The Star of Annihilation
Chapter 72 – Wall (1)
Written by : Eleven

* * *

After the fight that had happened inside the campus of Titanius, it was safe to say the entire Empire was thrown into a political mess.

There was no way the loud sounds and huge tremors that shook the entire capital of Lazarus would go unnoticed.

Newspapers were flying about and in everybody’s hands while mass panic and hysteria were rampant.

Order was brought as the Royal Knights were mobilized for calming the state of the people, but Emperor Navarro had lots of troubles on his hands.


“Huuu…”


Navarro let out a sigh as he scratched his head in annoyance.

Inside his bedroom, he knew it would be a long day.

More likely than not, the Empire would have to come out with an official statement as the Dragons could no longer be kept as a secret.

The last fight had brought many changes that were unlikely to be taken well.


‘Will we have to enter a state of war soon?’


It was unlikely that the Empire would declare the Dragons as mortal enemies and go to war immediately.

If the Nobility were to become aware of the dangers that came and just how obvious the landslide of loss would be if they went to war, then Navarro was certain that the noble factions would understand that this was not something the Empire could fight alone.

Although it would hurt the pride of many pro-war nobles, it was a glaring truth.

Regardless, the Dragons had a reason for attacking Titanius, and that reason would come to be known as the name ‘Roy Stone’.


“This is much too difficult….”


Navarro grew frustrated with himself.

Since becoming Emperor, he did not have to struggle much to maintain his power after the war against the Demon Race.

The Empire’s victory in that war brought several losses to both them and the Demons, but it also solidified his power as the sole ruler of the Empire.

But now it was something that could be jeopardized with the slightest touch.


‘I need to see the mirror once more before making a statement today.’


Navarro’s maids undressed him as he got ready for the meetings he was going to have later that day with the other nobles.

It would be nothing but a hassle to deal with the annoying nobles that were all going to have their own opinions in hopes to somehow gain benefits out of all this, but the problem would be in the future Navarro had seen.

Roy Stone was someone that was needed in the war that would surely come in the future.

The more selfish nobles would surely try to voice their opinions to get rid of him and just give him away to the Dragons since he was their target.

But in the long run, that move would surely ruin them.

Not only that, but Navarro was distressed since he knew it would soon be time to crown the new Emperor.

The only problem was that although he favored his first son the most, Desmond would not be able to avert the terrible crisis that was sure to come.

The other sons would not be able to do so either, and they would likely just ruin the entire Empire at an even faster rate.


“Is she the only option…?”

Navarro muttered to himself as the maids around him paid no mind to his ramblings.

Sistine Ismenian, his youngest child, was a child that he did not pay much attention to.

But she was someone that was becoming more and more present in the futures he saw in the mirror artifact underneath the Imperial Palace.

He had a lot to think about.


* * *

Back at Titanius Academy…


Headmaster Tubel never released a formal announcement on what had happened the night before, but most Noble and Magic Family Households had requested their heirs to return home immediately the following day.

Only very few nobles did not know of the existence of the Dragons, since most influential groups had their own information networks and had heard about Argenta when Ifrit had slain him in Kerto Village amidst the presences of the Royal Family’s three princes.

Roy was sleeping soundly through all of this as several families were departing from the campus gates.


“Who are you?”


At the infirmary room, Sistine Ismenian was looking at Roy sleeping silently when a boy came in and startled her.


“Oh… I’m Sistine.”


Sistine looked at the boy who had come in to check up on Roy.

There were several people who had come and gone in this particular infirmary room, but Sistine recognized this boy from the night before.
He had platinum silver hair that seemed to slightly glisten despite the sun not shining through the windows due to the curtains.

His facial expression was as blank as hers, which made it extremely difficult for Sistine to read him.


“Why are you here?”


Nate was blunt and straight to the point.

He had been worried for his closest friend and knew he was resting right now, but he couldn’t help but feel wary towards this newcomer.

Elias was someone he was also just as wary against, but the more he spent time around Elias and Roy and Elizabeth in their group setting, even Nate had let down his guard a bit around him.


“That…”


Sistine had never been directly questioned as the Imperial Princess since the title of royalty was quite heavy.

However, Nate could care less if Sistine was the princess or just some hooligan.

Sistine didn’t want to or feel like revealing herself as the Imperial Princess, since more often than not, it just brought more trouble.

“I was just worried about him.”

“You know Roy?”


Nate’s expression didn’t loosen up one bit, as he was incredibly slow to trust people.

Even if Sistine was or wasn’t worried, Nate had recognized her face but still needed to draw a connection as to why someone like her was worried about his friend.

Roy hadn’t said it aloud or anything, but Nate figured that Roy only would get close to certain people if it were beneficial for both parties.

But Roy had never introduced this girl.


“Somewhat. He’s… just a classmate.”

“A classmate? You’re worried about him enough to go to a place like that where your life could be taken in an instant because of a classmate?”


Naturally, Nate dropped the pretense and exposed Sistine.

It was true that it was highly unlikely that someone would purposefully go to a battle where numerous powers could take one’s life in a mere second, just because they were worried about a simple classmate.


“I can just leave.”


Sistine decided it was better not to divulge into it despite knowing that Nate was probably just as strong as Roy and his closest friend.

Once she finalized her own thoughts on things and was ready to talk to them, she would. There was no need to reveal anything yet.

Turning around and leaving the infirmary, Sistine walked out with an unreadable expression.

Nate didn’t bother to stop her, but as soon as Sistine was just about to exit the doorway, she bumped into someone.


“….!?”

“Ow!”


Elizabeth and Elias came in and as Elias had stopped just before stumbling in front of Sistine like a fool, Elizabeth was already behind him and bumped heads with him.

“What the heck Elias?!”

“Uhhh…”

Elias was confused as Sistine was, and Elizabeth looked at her for a brief second wondering who the girl in front of them was until her eyes found Nate behind Sistine and her thoughts immediately shifted like they were never there.

With the two parties ignoring each other, Elizabeth and Sistine nodded politely and then went about their way.

Elias followed behind Elizabeth dumbly into the infirmary room where Roy and Nate were.


“Who was that? I think I saw her yesterday.”

“Yeah, she was there. Her name is Sistine, and she claims to be a classmate of Roy’s.”

“Sistine…?”


Elias scratched his hair with a confused expression as if trying to remember where he had heard that name.

Elizabeth was the same, but quickly lost interest as she looked at Roy with a solemn expression.


“Why does he always insist on doing things by himself?”

“….”


Nate bit his lip as Elizabeth’s words were something that had been eating at his mind recently.

‘Why?’

Why was his closest friend, the one who taught him everything he knew, always trying to shoulder everything by himself?


“We might be a burden to him still.”


Nate spoke objectively.

Although it hurt for him to acknowledge that Roy was likely not wanting to involve them because they were still weak, Nate still felt weaker compared to Roy.

Nate was no fool.

He knew that everyone in this room was just as talented as he was, and it would be hard to find people of their caliber anywhere else in the world, but it was still not enough in his friend’s eyes.

The truth was far from that though.

Roy didn’t know why he instinctively still tried to solve things by himself, but it was likely still due to the fact he had always felt alone in his previous life.

Ever since he lost his mother; his last relative, everything in the world seemed black and white in his previous life.

Now that he had received a second chance at everything, and had even started to avert the terrible tragedies he had to witness, old habits would die hard.


“I don’t get it. Just how strong do we even need to be?”


Elizabeth asked with a dejected face.

Why did everything in this world have to revolve around strength?

Why couldn’t they just live lives that were devoted to magic and martial arts and exploring the unknown?

Why did it seem like Roy was acting as if this world had a set ending and that time was of the essence all the time?

These questions were something the three of them didn’t have the answer to, but as they all thought of these questions, their gazes all turned to a single person.

Roy Stone, their friend, the sleeping boy with many mysteries to him.



Chapter 72 – Fin