The Great Hall, as the name implied, was a massive room, used primarily for banquets and ceremonies. Thus, it had to have enough space to house a large number of people, and that it did.

When Nova stepped inside, he swept his gaze around and could immediately count at least more than a hundred heads, all currently staring in the same direction as they whispered to each other.

He followed their gazes and saw a dais at the other end of the room, where a healthy, middle-aged man, dressed in red imperial robes with purple-gold trim, was sitting on a large throne. Beside him, on a smaller seat, sat a beautiful middle-aged woman, one whose beauty in her prime could have caused the fall of a nation, with long black hair draping down her rose-gold dress and reaching her lower back.

Nova's eyes couldn't help but stay on her for a few more seconds.

"Silence!"

A guard stepped forward and shouted.

The murmurs died down in an instant, and the only sound left was the breathing of the crowd.

The emperor slowly stood up and looked at the nobles of his empire and the representatives of the other three kingdoms gathered in his palace before saying, "We are heartened that so many loyal subjects and esteemed guests have gathered in this hall to honor the anniversary of our birth. A century of life and of rule is not ours alone, but belongs to all who have served Vireah, maintained order at its borders, and upheld the honor of our house. On this day, let us celebrate not merely the passing of years…"

The speech went on for minutes, so much so that Nova tuned out and couldn't help but think, 'A long-winded geezer. Even though he looks so young, when he's a hundred years old, he's obviously an old man at heart.'

"Now," the emperor began, his voice echoing through the Great Hall, "you may be wondering why I have summoned the finest young talents from both the Empire and the three kingdoms to this ceremony."

'About time,' Nova thought, having to fight hard to stifle a yawn.

The crowd held its breath. They had assumed it was a mere honor and an opportunity for the youths to witness the workings of the empire, but with those words that assumption faltered. Every mind in the hall shifted, possibilities ran wild in their heads, some too far-fetched to even be spoken aloud.

The young geniuses' eyes sparkled with anticipation, their bodies tense with expectation.

"Deborah," the emperor called.

A delicate young woman who resembled the empress stepped gracefully forward from the edge of the dais. She bowed slightly toward the emperor, her expression complicated as her hands gripped the hems of her clothes. "Yes, Father," she replied, trying to hide a faint quiver in her voice behind a respectful tone.

The emperor's eyes softened slightly as he regarded her. "My youngest daughter, you have grown into a remarkable woman," he began, his voice echoing through the hall. "Talented and wise beyond your years. But there is one matter that remains unsettled. With all the young heroes gathered here today, this is the perfect time to take care of it."

A hush fell over the hall. The young geniuses held their breath, a faint inkling of where the speech was heading sprouting in their minds.

"I have invited these extraordinary youths," the emperor continued, gesturing toward the gathered talent from across the Empire and the three kingdoms, "not only for their brilliance and promise, but for one purpose that concerns you."

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Deborah's brow furrowed slightly, her heart racing in panic as she could guess her father's next words.

The emperor said, his tone firm, "You are now twenty years old, and it is time for you to find a husband. Among these gifted young men, there is one who will stand beside you, not merely as a partner in life, but as someone worthy of sharing your future, your duties, and the legacy of our house."

A ripple of surprise passed through the hall. The young men's eyes widened, some exchanged stunned glances, while the young women snorted at the wasted trip and shot dissatisfied looks at their elders and families who could only smile wryly at them.

The occasion they had assumed would be a rare treasure or opportunity had now turned into a chance at marrying the youngest princess. Hearts would shatter like glass if word got out that the goddess of this generation was about to be matched with someone else behind closed doors, giving many not even a chance to try.

'This emperor truly wastes no time, even using his birthday as an excuse to gather everyone in the same place and sell off his daughter to rope in the strongest genius of the next generation this world has,' Nova thought, his lips curling coldly upward. 'No wonder he's the emperor.'

The youngest princess knew it was coming, but hearing those words spoken out loud in front of so many people caused her mind to go blank as reality sunk in. A hint of unwillingness flashed through her eyes and her face struggled to maintain a neutral expression. Her body shivered slightly, she didn't want to be married off like a trophy that some stranger could hang on their walls, but she knew there was no way she could refuse, especially in front of so many important people. Her eyes darted toward her mother, hoping to find someone who could rescue her from this predicament, but the empress didn't even glance at her, leaving her feeling utterly lost.

With no one to lean on, Deborah took a deep breath and said, "As you wish, Father." The moment the words left her lips, all the strength seemed to drain from her body, and her face paled.

Garran, the emperor, nodded with a smile, he didn't even take notice of his daughter's expression, though his eyes remained on her.

He turned toward the crowd and was about to speak when someone beat him to it.

Nova sighed. He removed his mask and said, "I'll take her."

The crowd's heads snapped toward him as if pulled by a string. They moved faster than they ever had in their lives.

One young man, his blood having gone to his head at the news, saw that Nova was about his age, puffed out his chest, and stepped forward. "How dare you speak like that in front of His Imperial Majesty! Kneel and apologize before it's too late."

Nova didn't spare him a glance and walked toward the dais.

The young man saw this and thought Nova was scared of him so he continued, "Mutt! List—"

Nova coldly glanced at him and the young man kneeled on the ground so violently that his knees shattered as a piercing scream rang through the hall. Without pause, he resumed walking.

Due to the display of power just shown, with every step he took, the crowd sucked in a deep breath and parted for fear of both him and being labeled accomplices.

Standing in the middle of the crowd, Maelor spotted Nova and said in awe, "It's him!"

"Hehe, these people don't know who they are messing with," Andretas chuckled softly.

Beside the two, Jeffrey's eyes widened and a shiver ran down his spine. Finished. We're all finished. As soon as His Imperial Majesty finds out he came with us, we'll all die.

Deborah, who had been numbly staring at the floor, heard the commotion and lifted her head.

A few meters away, Nova was stepping toward her, his eyes fixed on the emperor, who stared back at him as if he were looking at a clown. She didn't know why this young man was there, nor why the crowd was watching him with such schadenfreude.

But it seemed he had come against her father's wishes and that only made her want to know more, for she had never seen anyone disobey her father. It was a concept she had never known existed.

'To think I'd save another princess so early after I promised myself I would stop meddling in situations that don't concern me, much less with princesses. Perhaps it's my fate,' Nova chuckled internally. 'But I just don't like seeing someone's freedom being constrained by two worthless parents right in front of me, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.'

He stopped beside the princess and nodded at her. She wore a surprised look on her face, so much so that she even forgot to nod back.

Garran had kept his eyes on Nova the whole time, and seeing him now standing right beside his daughter, he calmly asked, "You dare speak to me like that?"

Nova glanced at him from the corner of his eyes and said, "I do. So what?"

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.