The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]-Chapter 974: A Procession at the Palace

Luca felt like he shouldn’t know.

If he ever found out exactly how much it cost to maintain a place like the Imperial Palace, there was a very real probability that he wouldn’t make it to tomorrow.

Some truths were simply better left undiscovered.

Unfortunately, that thought didn’t last long.

Because the moment the hovercraft finally came to a stop and the door slid open, reality moved forward without giving him time to dwell on the matter.

Xavier stepped out first.

The hidden Crown Prince descended with his usual composed ease, then walked toward the other door and lifted a gloved hand in a silent invitation. His gesture was simple and natural, but it carried the quiet assurance of someone who had done all this countless times before, even if it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Luca took the offered hand and stepped down from the hovercraft.

And then he froze.

Standing directly ahead of them was Imperial Butler Henry.

Behind him stood rows of Imperial Guards in immaculate ceremonial armor. Behind them were the palace attendants, all perfectly aligned beneath the towering lights of the palace landing.

The moment Luca’s feet touched the platform—

They bowed.

All of them.

The movement happened instantly and with such flawless synchronization that it almost looked rehearsed down to the smallest detail. Heads lowered, backs inclined, and the entire welcoming party greeted the arrival of the Imperial Crown Prince and his treasure in a single sweeping motion.

The golden-eyed heir nearly forgot how to walk.

Because if anyone had been watching carefully enough, they might have noticed something unusual about that bow.

It was deeper.

And it lasted longer.

For them. For him.

Of course, Luca, the great chipmunk who was actually famous all around the palace, had absolutely no idea.

He had no idea that for the longest time, a good number of people had nearly lost it while trying to come up with gifts that would fit him.

He also had no idea that, since learning about his existence, renovations had long since been made to ensure he would have a dedicated space in the expansive palace.

Then again, it was alright even if he didn’t know, for the people did it out of their own volition.

But in the meantime, aside from not being privy to such information, he was far too busy wondering whether he had somehow stepped into the wrong timeslot altogether as he considered the probability that the staff had mistaken them for one of the actual dukes.

However, if Luca was surprised by what he saw, the reaction from everyone else watching the event was something else entirely.

Because by this point, the arrival area had long been surrounded by reporters, officials, and media crews who had been waiting patiently for the appearance of the evening’s most anticipated guests. Cameras had been positioned everywhere, lenses trained toward the landing platform while viewers across the Empire tuned in to the live broadcast.

And through those lenses, the moment looked completely different.

From the audience’s perspective, the hovercraft door opened slowly beneath the radiant lights of the Imperial Palace.

The first person to emerge was a tall and striking figure.

Xavier Montclair.

The Royal Military Academy’s top cadet stepped down from the craft with effortless composure, and the cameras immediately locked onto him as murmurs rippled through the watching crowd.

There were so many things to dissect when it came to him, but many found it difficult to say anything when his presence alone carried enough weight to command attention.

For a brief moment, it looked as though he intended to proceed toward the palace entrance immediately.

It wasn’t an odd assumption considering the entrance of the other guilds who went before them. The moment a cadet stepped down, they would at best acknowledge the waiting media before walking up the flight of stairs like they were in a rush.

But instead of doing that, the white-haired poster boy for a strong presence and striking appeal stopped.

Rather than continue forward, Xavier turned and walked toward the other hovercraft door.

The cameras followed the movement instinctively.

The door lifted further.

And then—

A boot touched the ground.

Click.

Another followed.

Click.

The moment stretched with quiet anticipation as the figure finally stepped out of the hovercraft.

Under the palace lights, the presence that emerged looked almost unreal.

The cameras focused on his side profile as he straightened, capturing the fluid motion of the pale fabric draped across his shoulder. The cloth shifted gracefully with the movement, cascading along his frame in soft folds that caught the light with every subtle step.

The effect was striking.

Almost ethereal.

Then he moved slightly, lifting his head to look toward the cadet who had just offered him a hand.

That small shift in posture caused the fabric behind him to shift as well.

And that was when several people gasped.

Most noticeably, the on-site stylists.

Because as Luca straightened, they caught sight of something they hadn’t expected to see today.

His back was bare.

Now that wasn’t particularly unusual, albeit sensational.

But what really captured their attention was how, across it, hung a delicate arrangement of unusual stones, their faint glow reflecting the palace lights in a way that made them look both unfamiliar and breathtakingly beautiful.

For a moment, the reporters seemed to lose their voices. And the stylists and specialists were racking their brains trying to figure out what that was, so they could report something!

Then, finally, one of the stunned people managed to speak.

"It appears," the reporter said carefully, their voice carrying across the broadcast, "that members of DG have arrived."

As if responding to that declaration, more figures began stepping out of the hovercraft.

Kyle Nox.

Oliver Mylor.

Jackson Taylor.

And from another vehicle came the Orc Princess and her aide, Ada Marn, as well as the recently popular Theo Belgrave and Noah Emory.

One after another, members of the famed guild emerged and gathered behind Luca. They didn’t move with any deliberate showmanship, and yet the simple act of standing together created an unmistakable sense of presence that the cameras captured immediately. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

It felt powerful.

Quietly so.

But before the reporters could continue their commentary, something else happened.

The palace staff bowed even lower before raising their heads and parting decisively.

The path toward the palace stairs opened before them.

Xavier leaned slightly closer to Luca and gave him a small, encouraging gesture.

"Go on."

And Luca did.

What followed was something that none of the reporters quite knew how to describe.

Because despite the fact that the stairs ahead were the exact same steps every other guest had walked that evening, the moment Luca began ascending them, the entire scene somehow changed.

The ascent looked stately.

Almost like a procession.

Step by step, Luca climbed toward the actual entrance of the Imperial Palace while the members of DG followed behind him beneath the endless lights of the palace spires.

And as the roving cameras continued to capture the moment from every possible angle, one thing slowly became impossible to deny.

The onlookers would most definitely regret their life choices if they stayed outside.