SOP l CH 3

Episode 3. Encounter with the Hidden Power

Late evening.

Two men entered the Duke of Devon’s office with excited faces.

“Two people saw it, sir! The sacred beast detection crystal was glowing with a brilliant purple light!”

The duke’s aide, Count Russell, spoke with spit flying from his mouth, while beside him, the knight commander, Baxter, nodded and added:

“Yes, sir. A new knight saw it first, and then Sir Martin confirmed it.”

“The rookie screamed when he saw it, Your Grace. I mean, the crystal hadn’t glowed in 500 years—who wouldn’t scream? Hahaha.”

The two men exchanged their excitement. Even Baxter, who was normally calm, seemed unusually thrilled.

And it made sense—among the four great noble families that ruled the North, South, East, and West of the Freeman Empire, the Devon family was the only one whose sacred beast had never been born in 500 years.

So this strange event was big enough to shake not only the North but the entire Empire.

However, their master—Duke Kassirian Devon—sat silently with his back turned to them.

Feeling awkward, Russell cleared his throat.

“If we’d known this would happen, we shouldn’t have left the crystal collecting dust in the training yard. Had we displayed it here, Your Grace would’ve been the first to see the light!”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Kassirian’s deep, cold voice cut him off.

“A sacred beast changes nothing.”

The Duke stood up, his powerful muscles stretching his shirt and trousers. He was only twenty-five, young but built like a warrior.

“A sacred beast is just another soldier. One more fighter won’t change the fate of this land.”

Russell fell silent. The Duke wasn’t wrong.

The North was cold and barren, sunlight rarely reached it, and food shortages were constant. Even if a sacred beast appeared, it wouldn’t feed the people—its powers were only for battle, not for growing crops or changing weather.

“Then what if Your Grace announced it publicly? It might give the people hope.”

“No. False hope brings disappointment. Make sure no one spreads rumors about the beast’s awakening.”

“Understood.”

Russell pouted silently—But at least the other nobles wouldn’t look down on us anymore!—yet he kept that thought to himself.

Suddenly the office door burst open.

“Your Grace! Commander!”

A young knight ran in.

“Three children snuck out earlier. We think they went into the northern forest!”

“What?! At this hour?”

Russell gasped.

“Baxter, I’ll go first. Bring the knights quickly.”

Kassirian grabbed his jacket and dashed out. Baxter followed immediately.

Russell sighed.

“He always handles everything himself… Better call the physician now. He’ll come back all scratched up again.”

And he hurried out after them.

* * *

“A miracle… this is a miracle…”

When Baxter reached the forest entrance, he was stunned—the missing children stood there perfectly safe, not even a scratch on them.

“A white bird brought us here!”
“Yeah! It grabbed my hat and pulled me along!”

Baxter smiled faintly—kids and their wild stories.

Then he noticed Kassirian staring up at a tall fir tree.

“Your Grace, what are you looking at?”

On the lowest branch sat a small white bird.

“That bird apparently saved the children,” Kassirian said quietly.

“Ah, kids must’ve imagined—”

Baxter stopped when he saw the Duke’s serious face.

“It’s breathing heavily. Must’ve flown here in a rush.”

Baxter squinted—the Duke was right. The bird’s chest was rising and falling quickly.

Then, as soon as it met Baxter’s gaze, the bird suddenly took off and tugged at Kassirian’s jacket.

“It’s asking us to follow.”

Before Baxter could respond, the Duke sprinted into the forest after it.

“Knights! Follow His Grace!”

But after a while, they lost the bird—it had flown too fast.

“Your Grace, it’s getting late. We should—”

“Shh.”

Kassirian motioned for silence.

“Over there.”

He moved into a patch of thorny bushes. Suddenly, thud!—a small white weasel had hit its head on a rock and fainted. The bird fluttered anxiously around it.

“It’s probably rabid, sir,” Baxter warned.

Another knight added,

“I’ve seen weasels like that before—infected by parasites, attacking people, then knocking themselves out.”

Ignoring them, Kassirian stepped closer. The bird tugged his pant leg, leading him right to the weasel.

“You saved my people,” he said softly to the bird. “So I’ll save your friend.”

He gently picked up the fainted weasel and handed it to Baxter.

“Take it to the physician.”

Then Kassirian scanned the surroundings. He noticed six large vine clusters on the ground—something moved inside them.

“This is…”

He looked closer—Lycan wolves, trapped and writhing among the vines.

Kassirian’s red eyes glowed sharply as he glanced back at the white weasel in Baxter’s arms.

* * *

I was running in a dream—being chased.

Kids threw rocks at me, yelling that I was an orphan. Then my landlord screamed that I hadn’t paid rent.

When I remembered that I had paid this month and stopped running, black werewolves charged at me.

Why is everyone after me?!

I shouted—and suddenly woke up.

A cracked stone ceiling filled my vision.

I sat up—my head throbbed. When I touched it, I felt a bump.

“Squeak… squeak… (Where am I…?)”

A tiny animal noise came from my throat. Right—still stuck inside the novel world.

I sighed and looked around—next to me lay a half-naked man.

What the—who are you?!

I whipped my tail over my face in panic, but the man didn’t wake. Slowly, I peeked again.

He was stunningly handsome—smooth bronze skin, dark gray hair, long lashes, a sharp nose, soft pink lips, and sculpted muscles like a statue.

Then it hit me. I knew this man.

From the start of The Knight of the Red Sword:

“With a bronzed muscular body, ash-gray hair, and ruby eyes—the Duke of the North, Kassirian Devon, was the finest man in the Empire.”

“Squeak! (Shit!)”

I squealed.

The man’s red eyes opened—and locked directly onto mine.