Aftermath

One hour before the battle outside the palace started to quiet down, Nolan was trying his best to assist the imperial soldiers, they were in a fierce fight with the terrorists attacking from all sides. His concentration never wavered, but his real focus wasn't entirely on the battlefield. The clone he had left of himself back in the ballroom, where the nobles, his family, and various palace servants were gathered was continuesly projecting the image of the hall in his brain. He got the ability to split his consciousness between his clone and his real body and it was an advantage most mages didn't possess, and it allowed him to keep an eye on the ballroom's situation while physically helping the soldiers dealing with the enemy outside.

Through his clone's eyes, Nolan noticed something strange. The servants inside the ballroom, who had been serving the nobles throughout the evening, suddenly started to move in unison. Their steps were precise and unnatural, as though they had been given a silent command. It was subtle, but Nolan recognized the telltale signs of illusion magic. As the head butler of the palace stepped forward, his movements too became increasingly suspicious. Nolan's gaze sharpened, and soon, his suspicions were confirmed when the head butler—one of the most trusted figures in the royal household—removed his face mask, revealing himself as one of the terrorist leaders and right away shot out electric webs dividing everyone in small groups under a tent shaped webs.

Illusion magic and beast entrapment magic, Nolan thought with a bitter frown. The face masks had concealed their true identities all along. As the other servants followed the butler's lead, gasps filled the ballroom. The nobles were visibly stunned, some turning pale in shock, while others immediately reached for their laser guns or magic wands preparing defensive spells. The Emperor and Grand Duke Joseph Bright, however, remained composed. They didn't seem surprised, their expressions merely cold with disdain, the beast entrapment web didn't even get close to the two and vanished into thin air with a wave of the intricate hand fan in grand duke's hand, he didn't stop their and with another forceful wave all the other webs also got obliterated. It made sense now—these terrorists were from the old nobility, banished by the Grand Emperor for their cruelty and incompetence, cheap tricks is all they can play. The resentment clearly ran deep, and even the younger generations had taken up the cause, seeking revenge on the new order.

Nolan's clone secretly sneaked under a large banquet table, unnoticed amidst the rising tension, he started casting a spell using up most of the mana in the clone and started flickering in and out of existence. As the terrorists prepared to make their move undeterred by the fact that their previous attempt to capture failed completely, dark magic circles materialized behind them, and spectral chains shot out, binding the terrorists before they could attack. The chains glowed faintly as they drained mana from the captured terrorists, reinforcing Nolan's clone's magic reserves, turning his almost transparent bady back to normal. The display left everyone, including the Emperor, momentarily stunned, not knowing who and how it all happened.

Realizing it's not the time to be baffled, they all Regained their composure, the nobles quickly subdued the restrained terrorists, dragging them into the center of the ballroom. They waited there, tense and alert, for the fighting outside to subside. Once it was safe, Nolan—still outside— after Nova got busy with instructing few of his own men about the next step, Nolan sneaked away and swiftly switched places with his clone, using a quick spatial spell. As soon as the real Nolan appeared in the ballroom, he dispelled the clone, allowing it to vanish without a trace. He slipped away unnoticed by Nova, who had been preoccupied by the ongoing discussion about battle aftermath.

…

As the ballroom emptied, the heavy tension that had built up over the course of the battle slowly dissipated, leaving behind an eerie stillness. The nobles, shaken but eager to put distance between themselves and the scene of the attack, filed out one by one. Their whispers filled the air, but their relief at surviving the ordeal was tempered by a collective sense of disbelief at what had transpired. None of them seemed to notice that Nolan had never been inside the ballroom for the duration of the attack—at least, none except Nova, who kept that information to himself.

Nolan leaned against one of the grand marble pillars near the entrance, watching as the last of the nobles exited, parents and older brother were discussing in the meeting hall with emperor, meanwhile Elspeth and Eloise were tired and traumatized so they were taken back right away, he was supposed to leave with them but he insisted on going back with his parents. They didn't push him much since they thought he might be scared as well and doesn't want yo leave their side. He let out a slow, controlled breath, feeling the weight of everything start to settle on him. The clone had done its job well, masking his absence perfectly, and now the real him stood there, unnoticed by almost everyone.

Almost.

Nova's presence loomed near the ballroom's far corner, his keen gaze locked on Nolan. The silent acknowledgment between them was brief but undeniable. Despite his stoic demeanor, Nova had noticed everything. But true to his nature, Nova said nothing, allowing Nolan the space to stay hidden in plain sight.

As the ballroom doors finally closed with a soft thud, sealing off the grand hall from the outside world, Nolan felt the exhaustion of the day begin to catch up with him. The flickering tension that had kept him alert during the battle was now ebbing, replaced by a dull ache that radiated from his core. He wasn't just physically drained—his mana reserves, though refueled by the spectral chains, had taken a significant hit. Splitting his consciousness between the battlefield and the ballroom, sustaining both his real body and his clone, had taken more out of him than he'd anticipated.

The ballroom was now nearly empty, save for a few palace guards checking the premises and Nova lingering near the wall, waiting for his grandfather. The terrorists who had infiltrated the palace as servants were long gone, dragged away by soldiers for interrogation. Their plans had been thwarted, but the impact of their attack was still rippling through the palace.

Nolan glanced around the grand hall, taking in the aftermath. Tables had been overturned during the chaos, some of the ornate decorations had been damaged, and scorch marks marred the once-pristine marble floors from the defensive spells cast by panicked nobles. Despite the devastation, there was a strange stillness in the air, a momentary peace that felt almost fragile.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence. One of the palace stewards, his face ashen but composed, entered the ballroom and approached Nolan. He bowed slightly before speaking.

"Young lord Anderson," the steward began, his voice low but steady, "it has been announced that the remainder of today's festival, as well as tomorrow's, will be canceled. His Majesty has decreed that the week-long celebration will be cut short to three days. The palace staff and the nobles are being given time to rest and recover from the trauma of today's events, your parents are inquiring if you would still like to wait or go back to rest first, they don't mind either way as lord Juno will join you shortly."

Nolan nodded, acknowledging the steward's words. "That's probably for the best, thanks for letting me know" he replied with a smile, his voice tinged with fatigue.

The steward gave a polite nod in return before excusing himself, leaving Nolan alone once more. The news wasn't surprising. After everything that had happened, there was no way the festival could continue as planned. The joyous atmosphere that had filled the palace earlier that day had been shattered by the terrorist attack, and it would take time for everyone to recover.

Nolan turned toward the large windows lining one side of the ballroom. Through the ornate glass, he could see the palace gardens bathed in the soft light of the late afternoon. The battle outside had quieted down an hour ago, but the memory of it still felt fresh in his mind—the clash of weapons, the pulse of magic, the sight of soldiers fighting tooth and nail to protect the imperial family and the gathered nobility, he thought that leaving his past life, this time he would turn a new leaf in life, but the lady of misfortune just never leaves his side.

He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the calm scene outside ground him. But his respite was brief.

"You're not as subtle as you think," came a familiar voice.

Nolan opened his eyes and turned to see Nova approaching him, his expression unreadable as always. The young noble stopped a few paces away, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You are the only one who knew I wasn't in here the whole time," Nolan said quietly.

Nova's gaze was steady. "That's true. But it wasn't my place to say anything. You handled the situation well—better than most would have, if you were to become a nuisance, I might not have kept my quiet."

Nolan let out a soft chuckle, though there was no real humor behind it. "I suppose that's a compliment, coming from you."

Nova's lips twitched in what could almost be considered a smile. "Don't let it go to your head."

For a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of the battle still lingering between them. Nolan appreciated Nova's restraint—he didn't ask for explanations or pry into why Nolan had chosen to fight outside instead of staying with his family or about his magic abilities and knowledge. Nova simply observed, ever watchful, ever calculating.

Finally, Nova spoke again, his tone more serious. "Was it you who did that back there—the chains. That kind of magic isn't something you just learn overnight. You've been hiding more than that meets the eyes, Aren't you Young lord Anderson?"

Nolan met Nova's gaze, considering his response. There was no use in denying it. "I've been learning for a long time," he admitted, his voice low. "You never know when things can hold haywire, especially since my life wasn't the most easiest ever, you know born weak and always a source of stress for family, I was once almost kidnapped by someone as a kid and one of our giant wolves unfortunately passed away saving me, that day I promised to be never be underestimated to be a easy prey and if someone does think of underestimating me, they better be ready to pay heavily for it."

What he was telling about was a actual incident that happened to Nolan, just a year before he went into coma and it was also due to over exertion of practicing, he was little and wasn't aloud to do much so he would sneak into his mother's library to learn magic, which eventually took the poor kids life. He hopes, the real Nolan lives a better and more carefree life whenever he gets reincarnated.

Nova nodded, his expression thoughtful. "You're right. The attack wasn't random. The old nobility is making their move, and this was just the beginning. The empire's enemies are more organized than we thought, but unfortunately for them empires are not built over flower beds but rather over the dead bodies of countless sometimes bad or sometimes innocent. It's not easy to shake the super powers like our empire, this time, the emperor played a gamble to put some light on the hidden dangers of empire in front of the nobles. Just so they are aware when helping someone."

Nolan's mind raced as he processed Nova's words. He had suspected as much—there had been too many coordinated elements in the attack, too many well-placed infiltrators. The terrorists weren't just a rogue group; they were part of something much larger, but to be able to infiltrate the palace to this extent is a overkill, the emperor was aware.. no actual he was the one playing both sides of the chess.

"The Grand Duke knew as well," Nolan said, his voice soft but firm. "He wasn't surprised by the attack. He handled the situation with too much ease, like he'd been waiting for this to happen."

Nova's gaze darkened slightly. "The Grand Duke is always prepared. He's seen more battles than most of the people in this palace combined."

Nolan frowned, his thoughts swirling. The Grand Duke had always been a figure of mystery, a powerful man who commanded respect from everyone in the empire. But now, Nolan couldn't shake the feeling that there were layers to the man's actions that he had yet to uncover and Nova being the grandson of the said person will not exactly reveal their deck of cards either.

As if sensing Nolan's unease, Nova's voice softened slightly. "You did what you had to do, Anderson. You protected the people in that room, and you fought outside when others might have run. That's not something to take lightly and just so you know your family is also one of the greatest supporters of the royalty, so no matter what you guys are safe."

Nolan glanced at Nova, surprised by the unexpected direct praise and also assurance. He had never thought of himself as a hero—just someone trying to survive in a world that was far more complicated than it appeared. But hearing Nova's words made him feel a strange sense of validation, even though he only acted because of his interest in the man, well somethings are better not said too early.

"Thanks," Nolan muttered with a soft smile on his face, unsure of what else to say.

Nova simply nodded, his expression neutral once more. "Get some rest," he said, turning to leave. "You're going to need it." His subordinates were signaling him about something, but Nolan was not interested right now.

As Nova walked away, the ballroom felt emptier than ever. The silence pressed down on Nolan, and for the first time since the battle began, he felt truly alone, but also kind of at peace, the whole day was nerve wracking.

Just then his older brother Juno called him through his tie pin "Hey Nolan, I am waiting outside by the west wing main doors, come over we are leaving."

Nolan took one last look at the now-vacant ballroom before making his way out. The palace corridors were quiet, the usual bustle of servants and nobles absent in the wake of the attack. It was as though the entire building was holding its breath, waiting for the next disaster to strike.

He made his way to his brother's location and they left to the Anderson family house in capital where they got changed this morning. When he entered the house, in his room he was met with the sight of his twin sisters, Eloise and Elspeth, huddled together on one of the plush couches. Their faces were pale, and their eyes widened when they saw him, Juno went to the kitchen to ask the servants to get the dinner ready.

"Nolan!" Elspeth cried, jumping to her feet and rushing over to him. She threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. " how are you little brother, are you feeling better, did you get to meet our parents."

Eloise followed closely behind, her expression more reserved but no less relieved. "You're okay," she said softly, her voice filled with quiet gratitude as she held a cross in her hand.

Nolan hugged his sisters, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over him. "I'm fine sisters," he reassured them. "Mother and father were still busy but since brother was with me, I wasn't scared at all."

For the next few moments, the three siblings stood in silence, taking comfort in each other's presence. After everything that had happened, just being together was enough.

Eventually, Elspeth pulled back, her eyes filled with concern and Juno entered the room so she asked him, "What happens now? The festival is being cut short, but… who in their right mind still want to enjoy after something like that happened? The attack wasn't just some random act of violence, was it?"

Juno shook his head, his expression grim. "No. It wasn't random. There's more going on than we know, but it's not up to us to decide what happens next you guys just need to be careful and we will go with whatever mother and father decide."

Elspeth frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. "Does this mean the danger is not completely eliminated?"

Juno hesitated for a moment before answering. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we'll be ready for whatever comes next."

All along Nolan refrained from speaking, because he was also planning, he's not going to let some random aggrieved older nobility terrorist ruin his second chance at life and he won't feel easy until they are dealt with.

The weight of Juno's words hung in the air, a reminder that the peace they had once known was now fragile, teetering on the edge of something far more dangerous.

As the Anderson siblings settled into the quiet of their quarters, the world outside the palace continued to move forward. The battle was over for them, and the terrorist thinking about their next ploy were completely unaware of the disaster coming their way.