The imperial rulers of Grovius immediately summoned the prince to the throne room. The latter had no idea of the reason of this convocation, or rather, expected something else opposite to what would happen.

His parents, seated upright, like supreme judges, were waiting for him with a terrible calm.

- Father, mother, here I am!

- Yes, here you are at last, after having taken your revenge on the traitors.

- Of course I did. The prince nonchalantly assumed as a matter of course, deliberately ignoring the abnormal coldness of his parents.

- It was not your duty to do so, and certainly not to kill them.

- Obviously, I decided it was mine. They betrayed the empire, they had to be eradicated. I took care of it. But please, no need to thank me, for the pleasure was all mine. He concluded with a mocking smile.

The emperor bit his lips before continuing his oaths.

- Your status as heir did not give you the right to do this. You have gone far beyond the bounds of your office. You are as much under the law as anyone else.

- After what happened today, I don't care about the law," replied the young nobleman, his face cruel, making large eloquent gestures, "and more than anything else about those bands of larvae who thought they had the right to sell our empire for equally absurd reasons.

- Love is never absurd, my son, said the Empress painfully.

- What do you mean?

- They only wanted to protect their children.

- Protect their children and kill you, not to mention all those who perished in this brief but violent invasion. The expelled imperial family, and that's us, I point out to you, pointing at all three of them eloquently, they would easily seize the throne, it's as simple as that. You should have thanked me for ridding the people of this species that pollutes our imperial court.

- They had the right to go to trial like any guilty person who has ever been convicted in our empire, and especially the right to a fair trial. But of course, this kind of thing is completely out of your hands, nothing civil can be understood by the heir to the throne. Or rather the former heir to the throne.

The prince frowned, becoming even colder than usual, and asked in a terribly calm voice.

- What exactly do you mean?

- I think you already understood exactly what we mean, that you have been stripped of your imperial title and duties. Now you are just another commoner.

- What? exclaimed the prince, dumbfounded and confused, not understanding that he was punished for something he thought he had every right to do.

But his parents, though tense and heartbroken, continued to raise their haughty bearing with defiance and intransigence.

- You have heard well, and this decree applies from this moment!

- But why? Why?" he asked. he required, unable to believe the definitive words of the rulers. For having exterminated traitors, I am treated as such! You want to punish me for destroying the enemies of our Nation!

- Yes. You have done too much. It is time for you to stop your misdeeds and face the consequences. Concluded the emperor, his father, whom neither of them recognized as he was so cold but also abominably cracked.

- I can't believe it. The prince spat with eloquent gestures. You prefer monsters to your own child who did not stint to save the empire.

- You attacked the eldest child.

- Of course I attacked him, after he did it first, brandishing that knife and rushing at me like a madman.

- You had coldly and thoughtlessly informed him of his parents' death, calmly adding that it was your doing. His mother screamed almost hysterically. How did you think he would react? How do you think you would react if you were in his shoes?

The doomed young nobleman clenched his fists in rage.

- My parents are not sleazy infidels! So the question should never arise.

- He was only a child! the Empress continued, crying out in despair. Do you have any idea what a child is, what it means to be a child?

She shook her head.

- Because of you, that boy has lost his powers forever. And worse, his parents.

The prince looked at his mother for a moment and felt the horrible pain that was eating away at her, then shrugged.

- And it doesn't affect me at all.

- Although it grieves me immensely, I am perfectly aware of it.

The prince straightened up and exclaimed with arrogance, but also tinged with rage.

- I have seen people suffer and die today, innocent parents and children, precisely because of the parents of this child. For whatever reason they did what they did, they did it. And I have righted that wrong, in the best way I thought I should. And if the child of those monsters was going to be hurt and suffer irreparable consequences because of that punishment, well, let him be, and he was. But for my part, I have no regrets.

- You've gone too far, darling. exclaimed the emperor with conviction.

The former heir looked intently at his beloved parents before closing his eyes and shaking his head, cynically...

- And I say that you have only found an opportunity to punish me for what I have done since the beginning and for what I am. I understand that you have finally found the sufficient and longed-for excuse to condemn me.

The emperor pursed his lips for a moment before nodding.

- You are right. We have finally found an official reason to enforce your sentence.

- And if it wasn't the murder of those filthy nobles, it would have been something else.

- No doubt about it.

- I see. At least you didn't have had the hypocrisy to deny it yet.

The prince looked at them again intensely before straightening up even more.

- So be it.

The imperial couple stood up. They had not skimped on the forms to make clear to anyone, to the whole empire and first and foremost to their beloved child the irrevocability and finality of their decision, by changing their finery and wearing a sumptuous black and gold suit with no other meaning than the formal proof of their choice and their unwavering will to submit to it at all costs.

- Former heir of Grovius, you are condemned to lose your title of prince, your noble status and your phenomenal magical powers. You are required to leave Grovius the moment your magic is removed from your body and never return.

The imperial couple held hands and walked toward their only child.

Emperor Jergal was silent for a moment, then reached out to touch his son's face.

- One day I know you will understand this choice.

But the chastened son only gave him an irrevocable smile.

- No, I won't.

His parents looked at him for a long time before kissing him.

- You do it because it has to be that way, in the end

Then a powerful magical light burst forth, spreading throughout the palace, and even the surrounding area, and took away the banished prince's magical powers.

- I love you, Vezius. Forever.