On the following morning, Shion Lan prepared to head to the royal palace. He wore his formal attire, and with a bit of grooming, he became handsome in every sense of the word. He left the academy, met Kin Light and Glass Sano, then boarded the royal carriage, which used teleportation magic to transfer them to the royal capital.
The carriage moved with great prestige. Shion looked around, contemplating the view, unaffected by his surroundings—as if he had done nothing at all. And in truth, that was the reality.
Once they arrived, they disembarked and proceeded toward the hall, waiting for the King Jord Joul. But a guard summoned them.
"Follow me to meet His Majesty!"
Shion asked "Is not the investigation going to be held here, in the hall?" The guard said coldly "Follow the orders in silence!"
"..."
Not just Shion but Kin and Glass also clenched their teeth and followed the guard.
Shion paid no attention to anything around him, moving as though he were in his own home, shedding all the pressure imposed by the place.
They stopped before a particular chamber. The guard at the door spoke,
"Enter now!"
His tone was infuriating, before any of them could step forward, Shion walked toward the guard and looked at him coldly.
"Guard, are we accused of something?"
The guard was startled and was about to shout at him, but Shion interrupted,
"Is this a royal court for you to assume we are criminals?"
The guard replied angrily, "This is the secret meeting chamber where many important matters are discussed. Most likely, you will be found guilty…!"
Suddenly, Shion grabbed the guard's collar and stared into his eyes mercilessly, drawing upon the power of the Art of Annihilation. His eyes darkened. Said with a deadly tone,
"You claim the King will judge us guilty? You speak arrogantly to nobles without any order, and you presume His Majesty's intentions yourself. Why don't you hold the judgment since you believe you stand above everyone here?!"
The guard collapsed to the ground in sheer terror from those eyes. Shion released him, his gaze returning to its normal, calm silver, and entered the room with an indifferent expression, as if nothing had happened.
Kin Light stepped forward, looking at the guard coldly.
"I assume you know the Second Princess, don't you?"
Before the guard could respond, Kin interrupted,
"Enjoy your last days as a royal guard."
He walked inside.
Then the guard's eyes met Glass Sano, who approached, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said,
"Do not think that one who insults the Sano Family will live peacefully. I advise you to enjoy your remaining days as a guard—because afterward, even commoners will stand above you."
With those words, Glass entered. A blank expression spread across the guard's face.
Thought inwardly,
'Hasn't everyone who came here committed a grave mistake and trembled in fear?! Why are those youngsters this terrifying?!'
Inside, Shion Lan, Kin Light, and Glass Sano found King Jord Joul seated alongside the leaders of the Six Great Families—including Brad Sano and Miral Flair. The Academy Director Tim Ayr was also present.
'The Director shouldn't have sensed Shi Yun Lan's aura… otherwise, he wouldn't have left me free until now' Shion thought.
He decided to begin the plan,
"Your Majesty!"
The King looked at him curiously.
"Am I guilty of something, Your Majesty?"
The King shook his head. "No. Why would you think that?"
Shion gestured toward the door.
"The guard outside treated me harshly. I feared for my safety."
Everyone stared at him with complicated expressions.
'We are not blind! You terrified that poor guard until he collapsed!'
But no one could mention sensing his domain—it was too sensitive a matter.
The King said calmly, "Do not worry. He will be punished appropriately."
Shion smiled.
"So I am neither guilty nor accused. That relieves me."
He had established the first idea: he was not on trial.
The King understood his intention but did not mind.
"Should I address you as Young Lord Lan or Shion Lan?"
Shion bowed. "They are merely titles, Your Majesty. Use whichever is easiest upon your tongue."
"Your words are pleasant. I hope they remain so until the end. Now—tell me everything you know."
Shion nodded.
"Honestly, Your Majesty, I do not know where to begin. From when I entered the province? The Recorded Past? Or the Blood Spirit Bloom?"
The King Jord said,
"The Blood Spirit, what happened there when you lost consciousness?"
Shion said with embarrassment,
"After receiving its strike, I lost consciousness and awoke to find someone else controlling my body."
The King replied, "Matters regarding the Blood Spirit Bloom were handled by Solan Neumann. With what Sol Hart has said, you cannot add anything new. Let us move forward. Do you know anything about Shiu Won Lan or the master of Shi?"
Shion thought,
'From this point, I have to answer properly' and said,
"I contacted my master and learned a few things."
Shion cleared his throat.
"As for the Shi Family Head, my master said the records left by the First Lord mentioned little about him. Certain words were erased by time. But what can be known is that he was from the North and bore these traits: hair as black as the darkness of night, eyes deeper than an abandoned well, pale skin—and anyone who looked at him felt as though they stood in the world of the dead. He was Shiu Won Lan's master before the latter rebelled and committed a massacre."
The king asked,
"The first lord? What do you mean?"
Shion said,
"The first Radiant Star, and the last disciple of the Black Star Shiu Won Lan."
This line had explained a lot about the age of The Radiant Star.
The Night Family Head asked, "You mentioned a massacre. What massacre? And what was his level?"
"I do not know his level. But the massacre was said to have occurred in the South. Though ancient engravings did not record it directly, based on artifacts my master found, Shiu Won Lan slaughtered an entire kingdom. When the Shi Family Head learned of it, he grew furious and…"
Shion described the punishment Shiu Won Lan endured.
"But these are merely my master's deductions. He cannot confirm their authenticity."
"..." The air was trembling.
Even though they had known of Shiu Won Lan's fate, hearing the details made them uneasy.
The Director asked, changing the topic, "If that guardian spirit is with you, why do you not practice the same art? Kin Light and Glass Sano possess guardian spirits because they inherited the same lineage. Your heritage was incomplete and you can't know him."
Kin and Glass nodded silently and looked at Shion who thought, 'I think I'm the only one who will be interrogated'
Shion recalled Shi Yun Lan's explanation.
"Shiu Won Lan recruited disciples. Each accepted disciple carried part of his soul so he could escape his confinement. But all failed and abandoned his art—until the First Lord, the Radiant Star. He was different. He took only the foundation and walked his own path. When he discovered Shiu Won Lan's intentions, he sealed him and passed down the Radiant Star Art that known as Celestial King Art. My master gave me only the foundation. I unknowingly hosted that being."
"So because you differed from your master, you carried that power?" another Great Family Head asked.
"Yes. My master also made changes. He partially encountered that being but retained Bright Star techniques. He said stagnation leads to collapse—arts must evolve. His master reached only the Seventh Level in his final days."
Another asked, "You eliminated Shiu Won Lan. If you pass the art on, will he return?"
"I do not believe so. Even my master cannot confirm. He only manifested to Radiant Star users. Others who abandoned his art were ignored. As for the Radiant Star, they sealed him. I believe I killed him… whether he returns, I cannot say."
'He is permanently dead', Shion thought.
The King clapped once.
"It seems we are finished with Shiu Won Lan. If he returns, we shall deal with him then. Now—another matter."
His golden eyes sharpened.
"Since when have you known the Shi Family Head?"
He activated his domain, pressuring Shion. With those golden eyes at full power, lies should be impossible.
Shion sighed inwardly.
'Unfortunately for you, that does not work on me.'
"I do not know him at all, Your Majesty."
The King was stunned. 'Is this true?!'
The Director spoke.
"Shion Lan, how do you not know him when you unleashed a power similar to his?"
Shion pretended as a fool,
"When did I do that?"
"When you shouted your technique—(Death of Stars)."
Shion replied calmly,
"During my battle against the Dark Crows, I was on the verge of death. That technique suddenly surfaced in my mind. Since I was dying anyway, I used it. I found myself capable of fighting—but the backlash was severe."
"Do you not hear the Shi Family Head's voice in your mind?" someone asked.
"No."
The Director decided.
"Use that technique again."
Shion looked anxious.
"Director! That forbidden technique is terrifying! It is like abandoning your life and walking a thread separating you from death. I do not wish to repeat it!"
Someone mocked, "You used it two days ago and survived. Why refuse now?"
Shion stared coldly.
"I can teach you the technique if you wish. I would like to see how long you endure."
"Y–You—!"
"Enough!" the King restrained the man. "Shion survived because the technique devoured Shiu Won Lan, not him." The director explained.
He turned to Shion.
"I will use Time Reversal to pull you back if something happens."
Shi Yun Lan's voice echoed in Shion's mind, 'Do it.'
Shion nodded and requested a sword.
When the guard brought it and attempted to leave—
"(Stellar Summet Art: Death of Stars)."
The guard dropped to his knees in terror. Kin Light and Glass Sano, standing nearby, felt the same crushing dread.
"Krrrkk...KRRRRRR.... AAAAHHHH!!!!!"
Accompanied by a sharp scream, Shion's appearance changed—black hair intertwined with white, dark eyes speckled with starlight.
It was the first time King Jord Joul and the others had witnessed such a phenomenon.
Before ten seconds passed, the starlight in Shion's eyes dimmed. The King's golden gaze saw Shion being torn apart internally—as his screaming getting lower.
"Save him!"
The Director activated his magic. Shion's power returned; the technique was canceled.
He collapsed, gasping for air.
The Director, eyes closed, finally said:
"You possess an energy similar to his—but it does not belong to him."
'I did it!'
Shion smiled inwardly.