NOVEL WEB Chapter 1: The Day
He was born on the 20th of October in the 501st year of the Hiera Empire calendar. His right eye was a deep shade of pink, and his left eye was bright blue. Despite the yellow hair characteristic of the imperial family, he was born with jet-black hair that barely reflected light.
This person was Luke himself.
He was the eighth of the Hiera Empire's children and also the first prince.
He had the right to inherit the throne directly, had shown incredible genius since the sixth month of his birth, possessed immense potential, and even had the nickname Light, which was the meaning of his name, Luke, in the common language.
The Light of Hiera.
He was seen as a symbol of hope, not only by the Hiera Empire but by the rest of the world.
Yet everything changed on that day, exactly 18 years after his birth, on the 20th of October, 519th year of the Hiera Empire.
"I have no son like you!"
These words came from Alfred Hiera the Second, the emperor of the empire—Luke's father and one of the few people he considered a hero.
All eyes were fixed on Luke. Every noble had come to witness this blessed day.
In this world, everyone who turned 18 received a gift from the gods: Farming, Knighthood, Magical Sword Mastery, Magic, Tailoring, Blacksmithing, and many more.
But when it came to nobles, anything other than gifts like Magical Sword Mastery was seen as nonsense—a great disappointment.
For Luke, it was the worst possible outcome.
The gift he received at the Church of the Night on his 18th birthday was the very thing that caused nearly everyone to look at him with dismay.
He had obtained a gift unlike any seen before:
[Otherworldly Shopping System]
As the name suggested, this gift did not please Emperor Alfred. The fact that his son—regarded as a genius in magic and swordsmanship—had received a gift unrelated to war was a tremendous disappointment.
"Father?" Luke asked.
The young man was, of course, utterly shocked. It was difficult for him to comprehend the words he had heard.
"From this day forward, I am no longer your father! You are disqualified from the race for the throne! Get out of my sight!" Alfred replied.
Every word felt like a dagger piercing Luke's heart. The words of the father, whose heroic deeds he had read about since childhood, shattered him.
Still, not everyone was like Alfred.
Unlike in other kingdoms or empires, Luke was truly loved by the entire imperial family. The emperor's four wives and the seven princesses older than Luke were deeply saddened by what they had heard.
Luke was a good person. He remembered the name of every servant and knight working in the vast imperial palace, bought medicine for the sick with his own money, and even opened orphanages for homeless children in the capital.
He truly deserved the title Light of Hiera, but in just a few minutes, everything he had done up to that point had been torn apart as if it were nothing.
"Please, at least let me try my gift, Father! Maybe it's something useful!" Luke shouted.
But it was in vain. The knights, reluctantly but by the emperor's orders, removed him from the church.
Even the Saint, who was to perform the ceremony to bestow the gift from the gods or goddesses upon Luke, was shocked.
How could he not be?
The light of the empire had suddenly gone out... extinguished. And it was done by the emperor himself.
When Luke was officially expelled from the main hall of the church, the knights kindly accompanied him to the palace, told him how sorry they were, and even tried to console him.
Even though the atmosphere in the church was tense, everything proceeded as usual, with the children of the nobles receiving their gifts.
By the time evening came and went, Luke had already packed about fifteen suitcases with items he thought would be useful and placed them in his magic bag. He also put every last gold, silver, and bronze coin he had earned his whole life into the bag.
He was so mad, he didn't want to let his father take a single coin.
He expected to be expelled from the palace shortly. After all, throughout imperial history, any member of the royal family who possessed a useless gift lost their rank and was expelled.
He had naturally prepared for the worst-case scenario and set to work, believing they would at least allow him to keep his magic bag.
When the clock struck one in the morning, Luke was watching the outside world from his balcony, not a single drop of sleep in his eyes—until his door was knocked on and opened.
The young man didn't even turn around. The anxiety in his heart was growing. He feared the knights had already been ordered to arrest him.
"Luke," a delicate female voice called out.
Luke turned and saw the woman with a smile on her face. She had shiny golden hair and bright blue eyes.
Penelope Aria Hiera. The first princess of the empire and, with Luke's fall from grace, the crown princess herself.
"Sister," Luke said calmly, trying not to show his sadness and disappointment.
"We spoke with Father. All of us, Luke. With everyone's help, we were able to prevent your expulsion from the palace. Unfortunately, we couldn't restore your position… I'm sorry," Penelope said.
Luke was speechless. He kept thinking that his father wouldn't do such a thing without enormous pressure from the empresses and princesses. It was, after all, the most logical explanation.
"Are you… disappointed in me, Sister?" Luke asked.
Penelope shook her head and, genuinely concerned for Luke, said, "Of course not! How could a sister think that about her little brother?"
"But… Father didn't think that way," Luke replied, then quietly pointed to the door. "Excuse me. I need to get some sleep."
Penelope reluctantly left, and Luke lay down, deeply worried. After all the emotions he had experienced, falling asleep wasn't too difficult.
When he woke up at nine in the morning—the time his father Alfred was usually in his office—he dressed neatly and left his room.
There was neither a knight nor a servant in the corridor. It was as if Luke had been abandoned.
Still, he didn't give up. Even if it was foolish, he wanted to know what Alfred was truly thinking. He walked quickly through the palace, and after about fifteen minutes, arrived at the office guarded by imperial knights.
The knights had been ordered not to let Luke in, but none wanted to stop him. Even so, they knew they had to obey.
When they blocked the door, Luke looked at them and asked:
"Until yesterday, you swore to protect me and serve me for the rest of your lives. What happened to change your minds so drastically?"
Both knights collapsed mentally. They knew who stood before them. The Light of the Empire was not worthless. Even as a commoner, Luke's presence alone brought joy.
He was practically a saint, recognised even by the Pope of the Holy Empire.
In seconds, the knights stepped back, trembling as if they had received an imperial command.
Luke opened the office door and entered.
There were five people inside:
The First Empress Emma Hiera, the Second Empress Lily Hiera, the Third Empress Bellatrix Hiera, and the Fourth Empress Eva Hiera.
And of course, Alfred Hiera the Second.
Alfred looked at Luke with wide eyes, as if surprised to see him. So did the empresses.
Luke's gaze was cold. He was afraid. Still, there was something he needed to ask.
"I clearly remember ordering you not to enter," Alfred said calmly, far more composed than the day before.
"You may have taken my rank, but you cannot erase from the minds of every palace servant and knight which sun they choose to follow," Luke replied.
His fear was vanishing. With each second, his resolve shifted.
Alfred smiled and said:
"I've already forgiven you. I won't restore your rank, but I'll allow you to remain a prince—a useless title, but equal in function to a baron. As long as you don't go against me."
Luke took a deep breath.
"I know my mothers and sisters pressured you."
When Alfred's face turned serious, Luke didn't hesitate. He walked forward, slammed his hands on the emperor's desk, and shouted:
"What do you want from me!?"
The reply confirmed what he feared most.
"Your demise."