royal blood was spilled!
---
In the cover of the night, Noah and Annalise left the Dark forest before any search parties appeared, Noah taking out the duffel bag that used to gold his Bronze Rank Equipment when he bought them from the Equipment Emporium as he stuffed the body of the Princess in there.
The Yeti was returned into the system interface as they came out of the verdant forest that was in the Middle of the City on another side, the brother and sister pair trying their best to calmly walk along the streets of the tumultuous city to make it back home!
It took them an entire hour to navigate as many Blessed rushed towards the bloody scenes near the Blessed Academy, only releasing breaths of tension when they opened the door to their apartment and stepped in.
Their mother had been pacing around in the apartment with worry as she turned towards them.
"Where were you two?! Your father is still out there looking for you…"
She let out a relieved sigh as her voice contained a tinge of anger, noticing the expressions of the two as she noticed the duffel bag Noah carried.
He sighed while putting down the bag and opening it, the figure of a bloodied girl being seen inside as the air in the apartment turned cold.
Their mother noticed the Silver hair among the blood, her eyes opening towards them frightfully.
"You...what did you two do?!"
---
It was a long night, but it passed nonetheless for Academy City as the news spread!
It reached the far off Imperial City as among the ranks of those with power, pandemonium ensued.
"Someone has dared to take up arms and spill Royal Blood!"
"They have defied the will of the Ethereal Emperor!"
RUMBLE!
The ministers and officials in power cried out loudly towards the Imperial Castle that stood like a domineering dragon over the Imperial City.
Exquisitly designed and larger than the highest buildings that Noah would have seen in his old world, the domineering Imperial Castle shimmered with a gold color that could be seen from miles away as it was the highest structure one could see in the Imperial City.
Being at the center of the Light Continent, this city that acted as the Imperial Capital where the central power of the Ethereal Realm should have resided was extremely vast.
The majority of powerful Blessed in the upper ranks would most of the time be congested in this Imperial City as they sought the Dimensional Rifts within!
The Imperial Castle was a grand structure that represented the power and dominion of the beings that influenced large expanses of lands, a structure that very few beings ever got a chance to get close to.
Within the expansive Imperial Castle, a man was standing on a balcony as he sipped a golden drink, his eyes shining blue as he emanated a world shaking power!
His hair was strikingly silver as it glimmered with light, a devilishly handsome face that would cause the strongest women to falter was currently scowling with an interested expression.
"So that's why you're amassing an army...you have finally found out about it."
His voice was extremely calm as it was heard by no one, containing a myriad of mysteries as this being was the very same Crown Prince that the 5th Ethereal Princess mentioned to her guard.
This was the being that had sent her into Academy City for a test, and his test had borne results!
It might have not been the results he wanted, but it told him of many things as he could now prepare.
He finished sipping his drink as he touched his face, putting on the expression of wrath as he went deep inside the vast Imperial Castle with his voice loudly resonating out to be heard by all the ministers and officials.
"My sister's blood has been spilled unjustly! Ready the Legions to make those responsible pay!"
RUMBLE!
Amidst the shocking secret that the powerful Royals had been keeping under wraps for a few years, the Crown Prince finally made a grand move to seize and utilize the power his father left behind as a tumultuous period was on the horizon!
---
In the small apartment that a family of four lived in, there was complete silence as the four stood while looking at the figure of the 5th Ethereal Princess.
The father of the family had returned as his expression was stern while staring at Noah.
"You've been at Bronze Rank this whole time?"
He didn't even look at the shocking personage on the ground as he focused on his son, Noah shaking his head wryly as he replied.
"I just stepped into it yesterday, I told you guys I was finally getting serious! But...I don't think we should be focusing on me at this moment…"
After their mother tightened her grip on each of their ears and told them to explain, the truth of Noah and Annalise stepping in to save the Princess and dispatch a heavily injured Silver Rank expert through a surprise attack came to light.
Noah's words caused all eyes to turn towards the Princess lying on the ground as the air became heavy again.
Against such a personage, they truly didn't know what to do!
"We can hand her to the authorities, the forces of the Imperial Capital have already arrived in this city anyways."
Noah's father- Jon Eckert, voiced out a logical path carefully as his mom shook her head off to the side.
"No, let's wait until she wakes up for us to see where the danger is, it might just be that very same force from the Imperial Capital…"
Her eyes were filled with a sharp light as she went down to pick the bloodied girl from the bag Noah had brought her in.
Her actions caused the unconscious princess to actually begin coming to, her eyes fluttering open as she looked around to see the worried face of the woman that was holding her, a gruff man, and two faces she recognized- the ones that had actually saved her from the sharp sword of an assassin!
The 5th Ethereal Princess that was supposed to be dead had opened her eyes!
Onward!