Lindel, who was raised in a temple after losing his memory, is falsely accused of murder and forced to flee his hometown. As he wanders, having lost everything, a man with red-gold hair named Cassius appears before him. He is the Emperor of the Empire. Lindel swears loyalty to the Emperor, declaring that he will do anything if it means clearing his name.
“I, Lindel Sheard, swear to His Majesty the Emperor, the great ruler of the blessed flame by the grace of the gods, lord of the eleven rivers and seven mountain ranges, and guardian of law and justice. I pledge unwavering loyalty and radiant glory.”
Cassius, the noblest man in the Empire, volunteers to be Lindel’s patron—with kindness and excellence in his demeanor.
“Yes. You are Dibitie, mine.”
Dibitie. An archaic word meaning jewel. Though it now refers to the government, in the distant past it was a title for the most precious person in the world.
