The air at the top of the grand marble staircase was incredibly hot.
It wasn't the natural heat of the sun. It was the heavy, suffocating heat of pure, concentrated fire mana. It rolled down the white stone steps like an invisible wave, meant to crush anyone walking upward.
Standing at the very top of those steps was a girl.
Amyra Celestia.
The Blood Princess of the Velmer Empire.
She wore a stunning, form-fitting dress made of dark crimson silk that perfectly matched the color of Rias's eyes. Her hair was a vibrant, flowing shade of red, cascading down her back like a waterfall of liquid fire.
She was undeniably beautiful. Her features were sharp, aristocratic, and flawless.
But her eyes ruined the image of a fairy-tale princess.
Her eyes were bright, burning gold. They looked down at Rias with an intensity so violent and hateful it almost felt physical.
She didn't see a boy. She saw the son of the monster who had butchered her people.
'She wants to burn me alive right here on the steps,' Rias thought calmly.
'She is pushing her mana outward, trying to force me to my knees before I even reach the top.'
Beside him, Lord Vane was already sweating profusely. The official bowed his head, unable to withstand the sheer pressure radiating from the Princess.
"Go on, Leonhart," Vane muttered through gritted teeth.
"Do not keep Her Highness waiting."
Rias didn't hesitate.
He placed his foot on the first marble step.
Instantly, the heat spiked. It felt like walking into a roaring furnace.
If the original Rias were here, his fragile skin would have blistered. His lungs would have collapsed from the sheer lack of oxygen. He would have fallen to his knees, weeping and begging for mercy in front of the entire palace guard.
That was exactly what Amyra wanted. She wanted to break the Leonhart pride in public. She wanted to show her people that the son of their greatest enemy was nothing but a pathetic, crawling worm.
But Rias simply kept walking.
His breathing didn't change. His pace didn't slow.
With every step he took, his purified mana veins hummed to life. The invisible energy surrounding him naturally repelled the oppressive heat, parting the mana like a ship cutting through the ocean waves.
He walked up the grand staircase with his back perfectly straight. He didn't sweat. He didn't tremble.
When he finally reached the top step, he stood just a few feet away from the terrifying Princess.
Amyra's golden eyes narrowed slightly. A microscopic flicker of surprise crossed her flawless face.
This was not the crying weakling the spies had reported. The boy standing in front of her looked entirely relaxed. He looked like he was taking a casual stroll through his own garden.
"Welcome to the Velmer Empire, Lord Rias," Amyra said.
Her voice was incredibly smooth, like honey poured over shattered glass. She smiled perfectly for the watching guards, but the malice in her eyes didn't fade for a single second.
"It is an honor to finally meet you, Princess Amyra," Rias replied.
He placed his right hand over his chest and executed a flawless, aristocratic bow. His movements were elegant, sharp, and perfectly measured.
He didn't bow too low, showing subservience. He didn't bow too high, showing arrogance. He bowed exactly as an equal should.
"I trust your journey was comfortable?" Amyra asked, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
"We heard rumors that the roads near the border have been quite... dangerous lately."
She was probing him. She likely knew about the assassins.
Rias straightened his posture and offered her a gentle, knowing smile.
"The journey was surprisingly entertaining," Rias said smoothly.
"A group of welcoming hosts met my carriage on the road. They were very eager to greet me. We had a brief, physical exchange."
Amyra's smile froze for a fraction of a second.
"An exchange?" she repeated, her tone dropping slightly.
"And what happened to them?"
"They decided to take a permanent nap in the dirt," Rias replied cheerfully.
"I decided to borrow one of my carriage horses. I do apologize for arriving in such a plain wagon today, but I didn't want to keep you waiting."
Silence fell over the top of the staircase.
The Royal Guards standing by the massive palace doors shifted nervously. Did this boy just admit to slaughtering a group of assassins.
Amyra stared at Rias.
She was a predator. She hunted weakness. If Rias had acted scared, she would have crushed him without a second thought. If he had acted arrogant, she would have found an excuse to have him thrown in the dungeon.
But he wasn't acting like prey. He was acting like a mystery.
Why wasn't he scared? How did a crippled boy survive a professional ambush? Why were his eyes completely empty of fear?
Rias saw the gears turning in her head.
'Hook, line, and sinker,' Rias thought.
'She is a genius. Geniuses hate puzzles they cannot solve. As long as she cannot figure out how strong I actually am, she won't make a reckless move against me in public.'
"How fascinating," Amyra finally said. Her smile returned, though it looked a bit sharper this time.
"It seems the rumors regarding your frail health were greatly exaggerated, Lord Rias."
"Rumors often are," Rias agreed politely.
"Come," Amyra said, turning her back on him. The heavy silk of her red dress flowed across the white stone.
"My father, the Emperor, has been waiting for your arrival. Let us not test his patience."
Rias followed her through the massive, towering doors of the palace.
The interior of the Velmer Imperial Palace was blindingly bright. The walls were lined with glowing crystals. The floors were polished to a mirror finish. Magical servants made of pure light floated through the corridors, carrying trays of wine and documents. The technology of Magic was high-tech in this empire
They walked in silence. Amyra didn't try to pressure him with her mana again. She was simply observing him out of the corner of her eye, watching the way he walked, the way he breathed, the way he looked at the magical wonders around him without a hint of awe.
They finally reached a set of enormous double doors made of solid white gold.
Two heavily armored knights pushed the doors open.
"Announcing!" a herald shouted, his voice echoing into the massive room beyond. "Her Royal Highness, Princess Amyra Celestia! And the envoy of the Solaria Empire, Lord Rias von Leonhart!"
Rias stepped into the Throne Room.
It was vast. Dozens of Velmer nobles lined the walls, dressed in incredibly extravagant robes of blue, silver, and gold. They all turned their heads to look at the boy entering the room.
The collective hatred in the hall was suffocating. These were the men and women who directed the war against his father.
But Rias ignored them. He kept his eyes locked straight ahead.
Sitting at the far end of the hall, on a throne carved from a single, massive piece of floating blue crystal, was the Emperor of Velmer.
Emperor Valerius.
The man was old, with long white hair and a thick beard. He wore robes of pure white and gold. But despite his age, he didn't look weak.
The magical power rolling off the Emperor's body was absolute. It didn't feel violent like Duke Reinhard's Destruction Aura. It felt heavy. It felt like standing at the bottom of the ocean, crushed by the weight of a million tons of water.
Amyra walked forward and offered a graceful bow.
"Father. The Leonhart envoy has arrived."
Rias stepped up beside her. He placed his hand over his chest and bowed once again.
"It's an Honor to meet you, Your Imperial Majesty," Rias said clearly, his voice carrying perfectly across the silent throne room.
Emperor Valerius looked down at the boy. His deep blue eyes seemed to pierce right through Rias's flesh, trying to read the very depths of his soul.
"Rias von Leonhart," the Emperor spoke. His voice was incredibly deep, vibrating through the crystal floors.
"I am surprised your father actually sent you. I fully expected him to send a severed head in a box instead of agreeing to a peace treaty."
A few of the Velmer nobles in the room chuckled darkly.
"My father is a man of his word, Your Majesty," Rias lied smoothly.
"He desires peace between our two great nations just as much as you do. He sent me here to ensure that the bridge between our empires remains strong."
It was a blatant lie. Duke Reinhard didn't care about peace. He sent Rias to die.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes. The crushing pressure in the room doubled.
"Is that so? And what makes you a suitable bridge, boy? The reports I received from Solaria painted a very different picture of you. They said you were a mistake. A cripple. A boy who couldn't even lift a sword."
The nobles began to whisper among themselves, pointing at Rias and sneering.
Rias didn't break eye contact with the Emperor.
He tapped into his newly acquired skill.
[Passive Skill Activated: Deception]
[Masking true intentions. Enhancing persuasion.]
"Reports are written by spies, Your Majesty," Rias said softly, but with absolute confidence.
"And spies only see what my father allows them to see. If I were truly a worthless cripple, do you really believe a man as proud as Duke Reinhard would allow me to carry the Leonhart name into your grand court?"
The whispering among the nobles suddenly stopped.
The Emperor paused.
It was a brilliant counter. Duke Reinhard was famous for his ruthless perfectionism. He executed his own generals for minor failures. Would he really send a useless piece of trash to represent his family in front of his greatest enemy?
The logic didn't add up. Rias's confident posture, his steady voice, and his complete lack of fear all contradicted the intelligence reports.
The Emperor leaned back on his crystal throne.
[Ding!]
[Hidden Condition Met!]
[You have successfully deceived an individual of Imperial Authority.]
[Skill Level Up: Deception has reached Lv. 2!]
"You have a sharp tongue, boy," the Emperor finally said, the heavy pressure in the room lifting slightly.
"We shall see if your actions match your words. You are a guest of the Velmer Empire now. You will be treated with the respect fitting your station."
The Emperor waved his hand dismissively.
"A banquet has been prepared in the adjoining hall to celebrate your arrival. Go. Mingle with your new peers."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Rias bowed.
He turned and walked toward the massive archway leading to the banquet hall. Amyra followed closely beside him.
The banquet hall was just as extravagant as the rest of the palace. Long tables were covered in exotic meats, glowing fruits, and crystal decanters of fine wine.
The Velmer nobles quickly filled the room, forming small groups. They drank, they laughed, and they completely ignored Rias.
Rias didn't mind. He grabbed a glass of water from a floating magical servant and stood near a massive window overlooking the city.
He was perfectly content to stay out of the way. He had survived the throne room. He had planted the seed of doubt in the Emperor's mind.
But he could feel eyes on him.
Amyra was standing across the room, talking to a group of young, arrogant-looking noblemen. She smiled at their jokes, but her golden eyes constantly flicked back to Rias.
She was analyzing him.
She was trying to break down the puzzle.
Rias took a sip of his water, maintaining his blank, calm expression.
'She doesn't know what to do with me,' Rias thought.
'She wants to kill me, but I didn't act like the victim she expected. If she attacks me now, she risks triggering a trap she doesn't understand.'
The hours dragged on. The sun outside the massive window began to set, painting the white marble of the capital in shades of orange and gold.
The banquet slowly started to wind down. The older nobles began to leave the hall, returning to their estates.
Rias set his empty glass on a passing tray. He was preparing to ask a guard to show him to his quarters so he could check his System interface in peace.
Suddenly, a heavy, suffocating wave of heat approached him from behind.
"Lord Rias."
Rias turned around.
Amyra stood right in front of him. The young noblemen she had been talking to were nowhere to be seen. It was just the two of them standing by the window.
"Princess," Rias acknowledged politely.
Without any warning, Amyra reached out.
She grabbed his right hand.
Her grip was incredibly tight.
Amyra's smiled, but her golden eyes were completely dead. They were the eyes of an executioner staring down at a chopping block.
"The banquet was dreadfully boring, don't you think?" she asked, her voice sweet and entirely fake.
"There are far too many people here. We haven't had a proper chance to get to know each other."
She stepped closer, her face just inches from his. The smell of ash and roses filled his senses.
"Come with me to my private room," Amyra whispered, squeezing his hand hard enough to break bones.
"I want to discuss the future of our relationship in private."
She was smiling brightly. Anyone looking at them from across the room would think they were a lovely, newly engaged couple sharing an intimate moment.
But Rias looked directly into her burning gold eyes.
They were telling a completely different story. They were screaming murder.
She wasn't inviting him for a chat. She was inviting him into a trap. She wanted to test him away from the prying eyes of the Emperor.
Rias looked down at her hand gripping his.
He didn't pull away.
Instead, a slow, breathtakingly sharp smile spread across Rias's face. He squeezed her hand back, his physical strength matching her crushing grip perfectly.
"Of course, Princess," Rias replied softly, his crimson eyes flashing with cold amusement.
"I would love nothing more."