NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3 Wall
Reth ran his fingers over a line of dirty book until one caught his attention: Geopolitical Formation of the Solvaris Empire.
It seemed boring. It likely was.
He sat down and scanned through—maps, dates, blurry diagrams—until a page caught his eye.
It wasn't outlining a city. Not even a nation. The Solvaris Empire spanned more than three million square kilometers—plains, icy mountains, deserts, oceans—all united under one dominance.
But the information that tied his stomach into a knot was this:
"All Solvaris territories are surrounded by the five-tiered structure of the Godspires—giant barrier walls that completely encircle the empire's borders. No breach recorded. No exit recorded. Estimated wall length: 17,000 km. Estimated height: 1,200 meters. Unknown depth."
Reth gazed at the page.
A wall? Not encircling a city. Encircling the whole empire. Three. Million. Square. Kilometers.
What kind of strength—what kind of power—would construct that?
He turned the page quickly, searching for answers. There had to be some reason. Magic? gods? A labor force of a million people?
In place of it was the next page empty.
So was the next.
And the following one.
A lone handwritten message lay at the bottom of a ripped page:
"Nothing but fog beyond the walls."
His eyes narrowed.
[System Alert: Page Corruption Detected]
[Public History Access Level: Restricted]
"Why is it empty?" he grumbled.
No response.
Only silence.
And the feeling that someone had wanted the truth hidden. He went back to the wall stats. A wall 17,000 kilometers long. One thousand meters high. Encircling the whole empire.
"Why construct something like that? Who were they excluding?"
He scanned the library. No one gave him a second glance. But now the lanterns floating in the air seemed chillier. He closed the book.
Hard.
It was a continent-sized prison.
Reth tossed the wall book aside and picked up another — a thin one this time.
Internal Authority Classifications.
Still dull. But he opened it anyway.
The first thing he noticed was a chart:
Tier 0 — Central Authority
Tier 1 — High Houses
Tier 2 — Regional Lords / Mage Commanders
Tier 3 — Licensed Magic Users / Guildmasters
Tier 4 — Bound Personnel / Servants / Combat Thralls
He gazed. He was Tier 4. Bound Personnel .
He turned the page.
"The Central Authority exercises control by blood inheritance, magical dominance, and control of territory."
Just those words. It was as if someone had torn the truth from the book.
Next page.
The Five High Houses
Each controlled a significant portion of the empire.
One controlled the army.
One handled healers and contracts.
One controlled spies and Alchemy.
One governed Knights.
One dealt in food and trade.
Every house had a bloodline power. Hereditary. Passed from parent to offspring.
Strong bloodlines ascend. Weak ones die.
That was empire law.
Straightforward.
Reth flipped again.
Discovered a drawing of the Obedience Sigil.
It was identical to the one tattooed on his body.
"Used on low-tier staff. Compels loyalty. Can only be shattered by higher-tier command override."
Reth's fingers rested on the diagram of the Obedience Sigil, the lines on the page echoing the subtle burn across his skin.
He slammed the book closed, the metallic sound ringing out in the silent library. A scholar looked up, scowling, but Reth didn't notice.
[Knowledge Gained: Solvaris Empire Structure]
["+15 EXP"]
[Skill Fragment: Strategic Insight Lv. 1]
[Loyalty Sync: 13%]
[Side Quest: Survive 7 Days – 6 Days Remaining]
[EXP: 87 / 100]
The corridor to his quarters was dark, the snake carvings dancing in torchlight. His small cell was spartan—stone walls, a cot, a single basin. He fell onto the cot.
Too early came the morning. A stern chime awakened him.
[Command: Escort Princess Asthia to the Imperial Court]
[Objective: Remain Silent. Protect the Princess.]
[Reward: 20 EXP]
[Failure: Punishment Trigger]
".."
Reth's boots clanged as he followed Asthia through the Serpent Wing. Her dark cloak glimmered, gold threads shining in the light.
Her crimson eyes were inscrutable, her silver hair bound high. She'd not spoken since calling him, but her silence weighed more heavily than ever before.
The Imperial Court yawned ahead, a vast hall of white marble and scarlet banners.
Golden chandeliers hung over them, their candles casting harsh shadows. Nobles in elaborate robes lined the galleries, their murmurs humming like insects.
Asthia sat down in a lesser chair below the throne, reserved specifically for the her.
Reth stood behind her two steps back.
[Location Unlocked: Imperial Court]
[Skill Fragment: Threat Perception Lv. 1]
[Hostile Intent: Moderate]
A robed priest came forward, unrolling a scroll. His voice boomed.
"The Court assembles to hear the case of Lord Varen's execution on charges of treason against the Solvaris Empire."
Whispers spread throughout the people.
A green-robed noble rose, his tone acerbic.
"Princess Asthia, your thrall's sword killed a High House heir. Varen's family requires justice. Was his death necessary?"
Asthia's face did not change.
"Lord Varen freed himself from his chains and pulled a sword on me. My servant did as he was told. Would you have liked me to die?"
The noble stumbled, but another—a woman with a suit of silver armor—stood.
"The problem isn't that you're still alive, Princess. It's the precedent. A Tier 4 thrall murdering a High House noble? It invalidates the empire's order."
Asthia pushed forward, her words piercing above the din.
"The Obedience Sigil guarantees loyalty. My thrall behaved bound. Do you doubt what he has done, you doubt the empire's rituals. Shall we report this to the Emperor?"
Silence reigned. The nobles looked at each other.
No one ventured to dispute the Emperor's power—or the sigil's authority.
The priest cleared his throat.
"The Central Authority sees nothing amiss in Princess Asthia's conduct. Lord Varen's treachery justified his execution. The case is closed."
Asthia stood tall, her eyes scanning the room.
"Good. On to other things."
The court moved on to other issues—trade complaints, Wallguard briefs—but Reth's thoughts remained with Varen's family. The nobles' stares hadn't mellowed.
They'd lost one of their own, and he was the knife that killed him.
The system may shield him from Asthia's anger, but not from their plots.
[Command Fulfilled: +20 EXP]
[Level Up: Bodyguard Lv. 2]
[EXP: 7 / 200]
[Loyalty Sync: 15%]
[Skill Unlocked: Improved Reflexes Lv. 1]
[Side Quest Progress: Day 2 Completed – 5 Days Left]
As they exited the court, Asthia slowed down, looking at him.
"You are quiet. Do you not speak?"
She spoke in a flat tone, but her eyes had that same blend of curiosity and calculation. She led him back towards the Serpent Wing.
Without turning around, she spoke again.
"You're quiet. Do you not speak?"
Her voice was smooth, but there was a flash of something behind it — curiosity? Humor?
Reth finally rose to his feet.
"I speak."
She turned her head a fraction, lips curving into a small smile.
"Just not very often?"
"I don't see much point to," he said.
She hummed and went on walking, leading him through the dark marble corridors of the Serpent Wing.
Then she spoke again, blithely.
"You don't know who you killed, do you?"
Reth shook his head.
"No."
"He was Varen Virex," she replied. "Of House Virex."
Reth scowled. The name was familiar from the library texts.
"That's the war house, isn't it? The one that Trains and holds most of the empire's knights?"
Asthia nodded slowly.
"Right. House Virex deals with advanced martial training. Their blood gift is for muscle control, reflexes, and physical strength."
"Then how." Reth started.
She halted her pace and regarded him. Her red eyes were inscrutable.
"How did you kill someone like that?" she finished for him. "A trained knight? From a superior bloodline?"
Reth did not reply. He did not know.
Asthia looked at him for another moment, then spoke softly,
"Because he was weakened. Poisoned."
She resumed walking.
"By whom?"
"Officially?" she replied. "He attempted to defect. The court administered to him a dose of toxin. It restricts strength and will. Slows the blood."
"And unofficially?"
She did not reply.
Just smiled.
Reth said nothing more.