As the name implied, the Gold District was full of gold-painted mansions belonging to nobles and the emperor's entourage. The difference between the three district's quality of life was a clear sign of segregation, a testimony of how the current emperor ran his nation.
'Power corrupts,' thought Arthur as the wagon made its way toward the Light Palace. It wasn't that all descendants of the guardians were villains, but the position they received made them lead different lives from the rest of the people. They became desensitized to the suffering of ordinary people by their belief in being different.
Humans were fragile, allowing power to corrupt their kindness. Arthur almost suffered from that daily when his ruthlessness overcame his kindness. To find a balance between the two was how a person avoids naivety and cruelty.
"Astral Light is said to be one of the Unique Great Blessings, a tier above the others. The last person to command such a blessing was none other than the previous Knights Commander, Zonas Mantra!"
The guard was still blathering about Arthur's blessings, which he had used a rune to mimic. His issue was that astral blessings glowed when used, so he had to choose the light-rune to achieve a similar effect.
Lyle never told him that Zonas had a similar blessing, which might be why the emperor assigned him as a Knights Commander. The wagon entered the palace grounds, even though the actual building was still far away.
"There are many flying mounts here," said Arthur as he stared out the window. "Are these the officials attending the ceremony?"
"Indeed," nodded the guard as he stared with awe. "The emperor called everyone to reside in the Gold District in preparation for the upcoming days."
The wagon reached a checkpoint, where all of them were asked to reveal their medals. Arthur passed the inspection and was allowed entry into the Golden Path, a single road leading toward the palace.
Around the Light Palace was a lake, which the Golden Path crossed. As the wagon traversed it, the road formed underneath them. Arthur could tell that powerful monsters resided within the lake, protecting the periphery of the palace from intruders.
The wagon stopped after the two reached the gates, and everyone had to get off. Arthur watched the great gates open for them as guards came to take away their weapons and artifacts. And as soon as the two walked in, their mana could no longer be used.
"This is to ensure that no one can cause troubles here," said the guard as he noticed Arthur staring at his hand. "This is the handiwork of our great runic masters."
"Ah ha," said Arthur without buying those lies. He knew that this was the manifestation of the emperor's ability, and this was his domain. The fact that Dark World also had this no-mana zone meant that the royal family was somehow involved in the underground world.
Arthur followed after Lyle, like his shadow. All he did was examine the place and memorize the faces. The two walked through a long corridor before a butler found them, bowing as he promised to lead them toward the waiting room.
There was already a person waiting inside the waiting room, and Arthur was appealed to see that he recognized them. It was the woman who met with Tyrin back in Yalen and chased him down once she realized that he was eavesdropping.
"Ah, Knights Commander!" greeted the woman with a smile, and although Arthur never saw her clearly, he could never forget that fight. "I'm so lucky to run into you so early. Who would have thought that a disciple of mine turned out to be such a fierce man?"
"I was following my grandfather at that time, no more," said Lyle with a cold expression. "It was luck that made me train under the strongest assassin in Ilios."
As if introducing her to Arthur, Lyle revealed. The woman seemed pleased as she grabbed Lyle by the arm and pulled him to sit beside her. As for Arthur, he stood behind the two without being granted a seat.
"Don't be so cold," said the woman, her hair long and dark, falling in curls. "You wouldn't forget about what we had just because you became a commander, would you?"
"I have yet to become anything," said Lyle as he untangled himself by turning into the wind. Arthur was again amazed that he could use his astral blessing without mana. "And even if I become a commander, a person of your status wouldn't need me."
"I'm glad you know as such," she grinned before looking back at Arthur. "And who is this cutie?"
"My new assistant, Ishmael," answered Lyle while adjusting his clothing. "What brought you here, Miss Eloisa?"
"I heard about what happened the day before yesterday," she turned away from Arthur and stared at Lyle. "It seems that a rat has made his way into my city, and it's a rat I once chased."
"A rat that escaped your claws? How surprising," said Lyle an expressionless face. "Are you here for round two?"
"I would love to have that, but the rat has grown into a wild dog at this point. So tracking and taking him down wouldn't be as easy as last time. However, I am responsible since I allowed him to escape before."
Arthur knew she was talking about him and their encounter, and she came here after revealing herself. However, what bothered Arthur was that this woman had the stench of nothingness on her, just like last time.
A fallen being was nearby.
It has been a while since Arthur met one, at least in his recent memories. Ilios has always been known to have dealings with the fallen beings, so he was not surprised. The issue was that this palace was reeking of their existence.
This must be why Sier fell sick once while trying to see the interior of this palace. Even the walls had their foul stench, and the no-mana zone allowed them to thrive.
"I will be able to assist with that once I get promoted," said Lyle.
"Ah, right, the promotion for arresting the forger. I heard that you fought against Rain, right? How is she?"
Arthur and Lyle were surprised by her question because it revealed her knowledge of the lustful woman. Seeing his expression, Eloisa started laughing.
"I received my report regarding the matter," she laughed. "After all, I have eyes everywhere looking for that woman. I cannot believe she was hiding in the capital all this time."
"Why are you looking for her?" asked Lyle without showing too much concern. "I fought against her, and I can tell she was more powerful than an average rebel."
"I shouldn't tell anyone this, " Eloisa said with a smile, her finger covering her face. "However, you are the next commander. What would you be willing to pay for such information?"
"Nothing. This does not interfere with my duties," Lyle gave the perfect response, although Arthur wanted to know the answer himself. "However, since I fought against her before, I will naturally be reported her identity after being promoted."
"What a boring man," lamented Eloisa before turning toward Arthur, his whole body making a U-turn around the couch to face Arthur. "Are you the same?"
"I seek danger," said Arthur with a smile. "If she is as strong as they say, I have no qualms about knowing more about her."
"A dangerous man you have here, Lyle. Almost too dangerous," she said with a smile before disappearing. Arthur stood still as the woman appeared behind him, her hand wrapping around his neck. "Are you into this kind of danger?"
"Please don't bother my assistant," said Lyle without turning around. Arthur didn't react as well, and the woman released him as she walked to stand in front of him. "Ishmael, A Unique Great Blessing holder, called Astral Light. You have a similar one to Zonas Mantra. What makes you serve the man who arrested him?"
The woman stared at Arthur with an intrigued smile before the door was knocked. A butler came in, reporting that the emperor was ready to meet them. The ceremony would be starting soon.
Eloisa was the first one to exit, and Arthur stared at her back. She was a lot shorter than he remembered, and that was because he was growing taller the stronger he became. After meeting Gaia and becoming a runesmith, Arthur became 185cm tall.
The two followed after the woman toward a grand hall decorated with gold. There were tables on different heights, and the higher ones were reserved for the emperor and the Trinity Members. As for Lyle and Arthur, they were seated behind Eloisa.
The hall was still filling with people, and Arthur turned to stare at them. All of them were shining armor with the Sun Emblem on them. The dazzling lights made the hall radiate, but it just made Arthur feel sick.