Tenibras had isolated himself inside his room in the castle, drowning in silence and sorrow after losing twice to Grace Kars.
During the tournament, he had believed victory was inevitable. He had pushed himself through endless and exhausting training, believing that all his efforts would guarantee his success. But the unexpected defeat shattered him from within, leaving him with a deep sense of weakness he had never felt before.
Silva visited him repeatedly, trying to pull him out of his despair.
One day he said gently,
"You are still at the beginning of your path, Tenibras. Losing isn't shameful… sometimes it's the first step toward victory."
But Silva's words failed to reach him.
Every time Tenibras closed his eyes, he saw the faces of his father Henry and his grandfather James Novera, their cold smiles filled with mockery as they laughed at his failure.
One afternoon, a knock echoed through the castle gates.
Silva went to open the door, only to find a young girl standing there. Despite her small figure, her expression carried a surprising strength.
He looked at her curiously.
"Who are you?"
She answered confidently,
"My name is Emilia Veradis. I came to encourage Tenibras… and to check on him."
Silva sighed and explained what had happened to Tenibras after the tournament. After hearing everything, Emilia insisted on seeing him.
Silva led her to Tenibras's room.
But the moment she saw him, she was shocked.
The person sitting there barely resembled the Tenibras she knew. His face was pale, his body motionless, and the light in his eyes had completely faded.
He looked at her coldly and asked,
"Why did you come?"
She smiled slightly.
"I came to pull you out of this sadness."
He turned his face away and muttered bitterly,
"Leave me alone… I'm weak. I'm useless."
Emilia tried to convince him, but nothing worked.
She knew very little about Tenibras, so she stepped outside and asked Silva,
"Tell me… what does Tenibras love the most?"
Silva thought for a moment before answering,
"He loved his mother more than anything."
Emilia's expression changed.
"And where is she now?"
Silva lowered his voice.
"She passed away."
A wave of sadness crossed Emilia's face, but she immediately returned to Tenibras's room. This time, she pushed the door open forcefully.
Tenibras looked at her again with the same cold expression.
"Why did you come back?"
She stared straight at him and shouted,
"If your mother were here right now… she would never be happy seeing you this weak!"
Then she turned and stormed out of the room.
But her words struck Tenibras like an arrow to the heart.
He sat there in silence.
Memories of his mother slowly filled his mind… her smile, her kindness, and the promise he had made after her death—that he would become strong enough to avenge her.
Hours passed.
Then suddenly…
The door opened.
Tenibras stepped out of his room.
Without saying a word, he walked toward the training ground and began training relentlessly.
Silva watched from afar, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Then he glanced toward Emilia, who had fallen asleep while waiting for Tenibras to come out.
A moment later she woke up.
When she saw Tenibras training again, her face lit up with joy.
She ran toward him and asked excitedly,
"Can… can I train with you?"
Tenibras looked at her for a moment.
Then, for the first time in days, he laughed.
"Of course."
Meanwhile, far away…
The Normadia Empire was going through one of the most tense periods in its history.
Only days after the imperial meeting held in the emperor's palace, a disaster occurred—one that no one had expected.
A series of mysterious assassinations shook the empire to its core.
The Crown Prince of Kastera was murdered.
The King of Miralion was killed.
Several elite guards were also slain, including one of the Emperor's ministers, a warrior who had reached the level of Body of Ruin.
All of them…
Killed in a single night.
No trace.
No evidence.
No witness.
The news spread rapidly across the empire, and the Emperor's fury became the most terrifying thing in the land.
Grand funerals were held for the victims, and the entire empire entered a period of mourning.
Crowds gathered in front of the imperial palace, demanding justice and the capture of the killers.
As for the other kings, fear had begun to creep into their hearts. After the assassination of the King of Miralion, many believed the assassins could strike any of them next.
The emperor immediately ordered investigations across the entire empire.
Days passed…
But even the strongest intelligence networks failed to find the culprit.
Everyone became a suspect.
The imperial guards and the royal forces arrested countless criminals, subjecting them to brutal interrogations and torture.
Yet despite all of this…
No one confessed.
No clue was discovered.
And slowly, a terrifying truth began to spread throughout the empire.
Somewhere in the shadows…
There existed an assassin capable of killing kings—
and disappearing without leaving a single trace.