Location: Capital City - Royal Palace
The skies above the capital were clearer than they had been in weeks, but an air of tension gripped the streets.Messengers raced through the avenues, heralds shouted at busy marketplaces, and noble carriages rolled in from distant estates.
There was only one reason for such commotion.
The King had issued a royal summons.
Not just to nobles.Not just to scholars.But to every student of the Royal Academy — especially those who had dared to compete in the prestigious School Tournament.
Kael's Return
After their harrowing journey through the Valley of Echoes, Kael and his companions returned to the Academy grounds.
Tired but victorious.
Word had already begun to spread about their feats — exaggerated and twisted through rumor:
"They faced an army of the dead!""Kael summoned ancient magic unseen for centuries!""The first prince is... awakening?"
For once, whispers no longer mocked Kael's name.
They spoke it with awe.With fear.And with dangerous curiosity.
A Lavish Summons
One morning, a royal envoy clad in silver and crimson arrived at the Academy gates.
He knelt before Kael, presenting a scroll bound with the royal seal — the sign of the Solar Lion, symbol of the kingdom's ruling bloodline.
Breaking the seal, Kael read aloud:
**"By command of His Majesty, King Eldric Solaris,
You, Prince Kael Solaris, are hereby summoned to the Grand Banquet at the Hall of Eternal Light.
There, your deeds shall be judged — your merits weighed —
And perhaps… your destiny decided."**
All the students watched with wide eyes.
Kael simply rolled the scroll up and smirked.
"Finally," he muttered."Let the games begin."
The Harem's Preparation
The night before the banquet, Kael's companions gathered in the royal guesthouse.
Each of the girls prepared in her own way:
Zara polished her armor until it gleamed like fire.
Mira donned an elegant black dress that rippled like living shadows.
Velcia wore a battle-kimono, traditional and fierce, ready for blood if needed.
Selene and Ishira braided each other's hair with glowing silver threads, chanting minor protective spells between giggles.
Evelyne crafted a holy pendant and slipped it discreetly into Kael's jacket.
Every one of them knew:This was no mere celebration.
It was a political battlefield.One misstep could destroy everything Kael had worked for.
Arrival at the Hall of Eternal Light
The Grand Banquet was a spectacle of overwhelming luxury.
Golden chandeliers flooded the hall with warm light.Crimson carpets stretched for hundreds of meters.Exotic foods from across the realm lined endless tables.
Nobles gossiped in shimmering gowns and tailored coats.Generals and wizards exchanged wary glances.And in the center, upon a raised throne of sunfire crystal, sat King Eldric Solaris — Kael's father.
His gaze was cold, calculating.
To his left stood the Second Prince — Arcturus Solaris, wearing the smug smile of a man already celebrating his own victory.
To his right sat Princess Aveline, Kael's precious younger sister, who beamed at him with innocent pride.
The King Speaks
As Kael and his companions knelt before the throne, the hall fell silent.
The King's voice boomed, magnified by ancient magic:
"Kael Solaris.
Once the disgrace of this kingdom.
Now, a warrior whose deeds reach even my ears."
A low murmur rippled through the crowd.
The King rose from his throne.
"Tell me, First Prince…
In front of the court, in front of the world —
Why should I recognize you now?"
Kael's Response
Kael lifted his head, meeting the King's gaze without fear.
"Because your kingdom needs more than power," he said."It needs wisdom, courage, and the will to protect even those who spit upon your name."
The hall gasped.Some in outrage.Some in admiration.
The King's expression remained unreadable.
Slowly, he descended the throne and stood before Kael.
"Then prove it," the King said.
"At the Grand Tournament's final stage.
Win — and you will earn more than the throne's recognition.
You will earn the right to decide this kingdom's future."
The Challenge
The crowd erupted into chaos.
A royal decree — a direct path to power — had been laid at Kael's feet.
But it came with a cost:He would have to face the strongest warriors, the most cunning sorcerers, and the hidden threats lurking within the Tournament.
Including his half-brother Arcturus, who whispered into the King's ear with poison-coated words.
Including traitors among the nobles, who feared the rise of a true heir.
Including ancient enemies, now stirring in the darkness beyond the veil.
The Next Arc Begins: The Tournament of Crowns
Kael smiled.
The flames of challenge burned brightly in his eyes.
His harem companions stood behind him, each a force of nature ready to support him.
This was the moment they had been preparing for.
The battles ahead would not just decide Kael's fate — they would shake the kingdom, and perhaps even the heavens themselves.
And somewhere deep within him, another fragment of his lost godhood stirred, hungry for battle.
"Let them come," Kael whispered."I was born to defy fate."