Around ten-thirty that morning, the carriage stopped in front of the gate.
Luke stepped down from it and saw Lux in the yard playing a game of five-in-a-row with Kahina. Lux's tense expression stood in sharp contrast to Kahina's relaxed, easygoing one.
Looks like they had already finished up the last of the Academy work.
"You bought a lot of stuff."
The moment Lux saw Yurna starting to unload painting supplies from the carriage one item after another, she immediately tossed down her game piece, jumped to her feet, and ran over. "I'll help!"
"Ah…"
Looking at the board, where Lux was already on the verge of losing, Kahina let out a helpless sigh.
She does this every single time.
Then she got up too and walked over to help carry things in from the carriage.
At eight that evening, everyone had just finished dinner. Since the weather was especially nice, they all gathered outside in the yard, leisurely enjoying that happy, after-dinner lull.
Then, as two figures appeared at the gate, the whole courtyard instantly grew livelier.
The two who had arrived were none other than Vayne and Frey.
Compared to half a month ago, neither of them looked all that different.
If there was any real change, it was that Vayne seemed a little more composed than before.
And once she removed her cloak, it became clear that she now carried a massive silver-white crossbow on her back, while in her hand was a small relic crossbow with an unusual design, somewhat different from the one Lamins had used.
Her outfit was mostly black and white, and her long, toned legs were wrapped in white boots, giving her a colder, sharper look.
Luke took one look and felt amused.
Sure enough, the next time they met, she'd changed skins again.
Wasn't this basically Vayne as a Sentinel of Light?
The moment he saw her dressed like that, Luke knew she had officially joined the Sentinels of Light.
Everyone in the yard gave the two of them a warm welcome.
"Lux, this is a little late, but happy birthday."
Looking at Lux, Vayne offered her belated birthday wishes.
Lux smiled brightly. "Thank you! And thank you for the gift too!"
Once they stepped into the yard, Vayne and Frey seemed to finally shed the exhaustion of their month and a half of travel. Surrounded by familiar faces, both of them felt as if they had come home.
After surviving the Harrowing at the coastal border, they had not stopped to rest at all. They had set out straight for the city Lamins had mentioned.
They had barely gotten any sleep along the way.
Now that they were finally back, the two of them immediately headed to the back courtyard.
They were planning to soak in the hot spring for the first time in ages, and after this journey, they had missed it more than they could say.
In the back courtyard, everyone soaked in the spring together.
Luke leaned against the edge of the pool, watching the moonlight overhead while listening to the conversation coming from the pool on the right.
With two more people added in, that side was even livelier than before.
Vayne and Frey were talking about the interesting things that had happened on their journey, which in turn inspired a flood of questions from Lux, who was acting like an eager little kid.
By eleven that night, the girls had all dispersed and gone back to their respective homes.
Vayne and Frey stayed behind, though, so they could talk about the things they hadn't mentioned while they were in the hot spring.
"After we boarded the ship, it took about four days to reach Eze. Not long after that, two members of the Sentinels of Light came to meet us and led us to the Sentinel base there."
Sitting on the sofa, Vayne spoke slowly and clearly.
"The base was very well hidden, and you needed a specially made key to get in. Before I entered the Sentinel base, though, my master and I were separated for a while."
Even though Frey had not used dark magic in a long time, traces of it still lingered around her. Ordinary people could not tell, but the Sentinels of Light definitely could.
Because of that, she couldn't join the Sentinels the way Vayne did, even though her character and talent were both excellent.
So the two of them had to part temporarily. After that, Vayne was taken into the Sentinel base, and the relic weapon Lamins had left in her hands served as perfect proof of who she was.
The fact that she could wield it so naturally also proved that she had the talent and qualifications needed to become a Sentinel.
According to Vayne, there were not many active combat Sentinels inside the base. Most of the people she saw handled support work instead.
After all, relic weapons were not something just anyone could use.
Once she had delivered Lamins' final message, the people at the base immediately began testing her.
Vayne passed without question, and after taking her oath, she officially became one of the Sentinels of Light.
That also meant she had taken on the duty of fighting the darkness, and along the way she learned more about the Black Mist.
Its origins stretched back to a very early age, so early that the nations on this continent had not yet become the ones that existed now.
The Sentinels of Light traced their own origins back to that same era.
They had a deep connection to the Black Mist.
It could even be said that the Sentinels only came into being because the Black Mist had appeared in the first place.
The Sentinels of Light had a great deal of freedom. After becoming a Sentinel, Vayne could choose to hunt darkness on her own, or accept missions from a Sentinel base.
Those missions also came with extra pay.
As for where a Sentinel base got its money, the Sentinels of Light in Demacia had a long history of their own. Over the course of countless years, they had built up a great many solid businesses, which continuously supplied them with funding.
It had to be said, the Sentinels were extremely good at staying hidden.
Over all those long years, they had inevitably left traces behind now and then, but the number of people who truly knew about them had always remained very small.
They were, more or less, an ancient secret order.
And every Sentinel qualified for field combat could receive a weapon made specifically for them.
These weapons were forged by Sentinel craftsmen out of a special kind of stone, one that could resonate with a person's spirit and release the power of light.
That power was especially effective against darkness.
But only a small number of people could actually use relic weapons and resonate with them.
The massive crossbow on Vayne's back and the relic crossbow in her hand had both come from that system.
One was her own, and the other had been inherited from Lamins.
After officially becoming a Sentinel of Light, Vayne helped resolve several local problems there, and then she and Frey formally began their journey back to the royal capital.
After hearing all that, Luke fell into thought for a while.
He knew some things about the Sentinels of Light, but not in as much detail as Vayne did now.
Next year, the Black Mist would return again, and later on, it would bring an even greater disaster.
And the Sentinels of Light, who had always stood against the Black Mist, would be the key to stopping that catastrophe.
That was why making contact with the Sentinels of Light had always been a necessary part of Luke's plans.
Now that Vayne had become one of them, Luke had, at least indirectly, established contact with the order.
There was no need to rush the matter, though. It could be handled gradually.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
October 1st. Clear skies.
Today was Demacia's National Day, and from the early morning on, the entire royal capital was already bursting with excitement.
The people poured into the streets and began celebrating bright and early.
Luke couldn't help feeling that fate had a strange sense of humor. Demacia's National Day happened to fall on the exact same day as the holiday he remembered.
There was no sleeping in for him this morning. He was up by six-thirty.
After washing up and changing into formal attire, he boarded a carriage early and headed for the palace.
Plenty of others had gotten up early too.
Inside the palace, many ministers had already arrived. All of them were dressed in ceremonial clothing, standing solemnly within the grand hall.
Jarvan III sat upon the throne in a magnificent set of golden robes, a crown on his head and a scepter in hand, radiating the unmatched majesty of a king.
Luke and Jarvan IV stood to his left and right.
As time passed, everyone gradually arrived.
Soon, four delegations dressed in four different styles slowly entered the great hall.
Among one of them, Luke spotted Panis in a white princess gown. She noticed him looking, turned her gaze directly toward him, and gave him a little wink.
Luke immediately looked away.
Just then, the leader of one delegation said, "Rijenland congratulates Demacia on its 679th anniversary and has brought this gift in honor of the occasion."
"Nockmirch offers its congratulations to Demacia on this grand celebration of the nation, and wishes your country everlasting prosperity."
"Skaggorn presents its gift in honor of Demacia's national celebration."
"Granlott wishes Demacia prosperity and flourishing success, and has brought this gift in tribute."
Dupont stepped forward and spoke the last of the congratulatory messages.
Jarvan III rose to his feet as well and looked at them all with a calm expression. "Welcome, envoys of our allied nations, and thank you for coming to celebrate Demacia with us. I hope that today, all of you will join us in enjoying this national celebration."
At that moment, Luke's attention rested on the representatives of the four allied kingdoms.
These were all envoys from Demacia's neighboring allies.
Rijenland, Nockmirch, Skaggorn, and Granlott.
All four nations had established alliances with Demacia long ago, and they also maintained extensive trade relations with the kingdom.
Of the four, Granlott had been allied with Demacia the longest, followed by Skaggorn, Rijenland, and Nockmirch.
Each of the envoys presented their gifts.
Once the congratulations were over, the celebration officially began.
Out on the streets of the royal capital, the people stood lined up on both sides. As grand music rang out, salute blasts thundered into the sky one after another.
A force clad in silver-white armor marched into the streets in flawless formation.
At the head of it all was a fine warhorse dressed in silver barding, and seated atop it was Jarvan III himself.
With a composed expression, he waved to both sides of the street, instantly drawing countless cheers.
Luke and Jarvan IV rode behind him.
After them came many soldiers of the Dauntless Vanguard, followed by a cavalry unit, and then the infantry.
Above, several Silverwings streaked across the sky, skimming over the city overhead as the people below erupted in shouts and cheers.
The large, striking creatures, with their graceful flight and astonishing speed, drew waves of excited cries from the crowd.
These were Demacia's aerial forces, the Silverwing riders.
The firm strength of Demacia's skies.
Street after street, the processions continued until the delegations coming in from every direction finally converged at the vast Grand Plaza of the royal capital.
The soldiers gathered in a cleared-open field. Their numbers were not overwhelming, but standing together, they gave off an imposing aura.
A huge crowd of residents had already gathered nearby.
Jarvan III stepped onto the Dawn Walkway and moved forward beneath the people's passionate cheers.
Then he climbed the steps one by one, until at last he stood atop the raised platform and lifted a hand.
With that single gesture, the entire vast Grand Plaza immediately fell silent.
In such a massive square, with so many people present, for all of them to go quiet at the same instant fully displayed the remarkable discipline and coordination of the Demacian people.
"In the six hundred and seventy-ninth year of Demacia, we once again celebrate our nation's birthday. For many years, our entire country has stood united and striven together, and that is how we built the beautiful homeland we have today."
"When we look back on history, our hearts surge with emotion. When we look toward the future, we are filled with bold ambition."
"Even if there is still a long road ahead of us, I believe that hand in hand with all of you, we will surely welcome an even brighter future."
Jarvan III delivered his address in a ringing voice, and through the amplifier, his solemn words echoed across the entire Grand Plaza.
The moment he finished, an overwhelming wave of cheers answered him.
In an instant, the whole plaza was boiling over.
Standing behind him, Luke watched the people below erupt in excitement and emotion, and he could clearly feel how deeply loved his father was by the nation.
Since taking the throne, Jarvan III truly had done many great things.
He had not only reformed many of Demacia's weaker institutions, but had also placed greater emphasis on cultivating talent among the lower classes and common people.
Externally, he had won battle after battle, with a record that was practically all victories.
Internally, he governed well and was widely beloved by the people.
And just like that, the morning passed.
The entire royal capital remained wrapped in the atmosphere of National Day celebration. As time went on, the excitement did not fade in the slightest. If anything, it only grew stronger.
All across the city, ceremonial blasts continued without pause.
Two days earlier, the palace had opened up public sales rights for fireworks, allowing ordinary people to get closer to them than ever before.
Back on the night of September 24th, when the firework display had lit up the entire royal capital, countless people had already taken notice.
Now that they were officially being sold, people rushed to buy them the instant they became available.
The authorities, meanwhile, enforced relatively strict controls in this area.
After all, the main ingredient in fireworks was still gunpowder. Even though the amount was low, they still carried a certain degree of danger.
Of course, the danger level was nowhere near that of true black powder.
But now that the thing had been revealed, it could never remain hidden forever.
Luke had no intention of hiding it forever anyway.
Since there would inevitably come a day when it became public knowledge, it was better to prepare for that in advance.
At that moment, the booming celebration across the royal capital also made the envoys of the four nations keenly aware that Demacia was not quite the same as it had been before.
The moment they arrived in the capital, they had already noticed that many things about the city seemed different now.
Still, this kingdom remained anti-magic.
As allied nations, they naturally had no intention of offending Demacia on that point.
Their own countries did not enforce anti-magic laws, but during years of diplomatic contact, they had always respected this law of Demacia's.
The festivities continued in full swing.
Then, in the afternoon, a banquet began inside the palace to welcome the envoys of the four nations and mark National Day.
Many nobles gathered there.
At an event like this, Luke had no choice but to appear in full formal dress.
Compared to him, though, Jarvan IV was even busier, since he also had to entertain the envoys.
"I'm exhausted…"
At that moment, Luke sat in his seat with a tired face, stealing a brief moment of rest amidst the chaos.
From morning until now, he had been all over the place. At this rate, he had probably burned through all the energy he was supposed to have for the next few days.
"Just hang in there. It'll be over soon."
Beside him, Lux comforted him while eating cake.
It didn't taste nearly as good as Luke's, but that did not stop her from polishing them off in two or three bites each.
"Your Highness, we meet again~!"
At that moment, Panis approached with a bright smile and greeted him warmly.
Seeing her, Luke forced out a polite smile of his own. "Hello, Panis."
Panis sat down beside Luke as naturally as could be and said with feeling, "Even though this is my first time visiting Demacia, it doesn't feel quite like the country I imagined."
Luke could not help asking, "Better than you imagined, or worse?"
"Of course better. Not just the royal capital, but so much of what I saw on the way here let me feel this country's charm." Panis looked at Luke with smiling eyes and continued, "After I went back, I looked over the painting you corrected for me that day again and again. I learned a lot from it. Thank you, Your Highness."
Luke smiled. "No need to be so polite."
Looking at him, Panis extended an invitation. "After the banquet ends, I wonder whether Your Highness might have some time? I'd like to walk around the celebration with you."
"I'm afraid not," Luke said helplessly.
This time, he was not turning her down politely out of courtesy. He genuinely had no time. For the entire day, he would probably have to remain in formal settings.
"I understand." Panis still wore her smile. When she noticed Dupont beckoning to her, she stood up. "Don't forget our agreement. I'll go for now. See you later."
With that, she gave a light curtsy and left.
Luke let out a sigh.
"Oh wow, an agreement and everything."
At his side came Miss Crownguard's unmistakably snide voice.
Luke turned his head and glanced at her, then decided he could not be bothered to deal with her and said nothing.
Lux reached out and poked him right in the waist. "You two seem pretty familiar."
Luke turned back to her. "What gave you that impression?"
"Her." Lux glanced toward Panis, who was smiling as she spoke with the people around her. "When did you meet?"
Luke answered casually, "That day I went out to buy painting supplies. We ran into each other on the street."
"Oh." Lux nodded, then asked, "And what about the agreement? What agreement? And what do you mean, you corrected a painting? Corrected what painting?"
"Do you really need every last detail?"
Luke very clearly did not want to talk about it.
Lux put on a stern little face. "Start talking."
"It wasn't really much. It's just that that day…"
Luke told her about how he had gone out and run into Panis.
Lux listened while nodding along, giving a faint little hmph from time to time.
"That's basically it," Luke finished after a while.
"Wow, how romantic. A prince and a princess happening to meet over a painting out on the street."
Lux let out two chilly little laughs. "If the two of you don't end up with some kind of story between you, wouldn't that be a waste?"
No idea where she had learned to talk like that.
Luke could not be bothered with her and got to his feet, planning to walk around a bit.
Very soon, he saw Fiora approaching from the opposite direction, so he greeted her. "Good afternoon."
Fiora looked at him with her usual cool expression and immediately asked, "When did you meet that princess?"
Luke: "…"
Great. Now he had to tell the whole thing all over again.
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