I sat across from Mary in one of the airship's lounging areas, the low table between us set with fine porcelain and a steaming pot of tea.

  She read a newspaper with practiced focus, occasionally turning pages with delicate precision. Guards stood at attention along the walls - silent, watchful, their presence so constant I'd almost stopped noticing them.

  I sipped my tea and stared out the window.

  Below us, the landscape rolled by in waves of green and gold - forests giving way to fields, rivers cutting silver paths through the earth. Clouds drifted past at eye level, their edges glowing faintly in the afternoon sun.

  Peaceful. Quiet.

  Then Mary spoke.

  "Cold war."

  I nearly spat out my tea.

  I swallowed hard, setting the cup down carefully. "What?"

  Mary glanced up from the paper, expression unreadable. "The resupply ship brought the latest newspapers. I asked for one from the capital." She passed it across the table. "The word about the Eastern conspirators has gotten out."

  I took the paper, eyes scanning the front page.

  The headline hit me like a punch.

  COLD WAR!

  Below it, images filled the page - soldiers in formation, tanks being loaded onto trains, artillery pieces lined up in neat rows. Another photograph showed civilians streaming through gates, luggage piled on carts, children clutching their parents' hands. Behind them loomed a massive wall - familiar, imposing.

  Morren.

  My jaw tightened.

  The article continued beneath the images:

  Lord-Regent Cassian Magdalene, overseer of the Greater Morren Province, has formally declared a state of cold war against the Eastern Empire. Following revelations of treasonous conspiracy between Eastern agents and Imperial nobility, military forces have been mobilized along the eastern border. Civilian have been permitted to leave from Morren and surrounding territories as a precautionary measure. The Lord-Regent stated: "We will not permit foreign powers to threaten the Empire's sovereignty. However, we seek resolution through strength and vigilance - not bloodshed."

  Seeing Cassian included, I finally realised where the words "Cold War" originated.

  Fucker actually stole it from me like he said he would.

  I read it twice, resisting the urge to curse aloud, then handed the paper back to Mary.

  It seems the Eastern Empire's collapse into a republic is still being suppressed. Though it's only a matter of time before that truth leaks as well.

  "Troublesome news," I said aloud.

  Mary nodded, folding the paper carefully. "I'd rather not see an outright war happen again." Her tone was measured, but something flickered in her eyes. "Not just for myself - though it would certainly complicate my bid for the throne. But for the civilians already being affected."

  She looked down at the newspaper again, and her golden eyes flared faintly - patterns shimmering with irritation.

  "It's disgusting," she said quietly. "Conflicts over such menial things as land. And now robbing people of their homes, their livelihoods, all out of fear." Her voice hardened. "Revolting."

  I sipped my tea, considering. "War is bad no matter the context. But it will keep happening." I paused. "A good war is one that ends fast."

  Mary's gaze lifted to meet mine.

  I continued. "Hopefully the Regent and Arthur know what they're doing. And hopefully this cold war melts away slowly... instead of creating an inferno"

  Mary sighed, setting the newspaper aside. "Certainly a way to start the morning."

  I smiled faintly. "We're supposed to arrive by tomorrow morning, aren't we?"

  Mary nodded. "Our journey's nearly at an end."

  I turned back to the window - and froze.

  In the distance, rising impossibly high against the horizon, stood a mountain.

  But not a normal mountain.

  It was split.

  A massive chasm carved straight through its center, as though some colossal blade had cleaved it in two. The gap was so clean, so precise, it looked unnatural - divine.

  Mary followed my gaze, and her eyes widened slightly.

  "Wow," she breathed. "We're already quite close. That's the Titan's Gate. Carved from the Titan Mountain Range."

  I stared at the severed mountain, unable to look away. "Why does it look like that?"

  Mary's expression grew solemn, almost reverent.

  "If legend is to be believed," she began, "this is where humanity made their final stand." She paused, her golden eyes gleaming with intensity. "It's also where the Emperor descended."

  My breath caught.

  Mary continued, her voice steady. "It was said that he split the mountain in two - right where the invasion of nightlurkers and eldritch gods from the Veil had broken through. He banished half of them into the chasm he created. The other half were eradicated by the Twelve Apostles." She looked at me. "That marked the beginning of the War of Redemption."

  I stared at the mountain, mind reeling.

  What kind of man was he? To do something like that...

  Mary smiled faintly. "And this was only a fraction of his power. Many other deeds of far greater magnitude are credited to him."

  I couldn't help it - I gawked slightly, genuinely intrigued.

  Mary's smile widened, almost teasing. "You look like a child being told folklore."

  I shrugged. "I just... admire the old Emperor."

  "As you should," Mary said warmly.

  Then she sighed, standing gracefully. "It's time we leave. I have a meeting with Marquess Rolvant."

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  I frowned, confused. "Why do I have to come?"

  Mary looked equally confused. "You're my personal ecclesiarchal assistant. You're required to."

  "I'm not officially part of the Church yet."

  Mary smiled, her eyes narrowing playfully. "Then consider this practice."

  I sighed, standing. "Yes, Your Highness. Or is it Your Grace?"

  "For now, Your Highness."

  ---

  The meeting room was smaller than I expected - intimate, designed for private conversations rather than formal audiences.

  Mary sat on a velvet couch, her posture perfect, hands folded gracefully in her lap. I stood beside her, arms crossed, waiting.

  A soldier knocked twice.

  "Marquess Aldric Rolvant and his daughter, Lady Seraphine Rolvant, Your Highness."

  Mary's voice was calm. "Enter."

  The door opened.

  A man in his fifties stepped through first - broad-shouldered, sturdy, with the bearing of someone who'd spent years in uniform. His graying hair was neatly trimmed, his smile warm and practiced. Behind him walked a young woman - deep blonde hair pinned elegantly, dressed in a gown of pale blue and silver, her expression poised and pleasant.

  Both bowed deeply.

  "Your Highness," the Marquess said. "It is an honor."

  Mary inclined her head graciously. "Marquess Rolvant. Lady Seraphine. Please, sit."

  The Marquess took the seat across from Mary. His daughter remained standing beside him, hands folded before her.

  I glanced at the girl.

  She smiled politely.

  I nodded in return.

  She seems a bit fake. Guess I'll wait for Mary's verdict.

  The Marquess settled into his seat, still smiling. "Your Highness, I must thank you for agreeing to meet with us on such short notice."

  "Of course," Mary said. "What brings you here, Marquess?"

  The man's expression grew earnest. "I wish to pledge my family's support to your faction."

  Mary's eyes widened - just slightly - before her composure returned. "I'm honored. But may I ask why?"

  The Marquess leaned forward slightly. "My family has been deeply religious for generations. We believe in the one true Lord and the divinity of His final messenger." He paused. "Now, one of His descendants has inherited His pathway. Not only that, but you are one of only three people in history to become a Veilwalker on the Emperor's pathway." His smile widened. "And you may yet become the future Saintess. From our perspective, supporting you is not just logical - it is sacred duty."

  Mary's expression softened, but her tone remained measured. "I appreciate your faith, Marquess. What would you ask in return?"

  The Marquess shook his head humbly. "Nothing, Your Highness. Truly." He glanced at his daughter. "However... if my daughter and Your Highness could share tea together - as you'll both be attending the academy - I would be immensely grateful to know she's made a friend. Especially one of such a high character."

  Mary smiled warmly. "Of course."

  The Marquess stood, bowing again. "Then I won't waste any more of your time." He glanced at me. "Though, if I may have a word with the young man? I'm extremely interested in his story. A commoner with a pathway - truly extraordinary."

  Mary looked at me.

  I nodded.

  Mary smiled. "Of course."

  She rose gracefully, and Lady Seraphine curtsied. "I've already made preparations in the adjacent room, Your Highness."

  "Wonderful," Mary said.

  The two women left, the door clicking shut behind them.

  The moment they were gone, I uncrossed my arms and sat down slowly.

  The Marquess's smile remained, but something shifted in his posture - relaxed, more casual.

  "Please, make yourself comfortable," he said.

  I nodded. "Thank you."

  The Marquess leaned back slightly. "You truly are remarkable, Sir Damian. A once-in-a-generation talent alongside Her Highness. Both of you represent the future of the Empire - its strength, its resilience."

  I sat there, expressionless, and nodded.

  He continued for another minute, layering on compliments.

  Finally, I spoke. "I appreciate the kind words, Marquess. But I'd prefer we get to the meat of the conversation."

  The Marquess paused, then smiled - genuine this time. "Ah. Straight to the point."

  "I prefer it," I said.

  "As do I," the Marquess said. "But being a noble has its rules, unfortunately." He leaned forward slightly. "It's good that you prefer honesty, though."

  I gestured faintly. "Please."

  The Marquess's expression grew serious. "My daughter is creating a faction as we speak. One centered around Her Highness... and the authority of the nobility."

  I kept my face blank.

  He continued. "You are now one of us, Sir Damian. Your divinity is proof of that. Though I have... distaste for commoners who don't know their place, you are far from a commoner. Someone blessed by the Emperor and the Almighty." He paused. "I have no right to tell you what to do. But I would appreciate it if you would disregard your sympathies toward the lower class when it comes to who Her Highness chooses to have beside her."

  I tilted my head slightly. "Ah. So you don't want me in Her Highness's ear, telling her that joining a group of noble supremacists isn't the best idea."

  The Marquess smiled. "For lack of a better way to say it - yes."

  Internally, I laughed.

  I don't think Marys some noble supremacist. My words wouldn't change a thing.

  Though if the benefits are there, I'll probably be the one trying to convince her to actually join such a faction.

  As long as they aren't lynching commoners at the academy, I'm not too concerned.

  I nodded slowly. "I wouldn't dare alter what Her Highness thinks. I have no right."

  "So you won't interfere?"

  "As long as it does not harm Her Highness or her bid for the throne," I said flatly, "it's none of my concern."

  The Marquess exhaled, visibly relieved. "Though you are of lowborn birth, your stoicism and composure must come from the noble blood still running in your veins." He smiled. "And of course, as a student, you are invited to join the faction as well."

  I nodded. "Wherever Her Highness goes, I will follow."

  "Your understanding is not for free, of course," the Marquess said. "If you ever need anything, my daughter will do everything in her power to help."

  "I appreciate it."

  The Marquess extended his hand.

  I took it, and we shook - firm, professional.

  "The Empire's future is truly bright with such children at the helm," he said warmly.

  We spoke briefly about other things - the academy, the capital, mundane pleasantries - before the door opened.

  Mary stepped through, Lady Seraphine at her side.

  I stood immediately.

  Mary smiled. "Shall we?"

  I nodded.

  We left together.

  ---

  I woke to knocking.

  Groggily, I blinked at the ceiling, my mind still fogged with sleep.

  The knocking continued.

  "Yes?" I called, voice rough.

  A soldier's voice came through the door. "Sir Damian, Her Highness requests your presence."

  I groaned, sitting up slowly. "Alright, alright. I'm coming."

  I pulled on pants, ran a hand through my hair, and stumbled toward the door.

  When I opened it, Mary stood waiting - flanked by three guards, her expression bright, almost giddy.

  "Good morning!" she said cheerfully.

  I rubbed my eyes. "What-"

  Then I saw it.

  Through the window behind her - buildings.

  Thousands of them.

  Stretching across the horizon as far as the eye could see, their rooftops catching the first golden rays of dawn.

  My breath caught.

  Mary grabbed my hand. "Come on! Quickly! To the observatory!"

  I stumbled after her, still half-asleep. "Mary, wait-"

  She didn't slow down.

  We climbed the stairs to the botanical garden, soldiers following at a respectful distance. Mary practically bounced with excitement, pulling me along.

  "Hurry up!" she urged.

  "I'm trying!" I gasped, barely keeping pace.

  We reached the garden, then the spiral staircase leading to the observatory platform. Mary took the steps two at a time.

  I nearly tripped halfway up.

  Mary caught my hand, pulling me upright with a laugh. "Careful!"

  We reached the top, bursting through the doors onto the open balcony.

  And I forgot how to breathe.

  The city spread before us - impossibly vast, impossibly alive.

  The morning sun hung low on the horizon, painting everything in shades of orange and gold. The light caught on thousands of glass windows, turning entire districts into fields of fire.

  The outer edges were industrial - sprawling factories with smokestacks reaching skyward, warehouses lined along wide canals, airship docks bristling with cranes and scaffolding. Steam rose in plumes, mingling with the clouds.

  But the inner city...

  Spires.

  Hundreds of them - no, thousands - rising like a forest of steel and stone, each one impossibly tall, reaching toward the sky as though trying to pierce the heavens themselves. Some were crowned with domes of glass and bronze. Others bristled with bridges connecting them to neighboring towers, creating a web of suspended walkways high above the streets.

  And between them - airships.

  Not the massive luxury vessels like the one we stood on, but smaller craft - sleek, fast, darting between the spires like birds. Their propellers hummed faintly even from this distance, their hulls gleaming in the dawn light.

  At the very center of it all rose a structure so enormous it dwarfed everything around it.

  A palace.

  No - a fortress.

  Its walls were white marble veined with gold, its towers reaching higher than any spire in the city. Banners flew from every parapet - crimson and gold, bearing the Imperial crest. Even from here, miles away, it dominated the skyline, a monument to power and history.

  I let go of Mary's hand, pushing the fringe from my eyes.

  "Holy shit," I breathed.

  Mary laughed - bright, delighted. "That's exactly the reaction I was hoping for."

  She stepped to the edge of the railing, gripping it with both hands, and looked back at me. Her smile was radiant, her eyes shining with excitement and happiness.

  "Finally," she said softly. "I'm... no, we're home."

  I nodded, still staring at the city. "Yeah. I'm excited."

  The sun rose higher, spilling light across the capital.

  Mary turned fully toward me, her expression warm, her voice gentle.

  "Welcome home, Damian."

  very important announcement that will be coming within the next day - so please read it if you get the chance, as it concerns the (promising) future of GDIS.