Riorem, who had moved her lips several times, eventually couldn’t say a word and ran out of the room.
Her footsteps faded down the hallway, then beyond the stairs, and soon the sound of many hooves thundered across the earth.
Riorem had left for the royal palace.
She awkwardly touched the back of her neck.
Whenever she visited the palace, the ornaments she always wore like a collar disappeared, leaving her feeling not just empty but unfamiliar.
But one thing was certain: it was comfortable.
Breathing, moving her body—everything felt easier.
“I never thought it was uncomfortable before.”
Since the king of Arete first presented her with the gift, she had always worn similar attire in official settings.
Riorem was a foreigner, and standing among these lavish humans was never something she was quite used to.
So she wore what the person who gave her this place wanted her to wear.
After all, she didn’t even know what she liked.
But she hadn’t expected that just by removing some jewels and ornaments and loosening the tight clothes, she would feel this comfortable.
She even liked how she looked reflected in the window.
Even the nobles, who always wanted to pick fights with her but never had a real excuse and only circled around, didn’t challenge her today.
“Taste… something I’ve never thought about before.”
Mulling over this new dilemma, Riorem entered the palace.
But the way to the grand assembly hall was strangely chaotic.
It wasn’t unusual for a regular meeting day to be noisy.
After all, not only those living in the capital but even the frontier lords gathered there, so naturally, more problems arose.
However, it was rare for people to be this tense. Even the guards were out here.
Riorem hurried toward the grand assembly hall.
The murmurs grew louder.
Rather than just noisy, the air felt confused.
When she reached the center of it all, the angry voice of the crown prince rang out:
“You, Alpheios! Do you defy the king’s order?”
As soon as she heard the familiar name, Riorem started running.
People who noticed her late stepped aside to clear a path, some even showing relieved expressions.
Ignoring them, Riorem dashed forward and soon found the heart of the commotion.
A man was standing by the door of the assembly hall, blocking the entrance.
In front of him, a man holding a sheathed sword stood.
Without hesitation, Riorem slipped between the two.
Then the man holding the sword burst out laughing.
“Well, well! Isn’t this our arrogant slave bastard?”
Alpheios Tou Arete.
Commander of the Messenia Kingdom’s conquering forces and the third prince of the Arete Kingdom—an enemy the king hated with a passion—greeted his hated rival.
“I’m pretty sure there was no order yet to return, Prince Alpheios.”
Ignoring Alpheios’s greeting, Riorem got straight to the point.
Of course, she knew this madman wouldn’t back down just because of words.
As expected, Alpheios smirked.
“Of course there wasn’t. But today’s the day of the regular meeting, isn’t it? I have to tell everyone how the Messenia Kingdom is falling apart. Or do you think… it’s better for a slave bastard like you to hear that important news three months later?”
“Isn’t it written in Chapter 1 of the Basic Military Doctrine? ‘In a war that has not completely ended, it is a grave crime for a commander to leave without authorization.’ Even I know that much, so I thought even you would.”
At Riorem’s sharp reply, Alpheios’s eyes flashed.
“How do you know the contents of the Basic Military Doctrine when you can’t even read?”
“It’s simple enough that anyone who isn’t an idiot can memorize it after hearing it once.”
As she finished speaking, Riorem raised her left arm.
Fwoosh.
With a sound like air escaping, blood splattered.
Those watching screamed late.
“Ahhh!”
“Priest! Bring a priest!”
It all happened in an instant.
Alpheios drew his sword and swung at Riorem, who blocked it with her left arm.
Smelling the sudden rush of blood, Alpheios smiled.
“Damn, you lowly slave bastard. You can’t even read, but you’re a clever one, huh?”
Riorem’s blue eyes glanced back at Alpheios.
Alpheios, who should have been at the front line, appearing at the assembly hall was an obvious act of disobedience against the king’s order.
That was why the crown prince was blocking him, invoking the king’s command.
But that wasn’t enough.
Alpheios definitely wouldn’t be punished.
Maybe he’d somehow manage to return to the palace without consequences.
The Arete Kingdom’s order of succession was unclear.
That such a reckless prince like Alpheios was still alive meant one thing.
The king of Arete loved his children—so much so that he openly prevented them from killing each other.
So the King of Arete wouldn’t punish his prince for mere desertion.
After all, the supreme commander was the king himself, and he was also the one who decided punishments.
If things got noisy, the king could just claim he had ordered Alpheios’s return.
“But bringing a weapon into the assembly hall and injuring someone there is a different matter.”
Because of the many complicated interests involved, weapons were banned at the regular meetings.
Entering the assembly hall with a weapon was itself an act of rebellion—a capital offense punishable by immediate execution.
That was why the crown prince was standing inside the assembly hall’s door to block Alpheios.
Wielding a weapon outside the assembly hall was a grave offense but not punishable by death.
However, if someone inside the hall was injured, there was no way to avoid the consequences.
If Alpheios raised his sword and killed the crown prince, that would be the end for him as well.
“The crown prince must have known that Alpheios was reckless enough to do something like that. Is he willing to let Alpheios go even if he dies here?”
Riorem reevaluated Crown Prince Leonidas as she swung her arm.
Blood soaked her pristine white uniform and splattered messily around the front of the assembly hall.
The scene became even more dreadful.
“That’s flattering. If I were really smart, I would’ve dodged your sword. By the way, it’s a shame that someone like the lord of Dynamis hurts his own arm.”
Leonidas, still inside the assembly hall, spoke calmly.
“The wound looks pretty serious. Can you walk, General Berik? Since we have to wait for the priest, it might be better to wait in the lounge.”
Riorem couldn’t see him, but seeing Alpheios glare coldly at her back, it seemed the crown prince was still putting on a friendly face.
“Just thinking about putting my subordinate in my place. Such a fake kindness.”
Leonidas’s attitude was irritating, but right now, accepting his help seemed like a good idea.
Riorem decided to accept his goodwill.
“Of course that would be best. But won’t this situation remain unresolved if I’m not here? Besides, I still have to attend the regular meeting.”
“Don’t worry about that. Didn’t everyone here see the lord of Dynamis get injured? Even I, the crown prince, watched from right behind.”
Riorem swallowed her smile.
The way he emphasized that she wasn’t just a soldier who could be hurt anytime, but a noble with a territory.
How he declared everyone here a witness.
Even how he stressed his position as crown prince so that other princes couldn’t easily oppose him regarding this matter.
All these were the same tactics Leonidas used to suppress Riorem herself.
“How ridiculous.”
Even a younger brother connected by blood could be annoying.
But having experienced it firsthand was reassuring.
Riorem pointed to Teumesas, who was rushing over late.
“Then I’ll accept Your Highness’s kindness. My deputy will attend the regular meeting instead, and I’ll receive treatment.”
“Teumesas, the second daughter of Lavros, was it? There’s no formal problem with that. So be it.”
Leonidas immediately gave his approval.
Riorem followed the attendant who had brought her to the lounge.
She didn’t even glance toward Alpheios’s side.
Since he was an irritating opponent she couldn’t ignore, she decided to completely ignore him for now.
Alpheios wouldn’t just let her walk away like that.
“Well, well. It’s amusing to see these bastards, who were desperate to kill each other, now working together like a team just to take me down.”