𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫

3.1 || Imperial Reunion

When the wind blows, the smell of flowers lingers in the air.

When the wind blows, the tree leaves rustle, and the sound of happy chattering fills the town square.

And yet, why was it that when the wind was blowing, Seungmin was stuck inside a stuffy dining room with people he's never met?

Just last evening, Seungmin returned safely to the Imperial Castle from his trip to Cambriage. The castle was the same as when he left it: overly bright and large. And yet, it didn't seem quite large that day because of how compact the crowds were in the public wing. It was hard to miss, as Seungmin could see the mob from his corridor the moment he left the comfort and privacy of his bedroom at lunch time, which was strange as lunch time was when everyone departed the castle for their meals.

"Brother!" a voice rang, prompting Seungmin to turn his attention from the public grounds far away to the end of the hall. A small boy was running down the hallway and came to a stop in front of the mint-haired boy, his breathing loud and fast. Henry's little freckles were tinted red from his adrenaline, and his eyes were twinkling.

"Brother, you're back!" Henry exclaimed as he hugged the older one's abdomen.

A gentle smile graced Seungmin's face as he replied, "I got back yesterday. How are you?"

"I'm good! I'm really excited!"

The two released their embrace, and the Second Prince crouched down to meet Henry's copper-colored eyes. There was an unusual amount of excitement, evident by his small bounces on his toes and shaking fists. It was as if he was waiting for Seungmin to ask, so the older boy ruffled Henry's hair as he took the bait.

"Do you have any good news?"

Finally, the burst of energy came forth and Henry babbled, "Yeah! The Holy Princess is coming to our Empire! The nice one the Holy Kingdom found! I heard she saved a million people with her magic, and now she's coming here for school! Do you think I'll see her? I want to be saved!"

"Saved by what?" asked the Seungmin.

Henry paused. Then he laughed as if it were the funniest question, putting his chubby hands on his belly.

"Nothing, duh. But her magic is cool and I want to feel it. And you have to be saved by her to feel her magic!"

Again, Seungmin messed with Henry's hair, earning more giggles.

The news of the Holy Princess' discovery was talked about so much to the extent that even Seungmin had heard it a few weeks back. It made sense. Holy magic was rare in itself. A person with an enormous amount of mana to use it for miracles was even rarer. And with so much devotion to the Goddess of this world from all over the country, news spreading as quickly as this was inevitable; the appearance of a "Saintess," as they would call her, served as proof that the Goddess existed. In spite of the fact that Seungmin wasn't a follower or a believer, he was still interested in seeing her magic like everyone else.

The reason for the Princess' attendance at the Vivian Educational Institute must do with the Holy Empire's governing structure. Because religion is of upmost importance, the Saintess would essentially take the most powerful seat in the Holy Empire's government after, Seungmin assumed, she finished her education at one of the best education systems in the country. Would this mean that she would be attending the Vivian Educational Institute in the upcoming semester? Could he be able to observe such magic and see how it heals wounds? He had gotten quite used to accepting the law-defying nature of the four main elements of magic, but "miracles" were something he was still captivated by as someone from a different world.

"Where did you hear all this?" Seungmin asked, deciding to pay attention to his younger brother now.

"There's a lot of people here now," Henry chirped, "so I found spy information. Don't tell anyone!"