Chapter 874 Announcement from the Imperial Palace
The capital was quiet, and people went about their business as usual.
Then, an announcement came from the imperial palace.
"By His Majesty's decree, everyone will be equal before the law. Even princes and princesses won't be spared if they break it!"
Before long, the news had spread throughout the capital.
"What's going on?" an old man asked, frowning in disbelief as he sat in a small tavern on the outskirts of the capital. "Why would His Majesty suddenly do something like this?"
"I don't know." The young man beside him shook his head. "But one thing's certain—there has to be a reason for it. We'll probably find out soon enough."
Similar conversations echoed throughout the capital, not just in that small tavern.
Within a few hours, the news had reached the cities surrounding the capital, where it caused the same wave of confusion and speculation.
…
Roswell sat quietly in his chair, sipping his tea. His face remained calm, but his thoughts were anything but.
"What does that announcement mean? Why would His Majesty issue it so suddenly?"
He knew Ragan better than most. There was no way that man would issue such a decree without a reason.
More importantly, the announcement had come right after Ragan's meeting with Nolan.
"Something's not right..." His eyes narrowed. "Could it be that Nolan was the one who requested it?"
The moment that thought crossed his mind, countless possibilities—some reasonable, others completely absurd—began running through his head.
His expression darkened, and his breathing grew heavier.
"If even one of those possibilities is true... then I need to act immediately," he muttered.
He closed his eyes and called out, "Code 001."
Whoosh!
A man with short gray hair and a half-mask covering his face appeared before him.
He immediately bowed.
"What are your orders, my lord?"
"Gather Code 002, 003, and 005. I want the four of you to keep a close watch on Prince Nolan Lorian. Report every move he makes to me immediately. Understood?"
Code 001 gave a firm nod.
"Understood. Leave it to me."
With that, he disappeared without a trace.
Roswell slowly closed his eyes.
"I just hope none of those theories are true..."
…
Meanwhile, Nolan, the one responsible for all the commotion in the capital and the surrounding cities, was making his way to a garden hidden deep within a remote forest on the outskirts of the Southern Continent.
By the time he arrived, two women were already sitting across from each other at a table.
The woman on the left had an elegant figure, silver hair, and wore a blindfold.
She carried herself with such grace that she reminded Nolan of a holy woman, even though she was nothing of the sort.
She was Sylvia, the leader of the Tower of Silence.
The woman sitting opposite her was a little more curvaceous. Her long black hair hung all the way down to her hips.
Her pink eyes were beautiful and hypnotic. Two horns jutted out from her head and a long tail with a heart-shaped tip lazily swung behind her.
She was none other than Chloe, the leader of the Falling Star Academy.
"Sorry to keep you both waiting," Nolan said with a smile.
Sylvia set down her teacup and smiled back at him.
Just as she was about to respond, Chloe, who had remained silent until then, suddenly jumped to her feet and rushed toward Nolan.
"Big Brother Nolan~"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against the nape of his neck.
Nolan's familiar scent, mixed with his natural body fragrance, was enough to leave Chloe completely captivated.
She tightened her embrace, as if she wanted to melt into his arms.
Both Nolan and Sylvia were caught off guard. Neither of them had expected Chloe to do something like that.
Nolan, in particular, could feel the softness of Chloe's body against his. His blood began to boil, and his breathing gradually grew heavier.
Chloe naturally noticed his reaction. A faint smile curled on her lips as she pressed herself even closer to him.
"What's wrong, Big Brother? Are you uncomfortable?" she whispered into Nolan's ear.
Nolan felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. A moment later, however, he regained his composure and smiled knowingly.
"It's okay."
He returned her embrace before gently rubbing his cheek against hers.
"I'm so happy to see you again."
Leaning closer to her ear, he whispered softly, "Do you feel the same way?"
Puff!
White smoke practically seemed to rise from above Chloe's head. Her boldness vanished in an instant, replaced by overwhelming embarrassment.
Even though she'd acted so confidently just moments ago, she'd never expected Nolan to reciprocate.
Who would've thought he would respond in exactly the same way?
For Chloe, who had long dreamed of a moment like this, Nolan's response was a devastating counterattack that left her whole body limp.
"All right, Chloe. That's enough. Let go of him."
Sylvia couldn't take it anymore. She quickly stood up and pulled Chloe away from Nolan.
Chloe snapped out of her embarrassment and let out a cold snort.
"What's wrong, Sylvia? Are you jealous?"
"Jealous?" Sylvia blinked in surprise. The irritation on her face was quickly replaced by a faint blush.
"W-Why would I be jealous? I'm not jealous of you!"
"Heh..." Chloe smiled knowingly. "Then why did you stop me from hugging Big Brother Nolan?"
Sylvia was left speechless.
"Am I jealous?"
She didn't know the answer herself. Ever since recovering her memories of Nolan from a thousand years ago, both her feelings and the way she treated him had changed completely.
Back then, she'd thought of Nolan as nothing more than an annoying, useless prince. But not anymore.
Even so, she still didn't understand what she truly felt.
Was it love?
Or was it simply respect and gratitude?
"All right, that's enough."
Nolan stepped in before the two of them could continue.
He walked over and sat in the empty chair that had been prepared for him.
"I invited both of you here to discuss something important, not to argue."
Chloe and Sylvia exchanged glances before silently putting their hostility aside.
They both sat back down. Chloe poured Nolan a cup of tea and handed it to him.
"Here you go, Big Brother."
"Thank you."
Nolan accepted the cup and took a sip.
"I'll get straight to the point."
He set the teacup back on the table.
"I'm here to ask for your help."
"Help?" The two exchanged puzzled glances.
Nolan was the Singularity of Chaos. What kind of help could they possibly offer someone like him?
Noticing their confused expressions, Nolan smiled and explained, "I'm leaving for a distant place next week. While I'm away, I'd like you two to look after my sister, Elina. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to stay by her side all the time. Just... if her life is ever in danger, please save her."
Chloe tilted her head.
"Where are you going, Big Brother?"
Sylvia was just as curious. She kept her eyes on Nolan, waiting for his answer.
Nolan was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"I'm going to the world where humanity's two heroes came from."