Standing near the edge of the fractured steps, Lyra turned back to what was happening, quietly watching the scene unfold.
“…Everyone’s already making their choice,” Mira murmured, her arms wrapped tightly around herself against the mountain chill.
“They’re afraid,” Mason said simply, his voice low and steady beside them.
No one disagreed.
Fear had officially become the strongest, most controlling force since coming to the Forgotten Realm…
Although it was a forced entry.
Just then— while Lyra was about to walk towards the group Kael was leading.
“Do not go with them.”
Myrmor’s calm voice echoed directly inside Lyra’s mind, clear and unmistakable.
She blinked, her eyes widening slightly.
…What?
“Do not join that Dragon tamers group.”
Lyra instinctively shifted her gaze toward the massive gathering surrounding Kael Draven.
‘Why?
He has the strongest offense and defense out of all of us.
It’s the most logical choice.’
There was a brief, deliberate pause within her soul.
Then Myrmor asked, his tone entirely unreadable, “Tell me, Lyra… don’t you wish to become stronger?”
Lyra frowned, her fingers tightening into fists at her sides.
‘Of course I do.
More than anything.’
“Then do not follow them into the shade of another tree. Greatness does not grow in the shadow of a mountain.”
She stopped walking altogether, her breath catching in her throat.
‘Myrmor… please, be serious for a moment’, she pleaded internally, making sure neither Mira nor Mason noticed her subtle pause.
‘Let’s think about this logically.’
This place is unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
It’s called the Forbidden Realm for a reason.
Even the high ranking academy instructors couldn’t get us out or open a portal.
She cast another glance at the overwhelming ‘military force forming around Kael.
‘We don’t know what lives in these woods.
If we stay together in a large group, we can conserve our strength and protect one another.
Isn’t that the safest decision?’
Myrmor’s answer came as calmly and effortlessly as ever.
“What is there to worry about in this broken land…”
“…when I am here?”
Lyra nearly stopped breathing.
The audacity of his words left her utterly speechless.
‘Myrmor… stop playing around!’
Her internal expression became unusually fierce, her panic flaring.
‘Didn’t you see what happened?! This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Even the senior examiners looked terrified!
For a realm to be designated as ‘Forbidden’… it means death.
And that danger definitely isn’t meant for someone at my level!’
‘I am barely an unranked Beast Master!
I haven’t even learned how to properly channel mana or deploy my Beast Soul in true combat.
How am I supposed to survive something that even Astral Academy couldn’t predict?!’
Silence stretched across their mind link.
“Lyra Vale.”
Lyra’s body went rigid.
Her heart skipped a violent beat against her ribs.
Myrmor… had never called her by her full name before.
Even her mother rarely used her full name unless it was serious.
And whenever she did… it meant she had crossed a line.
Without even realizing it, Lyra pulled her shoulders back and stood straighter, her body acting on pure instinct.
‘…Yes?’ she answered softly.
His voice remained calm, devoid of any anger or pride.
But this time… it carried an ancient, crushing weight unlike anything she had ever felt from him.
It was the weight of an emperor who had seen worlds burn and rise again.
“Do you trust me?”
There wasn’t even a heartbeat of hesitation.
‘Yes.’
The answer left her mind almost instantly, ringing pure and true.
She didn’t need to calculate the odds or weigh her options.
She already knew it in her bones.
Myrmor had never mocked her weak standing.
He had never lied to her.
He had never looked down on her lack of nobility or status.
When the entire world laughed at her summons… he had called her his Queen.
“Then follow me.”
That was all he said.
No complex explanations, no promises of safety, no grand speeches.
Just two simple words.
Lyra slowly released the heavy breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, the knot of terror in her chest unspooling into something steady and resolute. You are reading on novelping . com, the official source.
‘…Okay.’
Nearby, Mira tilted her head, noticing her friend’s motionless posture.
“Lyra?”
“Hm?”
“You’ve been standing there staring into space for a while. Are you okay?”
Lyra offered a small, sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her neck.
“Sorry, Mira. I was… just thinking through our options.”
Before Mira could ask another question, heavy, measured footsteps approached them from the center of the plaza.
The ambient chatter around the broken pillars gradually quieted as heads turned.
Kael Draven was walking directly toward their small group.
His posture remained immaculate, his long coat fluttering in the cold mountain wind.
His expression was as unreadable as ice.
Behind him, several high ranking noble candidates followed at a respectful, almost subordinate distance.
Kael stopped a few steps away, his clear, striking blue eyes settling directly on Lyra.
For a brief, charged moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally…
“Come with us.”
His voice wasn’t arrogant.
Nor was it a command wrapped in sugar coated privilege.
It sounded like a simple, genuine invitation extended from one survivor to another.
“Our group has the numerical density and combat output to defend against higher level threats,” Kael reasoned calmly.
“The probability of survival is significantly higher if you join the main body.”
Mira’s eyes widened in sheer shock.
Even Mason’s brow twitched as he glanced over.
No one had expected the heir of the Draven family to personally walk across the plaza to invite an unranked commoner into his inner circle.
Around them, nearby students immediately began whispering in hushed, incredulous tones.
“Did Kael just invite ‘her?”
“The ant girl? Is he crazy?!”
“Seriously? What does he see in her?”
Lyra looked into Kael’s calm blue eyes for a long moment, feeling the immense weight of his offer.
Then, she offered a polite, genuine smile.
“…Thank you, Young Master Kael.”
She bowed her head slightly in respect.
“But… I’ll be going another way.”
Silence fell over the immediate area.
Even the harsh whispering stopped instantly.
Kael studied her face carefully, looking for any trace of panic or bluffing.
“…Are you certain? Out there, beyond the warding stones, there are no safety nets.”
“I am certain,” Lyra replied.
There wasn’t the slightest flicker of hesitation in her voice now.