In the year 3215 of the Ze Calendar, Lorin, a fifteen-year-old boy with golden hair and worn clothes, lived in the slums of Monsa Port in the Histon Empire, working as a temporary dockworker to support himself and his mother. He endured harsh labor and was often beaten by his foreman, Hopkin. After breaking a cargo box, he was severely whipped until a sailor named Valen intervened, paying for the damages and taking Lorin away. Valen, a longtime friend of the family, brought Lorin to his home in the Rusaro Industrial Zone slum, where his mother Marjorie worked tirelessly at a mechanical weaving machine. Despite their poverty, the home was clean, and they shared a simple dinner of rye bread and stew, with Valen recounting tales of his sea voyages. Lorin dreamed of attending a higher academy to improve their lives, but his mother feared he would join the army due to financial struggles. Valen offered to support his education, but Lorin hesitated, feeling burdened by the cost.Later that night, a military carriage arrived, and a young woman named Kathlyn, accompanied by two officers and a male official named Frank, entered their home. Kathlyn revealed that Lorin’s biological father was Prince Andrei, a traitor known as the Red Devil, and his birth mother was Deina Herenna, Kathlyn’s aunt. Lorin was the child entrusted to Marjorie fifteen years ago after Prince Andrei’s failed rebellion. Kathlyn declared they were there to take Lorin to the Imperial Capital, as he was the rightful heir to the Empire due to the declining Imperial Family. Valen attempted to block their departure but was subdued by the officers. After a tearful farewell, Lorin left with Kathlyn, while Marjorie gave him her malachite pendant. Kathlyn promised to care for Marjorie and Valen.At the Governor’s Mansion, Lorin was bathed, dressed in fine noble attire, and treated to a lavish banquet. During the meal, Kathlyn explained the political landscape: the Empire had no clear heir due to the deaths of Crown Prince Conrad and Prince Andrei, and Princess Olivia’s infertility from war injuries. The only other candidate, Princess Dailian, was disqualified due to her mother being from the enemy Yesenia Empire. Lorin, as the grandson of the Emperor through Prince Andrei, had a strong claim to the throne. The Herenna Family, one of the four great families, would support him. Lorin struggled to accept this reality, questioning his father’s treasonous legacy, but Kathlyn insisted that his bloodline made him eligible. After the meal, Lorin and Kathlyn boarded a military train bound for Pulenburg, the Imperial Capital. The train departed with a loud whistle, carrying Lorin from his old life into a world of imperial politics and uncertain destiny.
