Chapter 59

I returned to my dorm room several hours after Victor’s quiet departure. The living quarters were considerably more chaotic than when I had left. Luggage trunks lay scattered haphazardly across the room, silk gowns, velvet sashes, and jewelry spilled over the hardwood flooring. From within the adjoining master bedroom, muffled giggles and rhythmic humming drifted through the door as the women scrambled to finish getting ready for the ball.

“Welcome back, Leon.” Fenris stood leaning against the kitchen counter, casually nursing a bottle of iced cola. “Your mates have been pacing in and out of the dressing room for the past two and a half hours. They appear to be struggling immensely with their choices.”

I opened my mouth to tease her, but stopped myself.

‘Fenris was never treated as a person—only as a wild beast kept at arm’s length to soothe the paranoia of the Aesir. To her, this kind of everyday domestic fussing is entirely alien. She does not know that agonizing over an evening dress is universal across species.’

With a light vault, she cleared the counter and landed softly beside me.

“How are you holding up? The others mentioned you went to say goodbye to your father-in-law.” Her tone was awkward, striving for sympathy even if the concept of deep familial attachment remained foreign to her.

“He has moved on to a well-earned rest.” My eyes drifted toward the French doors leading out to the balcony, where the translucent form of Malcador sat gazing at the twilight sky. “Give me a few minutes, Fenris. I have one last farewell to make.”

She offered an understanding nod, turning back toward the living room to lounge on the sofa.

I pushed the glass doors open, stepping out into the cool evening breeze, and pulled up a chair beside the ancient Regent.

“Did you part on good terms?” The fading wraith looked out toward the setting sun, a wistful smile playing across his weathered features.

“We did. He passed into the dark while I shared memories of Valeria and our past. While I was talking, my father unexpectedly showed up to comfort me.” I leaned back against the balustrade, watching the horizon burn orange and violet. “I think… for the first time in ten thousand years, my father truly understood the sheer scale of what I gave up for our people. Surrounded by the graves of my descendants, he sat in silence and listened to me speak for hours.”

Malcador turned from the horizon, his spectral eyes warm and gentle. “It is as I always tried to tell you: the Emperor does love every one of you. He simply struggled to express it because the crushing weight of the Imperium demanded every ounce of his resolve. After seeing the quiet life you were denied… his regret weighs heavily upon his heart.”

We sat together in comfortable silence, acutely aware that only minutes remained before his presence dissolved completely. Having found my peace on that hilltop meadow, I resolved to send him off without tears.

Rising to my feet, I crossed the small balcony and wrapped my arms around the old man, pulling my adoptive father into a firm embrace.

“Dad… thank you. Thank you for always believing in me,” I said, my voice cracking despite my best efforts. “If not for your guidance, I would have lost my mind dealing with my brothers’ sheer arrogance. I swear to you on my life—the Imperium will survive.”

The Sigillite returned the embrace, shimmering tears of psychic light trailing down his cheeks.

“My son, I have never doubted the greatness within you. You were always the finest of us. Now you stand ready to embrace the dawn—not as a broken martyr, but as the guardian your father always hoped you would become.”

Malcador stepped back, drawing upon the last reserves of his lingering power.

“I have two parting gifts to grant you before this phantom form scatters to the winds.”

A dense coil of violet psychic energy condensed over the small patio table. With measured focus, he pulled two distinct artifacts from the shimmering rift, allowing them to settle gently onto the surface.

“First, I bequeath to you the Staff of the Imperium—my ancient badge of office for the Sigillite Order and the direct hand of the Emperor.” He offered me the ornate golden rod, its twin-headed eagle crest crowned by a living, silent plume of golden-violet flame. “With this staff in hand, no soul within the Imperium possesses the authority to overrule you. Only the Emperor’s personal decree supersedes this symbol, and he stands firmly behind you. I’ve carried it since I was instated as the head of Sigillites, now the duty falls to you.”

I reached out and accepted the staff he had carried for as long as I had known him. The moment my fingers wrapped around the warm metal haft, the golden alloy flared with brilliant luminescence, the psychic flame blazing with sudden, fierce intensity.

“Good. It recognizes you as its next master.” A contented smile graced his lips. “Second, I grant you the key to my private sanctum. Everything the Order and I collected over the ages is kept there, securely hidden from those who would destroy or misuse them. As the last Sigillite, it falls to you to decide what you will do with them. Bring them forth to revitalize humanity, or keep them hidden to prevent potential future troubles; the choice is yours.”

The worn iron skeleton key felt remarkably heavy in my palm. The collected knowledge and heritage of countless forgotten eras were now mine to command. With this, I would restore the lost beauty, philosophy, and customs of ancient Terra to the forefront of human civilization, precisely as Malcador had always dreamed.

The edges of Malcador’s form began to dissolve, scattering like golden embers into the last rays of twilight.

“There is one last truth I wish to leave with you, my son. I walked the stars for thousands of years, achieving feats no mortal had ever dared to imagine. Yet none of those triumphs compare to a single, quiet truth. Being called your father… was the greatest honor of my life.”

His words made my breathing hitch and pulse quicken. As fresh tears tracked down my cheeks, I forced a trembling smile.

“Thank you… Dad.”

“Go forth and be well, my beloved son.”

Malcador offered one final, radiant smile before his spectral form collapsed into fine, shimmering dust.

As the evening breeze lifted the glowing particles and carried them out into the gathering night, I closed my eyes, letting the fondest memories of our centuries together wash over my soul.

When my eyes opened once more, I held my head high and gripped my staff tight.

“Leon…” Olivia’s soft voice called from the doorway, her green eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Are you alright?”

“No, but I will be.” I wiped the lingering moisture from my face and offered her a reassuring smile.

After stowing the ancient iron key inside my Item Box, I stepped back into the warmth of the dorm and closed the balcony doors behind me. As the glass clicked shut, a gentle, comforting radiance pulsed deep within my chest.

<Remember this, Leon: you are not alone. You have countless companions who love you dearly and stand ready to share your burdens.> Starweaver’s tranquil psychic voice echoed softly through my mind.

“I know,” I said quietly, turning to take in the gathered group watching me with wide, tender eyes.

Haaaaah!

Refusing to let grief consume me any longer, I forced my thoughts back to the here and now. I had a formal ball to attend accompanied by nine gorgeous—

My train of thought ground to a dead halt.

I blinked, rapidly counting the heads in the room. There were supposed to be four women joining me tonight, not nine.

“Wait… I thought attendance at the royal ball was strictly limited to the military and high-ranking nobility.” I turned toward Angelica, raising an eyebrow in confusion. “Did we secure special royal exemptions for Hertrauda, Hertrude, Lucoa, Roxanne, and Yunyun?”

Angelica offered an amused shake of her head. “The royal palace extended formal invitations to high-ranking representatives of the Adventurer’s Guild and their patrons as well. Since they will fight on the front lines alongside our forces, the Crown decided they had earned a seat at the table.”

Taking advantage of my confusion, Lucoa strutted forward, swaying her hips with deliberate exaggeration to elicit a reaction. “Is that going to be a problem, Lord Leon? I realize we aren’t officially married or even engaged, but most of the kingdom already assumes we are—”

“Let us fix that first thing tomorrow morning.”

The teasing smirk on Lucoa’s lips vanished instantly, the wind completely knocked out of her sails. Her eyes widened in utter disbelief as the weight of my words sank in.

“Four of you have been forced to wait in silence for far too long,” I said, my voice steady and resolute. “You deserve the official title of my fiancées, standing on equal ground alongside Angelica, Clarice, and Deirdre.”

“You… you are actually serious, right?” Lucoa lunged forward, her hands grabbing my chestplate. “If you are playing a joke on me, Leon, I swear I will beat you senseless.”

“Olivia, Lucoa, Roxanne, and Yunyun—will the four of you stay by my side for all eternity as my beloved wives?” I met each of their gazes in turn, leaving zero room for doubt. “I want you in my life, now and forever.”

“Yes!”

The four of them answered in a single, breathless chorus, blurting out the word before their minds had even caught up with their racing hearts.

In the doorway to my bedroom, Hertrude stood stiffly, a stormy scowl darkening her features as she glared daggers at the newly engaged group. She parted her lips, looking ready to unleash an indignant royal tirade, but I held up a placating hand before she could speak.

“As for you, I want you by my side just as much,” I said, meeting the former enemy princess’s fiery glare with a warm smile. “However, given your royal lineage, we must handle your arrangement properly through official diplomatic channels between both our nations.”

The hostility instantly drained from Hertrude’s posture, replaced by a deep crimson blush and an undeniable, breathy smile. Beside her, little Hertrauda squealed in sheer delight and threw her arms around her older sister in a crushing hug.

The young princess was finally getting the dependable older brother she had always longed for, while Hertrude would finally have an unyielding shield at her side who sought nothing from her but genuine love.

“No offense, but how about you flock of lovebirds keep the sappy romance to a minimum while I am in the room?” Fenris rolled her eyes, downing the rest of her soda in one long, aggressive gulp. “Had I known this was going to turn into an engagement party, I would have stayed on the damn airship. Yumeria, another!”

Channeling the worst of Asgardian dining habits, she hurled the thick glass bottle straight down onto the floor, shattering it into a spray of glittering shards.

“Right away, Lady Fenris! I will fetch another cold beverage at once!” Yumeria hurried out of the master bedroom, smoothing down the apron of her pristine maid uniform with practiced ease. “Leave the mess to me, Lord Aremus!”

“Very well.” I stepped toward the entryway, preparing to escort my entourage out to the waiting carriage, but paused to cast a stern glare over my shoulder. “Fenris… this is an academy dormitory, not the Great Hall of Asgard. Show some basic decorum. Shattering empty bottles across my floor will not be tolerated. If I hear another glass break, you will drink tap water for the next six months—and I will personally fit you with a shock collar.”

Fenris shot to her feet, bristling with indignation at Leon’s threat.

From right beside his arm, Roxanne flashed a smug, thoroughly amused grin. As a proud wolfkin, she wanted nothing more than to see the haughty divine canine put on a leash. In Roxanne’s eyes, Fenris was little more than a wild, ill-mannered stray that needed proper obedience training.

“You wouldn’t dare…” Fenris bared a row of razor-sharp fangs.

I met her fiery gaze with absolute, unyielding authority. “Go ahead. Call my bluff. See what happens.”

Invisible sparks seemed to crackle between us as our eyes locked in a silent contest of wills. In the end, the ancient wolf-goddess backed down, albeit begrudgingly, yielding to my command. She flopped back down across the couch with a heavy huff, though her fluffy tail gave a slow, rhythmic wag against the upholstery.

‘Oh gods… she isn’t a closet masochist, is she?’

Not wanting to stick around to find out, I turned toward the threshold and gestured for the rest of my group to move out.

“Come along, Solaris. You’re part of this family too.”

<Rawr!>

With an eager chirp of pure excitement, the mechanical raptor darted past and bounded out into the corridor, his tail flicking with joyous abandon.

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