Chapter 1

One, two! One, two!

The galley’s sharp bow cut forcefully through the deep blue sea. The sturdy shoulders and chests of the men rowing to the cadence glistened with sweat.

The voyage had been smooth the entire time. Had the sea been moved by human diligence? A tailwind gently pushed the ship, and the snow-white sails had billowed with good momentum throughout the journey.

“As expected, the blessing of the sun follows our Kepet Kingdom. Doesn’t it?”

Princess Nephitia, gazing intently at the horizon from the bow, murmured with a smiling face.

“You are entirely right, Your Highness!”

The attendants lined up behind the princess immediately bowed their heads in response. It was an answer that popped out reflexively, as if rehearsed.

Of course, it was a well-founded confidence. The galley of the Kepet Kingdom had not encountered even a single rain cloud from the moment it left the distant Sand Kingdom until it neared the Credo Archipelago here.

“With Your Highness aboard this ship, what hardships could there possibly be?”

“That’s right! There is nothing to fear at all!”

Brushing off the familiar fuss, Nephitia turned her gaze toward the distant sea.

“Even though I’ve done nothing but look at the ocean all day for the past few days, I don’t feel bored. No matter how much I look at it, I never get tired of it.”

Nephitia rested her arms and hopped her body up. She pressed her chest against the railing and looked down. She liked watching the water splashing and scattering against the bow, kicking up white spray.

Meanwhile, the attendants stood far enough back so as not to get in her way, holding their ground. Not a single person showed a hint of exhaustion, despite attending to her all day since dawn. Rather, they seemed genuinely enthusiastic about guarding the lovely princess and responding fervently to even the most trivial things.

Anyone from Kepet was like that. It was only natural to revere and adore Princess Nephitia, the kingdom’s sole heir.

Clever and sharp, she learned everything in an instant, and endowed with a bold and brave disposition, she had ample qualifications as an heir. When she picked up a bow and went hunting, her shots hit the mark every time. With a slender, light body, she had nimbly driven a chariot to capture victory on multiple occasions.

Her eyes, bright like the sun, shone brilliantly, and when she laughed vibrantly, revealing her white, even teeth, deep dimples formed at the corners of her lips. The gently curving corners of her eyes and her glossy, shimmering black hair added a cheerful and healthy vibe. Young nobles went half-mad with lovesick pining, blinded by Nephitia’s beauty.

Just like that, Nephitia Himedin transcended ordinary levels, born and raised having received only the best of everything in the world. Precious, and so terribly precious that no one dared approach her…

“Nephitia! Watch out!”

A single scream shattered the peaceful moment. A white-haired woman rushed over in a flurry, grabbed the princess’s arm, and yanked her away from the railing.

“Ah, Aunt Shadia.”

Having her fun ruined, Nephitia pulled away her held arm and sighed. Unlike the unimpressed princess, Shadia, whose face had turned the color of dirt, sternly rebuked the princess.

“Please, Your Highness! How many times do I have to tell you to be careful!”

Shadia’s wrath immediately spilled over onto the innocent attendants.

“What on earth are you all doing?! Failing to properly attend to Her Highness! If you thought it was dangerous, you should have stopped her immediately!”

As Shadia brandished her cane and shouted, the attendants’ shoulders shrank back tight. While not a single person dared to make a sound and pulled their shoulders in, Nephitia stepped forward to mediate the situation.

“What on earth is my aunt worrying about? Could she possibly be worried that I might fall into this sea?”

…Yes! Exactly that!

Shadia gripped her cane tightly with wrinkled hands. Facing the attendants who stared at her blankly and Nephitia, who wore a dull expression as if worrying over nothing, her insides boiled.

Not a single person here understood her feelings of anxiety regarding the princess’s safety. Why? Because everyone was certain that Princess Nephitia, blessed by the Sun God, would never suffer any danger!

“Your Highness.”

Shadia let out a sigh as if the earth were sinking.

“I know very well that Your Highness’s body is protected by divine power. I know it all too well.”

That’s right. A demigod, a unique and peerless existence. A presence destined to glorify the throne of Kepet…

At the root of this fervent blind faith was a special oracle Nephitia had received at birth.

A great king, born once in a thousand years, has arrived. She shall write a new history.

“This old woman worries too much and always forgets that astonishing prophecy. Please consider it the worry of a senile aunt.”

“I gladly forgive your rudeness. But Shadia, you must remember this well.”

Nephitia retorted perturblingly.

“You must not forget that this body, born by the decree of the heavens, is different from ordinary people.”

“…Your words are correct, Your Highness.”

Shadia laboriously pulled up the corners of her mouth. She felt a hundred years older just from riding the boat together.

Since she was also a descendant of the royal family, she didn’t dare doubt the oracle.

The only problem was that the degree of worship was excessive.

In her youth, Shadia left Kepet right after the throne passed to her youngest sibling, Mahati. She joined nomads, traveled the far corners of the world, and interacted with a vast number of people. Breaking away from the insularity of the Kepet dynasty, she finally saw the wider world and cast aside the notion that only Kepet was superior.

Then one day, a message arrived from the homeland she had thought she would never return to.

“My sister, please come to Kepet. Your sister needs your help.”

There was a large age gap between them, so she felt more like a daughter than a younger sister. Having had no intention of returning to her homeland, Shadia hesitated for a long time before finally responding to the king’s call. Because it was a plea from Mahati and not any of the other siblings, she couldn’t brush it off.

“Your Majesty, how can I be of assistance?”

“Shadia, the World Allied Training Tournament will be held soon. Just like other princesses and princes, Princess Nephitia will be staying there for a while. Please take Nephitia to that place.”

“If it’s a training tournament… I suppose I won’t be able to stay there while the tournament is underway.”

“That’s right, Shadia.”

“Then, do you wish for me to escort the princess to Credo Island?”

“That’s exactly it, Shadia. I need someone I can trust and rely upon.”

The first thought that crossed her mind back then was ‘Why?’

If it was just a matter of accompanying the princess to the island, it didn’t strictly have to be her, so why call back an eldest sister she hadn’t contacted in a long time?

Buoyed by Nephitia’s oracle, the people dreamed of a hopeful future, and she had thought the throne of Kepet grew stouter by the day. Did this mean Mahati had no trustworthy close aides by her side?

Right when she began to wonder if that was truly all she had to do, King Mahati spoke again.

“There is something I must do the moment that child returns from the training tournament on Credo Island. I want you to help with that as well. It might be an even more important task.”

Just as she thought ‘figures as much’ and lifted her head, her heart sank. The king’s face was darker than ever, and a thick shadow hung deep in her eyes.

“For the time being, please don’t let Nephitia know. She will hate it immensely.”

“Land is in sight! It’s Credo Island!”

A loud shout came from high up the mast.

Nephitia, who had been resting her chin on the railing, brightened up and raised her head. Squinting her eyes and scanning the horizon for a long time, she could barely make out a tiny dot straight ahead. That was ‘Credo Island’?

Unlike Nephitia, who was filled with anticipation, Shadia stood beside her and muttered anxiously.

“It’s a whole ‘six months’, Your Highness. You will be living entirely alone in a place without me or the other attendants. Will you be able to manage?”

“You’re borrowing trouble again. Aunt Shadia, I’ve told you several times, I have special protection. Nothing will happen to harm my body. And why are you talking as if I’ll be all alone? Princesses and princes from other countries will be coming too. So I’ll be—”

“‘Equals’, Your Highness.”

Ah, yes, yes. Nephitia smiled brightly and nodded.

“It feels so strange. How can that be? How can they and I possibly be equals? That’s a contradiction.”

“That’s… Anyway, Your Highness, just treat them moderately. Keep your distance and maintain proper etiquette.”

“Treat them moderately? How could I possibly do that, Shadia?!”

Nephitia said with a serious expression.

“Doesn’t the benevolent Sun God shine His light across the entire world, not just Kepet? He casts a bright, blessing-like light even on piles of trash, showing generosity even to beings less accomplished than myself. So it’s only right that I approach them with magnanimity and treat them kindly. Since I have to become ‘friends’ with them, after all.”

Oh, gods!

Shadia’s hand gripped her cane as if she might snap it in half. Was it really okay to leave the princess here?

She was worried about what lay ahead. She couldn’t help but wonder if a war, rather than peace, would break out once the training tournament ended.

With a heavy sigh, Shadia gave instructions to prepare for disembarkation.