After I recovered, Lord Kalva invited us to dinner. The entire Ulsar family would be there. I was a bit nervous because my sister Kaera wouldn't take her eyes off either Kuon or me.
A carriage came to pick us up from where we were staying and took us to the Ulsar palace.
When we arrived, I was so astonished I forgot to get out of the carriage. The palace was entirely covered in gold, with gardens full of flowers in every color, and its sheer size—it was at least as big as the Verblade estate but definitely more magnificent.
At the entrance, the Ulsar family's steward welcomed us. He escorted us through the palace to the chamber Lord Kalva used for audiences.
Along the corridors, I saw many works of art. Just one of them would be worth enough to buy several luxury houses. I had no idea where the Ulsar Empire got all this wealth, but I didn't have the right to stop or ask questions.
Anytime I asked the steward something, he would only say, "Ask the lord your questions about the empire. As a steward, this is beyond me," and nothing else.
After asking a few times, my brother lightly tapped me on the head and said,
"Be a little quieter, Andre. Personal respect and resentment—remember?"
He was right. By pestering the steward, I was actually drawing personal resentment onto myself. No empire would welcome a child who couldn't stay quiet; they probably wouldn't even let me into their palace.
After walking a bit further, I saw doors as tall as my father. For doors, that wasn't exactly normal, but they weren't extremely big either.
The steward gestured to the guards in front of the door. They opened it, and inside, I saw Lord Kalva sitting alone.
"Come in, Andre," he said. "Your brother can wait outside with the steward. I wish to speak with you for a moment."
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated. What did the lord of peace and balance want to discuss with me? My brother didn't object at all—almost as if he knew something.
I walked inside, and the door closed behind me.
Lord Kalva sat at a grand table on a throne-like chair. But this wasn't his throne room or a dining hall—it looked more like a place for political affairs.
Behind him were huge windows reinforced with iron bars, and on the walls to his left and right, rows of drawers and cabinets.
Above the door I entered, I saw the word Balance.
Lord Kalva asked me:
"Did you understand anything yet?"
"A little… The cabinets and drawers on your left and right walls are arranged symmetrically. That emphasizes balance. And the windows behind you represent peace, don't they?"
Lord Kalva looked surprised.
"You really are as perceptive as Cadeon said. How do you know all this at your age?"
"I've been reading books since I was one year old, sir. I can understand most things. Including the relationship between my sister and Master Kuon," I added with a small grin.
"Hahaha! So you noticed the bond between Lady Kaera and Kuon as well. My backward son and your sister seem absolutely taken with each other, but your father won't allow it. I can hardly imagine marrying a Verblade as a bride. But nobody seems to dislike Kaera. Strangely, she doesn't have the Verblade fury—at least not when she's off the battlefield."
"You've seen my sister in battle? I thought the Ulsar Empire never joined wars?"
"I never said we don't watch or defend ourselves. We simply don't participate in invasions. We're perfectly happy within our own borders. And besides, the only empire we could defeat outright is the Archa Empire—and that's only thanks to Kuon."
"Please don't take this the wrong way, sir, but I'm only asking out of curiosity: if you're too weak to wage war, how have your borders never moved even a single inch in all this time?"
"Do you know about the treaty concerning lords on the battlefield?"
"Yes. If a lord joins a battle, they must surrender as much land as the blood they shed."
"Exactly. But that treaty doesn't apply to us. Our founder, Sali Van Ulsar, signed a pact witnessed by the god of fate himself. The pact states that Ulsar lords may join wars but will never gain land, even if they win. And as long as peace remains within our borders, the pact cannot be broken."
"What? He really signed something like that? Is that why you never take part in wars? So even if you win, it's not considered a victory—but if you lose, it's not a defeat either. That's…perfect balance."
"You understand, don't you? That is why this place is called the Empire of Balance and Peace. Come—let's go to dinner. I want everyone to hear what I have to say."
He walked with me to the dining hall. He told me to enter through the door on the left and sit in the fourth chair from the left.
I did as he said, and about ten minutes later, Lord Kalva entered through a different door.
He sat at the head of the table.
On his right was his wife, Simpre Von Ulsar. On his left sat his eldest son, Kuon Van Ulsar.
My sister was directly across from me, and my brother sat at the other end—right opposite Lord Kalva.
Before the meal began, Lord Kalva stood up and announced:
"Today, our guest, Andreas Van Verblade, has earned my personal respect! I welcome him into our empire, and I recommend him to the other empires as well!"
Everyone began to applaud, while my sister looked at me like she was about to devour me.
Under the table, my brother tapped my foot and smiled.
"Well done, Andre."
We spent the rest of our time in the palace peacefully, and Lord Kalva himself came to see us off.
We were actually going to stay in the empire, but he still insisted on calling it a farewell.
Once I was in the carriage, I turned to my brother.
"So where to now? It's time I started my training, isn't it?"
"Yes, Andre. In fact, I have good news. Lord Kalva has granted us permission to use their special training grounds."
"A special training ground? What's that?"
"Simply put, it's an area not everyone can enter. There's an artificial river flowing through it. Training your battle spirits in that river is much easier. That's what we'll be using. And also, part of what makes it special is precisely that most people aren't allowed in."
"I already get along fine with my battle spirits, but the fact that it's restricted to so few people sounds pretty nice."
After an hour on the road, I saw a massive circular wall.
The carriage stopped in front of the gate—so this was the special training ground.
I entered together with my brother and sister.
It was so magnificent I couldn't help but gape in awe…