CH 58

The long-awaited admission date.

“Lilith, Cheshire. I’ll write you a letter. Take care and eat well.” 

“Kid! If someone bothers you, write a letter to this older brother. Really, I will just…!”

“Eat well, sleep well, and take care of yourself.”

“Work hard and come back.”

Cheshire and I left for the training center after being sent off by our families. 

The training center was in the Valkyrie Territory in the middle of the north of the imperial family, and we could only get there through the warp gate in the imperial palace. 

The Valkyrie I saw when I got there was a very nature-friendly backcountry.

I thought it was kindergarten, but no. 

Surely… it was an army! 

<The Cradle of Protection>

Are the details for the training center even the same?

I opened my mouth wide in embarrassment when I read the four words “The Cradle of Protection” hanging at the entrance of the training center. 

The writer—everything in the K-Army must have been faithfully reflected in the training center for powerful people! 

“Daughter…” 

“Ah, yes. Dad.” 

I was surprised to hear a faint voice and turned back. 

Dad, who was kneeling next to me with his hands over his eyes, was shaking. 

“W, what? Are you crying?” 

“Haa.” 

He has been depressed since morning—.

I patted Dad on the shoulder in a hurry. 

“Why are you crying? I’m not going to die. I’ll work hard, and I’ll be back in a month. Ung?”

“How can I be away from the princess for a month….” 

That’s right.

It was the first time in my life. Being away from my Dad for so long.

“My daughter. Don’t forget to eat even if it’s not good, okay?”

“Yes.” 

The twin brothers, who are seniors at the training center, also said the same thing before leaving home. 

‘It seems the meal from the training center looks filthy and tasteless.’ 

Even if the meal is not tasty, don’t skip it.

“Will you get along well with your friends?”

“Of course.” 

“Don’t cry even if you miss Dad?”

“Ung.” 

“Don’t get hurt. If you need to know, tell the teachers right away?”

“Okay.” 

After that, Dad, who had left a request for a long time, finally calmed down and hugged Cheshire and me. 

“That’s right. Cheshire, you didn’t forget what Uncle said, right? You have to keep that in mind.”

“Yes.” 

“Yeah. Take care of yourself.” 

Cheshire, who exchanged meaningful words with Dad, glanced at me.

He seemed worried that I might ask what he meant, but—.

‘Yeah, don’t worry. I’m not going to ask. I already know everything.’

Dad would have known sooner what Cheshire was good at when he was teaching him.

What makes Cheshire special?

He’s a man of 100% magic power. 

Cheshire was different from normal people, with a mixture of holy and magical power in a certain ratio.

That means that he is the only being who is not controlled by the final villain, the Emperor, or ‘Primera.’ 

Primera’s power is based on ‘sacred power’—. 

Primera can brainwash all who possess even a little holy power.

‘But not with Cheshire!’

That’s why, at the end of the original work.

Cheshire was able to cut off the Emperor and me. 

‘I’m sure he told Cheshire to hide it well because it’s a big trouble if he gets caught.’

I nodded, guessing my Dad’s request in my way.

How long have we been waiting?

“Please enter the 1026th Special Entrants.” 

Finally, there was a call from the manager of the training camp.

“Princess, Daddy will be waiting for you, so come back bravely, okay?”

“Yes, Dad. I’ll be back!”

I gave my teary-eyed Dad one last kiss and held Cheshire’s hand as I said goodbye.

I’m finally getting in!

* * *

The main auditorium of the training center. 

Cheshire and I changed into our uniforms and headed to the auditorium for the entrance ceremony.

The entrance suit was a white gym suit design that was convenient for activities.

“Wow! There are a lot of friends!” 

Children my age were sitting in the auditorium and watching us like monkeys in a zoo.

They were children who had already been admitted on the regular admission day in March every year.

“Please prepare for the 1026th Special Entrants. Soon the great Primera will arrive.” 

A stern-looking researcher in a white coat lined us up. 

Special admission is when competent people who missed the regular admission date are admitted separately from time to time.

A commoner who has lived without knowing whether they have power—. 

In other words, they were the illegitimate children of nobles who were discovered through checkpoints or the 3rd and 4th generation of ancestors with the blood of a person with power. 

I glanced at the other child standing next to me. 

There are 11 special entrants, including Cheshire and me.

Everyone except me was a commoner.

‘Hmm.’

I looked down at the gold name tag on the chest of my uniform.

[Lilith Rubinstein]

The family name is written on it.

[Cheshire.]

It wasn’t for Cheshire. 

The color of the nameplate is also white, which is different from mine.

‘It’s amazing.’

While thinking, I also looked at the children gathered in the chairs in the auditorium.

The color of the name tag on each chest was different.

Red, blue, green, white—.

It didn’t look the same color as me.

‘It’s really amazing.’

I couldn’t even laugh because I was dumbfounded.

A training center that is compulsory for those with power in the Empire to enter at the age of 9. 

You can think of this as a kindergarten or elementary school where children first develop their social skills.

And surprisingly, the training center was a small society that completely shifted the hierarchy of this deep-rooted empire.

Why are children separated by the color of their nameplates?

It is the first thing to imprint the difference between family power and class.

‘Yeah, if the revolution succeeds, I’ll have to tell my Dad to start with this crazy training center first.’

Since this is what they’ve been taught since they were kids, I guess everyone is brainwashed into thinking that society is divided into classes.

“Your Majesty the Emperor has arrived!” 

At that time, the loud knight’s voice announced the emperor’s appearance.

The noisy auditorium became quiet as if a rat had died.

‘So we finally meet.’

I swallowed my saliva with tension, too.

The front door opened and the Emperor walked in, waving a red cloak.

A young, beautiful man with golden hair and a mysterious emerald eye—.

Emperor, the final boss of this novel.

It was Nicholas von Pavilion.

‘….?’

For some reason, the Emperor didn’t go up to the prepared platform and walked straight toward us.

No, to me, to be exact.

As he got closer, I could see the Emperor’s face more clearly.

‘As expected, Primera.’

The average lifespan is twice that of normal people. He must have been older, but he looked as young as my Dad.

“U, ugh!”

“W, what?”

Everyone gasped in surprise.

I was surprised, too.

Isn’t the Emperor sitting right in front of me with a beautiful face and a bright smile?

“I, I meet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

I greeted as calmly as I could.

“I finally meet you, baby.”

“….”

He’s pretending to be close.

I deliberately lowered my head so as not to make eye contact, but the Emperor’s hand stretched out abruptly.

Then, just like a father hugging his daughter, he sat me on one arm and stood up.

“Huh.”

“Oh my—.”

The Emperor’s face was seen very close.

My heart beat fast.

A colossal villain who imprisoned me in the original work and exploited my power for the rest of my life.

The final goal that I have to break now.

Because it was my first face-to-face meeting with him.

“I’ve been waiting for you very much.”

The smiling face was endlessly sweet, but I felt the expression just like a crafty snake.

“…It’s an honor, Your Majesty!”

I clung to the Emperor with a bright smile that had no boundaries.

The children behind him all had different expressions.

Surprise, confusion, envy…

This action by the Emperor clearly drew a line between the other children and me.

The absolute power, the favorite family of the Primera Emperor.

A euphemism for not daring to match me.

“The lineage of Rubinstein, whom I cherish and love the most. A loyal subject, the only daughter of Lord Enoch, the commander of the Paladins.” 

Even openly revealing—.

“May Primera’s infinite love and the glory of this empire be upon you.”

The Emperor, with a smile, gently closes his eyes and touches my forehead.

At the same time, a cold and foreign feeling permeated from the head that touched.

‘….!’

A strange sensation spreads through the blood vessels to every body part. 

“Ugh.”

My heart thumped and rang.

‘It’s done.’

I realized this right away.

That the ‘core’ of those with power that can only be awakened by Primera’s power has been opened.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

The Emperor asked kindly.

I smiled and shook my head.

“No, thank you.”

“Yeah.”

The Emperor turned his head halfway and spoke to the researchers behind him.

“Please take special care of the princess during the training period.”

“Yes. Your Majesty.”

“We’ll follow your orders.”

As the Emperor embraced me, he spread his palms toward the other children next to me. 

At that moment.

Perhaps because the core was opened, the flow of mana was felt very clear.

“Whoaa.”

“Wow…”

Some children, who felt the unfamiliar sensation like me, grabbed their chests and burst into exclamations.

They also seemed to have their core open.

‘But was this a wide-area skill?’

I wished he could put us all together and open our cores at the same time.

The Emperor was so bold as to put on a show while holding me as a symbol of his special treatment.

‘Haa.’

I looked at the children with eyes full of envy at me and sighed inwardly.

Everyone was keeping an eye on the emperor and me who was cherished in his arms.

‘Tsk. It’s not easy to make friends comfortably…’