1 Prologue

There was no moon nor stars in the sky, yet an eerie brightness engulfed the surroundings. The trees stood like spectral sentinels, their leaves illuminated by the ghostly glow.

Flames devoured a distant mansion, dancing like malevolent spirits frolicking in the darkness.

Caym's jaw tightened as his gaze bore into the carriage ahead.

Years of chasing criminals had never prepared him for the madness he witnessed — a man burning his own home, servants and wife trapped inside, all in a desperate bid to escape justice.

"How atrocious," Caym thought.

"A clearing!" a knight's voice rang out as they neared an open space.

Caym's hand rose, a silent command that set his cavalries into swift action. Two knights veered right while two veered to the left, navigating the narrow clearance with urgency.

With a knight securing a strategic vantage point, Caym, his hand still raised, gestured toward the carriage's position.

Arrows whistled through the night unerringly, striking the carriage's horse, which stumbled and toppled over.

The cavaliers slowed, moving in a calculated dance to surround the fallen carriage.

"You have nowhere to go, Count Braille," Caym declared, his voice cold as he observed the Count struggling to rise.

Count Braille's face contorted in fear, his voice barely audible over the encroaching soldiers' din.

"N-no," the poor count stammered, desperation lacing his words. "Please spare us! I-I'll give you everything! Beneath the mansion, there are—"

"Spare?" Caym's deep voice rumbled through the night as his amber gaze locked onto the Count. There was no ounce of mercy on his face, not even when he saw the Count wounded and his family lying motionless under the broken carriage.

"Count Braille," Caym declared, "no traitor is destined for a swift and painless death."

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The author draws inspiration from historical Europe for the Sylvania Empire (mainly the British and French monarchy) and Ásjáheimr (some Scandinavian elements).

However, as this is a fictional world, various aspects such as customs, traditions, fashions, and even cuisine are not exclusively grounded in historical accuracy. Nevertheless, the author is committed to ensuring that the events in this alternate reality will unfold in a logically consistent manner.