‘Why am I like this.’

I just checked on him out of concern, yet here I am feeling self-conscious and embarrassed all by myself.

So Ael desperately feigned composure in front of Kail.

Realizing that what was as natural as breathing to him was a big deal to her made her incredibly embarrassed.

‘The problem is that Kail is too kind.’

Thinking that if Ino and Nisha heard this, they would run to the window with disgusted expressions, Ael picked up a paper from the desk and fanned herself.

The heat that refused to subside today must be due to the increasingly warmer air.

Then, a strong wind blew in through the window left open for ventilation.

The wind not only blew away the papers on the desk but also the one Ael was holding.

“Ah!”

Startled, Ael hurriedly grabbed at the papers scattered in the air.

At that moment, another gust of wind blew the paper that was about to fall to the floor out onto the balcony.

“No!”

She had separately written down particularly difficult parts to decipher to avoid damaging the original when looking up the dictionary.

She knew that the documents she was deciphering required quite a bit of security. Of course, even if what was written on the paper wasn’t the full original text, it would be better if it didn’t leak out.

But now that paper had flown out of the balcony and was falling onto the bustling street below.

Ael quickly went out to the balcony but couldn’t catch the falling paper.

Knowing this well, yet reaching out in desperation at that moment.

Wheeeeee!

A sharp sound rang out in the sky. Ael, as well as all the people on the street, felt the anomaly and looked up at the sky. At that moment.

Creeeeak… Bang!

There was a sound of something huge moving and colliding.

It was the sound of sailboats colliding in the harbor right in front.

Sailboats in the harbor don’t usually collide. They are moored with ample space and firmly secured with thick ropes.

It could be dangerous if very high waves hit, but there’s a long breakwater at the entrance of the harbor, so even if the sea right in front is churning high with a storm, the inside remains calm.

But now the sea inside the harbor was raging violently.

As people stood frozen in disbelief at this impossible sight, a fierce gust of wind swept over them.

Crash!

The sound of breaking glass and people’s screams could be heard from buildings around the harbor. Items placed in front of shops on this clear day rolled on the ground, and flower pots on railings fell, scattering debris.

The once-peaceful harbor turned into chaos in an instant.

People held onto each other to avoid being blown away by the strong gusts and crouched down, hugging crying children to their chests.

Ael also sat down on the balcony, covering her face with her arms against the gale that felt like it might tear her face. That’s when she saw it. Something shining through the balcony railings in the distant sea.

Though it was so far away it almost touched the horizon, Ael knew what that light was.

‘That light from back then!’

It was undoubtedly the same light she had seen briefly when she reached out in the garden, and the one she had seen in the book at the library.

‘Why is that…’

She wanted to stand up and look at that light, but her body wouldn’t move.

Like a marionette with its strings cut, Ael’s body collapsed to the floor.

‘I need… to see that…’

With that final thought, Ael lost consciousness.

The Karanden Empire in the center of the continent.

In the main building of the Imperial Academy located in the north of the imperial capital, a man was enjoying the sunlight lying on a sun bed on the balcony. Under the fine, light blonde hair fluttering in the wind was a face with distinct features.

The face, which he himself would boast about saying “I think I’m really handsome,” was indeed handsome, but it had a lightness that would make even his serious words sound like jokes.

The man, who had been sleeping like a lazy cat under the summer sun that was now starting to feel hot, suddenly sat up the moment the wind brushed past his face.

“Huh?”

He looked around in surprise. Then, touching his cheek, he got up and went down the building.

As he appeared, everyone at the academy bowed their heads and greeted him.

“Chancellor!”

“I’m busy! Come back later!”

“But I’ve been waiting for 3 days!”

“That’s your problem!”

The man called Chancellor was Lasis, the chancellor of this Imperial Academy and known as the right-hand man of the Emperor.

Ignoring the people desperately clinging to him, begging him to do some work today, he slipped into the restricted area.

Then he flung open the door of the room he was looking for.

“Was there a response!”

At Lasis’s words, everyone in the room turned their heads to look at him.

“Goodness, you noticed?”

“We only knew from the response meter!”

“As expected of the Successor Hunter!”

Lasis punched each of their heads once at their exclamations and then folded his arms.

“So where is it? The capital? It should be at least within the empire… probably in the north.”

“Well, it hasn’t been decoded yet.”

“That’s impossible.”

Lasis’s eyes narrowed.

He looked at the ball of light placed in the center of the room.

To someone who didn’t know, it would just look like a bright ball of light, but as the successor of the Golden Rule and the chancellor of the Imperial Academy, he knew this was an excellent Golden Rule detector that applied the ancient Golden Rule.

‘Of course I know it well since I made it!’

It had been a long time since the Emperor ordered him to find a new successor to the Golden Rule. At first, he met and checked potential people one by one.

Then, realizing that the number was not insignificant and that he might die of overwork if he continued like this, Lasis racked his brains.

From then on, he spent several months, putting aside all other work, searching through ancient records to create this.

A Golden Rule detector that senses when a strong Golden Rule is used and reveals its location.

Most of those found with this were newborn babies.

So when they identified a location to some extent, they would go there to check newly born children, and if they were confirmed to have a strong Golden Rule, they were gathered at the Imperial Academy with all sorts of good conditions.

‘But this time it was quite strong.’

Of course, even without this, Lasis could sense the Golden Rule with his unique sensitivity.

The Golden Rule carried on the wind. It was intense enough to wake him up instantly from his sleep.

‘If it felt that strong, it must be nearby.’

It might even be in the capital. That would make it more annoying to find because of the large population… but at least he wouldn’t have to go far.

Anyway, thinking that he would find it early this time, Lasis hummed a tune. That’s when an employee spoke.

“It’s not in the empire.”

“What are you talking about?”

Lasis waved his hand as if it was nonsense. If he could feel it that strongly, it must be a power manifested nearby.

“Check it properly. It can’t be more than a day’s journey away at most.”

“The data is in. It’s outside the empire. The direction is east… no… all directions?”

As the employee read out hesitantly, finding it strange, Lasis shook his head.

“What are you saying? All directions, how is that possible?”

“…That’s what we’d like to know.”

“Anyway, it’s nonsense. Check again.”

At Lasis’s order, the employees moved busily.

They too couldn’t believe the results. There had never been such a result before.

The employees looked at each other. They knew what their colleagues wanted to say without speaking.

The detector has finally gone crazy.

Yeah. Just like Chancellor Lasis.

The detector was activated again, and another light rapidly blinked around the light. It was a fascinating sight whether seen by someone who didn’t know what it was or by someone who did.

A machine made with the most primordial power.

While most successors of the Golden Rule prefer to use their power in its original state when first manifested, Lasis was different.

He enjoyed using the power of his Golden Rule as a driving force for machines that anyone could use.

Thanks to this, the Emperor kept him by his side even though he acted so arbitrarily that others would have had their heads cut off about three times.

“The results are in. It’s the same. All directions.”

“…”

Now the smile had disappeared from Lasis’s face.

“Don’t tell anyone outside, just keep it among yourselves for now.”

“What if it gets out?”

“Didn’t you sign a body waiver when you came in here? Do you want your upper body and lower body working in different rooms?”

“…I’ll shut up.”

Feeling Lasis’s determination to make them work even if it killed them, the employees swallowed their tears.

Leaving them behind, Lasis drew a circle in the air. With a bright light, a different scene appeared beyond the circle.