Solomon had not brought anything with him from the Azure Dragon Sect besides a spare set of gray uniforms and Eden’s Penance. He quickly washed his face, got dressed, and grabbed his heavy executioner’s sword.
He headed straight to the grand dining hall for breakfast. The room felt incredibly empty, as most of the distant guests were already in the process of leaving the palace grounds.
Elizabeth, Yue, Marco, Arthur, and Maximus sat around a smaller table, finishing their morning meals.
Solomon took a seat and scanned the room. Lune was nowhere to be found.
"Do you know where Lune went?" Solomon asked, turning his attention to the pavilion master. "Has she already left for the Lumiere capital?"
Yue shook her head and sipped her tea. "The Lumiere vanguard is still mobilizing their forces in the outer courtyards. She likely has not left the grounds yet."
Solomon quickly finished his plate of roasted meat and left the dining hall. He marched directly to her premium guest chamber, but the room was completely empty. The bed was made, and her belongings were gone.
He wandered the marble corridors, searching the inner palace and the gardens, but he could not find a single trace of the golden-haired princess.
He eventually walked out toward the main courtyard, where he spotted Gideon issuing strict orders to a group of Lumiere knights. Sir Jeffery stood nearby, holding a thick ledger.
Solomon approached the paladin, but two heavily armored knights immediately crossed their halberds to block his path. Gideon noticed the commotion, raised a gauntleted hand, and instructed the guards to let the boy pass.
Solomon stood a few paces away, waiting for the paladin to finish his logistical briefing. He listened quietly to the grim statistics being discussed.
The Azure Moon Kingdom originally boasted a total military force of exactly seven thousand soldiers. King Shen had taken an army of two thousand men with him on his expedition to the Ruined Azure Kingdom, leaving five thousand guards stationed at the palace.
Last night, precisely two thousand, seven hundred and thirty-seven individuals were executed for high treason. The staggering number included the corrupted guards, the bribed knights, and their immediate families, most of whom served as personal servants within the inner palace.
The traitors had confessed their ties to the Crimson Bone Sect under intense interrogation.
Adding the previous captures from days before, the total number of compromised personnel exceeded three thousand. Nearly half of the entire kingdom’s military force had fallen to the evil sect’s corruption.
[Fatal_Beauty: that is a terrifying number of traitors.]
[Kaolafiedgamer: half the army was ready to betray them.]
[MattMickyD: the purge was necessary.]
[M00N: executing the families too is brutal.]
Gideon finally closed the ledger and turned his attention to the silver-haired boy. "What brings you here, Solomon? Came to say goodbye before you depart for the Azure Dragon Sect?"
"I am looking for Lune," Solomon asked, resting his hands in his pockets. "Has she already left?"
"She has not departed yet," Gideon responded, shaking his head. "But I do not know her exact whereabouts at this moment."
Solomon thanked the paladin and resumed his search. He wandered the estate, checking the royal armory and the training rings, but both locations were empty. He finally decided to retrace their steps from the nights before. He hiked up the steep, winding mountain trail leading away from the inner palace.
He reached the rocky alcove housing the natural hot spring. The steaming pool sat empty, but a short distance away, he spotted a familiar figure.
Lune sat quietly on a carved stone bench at the very edge of the mountain peak. She wore a simple traveling cloak over her dress, her gaze fixed intently on the breathtaking morning view of the Azure Moon Kingdom sprawled out in the valley below.
Solomon slowly approached the stone bench. Rather than calling out her name or announcing his presence, he quietly sat down right beside her.
He rested his hands in his lap and stared out at the sprawling valley, simply enjoying the breathtaking morning view alongside the golden-haired princess.
A comfortable silence stretched between them for several minutes. The warm sunlight began to crest over the distant mountain peaks, chasing away the lingering morning chill.
Without turning his head to look at her, Solomon finally broke the silence. "I honestly thought you had already left for the capital without meeting me to say goodbye."
Lune kept her gaze fixed on the horizon. "Why would you even care if I told you before I left?"
Solomon turned his head and looked directly at her profile. "I do care."
Lune blinked in surprise. She slowly turned to face him, her emerald eyes searching his expression for any hint of sarcasm. "What do you mean by that?"
"I consider you a good friend," Solomon responded, his tone carrying a rare, genuine sincerity. "If you had left this kingdom without meeting me first, I would have chased after you all the way to the Lumiere Dynasty."
Lune felt a sudden warmth bloom across her cheeks. She blushed lightly, shifting her weight on the stone bench. "For what? What would you have done after chasing me all the way to my capital?"
Solomon maintained his serious expression for a fraction of a second before offering a deadpan response. "I would have slapped you."
[1Fizzy: AHAHAHA THE ROMANCE IS DEAD!]
[James_hayes: bro had us in the first half not gonna lie.]
[Mezz_3863: Solo Man literally cannot be romantic for more than ten seconds.]
[Fatal_Beauty: he ruined the moment again!]
[Tyler_Klare: W response.]
Lune instantly regretted asking the question. She let out a bright, exasperated chuckle and shook her head. "You are impossible."
She turned her attention back to the rising sun, the golden light illuminating her features. The playful atmosphere slowly faded, replaced by a lingering sense of melancholy.
"I will not be able to return to the Eastern Realms until the evil sects and their hidden cults have been completely dealt with," Lune murmured, her voice laced with quiet resignation. "I do not know how much time that will take. It might take months, or perhaps even a few years. By the time the Righteous Alliance finally secures the borders, you and the others will have already completed your required classes and training at the Azure Dragon Sect. You will have all left for the main academy."
Solomon followed her gaze toward the sun. He stayed quiet for a few seconds, mentally weighing the massive undertaking required to purge the continent of the corrupted factions.
"I will deal with them for you," Solomon stated calmly. "I will wipe them out so you can come back sooner."
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