Journey to Become the Zenith

The Queen’s Silence

Then, almost as an afterthought, another piece of information surfaced.

The Sword Princess had returned.

Aura.

She had been away from the kingdom when everything had fallen into chaos. Far from the capital, she had known nothing about the events unfolding in her absence.

Only after returning did she learn what had happened.

Even Aura had been caught off guard.

Who could have imagined that the three people she had encountered during her journey would end up at the center of such a massive disturbance?

And one of them...

Was the uncle she had believed to be lost.

Aura stood quietly within the royal court.

Her long silver hair rested over her shoulders, barely moving as she listened. Her crimson eyes remained fixed on the messenger standing before the throne.

She didn’t interrupt.

She simply listened.

The Prince was alive.

Victor was involved.

Fantom City had changed.

And now the entire kingdom stood on the edge of a crisis.

With every new piece of information, Aura’s expression grew more complicated.

Victor.

Her mind returned to the first time she had met him.

That confident smile.

Those striking golden eyes.

And the strange pressure that seemed to surround him, something she hadn’t been able to understand at the time.

Back then, she had simply thought he was an unusual man.

A strange one, perhaps.

But nothing more.

Now...

Aura wasn’t so certain.

She lowered her eyes for a moment.

’If it’s really him, then I suppose anything is possible.’

The thought almost made her smile.

Almost.

One of the nobles noticed the faint change in her expression.

"Princess Aura, you seem unusually calm."

Aura slowly turned her head toward him.

"I wouldn’t call it calm."

The noble raised an eyebrow.

"Then what would you call it?"

Aura’s gaze returned to the messenger.

Her voice remained quiet.

"Curiosity."

"Curiosity?"

She nodded.

"I want to know what happened after I left."

The words were simple.

Yet they made several people in the court exchange uneasy glances.

The messenger lowered his eyes.

There was still much more to explain.

Much more that had yet to be revealed.

But before he could continue, the patience of the nobles finally snapped.

"We cannot sit here and discuss this all day!"

"Your Majesty, soldiers must be dispatched immediately!"

"At least one battalion of knights!"

"Twenty high-ranking mages should accompany them!"

"Fantom City must be brought under control before this rebellion spreads any further!"

The voices quickly overlapped.

The once-quiet court descended into disorder.

Some demanded military action.

Others argued for caution.

A few simply shouted louder than everyone else, desperate to make their opinions heard.

The Queen remained seated.

She watched them without saying a word.

Her expression gave nothing away.

Then one nobleman stepped forward.

He bowed deeply before speaking.

"Your Majesty, forgive my bluntness, but hesitation will cost us."

The court gradually quieted.

The man straightened.

"If the Prince is truly consolidating his power, then every moment we waste gives him more time to strengthen his position."

Another noble immediately nodded.

"Exactly."

His voice carried through the hall.

"And if Victor is truly as dangerous as the messenger claims..."

He hesitated.

For the first time, uncertainty appeared on his face.

The sentence remained unfinished.

But nobody needed him to finish it.

Everyone in the court understood what he meant.

If Victor was truly involved...

Then this was no longer a simple dispute over Fantom City.

It was something far more dangerous.

He paused.

"...then waiting may be even more foolish."

Queen Amara’s crimson eyes rested on him.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Immediate military action."

The noble straightened.

"Send an elite force to Fantom City and crush the rebellion before it becomes a war."

Several nobles agreed.

"Yes."

"That is the only sensible choice."

"Strike first."

"Do not give them time to prepare."

Yet the queen remained strangely quiet.

That silence unsettled the court more than anger would have.

Because everyone knew something about Warrior Queen Amara.

She did not hesitate because she was afraid.

She hesitated because she was thinking.

And when Amara thought, people learned to be careful.

The messenger looked toward her.

"Your Majesty..."

The queen finally spoke.

"Enough."

The nobles stopped.

"Nobody moves."

A stunned silence followed.

One minister looked confused.

"Your Majesty?"

"I said nobody moves."

Her voice remained gentle.

But this time, there was no room for argument.

The nobles exchanged uneasy looks.

"Your Majesty, with respect..."

Amara’s crimson eyes shifted toward him.

The minister immediately stopped speaking.

The queen looked toward the messenger.

"You said Victor was involved."

"Yes."

"And the Prince is alive."

"Yes."

"And Fantom City has declared independence."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Amara nodded slowly.

Her expression remained calm.

But her eyes had sharpened.

"Then I will hear everything before making a decision."

The nobles bowed reluctantly.

Their heads lowered.

Their faces did not.

Dissatisfaction was written plainly across them.

They wanted blood.

They wanted many soldiers.

Most of all, they wanted the rebellion crushed before it had a chance to grow.

That was enough.

They wanted the rebellion crushed before it could breathe.

The queen, however, did not share their impatience.

Because something about this entire situation bothered her.

She had heard too many stories about Victor.

And every story seemed more unbelievable than the last.

A man who appeared from nowhere.

A man who walked alongside the Prince.

A man powerful enough to change the balance of an entire region simply by existing within it.

Amara’s fingers slowly tapped against the armrest.

Once.

Twice.

Then stopped.

"Tell me everything from the beginning."

The messenger bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The court became quiet once more.

Outside the palace, the wind moved through the banners hanging from the towers.

The kingdom remained unaware that its nobles were already preparing for war.

And while the queen listened to the messenger’s report, the nobles exchanged silent looks.

They had already begun thinking beyond the queen’s command.

If Amara refused to act...

Then they would act themselves.

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